*Excerpts:*# Recently, the Supreme Court of India recognized human rights in the face of climate change's adverse effects. Climate change impacts every aspect of our environment, from water, soil, and air to all living organisms, including humans. The apex court noted that due to climate change, individuals cannot fully enjoy their lifestyle & leading to deteriorating health. This inability to live properly relates to the Right to Life [Article 21], while the unequal capacity to counter these effects results in societal inequality, violating the Right to Equality.
#
In summary, Impact of climate change affects the Right to Life [Article 21] and the Right to Equality [Article 14].
#
*Case Before the Court:*
#
In 2019, a few individuals from Rajasthan & Gujarat registered a litigation in the apex court, stating the need to conserve a species of bird: The Great Indian Bustard, from the negative impact of infrastructural development in solar and wind energy generation units. Rajasthan and Gujarat have been undergoing development to produce electricity using solar & wind energy, requiring a large area and infrastructure to support it. Due to infrastructural expansion and the spreading of high voltage wires, these birds often collide with wires/wind-wings, resulting in the loss of their lives or natural lifestyle, leading to a decline in their numbers. The court then ordered a halt to the expansion in the 99,000 square km area.
#
*Government's Stance and Non-Fossil Fuel Usage:*
#
The government supported its infrastructural development, citing India's international commitment to global climate change and transitioning to non-fossil fuel energy production capable of lower carbon emissions. The government is focused on reducing the use of fossil fuels such as coal, petrol, and diesel to limit carbon emissions. The government is expanding solar or wind parks all over India. 
#
India aims to achieve 500GW [half of India's total demand!] [360GW from solar & ~140 from wind energy] of electricity production using solar and wind energy by the end of 2030. As of now, India has been able to install ~80 GW of solar energy parks/plates. To meet the 2030 target, it needs to expand its infrastructure with a speed of at least 40GW installation per year from now onwards. The current speed lags at ~25GW per year.
#
*Court's Latest Observation:*
#
While the court lifted the blanket ban on the 99,000 square km area of energy parks and sought a report from the Scientific Committee to check the feasibility of undergrounding the existing cables of high/low voltage and another better approach for development. Their reply is expected to come in July. 
#
While the Apex court waits for the report, it has also observed the existence of HUMAN RIGHTS against the adverse effects of climate change. Let's C what it is.
#
*Consideration of Human Rights:*
#
In simple words, climate change mainly affects water, air, greenery, and living beings between them, and then society and its functions. As of now, we have been witnessing 65% of calamities due to water, whether it is drought, flood, incessant rain, cyclone, waterborne disease, etc. The same goes for air pollution and deforestation, all of which affect the basic lifestyle of human beings, and people are not able to enjoy their lives fully; they are fighting with many health issues caused by these reasons. And so, the court observes that the effect of climate change limits the life of human beings meaning we are not able to live properly. In our constitution, we are provided with the fundamental right of Life. RIGHT TO LIFE [ARTICLE 21] without any limitation and thus, climate change affecting it.
#
 Another point is that climate change will affect the vulnerable part of society more, compared to well-established society, which means widening the gap between societies, violating the fundamental rights of RIGHT TO EQUALITY. [ARTICLE 14]. The recent examples of the adverse impact of climate change are irregular rain in major parts of India, water crisis, health issues, or the recent Dubai flash flood. These are all part of climate change vulnerabilities affecting life. We need a robust action plan securing the rights of each and every person.
#
*Way Forward:*
#
While it is necessary for the world to focus on lowering carbon footprints, at the same time, we need to focus on inclusivity. This means there should not be a case where we are trying to mitigate the effects of climate change and in the background, our actions are creating a new set of human crises. For that, we already have a framework called the JUST TRANSITION FRAMEWORK, which aims to protect human interests against climate change actions. It serves the interests of those who are going to be affected the most, like workers, communities, small & medium-sized enterprises, and biodiversity around it. It assures that policymakers are designing policies that are more inclusive and robust. It is yet to be followed by any countries in the world.
#
**World's Progress on Human Rights in Conjunction with Climate Action:**
#
As of now, it has not been seen in any major economies; they are focused on development only. Recently, the European Court held Switzerland government guilty of not protecting the rights of senior women civil society against the adverse effects of climate change. This judgment has paved the way for the world to focus on maintaining the balance between society as well as mitigating the effects of climate change. With this, now governments may be caught guilty of their inaction to climate change effects.
#
It now upto supreme court of India, how it will move ahead with it. As of now, Court has just observed and not passed the order.



Climate Change & Human Rights !!

Figure Shows, Patent Filed By Foreign Resident Applicants In India, 2022-23#

#This year's interim union budget, represented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the period 2023-24, has been hailed by different sects of society, including scientific and research communities. With the announcement of a corpus of Rs. 1 lakh crore for research and development in India, the government has tried to trigger and support the potential of the Indian public, private, and academia sectors to build an innovative India.

#India is as dynamic as we are, as seen in the slogans which have been changing to adapt to global trends and aspire to leadership. We started from "Jai Jawan Jai Kishan" by then PM Lal Bahadur Shastri to "Jai Jawan Jai Kishan Jai Vigyan" by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to "Jai Jawan Jai Kishan Jai Vigyan Jai Anushandhan" by PM Narendra Modi. While we are among the fastest-growing economies, we can't overstate the contribution of research and development in fueling the economy, advancing technology, and increasing the global competitiveness of India.

#However, it can't be fully examined without analyzing the input (in terms of expenditure spent for R&D) and output (in terms of Patents, PhDs, and Publications). Let's see the real picture of the current research and scientific community of India.

#If you look at the expenditure on Research & Development, we have come a long way from the last decade. While we spent around Rs.6,01,968 million in the period of 2010-11, in 2020-21 we spent around Rs 12,73,810 million which shows a significant increase in expenditure. If you compare this with respect to our GDP, you'll notice that it's merely 0.64% of it. While other leading economies are spending much more % of their GDP for research & development, we are still lagging behind them. For example; China spends 2.4%, Germany 3.1%, South Korea 4.8%, USA 3.5% of their respective GDPs.

#Despite having low expenditure on R&D, Indian communities have always found a way to shine better when it comes to giving output. The Indian Patent Filing System has been seeing continuous growth in patent filing and granting. While in the period of 2021-22, India granted around 30k patents, in 2022-23, it granted around 35k patents, which shows growth. With that, India stands at 6 on the global stage behind the US, China, and others for granting patents.

#Similar trends are being seen in terms of PhDs. We stand at rank 3 in terms of granting PhDs with an annual count of 40k PhDs degrees, which shows our commitment to fostering intellectual capital and contributing significantly to global research endeavors.

#In terms of publications, we are again at rank 3 behind the US and China with a count of 3 lakhs publications in 2022, highlighting the nation's robust ecosystem of research and its commitment to advancing knowledge in diverse fields.

#If you compare it all with global leaders, you'll find that we are still behind in achieving the full potential of the nation's diverse research and development communities with the help of Higher Education Institutions.

#Breaking Down The Investments

#Total Investment in the period of 2021-22 reached $17 billion, of which 54% was allocated to government research institutions, or we can say it went to public sector scientific institutions, which are necessary with respect to strategic implications. These 54% (around $9.4 billion) budget went to:

#- DRDO: 30% (Defence Research and Development Organization, which recently achieved MIRVed technology: multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology under 'Mission Divyastra', putting into ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile system]).
#- Department Of Space: 18%
#- Indian Council for Agricultural Research: 12%
#- Department of Atomic Energy: 8%
#- And another significant amount to other government-funded institutes which have kept India at a global stage with continuous innovation and advancement of technology which holds strategic implications.

#The other side of investment goes to the private sector, and it is lagging behind many economies with only 37% allocations or investment into it. While this scene is completely different in major economies where the private sector is contributing to 65% of investment in R&D, in a few other economies like the US & South Korea, it's even greater than 70%. While these are all funded by private entities driven by market forces and profit motives, the actual R&D activities are conducted in Higher Education Institutions.

#India's R&D ecosystem has its advantages in terms of efficiency, low input with greater outputs. But this can be scaled to greater heights by the involvement of private entities with collaboration between Industry and academia institutions.

#HEIs play a comparatively minor role in the overall R&D investment in India. It is important to notice that increasing industry contribution to R&D is a complex issue with no single solution. It has to be solved by chairs of many different stakeholders of it. India must implement policies incentivizing the private sector to invest in R&D.

#Initiative to Bring Innovations.

#India's potential of R&D lies in encouraging and exploring the private sector with building a robust academia research infrastructure. Initiatives such as the National Deep Tech Startup Policy [NDTSP] signal the commitment towards technological progress and innovations which also holds the potential to incentivize the private sector. We have another policy too: Anushandhan National Research Foundation Act underscores research and innovation as the main point for development.

#This corpus of 1 Lakh has surely brought happiness to communities. This, combined with NDTSP and ANRFact, sends a strong message regarding India's commitment to incentivize private sector-led research and innovations.

#

India's Research & Development Funding & Current Status.

*There is a Chinese Proverb that goes something like this…*
#
A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
#
A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
#
Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
#
A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all the able-bodied boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, still recovering from his injury. Friends shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
#
The moral of this story, is, of course, that no event, in and of itself, can truly be judged as good or bad, lucky or unlucky, fortunate or unfortunate, but that only time will tell the whole story. Additionally, no one really lives long enough to find out the ‘whole story,’ so it could be considered a great waste of time to judge minor inconveniences as misfortunes or to invest tons of energy into things that look outstanding on the surface, but may not pay off in the end.
#
The wiser thing, then, is to live life in moderation, keeping as even a temperament as possible, taking all things in stride, whether they originally appear to be ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Life is much more comfortable and comforting if we merely accept what we’re given and make the best of our life circumstances. Rather than always having to pass judgement on things and declare them as good or bad, it would be better to just sit back and say, “It will be interesting to see what happens.”
#

Maybe so, Maybe not. We’ll see.

Before we delve into that point, let's discuss the current status of the Supreme Court!#

*Context:*#
The Supreme Court of India consistently makes headlines as the highest legal authority in the country, tasked with safeguarding the constitutional validity of all aspects of our lives. Recently, the Supreme Court invoked Article 142 for the first time in its history. Article 142 grants extensive powers to the Supreme Court to ensure "complete justice" in any pending matter or issue.#

While the Supreme Court stands as the sole guardian of constitutional validity, it grapples with an overwhelming caseload. Let's examine the factors contributing to this burden.#

Case Disposal Rate & Reasons Behind Supreme Court Burden:#

According to the National Judicial Data Grid, there are over 80,000 pending cases in the Supreme Court, with 78% being civil and 22% criminal in nature. The reasons behind this are:#

1. Limited Judicial Strength: As the apex court, it is understaffed with only 34 judges, including the Chief Justice, to handle the caseload. In terms of judges per million population, we fall short of the global average of 50, with only 21 judges.#

2. Limited Working Days: Judges have an average of 191 working days per year, further reduced by engagements such as seminars and conferences. The Law Commission of India recommends a minimum of 206 working days annually.#

3. Infrastructure Deficiency: The lack of effective infrastructure and management within the court premises, coupled with low employee salaries, diminishes court efficiency. Although video conferencing has been adopted post-pandemic, it lacks adequate support and is not a permanent solution.#

4. Frivolous Cases: The Supreme Court, being the court of final appeal, is burdened with frivolous cases, wasting valuable court time.#

*Proposed Solutions:*#

In addition to increasing working days, improving infrastructure, and leveraging technology for administrative purposes, the idea of establishing regional benches of the Supreme Court has long been debated.#

Arguments in Favor:#

1. Accessibility: Citizens from distant parts of India find it financially and logistically challenging to access justice in Delhi, where the Supreme Court is located.#

2. Specialization: Regional benches can specialize in specific types of cases, enhancing efficiency and expediting justice delivery.#

3. Judicial Integrity: Open court proceedings foster transparency and uphold judicial integrity, making virtual hearings suitable only for exceptional cases.if you see the rural india, it is yet to be well equipped with technological advancements.#

4. Structural Reform: India's vast population warrants separate courts of appeal and cassation, relieving the Supreme Court of non-constitutional cases.#

Arguments Against:#
1. Focus on Lower Courts: Critics argue that addressing inefficiencies and corruption in lower courts, including high courts, should take precedence over structural changes.#
2. Judicial Expansion: With the rising population and caseload, increasing the number of judges alongside infrastructure improvements is essential.
#
3.we shall use the technology extensively to address the issues. there should be an mechanism to filter out the cases more effectively, as there are a significant amount of cases which has been filed under: Special Leave Petitions, around 86% cases. Special Leave Petitions are a mechanism by which any case can be challenged in supreme court, which seems to be being misused, most of the time.
#
Conclusion:#

India's judiciary urgently requires comprehensive reforms, considering its vast geographical expanse, diverse population, and varied case nature. While virtual hearings may not be feasible for rural populations, ensuring an adequate number of judges, robust infrastructure, corruption-free administration, and a diversified court structure are imperative. Embracing regional benches for distinct legal and constitutional matters can significantly alleviate the burden on the Supreme Court.#

Should India Have Regional Benches of the Supreme Court?

Context:*#

Recently you might have heard of the term "electoral bonds" on which the Supreme Court has started hearing petitions rigorously to examine its legality and effectiveness. it is a money instrument that enables an Indian citizen or a company located in India to donate money to their preferred political party. the legality of this bond and scrutiny is being done by a bench of 5 Justices of the Supreme Court Of India.#

Table of Contents:*#
What is Electoral bonds.#
How you will buy and donate the E-Bond?*#
Why It came under act ?*#
What was the features before this e-bond?*#
Highlights of Electoral bonds ?*#
Issues reported in Supreme Court*#
its history & how it was introduced in 2017.*#
Way forward*#
Note*#

What is an Electoral bond?*#

You can assume it is a bank cheque but it's not the exact cheque. it is a legalized way of giving donations to political parties. the donor can be anyone from the India domicile and any company that has an office located in india.
A number of people do charity and donate money and all.. Similarly, if a person wants to support any particular political party, he/she can donate money using an "Electoral bond".#

How you will buy and donate the E-Bond?*#

It's all procedures are carried out through the designated Banks, as of now only State Bank Of India is authorised to issue the e-bond.
Step 1: A person or company who has an account in SBI, purchases a bond: in return, SBI branch gives a paper stating it holds 1000rs or 1 lakh rupees etc.#
Step 2: That person or company give that monetary paper to their choice of Political Party.#
Step 3: That Political party goes to the SBI Branch and encash the money#

Why it come under the act ?*#

Before this act, if anyone wanted to donate money to political parties they could simply give them cash in hand and get some receipt from the party, there was no log print of that money. who donated and to whom it went etc. the government argued that it is increasing the corruption in our electoral system and black money is being flooded, to tackle this, they brought this rule of electoral bond which has log prints from the bank transactions.#

What were the features before this e-bond?*#
=> Anyone can donate the money to political parties#
=> A company can't donate 7.5% of its profit or 10% of its revenue.#
=> If someone donates more than 20k, parties have to disclose their name to the Election Commission of India.#
=> There was no involvement of the Bank so transactions were not in log prints.#

Highlights of Electoral bonds ?*#
=> Only the State Bank of India can issue the bond, which is a government bank.#
=> After issuance of the bond, political parties have to redeem it in 15 days.#
=> One can donate in multiple of 100x, like 1k, 1Lakh, 1crore, 1Billion there is no any upper cap on it.#
=> On the issued bond paper, information about the donor is not printed to maintain anonymity.#
=> One can buy the bond from SBI in the first 10 days of every quarter of the year,
( January, May, Aug, Oct ).#
=> As the government argued, it's an anonymous donation. it is not required to disclose the name.#
=> Any political party that got a 1% vote share of the total polled votes can receive a donation in their bank account assigned by the Election Commission of India.#
=> if political party failes to encash the money within 15days, that money will go into PM Relief fund.#

Now come to the issue point*#

As you have seen above an Indian citizen or company (which has an office in India) can donate any amount of money and political parties are not required to disclose the name of the donor as name and all are not printed on bond paper. the government also says that bond is being issued by SBI so there is no point in black money.#

Issue 1: Violation of rights to information*#
Supreme Court in its verdict has stated that the right to information comes under fundamental rights and also people have the right to know the criminal history of the political candidate. With these two points, common people have also the right to know the funds of political parties. In the e-bond case, political parties don't disclose the name of the donor.#

Issue 2: quid pro quo => advantage or favor granted in return for something*#
Various petitions in the Supreme Court also said that there is a high chance of a company or group of people donating money to particular parties and getting some benefits from the government.
It is possible that I can make a deal with Modi to get some government lands giving him money through e-bonds. no one can stop me!! and Modi is also not liable to disclose my name.#

Issue 3: Shell Companies*#
the e-bond rule states that any company ( office in India) whether it is an Indian or Foreign Company, can donate any amount to any political party. there is a possibility that a foreign nation can open a fake company and donate money to a party and help him win the election and after the election government will favor that nation in international affairs.#

Issue 3: Transparency of SBI*#
Although the information of donors is hidden from the public, as SBI comes under the government, the government can access the data of SBI transactions.. who paid, and what amount was paid because banks have all the details of the transaction of the customer. and thus this will increase the corruption and political party can make their white money as black.#

Issue 4: Effect on democracy, SBI*#
As the government can access the data from the SBI database, suppose the opposition party got a huge amount than the governmental party, the governmental party can take retaliatory action against the opposition and may try to expose or simply they will try to push down the opposition party. pushing down the opposition party is dangerous to democracy, as they are the first critic of the government. without criticism and feedback, democracy will not function.#

Issue 5: Purpose of E-bond not defined*#
Although it is said that e-bonds are meant for political expenses but its nowhere defined in the rules so parties are open to investing that money anywhere... maybe be on their personal expenses or building some company or anything.#

History of this e-bond and how was brought into effect in 2018*#
This electoral bond was introduced into LokSabha in 2017 by former Finance Minister Arun Jaitely stating it would bring transparency to political donations. In 2018 it was launched by a notification.
the strange thing about this bill was that, it was termed a Money bill and as you may know, if a bill is termed a money bill, it doesn't need to go through the procedures of Rajya Sabha. it directly goes to the president and after the accent of the president it is termed as an Act/Rule etc.#
In the case of a normal bill, the bill has to be passed through LokSabha, Rajysabha & then the president. Since 2014, the Central government has been in the majority in LokSabha but not in RajyaSabha and so the bill was not introduced into RajyaSabha because the bill was rejected by the opposition in Loksabha itself but due to the majority and being termed as Money it bypassed RajyaSabha( where it was sure to get rejected ).#

after this bill got passed ECI and RBI raised the concern that legitimization of the flow of black money through governmental procedures is dangerous for democracy.#
RBI Stated that anyone can donate money and it can travel from one person to another without any counter question which will hurt the sentiments of the Money Laundering act.#

Before the introduction of the electoral bond bill government had to make multiple amendments in various acts*#
Representation of People Act 1951*, is related to political parties, elections, and citizens.. as this bill is from this domain, it had to get modified.#
Companies Act 2013* as a company can also donate, rule modification was required here#
Income Tax Act* The person or company that donates the money gets an exemption from tax .. so changes were required here too.#
Foreign companies * can also contribute by opening an office here so it was also modified#

after these 4 acts were modified, it was introduced into lok sabha.#

Way Forward*#
The previous procedures and current electoral bonds both pose a threat to our democracy. in the previous one, there is a chance of a high inflow of cash and black money and in e-bonds, there are many loopholes designed to make this scheme opaque and favorable to ruling parties or opposition. an unfriendly nation can invest a huge amount of money in an opposition party to topple the current government.#
so both rules have many loopholes for addressing them we can use our digitization movement itself where the government is encouraging digital payments and transactions which logs the prints as well.#

Established banking procedures of NIFT, RTGS, and cheque issuance can be used extensively. and not only SBI we can encourage and make regulations regarding donation handling in every bank whether private or public for better transparency #


Supreme court is hearing this case with 5 judge bench because it involves the constitutional rights of the people of Bharat.#




Analyse the role of ELECTORAL BONDS in election and its effect on democracy.

Introduction*#

In recent years, India has garnered praise for maintaining a steady economy and outpacing most developed nations while managing the pandemic for its large population and confronting the sluggish economic growth of Western nations & its implications. India's achievements have received acclaim from institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and, of course, the United Nations.#

Setting aside this recognition, let's shift our focus to our economy, specifically in relation to leaders in the IT industry. In a recent interview, N. R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, emphasized that young Indians should work 70 hours per week, highlighting the need to enhance work efficiency and dedication, comparing India to Germany and Japan.#

When considering the population, diversity, and geographical size of India, Germany, and Japan, it becomes clear that a direct comparison between India and these two countries may not be apt. India boasts a population and land area that is 10 to 17 times greater than that of the other two nations. Despite having a smaller population, both Germany and Japan are ahead of India in terms of technology and the economy. While India is not far behind, it may take 5 to 10 years to surpass them economically. The question is whether this will be sufficient and whether we can sustain such significant growth for an extended period.#

Even if we agree to work 70 hours a week, there are concerns, especially regarding women. As a developing nation, India has not made substantial progress in empowering women, both in rural and urban areas. Expecting them to work 70 hours a week while also managing family responsibilities could pose risks.#

After Narayana Murthy's comments, IT industry leaders and political thinkers have expressed mixed opinions. Some support his views, while others compare them to a Draconian approach.#

It is widely agreed that an imbalance between work and personal life can lead to health issues and reduce productivity, which, in turn, affects the economy. Looking at the new generation, employees are increasingly focused on maintaining good health and personal well-being. This awareness about self-care is commendable, but it's also essential to recognize the importance of work in one's life.

Let's delve deeper into the economies of these three nations: India, Germany, and Japan.

It's crucial to remember that both Germany and Japan have endured significant challenges, including the aftermath of World War I and World War II. Japan, in particular, faced the devastation of nuclear bombs but emerged stronger.#

Let's take a look at the data points for working hours in various states of India.*#
https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fir-tut-48241.appspot.com/o/Blogs%2Fstates%20work%20foruce.png?alt=media&token=236c131b-8a51-4d4d-abef-b93e443109fc&_gl=1*1xt3qkv*_ga*MTU5MDI4Njg2Mi4xNjUwMTk3OTU5*_ga_CW55HF8NVT*MTY5ODk0ODQ0MC4xMjQuMS4xNjk4OTQ4NzgwLjU3LjAuMA..
According to a 2019 survey by "Time," individuals aged between 15-29 in rural areas work for over 7.2 hours a day, while in urban areas, it's 8.5 hours. Uttarakhand records 9.6 hours of work per day, which is still less than Murthy's recommended 11.5 hours for six days.#

Now, let's examine annual working hours and labor productivity.*#

Assuming a five-day workweek culture in India, one would need to work 14 hours a day to meet the suggested 70-hour workweek. This leads to a critical question: Do long working hours directly contribute to growth, or should we focus on improving efficiency and productivity, whether in IT, sports, or administration?#

Murthy also pointed out that India lags in work productivity, and improving efficiency is crucial for achieving greater heights, rather than merely working late into the night.#
https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fir-tut-48241.appspot.com/o/Blogs%2Fproductivity%20chart.png?alt=media&token=c802a2e5-1830-4462-adfd-d2c16c3b1bef&_gl=1*18xdz5q*_ga*MTU5MDI4Njg2Mi4xNjUwMTk3OTU5*_ga_CW55HF8NVT*MTY5ODk0ODQ0MC4xMjQuMS4xNjk4OTQ4ODAyLjM1LjAuMA..
A comparison of post-World War II data reveals that Germany and Japan reduced their annual working hours significantly, while India's workforce has seen an increase from 2077 hours annually to 2122 hours, rather than a reduction. Meanwhile, labor productivity in Germany and Japan has consistently increased, while India's progress in this regard remains limited.#

Considering the above data, it's evident that India has continuously increased working hours, but the corresponding improvement in labor productivity has been negligible. It's time to shift our focus from hours to productivity.#

Why is everyone looking at India, and why are our leaders concerned about the future?*#

When we consider the youth population, Germany and Japan have approximately 20%, while India's youth population exceeds 50%. This youthful segment is expected to be more energetic and productive than the rest of the population. However, in the next two to three decades, this percentage will decline, making it challenging to sustain rapid growth. To secure India's future, we must work more efficiently and intelligently. As the PM has also mentioned On Independence Day we are in AMRITKAL, it is a golden period for us, and we must use it.#

One advantage enjoyed by Germany, Japan, China, and other developed nations is their focus on increasing work efficiency. This has become a part of their culture, where people are self-motivated to work hard and efficiently. In Japan and China, it's considered normal for individuals to work long hours, and they have a tradition of great sacrifice for significant achievements. In contrast, India has yet to fully embrace the proverb, "Practice makes the man perfect," in its workforce.#

One significant drawback in India is that 89% of the workforce is engaged in informal employment, in stark contrast to Germany and Japan, where only 4.2% and 8% are in similar situations. Given this vast difference in the nature of work, comparing the work culture of India, Germany, and Japan may not be viable.#

Another issue is that a large section of our workforce pursues fields unrelated to their natural talents to earn money and secure a better life. While this may provide short-term benefits, it can lead to burnout and decreased productivity in the long run. the population must need to follow their passion if we are thinking about economic terms#

Some leaders have likened the marathon race to "working passionately." From a distance, a marathon of 30 to 40 kilometers may seem unachievable, but people regularly undertake this challenge. Why? It's because they find like-minded companions and enjoy the journey. Unless we enjoy our work, we cannot put in extra hours. To achieve significant success, we need a marathon, not just a short relay.#

A quote from Swami Vivekananda remains relevant: He compared Indians to the Leviathan, the giant sea creature that lies dormant in the depths of the sea. Once awakened, it can accomplish anything, akin to a god. Vivekananda believed that Indians are unaware of their potential and need to ignite that power.#

In my opinion, Narayana Murthy's comments were intended to awaken the passion, dedication, and sincerity within us. These qualities are key factors for the development of the nation. As we are in the Golden era we must dedicate it to the economy.#

Is it really needed to work 70 hours per week or we are missing something ?

Context Setting*#As you may already be aware, the role of a chairperson/chairman/CEO/speaker in private firms, local government bodies, or committees is significant within democratic societies. In our constitution, we have three assemblies where our representatives (whether elected directly or indirectly by the common people) convene to operate our democracy.#India is a federal democracy, which means the power to govern the people is shared between one nation and its multiple states/provinces. At the national level, we have two assemblies: #1. Lok Sabha or Lower House (members elected by common people).*#2. Rajya Sabha or Upper House (members elected by members of state legislatures).*#At the state level, we have state legislatures.#3. State Legislative (members elected by common people).*#Each of these assemblies has a speaker/chairperson, a position defined in our constitution and thus considered a constitutional designation.#A constitutional designation implies impartiality and equal treatment for all. However, in recent years, these chairpersons (at the national or state level) have made decisions that were not viewed as democratic. This has prompted discussions about their role and function in a democratic society.#These three designations function somewhat similarly, so we will refer primarily to Lok Sabha, but the same principles can be applied to State Legislative and Rajya Sabha.#In Article 93 of our constitution, the definition of the head of Lok Sabha, the Speaker, is provided, while the definition of the head of the state legislative assembly, the Speaker, is outlined in Article 178, and the head of Rajya Sabha, the Chairperson, is defined in Article 89.#Concerns Over the Speaker's Conduct and Power*#Under the Indian Constitution, members of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elect two of their members as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively. Apart from overseeing the proceedings of the assembly and conducting general business to ensure its smooth functioning, the Speaker holds two crucial functions:#1. They can certify a bill as a Money Bill (though the Rajya Sabha and the states have limited influence over it).*#2. They decide on the disqualification of members of their houses, meaning the Speaker can suspend assembly members.*#Case 1: The decision of disqualification, which rests with the Speakers, does not seem proper. Let's understand this with an example: *#In Lok Sabha, with over 530+ seats, Speakers are chosen from among these 530+ seats. Suppose a party "A" has 300+ seats, there's a high probability that the Speaker of the House will be a member of the party "A." If elected as Speaker, their decisions may be inclined towards the benefit of their party and its members.This is a trend we've observed for many years. Currently, the BJP is in power with a majority, and the Speaker is from the BJP. A BJP MP made a communally insensitive speech to a Bahujan Samaj Party MP, and nothing happened to him, while a Congress MP was suspended by the order of Speaker over a remark to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.#Similarly, in the Maharashtra State Assembly, 12 BJP MLAs were unconstitutionally suspended for a year in July 2021, this decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.#Disqualification petitions have been pending against the Maharashtra Speaker for a year without resolution, as the Speaker has sole authority in these decisions. The Supreme Court has issued multiple orders, but no action has been taken.#Disqualifying members without proper reason and keeping them out of the assembly goes against the basic sentiments of a federal society, and action must be taken to address this issue.#Case 2: Constitutional or Legislative Bills*#The Speaker is the key figure in the house but cannot operate alone. Therefore, they are granted the power to establish various committees (comprising members outside the house) and seek their assistance as needed. For example, committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee, and the Rules Committee work directly under the Speaker's guidance.When introducing a bill in the House, it is sometimes necessary to thoroughly analyze it, so the Speaker sends it to various committees. However, in recent years, even complex bills have been passed with a majority without consulting experts on these committees.#Between 2004 and 2014, 65% of bills were referred to parliamentary committees, compared to only 25% between 2014 and 2023. With less discussion and scrutiny of bills, this does not contribute to strengthening our democracy.#The Way Forward*#As our Speaker is a part of the house members, they may be inclined when making decisions. In the structure of the British House of Commons, representatives are also members of the house but resign from their party once elected as Speaker, never rejoining any party, which presents a more democratic image.#On the other hand, various bodies, including the Supreme Court, have recommended to the Indian government to amend the constitution to establish an independent tribunal body and transfer these powers from the Speakers to it. This change has yet to occur.#Until then, it is up to the Speakers themselves to demonstrate impartiality within the assembly and keep the decorum of assemblies.#

Misuse of power by our Speakers.

Introduction*#
As far as I can recall economic activities around myself since childhood I can say that all of the Men's population go out of the home for work while most of the women stay at home to provide child care or elder care or household-related work or work in the vicinity of home. it is now universally acknowledged that men go out to work while women work at home & this system is well-equipped and deeply rooted in our Indian society. both genders work to help a nation stay stable in and out of home but when it comes to calculating the contribution of the population towards GDP major work of women is left un-accounted.#

This society structure is not so conducive to achieving a 5Trillion $ economy so we need to make sure to involve women in mainstream economic activities and count their unpaid domestic services into economic calculations.#

Here we can propose two solutions for women's contribution:*#
1) Women's unpaid domestic services must be appropriately valued and calculated.#
2) Women must be adequately supported to work outside the home and let them aspire.#

1)*#
This year economics Nobel prize winner has worked on women's contribution to society and how they are not well treated in economics, according to Claudia Goldin: All women work but not all of them get paid. in a recent study by "Nature" for India it was found that almost 80% of women population is engaged in unpaid domestic services compared to men ~25%. On average women work for 297hours compared to men 31 hours which shows a huge gap for domestic services.#

Of the 20% of women who worked in some economic activities, 75% of them worked in such small activities that it is left unaccounted for in economic estimates. and apart from doing out of the home work they have to do domestic unpaid services which is a double burden to them.#

A recent study of SBI claims that women's unpaid work plays a vital role in the economy and is responsible for 7.5% of our GDP which is remarkable and yet invisible to society and we didn't find any logs in the official economy.#

The government should change the way they value this labour and call for change in internally defined national account systems so that changes can be incorporated into GDP to census calculation. As we didn't find any logs of this unpaid labour it has never come under consideration while making policies on labour protection and employment.

2)*#
Women working outside the home are not getting enough support to continue their work due to various domestic responsibilities which start from raising a kid to taking care of elders. In low-income families, both parents are forced to work to support their expenses while mothers have to do unpaid work apart from their job. it has also been found that women's work is seasonal and irregular. in a study, it has been found that 44% of women work for 4 months continuously over the span of 4 years only 2% of women work.#

Domestic obligations keep them away from regular employment and if someone tries to work they have to work in a dangerous environment. let's take a rural area example where apart from the agricultural activity they also work in construction related work, suppose a mother has to work there then she keeps their child in the shadow of construction and a relatively polluted environment for a long duration which is affecting her child adversary but still they work to support family risking her and her child well-being.#

to tackle the above issue government has already run the world's largest public Schemes ANGANWADI SYSTEM for child service but still, it's not supporting enough. in ANGANWADI children up to 6 years are being educated and provided with essential child services. this suits the rural area for workin' women outside the home, they put their children in ANGANWADI and go to work, but this ANGANWADI runs for only 4 hours and so a woman who aspires to work for 8 hours finds difficulties in handling the home & work.#

above was the case for low-income states and rural areas if you see the high-income society and metro cities this problem has been assessed by the Private sector and they are running a similar service called Creche, its similar to ANGANWADI but with better equipment & facilities which cost ample amount of money. #

the government needs to minimise the differences between this child service outlined by the Public and private sector and make it more helpful for working mothers.#

that Creches business is still to reach to every corner of society although it is growing by 11.8% per year.
#
Today, the women's labour force participation rate in India is 33% according to the World Bank it is 24% while in China it is 61%, if India wants to raise its women's participation rate to empower them it needs to dispel the myth about their work contribution and women's work must both calculated appropriately and supported fairly to let them breathe in economy.#

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