GS Paper I and II

News Excerpt

Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, described the legacy of colonial laws as highly burdensome and called for countries of the Global South to come together for better future prospects.

About:

• Recently, the conference was organized by the National Legal Services Authority of India together with the International Legal Foundation, the UNDP, and UNICEF, presenting a unique opportunity for Global South countries.
• This was the first regional conference of nearly 70 countries of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, held in New Delhi.
• Aim: To forge a collective path towards ensuring access to justice for all, a basic human right that has long been the cornerstone of equitable and just societies.
• The theme: “Ensuring Access to Quality Legal Aid for the Vulnerable: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global South”.
• As the Global South embarks on its journey towards a brighter future, it is imperative to shed the shackles of its colonial past and strive together to reverse the historical wrongs that have perpetuated injustice and inequality.

India’s efforts in Global South:

India has consistently stood as a torchbearer and a crusader for the rights and aspirations of all nations, particularly the young and newly independent countries of the Global South in the following manner:

• Foreign Policy: India's civilizational ethos, deeply rooted in the concept of 'VasudhaivaKutumbakam,' has shaped its foreign policy and its interactions with the Global South.
  • Non-Alignment Movement (NMA): India's leadership and its unwavering demand for reforms in the United Nations Security Council played an instrumental role in the recent inclusion of the African Union in the G20.
• G20 Presidency: India contributed $25 million to the Social Impact Fund to support the implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure in countries of the Global South. The Voice of Global South summits hosted by India also stand as powerful testaments to India's spinal commitment to the cause of the Global South.
• Establishing Infrastructural presence: The International Monetary Fund has reckoned India as a favorite global distributor of Investment and Opportunities. World Bank appreciated India’s digital moment to be emulated by others.
  • India’s digital transactions were four times the combined transactions of the US, UK, France, and Germany.
• Judicial Updation: The Government of India brought a game-changing policy by making the Supreme Court virtually available to everyone in the country in virtual mode.

Significance of this initiative:

• Access to legal aids and services: We stand at a critical juncture in the pursuit of justice for all. Undoubtedly access to legal aid and the justice system is quintessential to nurturing and blossoming of fundamental human values and fostering equitable societies. The evolution of such an ecosystem will nurture global order and the welfare of humanity. 
• Increase in growth trajectory: When this ethos will be translated into a ground reality it will be impacting the entire world wholesomely. The rise of the global south would constitute, the greatest stabilizing force for the world and it will generate a growth trajectory for the world. 
• Harbor the distance: This will provide access to the justice system, and denial of legal aid offers an existential challenge to the vulnerable and weaker sections to neutralize the challenges by affirmative policies.

Mains PYQ

Q. “If the last few decades were of Asia’s growth story, the next few are expected to be of Africa’s.” In light of this statement, examine India’s influence in Africa in recent years. (UPSC 2021)

Q. Explain intra-generational and inter-generational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable development. (UPSC 2020)