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GS Paper II- Transparency & Accountability in governance
1. Corruption Perceptions Index 2023
GS Paper II- Indian Constitution– historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
2. Indian Stamp Bill, 2023
GS Paper II- Environment & Ecology
3. Report on the Status of Snow Leopards in India
GS Paper II- Environment Pollution and Conservation
4. Hybrid vehicles
Prelims Booster:-
5. H-1B Visa
6. Shumang Leela
7. Bharat 5G Portal
GS Paper II- Transparency & Accountability in governance
Context:
According to a Transparency International report, India ranked 93 out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2023.
Major Highlights of Index:
The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption is a widespread issue globally.
Over two-thirds of countries scored below 50 out of 100, with most countries showing no improvement or a decline in the last decade.
Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand are the three least corrupt countries.
However, every region is either stagnant or declining in corruption efforts, with Sub-Saharan Africa having the lowest average score of 33.
In 2023, India was ranked 93rd out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index with an overall score of 39.
This is a decline from the country's 2022 ranking of 85.
However, the report noted that the slight fluctuations in India's score did not allow for any definitive conclusions regarding significant change.
Pakistan (133) and Sri Lanka (115) both struggle with debt burdens, leading to political instability.
China (76) has been making headlines with its recent and aggressive anti-corruption campaign, which has seen over 3.7 million public officials punished for corruption in the last decade.
Corruption Perception Index:
The CPI is a ranking system that assesses countries based on their perceived levels of corruption within the public sector.
As defined by the CPI, corruption is the exploitation of entrusted power for personal gain.
It is the most widely recognized global corruption ranking method and is utilized to determine the level of corruption in each country's public sector, according to experts and business professionals.
The non-governmental organization Transparency International has been publishing the index every year since 1995.
Methodology:
The level of corruption in the public sector is measured by the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which uses a 0-100 scale.
The CPI draws on at least three data sources from thirteen different corruption surveys and evaluations conducted by trustworthy organizations such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
Its Significance:
The CPI is an important tool for measuring public sector corruption worldwide as it combines various forms of corruption into a single indicator.
It provides a comprehensive picture of the situation in a particular country.
The process for calculating the CPI is regularly reviewed to ensure its robustness and coherence.
GS Paper II- Indian Constitution– historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Context:
The Centre has proposed repealing the Indian Stamp Act, of 1899 and bringing in a new law for the stamp duty regime in the country.
GS Paper III- Environment & Ecology
Context:
The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the report on the Status of Snow Leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held in New Delhi.
- The report was released as part of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program, which is the first-ever scientific exercise that reports the Snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India.
Findings:
India is home to an estimated 718 snow leopards, a beautiful and elusive creature that resides in the Himalayan Mountain range.
Known as the "Ghosts of the Mountains" due to their remarkable natural camouflage, these animals make up approximately one-sixth to one-ninth of the global population.
Here's a breakdown of the estimated snow leopard populations in each state:-
The Wildlife Institute of India, with the support of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners, conducted the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) from 2019 to 2023.
The SPAI covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard range in the country.
The exercise was conducted using a two-step framework that involved evaluating snow leopard spatial distribution through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range.
In the second step, snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.
Significance:
Consistent monitoring is crucial for the survival of snow leopards.
Recent surveys in India have significantly increased understanding of the species and revealed the coexistence between local communities and snow leopards.
Regular assessments will provide valuable insights for conservation strategies.
GS Paper III- Environment Pollution and Conservation
Context:
India needs to “embrace” hybrid vehicles over the next 5-10 years on the way to full electrification, HSBC Research has said.
State subsidies are important for promoting electric vehicles (EVs), as demonstrated in markets such as Norway, the US, and China.
Norway's successful EV policy includes incentives such as waiving high taxes on non-electrics, allowing EVs in bus lanes, toll-free roads, and free charging in parking lots.
However, overt subsidization of EVs, particularly in developing countries like India, may lead to tax breaks benefiting the middle or upper-middle classes who typically purchase battery electric four-wheelers.
According to the World Bank, investing in charging infrastructure is more effective than offering upfront purchase subsidies for EV adoption.
Both Norway and China have seen success in EV adoption due to sustained efforts in expanding public charging infrastructure.
However, India faces a unique challenge due to its vehicle mix being dominated by two- and three-wheelers, which have different charging requirements than four-wheelers.
India currently only has around 2,000 public charging stations, and a different charging network strategy is needed to accommodate the mix of vehicles.
In India, where the grid is largely powered by coal-fired thermal plants, using electric vehicles (EVs) would mean substituting oil imports with fossil-fuel-generated electricity.
This would theoretically reduce tailpipe emissions in cities but increase pollution from running thermal plants unless the generation mix shifts significantly.
India needs to reduce its dependency on Li-ion batteries for EVs due to the majority of global Li production being concentrated in a few countries, including Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
India's demand for Li-ion batteries is projected to grow, but it would have to heavily rely on imports from these countries.
Other options are being explored, but viability remains a concern.
Context:
The United States has launched a pilot programme that will benefit Indian tech professionals- Washington has launched a program to renew the much sought-after H-1B foreign work visas domestically.
About H-1B Visa:
Context:
The artists of Shumang Leela are bearing the brunt of the enduring ethnic violence in Manipur which is also jeopardising the vibrant cultural fabric of the state.
About Shumang Leela:
A form of theatre in Manipur is known for its unique style where male actors play female roles, and vice versa for female theatre groups.
This practice was originally for comic entertainment for royalty but has evolved into a powerful medium for mass education and relaxation.
The male performers, called Nupi Shabis, play the roles of women.
The tradition is believed to have descended from Lai Haraoba, which is a ritual of the Meitei community of Manipur.
There are two types of Shumang Leela:
Context:
The Secretary, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications (MoC), launched the “Bharat 5G Portal- an integrated portal” on the sidelines of ‘Bharat Telecom 2024’.
Bharat 5G Portal: