Heatwaves
Syllabus :GS 3/Environment
In News
- Recently, large geographical areas in India experienced heatwave conditions.
Heat wave
- Qualitatively, a heat wave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed.
- Quantitatively, it is defined based on the temperature thresholds over a region in terms of actual temperature or its departure from normal.
Criterion
- Heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains and at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions.
- For coastal stations in India : When maximum temperature departure is 4.50°C or more from normal, Heat Wave may be described provided the actual maximum temperature is 37°C or more.
Favourable conditions
- Transportation / Prevalence of hot dry air over a region (There should be a region of warm dry air and appropriate flow pattern for transporting hot air over the region).
- Absence of moisture in the upper atmosphere (As the presence of moisture restricts the temperature rise).
- The sky should be practically cloudless (To allow maximum insulation over the region).
- Large amplitude anticyclonic flow over the area.
- El Niño leads to extreme heat in many parts of the world and the ocean.
Areas in India are prone to heatwaves
- The Core Heatwave Zone (CHZ) spanning central, north, and peninsular India between Gujarat and West Bengal is prone to heatwave conditions every year, during the summer season March to June and occasionally in July.
- Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, parts of Gangetic West Bengal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are the most heat-wave-prone states or regions.
Impacts
- Population exposure to heat is increasing due to climate change
- The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke
- Heatwaves can burden health and emergency services and also increase strain on water, energy and transportation resulting in power shortages or even blackouts.
- Food and livelihood security may also be strained if people lose their crops or livestock due to extreme heat.
- affect agricultural output, cause water scarcity, increase the demand for energy, and affect ecosystems and air quality.
Initiatives
- Governments at various levels — State, district, and city — have prepared heat action plans (HAPs).
- HAPs aim to increase preparedness and lower the adverse impacts of extreme heat by outlining strategies and measures to prepare for, address, and recover from heat waves.
- The National Disaster Management Authority and IMD are reported to be working with 23 States to develop HAPs.
- The Election Commission of India has issued an advisory to manage the impact of heat waves during voting, including carrying a water bottle and protecting oneself from direct sunlight.
Suggestions
- The focus should be given to passive cooling inside buildings through better ventilation, window shading, reflective paints, suitable building materials, and traditional methods.
- Understanding heat hotspots, increase in green-blue structures, access to cool spaces, support for suitable adaptation measures, and multisectoral health-centric heat action plans are relevant.
- Assessing patterns of socio-economic, demographic, and environmental factors, access to basic services, disease distribution, existing institutional mechanisms, and preparedness helps to take stock of the situation and to prioritise resource allocation for vulnerable populations, and strengthen institutional responses.
Source: IE
Guidelines for the Elimination of Corporal Punishment in Schools (GECP)
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context
- The Tamil Nadu School Education Department has issued Guidelines for the Elimination of Corporal Punishment in Schools (GECP).
About
- The GECP includes safeguarding the mental well-being of students and conducting awareness camps to familiarise stakeholders with guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for effective implementation.
- It also includes measures such as:
- Promptly addressing any complaints related to corporal punishment,
- extending the focus beyond eliminating corporal punishment to address any form of harassment or situations impacting students’ mental health
- and establish monitoring committees at each school comprising school heads, parents, teachers and senior students to oversee the implementation of guidelines and address any issues, were also part of the GECP.
Corporal Punishment
- Corporal punishment is the use of physical force against a child as a ‘corrective’ form of enforcing discipline.
- Usually, teachers who are unable to discipline their students take recourse to physical assault.
- Children are subject to corporal punishment in schools; institutions meant for care and protection of children such as hostels, orphanages, ashram shalas, and juvenile homes; and even in the family setting.
- Currently, there is no statutory definition of corporal punishment of children in Indian law.
- In keeping with the provisions of the RTE Act, 2009, corporal punishment could be classified as physical punishment, mental harassment and discrimination.
Perceptions on Corporal Punishment
- Punishing children is regarded as normal and acceptable in all settings – whether in the family or in institutions.
- It is often considered necessary in order that children grow up to be competent and responsible individuals.
- It is widely used by teachers and parents regardless of its evident lack of effectiveness, and potentially deleterious side-effects.
- This follows from the belief that those in whose care children are entrusted in school or other institutions are ‘in loco parentis’ and will therefore always act in the interests of the child.
- This notion needs to be reviewed in the light of the widespread violence that exists in all institutions occupied by children.
Consequences of Corporal Punishment
- Impact on Development of Child: It is now globally recognised that punishment in any form or kind in school comes in the way of the development of the full potential of children.
- When adults use corporal punishment it teaches their children that hitting is an acceptable means of dealing with conflict.
- Normalising Violence: Corporal punishment leads to adverse physical, psychological and educational outcomes – including increased aggressive and destructive behaviour.
- Children subjected to punishment prefer aggressive conflict resolution strategies with peers and siblings and they do not consider it a violation of their rights.
- Social Concerns: It can lead to poor school achievement, poor attention span, increased drop-out rate, school avoidance and school phobia, low selfesteem, anxiety, depression, suicide and retaliation against teachers – that emotionally scar the children for life.
Status of Corporal Punishment in India
- Section 17 (1) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 expressly bans subjecting a child to mental harassment or physical punishment.
- Cruelty to children is also prohibited under theJuvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
- These laws hold teachers and adults liable for assault or Corporal punishment of children.
- Article 37 (a) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a signatory, says that no child should bear any torture, cruelty, or inhuman punishment.
Relevant Constitutional Provisions
- Violence against children is a violation of the right to live with dignity which is integral to the right to life under Article 21.
- Further, Corporal punishment serves as a deterrent to children from attending school and contributes to dropout rate.
- This goes against the Right to Education as a Fundamental Right guaranteed under Article 21-A of Constitution of India.
- Article 39 (e) of the Constitution directs the State to work progressively to ensure that the tender age of children are not abused.
- Article 39 (f) of the Constitution directs the State to work progressively to ensure that “children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.”
Government Initiatives
- The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 is an important statute that criminalises acts that may cause a child mental or physical suffering.
- Some provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 can be used to prosecute an adult in the general category who inflicts corporal punishment upon a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe child.
- Various provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 can be used to prosecute a person/ manager/trustee as well as warrant resumption or suspension of grants made by the Government to the educational institution or hostel on the ground of untouchability.
- The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) have been entrusted with the task of monitoring children’s right to education under Section 31 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Suggestions
- The school should maintain the student-teacher ratio at the level as prescribed under the RTE Act, 2009, in order to avoid overcrowding and unmanageable class, leading to the practice of corporal punishment.
- All children should be informed through campaigns and publicity drives that they have a right to speak against physical punishments, mental harassment and discrimination.
- The teachers should be trained in the skills required to positively engage with children who are different in order to understand their predicaments.
- The conduct of the teacher and administration should be such that it fosters a spirit of inclusion, care and nurturing.
- A mechanism for children to express their grievances both in person and anonymously should be provided.
Source: TH
Corporate Governance Charter for Startups
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched a corporate governance charter for startups, including a self-evaluative scorecard.
About
- It will provide suggestions on corporate governance tailored for startups and offer guidelines suitable for different stages of a startup which is aiming to enhance governance practices.
- It comes at a time when startups such as Byju’s, BharatPe, and Zilingo have raised concern over governance standards in the past 12-18 months.
- Corporate governance in India is a set of rules, practices and processes by which a company is guided and controlled.
- Self Evaluative Governance: The charter includes an online self-evaluative governance scorecard that startups can use to evaluate their current governance status and its improvement over time.
- The tool allows startups to measure their governance progress, with score changes indicating improvements in governance practices as assessed against the scorecard from time to time.
- Startups will be structured across four key stages: inception, progression, growth and going public.
- At the Inception stage, the startups must focus on board formation, setting the tone at the top, compliance monitoring, accounting, finance, external audit, policies for related-party transactions, and conflict resolution mechanisms.
- In the Progression stage, a startup may additionally focus on the expansion of board oversight, monitoring key business metrics, maintaining internal controls, defining a hierarchy of decision-making, and setting up an audit committee.
- For the Growth stage, the startups must also focus on building stakeholder awareness towards the vision, mission, code of conduct, culture, and ethics of an organisation, form board committees, ensure diversity and inclusion on the board and fulfill statutory requirements, according to the Companies Act 2013 and other applicable laws and regulations.
- At the Going Public stage, a startup must expand its governance in terms of monitoring the functioning of various committees, focus on fraud prevention and detection, minimise information asymmetry, plans for succession, and evaluate board performance.
- Valuation: Startups may strive for long-term value creation rather than short-term valuations. The valuations of businesses should be kept as realistic as possible.
- Long Term Goals: The needs of the business entity should be separated from the personal needs of its founder(s), but at the same time, the goals and needs of the founders, promoters, and initial investors should be aligned with the long-term goals of the business.
- Separate Legal Entity: The startup should be maintained as a separate legal entity with the organisation’s assets distinct from the founders’ assets.
