“We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.”
Geeta
“हम प्रयास के लिए उत्तरदायी हैं, न कि परिणाम के लिए।”
गीता
Monday, April 01, 2024
Quote of the Day April 1, 2024
Extension of AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for an additional six months, effective from April 1, 2024. The decision follows a review of the law and order situation in these northeastern states.
Arunachal Pradesh
In Arunachal Pradesh, the AFSPA has been extended for six months in the following areas:
- Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts
- Areas under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, bordering Assam
Nagaland
In Nagaland, the AFSPA has been extended for six months in the following districts and police station areas:
- 8 districts: Dimapur, Niuland, Chumukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Peren
- 21 police station areas in five other districts of Nagaland, which has a total of 16 districts
Powers Under AFSPA
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, grants sweeping powers to security forces in areas deemed as “disturbed”. Under the AFSPA, armed forces personnel are authorized to search, arrest, and open fire if deemed necessary for maintaining public order.
Reduced Application of AFSPA
In April 2022, the Centre reduced the number of disturbed areas under AFSPA in many parts of Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur. The Act was lifted from Tripura in 2015, Meghalaya in 2018, and Mizoram in the 1980s. Despite these reductions, the AFSPA remains in force in Jammu and Kashmir.
Demands for Repeal
Several political parties, NGOs, and civil society organisations in the northeastern region have been demanding the complete repeal of the AFSPA. Critics argue that AFSPA has led to human rights violations, while supporters claim it is necessary to maintain order in conflict-ridden areas.
Katchatheevu Island Issue
Katchatheevu is an uninhabited island located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The island has been a subject of controversy and dispute between the two countries for several decades. It is currently under the control of Sri Lanka.
History
Katchatheevu was historically under the control of the Kings of Ramanathapuram in modern Tamil Nadu. During the British colonial era, the island was administered by both India and Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). After India’s independence in 1947, Sri Lanka claimed the island due to its strategic location, and the issue was discussed several times before 1974.
Transfer to Sri Lanka
In 1974, amid international pressure following India’s nuclear tests and the need to garner support from neighbours, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed an agreement with Sri Lanka, ceding Katchatheevu to the island nation without any discussion with the Indian people or parliament. This move was seen as an effort to secure Sri Lanka’s support, as the country was set to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in 1976 and was likely to have a representative as the president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Controversies and Issues
The transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka has created several problems for Indian fishermen.
The 1974 agreement secured the rights of Indian fishermen to dry their nets and use the island’s church for religious observances.
However, the 1976 delimitation of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), as required by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), superseded the 1974 agreement, effectively revoking Indian fishermen’s rights to engage in these activities on the island.
In India, the cessation of Katchatheevu is claimed to be illegal, as it was not ratified by the Indian Parliament. The Supreme Court of India ruled in the Berubari Union case (1960) that the cessation of Indian territory to another country must be ratified by the parliament through a constitutional amendment act. Therefore, the transfer of Katchatheevu is considered unconstitutional and illegal by some in India.
Sri Lanka’s Stance
Over the years, Sri Lanka has asserted its claims over Katchatheevu, denying the rights of Indian fishermen on the island. The Sri Lankan government maintains that the Indian court cannot nullify the 1974 agreement and claims that they gave an island called “Wedgebank” to India in exchange. Some Sri Lankan politicians have made insensitive statements, suggesting that it is easier to shoot Indian fishermen than to arrest them.
Recent Developments
In March 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress party for its alleged negligence in ceding Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. His remarks came in response to an RTI query by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, which revealed that the Indira Gandhi-led government had handed over the island to Sri Lanka in 1974. Modi accused the Congress of weakening India’s unity through this action.
The Way Forward
The controversy surrounding Katchatheevu is a genuine concern for Indian Tamils. A discussion-based solution that clarifies the issues and seeks consensus must be adopted to avoid further problems in the future. Diplomatic efforts and dialogue between India and Sri Lanka are essential to resolve the long-standing dispute and ensure the rights and well-being of the affected communities on both sides.
Good Friday Observance and Significance
Good Friday is a solemn Christian holiday observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the hands of the Romans. Good Friday is part of the Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday.
Significance
Good Friday marks the day when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, which is central to the Christian belief in his sacrifice and resurrection. Christians believe that Jesus died to atone for the sins of humanity and that his resurrection on Easter Sunday symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and the promise of eternal life for those who believe in him.
Observances
Good Friday is observed through various traditions across different regions and denominations. Some common practices include:
- Church services: Many churches hold special services on Good Friday, often featuring the reading of the Passion narrative, prayers, and hymns.
- Fasting: Some Christians observe a partial or full fast on Good Friday as a form of penance and reflection.
- Processions: In some places, especially in Latin America and the Philippines, reenactments of the crucifixion or processions featuring statues of Jesus and the cross are held.
- Veneration of the cross: Some churches practice the veneration of the cross, where the faithful kiss or touch a cross as a sign of respect and devotion.
Etymology
The term “Good Friday” seems contradictory given the event it commemorates. There are several theories regarding the origin of the name:
- “Good” may be derived from an older meaning, designating the day as a holy or sacred one.
- It may be a corruption of “God’s Friday,” similar to the German “Gottes Freitag.”
- Some suggest that it is called “Good” because of the good that came out of Jesus’ sacrifice, namely the redemption of humanity.
Date
The date of Good Friday varies each year as it is determined by the date of Easter. In the Western Christian tradition, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. This means that Good Friday can fall between March 20 and April 23.
State of employment in India: What a new report says about youths and women, concerns and caution
The improvement has coincided with periods of economic distress, both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, says the India Employment Report 2024 released by the Institute for Human Development and International Labour Organisation on Tuesday.
There have been “paradoxical improvements” in labour market indicators such as the labour force participation rate, workforce participation rate, and unemployment rate in India in recent years after long-term deterioration from 2000-2019. The improvement has coincided with periods of economic distress, both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, says the India Employment Report 2024 released by the Institute for Human Development and International Labour Organisation on Tuesday (March 26).
The big picture
The report has flagged concerns about poor employment conditions: the slow transition to non-farm employment has reversed; women largely account for the increase in self-employment and unpaid family work; youth employment is of poorer quality than employment for adults; wages and earnings are stagnant or declining.
The ‘employment condition index’ has improved between 2004-05 and 2021-22. But some states — Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and UP — have remained at the bottom throughout this period, while some others — Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat — have stayed at the top.
The index is based on seven labour market outcome indicators: (i) percentage of workers employed in regular formal work; (ii) percentage of casual labourers; (iii) percentage of self-employed workers below the poverty line; (iv) work participation rate; (v) average monthly earnings of casual labourers; (vi) unemployment rate of secondary and above-educated youth; (vii) youth not in employment and education or training.
Employment quality
Informal employment has risen — around half the jobs in the formal sector are of an informal nature. Self-employment and unpaid family work has also increased, especially for women. Almost 82% of the workforce is engaged in the informal sector, and nearly 90% is informally employed, the report said.
Self-employment remains the primary source of employment — 55.8% in 2022. Casual and regular employment accounted for 22.7% and 21.5% respectively.
The share of self-employment remained almost stable around 52% between 2000 and 2019, while regular employment increased by almost 10 percentage points, to 23.8% from 14.2%. This reversed by 2022, with self-employment increasing to 55.8%, while the share of regular employment declined to 21.5%. Casual employment consistently declined to 22.7% in 2022 from 33.3% in 2000.
Regular employment is generally seen as providing better-quality jobs due to the regularity of employment and associated social security benefits, while casual work is linked with relatively poor-quality jobs due to its irregular nature and lower daily earnings.
Participation of women
The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India remains among the world’s lowest. Female LFPR declined by 14.4 percentage points (compared to 8.1 percentage points for males) between 2000 and 2019. The trend reversed thereafter, with female LFPR rising by 8.3 percentage points (compared to 1.7 percentage points for male LFPR) between 2019 and 2022.
There is a considerable gender gap — women’s LFPR (32.8%) in 2022 was 2.3 times lower than men’s (77.2%). India’s low LFPR is largely attributed to the low female LFPR, which was much lower than the world average of 47.3% in 2022, but higher than the South Asian average of 24.8%, as per ILO data.
Structural transformation
There has been a reversal of the slow transition towards non-farm employment after 2018-19. The share of agriculture in total employment fell to around 42% in 2019 from 60% in 2000.
This shift was largely absorbed by construction and services, the share of which in total employment increased to 32% in 2019 from 23% in 2000. The share of manufacturing in employment has remained almost stagnant at 12-14%.
Since 2018-19, this slow transition has stagnated or reversed with the rise in the share of agricultural employment.
Youth employment
There has been a rise in youth employment, but the quality of work remains a concern, especially for qualified young workers.
Youth employment and underemployment increased between 2000 and 2019 but declined during the pandemic years. However, unemployment among youths, especially those with secondary-level or higher education, has intensified over time.
In 2022, the share of unemployed youths in the total unemployed population was 82.9%. The share of educated youths among all unemployed people also increased to 65.7% in 2022 from 54.2% in 2000.
The unemployment rate among youths was six times greater for those who had completed secondary education or higher (18.4%) and nine times higher for graduates (29.1%) than for persons who could not read or write (3.4%) in 2022. This was higher among educated young women (21.4%) than men (17.5%), especially among female graduates (34.5%), compared to men (26.4%).
The unemployment rate among educated youths grew to 30.8% in 2019 from 23.9% in 2000, but fell to 18.4% in 2022.
The way forward
- There are five key policy areas for further action: promoting job creation; improving employment quality; addressing labour market inequalities; strengthening skills and active labour market policies; and bridging the knowledge deficits on labour market patterns and youth employment.
- The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could have an impact on employment, the report said, noting that the outsourcing industry in India could be disrupted because some back-office tasks would be taken over by AI.
- Investment and regulations are required in the emerging care and digital economies, which could be an important source of productive employment. The lack of job security, irregular wages, and uncertain employment status for workers pose significant challenges for gig or platform work.
- Economic policies are required to boost productive non-farm employment, especially in the manufacturing sector, with India likely to add 7-8 million youths annually to the labour force during the next decade.
- More support needs to be provided to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, especially by providing tools such as digitalisation and AI and a cluster-based approach to manufacturing.
Written by Aanchal Magazine
Source: Indian Express, 28/03/24
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Quote of the Day March 19, 2024
“Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul; man cannot live in health without them.”
Mahalia Jackson
“विश्वास और प्रार्थना आत्मा के दो विटामिन हैं; कोई भी व्यक्ति इनके बिना स्वस्थ जीवन यापन नहीं कर सकता है।”
महालिया जैकसन
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