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India needs comprehensive sexuality education

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Why in the news?

Recently, a man and his son were booked under the POCSO Act for sexually abusing a five-year-old girl for over six months. 

  • National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB): It has reported that 51,863 cases were reported under the POCSO Act in 2021, of which 64% were of sexual assault.

 

Problems due to lack of proper sex education:

  1. The first sex for a majority of young people in India is unprotected and is forced, especially for a sizeable proportion of young women (between 15 and 24 years).
  2. Increased cases of sexual abuse.
    • Ministry of Women and Child Development, reported that >53% of children in 13 states reported one or more forms of sexual abuse.
  3. India has the 3rd highest number of people living with HIV in the world.

 

How to prevent child abuse cases?

  1. Comprehensive sexuality education becomes a mandate.
  1. As per UN: Comprehensive sexuality education is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality.

 

 

  1. UN Population Fund (UNFPA) states that, “the right of access to comprehensive sexuality education is grounded in fundamental human rights and is a means to empower young people to protect their health, well-being and dignity”.
  2. India’s education system has skipped the adoption of such a system claiming that it ‘sexualises children’ or they violate “Indian values”.
  • Traditional values are often shaped by patriarchal and hierarchical social structures.
  • Mass media often tend to propagate such values.
  1. The comprehensive sexuality education should start from the age of five along with formal education.
  2. It shall include teaching young children about their-
    • Bodies
    • Emotions
    • Basic principles of Consent
    • How to deal with violence, bullying or abuse.
    • Inclusion of POCSO act, not simply related to legalities but holistic understanding.
  1. Understanding sexual consent becomes imperative
  1. Recently the Supreme court highlighted the frequent criminalisation of consensual adolescent relationships and asked govt. to consider reducing the age of consent.
  2. Understanding consent is vital to learn about not only about violation and abuse but also to maintain healthy relationships. 
  3. Discussions about consensual sexual relationship have been traditionally absent in Indian context.
  4. Creation of vocabulary in regional languages to enable discussions on the concept of sexual consent and its nuances is urgently required.
  1. Impart sexuality education to parents and caregivers, besides children
  2. Capacity-building of teachers is critical as the curriculum requires non-intuitive participatory pedagogies.
    • Teachers may lack the knowledge to talk about diverse topics with the existing programmes to have informed educators.
    • Better teaching methodologies
    • They would require skills to engage and mobilise parents.
    • Need of aids and tools such as games, quizzes, videos, and other communication material to deal effectively with such issues.
  3. Setting up health clubs in schools and colleges:
    • It enables students to access information and other health services.

 

Why Comprehensive sexuality education becomes imperative?

  1. It shall enable young people to be better informed of their rights and sexuality and maintain healthy relationships in the future, while mere concept of abstinence will not serve the purpose.
  2. It can also mitigate issues like health problems, sexual and gender-based violence, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases, among others.
  3. Students who receive sexuality education in school have a reduced risk of venereal diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and abortions.
  4. There seems to be a positive correlation between receiving sexuality education and the use of contraceptives, knowledge, motivation and skills.

In India, the responsibility of sexuality education lies with the State governments which has to develop creative curriculums within the framework suggested by the UNFPA to end child abuses cases in India.

 

Addressing the Challenges of Sex Education in India

1. Comprehensive Curriculum:
   - Develop a standardized and age-appropriate sex education curriculum that covers topics like anatomy, reproduction, contraceptives, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), consent, and relationships.
   - The curriculum should be sensitive to the cultural and religious diversity of India while ensuring scientific accuracy.

2. Teacher Training:
   - Conduct training programs for teachers to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach sex education effectively.
   - Emphasize the importance of creating a safe and non-judgmental classroom environment where students can ask questions and seek guidance.

3. Parental Involvement:
   - Encourage parents to engage in conversations about sex and relationships with their children.
   - Provide resources and workshops for parents to improve their understanding of the importance of sex education and how to approach it.

4. Public Awareness Campaigns:
   - Launch nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of sex education and dispel common myths and misconceptions.
   - Use various media platforms to reach a wide audience, including television, radio, social media, and community outreach programs.

5. Accessible Information:
   - Make accurate and age-appropriate sexual consent materials readily available in schools, libraries, and online platforms.
   - Ensure that information is accessible in multiple languages and formats to cater to the diverse population.

6. Addressing Taboos and Stigma:
   - Challenge cultural taboos and stigmas associated with discussing sex and sexuality openly.
   - Promote acceptance and understanding of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

7. Collaboration with NGOs and Healthcare Providers:
   - Collaborate with Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare providers to supplement formal sex education with counseling and health services.
   - Provide access to confidential counseling for students who may have questions or concerns.

8. Periodic Assessment:
   - Continuously evaluate and update sex education programs to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
   - Collect feedback from students, parents, and teachers to make necessary improvements.

9. Policy Support:
   - Advocate for comprehensive sex education policies at the state and national levels.
   - Ensure that sex education is integrated into the broader school curriculum.

10. Cultural Sensitivity:
   - Recognize the importance of respecting cultural and religious beliefs while delivering sex education.
   - Develop strategies to strike a balance between cultural sensitivity and the need for accurate information.

 

Conclusion:
Solving the problem of sex education in India requires a concerted effort from government bodies, educators, parents, and civil society organizations. It is essential to approach this issue with sensitivity, cultural awareness, and a commitment to providing accurate information that empowers young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health and relationships. A well-implemented sex education program can contribute to a healthier, safer, and more informed society in India.

Source URL: India needs comprehensive sexuality education

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Years Questions

Question: Discuss the role of comprehensive sex education in addressing social and health-related issues in contemporary society.(2020)

Answer: Comprehensive sex education plays a vital role in providing knowledge and awareness about sexual health, relationships, and responsible behavior. It helps reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and promotes healthy relationships.

Question: What are the challenges in implementing effective sex education programs in schools in India, and how can these challenges be addressed?(2018)

Answer: The challenges in implementing sex education programs include cultural taboos, lack of standardized curriculum, and resistance from conservative groups. To address these challenges, a well-structured, age-appropriate, and evidence-based curriculum, along with community engagement and teacher training, can be crucial.

Question: Explain the importance of imparting gender-sensitive education in schools. How can gender stereotypes and biases be minimized in educational settings?(2017)

Answer: Gender-sensitive education is crucial for promoting gender equality. To minimize gender stereotypes and biases, schools should adopt inclusive teaching materials, encourage discussions on gender issues, and provide training to teachers in recognizing and addressing bias.

Question: Discuss the role of education in creating awareness about reproductive health and family planning. How can education contribute to reducing population growth in India?(2016)

Answer: Education is instrumental in creating awareness about reproductive health and family planning methods. It can contribute to reducing population growth by empowering individuals to make informed choices about family size and spacing, leading to lower birth rates.

Leveraging air power is critical to India’s big power ambitions

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The Indian air force has been looked upon as a mere support service, adjunct to the service-specific operational strategies of the continental and maritime domains, thus portraying India as a surface-centric security force.

 

Key advantages offered by Air force:

  1. Creating a unique hard power deterrence over the South China Sea.
  2. Ensuring maritime and aerial freedom in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) for all.
  3. Enabling aerial access to strategically located air bases amongst friendly countries in the region.
  4. Display soft power by providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. 
  5. Provides rapid air mobility and deterrence through posturing.

 

Why Leveraging air power becomes critical:

  1. The China factor:

    1. China is mobilising its Air force to implement its coercive foreign policy and revisionist strategies as evident in Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas
    2. China has deployed air power infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region after recognition of India’s asymmetric air power advantage during the Depsang and Galwan crises.
    3. Given the growing capabilities of the PLA’s air force, increased deployment of Indian air power for political signalling and coercion in air spaces in disputed areas becomes a necessity.
    4. While China has direct access provided by CPEC route to the Arabian Sea through the Gwadar port and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor which opens into the Bay of Bengal at Yangon and Kyaukpyu, it can access the IOR and also strategically sandwich India’s eastern and western coasts.
    5. Only India has the strategic advantage of dominating the airspaces over these vital maritime spaces with its land-based air power capabilities. 
  2. Strategic necessity at the IOR:
    1. Indian ocean serves as the lifeline of India’s trade, commerce and security imperatives.
    2. IOR is indispensable to the stability of the region and uphold the principle of “freedom of navigation”.
    3. Leveraging air forces along with other military powers shall enable to offer a wider basket of strategic responses and options.

 

Steps taken to unleash the potential of Indian Air force:

  1. Revised doctrine of Indian Air Force:
    1. It refers to air power as aerospace power and also emphasised that defensive and offensive counter-operations are “inextricably linked”.
    2. It highlighted the use of air power as part of a joint military strategy involving the two other forces.
    3. Shaping operations through air diplomacy, air force-to-air force engagements for training and cooperation, and demonstration of aerospace power capabilities in the NWNP (No-war, No-peace) environment.
  2. A deal to procure 26 maritime versions of the Rafale combat aircraft has been approved. It underscores two aspects,
    1. The critical role of air power in the maritime domain
    2. Enhancement of interoperability between land-based air power of the IAF and carrier-based air power of the Navy.
  3. International recognition of the IAF’s professional capabilities
    1. 7 air exercises were participated by India this year with the air forces of the US, France, Japan, UK, Greece and the UAE.
    2. A 12-nation mega air exercise has been planned in October-November. 

 

National security is no longer equated with only land and maritime domains and is slowly transitioning towards a future-focused, multi-domain security approach which has been marked by participation of the Indian Air Force in international exercises with key strategic players.

Source URL: Leveraging India’s air power: A force to reckon with

Aditya L1 Mission

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Why in the News?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its spacecraft Aditya-L1 to study the Sun, on September 2,2023.

 

What is the Aditya-L1 mission?

      1. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will carry the 1,475-kg spacecraft to an elliptical orbit around the Earth.
      2. The spacecraft will travel 1.5 million km from the Earth to the Lagrange 1 or L1 point between the Earth and the Sun in a period of 4 months.
      3. The distance travelled will be nearly four times as that of the Chandrayaan missions, but just 1% of the 150 million km between the Earth and the Sun.
      4. The spacecraft will carry 7 scientific payloads, which will be more than two times lighter than the one to the Moon.
      5. The orbit as well as the velocity of the spacecraft around the Earth will be increased progressively till it is slingshot towards the Sun.
      6. The spacecraft will then be inserted into a halo orbit around the L1 point and collects the data for 5 years

 

What is the L1 point?

  1. There are five Lagrange points, L1 to L5, between any two celestial bodies.

 

 

  1. These points can act as parking spots in space where the gravitational pull of the celestial objects equals the centripetal force required to keep a satellite in orbit. 
  2. Thus, satellites placed at Lagrange points do not need to expend a lot of fuel to remain in position.
  3. Lagrange 1 places the spacecraft at a point beyond the Moon between the Earth and the Sun and hence, an unobstructed view of the Sun even during phenomena like an eclipse can be viewed.
  4. The payloads will be able to look directly at the Sun i.e., look directly into the source of coronal mass ejection.

 

What are the science objectives of Aditya-L1?

 

  1. To obtain a deeper understanding of our closest star and how its radiation, heat, flow of particles, and magnetic fields affects the earth.
  2. To study the upper atmospheric layers of the Sun called chromosphere and corona and the expulsion of plasma and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejection (CME)
  3. To study the drivers of the space weather.
  4. To find reasons for a million degree C temperature of corona of the sun compared to its surface temperature of about 5,500-degree C.
  5. To understand the reasons behind acceleration of particles on the Sun, which leads to solar winds.

 

Payloads of Aditya L1 mission:

  1. Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VLEC)- the main payload
    1. Designed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics
    2. To study the solar corona from the lowermost part upwards.
    3. It can image the solar corona down to 1.05 times the solar radius, the closest any such payload has imaged.
  2. The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
    1. It will capture the UV image of the solar photosphere and chromosphere.
    2. It will help study the variation in light energy emitted.
  3. The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) 
  4. High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) to study X-ray flares.
  5. The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
  6.  Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) to study the solar wind and energetic ions.

 

Source URL: ISRO’s Aditya-L1 to be launched on September 2: With feet on the Moon, the space agency eyes the Sun

MSP Hike and related concerns

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Why in the News?

Central Govt. ministries and departments recently casted apprehensions to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare’s proposal to hike the minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops in the 2023-24 season.

 

MSP hike:

  1. The cabinet approved the increase in MSP ranging from 6% to 10% as per the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Cost & Prices (CACP).
  2. This MSP hike was in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the cost of production.
  3. It was intended to increase or provide reasonably fair remuneration for farmers.

 

Concerns regarding the MSP hike?