Safely managed drinking water services, as desired by Jal Jeevan Mission, are designated to ensure maximum benefits cutting across generations. Discuss. Also, elaborate upon the challenges faced in ensuring success. (15 marks, 250 words)

Jal Jeevan Mission of Ministry of Jal Shakthi aims at ensuring functional house tap connection in every household by 2024.

Multifarious benefits:

(i) Economic: Better productivity with water connection in homes; Reduce out of pocket expenditure on health; pocket expenditure purposes on health

(ii) Social: Hardship faced by women to draw water by walking; Health issues like knee reduced.

(iii) Sanitation: Synergies with Swachh Bharat Mission to make Indian Water availability; Open Defecation Free; ensure better human resource functioning (CSDAG)

Challenges in ensuring success:

(i) Lack of piped water networks in rural areas.

(ii) Ambition > Funding.

(iii) Bureaucratic red tapism.

(iv) Ineffective usage of resources: Siphoning, corruptions, etc.

(v) Topography issues in hilly areas, etc.

(vi) Excessive exploitation of groundwater, unsustainable

way forward: Adequate funding and functionality; support to ministry; Hard are size fit all; implementation of programme

safe drinking water access is fundamental right under Art 21 of Constitution and Jal Jeevan Mission can help achieve it

SC/ST(POA) Act, 1989 was created with the purpose of ensuring that cases against SC/ST are dealt with in effective manner although NCRB report of 66% rise in crimes against them highlights challenges.

Advantages:

(i) Cognizable and non-bailable offence.

(ii) Responsibility on civil servants to ensure that provisions of act followed (BWM Sain Case)

(iii) Provisions of act to be followed in strict manner.

(C Ashoke Kumar Pandey case)

Mere legal document:

(A) Lack of sensitization of public functionaries

(i) On ground, police officials still don't register cases under SC/ST(POA).

(ii) Subhash Kashinath Mahajan case diluted the act by providing for anticipatory bail and arrest only after prima-facie investigation

(iii) Behavioural attitude of police officials towards SC/ST poor (Q71: see them as untouchables)

(B) Civil society sensitization X

(i) Crimes against SC/ST continue to rise.

to rise.

(ii) Lack of support and trust in SC/ST populace. (By only 10%: enterprise even with 16.6% population of SCs.

(iii) Equitable development on ground only possible with attitudinal change.

way forward: Dilution of Act be reversed; Sensitivity training of officials; Attitudinal change in CSO by social proofing (Shiv Nadar, etc.).

SC/ST form 25% of our population and isolated/apartheid approach towards them would under our path to Audit-Kal by 2047!