Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Cyclone Dana, Doli Deaths

(General Studies II – Polity Section – Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure; Separation of Powers between various organs Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions.)

• The 2023 “State of the Judiciary” report shows that 36.3% of district court judges are women, this number sharply decreases to 13.4% in High Courts and 9.3% in the Supreme Court.
• Certain states, including Bihar and Odisha, have minimal female representation in these critical roles, emphasizing systemic and structural barriers.

Key Challenges to Women’s Representation:

1. Structural Barriers
   • Patriarchal System: A male-dominated judiciary fosters an “old boys’ club” mentality, often leaving women isolated from essential professional networks and advancement opportunities.
   • Opaque Recruitment Processes: Collegium system for judicial appointments lacks transparency, with no clear criteria for selection. This opacity has led to biases, often favoring male candidates over qualified female candidates.
2. Environmental Challenges
   • Hostile Work Environment: Women often encounter sexism in the judiciary, facing daily interactions that can undervalue their contributions. This negative atmosphere discourages retention.
   • Inadequate Infrastructure: A 2019 survey by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy revealed that nearly 22% of district courts lack women’s washrooms, creating uncomfortable conditions that deter women from judicial roles.
3. Societal Expectations and Responsibilities
   • Domestic and Family Responsibilities: Traditional gender roles add to the burdens faced by women in balancing professional duties with family responsibilities.
   • Lack of Family-Friendly Policies: Minimal maternity leave, rigid transfer policies, and limited flexibility exacerbate the challenges women face, making sustained career growth in the judiciary difficult.
4. Representation Gaps in Higher Judiciary
   • Low Representation: Only 13% of High Court and 9% of Supreme Court judges are women, which results in fewer role models and mentors for female lawyers.
   • Glass Ceiling Effect: Women often face barriers in rising to leadership positions within the judiciary due to gender biases and lack of support in decision-making roles.

IMPACT OF LACK of REPRESENTATION:

Suggested Solutions:

1. Transparent Recruitment Processes
   • Reforms to the Collegium System: Implementing clear criteria and a transparent process for judicial appointments overseen by a diversified committee that includes women, which could help mitigate bias and make recruitment fairer and more gender-sensitive.
2. Gender-Sensitive Policies
   • Flexible Judicial Service Rules: Judicial Service Rules in many states require ‘continuous’ practice, disadvantaging women who may have career breaks due to family commitments. Revising these rules to accommodate such breaks would expand the pool of eligible women candidates.
   • Supportive Transfer and Promotion Policies: Reforms to make transfer policies more considerate of family obligations and gender-specific challenges would ensure more women remain and progress in their careers within the judiciary.
3. Enhanced Infrastructure and Amenities
   • Basic Facilities: Ensuring dedicated restrooms, crèches, and feeding rooms in court complexes is crucial. Currently, many courts lack these amenities, impacting women’s productivity and work-life balance.
   • Improved Work Environment: A more supportive and inclusive workplace with family-friendly amenities would aid retention. Initiatives such as setting up crèches, as seen in the Delhi High Court, should be expanded to other courts.
4. Gender-Sensitive Training
   • Inclusion of Women in Policy-Making Roles: Female representation on committees for judicial academies, court registries, and infrastructure policy-making should be increased to ensure gender-sensitive planning.
   • Bias-Reduction Training: Training sessions on gender sensitivity and unconscious bias can help address deep-seated prejudices. Regular workshops and mentorship programs can encourage inclusivity within court environments.
5. Promoting Role Models and Mentors
   • Women’s Leadership Programs: High Courts should actively promote more women to senior roles, creating mentors and role models for aspiring female lawyers and judges. These role models play a crucial part in inspiring future generations.

Increasing women’s representation in India’s judiciary is essential to fostering a fair and inclusive judicial system. By focusing on transparent recruitment, better infrastructure, and a more inclusive work environment, India can build a judiciary that not only reflects its population but also enhances the quality and equity of justice delivery.

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson did not attend a meeting with Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sparked debate over the PAC’s authority to summon her.
• Some members viewed skipping the meeting could constitute “contempt” of the legislative body.
• Issues surrounding SEBI are sub judice in the context of recent allegations by Hindenburg Research.
• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) ensures administrative accountability in India’s parliamentary democracy.
• Establishment and Composition: Formed in 1921, PAC has up to 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha), with an Opposition member typically serving as Chair.
• Functions:
• PAC examines government accounts, including appropriations, expenditures, and re-appropriations, to ensure the lawful use of public funds.
• It reviews records of government corporations and projects with guidance from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
• PAC scrutinizes spending for waste and irregularities, calls for accountability in cases of negligence, and facilitates parliamentary regularization of excesses under Article 115.
• CAG audits, regarded as PAC’s “friend, philosopher, and guide,” provide essential insights for PAC’s in-depth reviews.
• The government must report back within six months on actions taken based on the PAC’s recommendations, which the PAC reviews and compiles in an Action Taken Report.
• Since 1982, PAC has mandated Ministries to submit corrective actions for all audit paragraphs, tracking compliance through the Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS) to minimize pending issues.

Dig Deeper: Read about other Financial Committees.

• The severe cyclonic storm Dana began its landfall on the Odisha coast, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, and significant coastal turbulence.
• According to the IMD, Cyclone Dana’s wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.
• The cyclone is predicted to recurve potentially affecting the inland areas further.
• Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) was activated in seven affected districts to maintain mobile connectivity, allowing access across telecom networks.

• Disaster response units were deployed, including NDRF teams.
• A “Cyclonic Storm’ or a “Cyclone” is an intense vortex or a whirl in the atmosphere with very strong winds circulating around it in an anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

Dig Deeper: Read about the structure of Tropical Cyclones and their lifestyle.

• A UN report revealed that greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 grew by 5.2% in China and 6.1% in India, two of the top three emitters.
• Global emissions also rose by 1.3%, putting climate targets under serious threat.
• It warns that the Paris Agreement goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C could be out of reach within a few years, with even the 2°C threshold at risk without immediate action.
• Current climate actions could only achieve a 10% reduction in global emissions by 2030 from 2019 levels, far short of the required 42% reduction.

• To keep the 1.5°C target feasible, global emissions must decrease by 57% by 2035.
• Updated national climate action plans, due next year, need to be significantly more ambitious to meet these targets.
• The report emphasizes a major increase in investment, estimating that emissions can be reduced by 31 billion tonnes by 2030 at a cost of $200 per ton of CO2 equivalent, which would be sufficient to meet the 1.5°C target.
• Countries are set to meet in Baku to discuss scaling up financial resources for climate action, which is critical to bridging the emissions gap.
• Climate activists highlight the urgent need for reduced fossil fuel emissions, warning that inaction could result in irreversible climate impacts.

Dig Deeper: Read about India’s efforts to curb emissions in India.

• The Andhra Pradesh Home Minister announced that the government will improve road connectivity to remote villages in Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district to address the issue of “doli deaths.”
• The tribal community organized the ‘doli yatra’ to demand proper road connectivity to hilltop villages.
• Due to a lack of roads, around 300 members of the Kondh tribe struggle to access healthcare, often transporting sick or pregnant individuals in makeshift dolis over long distances.
• In 2020, villagers built a road using pooled resources, but it was destroyed by rains, exacerbating their transport issues.
• Kondh Tribe:
• Historically, they were hunter-gatherers.
• The Kondhs primarily speak Kui, a Dravidian language, and use the Odia script for writing.
• They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) across eight states, among PVTGs in Andhra Pradesh.
• They follow a clan-based system with strong community bonds and traditional village governance.
• Practising animism, the Kondhs have a profound connection to nature and forest deities, though many also observe Hindu rituals.

Dig Deeper: Read about other Particularly Vulnerable Tribes of Andhra Pradesh.