Current Affairs – October 24, 2024

{GS1 – IS – Issues} Child Marriage In India

Context (IE | TH): SC delivered a judgment highlighting the alarming scale of child marriages in India.

Despite the enactment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 18 years ago, India contributes to one-third of the world’s child brides.

Historical Background of Child Marriage Laws in India

Rukhmabai Case (1884): Rukhmabai’s refusal to live with her husband at age 11 highlighted the injustice of child marriage and sparked early women’s rights discussions.
Age of Consent Act, 1891: Raised the age of consent from 10 to 12 years after the Phulmoni Dasi case, indirectly curbing child marriage by setting a minimum age for sexual relations.
Child Marriage Restraint Act (1929): The Sarda Act prohibited marriage below 14 for girls and 18 for boys, marking the first direct legal attempt to stop child marriage, but enforcement was weak.
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006: Set the legal marriage age at 18 for girls and 21 for boys, making child marriages voidable.

Recent Supreme Court Guidelines (2024)

Prevention Over Criminalisation: Preventing child marriages through education, community engagement, and awareness programs rather than relying solely on punitive measures after the fact.
Protecting Young Girls from Criminalisation and Destitution, ensuring that young girls are not subjected to harsh criminal penalties and instead receive legal and social protections.
Creating Support Systems for Child Brides, including rehabilitation, counselling, education, and healthcare, to help child brides reintegrate into society and escape cycles of poverty.

Causes of Child Marriage in India

Economic hardship drives families to marry off daughters early to alleviate financial burdens. NFHS-5 indicates that 23% of girls from the poorest households marry before 18.
Cultural beliefs prioritise a girl’s chastity, leading to early marriages. Fear of premarital sexual activity or abuse increases parental pressure.
Limited access to education correlates with higher child marriage rates. NFHS data shows only 12% of uneducated girls marry after 18, versus 68% of those who complete secondary education.
Insufficient Legal Enforcement, like the PCM Act (2006), allows the practice to persist, especially in rural areas. States like Bihar and West Bengal, with child marriage rates over 40%.

Ground-Level Impact: Implementation is hindered by societal norms favouring early marriage, particularly in states like Bihar and West Bengal.

Legal Complexities: Criminalizing child marriages risk victimising young girls; prosecuting families can lead to social ostracism, as reported by the National Coalition for Advocating Adolescent Concerns.
Weak Enforcement Mechanisms: Law enforcement lacks resources and training, with UNICEF noting that over 70% of child marriage cases in rural areas go unreported due to fear and community pressure.
Insufficient Awareness and Education: NFHS-5 data show that 64% of women aged 15-49 are unaware of the legal marriage age.
Societal Stigma and Fear discourage reporting. A study in rural Rajasthan found that 58% of respondents were concerned about the social consequences of intervening in child marriage cases.
Inadequate Support Systems: Only 40% of child brides receive post-marriage support, according to UNFPA, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Contradictory Legal Rulings: Cases like Yunus Khan v. State of Haryana (2014) upheld child marriage of a 16-year-old girl against parental wishes, creating legal confusion in addressing child marriages.

Impacts of Child Marriages

Gender Inequality: Child marriage reinforces gender inequality, treating girls as economic burdens and undermining their autonomy by controlling their sexuality and marriage decisions.
Education and Economic Disempowerment: Child brides often drop out of school, limiting future opportunities. In rural areas, 56% of child marriages hinder girls’ education, deepening poverty cycles.
Health Risk: Early pregnancies result in high maternal mortality and health risks for young mothers; with India housing 223 million child brides as of 2023, many are facing serious health challenges.

Way Forward

Strengthening Legal Frameworks: Expand amendments like those in Karnataka (2016) and Haryana (2020) that declare child marriages void ab initio to all states, enhancing legal clarity.
Comprehensive Awareness Campaigns: Launch targeted awareness programs to educate communities on the legal consequences of child marriage, addressing the 223 million child brides in India.
Enhancing Education Opportunities: Improve access to education for girls, particularly in states with 40% child marriage prevalence, to empower them to delay marriage. E.g. Beti Bachao Beti Padao.
Addressing Economic Incentives: Implement economic support programs to alleviate financial pressures on families, reducing the likelihood of child marriage due to poverty.
Strengthening Enforcement Mechanisms: Enhance training and capacity of law enforcement agencies to effectively implement the PCMA, encouraging reporting of child marriage cases.
Collaborating with NGOs and Community Leaders: Partner with NGOs and community leaders to create grassroots movements that challenge cultural norms and support girls’ rights.
Engaging Men and Boys: Involve men and boys in promoting gender equality and challenging traditional norms to create allies against child marriage. E.g. MenEngage India Network.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish a robust framework to monitor and evaluate initiatives to reduce child marriages, ensuring data-driven policy adjustments.

{GS2 – IR – India-China} India-China Border Issue

Context (TH | IE): India and China have agreed to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh after four years of tensions and to resolve patrolling along the LAC.

Recent Developments

Patrolling Agreement between India and China was signed in October 2024 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, resolving military standoffs since 2020.
Friction Points such as Demchok and Depsang included in the agreement to ensure disengagement.
High-level meetings between the Indian PM and the Chinese President at the BRICS summit.
Demobilization: The agreement also signifies a return to the status quo pre-2020, with expectations of further de-induction of troops on both sides.
China opposes Taiwan’s expansion in India, asserting its “One-China Principle” amid Taiwan’s increased international presence.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in Mumbai, marking the third such office, represents Taiwan’s interests in India, focusing on trade and culture.

Challenges at the India-China Border

Disputed Territory over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh stems from colonial-era agreements like the McMahon Line, leading to conflicting interpretations.
Militarization: Both nations have deployed troops and military infrastructure along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), resulting in heightened tensions.
Geopolitical Rivalries: The rivalry with Pakistan influences military strategies, with India perceiving China’s actions as encirclement via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Infrastructure Disparities: Inadequate infrastructure in border areas makes logistics difficult for India, exacerbating vulnerability during military standoffs.

Way Forward

Sustained Dialogue: Continuing diplomatic and military dialogues to address unresolved border disputes, focusing on confidence-building measures.
Strengthening Bilateral Agreements such as the 1993 Peace and Tranquility Agreement and the 2005 Political Parameters and Guiding Principles agreement to prevent future standoffs.
Disengagement and Demilitarization: Complete disengagement in sensitive regions like Depsang and Demchok and gradual demobilisation of troops to restore normalcy.
Border Infrastructure: Developing robust infrastructure on the Indian side to match China’s advancements, ensuring strategic and logistical readiness.
Multilateral Engagement: Utilizing platforms like BRICS and SCO to foster cooperation.
Civil-Military Coordination: Enhancing coordination between civilian leadership and military commands for swift decision-making in sensitive border areas.
Economic and Technological Cooperation: Increasing bilateral trade and technological collaborations to improve trust and reduce the strategic competition that fuels border tensions.

{GS2 – MoL&E – Initiatives} e-Shram Portal – One Stop Solution

Context (TH): The government launched the “eShram – One Stop Solution,” which integrates the central Government’s various schemes in one place.

It will provide unorganised workers seamless access to different Social Security Schemes.

Read More > E-Shram Portal.

Context (IE): The UN General Assembly (UNGA) recognised antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a global health and developmental threat.

The misuse of antimicrobials in industrial food production, especially as “growth promoters”, has worsened the problem. In 2000, the WHO recommended phasing out antibiotics as growth promoters.

Antimicrobials are an all-encompassing term that includes antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics administered to humans, animals, and plants.

Impact of AMR

AMR can reverse progress in treating infectious diseases and delay or hinder goals like eradicating TB or malaria due to multi-drug-resistant strains.
Standard medical procedures, including surgeries and cancer therapies, have become riskier.
Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by AMR.

UNGA’s Response and Targets

The UN declaration aims to reduce annual deaths from bacterial AMR by 10% by 2030.
It calls for sustainable national financing and $100 million in catalytic funding, aiming for 60% of countries to have funded national AMR action plans by 2030.
Sectoral targets include:
- 70% of antimicrobials for human healthcare should belong to the WHO Access Group, known for minimal side effects and lower AMR potential.
- Basic water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management services in healthcare facilities.
- 90% of countries should meet WHO’s Infection Prevention and Control program requirements.

Global Measures to AMR

Global Point Prevalence Survey (PPS): This is a WHO methodology for assessing hospital antibiotic prescription and usage patterns.
Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS): Launched by WHO in 2015, GLASS collects data on AMR in humans, antimicrobial use, and its presence in the food chain and environment to guide global strategies.
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW): An annual campaign to raise global awareness about AMR and promote best practices among the public, health workers, and policymakers.

India’s Commitment and Efforts

India’s updated National Action Plan for AMR 2.0 included undertaking SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analyses across various sectors in the context of the existing NAP-AMR.
The National One Health Mission, a cross-ministerial effort, has mapped existing surveillance programs and laboratory capabilities to identify and address gaps.
AMR Surveillance and Research Network (AMRSN): It was launched in 2013 to generate evidence and capture trends and patterns of drug-resistant infections in the country.
Operation Amrith: This program aims to prevent the overuse of antibiotics by conducting surprise raids to detect over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic sales. Kerala was the first state to implement it.
Antibiotic Stewardship Program: ICMR has initiated an antibiotic stewardship program (AMSP) in a pilot project across India to control the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in hospital wards and ICUs.

Context (TH): Vaccine-derived poliovirus surfaced in Meghalaya. This has renewed attention to the importance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance, an early warning system for poliovirus.

Acute Flaccid Paralysis refers to the sudden onset of weakness or paralysis in one or both limbs without any prior injury or trauma. It is a clinical syndrome and an early indicator of diseases like poliomyelitis.
Differential diagnosis of AFP includes Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis, traumatic neuritis, encephalitis, meningitis and spinal cord compressing tumours.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by the WHO and UNICEF, stresses the importance of maintaining high levels of AFP surveillance and routine vaccination in all countries.

India has been polio-free since 2011.

{GS3 – IE – Inclusive Growth} CRI Index 2024

Context (DTE): Recently, the Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index 2024, reveals that most countries have regressed on their commitments to reduce socio-economic inequalities.

It is an annual report published by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI).
It assesses and ranks 164 countries based on their efforts to reduce inequality through three key pillars: Public Services, Progressive Taxation, Labour Rights.

Key Highlights of the 2024 Index

Ranking

Top performers: Norway, Canada, and Australia
Worst performers: South Sudan, Nigeria.
India’s Rank: 127
Belarus, Costa Rica & South Africa are best-performing among the low– and middle-income countries.

Rising Inequality

Conflict, debt crisis, and climate shocks constrain spending in low—and lower-middle-income countries.
Billions face the terrible hardship of high and rising food prices and hunger, while the number of billionaires has doubled in the last decade. Also, many countries have reduced spending on education, health and/or social protection.

Source: CRI 2024 Report

Key Recommendations to Reduce Inequality

Implement Progressive Taxation: Increase taxes on the wealthiest 1% to ensure a fairer income distribution and reduce the wealth gap.
Set National Inequality Reduction Plans (NIRPs): Develop realistic, time-bound plans to combat inequality, with continuous monitoring and evaluation to track progress.
Prioritise Public Spending on Health & Education: Allocate at least 15% of total public expenditure to healthcare and 20% to education to strengthen these essential services and effectively reduce inequality.

{GS3 – Infra – Ports} Bihta dry port

Context (IE): Bihar inaugurated the state’s first dry port at Bihta. It is being run in a PPP mode.

It is connected by railway to the gateway ports of Kolkata and Haldia in West Bengal, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra, and Mundra in Gujarat.

What is a dry port?

A dry port, or inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage, and transportation, thus reducing congestion at seaports/airports.
It acts as a bridge between sea/airports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods.

{Prelims – PIN World – Africa} Zimbabwe

Context (DTE): Zimbabwe is investigating a suspected case of lion poaching in Hwange National Park.

The Hwange National Park is home to half of Zimbabwe’s 100,000 elephants. It hosts over 100 mammal and 400 bird species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores.
It is part of Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.

About Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in southern Africa. It shares border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique.
Capital: Harare
Official Languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. Its literacy rate is 92%, the highest in Africa.
Zambezi River forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia. Lake Kariba (one of the world’s largest manmade lakes), constructed on the Zambezi River, forms the world’s largest reservoir by volume.
Zimbabwe is home to the world’s largest waterfall – Victoria Falls (on Zambezi River), known locally as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ (the smoke that thunders).