Content:
- India’s Need for Supporting Rural Sports
- Prioritising IMEC is in America’s best interest
- UGC’s draft regulation has serious constitutional issues
- We need distinguished jurists as judges
India’s Need for Supporting Rural Sports
Context : Kho Kho World Cup Success
- India won both men’s and women’s titles at the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup.
- Despite the success, kho kho remains a niche sport with limited global popularity.
- Victory can serve as a stepping stone for the game’s promotion.
Relevance : GS 2(Schemes)
Practice Question : Critically analyze the state of rural and indigenous sports in India in light of recent achievements like the Kho Kho World Cup. Suggest measures to promote such sports to a global level.(250 words)
- India’s Performance in Global Sports:
- India is a superpower in cricket and chess but lags in other international sports.Recent successes in chess include D. Gukesh’s championship and Koneru Humpy’s title.
- Lack of substantial government and corporate support for chess, even after landmark achievements like the Chess Olympiad double gold.
- Disappointing Paris Olympics 2024:
- India won 6 medals but no gold, finishing 71st, below Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
- Highlights the need for better planning, infrastructure, and athlete support.
- Role of Sports Federations:
- Poor functioning of many federations is a major hurdle.
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) serves as a model for improving infrastructure and revenue sharing.
- Rural and Indigenous Sports:
- Kabaddi’s success with the Pro Kabaddi League demonstrates the potential for promoting rural sports.
- Government initiatives like Khelo India need a performance audit to assess their impact.
- Way Forward:
- Increased government and corporate investment in rural and Olympic sports.
- Developing infrastructure at grassroots levels, especially for indigenous sports like kho kho.
- Strategic efforts to diversify sports popularity and make India a multi-sport nation.
Prioritising IMEC is in America’s Best Interest
Strategic Context:
- Evolution of U.S.-India Relations:
- Established as a vital partnership since the 1990s.
- Built on shared interests: economic growth, regional security, and democratic values.
- Broad bipartisan consensus supports strengthening ties further.
- IMEC’s Significance:
- A multilateral initiative spanning India, the Middle East, and Europe.
- Aims to create an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- Enhances trade connectivity, energy security, and technological innovation.
Relevance: GS 2(International Relations)
Practice Question:The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is being positioned as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Discuss the strategic and economic significance of IMEC for India and the U.S. while highlighting its challenges. (250 words)
IMEC: Objectives and Challenges:
- Infrastructure Goals:
- Develop physical and digital infrastructure: railways, shipping, hydrogen pipelines, and digital cables.
- Reduce transportation costs, diversify supply chains, and promote deeper economic integration.
- Challenges:
- Requires substantial investments competing with other national priorities.
- Demands private-sector engagement with clear ROI pathways.
- Risk of uneven economic benefits leading to regional tensions.
Role of Participating Nations:
- Proactive Players:
- France: Appointed a special envoy for IMEC.
- UAE and Saudi Arabia: Spearheading implementation to strengthen ties with the West.
- Greece and Italy: Initiating trade agreements to complement IMEC.
- Opportunities for India:
- Economic benefits: Lower trade costs, reduced maritime vulnerabilities, and increased FDI.
- Diplomatic leverage: Strengthened ties with West Asia and Europe.
- Environmental impact: Leadership in green hydrogen development and decarbonisation efforts.
U.S. Leadership in IMEC:
- Strategic Benefits for the U.S.:
- Strengthens economic partnerships with India and Middle East allies.
- Enhances its geopolitical stance by countering China’s BRI.
- Advances President Trump’s legacy and bipartisan foreign policy goals.
- Future Outlook:
- Continuity of U.S. support under changing administrations is crucial.
- Potential influence of Trump-Modi personal rapport in accelerating IMEC efforts.
UGC’s Draft Regulation Has Serious Constitutional Issues
Context : UGC Draft Regulation:
- Proposes amendments to Regulation 2010, expanding the eligibility for vice chancellors to include professionals with 10+ years of experience in industry, public administration, or public policy.
Relevance: GS 2(Education ,Governance)
Practice Question: Critically analyze the constitutional and legal issues arising from the UGC’s draft regulation on the selection and appointment of vice chancellors, focusing on its implications for federalism and legislative competence. (250 words)
Constitutional and Legal Issues:
- (a) Mandate of the UGC Act, 1956:
- Objective: Coordination and determination of standards in university education (Section 12).
- Key Functions: Prescribing qualifications for teaching staff, standards for degrees, and promoting coordination.
- Issue: Selection and appointment of vice chancellors fall outside the UGC’s mandate under the parent Act.
- (b) Ultra Vires Concerns:
- Subordinate legislation (UGC regulations) must align with the parent Act.
- Expanding eligibility for vice chancellors is not connected to educational standards.
- High Court Ruling (Suresh Patilkhede Case, 2011): Selection of vice chancellors does not directly impact educational standards and hence falls outside UGC’s scope.
- (c) Federalism and Legislative Competence:
- Universities are established under State laws, and State legislatures define vice chancellor qualifications and selection modes.
- Regulation 7.3.0 of UGC (2010) conflicts with State laws on vice chancellors, raising repugnancy issues under Article 254.
Legal Precedents:
- Suresh Patilkhede Case (2011): UGC regulations cannot override State plenary legislation.
- Kalyani Mathivanan Case (2015):
- UGC regulations have binding effect on universities under its purview.
- However, for State universities, the regulations are only recommendatory.
Implications for Federalism:
- Violation of State Autonomy:
- Education is on the Concurrent List (Entry 25), but State legislatures have the authority to enact laws for universities under their jurisdiction.
- Central regulations cannot override specific State laws without valid grounds.
- Role of Article 254:
- Regulations are not equivalent to central laws; only parliamentary laws assented by the President can override State laws.
- The UGC regulation may not have the constitutional authority to supersede State legislation.
Broader Concerns:
- Political and Administrative Tensions:
- The regulation is perceived as encroaching upon State jurisdiction.
- Risks undermining cooperative federalism by centralizing decision-making in university governance.
- Impact on Higher Education Governance:
- Could politicize the appointment of vice chancellors, reducing institutional autonomy.
We Need Distinguished Jurists As Judges
Introduction
- India’s judiciary faces a crisis of vacancies and backlogs, with 371 of 1,122 sanctioned High Court posts vacant and nearly 60 lakh pending cases.
- Articles 124(3)(c) and 217(2)(c) of the Constitution allow the appointment of “distinguished jurists” as judges, a provision rarely utilized.
Relevance : GS 2(Judiciary )
Practice Question : Discuss the feasibility and challenges of appointing ‘distinguished jurists’ as judges to address judicial vacancies and backlogs in India. (250 words)
Feasibility of Appointing ‘Distinguished Jurists’
Benefits of Academia Integration
- Specialized Knowledge: Academics bring expertise in complex socio-economic and legal issues.
- Critical Thinking: Research-based insights enrich judicial decision-making.
- Global Precedents: Countries like the U.S., Spain, and Kenya have benefited from such appointments.
Enhancing Judicial Efficiency
- Bridging vacancies using untapped talent pools like legal scholars.
- Reducing workload on judges, improving the depth of case analysis.
Synergistic Outcomes
- Acts as a bridge between legal research and practical adjudication.
- Encourages dynamic interaction between academic and judicial domains.
Challenges in Implementation
Procedural and Practical Hurdles
- Lack of courtroom experience among academics.
- Limited understanding of procedural and evidentiary rules.
Resistance within Judiciary
- Institutional inertia may resist non-traditional appointments.
- Potential apprehension about overstepping judicial limits.
Training and Adaptation
- Need for procedural training for academics to function as judges.
Way Forward
Reintroduce and Amend Provisions
- Revive Article 217(2)(c) to enable appointments of jurists at High Courts.
- Streamline procedural mechanisms to make such appointments effective.
Government and Collegium Collaboration
- Strict timelines for filling judicial vacancies.
- Collaboration between judiciary and academia for transitional training.
