Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 24 August 2024

CONTENTS

1. The Road to 2047 for Indian Agriculture
2. Lateral Entry in Bureaucracy: A Double-Edged Sword

The Road to 2047 for Indian Agriculture

Context:

India’s centennial year of independence in 2047 is still some time away, but the goal of becoming a developed nation is pressing. To achieve this, a significant increase in per capita Gross National Income (GNI) is necessary, requiring it to rise to about six times its current level. This calls for a comprehensive development strategy, particularly in agriculture.

Relevance:

GS3-

• Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies
• Public Distribution System (PDS)
• Buffer Stocks & Food Security
• Agricultural Marketing

Mains Question:

The road to 2047 for Indian agriculture presents both challenges and opportunities. Discuss. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

Transforming Indian Agriculture:

• Transforming Indian agriculture is crucial and depends on adopting sustainable practices that maintain long-term productivity and environmental health.
• Innovations such as precision farming, genetically modified crops, and advanced irrigation techniques like drip and sprinkler systems are key to this transformation.
• For example, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has covered 7.8 million hectares, promoting water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation.
• The scheme’s ₹93,068 crore allocation for 2021-26 highlights the government’s dedication to sustainable water management.

Associated Challenges:

• India’s agricultural sector faces several challenges, including climate change, land degradation, and market access issues.
• The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched in 2016, offers financial assistance for crop losses.
• With 495 million farmers enrolled and claims exceeding ₹1.45 lakh crore, the scheme is a cornerstone of agricultural risk management.
• Additionally, the Electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM), introduced in 2016, integrates existing markets through an electronic platform. By September 2023, 1,361 mandis had been integrated, benefiting 1.76 million farmers and facilitating trade worth ₹2.88 lakh crore.
• This initiative enhances market access and ensures better price realization for farmers.

A Growing Disparity:

• Despite nearly 46% of the workforce being employed in agriculture, the sector contributes only about 18% to the GDP, revealing a significant imbalance.
• If current trends persist, this disparity is likely to widen. Since 1991-92, the overall GDP has grown at an annual rate of 6.1%, while agricultural GDP has lagged behind at 3.3%.
• Under the current administration, overall GDP growth was 5.9%, with agriculture growing at 3.6%.
• However, this growth is insufficient for a sector that is so vital to the nation’s socio-economic structure.
• By 2047, agriculture’s share of GDP might decrease to 7%-8%, yet it could still employ over 30% of the workforce if substantial structural changes are not made.
• This suggests that maintaining the current growth path will not be enough.
• Although the expected 7.6% overall GDP growth for 2023-24 is encouraging, the agricultural GDP’s weak growth of 0.7%, largely due to unseasonal rains, is concerning.
• Moreover, United Nations projections estimate that India’s population will reach 1.5 billion by 2030 and 1.59 billion by 2040.
• Addressing the food needs of this growing population will be critical, especially considering an estimated food expenditure elasticity of 0.45, leading to an expected annual food demand growth of approximately 2.85%, given a population growth rate of 0.85%.
• India’s real per capita income increased by 41% from 2011-12 to 2021-22 and is expected to accelerate further.
• However, after 2023, the expenditure elasticity is anticipated to decline, meaning a 5% increase in per capita expenditure will correlate with only a 2% growth in demand.
• The demand for different commodities will vary, with meat demand expected to grow by 5.42% and rice demand by just 0.34%.
• To meet these challenges, it is crucial to rationalize food and fertilizer subsidies and redirect the savings toward agricultural research, development, innovation, and extension services.

Several Initiatives:

• Numerous initiatives have been introduced to enhance farmer prosperity and promote sustainable agricultural growth. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), launched in 2019, provides ₹6,000 annually to farmers in three installments.
• This scheme has already benefited over 118 million farmers, offering essential financial support. Another significant initiative is the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, which aims to optimize soil nutrient use and boost agricultural productivity.
• Over 230 million SHCs have been distributed, giving farmers valuable insights into soil health and nutrient management.
• In 2023, the government also led the promotion of millets during the International Year of Millets, raising awareness of these nutritious grains both domestically and internationally.
• The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, with a ₹1 lakh crore financing facility, supports the development and modernization of post-harvest management infrastructure. In just three years, over 38,326 projects have been approved, mobilizing ₹30,030 crore in the agricultural infrastructure sector.
• These initiatives have generated employment for more than 580,000 people and increased farmer incomes by 20%-25% through better price realization.
• Additionally, the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) initiative aims to ensure transparent property ownership in rural areas.
• As of September 2023, more than 16 million property cards have been issued, enhancing land security and improving credit access for farmers.

Strategic Planning:

• The government’s strategic planning for agriculture up to 2047 focuses on several key areas: forecasting future demand for agricultural products, learning from past growth drivers, addressing current challenges, and exploring potential opportunities in the agricultural sector.
• Projections indicate that the total demand for food grains in 2047-48 will range from 402 million to 437 million tonnes, with production expected to exceed demand by 10%-13% under the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario.
• However, meeting this demand sustainably will require substantial investments in agricultural research, infrastructure, and policy support.
• The 2024-25 Budget, with an allocation of ₹20 lakh crore for targeted agricultural credit and the launch of the Agriculture Accelerator Fund, underscores the government’s proactive approach to fostering agricultural innovation and growth.

Conclusion:

The road to 2047 presents both challenges and opportunities for Indian agriculture. By adopting sustainable practices, leveraging technological innovations, and implementing strategic initiatives, India can enhance farmer incomes, meet the food demands of its growing population, and achieve inclusive, sustainable development.

Lateral Entry in Bureaucracy: A Double-Edged Sword

Context:

The introduction of lateral appointments in India’s bureaucracy has ignited significant debate, particularly because these appointments lack reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The issue gained attention following a recent UPSC advertisement for 45 senior positions, which did not include the constitutionally mandated quotas, sparking concerns about social justice and the representation of disadvantaged groups in top government roles.

Relevance:

GS2-

• Appointment to various Constitutional Posts, Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
• Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial Bodies.

Mains Question:

The implementation of lateral entry has sparked serious concerns about social justice and the representation of marginalised groups in the Indian bureaucracy. Analyse in the context of the recent UPSC advertisement for 45 senior positions via lateral entry. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

What is the Lateral Entry Scheme?

Overview:

• Lateral entry refers to the process of appointing individuals from outside the government directly into mid-level and senior positions.
• The scheme aims to introduce domain-specific expertise and fresh perspectives to enhance governance.
• These “lateral entrants” are typically appointed on contracts for three years, which can be extended up to a maximum of five years.

Origin and Implementation:

• The concept of lateral entry was first introduced during the 2004-09 period and was strongly endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) established in 2005.
• The idea gained further traction in 2017 when NITI Aayog recommended it to bring in specialized expertise and new perspectives.
• In its 3-year Action Agenda in 2017, NITI Aayog, along with the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance, recommended the induction of personnel at middle and senior management levels in the central government.

Eligibility:

Eligible candidates for lateral entry are those with domain expertise and a proven track record in relevant fields, such as the private sector, state governments, autonomous bodies, or public sector undertakings. The selection criteria focus primarily on professional accomplishments and subject matter expertise.

Reservation in Lateral Entry:

• Lateral entry positions are exempt from the reservation system due to the “13-point roster” policy. This policy calculates a candidate’s placement on a list of job openings based on their group’s quota percentage (SC, ST, OBC, and EWS) as a fraction of one hundred.
• Since each lateral entry position is considered a “Single Post,” the reservation system does not apply, allowing these appointments to bypass reservation guidelines.

Current Round of Recruitment:

• In the current round of recruitment, 45 vacancies have been advertised separately for each department. If these positions were grouped together, reservations would apply, with specific allocations for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS candidates.
• However, because the vacancies are treated as individual posts, they effectively bypass the reservation policy, resulting in the exclusion of candidates from reserved categories.
• The lateral entry system, introduced by the government in 2018, aimed to improve transparency and efficiency by addressing the opaque practices of previous administrations.
• However, the absence of reservation provisions in this system has led to widespread criticism.
• The Leader of the Opposition, accused the NDA government of violating the Constitution by excluding reservations from these appointments.
• He argued that this decision undermines social justice, marginalizes the underprivileged, and reduces their representation in the higher levels of bureaucracy.
• In response, the past practices of the Congress party were highlighted, pointing to the appointments of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as Finance Secretary in 1971 and Montek Ahluwalia as Planning Commission Chairman, both of which were made without transparent procedures.
• Since the lateral entry system was introduced in 2018, the government has received 6,077 applications, leading to the appointment of 63 individuals to senior positions across various ministries, with approximately 35 of these appointees coming from the private sector.
• While the goal of these appointments is to infuse expertise and fresh perspectives into the government, the absence of reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) has overshadowed the intended benefits.
• Addressing the backlog of vacancies relative to these 63 officials will require the government to create new posts specifically for candidates from these underrepresented categories.
• The introduction of lateral appointments has sparked mixed reactions within the bureaucracy. While it does bring in specialized knowledge and fresh perspectives, it also poses significant risks to the traditional bureaucratic structure.

Impact on Bureaucracy: A Mixed Bag:

• The introduction of lateral appointments has been a double-edged sword. On one hand, it introduces specialized knowledge and new perspectives that can drive innovation and improve efficiency.
• On the other hand, it challenges the existing bureaucratic framework and raises several concerns.

Demoralization of Bureaucrats:

• Traditional career bureaucrats, who have risen through the ranks through rigorous training and years of service, may feel demoralized when lateral entrants are appointed to senior positions.
• This could foster a perception that meritocracy is being undermined, creating uncertainty about career progression and potentially lowering morale among long-serving officials.

Integration Challenges:

• Lateral entrants may face difficulties integrating into the established bureaucratic culture, which could lead to friction with traditional bureaucrats.
• The differing work styles and priorities of lateral entrants and career officials might result in tensions that could undermine collaboration and effectiveness.

Potential Conflicts of Interest:

• Lateral entrants from the private sector may face conflicts of interest, as their decisions could be influenced by previous affiliations.
• This raises concerns about policy bias and the risk of prioritizing private sector interests over the public good.
• Ensuring that these officials act impartially and in the best interest of the public sector is a significant challenge.

Accountability and Transparency Issues:

• Unlike career bureaucrats, lateral entrants may not be subject to the same level of public scrutiny and evaluation.
• This lack of oversight could lead to concerns about transparency in decision-making processes.
• Additionally, lateral entrants’ limited institutional knowledge could impact the quality of their decisions, particularly in complex policy areas.

Impact on Administrative Cohesion:

The presence of lateral entrants in senior roles could fragment authority within the bureaucracy, potentially leading to inefficiencies, delays, and a lack of cohesive leadership. This fragmentation could weaken the overall effectiveness of government operations.

Positive Takeaways:

Despite these challenges, lateral entry into senior government positions offers several notable benefits:

Expertise Infusion:

Lateral entrants bring specialized knowledge from various sectors, which can enhance the quality of policy-making and help address complex issues that require expert insights.

Diverse Perspectives:

The introduction of new viewpoints fosters innovative solutions and encourages fresh approaches to governance, which can drive progress and modernization within the government.

Increased Efficiency:

Professionals from the private sector often emphasize performance and efficiency, which can lead to more effective and results-oriented governance practices.

Skill Gap Bridging:

Lateral appointments can address deficiencies in key areas such as technology and finance, where specialized skills are crucial for effective governance.

Meritocracy Promotion:

The focus on skills and expertise over seniority can promote a culture of meritocracy, potentially leading to improved leadership quality and more effective decision-making.

Governance Flexibility:

By bringing in experienced professionals, the government can quickly adapt to new challenges and evolving circumstances, enhancing its ability to respond to emerging issues.

Public-Private Collaboration:

Lateral entrants strengthen ties between the government and the private sector, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas that can benefit both sectors.

Conclusion:

Overall, while the lateral entry system has its challenges, it also holds the potential to bring about significant positive changes in governance if implemented thoughtfully and inclusively.