29 January 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis
1. The Budget pipeline and India’s foreign policy ambitions
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)
Context |
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Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Budget and Its Importance
- The MEA budget plays a crucial role in shaping India’s foreign policy and global ambitions.
- Despite a significant 23% increase in 2023-24, the MEA remains one of the least-funded ministries, with just 0.4% of India’s total budget allocation.
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs had recommended increasing this to 1%, but even a gradual rise to 0.6% or 0.8% would show commitment.
India’s Global Aspirations and the Need for a Stronger MEA
- India’s vision of becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047 depends on strong global partnerships.
- The country is positioning itself as a leader of the Global South and strengthening ties with ASEAN, the Quad (India, Australia, Japan, U.S.), and global institutions like the International Solar Alliance.
- Partner countries expect India to deliver on infrastructure projects, financial support, and diplomatic commitments, which requires a well-funded and efficient MEA.
Key Areas Requiring Increased Funding |
Economic and Regional Cooperation
Strengthening Institutional Capacity
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Foreign Aid Trends and Strategic Shifts
- India’s foreign aid decreased by 10% in 2024-25, but loans to other governments increased by 29%.
- Nearly 50% of India’s grants go to neighboring countries.
- Key changes in aid distribution:
- Bhutan remains the largest aid recipient, reflecting strong ties and cooperation in energy and hydropower projects.
- Bangladesh’s aid declined from ₹200 crore in 2023-24 to ₹120 crore in 2024-25.
- Sri Lanka’s aid increased by 63%, signaling growing bilateral cooperation.
- India is shifting from direct grants to Lines of Credit (LoCs), with 45% of these directed towards neighboring countries.
- Bangladesh is the largest LoC recipient, receiving $7.86 billion for infrastructure development.
Challenges in Research and Policy Support
- India has invested heavily in global dialogues and conferences but needs to fund evidence-based research in universities and think tanks.
- Budget cuts affected academic institutions:
- Nalanda University’s budget decreased by 20%.
- South Asian University’s budget decreased by 22%.
- While foreign missions and cultural diplomacy funding grew by 7%, it remains insufficient to support India’s expanding global role.
Need for Declassification and Digitisation of Records
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted that India’s formal diplomatic efforts (Track 1) are far ahead of academic and research-based diplomacy (Track 2).
- To bridge this gap, the MEA should allocate resources to declassify and digitize historical diplomatic records.
- Providing public e-access to these records would:
- Help scholars study India’s foreign policy evolution.
- Challenge misconceptions and better inform policymakers.
- Improve decision-making by learning from past successes and failures.
Conclusion
- The MEA’s budget is crucial for India’s global role, but current allocations are insufficient.
- Strengthening diplomatic capacity, increasing regional cooperation funding, and supporting research are essential.
- Strategic shifts in aid distribution and a focus on infrastructure financing require better oversight and resource management.
- Declassifying historical records will enrich foreign policy research and aid India’s long-term diplomatic strategy.
Practice Question: India’s Ministry of External Affairs plays a vital role in advancing global partnerships. Discuss the challenges posed by its limited budget and suggest measures to enhance its effectiveness. (250 Words /15 marks) |
2. Substantive equality in child marriage laws
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)
Topic: GS2 – Social Justice |
Context |
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Annulment of Child Marriage under PCMA, 2006
- The Allahabad High Court annulled a marriage in Sanjay Chaudhary v. Guddan (2024) where the couple married at ages 12 and nine.
- The male petitioner initially sought divorce at 20 years, 10 months, and 28 days but later amended his plea for annulment under Section 3 of the PCMA, 2006.
- Section 3 of PCMA allows either party in a child marriage to seek annulment within two years of attaining majority.
Gender-Based Differences in Age Limits for Annulment
- According to PCMA, a girl is a child if below 18 years, and a boy if below 21 years.
- The Majority Act, 1875, defines the age of majority as 18 years for both genders.
- This discrepancy raises the question of whether males can seek annulment until 23 years or only until 20 years of age.
Differing Judicial Interpretations
- Madras High Court’s View (2011):
- In T. Sivakumar v. The Inspector of Police, the court allowed males to annul marriages until 23 years.
- This interpretation aimed to prevent disadvantages for males married at 20.
- Allahabad High Court’s View (2024):
- The court ruled that males above 18 cannot claim ignorance of the law.
- It emphasized that both genders should follow the same annulment age limit for equality.
- Highlighted that differences in marriage age stem from patriarchal notions expecting men to be older and financially responsible.
Supreme Court Observations and Limitations
- The Allahabad High Court followed the Supreme Court’s observation in Independent Thought v. Union of India (2017), allowing annulment petitions for males up to 23 years.
- However, the Supreme Court’s observation was not based on a detailed analysis of annulment provisions.
- This results in an unfair disadvantage for women, undermining the PCMA’s goal of protecting women.
Need for Uniform Age of Marriage
- The current law gives men more time to exit child marriages, disproportionately impacting women.
- A uniform marriage age of 18 years for all genders would align with other civil rights like voting and contracts.
Concerns with Raising the Marriage Age to 21
- Raising the marriage age could harm rights like decisional autonomy, privacy, and liberty, especially for women aged 18-21.
- A 2024 study revealed:
- 49.4% of marriages under PCMA were self-initiated.
- Families often filed complaints, especially in cases of self-initiated marriages.
- Increasing the marriage age could lead to:
- More arrests, family breakdowns, and institutionalization of young people.
- Overburdening the criminal justice system.
Conclusion
- Instead of raising the marriage age, measures like access to free education until 18, better health services, and comprehensive sexuality education can improve maternal health outcomes and gender equality.
- There is a need to re-examine time limits for annulment and address injustices in women’s access to annulment petitions.
Practice Question: Examine the gender-based differences in Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. Discuss the implications of a uniform age of marriage. (250 Words /15 marks) |
For more such UPSC related Current Affairs, Check Out –28 January 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis