Analysis of The Hindu Editorial 1: A human touch to India’s mineral ecosystem
Introduction:
India’s District Mineral Foundation (DMF) was created in 2015 to make sure the local community gets a share of its mining… In the last ten years DMF has brought positive changes to mining-affected communities and has supported the growth of a better society.
Origins of the DMF:
The DMF was prepared as a result of the judiciary’s intervention on the issue of coal block auctions especially following the CAG report of 2012. The Indian government passed a new law to make the auction compulsory for scoring mining licenses in 2015 along with the formation of DMF. This initiative was intended to promote the participation of people, local communities of more specifically as major stakeholders of resource-based development.
Transformational Impact of DMF:
Established in 2011, the DMF has around ₹ 90,000 crore with it and supported more than 3 lakh developmental projects and 645 districts in 23 states. All these have enhanced people’s welfare and reduced the adverse effects associated with mining, and the PMKKKY has been instrumental in transforming mineral resources into welfare corridors.
Success Stories and Innovations:
DMF has assisted vulnerable groups of people to establish themselves such as the self-help groups for women in Odisha that it has helped transform into self-employed business people. In Madhya Pradesh DMF has also been instrumental in funding Drone technology training to the local talent thereby creating new jobs for them. They fit within and enhancing more extensive national directions, such as the National Critical Minerals Mission or the Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) that seeks to obtain critical minerals and strengthen India’s position on the global playing field.
Governance and Transparency:
DMFs are implemented at the district level with the District Collectors has the overall responsibility of managing and coordinating the utilization of the funds. There is improved transparency through the use of the National DMF Portal as it has transformed the process of DMF. Cooperation with the district administrations has enhanced the socio-economic and human development aspects of the population of the country.
Innovative Practices Across DMFs:
As suited to local problems, DMFs increase participation, and integrate the elected members and the gram sabha. In order to have effective and efficient execution some of the DMFs have formed engineering departments and work hand in hand with the State Public Works Departments. It is ideal for having a three-year strategic planning approach due to the fact that it gives long-term vision and better coordination in implementation.
Integration with Government Schemes:
The engagements of DMFs are aligned with central and state schemes especially in aspirational districts to result to achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Activities include supporting economic gains through plantation, value addition of medicinal herbs and developing the talents of rural marathoners. DMFs represent a ‘one-stop’ shop for various schemes where they retain their greatest potential at the ground level.
Cooperative Federalism and Inclusive Governance:
Hence, DMFs represent an example of cooperative federalism in that they focus on synergizing national goals with problems on the ground with multi-layered functioning across center-state and local governance structures. Hence, we have a good partnership in the provision of governance and delivery of development agendas to embrace all populations in need.
Conclusion:
District Mineral Foundations in India are now considered as best practice models all across the world in terms of managing the resources. The DMFs, therefore, involve the mineral wealth for the achievement of the societal welfare of the people in the hitherto marginalized regions towards realizing sustainable and inclusive development.
Practice Question:
Examine the significance of the DMF in the developmental process of the community particularly in mining affected areas. What changes have the DMF brought to the management of resources in India? Also, point out the threats and opportunities of Cloud Computing implementation. (150 Words/10 marks)
Analysis of The Hindu Editorial 2: Realising the rural-urban continuum
Context:
India is trying to solve problems by dividing them into the rural or urban paradigm, but such an approach is ineffective. Rather, these matters should be viewed as more of a spectrum, since now the rural and urban institutions are crossing paths more and more.
Introduction:
Already India is moving in demographic transformation in terms of urbanization, rural centres are turning into urban and becoming satellite of tier-II and tier-III cities and peripheral towns and sub-urban areas of major metropolis are also in a process of urban transformation. Such an evolution entails a shift in the social perspective that distinguishes between the rural and urban settings but considers them as segments of the same whole.
Current Policy Framework on Funding:
Thus there has been a tendency in the recent years of concentrating the finances to an extent that has jeopardized the financial decentralization of the local bodies. The 13th Finance Commission pointed out that how local bodies are being ‘choked to death’ by tied grants and centrally sponsored schemes. Such funding model hinders the versatility required in managing the needs of both the urban and rural areas at once. For instance, the increase of property taxes should be linked to the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) so as not to let the towns lose the tied money grants.
Flagship Government Initiatives:
Large-scale flagship programmes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) therefore often fail to adopt a rural-urban continuum. For example, while AMRUT was launched for 500 class cities that have grown to 1111 statutory towns but urban villages and census towns are still out of the funding list for basic amenities such as sewage treatment plants.
Even in states like Kerala, where even more than 90% of the state is classified as urban, can still not spend the AMRUT funding. Like the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM 2. 0) aiming at similar objectives of urban and rural waste management but lacks integrated operation in areas where physical boundary between urban and rural is not clearly marked.
Collaborative Waste Management and Governance:Collaborative Waste Management and Governance:
Consequently, integrating the planning of waste management infrastructure in the urban and the peri-urban interface could potentially yield better solutions. Well functioning SWMPs at district or regional levels that take advantage of urban-rural planning cooperation might improve governance and resources’ usage.
Positive governance would improve urban governance through the application of good governance structures of decentralised and autonomous in decision making and development of solutions at the local bodies to suit their needs other than being dictated by the central governments.
Way Forward:
The discussion “Strengthening Governance Models ” is based on the assumption that many of the theoretical models of governance are still immature.
Building stronger institutional foundation of the governance structure under the provisions of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment is therefore the most important step towards realization of rural-urban continuum in the Indian context.
Challenges of fast urban growth can be solved by a process of integrating Zila Panchayats and urban local bodies into District Planning Committees. Kerala has presented a successful model of the states that have planned to abolish zoning of rural and urban local bodies under the same Ministry as it brings cooperation and hence faster and better decision making.
Conclusion:
The growing urban precincts in India has become another area that demands much attention and attention on both physical development and political leadership. The dichotomous model of addressing urban and rural areas in the country has to be changed because the modern regions are interconnected. Innovative thinking that would enable the integration of rural areas and those in urban centers is key in the kind of planning that needs to be done for sustainable development. It becomes necessary to rely on the collaborative governance and financial forms that take into account the continuity in quest for improved resource utilization and more encompassing development.