Daily Mains Practice Questions 16-02-2023

Q . 2 

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KEY POINTS

·        While a Governor’s position may seem largely ceremonial, it is in fact a squarely political appointment.

·        The larger objective, for any reasonable executive, should be to ensure the independence of the other arms of the governing mechanism, and that democratic values are preserved in all circumstances.

·        However, a conclusively majoritarian mandate can make one heady with power, and compel the exploration of creative ways in which that power can be maintained and consolidated further.

·        Judges must recognise that handouts from the government, in the form of such political appointments, are not one-way: there is a giver and there is a receiver.

·        The Indian judiciary must distinguish between political favours and other post-retirement employment opportunities.

·        There needs to be a demarcation between roles where the presence of a judicial authority is clearly valuable and even necessary, such as in a tribunal or a commission, and where it is not.

·        Members of the judiciary cannot compromise judicial independence by trading it for a plum post-retirement .

·        When one becomes a judge, one signs up to fulfil a promise of ensuring a fair and independent judiciary.

·        This promise cannot be compromised at any cost. Our judges need to be gently reminded of this unwritten contract they have with the Indian people.

KEY  POINTS

·        Global public health response has been threatened due to rising misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals.

·        Microbial resistance to antibiotics has made it harder to treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), blood-poisoning (septicaemia) and several food-borne diseases.

·        AMR also imposes a huge health cost on the patient in the form of longer hospitalisation, health complications and delayed recovery.

·        As the current G-20 president, and as a country vulnerable to this silent pandemic, India’s role is critical in ensuring that AMR remains high on the global public health agenda.

·        The Muscat Manifesto recognised the need to accelerate political commitments in the implementation of One Health action for controlling the spread of AMR.

·        India has committed to strengthening surveillance and promoting research on newer drugs.

·        The Muscat Manifesto appears to respond to the AMR crisis by setting these three ground-breaking targets.

·        The manifesto encourages countries to prioritise their national action plans for AMR keeping the One Health approach.

·        Tackling AMR requires constant monitoring of antibiotic consumption, identifying the types and quantities of antibiotics being used.

·        The various G-20 health summits spread through 2023 offer an opportunity for India to ensure that all aspects of AMR are addressed and countries commit to progress.

KEY POINTS

·        The climate scenario is dire and multilateral funds are not showing up, thereby placing the onus on market solutions such as raising money through equities, bonds and deposits.

·        Climate concerns have made it increasingly important for businesses to showcase their ESG credentials by tapping into such funds.

·        The banks need to develop expertise in three areas: climate assessment of regular projects, appraising ESG projects, and creating confidence among investors so that climate debt instruments attract funds even at lower tenures.

·        Green bonds accounted for 1.7 per cent of the $100 trillion bond market in 2020.

·        India is not untouched by the credibility question, even as its private green bond issues by 15 Indian corporates amount to just over Rs4,500 crore. Green deposits can power desirable projects by delivering credit at low cost, provided investors are convinced that funds are put to good use.

·        The successful issue of the Rs16,000 crore sovereign green bonds, with the end uses being clearly spelt out, points to the credibility factor.

·        The climate appraisal skills of banks can be developed in concert with SEBI (whose sustainability reporting standards for the top 1,000 listed entities are fairly detailed with end-use provisions) and IRDA.

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