The key player in Pakistani politics is the powerful military that has held the reigns of power for decades — sometimes doing away with elections entirely. His fate has been tied to his relationship with the generals who once favored him but with whom he has since fallen out.

On January 1, the Rural Development Ministry made Aadhaar-Based Payment Systems (ABPS) is being used in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Let's look into it...

Potential benefits

[1] Remove duplicate job cards: MGNREGA has been facing key challenge in policy execution due to duplicity of job card. AEPS has the potential to reduce the duplicity of job cards.

[2] Reduce wage payment delays: It has been noticed that due to long procedure through traditional bank method, delay in payment was seen. AEPS would reduce requirement of details and speed up wage payment.

[3] Lower payment rejections: AEPS claims to reduce payment rejection because earlier large number of details like bank account, beneficiary name and IFSC code along with job details were required. Now less details are required and thus there will be lower rejection in payment.

Associated challenges

[1] Exclusion error: As per the government’s own data, as on Jan11, 2024, out of a total of 25.6 crore registered workers, only 16.9 crore workers are eligible for ABPS while all workers are eligible for account-based payments.

[2] Stalling payments: Since different administrative units are involved in creating different documents in rural areas, spelling mismatches are common. It is because authentication is successful only when all the details including spelling and gender in the job cards match with those in the Aadhaar database.

[3] Fund diversion: Niti Aayog recently reported that 28% of maternity benefit payments under the Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana went to an account different from that provided by the beneficiary. It may be possible in MGNREGA as well.

[4] Possible fraud: There have been rampant abuses of this facility by corrupt business correspondents, especially “roaming business correspondents”, to extort money from unsuspecting victims by persuading them to put their finger in a point of sale machine under some pretext.

♛ Decoding World Affairs

https://decodingworldaffairs.com/role-of-judiciary-in-promoting-democracy-in-india/

Read this essay and know about the role of judiciary in promoting democracy in India.

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This essay too won "All India Essay Competition" in chronicle magazine back in 2022...

Chinese influence in Africa is high on the global agenda, as China within just a few decades has become a key political and economic power in the continent. Let's ponder upon Chinese interest in Africa...

Chinese interests in Africa

[1] Critical minerals: Africa supplies 90% of the world’s cobalt and platinum, and 75% of coltan, essential for electronics. China has the largest refineries in Africa for rare earths and minerals that are vital to its emerging tech industry.

[2] Political support: In the UN General Assembly, Africa is the largest bloc and has the power to swing resolutions on contentious issues like the South China Sea. Africa has been vocal in supporting China in the international arena including its “One China” policy for Taiwan and Hong Kong.

[3] Challenging US hegemony: China is encouraging Africa to trade in Chinese currency. China’s debt restructuring of Zambia’s $4.1 billion loan has incentivised borrowers towards RMB. With lower Chinese interest rates and the depreciation of African local currency, the RMB stands as an alternative to the dollar.

[4] Commercial opportunities: Africa imports largely from China for finished goods. The African markets for Chinese exports are beneficial for the Chinese economy.

♛ Decoding World Affairs

A high level committee made under the chairmanship of former President ‘Ram Nath Kovind’ to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections.

Argument for ONOE

[1] Saving of public money: Currently, the costs of conducting all State and parliamentary elections in a five-year cycle work out to the equivalent of ₹10 per voter per year (As per ECI). The NITI Aayog report has also said that when elections are synchronised, it will cost the equivalent of ₹5 per voter per year.

[2] Disengagement of politicism: To break the campaign mood of political parties. There are at least 5-6 State elections that happen every year. This results in political parties, including Ministers, being in ‘permanent campaign’ mode, which acts as a hindrance to policy making and governance.

[3] Arrest low efficiency in administration: Administrative machinery in the districts slow down during the election period with the primary focus being the conduct of elections.

[4] Ensure national security: There are also paramilitary forces that are withdrawn from the locations in which they are posted and deployed to the concerned State for the smooth conduct of elections.

♛ Decoding World Affairs

Associated challenges

[1] Legal issue: Notably, the Law Commission submitted that simultaneous elections are not feasible within the existing framework of the Constitution. In any case, unless the term of each Lok Sabha and Assembly is fixed, and premature dissolution for whatever reason is barred, the idea is unworkable.

[2] Federal challenges: Conducting elections simultaneously to the Lok Sabha and all State assemblies would result in national issues overshadowing regional and State specific issues. National political parties would have a significant advantage over regional parties on account of this mechanism.

[3] Procedural constraints: It is said that the Constitution, the RPA 1951 and the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies would require appropriate amendments to conduct simultaneous polls. Any subsequent amendment needs ratification from at least 50% of the States.

[4] Functional challenges: What would happen if the Central or State government collapses mid-tenure or President rule under Article 356 is imposed in a state? Would elections be held again in every State or will the President’s rule be imposed?

♛ Decoding World Affairs

The best test of yourself is when you dive through the lowest phase of life and do not compromise with your principles by keeping your head high.

https://decodingworldaffairs.com/inspiration-for-creativity-springs-from-the-effort-to-look-for-the-magical-in-the-mundane/

#PhilosophicalEssay 2023

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Indian commandos with a group of detained pirates after the Indian Navy freed an Iranian Fishing Vessel (Iranian and Pakistani citizens) hijacked by Somali pirates.

Showing India's capability as net security provider in Indian Ocean

[1] In the second successful intervention within 36 hours, the Indian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra, deployed in the Gulf of Aden, neutralised a hijack situation and rescued the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi and its crew of 19 Pakistani nationals from 11 Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia.

[2] In another incident, a coordinated multilateral response between the Indian Navy, the Seychelles Defence Forces and the Sri Lankan Navy foiled the hijacking bid on a Sri Lankan fishing trawler.

[3] The Gulf of Aden has seen a sudden spurt in piracy from Somalia in the last few months after going down completely from the peak around 2010. The Indian Navy has maintained continuous presence with at least one major warship deployed on anti-piracy duties since 2008.

♛ Decoding World Affairs

The Uttarakhand Assembly is likely to pass the State’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill during its four-day-long session this week. A State-appointed panel constituted to draft the UCC submitted its final report to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on February 2. The report has also been passed by the State Cabinet. Yesterday, it was tabled in the state assembly.