27 January 2021: The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1) Pursuing national interests, at the UN high table.

India’s quest of its goals at the UNSC must have a clear agenda and also reflect its material and geopolitical limitations.

GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

GS-2: Important International institutions,  Agencies and fora - their structure, mandate.

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CONTEXT:

1. The India’s “highest priority” to permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council that reflects contemporary global realities.
2. India in collaboration with other pro-reform countries has been consistently making efforts to build support among the UN member states for expansion of the UNSC, in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
3. India must focus its energies on what it can achieve after the pandemic global geopolitical change that it would be in the UNSC rather than what it wishes happened.

 

About UNSC:

1. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six permanent principal organs of the United Nations (UN), charged of international peace, security and stability.
2. UNSC Created after World War II to address the failings of the League of Nations in maintaining world peace. It held its first session on 17 January 1946.
3. UNSC Recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
4. Its powers include establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action. The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.
5. The Security Council consists of fifteen members, of which five are permanent member China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
6. Permanent members can veto any substantive resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or nominees for the office of Secretary-General.
7. The remaining ten members are elected on a regional basis to serve a term of two years. The body's presidency rotates monthly among its members.

 

Credit : Wikipedia:

Timing of membership demand:

1. New Delhi’s entry into the UNSC coincides with the emergence of a new world order, one marked by systemic uncertainty, little care for global commons, absence of global leadership,
2. the steady division of the world into rival blocs, and an age marked by unabashed pursuit of narrow national interests, putting even the rhetoric about a value-based global order on the backburner.
3.  USA rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement and, possibly, the Iran nuclear deal, may go on to ameliorate some of the harsh impact of this dog-eat-dog global disorder.
4. The UNSC has also reached a point where in its very relevance is in serious expectations of it to live up to its primary objective: “the maintenance of international peace and security”.
5. Contemporary India is more self-confident, resolute and wants to be a shaper of geopolitics even though it lacks the material wherewithal, economic heft, and domestic consensus, to action its ambitions.
6. India mindset has changed, from being satisfied on the margins to desiring to be at the centre stage.
7. India pursuit of its interests at the UNSC should, reflect its material and geopolitical rise, and its energies should be focused on a clearly global agenda.

 

Why India deserves a permanent seat at the high table of the United Nations?

1. Indian is symbol of soft power and sight old ties by invoking the teachings of Buddhism and Islam.
2. India is ahead from the country in the world eyeing a spot in UNSC. And other competing nations include the likes of Japan, Germany and Brazil.
3. Currently having a population of 1.28 billion accounting 17 % of world voice, India will become the most populous country in the world by 2022.
4. Such a large portion of the planet's population cannot be altogether ignored or kept at a distance from the decision making table of UNSC which brings with itself the "veto" power.
5. India happens to be the second fastest growing economy in the world making it an ideal destination for foreign investment and future growth.
6. India is ruled by a democratic, secular government which has never been upstaged by an army coup and can be labelled as a "responsible" nuclear power.
7. India is a rapidly emerging economy, provides large numbers of soldiers to the UN for peace-keeping missions, and is armed with nuclear weapons, for which it has a clear no-first-use policy stated upfront.
8. India's GDP (nominal) makes it the ninth biggest economic power in the world and 3rd biggest in terms of PPP (Purchasing power parity).
9. The P-5 has lesser boots on the ground but rules the roost when it comes to financing peacekeeping operations with USA pitching in with over 28 per cent financial contribution.
10. India ‘absolutely needed’ as permanent member of UN Security Council supported by 4 out of 5 P5 nation. 

 

How to amend UNSC:

1. A reform in UN Security Council would necessitate the need for an amendment in the UN Charter which is possible only when a resolution is adopted by two-third member nations in the UN General Assembly.
2. It has to be further ratified by the constitutional process of two-third member nations including P-5.

 

The China factor:

1. The UNSC meetings in New York. China’s opposition to having India chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in 2022 was a precursor to the things to come on the high table.
2. If the Biden administration were to continue with Donald Trump’s policy of pushing back Chinese aggression including at the UNSC, India might find itself some useful allies in checking Chinese aggression in the region.
3. Indian alignment with the EU at the UNSC, an unavoidable outcome it’s widen the growing gulf between Russia and India  given Russia’s increasing dependence on Beijing in more ways than one.
4.  India’s seat at the UNSC is also significant to China because to ensure checking further Chinese incursions along the Line of Actual Control and building up enough infrastructure and mobilising sufficient forces in the forward areas.
5.  India experience from Doklam to Ladakh to now Arunachal Pradesh points in one direction — that Chinese land grab attempts will continue unabated and in pushing China back.

 

Challenge for India beyond China:

1. Domestic security Challenge: India security disputes over Jammu and Kashmir and North-East state.
2. Indian lack in rise the voice: India most focus on common causes such as anti-colonialism, anti-racism, nuclear disarmament, environment conservation and equitable economic development.
3. India not member of NPT: with China enjoying the benefits of being party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and India excluded from those benefits, despite its scrupulous conformity to its principles.
4. India lack in member: India not the member of G7, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, ASEAN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) which make India less competitive for UNSC.
5. Socio-economic challenge : Illiteracy, Poverty, Discrimination against girls and women, casteism, communalism and religious fundamentalism, regionalism, Criminalization of politics , Corruption, Political Violence, weaken India .

 

Focus on terror:

1. India at the UNSC of Security Council Resolution 1373 and the establishment of the Counter Terrorism Committee has set the stage for India approach on the issue.
2. “Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda. And those who cover up for them are just as culpable”.
3. India recently assumed the chair of the Taliban sanctions committee which assumes significance given the fast-moving developments in Afghanistan and India’s new-found desire to engage with the Taliban.
4. The issue of terrorism has been a major theme in the country’s national security and foreign policy discourse for decades now, more so of this government.
5.  India must, however, formulate its policy towards terrorism with far more diplomatic finesse and political nuance especially given that it is chairing the Taliban sanctions committee while courting the very same Taliban.
6. India’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific region and the growing global interest in the concept.

 

Think beyond reforms

1. India pursuit of its national interest at and through the UNSC must also be tempered by the sobering fact that the UNSC is unlikely to admit new members any time soon,
2.  India’s past global engagements and efforts have often been contingent on the hope that it would one day be admitted to the UNSC given its irrefutable claim.

 

Conclusion:

1. India needs to focus on strengthening itself economically, militarily & diplomatically in order to participate in major conversations and groupings. Steadily, the UNSC will itself deem India fit to become a part of the UNSC.
2. India must focus its energies on what it can achieve during the short period that it would be in the UNSC rather than what it wishes happened.

 

2) Roots to government-private thought partnerships.

If capacity within government is lacking, it is necessary to leverage external expertise for better policy design and action.

GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from  it.

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CONTEXT:

1.  The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0. The scheme was launched in 2015 to give a boost to skilling in the country.
2. In this third version, the government wants to focus on matching local skilling requirements with local job opportunities. The thrust of PMKVY 3.0 is on empowering States and districts to implement skilling schemes by making regional-level plans.
3. The scheme guidelines state that the scheme shall be implemented in two phases.

1. The first is being implemented on a pilot basis during the 2020-21 fiscal year,
2.  The simultaneously initiating the creation of an implementation framework for the second phase (2021-2026).

 

Earlier Programmers:

1. In 2005, the Ashok Lahiri Committee, constituted by the Ministry of Finance, came out with a report which stated that there was not enough knowledge about external capital flows and controls in India.
2. The committee’s recommendation resulted in the establishment of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Department of Economic Affairs research programme.
3. The programme led to the creation of a rich body of world-class research on capital controls and flows in India, developed by Indian researchers, that was used to inform government policy on the matter.
4. In 2015 The National Institute of Financial Management is working with the Department of Economic Affairs to provide legal research and technical assistance on Indian and foreign financial markets, policy analysis, formulation as well as conduct of impact assessment studies on decisions taken by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
5. In late-2018, the MSDE itself started engaging with multiple private firms such as Dalberg Global Development Advisors and Samagra-Transforming Governance to conceptualise and design Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  vision for 2025.

 

About Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0):

1. Skill India Mission” launch on 15th of July 2015 has gained tremendous momentum through launch of its flagship scheme PMKVY to unlock the vision of making India the ‘Skill Capital’ of the world.
2. Skill India Mission PMKVY 3.0 envisages training of  eight lakh candidates over a scheme period of 2020-2021 with an outlay of Rs. 948.90 crore.
3.  The 729 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs), empaneled non-PMKK training centres and more than 200 ITIs under Skill India will be rolling out PMKVY 3.0 training to build a robust pool of skilled professionals.
4.  The basis of the learning gained from PMKVY 1.0 and PMKVY 2.0, the Ministry has improved the newer version of the scheme to match the current policy doctrine and energize the skilling ecosystem affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The objectives of the scheme are:

1. Create an ecosystem for the youth to make informed choices on the available skilling avenues.
2. Provide support to youth for skill training and certification.
3. Promote sustainable Skill Centres for greater participation of private sector.
4. Benefit 8 lakh youth over the scheme period (2020-21).

 

Growing partnership:

1. The foresight and planning evident in the scheme’s guidelines signal the MSDE’s thoughtful approach towards revamping the skilling ecosystem in the years ahead.
2. The any plan of this scale is seldom the work of a few individuals , a department or even a ministry. It requires multiple rounds of consultations and co-working with different entities, including collaboration between the government and external partners.
3.  The government has formalised the induction of private individuals into the system by opening up lateral entry. The several central government ministries and entities, such as NITI Aayog, routinely recruit private individuals as consultants, officers on special duty or young professionals.
4. the stage of development India is at, it is as critical as it is difficult for the government to take a step back and reflect on how to deliver on its mandate across sectors in the most effective manner on PPP modal.

 

Who are eligible to apply for Target Allocation?

1. Private and public expert bodies in the sector recommended by the SSCs, Nongovernment organizations (NGOs), cluster-based associations such as cooperatives (for example, agriculture, industry associations, etc.
2. Central and State Government ministries, their institutions.
3. Central / state universities, skill universities, Government ITIs, KVKs, etc.
4. Training Providers in response to demand aggregation by District Skill Committees, State Skill Development Missions, SSCs and Demand Portal.
5. Registered employers / industry and SSC recommended industry associations, bodies, and institutions
6. Training Providers in response to demand aggregation by District Skill Committees, State Skill Development Missions, SSCs and Demand Portal.
7. Designated Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) centers and  PMKKs with approved job roles will be considered to become PIA

 

A key difference:

1. It is important here to emphasis that thought partnerships are different from the recruitment of consultants to provide government officials additional manpower to manage routine tasks.
2. Thought partnerships are a structured mechanism for private entities to lend relevant strategic expertise to the government on policy design, evaluation and implementation.

 

The scheme shall supplement the support:

1. The scheme support of various schemes being run by the Central and State Governments, including but not limited to, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS),
2. The MUDRA loans under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) / Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).
3. For rural scheme like Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other similar programs that have goals similar to PMKVY 3.0 for generation of livelihood opportunities for the candidates trained under the scheme.

 

Issue of funding

1.  The government would be rightly wary of accepting funding from agencies which come with caveats, associated obligations or other agendas, both implicit and explicit.
2. It is also not always feasible for the government itself to fund projects involving private partners, more so when such projects are unconventional thought partnerships.
3. It is not the quantum of money required to fund a thought partnership that becomes a roadblock (in most cases it would be a fraction of the department or Ministry’s budget), but the process of getting requisite approvals for funding external agencies.
4. The several domestic and international philanthropies and impact investing firms are already investing billions of dollars into critical sectors in developing countries including India.
5.  The not-so-good news is that much of this funding goes into supporting projects or interventions that work in limited, contextual settings rather than systemic or sectoral transformation programmers.

 

Challenges in PMKVY 3.0:

1. Lack of capacity effective administration also often becomes evident in suboptimal policy decisions and poor implementation of those policies,
2.  If funding capacity within the government is lacking, it is necessary to leverage the domain knowledge and resources of private individuals and entities to forge thought partnerships.

 

HOW TO IMPLIMENT PMKVY 3.0:

1. After the successful implementation of PMKVY (2015-16) and learnings from the past, PMKVY 2.0 (2016-20) was launched by scaling up sectors, geographies and by greater alignment with other missions / programs of Government of India such as ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’ and ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
2. PMKVY 2.0 is being implemented since 15th July 2016 and was scheduled to be completed by 31st March 2020.
3. The scheme has been extended for one year for skilling of migrant workers.
4.  Based on the learnings of PMKVY 2.0 and to reorient the scheme to be in sync with the present scenario of policy changes and changing priority in different sectors, it is decided to speed up the implementation of PMKVY 3.0.
5. The scheme shall be implemented in two phases: 1st phase shall be implemented on pilot basis during the year 2020- 21 known as PMKVY 3.0 (2020-21).
6.  The scheme shall initiate the creation of implementation framework for the second phase (2021-2026) of the scheme. This Guideline document is meant for the first phase of PMKVY 3.0 (2020-21).

 

Pitfalls and solutions:

1. These attempts at establishing thought partnerships between the government and private entities, while instructive, are largely disparate and episodic. It does not provide the definitive way forward on government-private collaboration.
2. The public interest that more such partnerships are forged and funded to channel external expertise and skills towards finding scalable solutions to the pressing policy challenges the country faces.

 

Conclusion:

1. The basic premise for the scheme is to create skilled and certified workforce, who not only contribute towards the growth of India but also drive the country into becoming the global skills capital.
2. To achieve this more holistically, significant core and peripheral reforms have been envisaged for the implementation approach for the scheme. With the limited window available for implementation, the focus of the scheme shall be to create detailed framework for the new provisions and pilot them for larger roll out in the second phase of the scheme.