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

Editorial 1 : The New Reading and Writing

Context: AI Literacy in India

 

Literacy in India: Historical Context

• India’s literacy rate surged from 12% in 1947 to more than 75% today, driving economic mobility and innovation.
• Literacy is framed as a foundational lever for societal progress, tied to productivity, competitiveness, and human capital.

 

AI: The New Literacy

• AI literacy is positioned as the 21st-century equivalent of reading/writing, critical for shaping the future.
• Unlike past industrial-era skills, AI literacy is essential for navigating workplaces, education, finance, and governance.

 

Literacy vs AI Literacy

• Traditional literacy
  1. Enabled economic mobility
  2. Focused on reading and writing
  3. Required universal education campaigns
  4. It was a necessity of the industrial-era.
• AI Literacy
  1. It is critical for future competitiveness
  2. It demands human-AI collaboration, critical awareness, and problem-solving.
  3. It requires nationwide, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
  4. It is an imperative of the AI-era.

 

Challenges and Opportunities

• Challenges
  1. Narrow Focus: India’s current AI skilling is industry-centric, limited to IT-sector crash courses.
  2. Access Gaps: Rural-urban, public-private divides in education and infrastructure.
  3. Ethical Concerns: Risks of bias, fairness, and misuse in AI decision-making.
• Opportunities
  1. Demographic Dividend: Young population offers a talent pool for AI-driven innovation.
  2. Global Leadership: Potential to shift from service provider to innovator (e.g. generative AI breakthroughs).
  3. Economic Growth: AI could add $1 trillion to India’s economy by 2035 (NASSCOM estimate).

 

Way Forward: 5-pillar national initiative for AI literacy

• National K-12 AI Curriculum: Integrate AI into school education for all students (urban/rural, public/private).
• Experiential AI Learning: Create AI maker labs and tinkering spaces for hands-on innovation.
• Future of Work Preparedness: Reskill workforce for automation and evolving job markets. Emphasize data literacy.
• Inclusive AI Literacy: Develop culturally sensitive micro-courses for non-technical professions and rural communities.
• National AI Literacy Platform: Unite governments, businesses, educators, and civil society to drive mission.

 

Critical Perspectives

• Beyond Coding
  1. AI literacy is not equal to programming. Focus should be on problem-solving, systems thinking, and ethical critique.
  2. Analogy: Literacy isn’t about turning everyone into novelists; AI literacy isn’t about making everyone AI engineers.
• Ethical Imperatives: Need for critical AI awareness to address bias, transparency, and accountability.
• Equity Concerns: There is a risk of exacerbating inequality if AI access is limited to urban/elite groups.

 

Conclusion: AI literacy is non-negotiable for India’s global competitiveness, innovation, and societal equity. Policymakers, industry and civil society must team up to transform India from an AI consumer to a global AI architect, leveraging its demographic and entrepreneurial strengths.

 

Editorial 2 : A Middle Path for the Judiciary

 

Context: NJAC and Collegium System

 

Introduction: Current Developments

Alleged recovery of burnt cash at a Delhi High Court judge’s residence reignited debates over judicial accountability and transparency. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar criticized the judiciary’s rejection of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) in 2015, calling it a blow to parliamentary sovereignty.

 

Historical Context of Judicial Appointments

• Constitutional Provisions
  1. Article 124 (SC Judges): Empowers the President to appoint judges after consultation with SC/HC judges and the CJI.
  2. Article 217 (HC Judges): Similar process for high court appointments.
  3. First-Judges Case (1981): Supreme Court ruled consultation did not mean concurrence, leaving final authority with the President.
• Evolution of the Collegium System
  1. Second-Judges Case (1993 Judgment): SC overturned 1981 ruling, asserting the CJI’s opinion is binding on the President. Introduced a 3-judge collegium for appointments.
  2. Third-Judges Case (1998 Expansion): Collegium expanded to 5 members (CJI + 4 senior-most SC judges).
  3. Criticisms: Lack of transparency, accountability, and potential for nepotism.

 

NJAC Act (2014-15)

• 6-Member Body: National Judicial Appointment Commission
  1. 3 judges (CJI + 2 senior SC judges)
  2. Union Law Minister
  3. 2 eminent persons selected by a committee (CJI, PM, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha)
• Objective: To replace the collegium system with a more inclusive mechanism.

 

Legal Challenge: 2015 Supreme Court Ruling

• 4:1 Majority: Struck down NJAC as unconstitutional, citing violation of the basic structure doctrine (judicial independence).
• Key Argument: Inclusion of non-judicial members risked executive interference.
• Dissenting Opinion (Justice Chelameswar): Collegium lacks transparency and NJAC could prevent incestuous accommodations.

 

Constituent Assembly Debates

• Divergent Views
  1. Executive Control: Some members favoured presidential/executive authority.
  2. Judicial Primacy: Others advocated for judiciary-led appointments.
• Dr. Ambedkar’s Middle Path
  1. Critique of Judicial Primacy: Warned against vesting unchecked power in the CJI, citing human fallibility.
  2. Compromise Proposal: Advocated for a balanced system blending executive and judicial inputs.

 

Current Stalemate and Way Forward

• Persistent Issues
  1. Judicial-Executive Tensions: Frequent disagreements over appointments.
  2. Accountability Concerns: Recent controversies highlight risks of opacity in the collegium system.
• Revisiting the NJAC
  1. Parliamentary Sovereignty: VP Dhankhar and others argue NJAC respects legislative intent.
  2. Dr. Ambedkar’s Vision: NJAC aligns with the "middle course" by balancing judicial independence and executive oversight.

 

Conclusion: NJAC could reconcile judicial independence with democratic accountability, echoing Ambedkar’s caution against concentrating power. Both judiciary and executive must collaborate to design a transparent, inclusive mechanism that upholds constitutional values.