Since independence, India as a developing nation is contentiously progressing in the education field. Although there have been a lot of challenges to the higher education system of India, but equally have a lot of opportunities to overcome these challenges and to make the higher education system much better.
It has now become an annual ritual in India to discuss the international rankings of higher education institutions (HEI) only when global ranking systems such as the coveted QS World University Rankings are announced.
While it is heartening to see that the number of Indian institutes among the top 1,000 globally has risen to 27 from 22 last year, and that the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has moved up 31 places to emerge as the highest ranked Indian institute in the 2023 edition, there is no serious debate on the abysmal performance of Indian universities barring the Institutes of Eminence (IOE).

Challenges in Higher Education in India:

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has envisaged all HEIs to become multidisciplinary institutions by 2040. The aim is to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational education, from 26.3% in 2018 to 50% by 2035.
The NEP also aims to ensure that by 2030, there is at least one large multidisciplinary HEI in or near every district. This means that single-stream specialised institutions will eventually be phased out.

Multidisciplinary institutions vs single-stream specialised institutions
Prominent multidisciplinary universities such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, the University of Hyderabad, and Jamia Millia Islamia have slipped in the QS World University Rankings should compel national think tanks to revisit the NEP’s proposal in this regard.
A close study of the QS World University Rankings reveals that single-stream specialised HEIs such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and IISc have performed better than their multidisciplinary counterparts.

The need of the hour is to build and develop our higher education system while taking into account Indian conditions and market demands. No ranking system seems to rationally rank institutions after examining their administrative challenges, infrastructural constraints and financial predicaments; they only pay attention to performance metrics based on academic strengths and other achievements.
For India to perform better on these rankings, we need to pay more attention to the State HEIs.
No doubt India is facing various challenges in higher education, but to tackle these challenges and to boost higher education is utmost important. India is a country of huge human resource potential, to utilise this potential properly is the issue which needs to be discussed.

Source: The Hindu

Decode the Question:

The NIA was constituted in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in November 2008. The agency came into existence on December 31, 2008 and started its functioning in 2009.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was constituted in 2009 under the provisions of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (NIA Act).
It is the central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in the country. The NIA is a central agency which investigates all offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, friendly relations with foreign states, and the offences under the statutory laws enacted to implement international treaties.
The law under which the agency operates extends to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country. These include terror acts and their possible links with crimes like smuggling of arms, drugs and fake Indian currency and infiltration from across the borders. The agency has the power to search, seize, arrest and prosecute those involved in such offences.

 
Reasons for establishment of National Investigation Agency:

Initially, it was envisioned that the NIA would deal with only eight laws mentioned in the schedule and that a balance had been struck between the right of the State and duties of the Central government to investigate the more important cases.
The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The list includes:

In September 2020, the Centre empowered the NIA to also probe offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act that are connected to terror cases.

As provided under Section 6 of the Act, State governments can refer the cases pertaining to the scheduled offences registered at any police station to the Central government (Union Home Ministry) for NIA investigation.
After assessing the details made available, the Centre can then direct the agency to take over the case. State governments are required to extend all assistance to the NIA.
Even when the Central government is of the opinion that a scheduled offence has been committed which is required to be investigated under the Act, it may, suo motu, direct the agency to take up/over the probe.

Where the Central government finds that a scheduled offence has been committed at any place outside India to which this Act extends, it can also direct the NIA to register the case and take up investigation. While investigating any scheduled offence, the agency can also investigate any other offence which the accused is alleged to have committed if the offence is connected to the scheduled offence.

To deal with cases like executed murder of Kanhaiyya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe at Amravati in Maharashtra, where mass public sentiments are attached, the role of agencies like NIA became significant.
In the growing hate and terrorism environment across the globe, NIA can be a vital tool for India. Power to probe offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act that are connected to terror cases, further strengthen the NIA.

 

Source: The Hindu

Consumer Protection has a wide agenda. It not only includes educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities, but also helps in getting their grievances redressed.
The Consumer Protection Act provides for six rights of consumers. The consumer protection councils set up under the Act are intended to promote and protect the various rights of consumers.
These rights include:

Good governance refers to transparency, accountability and participation. The two domains in present time governance are important for Consumer rights:

On June 9, 2022, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) notified guidelines for ‘Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022’. The guidelines, brought in with immediate effect, are applicable to all forms of advertisements.

Legal and executive safeguarding to control misleading advertisements:

The guidelines aim to protect consumers interest through bringing in more transparency and clarity in the way advertisements are being published, so that consumers are able to make informed decisions based on facts rather than false narratives and exaggerations.

Source: The Hindu

The West has been skeptical of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), since it was launched in 2013 by China, as it was considered to be part of China’s larger strategy to increase geopolitical influence in Asia and other developing countries.
The U.S., along with G7 partners the U.K., Japan, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the European Union (EU), had in 2021 announced the launch of the Build Back Better World (B3W) with the aim of narrowing the $40 trillion infrastructure gap in the developing world. Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) is therefore, a relaunch of USA’s B3W plan.

USA along with his G7 allies unveiled the ambitious PGII, announcing the collective mobilisation of $600 billion by 2027 to deliver game-changing and transparent infrastructure projects to developing and middle-income countries.
The PGII is being seen as the G7’s counter to China’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build connectivity, infrastructure, and trade projects in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

PGII is a values-driven, high-impact, and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet the enormous infrastructure needs of low and middle-income countries and support the United States’ and its allies’ economic and national security interests.

Four priority pillars for All PGII projects:

Parameters	BRI	PGII
Objective	It was started to revive connectivity, trade, and infrastructure along what was China’s ancient Silk Road. China had announced a two-pronged approach of building a Silk Road Economic Belt on Land and a maritime 21st century Silk Road. The project initially aimed to strengthen connectivity with Southeast Asia but later expanded to South and Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, to break the bottleneck in Asian connectivity.	It has specifically touted the PGII as a values-based plan to help underfunded low and middle-income countries meet their infrastructure needs.
Projects	China has built large coal-fired plants under BRI along with solar, hydro, and wind energy projects.	PGII has laid focus on climate action and clean energy.
Funding	China’s BRI is majorly state-funded.	Under the PGII, large private capital will be mobilised.
Transparency	The BRI has faced criticism for making countries sign confidential tenders for extending massive loans, leaving countries indebted to China. For instance, after the BRI’s flagship $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan owes Beijing a large proportion of its foreign debt.	G7 leaders emphasised ‘transparency’ as the cornerstone of PGII projects.
Loan vs Grants	China builds BRI’s projects by extending large, low-interest loans to countries that have to usually be paid over 10 years. There have been cases of debt-saddled countries failing to repay on time. Sri Lanka, for instance, had to cede its key Hambantota Port on a 99-year lease to China.	PGII aims to build projects through grants and investments.
Role of India	India had opted out of China’s BRI, being wary of Beijing’s aim to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean Region by roping in Pakistan as a major BRI recipient.	In India, the U.S. DFC will invest up to $30 million in Omnivore Agritech and Climate Sustainability Fund 3, an impact venture capital fund that invests in entrepreneurs building the future of agriculture, food systems, climate, and rural economy in India.

By these critical parameters, PGII is seen as the G7’s counter to China’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build connectivity, infrastructure, and trade projects in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Infrastructure is critical to driving a society’s productivity and prosperity. When done well, infrastructure connects workers to good jobs; allows businesses to grow and thrive; facilitates the delivery of vital services; creates opportunities for all segments of society, including underserved communities; moves goods to markets; enables rapid information-sharing and communication; protects societies from the effects of climate change and public health crises or other emergencies; and supports global connection among nations. 
Initiatives like PGII provide a choice to developing countries to meet infrastructural gaps and can help the Nation to recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

 

Source: The Hindu

Decode the Question:

Defection is defined as a “conscious abandonment of allegiance or duty”. The 52nd Amendment Act of 1985 provided for the disqualification of the members of Parliament and the state legislatures on the ground of defection from one political party to another. It is often referred to as the ‘anti-defection law’.
The purpose of the anti-defection law was to bring stability to governments by discouraging legislators from changing parties.
The Tenth Schedule contains the following provisions with respect to the disqualification of members of Parliament and the state legislatures on the ground of defection:

91st Amendment Act of 2003 deleted the provisions regarding protection granted to legislators in cases of a split in the party under the Tenth Schedule.

Though the anti-defection law has been hailed as a bold step towards cleansing our political life and started as a new epoch in the political life of the country, it has revealed many lacunae in its operation and failed to prevent defections in toto. But the following issues associate it with the tag of toothless tiger.
 

In a Judgement, Justice NV Ramana rightly pointed out: "political parties are indulging in horse trading & corrupt practices due to which citizens are denied of stable governments. In these circumstances, the Parliament is required to re-consider strengthening certain aspects of the Tenth Schedule so that such undemocratic practices are discouraged". For healthy representative democracy and free and fair elections, the strong anti-defection law is a need of the hour.

 

Reference: India Today    Indian Express