Content:

1. Old and unsafe
2. In the wake of crisis, the need for bipartisanship
3. 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.