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Mar 29, 2022
WORLD TB DAY 2022: POST COVID, WEAKENED IMMUNITY LEADING TO RISE IN TB CASES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE
What TB is and how to stay safe?
What is MCC?
Issues around the incident
How significant is the attainment of India’s $400 billion exports target?
Importance of Mariupol
Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’
About Climate Communication
The climate change communication is about educating and informing people about this massive issue, in order to mobilize and solve the climate crisis.
On a deeper level, however, climate change communication is shaped by our different experiences, mental and cultural models, and underlying values and world views.
The way we talk about climate change, either as advocates, scientists, or regular citizens, affects the way people understand and think about both the problem and the solutions alike.
Why There is Lack of Climate Communication?
There is a language barrier in climate change communication. The terminology used by scientists and advocates in communicating the climate crisis has contributed to the public confusion on the issue. Naming the issue itself has been a challenge.
The terms “climate change” and “global warming” have both been used for decades to refer to the atmospheric and climate disruptions caused by increased carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
There is a temporal and spatial dissonance when it comes to how we talk about climate change and therefore, how people think about the threat. We tend to think that climate change is a thing of the future, that it won’t happen now, but even if we do think it will happen now, we don’t think it will happen to us, and even if it does happen to us, our brains rationalize that it won’t possibly be that bad.
For a long time, climate communication relied on polar regions, especially polar bears. We all remember those pictures, and while they’re powerful, true, and important, they ended up creating a collective understanding of climate change as something remote and removed from humans.
Research shows that the images people associate with climate change tend to be abstract and psychologically distant, devoid of specific geographic, social or temporal details, and typically do not feature people.
In the communication of renewable energy transitions, as well as environmental degradation and species harm, the discourse has largely left humans out of the equation, out of the main problems, and therefore out of the solutions.
Due to the historical association, there is between emissions and economic growth since the industrial revolution, we are likely to assume this is causal, and if we reduce one, we are also giving up the other. But this is not the case at all.
A lot of researchers have focused on the role of values, beliefs, and identity of audiences in understanding the messaging around climate change and its impacts. One main takeaway from this body of research is that we understand incoming information, regardless of its medium, through our own biases and values.
There is a certain level of agreement in the field on the importance of understanding audiences in order to craft messaging for them, or in other words, to meet people where they are and tie your message to what they care most about.
Communicators have often assumed that a lack of information and understanding explains the lack of public concern and engagement, and that more information and explanation is needed to move people to action.
The information deficit model is problematic in many ways — while it may seem obvious, it can actually backfire. The approach is based on the idea that information and understanding are necessary and/or sufficient conditions for behavioral or political engagement. It also assumes that people need to be aware of all the facts in order to make sound decisions, both in their daily lives and in their voting behaviors.
Why There in need of Climate Communication?
The communication gap between scientists and communities can lead to inaction and incorrect action in adaptation and mitigation efforts. Thus, creating a need for consistent, clear and simple climate communication.
Communities often talk about climate change based on lived experiences and stories. Unfortunately, these are rarely captured by mainstream media. The narrative around climate change remains dominated by the politics and policies around it.
Reporting is centred around national and international negotiations and summits on climate change and national and state level plans and reports. These themes are important but have little direct impact on those experiencing the effects.
Other barriers resulting in inaction include a lack of motivation and the belief that individual action cannot bring about a difference. This arises from a lack of awareness and information on the issue.
Neither political will nor government policy include a significant focus on communication about climate change to the public. Also, despite the existence of these comprehensive plans, implementation remains suboptimal.
How to Ensure Climate Communication?
What is the Uniform Civil Code?
- Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) are rising for the first time in a decade, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). World TB Day on March 24 aims to raise public awareness of the world’s deadliest infectious killers.
- The World Economic Forum launched the initiative Ending Workplace TB in 2020, working with partners to overcome the disease.
What TB is and how to stay safe?
- The struggle to end TB is not just a struggle against a single disease. It’s also the struggle to end poverty, inequity, unsafe housing, discrimination and stigma, and to extend social protection and universal health coverage."
- This is what World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the WHO's Global Tuberculosis report 2021."If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that health is a human right, not a luxury for those who can afford it."
- World TB Day is held on March 24 each year with the aim of raising awareness of this deadly disease.
- In 2022, the WHO is organizing a special high-level virtual event around the theme of "Invest to End TB. Save Lives".
- Renewing efforts to overcome TB is particularly crucial because two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed progress towards ending the disease, and achieving the WHO's goals of equitable access to prevention and care in line with Universal Health Coverage.
- Deaths from TB have risen during the pandemic - and for the first time in a decade, according to the WHO, with 1.5 million people dying from Tuberculosis in 2020 (of which 214,000 were HIV positive).
- Until COVID-19, TB was the main cause of death from a single infectious agent, higher even than HIV/AIDS. Unlike COVID-19, it's a bacterial rather than virus-caused illness.
- TB's been around for thousands of years, but the bacteria that causes it - Mycobacterium tuberculosis - was only discovered in 1882 by Dr Robert Koch.
- It spreads when people who are ill expel the bacteria into the air, through coughing or sneezing.
- Both TB and COVID-19 primarily affect the lungs.
- Patients with tuberculosis, in cases where they've got COVID-19, will have more severe COVID-19 and the risk of less successful treatment is higher.
- Symptoms can be similar to COVID-19 and include coughing (sometimes with blood), fever, night sweats, or weight loss.
- One in four people in the world is infected with bacteria, meaning a higher risk of developing disease, according to the WHO, but not everyone with it becomes ill.
- Most cases (90%) of TB occur in adults - and those with compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV, diabetes, or malnutrition, have a higher risk of becoming ill. It occurs in all parts of world, but some places have a higher burden of disease.
- In 2020, two-thirds of new cases were in just eight countries: India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa.
- According to the WHO, the burden of HIV-associated TB is highest in Africa, where 85% of TB patients in 2020 had a documented HIV test result.
- It can be successfully treated with a 6-month course of drugs, but diagnosis has dropped due to the healthcare disruption of the pandemic.
- We can see significant drops in TB diagnosis notification and it means that access is limited. People are not receiving timely life-saving treatment and the transmission of the infection is continued.
- The only licensed vaccine for prevention of Tuberculosis disease - the bacille Calmette-Guérin or BCG - was developed 100 years ago, and prevents severe forms of TB in children, says the WHO.
- As yet, there is no vaccine effective in preventing TB disease in adults, but results from a Phase II trial of the M72/AS01E candidate have shown promise.
- The World Economic Forum launched the Ending Workplace TB (EWTB) initiative at the Annual Meeting in January 2020 to bring new private sector partners to the fight against TB.
- Up to 50% of cases of some infectious diseases originate in the workplace, research suggests. Breaking the chains of TB transmission in workplaces could have a major impact on ending TB.
- EWTB identifies four core challenges that are central to the ongoing TB epidemic and particularly relevant to employers:
- Stopping community transmission by raising awareness and working in the community to stop infection and spread
- Lowering patient costs by working with companies to not only offer, but encourage employers to take sick leave when relevant and benefit from phased return-to-work policies
- Accessing healthcare services by establishing or connecting with screening, referral and support services in the workplace
- Reducing stigma by working with technical partners to identify and overcome barriers to speaking about or addressing TB in the workplace
- In the backdrop of raging protests, Nepal’s parliament ratified the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) – Nepal Compact on 27th February 2022 after years of debate over the cost and benefit of the compact for the country.
- However, the situation was not this politicised when Nepal signed an agreement with the U.S. in 2017 for the USD 500 million grant to improve the country’s power and other infrastructure.
What is MCC?
- The MCC was envisaged by the U.S. in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks as a safeguard against perceived terror threats from the least developed countries (LDCs) by ensuring economic development.
- While the efficacy of such a security strategy may be questionable, it was an excellent opportunity for such countries to secure interest-free funds to supplement their socio-economic development.
- Nepal decided to apply for the MCC in 2012 under Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai from the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
- It only qualified to sign the compact in 2014 after meeting the minimum policy criteria. The compact was eventually signed in September 2017 under Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba from the Nepali Congress.
- It is important to note the political support for MCC from major parties across the ideological spectrum. This support was also extended by the controversial former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), the largest left party in Nepal.
- Such strong support ran directly against the prolonged debates and utter politicisation of MCC that followed after the compact was signed in 2017.
- A critical reason behind such opposition to the MCC was historical-political in nature. Considering the left-leaning politics of Nepal, the country’s political elite was always skeptical of the US’s intentions.
- A long history of U.S. intervention in several smaller countries has not exactly helped its case in Nepal, where it is traditionally viewed as an imperialist power.
- Given Nepal’s recent expansion in ties with China and the growing US-China strategic tussle, Nepal has increasingly been seeing U.S. activities as part of its larger Indo-Pacific Strategy to counter China.
- It is possible that more than being afraid of becoming an unnecessary casualty of strategic competition between two great powers, such strong protests to an American led program pointed towards the Chinese reservations being catered to by the larger Nepali political elite across the entire ideological spectrum, highlighting the extent of Chinese involvement in Nepal’s domestic politics.
- Nepal’s domestic political landscape is fragile and its democratic institutions are quite new. The fears of yielding influence to yet another great power have, in part, driven the emotive debate across the country for the last few years.
- This fear, unfortunately, has been amply capitalised by China to curate a thought process hostile to a mere USD 500 million program based on grants and not even loans, a preferred foreign policy tool of China.
- The U.S did not help its case either when Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia, David Ranz, and the Assistant Deputy Secretary of State, Alice Wells categorically said that MCC was indeed part of America’s broader Indo-Pacific Strategy.
- Although, the U.S later clarified its official position about MCC being purely developmental in nature without any military component involved and “is not, and never has been, a deliverable of the Indo-Pacific Strategy” as well as MCC not prevailing over Nepal’s constitution.
- These were some of Nepal’s key reservations about the program.
- Nepal’s joining of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017 was seen as a major strategic win for China in South Asia. However, as years have passed, BRI projects have stalled and resistance to China’s flagship project is mounting even as its carefully cultivated political setup is dwindling.
- The fact that the Nepali parliament ratified the MCC with a two-thirds majority no less is as big a political setback for China as it is a strategic one. It also highlights how China is not an economic invincible giant with a silver bullet for the development woes of LDCs or developing countries.
- China has had deep reservations about the U.S. involvement in Nepal. According to some reports in Nepali media, China took great interest in the MCC and was essentially trying to cripple it. Many Chinese officials, including the Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi held talks about the MCC with parties across the board.
- In fact, the Chinese disinformation campaign on social media against MCC was all too apparent in months preceding to the vote on the matter in the Nepali parliament. In September 2021, Prime Minister Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal wrote a letter to the MCC on the need to better inform the masses and their party members about what the MCC entailed by providing accurate information and dispelling apprehensions.
- Four of the five biggest political parties in Nepal’s parliament voted in favour to ratify the MCC, with even the former Prime Minister Oli’s CPN-UML abstaining from the vote.
- For China, MCC ratification points to a highly contested political and economic space in Nepal and hints at possibly similar developments in other countries, particularly in South Asia.
- In recent years, China has been actively involved in Nepal’s domestic politics. This is chiefly driven by its aim to shift the strategic balance in South Asia by challenging India in its traditional sphere of influence.
- For India, the U.S. participation in Nepal and other South Asian countries is a necessity in the short to medium term as it tries to check China’s expansionist policies.
- These expansionist aims are supported by both military and economic tools. India recognises the need to partner with the U.S. in order to counterbalance China.
- The U.S. for its part has been careful in its approach to Nepal. Even the projects identified under the USD 500 million MCC grant, a 400 kV transmission line (MCC to fund only the Nepali side of the line) to help Nepal conduct power trade with India and upgrading road connectivity to Nepal’s East-West Highway that would, in turn, help the country achieve greater internal and external (with India) connectivity.
- For India, however, deep American influence may be as undesirable as the Chinese in its area of influence. And although the U.S. and India may work together in the foreseeable future as their interests remain converged, global politics has provided enough evidence to highlight the ever-changing nature of national interests and how quickly they can evolve. For India, the key remains to ensure a balance between its intermediate and long-term national interests.
Issues around the incident
- Another 24 hours later two days after the missile hit Pakistan the Indian government publicly confirmed that one of its missiles had been accidentally launched while undergoing “routine maintenance” and that it crossed into Pakistan. India called the incident “deeply regrettable” but also expressed relief that no lives were lost.
- Later in the Indian Parliament, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh admitted to an “inadvertent release of a missile… during routine maintenance and inspection.” He said that India had “later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan.”
- Although this incident thankfully did not lead to an escalation between India and Pakistan, and both sides appear to have acted with maturity amid uncertainty, it raises a lot of questions that are yet to be answered.
- That the missile launched by India landed inside Pakistan, a nuclear rival, is obviously a serious matter. India was lucky that the missile was unarmed and there were no casualties, and that Pakistan did not use this opportunity to engage in a retaliatory attack.
- As experts have noted, “there are few cases in history – if any – of a nuclear-armed rival accidentally firing a missile into the territory of another nuclear-armed rival.” While there have been accidents in the past in other countries that involved even nuclear weapons, there hasn’t been a case of an accidental launch of a missile between two nuclear-armed states.
- The type of missile that was involved. While neither government explicitly stated it, Indian media reports have quoted Indian defense officials as saying that the weapon involved was the BrahMos cruise missile.
- The BrahMos was a result of a joint India-Russia venture, which led to the modification of the Russian P-800 Oniks anti-ship cruise missile.
- The BrahMos program has been a successful one for India and all three Indian military services have purchased the missile.
- India has also planned to export the BrahMos missiles and bagged its first foreign customer, the Philippine armed forces, recently.
- If the missile involved was in fact a BrahMos, it is likely to raise questions from its users from within the Indian military and also among foreign customers. Thus, resolving the question of how this accident happened has implications within Indian military in addition to international security ramifications.
- The Indian government has promised a thorough probe, although it is unclear whether the results of the probe will be released publicly.
- In addition to the missile type involved in the accident, there are also questions about how the accidental launch took place. It is unclear from the different Indian statements, and even from the unofficial source-based reporting in Indian media, whether the missile launch took place because of technical problems, some kind of human error, or some procedural lapse. Each has a different implication.
- The most concerning would be the question of human error or procedural lapse. The Indian military services over the last several years have witnessed many high-profile tragedies and mishaps, including a helicopter accident that led to the death of India’s first Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and several other officers in 2021.
- The “friendly” shooting down of an Indian helicopter by Indian air defenses in Srinagar at the height of the Balakot crisis in 2019;
- An accident that left India’s indigenous Arihant submarine out of commission for many months in 2018; and a fire and explosion on board an Indian Kilo-class submarine in 2013 that killed 18 crew members.
- The sequence and details of events. While both India and Pakistan agree that the missile entered Pakistan at around 7 p.m., they seem to agree on little else.
- Pakistan claimed to have tracked the missile from Sirsa in Haryana state in India, but Indian officials unofficially stated that it was not launched from Sirsa, which does not appear to have any military bases.
- The Indian officials have also disputed the missile track that Pakistan provided and their claim that the missile following a predetermined path but did not hit the intended target due to “certain factors.”
- This raises questions about whether Pakistan was able to detect the Indian missile and whether there are gaps in its air defense coverage.
- Equally unclear but with more dangerous implications is the question of precisely when India informed Pakistan about the accident.
- Considering that the two sides are nuclear-armed rivals, they have developed protocols to minimize the possibilities of accidents of this kind.
- There are agreements in place that limit military movements close to the border, constrain missile testing, and provide hotlines for the two militaries to contact each other in case of emergencies. The hotline issue is particularly salient as Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf has claimed that India did not use the hotline.
- India, however, states that it informed Pakistan about the errant missile well before Pakistan’s public statement on March 10. It is, of course, possible that India informed Pakistan without using the hotline.
- The issue is important because it potentially affects how the two countries will behave and how much trust they will have regarding each other in any future crisis.
- Given the embarrassment that India has suffered, there will be a strong incentive for New Delhi to thoroughly probe this incident. Hopefully, this will also ensure greater caution in both countries about how they manage their military forces.
- On March 2022, the value of India’s outbound shipments in the financial year 2021-22 hit $400 billion, the highest ever.
- By the time the financial year closes, another $10 billion worth of goods is expected to be shipped out. This would translate into a growth of about 41% from the pandemic-hit year of 2020-21, making it India’s fastest exports growth rate since 2009-10.
How significant is the attainment of India’s $400 billion exports target?
- First, 2021-22 reflects the first time in several years that the country has met its exports target, but for greater context, India’s trend line in exports before the COVID-19 disruptions was nowhere close to this year’s performance.
- According to data from the Reserve Bank of India, outbound merchandise trade had clocked $303.5 billion in 2017-18, $330.1 billion in 2018-19 before slipping to $313.4 billion in 2019-20, when numbers were slightly dented due to the harsh national lockdowns imposed in the last week of that financial year.
- While higher prices of commodities and oil helped drive up the value of exports, with petroleum products exports jumping over 141%, some of India’s industrial sectors shone through as well.
- Engineering exports, for instance, have jumped 46.5% to cross $100 billion for the first time, even as chemicals, cotton yarn, handloom products, and the apparel industry have done well.
- India has managed to achieve its export target despite supply disruptions due to the pandemic, the challenging shortages of shipping containers and surging freight rates.
- Part of this could also be explained by the world shifting its global procurement preferences to diversify their dependence on China following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
- Australia, which is in the midst of a shrill trade battle with China, has made way for India, taking exports up 94% so far this year.
- Shipments to the U.S. are also up 47%. India would hope to consolidate these gains and establish its credentials as a credible alternative to China, even as it could face stiff competition in some sectors from Asian peers such as Vietnam and Bangladesh.
- Even as exports may rise nearly $120 billion this year, India’s imports have shot up to record levels and could end up nearly $200 billion over 2020-21’s import figure of $393.6 billion.
- The trade deficit for the year could be around $190 billion, sharply higher than the $102 billion recorded in the pandemic year. The monthly trade deficit has been spiking recently and hit a record $22.9 billion in November 2021, with imports gaining greater momentum than exports.
- What are the risk factors for Indian exports in the coming year?
- Although India’s direct trade with Russia is not significant at about 1% of its trade basket, the Ukraine-Russia conflict may create some more opportunities for Indian farm produce exports, especially for crops like wheat and maize.
- But this would be offset by a sharp rise in India’s energy import bill as well as an uptick in costs of importing edible oils like sunflower oil, whose production is dominated by the two nations at war.
- India imports 80% of its oil and demand is likely to grow as the economic recovery picks up pace, provided the pandemic doesn’t resurface. This could translate into a ’term-of-trade’ shock, with elevated trade and current account deficits and sustained pressure on the rupee even as monetary tightening in the developed world may suck out dollars from emerging markets.
- The RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has pointed out that unlike the taper tantrum of 2013, the country’s foreign exchange reserves, adequate to cover more than 12 months of imports, are robust and can finance higher current account deficits if needed.
- Most economists, however, expect the rupee to weaken over 2022-23, which in turn could be a minor perk for exporters.
- While high shipping rates, container shortages and re-alignment of trade routes around the Black Sea will pose a challenge, timely actions on the policy front could help create more export opportunities.
- A swift conclusion of Free Trade Agreement pacts being negotiated with countries like the U.K., Australia and Canada, could create easier market access in these large markets.
- Exporters await a long-overdue revision of the Foreign Trade Policy for 2015-20, that has now been extended into the first few months of 2022-23 as well.
- Parliamentary committee has urged the government to include Special Economic Zones and sectors such as pharma, steel, and chemicals under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) Scheme, which finally kicked off last year after a significant delay.
- These could help balance out some of the bigger tectonic shifts in trading patterns from the European crisis, including a firming up of the COVID-induced inward-looking shift in nations’ stance on globalisation.
Importance of Mariupol
- Mariupol sits on the coast of the Azov Sea between the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and the self-declared Donetsk republic, which President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent, along with the Luhansk republic, before ordering the invasion of Ukraine.
- As the war has entered the second month, the main effort of the Russian troops is on the eastern front as their advances in the south and north appear to have stalled. And at the heart of the battle for the east is Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks.
- Named after Maria Feodorovna, the 18th century Russian empress, Mariupol was part of the Azov Governorate of imperial Russia.
- In the 18th century, Russia settled Orthodox Christians from Crimea in Mariupol, at the mouth of the Kalmius river that flows into the Azov Sea.
- By the late 19th century, the city became a steel manufacturing hub. During the Second World War, Mariupol was occupied by the German Nazis, for almost two years. This period also saw a systematic campaign to exterminate the city’s Jewish population.
- After the city was liberated by the Red Army, its name was changed to Zhdanov, after Andrei Zhdanov, a Soviet communist leader. It would become Mariupol again in 1989.
- If Odessa is ‘the pearl of the Black Sea’, Mariupol, the largest port of the Sea of Azov, was the industrial engine of eastern Ukraine.
- But everything would change in 2014 after the so-called “Euromaidan revolution”, which the Russians call a coup, brought down the elected government of President Viktor Yanukovych.
- Rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk took up arms against the new authorities in Kyiv. Russia supported the rebels who seized parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, which is collectively called Donbas, and annexed Crimea through a referendum.
- This turned Mariupol, a city of about half a million people (a majority of them Russian speaking), into a battlefield.
- Mariupol briefly fell into the hands of pro-Russian rebels. But they faced strong resistance from a local neo-Nazi militia called the Azov Battalion. In June 2014, the rebels retreated from the city.
- When President Putin declared his “special military operation”, it was evident that the Russians wanted to take Mariupol, which was critical for Russia for many reasons.
- The city is part of the areas claimed by the Donetsk republic.
- The city hosts the headquarters of the Azov Battalion. As “denazification” is one of the declared goals of Russia’s invasion, they would want to take over the city and declare victory over the neo-Nazi group.
- The strategic location of Mariupol is critical for Russia if it wants to establish “a land bridge” from Donbas to Crimea. The Russians have already established a partial land bridge but taking over the city would provide them seamless access from continental Russia to Crimea.
- With Mariupol in their hand, the Russians would be in control of almost 80% of the Black Sea coast.
- Russian troops have already captured almost 70% of the city and are now fighting in the city centre. In the past three weeks, Russians were accused of carrying out heavy bombardment and shelling in the besieged city.
- The Russian attack on a maternity hospital, in which three people were killed, had triggered widespread international criticism.
- Ukrainian authorities also blamed Russia for attacking a theatre that was sheltering civilians. Russian forces, on the other side, claim that civilians are being used as human shields by the Azov Battalion.
- As Ukraine is unable to resupply its forces holed up in the city, including the Azov Battalion, and Russians are making incremental advances, Mariupol could fall in the coming days or weeks, according to an assessment by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War. For Russia, whose slow military gains in Ukraine have raised questions about its military planning and execution, seizing Mariupol would not only be a major military victory but also free up combat resources, which would allow them to reinforce other fronts.
Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’
- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad, which means "the world is one family".
- Also found in the Rig Veda, it is considered the most important moral value in the Indian society. This verse of Maha Upanishad is engraved in the entrance hall of the parliament of India.
- This phrase is another demonstration of the all-inclusive attitude that our Indian tradition has. Unity in diversity is something that we have been practicing for thousands of years, the underlying belief says the same, we have emerged from one, the Brahman, the ultimate reality.
- India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi used this phrase in a speech at World Culture Festival, organized by Art of Living, adding that "Indian culture is very rich and has inculcated in each one of us with great values, we are the people who have come from Aham Brahmasmi to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we are the people who have come from Upanishads to Upgraha.
- Being the youngest country of the world, India is looked upon as one of the potential leaders for the entire world. At this time when the globe is waiting for us to lead, our youth is our most powerful resource.
- Today, India is one of the youngest nations in the world with more than 62% of its population in the working age group (15–59 years), and more than 54% of its total population below 25 years of age. It is further estimated that the average age of the population in India by 2020 will be 29 years as against 40 years in USA, 46 years in Europe and 47 years in Japan. This gives us the edge of demographic dividend over other countries.
- Our youngsters are our biggest assets. The power lies in their hands. They have the power to change.
- Protecting national interests includes preserving rich heritage and cultural and linguistic diversity.
- Youth should come to know about the importance of promoting the concept of universal brotherhood.
- A strong nationalism based on state-society or the millennial generation will foster a positive and beneficial attitude toward the nation and state.
- It can offer insight and increase the relationship between nations and countries throughout the world.
- Youth are the most important and dynamic segment of the population in any country.
- It is believed that developing countries with a large youth population could see tremendous growth, provided they invest in young people’s education, health and protect and guarantee their rights.
- We can undoubtedly say that today’s young are tomorrow’s innovators, creators, builders and leaders.
- India has the edge of demographic dividend. They have the power to change the nation. Young minds will be fresher and more innovative, which helps in the progress of the country.
- Unfortunately, being a democratic nation and largest democracy in the world, India is still lagging behind in achieving socio-political and economic equalities, which were dreamt by our predecessors.
- In the current period of globalization, various trends aim to erode the younger generation's sense of nationalism. It is demonstrated by several indicators, like the younger generation's lack of appreciation for indigenous culture, Westernized adolescents' habits, lifestyles.
- It is shown in the deterioration of morality, pride, love for the country, and the behavior of the people, particularly the younger generations.
- Internal elements include the impact of the family and the surrounding environment, which also has individualistic qualities and does not reflect nationalism, and so influences the youth.
- Another element is external forces, precisely the quick flow of globalization, which significantly impacts young people. Many of them choose to follow foreign cultures rather than their own.
- India’s rank in various development indices has barely grown over the years.
- Racism is an ongoing issue around the world. Individuals are fighting against each other because of the complexion of their skin and the texture of their hair.
- Religion is another issue; the youths can convince their fellow man to live in peace and love.
- There is also a lot of crime taking place. Women are being killed by their abusive husbands. Person’s homes and businesses are being broken into.
- We become what we see and learn from the environment around us. This applies to the youth of India as well and thus we need awareness campaigns on different levels. Organizing the seminars and holding patriotic programs can be of great help.
- In this span of the years, the parent-child relationship has seen the gaps widening and the distances increasing. This way, the future of our nation is losing the desired values and ethics they must be having. A strong bond between these two generations will itself improve the social imbalance.
- The efforts should be taken against the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption and social discrimination to eradicate them and other social evils.
- Providing value based holistic education with proper implementation of National Education Policy is the need of the hour.
- Efforts related to women empowerment and their inculcation in policy making and economic prosperity is necessary for nation building.
- The youth need the required support in terms of good health, education, training and opportunities to transform the future. The economic trigger happens when a county’s more hands to work available than more mouths to feed.
- If India is to improve upon the indices, then the Indian Youth needs to take the charge and come forward to fight against multiple inequalities and contribute in nation building.
- Adequate opportunities should be given to the youth to represent their ideas and policies for the upliftment of the nation.
- The only way to express ideas and to implement their policies is politics. Young people should be motivated to take part in politics and to occupy high positions such as Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Governor.
- Knowledge and unity speak a lot rather than experience. For instance, a mass protest by the youth in Delhi for justice of Nirbhaya case, a mass protest in Delhi for India against Corruption and a mass protest in the Marina beach for Jallikattu etc are some of the prominent examples for the strength of youth. If the ruling power is given in the hands of the youth, then definitely India will become developed nation soon.
- Education programs should aim to teach young minds right from the school level the importance of choosing the right people who would take charge of governance.
- Youth should be motivated to consider politics as a means to serve the nation. They should be oriented on anti-corruption drives with a focus on prevention, education, and strategies for fighting corruption. Good governance is realistic with youth empowerment.
- The pivotal role of youth who are afresh with ideas and not ideals, will help in the movement towards a transparent civil society structure which can influence the political administration for the benefit of society. It is only through a strong system of representation that democracy work and it is only through a strong youth representation that the dynamism and vigour of a country be maintained.
- The solution lies to effectively utilize modern tools in disseminating belief among youth on their participation and representation in democracy through civil society initiatives.
- The youth of today are increasingly becoming restless and struggling to remove the disparities. However, more efforts need to be put in, if we are to become free from the vicious circles of poverty, malnutrition, corruption, violence and unemployment. All these vices are still prevalent in society, which are not allowing our great nation to function in its real spirit.
- The role of the youth in the nation building is crucial. They are problem solvers, have a positive influence on other young people and the nation, and are extremely ambitious. They have the ability to create an identity for themselves and move the nation forward. However, they will not be able to do this without the support of family, community, Government and fellow youths. Then the youth can make their beautiful land flourish and shine in success.
About Climate Communication
The climate change communication is about educating and informing people about this massive issue, in order to mobilize and solve the climate crisis.
On a deeper level, however, climate change communication is shaped by our different experiences, mental and cultural models, and underlying values and world views.
The way we talk about climate change, either as advocates, scientists, or regular citizens, affects the way people understand and think about both the problem and the solutions alike.
Why There is Lack of Climate Communication?
There is a language barrier in climate change communication. The terminology used by scientists and advocates in communicating the climate crisis has contributed to the public confusion on the issue. Naming the issue itself has been a challenge.
The terms “climate change” and “global warming” have both been used for decades to refer to the atmospheric and climate disruptions caused by increased carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
There is a temporal and spatial dissonance when it comes to how we talk about climate change and therefore, how people think about the threat. We tend to think that climate change is a thing of the future, that it won’t happen now, but even if we do think it will happen now, we don’t think it will happen to us, and even if it does happen to us, our brains rationalize that it won’t possibly be that bad.
For a long time, climate communication relied on polar regions, especially polar bears. We all remember those pictures, and while they’re powerful, true, and important, they ended up creating a collective understanding of climate change as something remote and removed from humans.
Research shows that the images people associate with climate change tend to be abstract and psychologically distant, devoid of specific geographic, social or temporal details, and typically do not feature people.
In the communication of renewable energy transitions, as well as environmental degradation and species harm, the discourse has largely left humans out of the equation, out of the main problems, and therefore out of the solutions.
Due to the historical association, there is between emissions and economic growth since the industrial revolution, we are likely to assume this is causal, and if we reduce one, we are also giving up the other. But this is not the case at all.
A lot of researchers have focused on the role of values, beliefs, and identity of audiences in understanding the messaging around climate change and its impacts. One main takeaway from this body of research is that we understand incoming information, regardless of its medium, through our own biases and values.
There is a certain level of agreement in the field on the importance of understanding audiences in order to craft messaging for them, or in other words, to meet people where they are and tie your message to what they care most about.
Communicators have often assumed that a lack of information and understanding explains the lack of public concern and engagement, and that more information and explanation is needed to move people to action.
The information deficit model is problematic in many ways — while it may seem obvious, it can actually backfire. The approach is based on the idea that information and understanding are necessary and/or sufficient conditions for behavioral or political engagement. It also assumes that people need to be aware of all the facts in order to make sound decisions, both in their daily lives and in their voting behaviors.
Why There in need of Climate Communication?
The communication gap between scientists and communities can lead to inaction and incorrect action in adaptation and mitigation efforts. Thus, creating a need for consistent, clear and simple climate communication.
Communities often talk about climate change based on lived experiences and stories. Unfortunately, these are rarely captured by mainstream media. The narrative around climate change remains dominated by the politics and policies around it.
Reporting is centred around national and international negotiations and summits on climate change and national and state level plans and reports. These themes are important but have little direct impact on those experiencing the effects.
Other barriers resulting in inaction include a lack of motivation and the belief that individual action cannot bring about a difference. This arises from a lack of awareness and information on the issue.
Neither political will nor government policy include a significant focus on communication about climate change to the public. Also, despite the existence of these comprehensive plans, implementation remains suboptimal.
How to Ensure Climate Communication?
- The media is a powerful tool to change this narrative and simplify and dejargonise the language of climate change. It can play an integral role in shaping public opinion and create a ripple effect by influencing behaviour and attitudes, spreading awareness and sharpening knowledge about climate change.
- Media houses globally are recognising this and proactively altering the terms they use to communicate the urgency for action more effectively. For example, many now use climate crisis or climate emergency rather than climate change to express the pressing need for action.
- Similarly, to address those believing in the counter narrative, the term climate science denier is used. The latter is an equally important step given how strong the lobby of disbelievers is and how potentially disastrous / damaging spreading misinformation can be in this case.
- Conventional media remains the primary source of spreading awareness. But it is important that new age media and creative paths also be adopted to convey that climate change is real and is happening right before our eyes.
- Social media, documentaries and audio / visual storytelling through maps, poems and art are all crucial to reaching the masses. Different audiences relate to different mediums. So, all available means should be leveraged to meet the larger goal of telling stories and demanding mitigation and adaptation action.
- There is a need to start young and introduce climate awareness and action as a part of school curricula. This will help foster a spirit of responsibility and encourage action that reduces the impact of present and future changes and variations in climate.
- As the impacts of climate change intensify, young climate activists are increasingly joining the movement and leading discussions, demanding action and inspiring others.
- Encouraging community engagement is key to augmenting citizen-led transitions and increasing participation in climate action at the local level.
- The Sustainable Development Goals do embed public participation in their agenda. But this has yet to be achieved in practice.
- A strong engaging campaign can get people interested and aware and lead to more participation and problem-solving as a community.
- It is people who depend on natural resources, who are most vulnerable to climate change but are also the best suited to lead the movement as they understand the land better than anyone.
- This is increasingly being recognised by policymakers who are now incorporating this traditional and indigenous knowledge into adaptation plans. For example, in the Sundarbans, one of India’s most climate vulnerable regions, attempts are being made to involve the community in adaptation and conservation efforts.
- Similarly, in the Amazon, tribes and communities are respected as guardians of the forest and lead adaptation efforts. Such stories of local champions can be used to showcase successful efforts and inspire others to act.
- Political will and government support can also play a major role in encouraging action among communities. The government is working on addressing climate issues across levels — from the Centre to the district level — through the National Action Plan on Climate Change and state-specific adaptation plans.
- Enforcement of the climate action plan requires better coordination across departments, along with leveraging community leaders and influencers to improve uptake of programmes.
What is the Uniform Civil Code?
- Uniform Civil Code means one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption.
- For those who don’t know, as of now, Hindus have their own laws on marriage, while Muslims are governed by their own personal laws. Similarly, Catholics and Parsis are governed by their own personal laws.
- The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution — one of the Directive Principles of State Policy — which lays down that the State shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
- Simply put, this means that the vision of Uniform Civil Code is enshrined in the Indian Constitution as a goal towards which the nation should strive, but it isn’t a fundamental right or a Constitutional guarantee.
- The first call for UCC goes back to colonial India when the British government in 1835 submitted a report stressing the need for uniformity in Indian laws.
- In 1985, the demand for UCC came to the fore in the judgment pronounced in the Shah Bano Case. Shah Bano had moved the apex court seeking maintenance after her husband divorced her after 40 years of marriage by giving triple talaq and denied her regular maintenance.
- The Supreme Court had noted then: "It is a matter of regret that Article 44 has remained a dead letter... Common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing desperate loyalties to laws, which have conflicting ideologies. No community is likely to bell the cat by making gratuitous concessions on this issue. It is for the State, which is charged with the duty of securing a uniform civil code and it has legislative competence to do so."
- The recent government has been a strong advocate of it. In fact, in 2019 it was part of the BJP's election manifesto.
- The question that has arisen with Uttarakhand’s announcement is whether a state government has the jurisdiction to implement UCC, which envisages doing away with religion-specific personal laws and framing a common set of laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance and succession.
- Experts say it can, since all these subjects are part of the concurrent list under Schedule VII of the Constitution, on which both Centre and state can make laws.
- The objective of Article 44 of the Directive Principles in the Indian Constitution was to address the discrimination against vulnerable groups and harmonise diverse cultural groups across the country.
- Dr. B R Ambedkar, while formulating the Constitution had said that a UCC is desirable but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus the Article 35 of the draft Constitution was added as a part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy in part IV of the Constitution of India as Article 44.
- It was incorporated in the Constitution as an aspect that would be fulfilled when the nation would be ready to accept it and social acceptance of the UCC could be made.
- Ambedkar in his speech in the Constituent Assembly had said, "No one need be apprehensive that if the State has the power, the State will immediately proceed to execute…that power in a manner may be found to be objectionable by the Muslims or by the Christians or by any other community. I think it would be a mad government if it did so."
- Article 15- No discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
- Article 25- Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion, subject to reasonable restrictions on the grounds of public order, health and mortality.
- Article 25 (2)-provides for regulating secular activities associated with religious practices, social welfare and reform.
- Article 26- Right to establish and administer religious institutions.
- Article 27- Prohibits the state from levying a tax, proceeds of which are used for the benefit of a particular religion.
- Article 28- deals with the issue of religious instruction in educational institutions.
- The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act inserted the word ‘secularism’ in the preamble. In the S.R.Bommai vs Union of India case, the Supreme Court held secularism as a basic feature of the constitution.
- Laws that apply to a certain group of people based on their religion, caste, faith, and belief made after due consideration of customs and religious texts. The personal laws of Hindus and Muslims find their source and authority in their religious ancient texts.
- In Hinduism, personal laws are applicable to legal issues related to inheritance, succession, marriage, adoption, co-parenting, obligations of sons to pay their father’s debts, the partition of family property, maintenance, guardianship, and charitable donations.
- In Islam, personal laws apply to matters relating to inheritance, wills, succession, legacies, marriage, wakfs, dowry, guardianship, divorce, gifts, and pre-emption taking roots from Quran.
- The UCC aims to provide protection to vulnerable sections as envisaged by Ambedkar including women and religious minorities, while also promoting nationalistic fervour through unity.
- When enacted the code will work to simplify laws that are segregated at present on the basis of religious beliefs like the Hindu code bill, Shariat law, and others.
- The code will simplify the complex laws around marriage ceremonies, inheritance, succession, adoptions making them one for all. The same civil law will then be applicable to all citizens irrespective of their faith.
- Experts note that a UCC would provide equal status to all citizens irrespective of the community they belong to. They opine that a UCC could lead to consistency and gender equality when it comes to personal laws, and usher in some much-needed reforms.
- India is a country with many religions, customs and practices. A uniform civil code will help in integrating India more than it has ever been since independence. It will help in bringing every Indian, despite his caste, religion or tribe, under one national civil code of conduct.
- A UCC will also help in reducing vote bank politics that most political parties indulge in during every election.
- Personal Laws Are a Loophole- By allowing personal laws we have constituted an alternate judicial system that still operates on thousands of years old values. A uniform civil code would change that.
- It is a sign that the nation has moved away from caste and religious politics. While our economic growth has been significant, our social growth has lagged behind. A UCC will help society move forward and take India towards its goal of becoming a truly developed nation.
- Religious personal laws are misogynistic in nature and by allowing old religious rules to continue to govern the family life we are condemning all Indian women to subjugation and mistreatment. A uniform civil code will also help in improving the condition of women in India.
- All the laws related to marriage, inheritance, family, land etc. should be equal for all Indians. UCC is the only way to ensure that all Indians are treated the same.
- It Promotes Real Secularism- A uniform civil code doesn’t mean that it will limit the freedom of people to follow their religion, it just means that every person will be treated the same and all citizens of India have to follow the same laws regardless of any religion.
- Change has been the law of nature-A minority of people should not be allowed to pick and choose the laws they want to be administered under. These personal laws were formulated in a specific spatiotemporal context and should not stand still in a changed time and context.
- Many provisions of specific personal laws are in violation of human rights. Article 25 and Article 26 guarantee freedom of religion and UCC is not opposed to secularism.
- The codification and unification of the variegated personal laws will produce a more coherent legal system. This will reduce the existing confusion and enable easier and more efficient administration of laws by the judiciary.
- Some note that while it could go a long way in enforcing equality, it could also be in contravention of Article 25 (Right to Freedom of Religion).
- Practising personal laws is one way a citizen of India exercises their right to religion. Some constitutional and society experts believe that with a UCC, this right could be eroded and minority communities could feel threatened as the culture in India would be homogenised.
- Misinformation about UCC – Content of UCC has not been spelt out leading minorities to believe that it is a way of imposing majority views on them.
- Lack of political will due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issue.
- Different religious communities have different personal laws which lead to the politicization of the UCC debate.
- Opponents of UCC argue that personal laws are derived from religious beliefs. They maintain that it is prudent not to disturb them, as this runs the risk of engendering a great deal of animosity and tension between various religious communities.
- Also, India being a secular country guarantees its minorities the right to follow their own religion, culture and customs under Article 29 and 30. They argue that implementing UCC will contravene these articles.
- Chief Minister said that Uttarakhand would be the first state to implement the UCC. However, it is important to note that Goa has been following the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867 which is also called Uniform Civil Code.
- The Goa Civil Code is not strictly a Uniform Civil Code as it has specific provisions for certain communities.
- For example, Hindu men have the right to bigamy under specific circumstances mentioned in Codes of Usages and Customs of Gentile Hindus of Goa (if the wife fails to deliver a child by the age of 25, or if she fails to deliver a male child by the age of 30). For other communities, the law prohibits bigamy.
- But it does set a precedence of what the implementation of a UCC would look like. As former Chief Justice of India Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde had said in March 2021, “Goa has what Constitutional framers envisaged for India - a Uniform Civil Code. And I have had the great privilege of administering justice under that Code. It applies in marriage and succession, governing all Goans irrespective of religious affiliation.”
- It is interesting to note that whereas the founders of the Constitution in Article 44 had hoped and expected that the state shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territories of India, till date no action has been taken in this regard, a division bench of SC had said in its order in a case in 2019. In the same judgment, it remarked that Goa is a “shining example" with a UCC applicable to all, regardless of religion except while protecting certain limited rights.
- India has a unique blend of codified personal laws of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis. There exists no uniform family-related law in a single statute book for all Indians which is acceptable to all religious communities who co-exist in India. However, a majority of them believe that UCC is definitely desirable and would go a long way in strengthening and consolidating the Indian nationhood. The differences of opinion are in its timing and the manner in which it should be realized.
- Instead of using it as an emotive issue to gain political advantage, political and intellectual leaders should try to evolve a consensus. The question is not of minority protection, or even of national unity, it is simply one of treating each human person with dignity, something which personal laws have so far failed to do.
POSTED ON 29-03-2022 BY ADMIN
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