Trump-Zelenskyy Meet, Dramatic Performances Act and Three-language debate

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s extraordinary Oval Office showdown with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J D Vance was every world leader’s worst nightmare come true in their dealings with the new Trump administration. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Russia-Ukraine war all about and what have been the key events?

• How was Ukraine created?

• How has been the global support for Ukraine and what peace efforts have been made so far. 

• How the recent meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy can impact the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war?

• What has been India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine war?

• Examine the strategic importance of Ukraine’s mineral resources in the context of the recent developments in US-Ukraine relations.

• Evaluate the impact of war and political instability on Ukraine’s ability to leverage its mineral resources for economic development.

• Delhi firmly believes Moscow and Kyiv need to talk to each other, and not talk at each other — to put an end to the war. That’s easier said than done. Discuss.

• Map work: Important places in news with reference to Russia and Ukraine

Key Takeaways:

• The Ukraine President’s attempt to improve ties with US ended in a spectacular failure — broadcast live in full public glare — with Trump cutting short their meeting and telling him to return “when he is ready for peace.”

• Here are eight key takeaways from the most unprecedented spectacle in the White House.

• First, Trump will not conform with any of the global norms associated with a world leader whose statements in public are measured, calibrated and expressed after their teams have done the spadework. His speeches, comments, remarks, social media posts – all run counter to these norms. For him, the animus on display also draws from history.

• Second, the world is now dealing with a US President who wants above all to be seen to be respected in front of his domestic audience.

• Third, the Trump-Zelenskyy showdown has shown that each country is now on their own. Bilateral transactionalism is at its peak. New Washington doesn’t respect the norms and rules of the past, and each country has to look out for their own interests — they can no longer depend on the US or its leadership. The reliability of the American establishment and power is no longer there. Europe and Ukraine are the first victims of this phenomenon.

• Fourth, South Block will be heaving a sigh of relief that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was able to navigate these choppy waters during his visit to the White House last month. The contentious issues of illegal immigration and high tariffs were raised respectfully, and the Indian side was able to navigate the Trump traps.

• Fifth, the value of the classic old rule of diplomacy behind closed doors is becoming apparent now. That diplomacy is about talks and dialogue within the room, not a spectacle for the cameras. This would mean that back-channel talks have more value than public statements and posturing.

• Sixth, it is now even more unlikely that India will express support for either country. New Delhi has walked the tightrope all along, and it will continue to stay away from taking sides, officials said. India will only point to its stated position: dialogue and diplomacy is the only path forward, and solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. India’s latest vote at the UN, where it abstained on the Ukraine and American resolutions, has been testament to Delhi’s diplomatic tightrope walk.

• Finally, what happens to Ukraine and the war now? Ukraine knows it cannot continue the fight without US support. That might mean Ukraine will come back to Trump.

• Zelenskyy seemed to dial down in an interview after the standoff but the road ahead is a long, uphill one. He will come under pressure to renew the rare earth deal that both sides talked about, maybe also hold elections.

Do You Know:

• Ukraine has rich resources of minerals that are critical in manufacturing a variety of products, from high-end weapon systems to clean energy solutions like Electrical Vehicles to electronic gadgets and semiconductors. These minerals are not found widely and are also difficult to extract, making them valuable. What makes them even more important for the US and the West is that China has large sources of them. Mineral resources are part of the reason Trump wants to buy Greenland, too.

• Two classifications are important when talking about these resources — rare earth elements, and critical minerals.
There are 17 rare earth elements, including 15 Lanthanides (atomic numbers 57 — which is Lanthanum — to 71 in the periodic table), Scandium (atomic number 21) and Yttrium (39).

• Minerals are defined as ‘critical’ by countries based on their needs, broadly using two parameters: their importance for economic development and national security, and their lack of availability. India in 2023 identified 30 critical minerals.

• According to a report by Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources and the Ukrainian Geological Survey, “Ukraine holds 22 of the 50 strategic materials identified by the US as critical, and 25 out of the 34 recognised by the EU as critically important. Particularly, Ukraine holds very competitive positions in five key ones: graphite, lithium, titanium, beryllium and uranium.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Endgame in Ukraine: How Trump will end the war Putin started

📍How the UN vote on Ukraine played out on the third anniversary of its war with Russia

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2023)

1. Bulgaria

2. Czech Republic

3. Hungary

4. Latvia

5. Lithuania

6. Romania

How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) Only five

GOVT & POLITICS 

Amid three-language war, data shows only one-fourth Indians are multilingual

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers.

What’s the ongoing story: In 1968, a national education policy (NEP) formulated by the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government had introduced the three-language formula. Centred on a Hindi-English fulcrum, the policy called for teaching a southern language in Hindi-speaking states and a regional language in non-Hindi-speaking states as the third language.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Read about the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. 

• What is the “three-language formula”?

• Why is Tamil Nadu against the “three-language formula”?

• What are the constitutional provisions with regard to the language?

• What are the concerns raised by Tamil Nadu regarding “three-language formula” Implementation?

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes multilingual education. Discuss the benefits and challenges of implementing a multilingual education system in India.

Key Takeaways:

• Since then the three-language formula has been an issue of intense dispute. In 1968, Tamil Nadu had opposed the policy and has since persisted with a two-language formula of its own.

• Currently, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government is at loggerheads with the BJP-ruled Centre over its NEP 2020, which has retained the three-language formula with fewer restrictions on the choices of languages. The Centre has, however, maintained that no specific language would be imposed on any state.

• In 1968 and 2020, the stated objective of the three-language formula was to promote multilingualism. However, data from the 2011 Census shows that despite India’s language diversity, over half a state’s population speaks more than two languages in just eight states and UTs.

• Nationally, 26.02% of the population is bilingual and 7.1% is trilingual, as per the 2011 Census. While the bilingual population has grown from 24.79% in the 2001 Census, the share of trilingual speakers fell from 8.51%.

MAP: Bilingualism by state, 2011 Census

• Between 2001 and 2011, bilingualism fell in 12 states and UTs, while trilingualism fell in 23 states and UTs.

• Tamil Nadu, despite sticking to its two-language formula, ranked 15th in 2011 for its share of bilingual population at 28.3%. At 3.39%, its trilingual population put the state at eighth from the bottom.

• The best performing state on multilingualism is Goa – 77.21% of its population is bilingual and 50.82% is trilingual. Goa is the only state where trilingualism exceeds 50%, followed by Chandigarh with 30.51% and Arunachal Pradesh with 30.25%.

MAP: Trilingualism by state, 2011 Census

• The other states and UTs with high rates of bilingualism are Andaman & Nicobar Islands (67.64%), Arunachal Pradesh (64.03%), Sikkim (63.71%), Nagaland (62.15%), Chandigarh (54.95%), Manipur (54.02%), and Maharashtra (51.1%).

• The 2011 Census also shows that eight of the 10 most common language combinations for bilinguals include Hindi. 

Do You Know:

• An NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country. The need for a policy was first felt in 1964 when Congress MP Siddheshwar Prasad criticised the then government for lacking a vision and philosophy for education. The same year, a 17-member Education Commission, headed by then UGC Chairperson D S Kothari, was constituted to draft a national and coordinated policy on education. Based on the suggestions of this Commission, Parliament passed the first education policy in 1968.

• The National Education Policy, 2020 is the third national education policy of the country. The first came in 1968 and the second in 1986, under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi respectively; the NEP of 1986 was revised in 1992 when P V Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister. The third NEP is released under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi.

• The NEP only provides a broad direction and is not mandatory to follow. Since education is a concurrent subject (both the Centre and the state governments can make laws on it). The incumbent government has set a target of 2040 to implement the entire policy.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Centre vs Tamil Nadu: We are having the wrong debate about language

📍Knowledge Nugget: What makes Tamil Nadu’s recent protest against NEP relevant for UPSC Exam?

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(2) With reference to the Three-Language Formula in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Three-Language Formula was first introduced in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

2. Tamil Nadu has historically opposed the Three-Language Formula and follows a Two-Language policy.

3. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates the learning of Hindi as a compulsory language in all states.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1  only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

‘Bypassed by officials’ outside, ‘bound by norms’ at home: What’s holding back women panchayat members

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies-I, II: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein, Important aspects of governance, Social empowerment and role of women.

What’s the ongoing story: From official bias and socio-cultural norms to the absence of strong deterrent laws, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj panel has identified several reasons why male relatives of elected women representatives in the panchayati raj system are able to act as proxies on their behalf. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the constitutional provisions associated with the Panchayati Raj Institutions and women’s representation in it?

• What are the key reasons for the prevalence of proxy governance by male relatives of elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions?

• What recommendations has the committee proposed to address the practice of ‘Pradhan Pati,’ ‘Sarpanch Pati,’ or ‘Mukhiya Pati’?

• How do gender-based discrimination and patriarchal socio-cultural norms affect the effective participation of elected women representatives in local governance?

• What challenges do newly elected women representatives face in gaining leadership experience within the Panchayati Raj system?

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act empowered Panchayats with constitutional status, yet financial and administrative constraints continue to hinder their effectiveness. Discuss with suitable examples.

• Despite constitutional mandates, Panchayati Raj Institutions in India face significant governance and financial challenges. Suggest policy measures to enhance their efficiency and autonomy.

• What steps should be taken to empower the elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions.

Key Takeaways:

• The committee, headed by former Mines Secretary Sushil Kumar, submitted its report recently. The ministry has said it will take measures to implement its recommendations, which include policy interventions, structural reform and “exemplary penalties”, to check the practice of ‘Pradhan Pati’, ‘Sarpanch Pati’ or ‘Mukhiya Pati’.

• The committee, which was constituted in September 2023 as a follow-up action to a Supreme Court order dated July 6, 2023, held four regional workshops across the country to study the issue. The key findings/learnings from the workshops and field visits held by the panel and from their interactions with the women panchayat members:

• Lack or inadequate experience of political leadership: The panel notes that newly elected women representatives “lack exposure and experience in learning the ropes to effectively discharge their new roles and responsibilities as local self-government leaders across all three-tiered Panchayati Raj System, especially at the GP (gram panchayat) levels”.

• Gender-Based discrimination: The women representatives “continue to face discrimination in the sense of being ignored and bypassed in official, semi-official and even informal meetings by their male ERs (elected representatives)/peer-elected representatives, and as if taking their cue, even the male officials manning the GP machinery also do the same, in generally preferring to interact with male ERs”, says the committee. “This fosters the perpetuation of the system of Sarpanch/Pradhan Patis, depriving EWRs of their newly found representative voice and leadership in public affairs, thereby, violating their constitutional rights.”

• Prevailing patriarchal norms and practices: “The traditional rural society continues to display centuries-old entrenched patriarchal mindsets, and rigid socio-cultural norms such as observing variants of the ‘purdah’ practices – women covering their heads and even putting a sort of a veil before male peers, more so if they are elders and in public places,” says the report. 

• Political pressure: “Instances abound where the EWRs are subjected to disguised and open threats, coercion and even violence sometimes from the political opponents and dominant groups, and they even resort to using ‘No Confidence Motion’ as a pressure tactic and a weapon to oust them from their seats, cutting their electoral terms,” as per the report.

• Absence of deterrent laws or penalties: While “some beginnings have been made to formulate rules and enact law to punish male relatives who de facto run panchayats”, the committee says these are not enough. “There is a tendency amongst male relatives to compromise the de jure roles assigned to EWRs.”

Do You Know:

• The 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment Acts established local self-governance in rural and urban India respectively. The two amendments were added to the Constitution’s Part IX, titled “The Panchayats” and Part IXA titled “The Municipalities” respectively.

• Following the two amendments, panchayats and municipalities were termed as “institutions of self-government”.

• The gram sabha became the basic unit of a democratic system in villages. In municipalities, the term “ward committees” was used. These bodies consisted of all adult citizens registered as voters, and the panchayat or municipality was made accountable to them.

• Direct elections for all three tiers of governance — gram panchayat at village level, taluka or block panchayat at the intermediate level, and zila panchayat or parishad at district level — were introduced. States with a population of less than 20 lakh were exempted.

• Out of the total 1/3rd seats reserved for women, 33% had to be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Importantly, one-third of the seats of office-bearers and chairpersons at all levels had to be reserved for women as well.

• A five-year-tenure was prescribed for each body, and elections to the successor body had to finish before the previous body’s term expired. In case of the body’s dissolution, an election had to be conducted within 6 months compulsorily.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: What makes the Panchayat Devolution Index important for UPSC Exam?

📍The male proxy problem

Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:

(3) The fundamental object of the Panchayati Raj system is to ensure which among the following? (UPSC CSE 2015)

1. People’s participation in development

2. Political accountability

3. Democratic decentralization

4. Financial mobilization

Select the correct answer using the code given below

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(4) Local self-government can be best explained as an exercise in (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) Federalism

(b) Democratic decentralisation

(c) Administrative delegation

(d) Direct democracy

UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Assess the importance of the Panchayat system in India as a part of local government. Apart from government grants, what sources can the Panchayats look out for financing developmental projects? (UPSC CSE 2018)

Modi questions ‘Khan Market gang’ silence on colonial-era drama law

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government has abolished approximately 1,500 obsolete laws, many of which were enacted during the British rule.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What was the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876?

• What was the objective of the Dramatic Performances Act of 1876, and when was it repealed? 

• Why did the British enact laws like the Dramatic Performances Act of 1876 in colonial India? 

• What does the repeal of outdated colonial-era laws indicate about India’s legal reforms? 

• How does the removal of obsolete laws contribute to the ease of doing business and improve governance efficiency in India?

• Read about the history of IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act.

• What are the major provisions of the new criminal laws?

• What was the need to introduce new criminal laws in India? 

• What are the potential benefits and concerns associated with new laws?

Key Takeaways:

• Addressing the NXT Conclave at Bharat Mandapam on the launch of NewsX World channel, the PM said the “Dramatic Performance Act” was enacted by the British around 150 years ago to prevent use of drama and theatre against the then government.

• He said the law had provisions to make arrests if 10 people were found dancing at a public place. “It means if 10 people are dancing in a baraat during a wedding, the police can arrest them along with the groom. This Act was there even after 75 years of Independence. Our (NDA) government abolished that law,” the PM said.

• The Dramatic Performances Act, 1876, gave the government powers to “prohibit public dramatic performances which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious or obscene”. Though the law was formally repealed in 2018, as part of the Modi government’s exercise to weed out obsolete laws, it has not been in use since at least 1956.

Do You Know:

• Dramatic Performances Act, 1876 was among those laws enacted by the British to clamp down on the budding Indian nationalist sentiment following the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, to India from October 1875 to May 1876. Other laws enacted during this period were the draconian Vernacular Press Act, 1878, and the sedition law of 1870.

• Under the Dramatic Performances Act, “any play, pantomime or other drama performed or about to be performed in a public place” could be banned if the government was of the “opinion” that the play was “of a scandalous or defamatory nature”, was “likely to excite feelings of disaffection to the Government established by law”, or “to deprave and corrupt persons present at the performance”.

• Any Magistrate could warrant the search and seizure of “any house, room or place is used, or is about to be used, for any performance prohibited under this Act”. The law prescribed a jail term of up to three months and a fine or both.

• The law was formally repealed in 2018 as part of the Narendra Modi government’s exercise to weed out obsolete laws. However, the Dramatic Performance Act had not been a “valid law” since at least 1956.

• On May 10, 1956, in a ruling titled State versus Baboo Lal And Ors, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the law was inconsistent with the Constitution of India.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What was the colonial-era Dramatic Performances Act, mentioned by PM Narendra Modi?

📍The colonial history of the Indian Penal Code and how its influence extends to the BNS

UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Consider the following statements with reference to the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876: 

1. Under this Act any play, pantomime or other drama performed or about to be performed in a public place could be banned if the government was of the “opinion” that the play was of a scandalous or defamatory nature.

2. The law prescribed a jail term of up to three months and a fine or both.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ECONOMY

First engine from Railways’ new loco plant likely to be launched in April

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and economic development

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: Nearly three years after the decision to establish the Indian Railways’ fifth locomotive manufacturing plant in Dahod, Gujarat, was announced, the facility is set to begin the production of one of the most powerful electric locomotives (9,000 horsepower) as a prototype of the engine nears its completion, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, on Saturday.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is a locomotive, and how does it function in rail transportation?

• What is the difference between electric and diesel locomotives?

• What are Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs)?

• What is the role of private sector participation in railway manufacturing and maintenance in India?

• What is the significance of the Dahod locomotive manufacturing plant for Indian Railways?

• Read about the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).

• What is the WAG-12B locomotive, and how does it compare to the new locomotives being produced in Dahod?

Key Takeaways:

• Vaishnaw visited the Dahod factory and inspected the prototype of the high horsepower electric locomotive which is undergoing different levels of testing. He said that around 40 days of work remains before the locomotive’s launch.

• Currently there are around 12,000 electric locomotives used across the Indian Railways. Officials said that the factory has a target to manufacture a total of 1,200 such locomotives in 11 years.

• The new plant was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022. These high horsepower locomotives are planned to be used primarily on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) to increase the average speed of such trains to around 50-60 kmph compared with the existing 20-25 kmph. The WAG-12B is the most powerful locomotive in the Indian Railways with 12,000 horsepower. It is used for freight operations.

• In December 2022, German engineering giant Siemens secured a contract for manufacturing 1,200 locomotives in Dahod and for their maintainance at four maintenance depots — Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur, and Pune — for a period of 35 years, utilising the railway’s manpower. The estimated value of the contract is Rs 26,000 crore.

• According to the Ministry of Railways, these locomotives will carry 4,500 tonnes in double stack configuration at a maximum speed of 75 kmph.

Do You Know:

• The Indian Railways has four existing production units, namely, Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) in Chittaranjan, Diesel Modernisation Works (DMW) in Patiala, and Electric Loco Assemble and Ancillary Unit (ELAAU) in Dankuni, which is a part of CLW.

• There are two more locomotive production units — Marhowra and Madhepura in Bihar — established in public private partnership mode.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Average speed of freight trains is only 25 km/hr, increasing it is of prime importance: Standing Committee Report

Just-in-time release of funds saved Rs 26,000 crore in interest cost: FM

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national importance and economic development

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: The just-in-time release of funds implemented by the government through the Treasury Single Account System (TSA) for autonomous bodies and the Single Nodal Agencies (SNAs) model for states have saved the Centre nearly Rs 26,000 crore in interest costs since FY18 as borrowings were linked to the actual requirements, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at an event on Saturday. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Treasury Single Account System (TSA)?

• How does TSA help in financial management and enhance transparency in government spending?

• What is the difference between the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) and Single Nodal Agency (SNA) models in fund management?

• What are the advantages of the ‘Just-in-Time’ fund release system for the Indian economy?

• How has the consolidation of bank accounts under the SNA model improved fiscal discipline and reduced interest costs?

• What is the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system, and how does it help in fund management for autonomous bodies?

• How do the Single Nodal Agency  and Central Nodal Agency models improve transparency in fund utilization?

• How does reducing the floating of funds help in managing government borrowings and interest costs?

Key Takeaways:

• With the implementation of the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for central sector schemes, SNA for centrally-sponsored schemes and TSA for autonomous bodies, the Centre is now able to track funds flow till the end-user. 

• With all these payment systems linked to the overarching Public Financial Management System (PFMS), the Centre analyses the real-time funds available in schemes and the next installment can’t be booked until the previous releases have been used. Lower floating of funds helps the Centre calibrate borrowings and save on interest costs.

• Unspent balance parked in more than 1.5 million bank accounts of implementing agencies across India was consolidated into 4,500 bank accounts of SNAs, bringing greater transparency.

• “Just-in-Time’ fund releases have helped us to ensure that we don’t borrow more than what we need. It has also given us an advantage in making sure to lessen the burden on future generations,” she said. 

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