{"id":12917,"date":"2017-12-06T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T01:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=12917"},"modified":"2017-12-04T14:11:32","modified_gmt":"2017-12-04T08:41:32","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 December 5"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.1) Despite several attempts of eradication of manual scavenging by government, practice prevails. Discuss the various government measures to eradicate the manual scavenging in India and what are the reasons behind prevalence of manual scavenging despite several measures?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(GS-1)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are possibly over 12 lakh manual scavengers across India despite launching several acts and initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Acts against manual scavenging<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This act banned employment of people as manual scavengers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The act made employing a manual scavenger a cognisable offence with imprisonment and fine.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 1993 Act made it the responsibility of citizens, organisations and the state to maintain sanitary toilets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Act also prohibited the construction of dry toilets<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It Prohibits the engagement or employment of anyone as a manual scavenger<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Act made the states responsible for identifying and rehabilitating manual scavengers by providing them training, giving assistance, loans and even houses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It further prohibits dry latrines and other forms of insanitary latrines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the features of mission that promotes prohibition on manual scavenging are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eradication of manual scavenging,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spreading awareness among the citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why does it still exist?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many reasons behind prevalence of manual scavenging, such as:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Presence of insanitary latrines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Majority of this type of latrines require cleaning by hand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Disinterest of state governments<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Despite legal obligations, state governments are not keen to demolish or rebuild old facilities lacking sanitation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State governments have not conducted a full census of both the latrines and the people engaged in clearing such waste.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Budget crunch<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Central government has reduced fund allocation for rehabilitation of manual scavengers from 448 crore in the 2014-15 budget to Rs. 5 crore this year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Social norms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Many communities still regard the inclusion of a sanitary toilet as ritual and physical pollution of the house.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Denial to change by manual scavengers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Some official data shows that manual scavengers are reluctant to leave their present occupation and take up the self-employment because of illiteracy and lack of confidence in running self-employment projects.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>No administrative accountability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 2013 act does not outline administrative measures beyond conduct rules, that can be imposed if officials do not implement the Act.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Presence of informal ways<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Contractors that are being provided with the sanitary projects are employing manual scavengers off the official record.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.2) The government is considering the recommendations of the Law Commission to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman. Why there is need for an anti torture law in India? (GS-2)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union government is seriously considering the 273<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Report of the Law Commission, which has recommended that India ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture and pass a law to prevent torture and punish its perpetrators.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need for anti torture law in India:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Custodial violence continues to be prevalent in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recent example of a bus conductor being forced to confess to murdering a schoolchild is a pointer to the use of torture as an investigative tool among policemen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So far, neither the Indian Penal Code nor the Code of Criminal Procedure Code specifically or comprehensively addresses custodial torture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though India had signed the U.N. Convention Against Torture in 1997, it is yet to ratify it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Efforts to bring a standalone law against torture had lapsed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been strongly urging the government to recognise torture as a separate crime and codify the punishment in a separate penal law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ratification by India will improve its image as a responsible &amp; a liberal nation &amp; will also improve cooperation in criminal matters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would be in the national interest .<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will help in protecting of human rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Other issues involved :<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misuse:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There have been multiple cases of custodial tortures, deaths enforced disappearances, intimidation of opponents and activists. The problem of torture is also faced by bonded labourers, trafficked women and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental illness:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In several cases torture has led to mental illness among captives where state should be held responsible for their condition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ethics of torture: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There arises a complex question of ethics of human right of an individual versus the security where its not easy to take a completely black or white position.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government must legislate on this matter and ratify the convention as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.3) \u00a0India is yet to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. \u00a0Discuss the significance of the Convention and Why India should sign it? (GS-2)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is yet to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention came into force in 1983.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 90 countries are signatories to it, India is yet to sign it<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Significance:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per the convention, if a child is removed from his or her place of habitual residence, then they must be returned.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a multilateral treaty on custodial issues of children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention seeks to protect children from the harmful effects of abduction and retention across international boundaries by providing a procedure to ensure their prompt return.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The convention is intended to enhance the international recognition of rights of custody and access arising in place of habitual residence, and to ensure prompt return of the child who is wrongfully removed or retained from the place of habitual residence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seeks to return children abducted or retained overseas by a parent to their country of habitual residence for the courts of that country to decide on matters of residence and contact.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The convention shall apply to any child, up to the age of 16 years who is a habitual resident of any of the contacting states.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why India should sign this convention?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s accession to the Hague Convention would resolve the issue since it is based on the principle of reverting the situation to status quo ante.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is based on the principle that the removed child ought to be promptly returned to his or her country of habitual residence to enable a court of that country to examine the merits of the custody dispute and thereupon award care and control in the child\u2019s best interest.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is because the courts of the country where the child had permanent or habitual residence are considered to best determine the child\u2019s interest<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no codified family law or specific child custody laws under which children can be returned to their homes in a foreign jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An aggrieved parent with a foreign court order requiring return of the child finds no slot in the Indian legal system, wherein a wholesome statutory remedy can be invoked for effective relief.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian legal system provides succour by invoking the habeas corpus writ.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitter disputed custody battles requiring conventional evidence to be established fall under the outdated Guardians and Wards Act, 1890.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem of child abduction is real, and India, with its diaspora spread over the globe, needs to work on the issues addressed by the Hague convention while ensuring that the remedy is compatible with the convention on the Rights of the Child. The aspects of ensuring the safety and well-being of the child through state intervention is of significance.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives\u00a0 Q.1) Despite several attempts of eradication of manual scavenging by government, practice prevails. Discuss the various government measures to eradicate the manual scavenging in India and what are the reasons behind prevalence of manual scavenging despite several measures?(GS-1) There are possibly over 12 lakh manual scavengers across India despite launching several acts and initiatives.&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-5\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 December 5<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mains-marathon-answers","category-public","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/pen-paper-laptop.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704185637},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}