Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 20 May 2025
Content: Old and unsafe In the wake of crisis, the need for bipartisanship Getting the ‘micropicture’ at the panchayat level Old and unsafe Context: Urban Fire Hazards in Old Cities Historic Core, Modern Risk: Old city areas in Indian metropolises mix history, culture, and commerce. Characterized by narrow lanes, congested spaces, aging buildings. Built before modern fire safety norms – now pose severe fire risks. Case Study – Gulzar Houz, Hyderabad: Fire in an old building near Charminar killed 17 people, including 8 children. The structure had a tunnel-like entrance, only one narrow staircase, and poor ventilation. The victims had no escape once the fire engulfed the narrow passage. Even hours after the fire, heavy smoke lingered inside. Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management) Practice Question : Old urban cores in Indian cities are architectural legacies but disaster traps. Critically examine the fire safety challenges in historic city areas and suggest a multi-stakeholder strategy for risk mitigation.(250 Words) Key Safety Issues Identified Inadequate Infrastructure: Single access or exit point is common – dangerous in emergencies. Old wiring systems unequipped for modern electric loads (e.g., ACs). Courtyards and skylights allow light but hinder airflow and smoke escape. Limited Access for Emergency Services: Some old streets are too narrow for fire trucks. Firefighters often delayed or blocked from reaching the core areas. Suggested Fire Safety Measures Fire Safety Audits: Crucial to identify risks and recommend upgrades. Challenge: vast number of buildings across multiple cities. Community Engagement: Involve residents in awareness, training, and basic fire safety protocols. Promote “volunteer fire champions” in each locality. Infrastructure Upgrades: Increase access/exit points. Upgrade electrical infrastructure to handle modern loads. Policy & Governance: Urban local bodies must mandate and facilitate safety checks. Integrate fire safety in city planning and building by-laws. Conclusion Fire safety in old city neighborhoods requires a combination of government policy, infrastructure investment, and community-driven initiatives. Without proactive steps, the risk of tragedies like Gulzar Houz remains high. In the wake of crisis, the need for bipartisanship Context and Trigger The Pahalgam terrorist attack (April 22, 2025) has exposed the fragility of peace in Jammu & Kashmir. It reignites the urgent need for bipartisan consensus in India’s response to terrorism and national security threats. Relevance : GS 3(Internal Security) Practice Question : National security should be a domain of consensus, not contest. Discuss the importance of bipartisanship in responding to internal security challenges, citing recent examples. (250 Words) Need for Bipartisanship National security must transcend party lines — should not be held hostage by party ideologies. Security decisions should involve: Strategic foresight Coordination across parties Consensus-building, not populism Successful Examples of Bipartisanship India: Kargil War (1999): Bipartisan support from political parties. Surgical Strikes (2016): National consensus in applauding action. UN Geneva (1994): PM Narasimha Rao sent Opposition leader Vajpayee to lead India’s Kashmir defence. Global: 9/11 USA: Bipartisan action to strengthen homeland security. New Zealand (2019): Gun law reforms post-Christchurch attacks passed with cross-party support. Ukraine War (2022): NATO expansion supported by broad political consensus. Current Scenario: Breakdown of Consensus Increasing polarisation between ruling party and Opposition. Loss of mutual respect; adversaries seen as enemies. Social media amplifies divisions, reshaping Overton Window to favour vengeance over dialogue. National security discourse reduced to blame games, bypassing real strategic discussions. Impact of Division Internal political division sends a signal of weakness to external adversaries. Inflammatory rhetoric may offer political mileage, but undermines diplomatic and military unity. No ambiguity should exist in condemning terror or defending national interests. Call for a National Security Doctrine India needs a non-partisan, long-term security framework, insulated from electoral pressures: Counter-terrorism policy Intelligence sharing Strategic deterrence Homeland security and diplomacy Such a doctrine should be: Stable across governments Formulated via cross-party consultation Conclusion: The Imperative of Statesmanship True leadership must prioritise national interest over party politics. Mature, united responses in crisis will uphold India’s global stature. Bipartisanship must not be symbolic — it should translate into coordinated policy and action. Getting the ‘micropicture’ at the panchayat level Context: Evidence-Based Governance in India Evidence-based decision-making is widely promoted but inconsistently practiced. Lack of updated Census data and changes in survey methodologies create data gaps. Despite the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (2012), datasets are often unstructured, overwhelming, and difficult to interpret by local-level users. Data visualisation and analytics tools on platforms like data.gov.in are underdeveloped. Relevance : GS 2(Governance) Practice Question : The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) offers a granular lens to bridge governance gaps at the grassroots. Evaluate the potential and limitations of such data tools in strengthening local self-governance. (250 Words) Challenges at the Grassroots Level Gram Panchayat-level data is often collected only for upward reporting, not for local decision-making. Portals are designed to suit top officials, not local functionaries or elected representatives. Absence of a usable “micropicture” makes localised planning difficult. Importance of the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) PAI Baseline Report 2022-23: Released in April 2025 by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It covers 2.16 lakh Gram Panchayats across 25 States/UTs. Based on 435 local indicators (331 mandatory, 104 optional) aligned to 9 LSDG themes of the National Indicator Framework. Includes 566 data points, making it the most granular dataset for panchayats. Key Features and Strengths of PAI Makes local performance data accessible and interpretable for sarpanches, ward members, and citizens. Constituency-wise report generation helps MPs and MLAs make targeted interventions. Facilitates linking of funds to outcomes (e.g., health status of a panchayat). Concerns and Gaps 11,000+ GPs were excluded due to unvalidated data. Serious concern over Uttar Pradesh, which provided data for only 40% (23,207 out of 57,702 GPs). This raises questions about data readiness and governance quality in lagging states. Impact and Utility of PAI Encourages data-driven gap identification and plugging of service delivery. Can help coordinate efforts across frontline workers, elected representatives, and civil society organisations. Enables the use of funds like CSR, DMF, MPLADS, MLALADS towards targeted SDG outcomes. Role of Institutions and Capacity Building Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-linked institutions (4,000+) can support GPs in interpreting and improving their scores. Need for data analysts at block and district levels to create actionable, localised report cards. Recommendations and Way Forward Expand PAI-like framework to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Publish periodic follow-up reports, not just a one-time baseline. Improve data visualisation tools for stakeholder awareness and action. Treat PAI not as a ranking, but as a call for corrective action and inclusive development.