Daily Newspaper Notes: March 9, 2026

Women’s Participation In STEM In India

School Education and Foundational Access

• India has achieved a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 1.0 at the foundational, preparatory and middle stages, and 1.1 at the secondary level.
• This indicates that girls’ participation equals or exceeds that of boys in several school stages.
• Dropout rates have declined across most school levels, reflecting improved student retention.
• Initiatives introducing early skilling and Atal Tinkering Labs provide students exposure to emerging technologies and practical learning, strengthening early STEM engagement.

Expansion of Higher Education

• India’s higher education system has expanded significantly in institutional capacity and enrolment.
• Number of institutions increased from 51,534 to over 60,000 since 2014–15.
• Total enrolment rose from 3.42 crore to 4.46 crore.
• Female enrolment increased from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore during the same period.
• Female Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) improved from 22.9 to 30.2.

Women in STEM Education

• Women account for 43% of total STEM enrolment in higher education, one of the highest proportions globally.
• According to the Research and Development Statistics Report 2023, women constitute 18.6% of the national R&D workforce.
• Policy intervention through supernumerary seats for women in IITs and NITs increased women’s share from less than 10% a decade ago to more than 20% in recent years.

Women in Research and Doctoral Studies

• Postgraduate enrolment increased from 19.8 lakh (2014–15) to 32 lakh (2022–23).
• Doctoral enrolment rose from around 47,000 to more than 1.12 lakh, reflecting over 135% growth.
• Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) has supported over 3,500 scholars, including 35% women, with plans to support 10,000 fellowships over five years.
• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation aims to expand India’s research ecosystem.

Policy Support for Women in STEM

• The Union Budget 2026 announced safe and affordable hostel facilities for girls in every district to enable pursuit of STEM education.
• Additional government programmes encourage girls and women to build careers in science and research.
  Women and the Viksit Bharat Vision
• Increasing participation of women in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and data science is expected to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem.
• Women’s expanding role in STEM is positioned as a key component of India’s development trajectory towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

West Asia Conflict And Risks To India’s Energy Security And Economy

India’s Dependence on Imported Energy

• India imported 88.6% of its crude oil requirement during April–January FY26.
• Nearly 46.9% of crude imports came from West Asia.
• Total crude imports during the period reached 206.3 million tonnes (mt).
• OPEC countries accounted for 50.1% of India’s crude imports, highlighting the region’s importance.
• India sources roughly 59% of its LNG imports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
• Imports constitute about two-thirds of India’s LPG consumption, with 85–90% of supply from West Asia.

External Sector and Fiscal Risks

• A prolonged conflict may:
  • Widen the current account deficit (CAD)
  • Increase pressure on the rupee
  • Raise fiscal costs linked to energy management
• The government indicated that fiscal reprioritisation may be required for both the Centre and states.
• The review emphasised policy stability in taxation to maintain foreign direct investment amid global uncertainty.
• It also called for periodic stress-testing of the balance of payments under global shock scenarios.

External Trade and Economic Strategy

• India’s external sector remains stable despite global uncertainty.
• Ongoing trade initiatives include:
  • India–EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations
  • India–US Interim Trade Arrangement
  • India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
• Measures to improve trade logistics and export competitiveness aim to diversify export markets and strengthen external resilience.

One Nation, One Election (ONOE): Constitutional And Governance Concerns

Rationale Behind the ONOE Proposal

Supporters argue that synchronised elections would:

• Reduce election expenditure for governments and political parties.
• Limit prolonged deployment of security forces during elections.
• Reduce governance disruptions caused by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
• Prevent political parties from remaining in continuous campaign mode.

Constitutional Amendment Proposal for ONOE

The proposal is based on recommendations of the High-Level Committee (2023–24) chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, reflected in the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Key Provisions

• Introduction of Article 82A, allowing the President to notify an “appointed date” aligning State Assembly tenures with the Lok Sabha cycle.
• Assemblies formed after this date may have their tenure curtailed to achieve synchronisation.
• Introduction of “unexpired-term elections”, where a legislature elected after premature dissolution serves only the remaining term of the previous House.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) may recommend deferral of State elections if simultaneous conduct is impracticable.
• Amendments proposed to Articles 83, 172, and 327.

Parliamentary System and Legislative Accountability

• India adopted a parliamentary system, where governments remain in office only while they enjoy legislative confidence.
• Articles 75 and 164 establish collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature.
• Articles 83 and 172 specify only the maximum tenure of five years, not a guaranteed term.
• Early dissolution allows voters to renew mandates when confidence collapses.
• ONOE may shift the system toward a quasi-presidential model, potentially weakening legislative accountability.

Federalism Concerns

• In S.R. Bommai vs Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court recognised federalism as part of the Constitution’s basic structure.
• States possess independent constitutional identities and may have different electoral cycles.
• Under ONOE, State Assembly mandates could be truncated purely to align with national elections.
• This may undermine the autonomy of States within the federal structure.

Issues with “Unexpired-Term” Elections

• The proposal for residual-term legislatures raises several concerns:
• Democratic Representation: Elections producing shortened mandates may reduce the value of electoral participation and risk voter apathy.
• Governance and Policy Continuity: Governments with truncated terms may lack incentives for long-term structural reforms, encouraging short-term populism.
• Administrative Uncertainty: The amendment does not specify the minimum duration of an unexpired term triggering elections, potentially creating a governance vacuum.

Constitutional and Institutional Implications

• Deferring State elections could prolong President’s Rule, raising concerns regarding Article 356(5) limits.
• At the Union level, delayed elections could leave a caretaker government in office, affecting parliamentary functioning under Article 85.
• Budgetary operations could be limited to Vote on Account (Article 116) rather than a full Budget under Articles 112–117.

Discretionary Powers of the Election Commission

• Article 82A(5) empowers the ECI to recommend deferral of State elections without clear criteria, time limits, or parliamentary oversight.
• This may create a zone of unguided discretion in electoral scheduling.

Fiscal Argument and Election Costs

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee estimated combined Lok Sabha and State Assembly election expenditure at about ₹4,500 crore (2015–16).
• This represents roughly 0.25% of the Union Budget and 0.03% of GDP.
• Historical Lok Sabha election costs ranged between 0.02%–0.05% of GDP (1957–2014).
• Elections conducted in phases allow rotation of EVMs, VVPATs, and security forces, reducing logistical requirements.

Urban Local Body Finances And The 16th Finance Commission

Economic Importance of Cities

• Urban centres generate around 67% of India’s GDP.
• Approximately 90% of total government revenue originates from urban areas.
• Despite this economic contribution, fiscal transfers to cities remain limited.

Fiscal Transfers to Urban Local Bodies

15th Finance Commission

• ULBs received ₹1.2–1.3 lakh crore over five years.
• During this period, India’s GDP was around ₹200–210 lakh crore.
• Transfers to cities amounted to approximately 0.12–0.13% of GDP.

16th Finance Commission

• ULBs are to receive ₹3.56 lakh crore between 2026–2031.
• This equals roughly ₹75,000 crore annually.
• With India’s GDP projected at around ₹400 lakh crore, the transfer ratio remains roughly 0.13% of GDP, indicating little change.

Demographic Pressure on Urban Finances

• Urban population expected to reach about 41% by 2031.
• India’s urban population: Around 470 million in 2020; Expected to approach or exceed 600 million during the 2026–30 FC cycle.
• When grants are distributed across a larger population base, per capita transfers stagnate or decline in real terms.

Utilisation of Local Body Grants

• Under the 15th Finance Commission, total grants to local bodies were around ₹4.36 lakh crore.
• ₹90,000–95,000 crore remained unspent or pending utilisation, including ₹30,000–35,000 crore for urban local bodies.

Tied Grants and Fiscal Autonomy

• Tied grants are funds earmarked for specific sectors such as: Water supply, Sanitation, Wastewater management
• Such grants restrict fiscal autonomy because funds must be spent only on designated sectors.

Performance-Based Grants under the 16th FC

• Grants are linked to performance conditions, including:
  • Improving fiscal discipline
  • Conducting regular local body elections
  • Publishing provisional and audited accounts publicly
  • Constituting State Finance Commissions

• 20% of the funds are linked to additional conditions; failure to meet them leads to loss of that share.
• Own Source Revenue (OSR) Requirement
• Cities are expected to increase revenue through property taxes and user charges.
• The benchmark set is ₹1,200 per household through such revenues.

Also Read | Sixteenth Finance Commission And India’s Fiscal Federal Framework

Federal Concerns and Urban Governance

• The 16th FC proposes ₹10,000 crore as a one-time incentive for the peri-urban merger of urban villages with populations above one lakh.
• Urban development is constitutionally a State subject, raising concerns about federal intervention in local governance.
• Merging rural areas into urban agglomerations may create administrative and civic complications in some States.

Issues Related to Cess Revenues and Climate Focus

• The Commission pays limited attention to climate change issues in urban governance.
• Cess collections retained by the Centre amount to around 2.2% of GDP (approximately ₹18.8 lakh crore) and remain outside the divisible pool.
• Much of this revenue originates from urban economic activity but does not appear as own source revenue for cities.