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Summary

Social Issues May 2023 Class

SOCIAL ISSUES MAY 2023: (1:16 PM)

 A brief about how to go about the current affairs.

 Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions:

 The structure of Education in India is generally: Schools and colleges & universities.

 School Includes Primary Education ie Class 1 to V; Upper Primary is Class VI to Class VIII and
Secondary Education is Class XI and XII.

 Higher education is beyond it.

 Service - Availability; Accessibility; affordability and Quality.

 The quality would be dependent upon the overall objective which can be learning
outcomes.

 Status of Higher Education:

 Availability: the number of colleges (43.7K )and universities (1113) - has been increasing in
terms of availability.

 Accessibility: Gross Enrolment Ratio: 27.1%; Global average is 38%

 Affordability: Public Funder Higher Education Institution (HEI) - Subsidy.

 Quality of HEI:

 Employability: 45% of Indian Graduates.

 World Rankings: No Indian University in Top 100.

 QS Rankings: Only 3 Indian Universities in Top 400; IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IISc.

 Accreditation:

 It is the process of quality assurance of institutions/courses/programs to verify whether they

are meeting/exceeding standards set by a regulator.

 It gives confidence to multiple stakeholders such as parents; students; Institute and Govt.

 It is a process which highlights strengths or weakness

 It also ensures accountability.

 Administrative Set-Up w.r.t Accreditation in India:

 UGC - Recognition of HEIs; it is an umbrella body and it includes:

 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) - Provides accreditation at the

institute level; 5-year period.

 National Board of Accreditation (NBA) - accreditation at course level; 3 to 6 years.

 AICTE, MCI, Bar Council, DCI, COA, AIMA, INC, etc

 NIRF - Institute level/discipline level ranking.

 Problems w.r.t. Accreditation: (1:57 PM)

 Only about 35% of Degree awarding institutions in India are accredited.

 43/55 of Central universities in India are accredited.

 In the case of NITs, 270/650 courses are accredited.

 1. It is a voluntary process and hence the number is dismal.

 2. Municipalities of the body - Submit data to different bodies at different levels.

 3. Problem of input centricity - such as curriculum; Governance; infra; learning, etc which
results in poor world rankings.

 4. Red Tapism - Data voluntarily; data verification and variable

 5. Corruption and autonomy of decisions, etc

 Best Global Practices: (2:12 PM)

 Mandatory

 Binary accreditation framework - accredited and not accredited.

 Better Methodology - Outcomes such as exams, grades, etc

 Satisfaction surveys

 The process is brief and simple.

 Suggestions:

 1. Amalgamate NAAC and NBA accreditation

 2. Binary outcomes - accredited/non-accredited and awaiting accreditation.

 3. Choice-based ranking system: may include stakeholders such as students; funding

agencies, etc.

 4. Simplify the accreditation process at least at the first stage.

 5. Accreditation for all colleges and all courses.

 6. Create levels of excellence and encourage colleges and universities to move these levels of
excellence.

 7. Mentoring low-performing colleges and universities.

 8. Trust HEIs and not micromanage.

 9. Classify institution: Vision/orientation and heritage/legacy.

 10. Encourage public disclosure.

 Sexual Harassment at Workplace: (2:39 PM)

 Only 16 out of 30 national sports federations in the country had constituted Internal
Complaints Committees (ICC).

 Basic Background:

 Patriarchy: Elaborate system of inter-relationships where men exercise control and dominate
women.

 It is the manifestation of unequal gender relations such as labor relations; power relations
and interpersonal relations.

 Labour Relations (Economic): Female Labour Force Participation Rate (27%) and for men it is
around 58-60%.

 Also, unpaid work - mainly falls on women; the Glass ceiling effect.

 Power Relations: The head of household is male; the number of women legislators;

 Inter-Personal Relations: Crimes against women; sexual promiscuity tolerated among men;
etc

 Crimes against women - Domestic violence (33%); attempt to outrage the modesty of
women (21%); kidnappings (16-18%)and rape (7%).

 Sexual harassment at the workplace: (2:57 PM)

 Legal History: Vishakha Guidelines.

 SC: Vishakha vs State of Rajasthan - Bhanwari Devi Gangrape Case.

 1. It defined what sexual harassment means.

 2. t shifted the responsibility of prevention, prohibition, and redressal to the employer.

 3. It prescribed a grievance redressal mechanism: The Complaints Committee; shall have at

least 1/2 of its members as women; Headed by Woman; 1 female member.

 In 2013, Govt passed the POSH @ Workplace Act.

 The act defined sexual harassment; aggrieved persons; and workplace.

 Any organisation be it a public or private organisation having 10 or more employees shall set
up the Internal Complaints Committee.

 It shall have more than or equal to 4 members; at least half should be women.

 Local Complaints Committee - Set up by the concerned district officer.

 Who can raise a complaint: Aggreveied person/legal heir

 Who can raise a complaint: 3 months and exceptions can be granted by ICC.

 Settlement by conciliation: Monetary settlement is not allowed.

 Inquiry has to be completed within 90 days and after the inquiry, the report has to fie within
10 days.
 Punishment: if found guilty the ICC prescribes punishment, and if not found guilty there is a
provision for false complaint.

 There is also an appellate mechanism at the court of law.

 Issues:

 An aggrieved person cannot be a "male" - not gender neutral.

 Punishment is as per the service rules which vary ie can be strict, etc.

 Issue of Child Marriage: (3:28 PM)

 Who is a child?

 Child Labour Act - 14 years.

 Factories Act: 15 Yeras

 POCSO: 18 Years

 UNCRC: 18 Years.

 Child Marriage:

 It is either or both parties in the marriage have not attained the legal age of marriage.

 The legal age for men is 21 years and 18 years is women.

 The concept of age at majority and age at minority.

 Age of majority - Responsibility for one's action can be fixed on the individual.

 Law: Prevention of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

 The law does not automatically make the child marriage null and void.

 It happens only when there is deceit, inducement, fear, etc.

 It is voidable at the request of the minor, till 3 years after attaining the age of majority (for
men it is 24 years, and for women, it is 21 Years).

 Child marriage comes within the ambit of personal laws.

 As per Hindu Laws, marriage can be done pre-puberty (Vivah) and post-puberty (Gauna).

 Under Muslims and Christians, marriage can be solemnized attains the age of puberty.

 Basic:

 1860: IPC - Sexual intercourse with anyone less than 10 years old is an offense.

 1927: 10-12 Years

 1929: Child Marriage Restraint Act/Sarda Act: 14 Years.

 1949: CMRA Amendment: 15 Years

 1978: CMRA Amendment: 18 Years

 2006: PCMA: for women, it was 18 years and for men, it was 21 years.
  UNICEF has said that the Global poly-crisis slows the progress to end child marriage.

 As per the new analysis by UNICEF, multiple crises including conflict, climate shocks, and the
ongoing fallout from COVID-19 are threatening to reverse hard hard-earned decline in child
marriage in the last decade.

 Global child marriage rates decreased slightly to 19%, but progress is insufficient to meet the
SDG target of ending child marriage by 2030.

 While India has recorded significant progress in recent decades, it still accounts for one-third
of the world’s child brides.

 Child Malnutrition: (3:54 PM)

 Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition: Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates 2023 released.

 The report was jointly published by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the
World Bank Group.

 Malnutrition vs Hunger:

 Hunger is a deficit situation from a calorie intake perspective.

 Malnutrition goes one step ahead and talks about the energy intake and level of
nutrients/nourishment.

 Malnutrition - Overnutrition (Surplus; obesity); Undernutrition (deficit; stunting, wasting,

etc), and nutrient imbalance (micro-nutrient imbalance - Hidden Hunger; anemia).

 The situation of obesity in India - is mainly linked to socioeconomic status; in comparison

with the West.

 Stunting: Height vs Age; Wasting: Weight vs Height; Underweight: Weight vs Age.

 In 2022, 22.3 percent of children under age five worldwide were affected by stunting (too
short for his/her age).

 India had a stunting rate of 31.7 percent in 2022 (down from 41.6 percent in 2012.

 In 2022, an estimated 45 million children (6.8 percent) under five were affected by wasting
(too thin for his/her height)

 In 2020, 18.7 percent of Indian children were affected by wasting, caused by poor nutrient
intake and/or recurrent illnesses, etc.

QUESTION: Critically examine the issues in the higher education sector in India. Enumerate the
government efforts and briefly suggest some more measures to improve the state of higher
education in India. (15 Marks/250 Words)

TOPICS FOR THE NEXT CLASS: CONTINUATION OF REMAINING TOPICS IN NEXT CLASS.