In Focus by The Hindu

Earlier this month, the Bihar government published the ‘Bihar Caste-based Survey 2022’. The survey data showed that extremely backward classes (EBCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) together made up nearly 63% of the 13-crore population, making them the largest caste group in the State.

The Congress has made a demand for a caste survey a core element of its poll campaign in the forthcoming assembly elections, and the INDIA alliance is likely to do the same in the 2024 general elections as well.

So, what does the data of the Bihar caste survey reveal? Is the caste survey only about removing the existing caps on reservations? Is it likely that a Mandal 2.0 moment will emerge in opposition to ‘Kamandal’ politics? 

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More than 3,000 people -- Israelis and Palestinians -- have been killed following a surprise attack on southern Israel by the militant Palestinian group Hamas. The military operation, named ‘Toofan Al-Aqsa’ by Hamas, has brought back into the spotlight the most critical element of sustainable peace in West Asia – Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israel has declared war on Hamas and laid siege to Gaza. It has launched a bombing campaign over Gaza, and cut off supplies of all essentials, including water, electricity and food. In the days to come, Palestinian civilian casualties are likely to surpass the civilian casualties caused by Hamas’ attack.

Why did Hamas launch this attack? What does this war mean for the recent geopolitical realignments in the region? And how did Mossad, considered by many to be the world’s most capable intelligence agency, fail to detect a full blown military invasion?

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Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have never been this strained. The current spat between the two countries began when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in Parliament that there were credible allegations of the Indian government’s involvement in the murder of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Now India, in the latest salvo, has asked Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats from the country.

India has long wanted Canada to crack down on the activities of Khalistani separatists on its soil – something Canada has not been keen to do. What are the factors driving the Canadian government on this issue, given that Khalistani separatism has been an irritant in bilateral relations for a long time now? And how does a diplomatic confrontation with India gel with Canada’s foreign policy that seeks an Indo-Pacific pivot with an objective of ‘containing’ China?

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The proposed Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or BNS, may soon replace the Indian Penal Code or IPC, a piece of legislation that has dealt with crimes and their punishments since 1860. One of the clauses under the BNS, clause 69, has recently sparked off a debate. Clause 69 says that if a man promises to marry a woman, but does not actually intend to marry her, and still has consensual sex with her, this will amount to a criminal offence. Sex under deceitful means or false promises to marry, may be punished with a prison term that can extend up to 10 years. With this a separate section has been carved out, differentiating these cases from rape cases.

Criminalising sex based on a false promise to marry is not new: the courts in India have interpreted such cases as rape for years, relying on sections 375 and 90 of the existing IPC. With the proposed clause 69 though, consensual sex can be framed as rape, if a man does not carry out his promise to marry the woman. There’s another element to this: Indian courts so far have distinguished between cases where the promise to marry was false from the beginning, and a breach of promise where the man intended to marry the woman, but could not do so for “legitimate reasons”. These reasons, as per judgements can be parental opposition, or, if the parties are from different castes, the courts have indicated that the woman should have known marriage would not have been possible.

But how can the intent to marry be established? What happens when the first instance of sex was forced, and subsequently, a promise is made to marry, but is then not carried out? Should criminal law play a part at all in intimate relationships? And do such provisions undermine the sexual autonomy of women or are they the only way women can claim for damages when they have been harmed in a relationship?

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Think of Himachal Pradesh, and you’ll most likely think of apples growing there. Soon though, this apple-growing State may legalise a new crop: cannabis. Last month, a five-member panel constituted by the government submitted a report that said the legalisation of cannabis would be a game-changer for the state, enabling it to generate revenue and create employment. 

Himachal Pradesh is not the first state to consider this: in 2018, Uttarakhand became the first State in India to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial and scientific purposes. Controlled cultivation has also been allowed in parts of other States including UP and Madhya Pradesh. Cannabis, marijuana or ganja as it is commonly known, has a centuries-old history in India. It has grown wild abundantly, has been cultivated, consumed and parts of this versatile plant have been used for various purposes. In 1985 however, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act or the NDPS Act banned the use of the resin, flowering and fruit tops of the plant. 

Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components. Researchers now know a lot about two of them, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is a psychoactive substance, while CBD is not.

Over the years, countries across the world have begun relaxing their stance on the use of cannabis, for recreation, and exploring the many uses that its extracts can have in both the industrial and significantly, in the medical field. Research has shown that cannabidiol or CBD can help treat childhood epilepsy syndromes that don’t respond to anti-seizure medicine, and may also help with anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain.

In India too, there is now a growing industry for hemp products and cannabidiol or CBD: in just 3 years at least 50 new startups are reported to have come up in the country.

So how does Indian law regulate cannabis? Do the laws need to be eased for medical and industrial uses? Should the recreational use of cannabis be allowed or will legalisation increase the drug abuse burden in India?

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The net financial savings of households in India has fallen to a five-decade low of just 5.1% of the GDP in FY 2023. It was 7.2% in FY 2022. This is a worrying development, because a high savings rate has traditionally correlated with a healthy growth rate.

Data released by the RBI also shows that at the same time that household savings have fallen, financial liabilities of households have risen sharply – from 3.8% of GDP in FY 2022 to 5.8% in FY 2023. This is not good news, when viewed alongside the high inflation and high interest rates that we have right now.

So, what are the reasons for the historic decline in savings rate? What does this mean for India’s growth and investment targets? And what does the government need to do to reverse this trend of falling savings rate? 

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International cricket’s biggest event is starting tomorrow in Ahmedabad. The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup will go on till November 19, featuring 48 matches spread across ten cities. Ten teams will vie for the coveted trophy. While defending champions England will be strong contenders, India, as the host nation, will be under tremendous pressure to bring home the Cup.

How do the teams stack up? How easy has it been for fans to get tickets? And what does recent form say about who the favourites are?

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The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has flagged its concerns over a key element of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 – the multiple exit and entry system for students in higher education.

The Committee’s report, titled “Implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 in Higher Education,” says that a policy of multiple entry/exit for undergraduate students may not work well in the Indian context. It took this view following strong objections from students and teachers. Already, some states, including Kerala, have refused to implement the multiple entry/exit system.

So, what is the rationale behind the government’s introduction of this feature in college education? How is it meant to work? And why are students and teachers opposed to it?

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The government introduced a new Bill in the Rajya Sabha in August – the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. It repeals the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.

This Bill was initially listed for discussion in the special session of Parliament this month, before being held back. But it has sparked a big debate about the implications of this Bill, especially the provisions that removed the Supreme Court Chief Justice from the selection panel, and altered the status of the Election Commissioner – from being equivalent to a Supreme Court judge, to that of a Cabinet Secretary. 

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Overnight- ties between India and Canada, already quite tense, took a turn for the worse- within days of returning from Delhi where he attended the G20 summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a startling announcement in parliament. 

In this episode of Worldview, we look at the diplomatic war that has broken out between India and Canada, as Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of masterminding the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader. 

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