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

Editorial 1: RTE and minority schools

Context:

Two judges SC bench recently held that the previous judgment in Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs. Union of India (2014) was doubtful. In this case, SC had held that minority educational institutions established under Article 30 (1) is exempt from the provision of Right of Children to free and compulsory education Act, 2009(RTE Act)

TET case judgment:

• Two judges bench is hearing the case on whether TET should be made mandatory for teachers in minority institutions. It also included the question whether   the non-minority in-service teachers who were appointed before RTE case into force, must pass the TET to be eligible for promotion or continue in the service.
• TET is the minimum qualification mandatory for teaching students from class 1 to 8.
• Bench has ruled that for non-minority schools, Teachers who have remaining period of service less than 5 years need not pass TET. However they need to pass it to be eligible for promotion. For those with period of service greater than 5 years, they need to pass TET mandatorily.
• For minority institutions, it referred the matter to the larger bench.

Criticism of Pramati ruling:

• Bench held this ruling as “disproportionate” because it struck down the application of entire RTE Act, mere based on the analysis of Section 12 (1) c. This section mandates all the school to reserve 25% of all the seats in class 1 for the students belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
• This exemption created a sweeping conflict between Article 30 (1) which enables minorities to establish and administer their educational institutes, and article 21A which guarantees every child free education. Thus, exempting minority institutions from the RTE hampers the statutory benefits that flow from the fundamental right to free education.
• The bench held that Pramati judgment must be revisited to create a harmonious interpretation, so that rights under Article 30 (1) and 21 A must co-exist mutually.

Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs. Union of India (2014) Case:

• The case involved the validity of 86^thConstitutional Amendment Act, 2002 and 93^rd constitutional amendment act, 2005 which introduced fundamental rights under Article21 A and 15 (5) respectively.
• Under Article 21A education was made the fundamental right. Article 15 (5) allows the state to make special provisions for backward classes,, SCs, STs ,educational institutes including aided and unaided schools except the minority educational details.
• This judgment upheld the validity of both these amendments. It also ruled that it is considered as unconstitutional insofar as its application in minority institution under article 30 (1).
• It upheld that the minority character of these institutions must be protected. Application of RTE will destroy this lead to ‘abrogation’ of their fundamental right to “examine and establish institution of their choice” under article 30(1).
• The mandatory reservation of 25% seats of these institutes to admit children belonging to weaker and disadvantaged groups in neighborhood need not be of minority community. This may destroy its minority character.

RTE act:

• It guarantees free and compulsory education or children from 6 to 14 years of age. It also proposed that aided institution may provide free seats proportionate to the aid received by them.
• Private unaided schools are required to reserve 25% of seats for the children belonging to disadvantaged   groups which will be refunded by the government.
• It also prescribes minimum pupil-teacher ratio, trained teachers, and infrastructure, bans corporal punishment and mandates all schools to promote free reduction.
• It is child- centric and not institution-centric. Right of children as an individual is greater than collective right of the group to run the institution. Thus, there was no need of exempting minority institutions from RTE.

Reasons for referring it to bigger branch:

• According to report by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights stated that only 8.7% children belong to disadvantaged group in minority community, and 62.5% of students belong to non-minority institution.
• This indicates that they are not serving as “minority institutes” and using these exemptions  for motivated benefits.
• Many private groups and minority groups complained that mandatory 25% quota infringed on their rights and the law was challenged in court.
• In 2014, SC granted exemption to minority institution from RTE. It claimed that it may change their minority status.
• Following this judgment, many institutes sought minority status, some merely with token minority management to escape RTE compliance. They did not admit poor children from their own community and continued as elite institutes.

Way Forward:

Every child has right to life and dignity under article 21. Dignity means access to basic human needs including education. Our constitutional makers enshrined the free education as part of DPSP. Children right to free education is necessary to take benefit of demographic   dividend India possesses. Also lifting this ban will help the disadvantage child from his community.

 

Editorial 2: Signing the future, chip by chip

Context:

Recently Semicon India 2025 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks the series of Initiative which India has taken from Digital India, United Payment Interface (UPI), and Semiconductor Mission.  Today India has become a competitive hub of semiconductors integrating the supply chains.

Importance of Semiconductor in current scenario:

• Earlier computer used massive vacuum tubes. They used to look like the old telephone exchange. Today, a small chip contains billions of transistors and it may perform many complex functions.
• Nation must focus on the sectors crucial for its growth. For India, these foundational sectors include steel, power, telecom, chemicals, and transport. Steel is the base for building public infrastructure such as bridges, railways.
• Similarly semiconductors are required in variety of sectors. These chips are used in mobile phones, cars, medical equipments, defense system, power grids, and artificial intelligence.
• Without chips, there can be no modern communication, no renewable energy systems, no secure defense etc.
• Country that depends on other countries for semiconductor supply risks becoming dependent even for basic needs such as healthcare, security. Achieving self-reliance in its production act as the key driver for its economic growth.
• During Covid pandemic, global chips supply was hindered. This has ill effects for other sectors such as auto making, consumer electronics.
• Presently chip making n concentrated in few regions of world. They now became crucial in Geopolitics.
• Rare earth metals used in these chips are majorly found in China. This unilateral control over these elements has become the matter of contention among major powers.
• Demand for semiconductors is expected to rise in near future.

Semiconductor Industry in India:

• Today India has 65 crore Smartphone users and electronics industry worth Rs.12 lakh crores annually. We are also building AI-based systems, data centers, and electric vehicles. These sunrise sectors need semiconductor chips. India must become an important part of the global supply chain of semiconductors.
• Under Semiconductor Mission, 10 semiconductor plants have been granted approval. It can be said with confidence that by the end of this year, first “Made in India” chip will be out. Pilot production has already started in Sanand. Four more plants are to be operational at the end of this year.
• Many giants such as Applied Materials, Lam Research are investing in these production units. These investments are made under the ecosystem-approach for long—term growth of this industry.
• Factors responsible for it success are-global cooperation, strong government support. Today, India has more than 20% of the global design workforce. India is ready to fulfill the shortage in workforce supply.
• More than 60000 users in start-ups and institutions are using world-class Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools which are open access tools provided by Government of India.
• Many start-ups have been successful in these sectors and they are nurtured under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme. Mindgrove Technologies is developing IoT chips built on indigenously developed SHAKTI processor by IIT Madras.
• Semiconductor Laboratory in India is being modernized to support the innovative ideas of Youth. This will help them in applying their theoretical knowledge. College students from 17 institutes have already built 20 chips.
• Global giants are also investing in building strong workforce in India. Lam Research has trained 60,000 engineers. Many such companies are also tying with IITs, IISC to ensure lab-to-fab workforce. India is also collaborating with US, EU, Japan, to build its future workforce. This domestic and global cooperation will increase its manufacturing capacity.
• India has started with Digital India which built the digital public infrastructure in India. It has then focuses don India Stack, UPI, Aadhar, and telecom networks have increased technology penetration. Electronic equipment manufacturing was also given boost.
• Now the focus is on developing ecosystem for semiconductor manufacturing.

Way Forward:

India has started Semicon India Summit 2025, which has seen the participation of 48 countries, 5000 companies. With the investments increasing, foreign collaborations, trained workforce and policy support, India will emerge as competitive hub for the entire semiconductor chain. This will also support other sectors such as mobile phones, data centers, and consumer electronics.