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1. China’s Long Game in Africa
Introduction
China’s engagement in Africa is not just about economic influence or military strength; it’s a strategic effort to reshape global dynamics through diplomacy, governance, and long-term investments. As China aspires to establish an alternative world order—sometimes complementing and other times contrasting the Western-led system—it recognises the critical importance of Africa’s support in multilateral forums.
Political Training: A Strategic Move
In 2022, China launched the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Tanzania, costing $40 million.
- Objective: Shape future African leaders based on Chinese governance principles.
- First Cohort: 120 members from countries like South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania—nations ruled by liberation parties with historic ties to China.
This institution strengthens China’s relationships with these countries by:
- Offering shared educational resources.
- Enhancing governance capabilities.
It reflects China’s broader aim of promoting its governance model centred on the ruling party’s control over the state.
China’s Diplomatic Role
China actively asserts its global influence through mediation and diplomacy:
- Examples: Saudi Arabia-Iran reconciliation and Niger-Benin dispute resolution.
- Significance: Africa, with 55 countries, is a pivotal player in global politics.
China’s Historical Ties with Africa
- Supported African independence movements and military efforts.
- Invested in infrastructure and industrial development.
- Maintains strong ties with ruling parties to solidify its influence.
Public Diplomacy: Study Tours and Education
China’s long-standing public diplomacy includes:
- Annual study tours for African officials to learn Chinese governance and traditions.
- Cultural exchanges and provincial government visits.
Recent developments include establishing political schools to expand its influence.
- During the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China revealed its connections with over 100 political parties in 51 African nations.
Strengthening Political and Educational Ties
China’s initiatives extend beyond diplomacy to education and infrastructure:
- New Institutions:
- Kenya plans to establish a leadership school inspired by China’s CCP Central Party School.
- Infrastructure Investments:
- China funded Kenya’s foreign ministry headquarters during their 60-year diplomatic celebration.
- Renovation Efforts:
- Refurbished Zimbabwe’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.
These actions promote governance models focused on centralised party systems, which ensure stability and control.
A Decades-Long Diplomatic Strategy
China’s approach in Africa is marked by patience and strategic foresight:
- The Nyerere Leadership School is one step in embedding itself into Africa’s political landscape.
- China cultivates ties with ruling and opposition parties to maintain influence despite regime changes.
Conclusion
China’s long game in Africa goes beyond economics and military presence. By leveraging diplomacy, education, and governance, it aims to:
- Strengthen political alliances.
- Promote a Sino-centric world order.
- Shape Africa’s political future to secure its global position.
Through these initiatives, China is ensuring its role as a key player in Africa and the broader international system.
2. The Right to Food and the Struggle with the PDS
Introduction
The Public Distribution System (PDS), designed to ensure food security, has been marred by systemic issues such as bureaucratic hurdles, corruption, and digitisation challenges. These issues have resulted in many households being excluded from PDS benefits, particularly in north, central, and eastern India. Recent reports from states like Jharkhand, Odisha, and Bihar highlight the gravity of this problem.
Case Study: The Musahar Community
The Musahar community in Bihar, one of the most marginalised groups, faces acute challenges with the PDS:
- Many households lack active ration cards.
- Existing cards often do not include all family members.
- Biometric verification has excluded many from receiving their monthly ration.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a supply crisis exacerbated these issues, leaving the Musahar community in destitution. The disconnect between government welfare programs and the most vulnerable communities is starkly evident.
Corruption in the PDS
Corruption is another pervasive issue:
- Under-Delivery: Families entitled to five kilograms of food grain per person often receive only four kilograms of low-quality rice.
- No Wheat Distribution: Wheat is frequently excluded from ration deliveries.
Such practices undermine the fundamental purpose of the PDS, which is to ensure food security for those in need.
Documentation Challenges
The enrolment process for PDS is fraught with unnecessary documentation requirements:
- Applicants must submit Aadhaar details, caste certificates, income certificates, and residence proofs, even though these are not legally mandated under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013 or the PDS Control Order of 2015.
- These extra demands, driven by digitisation oversights, create barriers for those without access to or knowledge of online processes.
In states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, such documentation demands further complicate access to PDS benefits.
Exploitation of Vulnerable Communities
The lack of systemic accountability has created a thriving market of exploitation:
- Middlemen exploit vulnerable communities, charging over ₹3,000 for processing ration cards.
- Many applicants are left without documents or recourse after paying these exorbitant fees.
This exploitation disproportionately affects communities like the Musahars, who lack resources and digital literacy.
Delays in Ration Card Issuance
Despite the 2015 order mandating ration card issuance within 30 days, applications often languish for months:
- Cases of delays ranging from 4 to 18 months are common.
- These delays deny people their basic means of subsistence, violating the fundamental right to food recognised in People’s Union of Civil Liberties vs Union of India (2001).
Conclusion
The PDS, meant to uphold the right to food, has become a source of struggle for many. Bureaucratic red tape, corruption, and systemic exploitation have turned a lifeline into a source of distress. Governments must address these flaws urgently to ensure that the right to food is not just a theoretical entitlement but a lived reality for all.
3. Growth Chill: On the Economy
The National Statistics Office (NSO) has confirmed growing concerns over India’s sluggish economic trajectory in its first Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates for 2024-25. GDP growth for the second quarter (Q2) slowed to a seven-quarter low of 5.4%, following a lackluster first quarter influenced by election-focused spending cuts. This has led to a moderation of earlier growth projections.
While initial expectations pegged GDP growth at over 7%, the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have revised their forecasts to 6.5% and 6.6%, respectively. The NSO, slightly more cautious, estimates a growth rate of 6.4%, the slowest in four years and a sharp decline from the 8.2% growth in 2023-24.
Key Challenges
- Sectoral Declines:
- Manufacturing and mining growth is expected to halve, indicating weakened industrial activity.
- Services sectors show relative resilience, but signs of momentum loss are emerging, with Purchasing Managers’ Indices for manufacturing and services averaging lower through Q3.
- Consumption and Demand:
- Private consumption is projected to rise by 7.3%, up from 4% last year, but Q3 trends do not indicate a strong revival in urban demand.
- Inflation has eased since October, but its impact on boosting consumer spending remains limited.
- Capital Formation:
- Gross fixed capital formation growth is estimated to dip to 6.4%, down from 9% in 2023-24.
- Private capital expenditure, reliant on domestic and global demand, remains subdued, and public capex targets are unlikely to be achieved.
Contributing Factors
The Finance Ministry attributes the demand slowdown to:
- Monetary policy stance and macroprudential measures by the RBI.
- Slow wage growth, which has constrained household spending.
Economists, including those from Nomura, suggest that India is grappling with a cyclical economic slowdown, with growth likely to settle at around 6% for 2024-25. This implies stagnation in the second half of the year, further compounded by an uncertain global economic outlook.
Policy Imperatives
To restore growth to the 7% or even 8% mark, the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26 must adopt bold and transformative measures. Key recommendations include:
- Tax Reforms: Reducing income, fuel, and consumption taxes to stimulate demand.
- Trade Policies: Cutting import tariffs to enhance competitiveness and boost economic activity.
- Targeted Capex: Ensuring public capital expenditure targets are met to spur private investments.
Relying solely on interest rate cuts will not suffice. Proactive fiscal policies, coupled with structural reforms, are necessary to reinvigorate the economy and pave the way for sustained high growth.
4. River Interlinking, the Fount of Environmental Disaster
On December 25, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Link Project, aimed at addressing water scarcity in Bundelkhand, a region spanning parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. While touted as a solution to water woes, the project has sparked concerns about environmental repercussions, particularly its impact on the Panna Tiger Reserve, where a proposed dam will lead to significant submergence.
The project seeks to transfer water from the Ken River, considered surplus, to the drought-prone Betwa River at an estimated cost of ₹45,000 crore. However, this initiative ignores critical environmental and ecological costs, reflecting the broader pitfalls of India’s river interlinking projects.
A Flawed Approach to Water Management
The concept of inter-basin water transfer is not new. Originating with Sir Arthur Cotton and later refined by Indian engineers like M. Visvesvaraya, the idea has evolved into the National Water Development Agency’s (NWDA) ambitious plan to link 30 rivers. While proponents argue it will mitigate floods, alleviate droughts, and boost agricultural income, the reality is far more complex:
- Environmental Costs:
- Rivers are dynamic ecosystems that sustain biodiversity, recharge groundwater, and maintain soil fertility. Diverting water disrupts these natural processes, leading to the degradation of deltaic regions and coastal ecosystems.
- The Indus Delta serves as a cautionary tale. Over time, barrage constructions depleted its vitality, impoverishing its ecosystem. Similar consequences are evident downstream of the Narmada River following the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
- Climate Change Impacts:
- Climate change further complicates water availability, altering rainfall patterns and river flows. Large-scale geoengineering projects fail to account for these uncertainties, exacerbating risks.
- Historical Lessons:
- Global examples, such as the Kissimmee River in Florida and the drying up of the Aral Sea, demonstrate the ecological disasters that follow river channelisation and diversion projects.
Overlooking Eco-Services
Rivers provide vital ecosystem services, including:
- Sediment Transport: Silt carried by rivers enriches deltaic plains, enhancing agricultural productivity.
- Floodwaters as Carriers: Rather than being deemed ‘surplus,’ floodwaters replenish groundwater and sustain biodiversity.
- Saltwater Regulation: Free-flowing rivers balance salinity levels in deltaic regions.
Diverting rivers disrupts these functions, leading to soil salinisation, reduced agricultural yields, and the collapse of delta ecosystems.
The Root Cause of India’s Water Crisis
India’s water crisis stems not from a lack of resources but from mismanagement and poor governance:
- Inefficient Water Use: In agriculture, outdated irrigation methods lead to wastage.
- Neglect of Local Solutions: Traditional watershed management practices have been sidelined in favor of large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Lack of Regulation: Aquifers are over-exploited without adequate oversight.
A Holistic Way Forward
To address water scarcity sustainably, India needs a comprehensive national water policy that focuses on:
- Watershed Management: Involving local communities alongside hydrologists, engineers, and biologists.
- Efficient Irrigation: Drawing lessons from Israel’s drip irrigation methods, which save 25%-75% of water usage.
- Wastewater Reuse: Developing innovative programs to recycle water.
- Interdisciplinary Research: Conducting thorough studies on river basins before initiating large-scale projects.
Conclusion
Despite the cultural and religious reverence for rivers in India, policies like river interlinking contradict the essence of sustainability and environmental stewardship. The political class must recognize that prioritizing short-term gains through mega-infrastructure projects risks the long-term health of rivers and ecosystems. Rivers, once commodified and manipulated, face an existential threat. Immediate and innovative policy interventions are crucial to save them from irreversible damage.
5. Cripple and Scuttle: On Vacancies in Information Commissions
The Right to Information Act (RTI), enacted nearly two decades ago, was designed to promote transparency and empower citizens. However, its effective implementation has faced consistent resistance from governments. Dilution of its provisions, delays in providing information, and even denial of responses have undermined the Act. Another insidious method to weaken the law is the crippling of Information Commissions—institutions critical to its enforcement.
The issue of vacancies in Information Commissions has once again come under scrutiny, with the Supreme Court of India raising concerns about their dysfunctional state. At the Central Information Commission (CIC), eight positions for Information Commissioners remain vacant, contributing to a backlog of 23,000 appeals. Several State Information Commissions face an even direr situation, with some being rendered nearly non-functional due to a lack of members. This has prompted the Court to question how such institutions can fulfill their statutory mandate without adequate personnel.
Supreme Court’s Interventions
In response to the alarming vacancies, the Supreme Court has directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to provide a timeline for completing the selection process for the vacant posts in the CIC. The Court has also sought details about the search committee and the list of applicants for these positions. Similarly, States that have initiated the appointment process without defined timelines have been instructed to expedite it.
However, these steps may not suffice to restore the RTI Act’s original purpose unless structural and procedural issues are addressed:
- Proactive Vacancy Management: The 2019 Supreme Court judgment called for early advertisement and proactive efforts to fill vacancies. Compliance with this directive remains uneven.
- Autonomy of the CIC: The CIC’s fixed five-year tenure was replaced with an open-ended system, undermining its independence.
- Diverse Appointments: Despite provisions encouraging appointments from diverse professional backgrounds, retired civil servants continue to dominate these positions.
Impact of Vacancies
The large number of vacancies has resulted in:
- Huge Backlogs: Citizens face prolonged delays in obtaining information, defeating the RTI Act’s intent.
- Public Discouragement: The inefficiency of Information Commissions deters people from seeking information, weakening the culture of accountability.
A Deliberate Undermining?
The consistent inaction in addressing vacancies raises concerns about whether governments are intentionally weakening Information Commissions. By delaying appointments and allowing backlogs to grow, those in power may seek to discourage citizens from exercising their right to information—a move that benefits opaque governance.
The Way Forward
To uphold the RTI Act’s spirit and effectiveness, the following steps are critical:
- Timely Appointments: Governments must comply with the Court’s directive to fill vacancies promptly and proactively.
- Ensuring Autonomy: Restoring a fixed tenure for Commissioners can bolster the CIC’s independence.
- Diverse Representation: Appointments should reflect a variety of professional backgrounds to enhance decision-making.
- Capacity Building: Adequate staffing, infrastructure, and training must be provided to enable Information Commissions to handle cases efficiently.
Conclusion
The RTI Act is a cornerstone of India’s democratic framework, providing citizens with a tool to demand accountability. Governments must stop undermining this right through delays, dilutions, and neglect. The Supreme Court’s intervention is a step in the right direction, but sustained efforts are needed to restore public confidence in the system and ensure that the right to information remains a meaningful tool for empowerment.
Disclaimer:
This analysis is based on the editorial content published in The Hindu and is intended solely for informational and educational purposes. The views, opinions, and interpretations expressed herein are those of the author of original article. Readers are encouraged to refer to the original article for complete context and to exercise their own judgment while interpreting the analysis. The analysis does not constitute professional advice or endorsement of any political, economic, or social perspective.
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