What to Read in Indian Express Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1 : We Owe This to the Youth

Context: Graft in education ecosystem must be curbed. We owe it to the youth.

 

Introduction: High-ranking officials, including vice-chancellors, NAAC officials, and professors, were arrested for bribery linked to institutional rankings. This erodes trust in accreditation systems despite past reforms aimed at eliminating corruption.

 

Past Reforms

• Digitization Efforts
  1. Transparency Measures: Full digitization of accreditation processes (application submission, deficiency reporting, approvals). Reduced human interaction and expert visits (online data updates prioritized).
  2. Outcome: Improved institutional credibility but recent lapses highlight vulnerabilities.
• AICTE and National Board of Accreditation (NBA) Reforms
  1. Pre-Reform Challenges
     • Systemic corruption due to discretionary powers, lack of transparency, and impunity.
     • Exploitation of weak due processes by institutions.
  2. Post-Reform Changes
     • E-governance systems with checks and balances.
     • Staff restructuring (deputation replacements, transfers of permanent staff).
     • Result: Enhanced credibility of AICTE and NBA, though challenges persist.

 

Systemic Challenges

• Root Causes of Corruption
  1. Regulatory Vulnerabilities
     • Monopolistic powers and conflicting incentives in accreditation bodies.
     • High stakes for institutions. They raise the fees based on better rankings and hence, they will do whatever it takes.
  2. Cultural Factors
     • Normalization of corruption as friendly favours or minor misbehaviour.
     • Lack of institutional values among stakeholders.
• Financial Pressures
  1. Rankings translate to hundreds of crores in revenue during admissions.
  2. Institutes incentivized to manipulate rankings at any cost.

 

Proposed Solutions

• Structural Reforms
  1. Binary Accreditation (NAAC Proposal)
     • It simplifies rankings into accredited or not accredited.
     • Drawback: Risks oversimplifying quality assessment.
  2. Technology Integration
     • Mandatory use of DigiLocker for real-time document verification.
     • Third-party audits and legacy data cross-checks to flag discrepancies.
• Cultural & Collective Action
  1. Angel Gurría’s Perspective (OECD)
     • Integrity and anti-corruption must be ingrained as cultural values.
     • Emphasis on collective action over individual efforts.
• Accountability Measures
  1. Regulatory heads and vice-chancellors must model ethical behaviour.
  2. Transparent governance should be non-negotiable.

 

Way Forward: Recommendations

• Strengthen Digital Safeguards: Expand DigiLocker mandates and real-time data verification.
• Revisit Accreditation Metrics: Balance binary systems with nuanced quality indicators.
• Promote Ethical Leadership: Train regulators and institute heads in transparency frameworks.
• Public Awareness: Highlight the societal costs of corruption to build accountability.

 

Conclusion: Keeping the education system free of controversy is a critical pre-requisite for catering to the needs of an aspirational society. The costs of corruption are paid by the taxpayer. The costs of corruption in the education system are paid by the country’s youth.

 

Editorial 2 : Don’t Go It Alone

 

Context: Rather than withdraw from WTO, India should strengthen trade multilateralism.

 

Introduction: Indian farmers demand that India should exit the World Trade Organisation (WTO). They believe WTO rules hinder their ability to secure a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP).

 

WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and MSP Challenges

• Under the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), MSP is categorised as a trade-distorting subsidy.
• Rationale: If countries are permitted to provide such subsidies to their farmers, it would give them an unfair advantage in the global market, rendering agricultural products from other countries uncompetitive.
• Therefore, trade-distorting subsidies like MSP are subject to specific limits.
• The AoA has significant imbalances. The external reference price (ERP) — an average price established based on the base years of 1986-88 against which MSP is compared to determine trade-distorting subsidies — has not been revised in decades.
  1. Consequently, the gap between the MSP and the fixed ERP has widened dramatically due to inflation.
• India has been negotiating diligently at the WTO to rectify this issue but without success.

 

Existing Policy Flexibility Within WTO Framework

• Peace Clause Utilization
  1. It allows India to exceed subsidy limits for rice and wheat without legal challenges.
  2. Limitations: Applies only to food security programs, not all crops.
• Alternative Support Mechanisms: Income Support Schemes
  1. PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi: Provides ₹6,000/year to farmers; classified as non-trade-distorting.
  2. The Budget did not enhance such schemes.

 

Consequences of Exiting the WTO

• Loss of Trade Benefits
  1. National Treatment: Indian exports could face discrimination in foreign markets.
  2. Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) Status: Loss would require renegotiating bilateral FTAs, which can be:
     • Complex and Costly: Higher bureaucratic and compliance burdens.
     • Unfavourable Terms: Developed countries often impose stricter conditions in FTAs.
• Dispute Resolution Void
  1. WTO’s Dispute Settlement Mechanism provides a structured, rules-based system (e.g. India’s successful cases against the US/EU).
  2. Current Crisis: Appellate Body non-operational but still more effective than FTA-based diplomacy.

 

WTO’s Broader Role and Global Context

• Beyond Agriculture
  1. Multilateral Trade Governance: Ensures non-discriminatory access to global markets for goods/services.
  2. Strategic Importance for India: Critical for a developing economy reliant on exports (e.g. IT, pharmaceuticals).
• Geopolitical Imperatives
  1. US-China Rivalry: A weakened WTO enables unilateralism (e.g. US tariffs on China).
  2. India’s Stake: Strengthening multilateralism curbs protectionism and safeguards developing nations.

 

Way Forward: Recommendations

• Policy Reforms Within WTO
  1. Revise ERP: Lobby for inflation-adjusted reference prices.
  2. Leverage Peace Clause: Expand coverage to more crops.
• Domestic Measures
  1. Boost Income Support: Enhance schemes like PM-Kisan to reduce reliance on MSP.
  2. Farmer Engagement: Educate stakeholders on WTO’s benefits and collaborative reform strategies.
• Strategic WTO Engagement
  1. Strengthen Multilateralism: Advocate for appellate body revival and dispute resolution reforms.
  2. Counter Protectionism: Collaborate with developing nations to uphold fair trade practices.

 

Conclusion: Trade multilateralism, the principle that the WTO represents is the best bet for developing countries like India. It is essential to communicate clearly with farmers and involve them in this process, as they are key stakeholders.