Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project Tiger
Mains level: Tiger conservation
India’s tiger population has reached a new high at 2,367.
Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:
- The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of: (CSP 2017)
(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
(d) Security of National Highways
Q.Consider the following protected areas: (CSP 2012)
- Bandipur
- Bhitarkanika
- Manas
- Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
All India Tiger Estimation
- The tiger count is prepared after every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides details on the number of tigers in the 18 tiger reign states with 50 tiger reserves.
- However, this time, the census also included data collected from the rough terrains of north-eastern states which were not possible due to logistic constraints before.
- The entire exercise spanned over four years is considered to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage and intensity of sampling.
- Over 15, 000 cameras were installed at various strategic points to capture the movement of tigers. This was supported by extensive data collected by field personnel and satellite mapping.
Details of the report
- India has 70% of the world’s tigers, says the report.
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
- Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population and all other States saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.
Implementing CATS frameworks
- India had embarked upon assessing management interventions through the globally developed Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework.
- This framework will now be extended to all fifty tiger reserves across the country.
Back2Basics: Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
- The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
- Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Underthrusting, TTSZ
Mains level: Himalayan Orogeny
Earthquake prone zones in India:
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Global coalition of democracies
In the recent speed Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, floated the idea of an ‘alliance of democracies’. This article discusses its implications for India.
Two propositions on China
- The US Secretary of State laid out two propositions.
- One is that nearly five decades of US engagement with China have arrived at a dead-end.
- Second is that the US can’t address the China challenge alone and called for collective action.
- He mused on whether “it’s time for a new grouping of like-minded nations, a new alliance of democracies.”
How it matters for India?
- Both the propositions signal the breakdown of the relationship between the world’s two most important powers.
- They also reflect on the need to create new frameworks to cope with emerging global challenges.
- China, is a large neighbour of India and America, is India’s most important partner makes the new context rather different from the Cold War.
Concerns for India in the propositions
- Many in Delhi would like to know if the current direction of China policy will endure if Joe Biden wins the presidential election in November.
- India must pay close attention to the unfolding China debate in the US.
- India also note the structural changes in American engagement with China over the last two decades.
- Delhi will certainly avoid calling the group proposed by US Secretary of State an “alliance”.
- India would rather have it described as a “coalition of democracies”.
Idea of ‘Coalition of democracies’
- Over the last many years, India has become comfortable with the idea of a political partnership with the world’s leading democracies.
- India also supported past US initiatives like-Clinton Administrations “Community of Democracies”, Bush Administrations democracy promotion fund at the UN.
- Delhi has also welcomed President Trump’s initiative to convene an expanded gathering of the G-7 leaders.
- The idea of democracies working together has an enduring appeal for the US.
- India figures in this American vision is relatively new. So is Delhi’s readiness to reciprocate.
Consider the question “In the ongoing geopolitical situation the U.S. has proposed the idea of ‘alliance of democracies’. Where does India feature in this vision and what are the implications of it for India.”
Conclusion
Constructing a global coalition of democracies will take much work and quite some time. But engaging with that initiative, amidst the rise and assertion of China, should open a whole range of new possibilities for Indian foreign and security policies.
Original article:
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/us-india-democracy-china-cold-war-global-economy-6526409/
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Food security and healthy diet
- The “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” was recently released.
About the report
- It is published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other UN agencies including the WHO.
- The report estimated that 820 million people worldwide did not have enough to eat in 2018, up from 811 million in the previous year.
- At the same time, the number of overweight individuals and obesity continue to increase in all regions.
Highlights of the report
- The number of people going hungry has risen for the third year running to more than 820 million. After decades of decline, food insecurity began to increase in 2015.
- Africa and Asia account for more than nine out of ten of the world’s stunted children, at 39.5% and 54.9% respectively.
- However at the same time, obesity and excess weight are both on the rise in all regions, with school-age children and adults affected particularly.
India scenario
- The number of obese adults in India has risen by a fourth in four years, from 24.1 million in 2012 to 32.8 million in 2016.
- While India’s undernourished population has dropped by roughly the same fraction in 12 years, from 253.9 million in 2004-06 to 194.4 million in 2016-18.
Compared with China
- The report has a section on economic growth in China and India, and its effect on poverty.
- Between 1990 and 2017, the two countries had an average GDP per capita growth rate of 8.6 per cent and 4.5 per cent respectively, the report said, citing World Bank.
- In both countries, the increase in GDP per capita has been accompanied by poverty reduction.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- India's declining soft power in the neighbourhood
The article examines the issue of declining political capital in India’s neighbourhood and the factors responsible for this.
India’s standing in neighbourhood: Past
- Not long ago, India was seen as a natural rising power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region.
- It was the de facto leader of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
- It has historical and cultural ties with Nepal.
- It enjoyed traditional goodwill and influence in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
- It had made investments worth billions of dollars in Afghanistan and cultivated vibrant ties with the post-Taliban stakeholders in Kabul.
- It had committed itself to multilateralism and the Central Asian connectivity project, with Iran being its gateway.
- It was competing and cooperating with China at the same time.
India’s relations in with the neighbourhood: Present
- India is perhaps facing its gravest national security crisis in 20 years, with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- SAARC is defunct.
- Nepal has turned hostile having adopted a new map and revived border disputes with India.
- Sri Lanka has tilted towards China.
- Bangladesh is clearly miffed at the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
- When Afghanistan is undergoing a major transition, India is out of the multi-party talks.
- Iran has inaugurated a railway link project connecting the Chabahar port, on the Gulf of Oman, to Zahedan.
What are the factors responsible for this?
When we dig deep, three problems can be found which are more or less linked to this decline.
1) Alignment with US
- As India started moving away from non-alignment, there has been a steady erosion in India’s strategic autonomy.
- India’s official policy is that it is committed to multilateralism.
- When India started deepening its partnership with the United States, New Delhi began steadily aligning its policies with U.S. interests.
- The case of Iran is the best example.
- India’s deepening defence and military ties with the U.S. probably altered Beijing’s assessment of India.
- One of the reasons for the shift could be Beijing’s assessment that India has already become a de facto ally of the U.S.
- The forceful altering of the status quo on the border is a risky message as much to New Delhi as it is to Washington.
2) Domestic politics
- The passing of the CAA is regionalisation of the domestic problems of the countries in India’s neighbourhood.
- Bangladesh took offence at the CAA and the National Register of Citizens, there were anti-India protests even in Afghanistan.
- CAA also drove new wedges between India and the countries that had a Muslim majority and were friendly to India in the neighbourhood.
- The abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was another such move.
- But it damaged India’s reputation as a responsible democratic power and gave propaganda weapons to Pakistan.
- The change of status quo in Jammu and Kashmir, could be another factor that prompted the Chinese to move aggressively towards the border in Ladakh.
3) Misplaced confidence
- Great powers wait to establish their standing before declaring that they have arrived.
- China bided its time for four decades before it started taking on the mighty U.S.
- India should learn from at least these modern examples.
- If it did, it would not have used high-handedness in Nepal during the country’s constitutional crisis and caused a traditional and civilisational ally to turn hostile.
- The updated political map which India released in November rubbed salt into the wound on the Nepal border.
Consider the question “India’s standing in its neighbourhood has been on the decline for some time now. Examine the factors responsible for this.”
Conclusion
To address the current crises, India has to reconsider its foreign policy trajectory. It does not lack resources to claim what is its due in global politics. What it lacks is strategic depth.
Original article:
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/needed-a-map-for-indias-foreign-policy/article32206877.ece
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Governor’s Discretionary Powers
Mains level: State legislature issues
Rajasthan Governor returning the fresh proposal by the state Cabinet – seeking to convene a session of the Assembly has raised fresh legal questions on the powers of the Governor.
Try this question for mains:
Q. “Time and again, the courts have spoken out against the Governor acting in the capacity of an all-pervading super-constitutional authority.” Analyse.
Who has the powers to summon the House?
- It is the Governor acting on the aid and advice of the cabinet.
- Article 174 of the Constitution gives the Governor the power to summon from time to time “the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit…”
- However, the phrase “as he thinks fit” is read as per Article 163 of the Constitution which says that the Governor acts on the aid and advice of the cabinet.
- Article 163(1) essentially limits any discretionary power of the Governor only to cases where the Constitution expressly specifies that the Governor must act on his own and apply an independent mind.
What has the Supreme Court said in the past about the Governor’s power to summon the House?
- It is settled law that the Governor cannot refuse the request of the Cabinet to call for a sitting of the House for legislative purposes or for the chief minister to prove his majority.
- In fact, on numerous occasions, including in the 2016 Uttarakhand case, the court has clarified that when the majority of the ruling party is in question, a floor test must be conducted at the earliest available opportunity.
- In 2016, the Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker expressly said that the power to summon the House is not solely vested in the Governor.
What did the SC say in the Arunachal case?
- Referring to discussions in the Constituent Assembly, the court noted that the framers of the Constitution expressly and consciously left out vesting powers to summon or dissolve the House solely with the Governor.
- It said that the powers of the Governor were substantially altered to indicate that the framers did not want to give Governors the discretion.
- The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House, only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers (CoM) with the Chief Minister as the head and not at his own, said the Court.
When can a Governor use his discretion?
- Article 163(1) of the Constitution says that “there shall be a CoM with the CM at the head to aid and advice the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except some conditions for discretion.
- However, in the 2016 case, the apex court has defined the circumstances if the aid and advice of CoM are binding on the Governor.
- When the chief minister has lost the support of the House and his strength is debatable, then the Governor need not wait for the advice of the CoM to hold a floor test.
Novel situations are created these days
- Generally, when doubts are cast on the chief minister that he has lost the majority, the opposition and the Governor would rally for a floor test.
- The ruling party may attempt to stall the process to buy time and keep its flock together.
- In a puzzling situation, in Rajasthan’s case, despite requests from CM, the Governor has returned requests to call for a session.
- However, in the current case, the rebel MLAs have not defected from their party but have repeatedly stated before the Rajasthan HC that they are merely expressing their dissent within the party.
Back2Basics: Governor’s Discretionary Powers
The governor can use his/her discretionary powers:
- When no party gets a clear majority, the governor has the discretion to choose a candidate for the chief minister who will put together a majority coalition as soon as possible.
- He can impose president’s rule.
- He submits reports on his own to the president or on the direction of the president regarding the affairs of the state.
- He can withhold his assent to a bill and send it to the president for his approval.
- During emergency rule per Article 353, he can override the advice of the council of ministers if specifically permitted by the president.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Interplanetary Contamination
Mains level: Interplanetary Contamination
As ambitious space missions are proliferating, along with advances in commercial space flight, astrobiologists have expressed concerns about possible ‘interplanetary contamination’.
A statements based question can be expected from the two types of interplanetary contamination.
What is Interplanetary Contamination?
- Interplanetary contamination refers to biological contamination of a planetary body by a space probe or spacecraft, either deliberate or unintentional.
- There are two types of interplanetary contamination:
- Forward contamination is the transfer of life and other forms of contamination from Earth to another celestial body.
- Back contamination is the introduction of extraterrestrial organisms and other forms of contamination into Earth’s biosphere. It also covers infection of humans and human habitats in space and on other celestial bodies by extraterrestrial organisms, if such habitats exist.
- The main focus is on microbial life and on potentially invasive species.
- Non-biological forms of contamination have also been considered, including contamination of sensitive deposits (such as lunar polar ice deposits) of scientific interest.
Are there any mechanisms to prevent such contaminations?
- Current space missions are governed by the Outer Space Treaty and the COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) guidelines for planetary protection.
- Forward contamination is prevented primarily by sterilizing the spacecraft.
- According to NASA, the guidelines have had far-reaching implications on human spacecraft design, operational procedures, and overall mission structure.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GFRA
Mains level: Forest conservation in India
India has ranked third among the top 10 countries that have gained in forest areas in the last decade a/c to the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA).
Possible prelim question:
Q.The Global Forest Resources Assessment Report recently seen in news is published by-
a) UN-FAO
b) UN Forum on Forests
c) International Union of Forest Research Organizations
d) None of these
India gains in forest cover
- The top 10 countries that have recorded the maximum average annual net gains in a forest area during 2010-2020 are China, Australia, India, Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the US, France, Italy and Romania.
- India accounts for two per cent of total global forest area.
- Globally, 12.5 million people were employed in the forestry sector. Out of this, India accounted for 6.23 million, or nearly 50 per cent.
Global prospects
- The Asian continent reported the highest net gain in a forest area in 2010-2020, according to the report.
- It recorded a 1.17 million hectares (ha) per year net increase in forests in the last decade.
- However, the South Asia sub-region reported net forest losses during 1990-2020.
- But, this decline would have been much higher without the net gain in India’s forest during this period, according to FRA 2020.
How did India gain?
- The FRA 2020 has credited the government’s Joint Forest Management programme for the significant increase in community-managed forest areas in the Asian continent.
- The forest area managed by local, tribal and indigenous communities in India increased from zero in 1990 to about 25 million ha in 2015, the assessment said.
- India has been taking up massive afforestation and plantation schemes.
About Global Forest Resources Assessment
- The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) reports on the status and trends of the world’s forest resources.
- It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
- It reports the extent of the world’s forest area as well as other variables, including land tenure and access rights, sustainable forest management (SFM), forest conservation, and sustainable use.
Back2Basics: Defining forests as per FRA
- The definition excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems, such as fruit tree plantations, oil palm plantations, olive orchards, and agroforestry systems when crops are grown under tree cover.
The FAO definition of a forest includes:
- land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 per cent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ
- does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: KRCNet
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has planned to develop a World-Class Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet).
Note the salient features of the KRCNet. UPSC may puzzle you asking which of these is/are not a feature of KRCNet.
KRCNet Portal
- KRCs will be connected with each other and integrated into the KRCNet portal.
- It will be a single point entry to the intellectual world of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- The resources and services of the MoES system will be accessible 24X7 through a one-point dynamic, updated and integrated on this portal.
Salient features of the KRCNet:
- Establish a Total Quality Management (TQM) system by securing ISO certification for documenting MoES knowledge resources, its maintenance, easy retrieval and dissemination.
- Collect, collate, analyze, index, store and disseminate the intellectual resources, products and project outputs available in MoES headquarter and its institutes.
- Develop and maintain an up-to-date meta-data of the print & digital resources available in MoES headquarter and MoES institutes, including MoES services.
- Provide 24X7 accesses to the subscribed knowledge contents through the KRCNet portal.
- Application of information-analytical tools & techniques like bibliometrics, scientometrics, big-data analytics, social media analytics etc., for policy formulation, report preparation and information dissemination.
- Periodically organize training workshops to popularize the usage of electronic journals, databases, digital products, data analytics etc.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SWAMIH Fund
Mains level: Housing for all
Union Minister for Finance has informed that so far Rs 8767 crore has been approved for 81 projects under Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I.
Try this MCQ:
Q.The SWAMIH Fund recently seen in news is related to:
(a) Higher Education (b) MSMEs (c) Housing (d) Highways
SWAMIH Fund
- In November 2019, the Finance Minister had cleared a proposal to set up a ‘Special Window’ called SWAMIH in to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stalled housing projects.
- SWAMIH Investment Fund has been formed to complete the construction of stalled, brownfield, RERA registered residential developments that are in the affordable housing / mid-income category.
- The Sponsor of the Fund is the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India on behalf of the Government of India.
- The fund is set up as a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with SEBI and would be professionally run.
Why need such funds?
- Several real estate projects have suffered due to a combined effect of two changes in the real estate sector.
- On one hand, incremental launches and slow sales have increased unsold inventory in each project.
- While the effect has then got compounded by the fact that consumer preference is now towards completed projects rather than under-construction projects.
- This preference has developed as consumers are largely avoiding taking project completion risk and instead are more inclined to completed projects.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IndSAT
Mains level: Study in India Program
The Ministry of HRD conducted the first-ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (IND-SAT) Test 2020 under its ‘Study in India’ programme.
Try this MCQ:
Q.The INDSAT recently seen in news is a:
a) Free-to-air educational TV channels for school education
b) A satellite for educational purposes
c) IMD weather forecasting system
d) Online examination for foreign students in India
INDSAT Exam
- The Indian Scholastic Assessment or IND-SAT is a standardized online proctored test for students seeking scholarships with Study in India (SII).
- This exam is to gauge the capability and tenacity of students applying to study in India.
- The scores will serve as a criterion to shortlist the meritorious students for the allocation of scholarships for undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes under ‘Study in India’ programme.
- The exam is conducted in the proctored internet mode by the National Testing Agency.
What makes it special?
- Nearly five thousand candidates from Nepal, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Mauritius appeared for the exam.
About Study in India
- The Study in India is a programme of MHRD under which foreign students come to study in 116 select higher education institutions in India for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
- The selection of the students is based on their merit in class 12 / school-leaving exam.
- About top 2000 students are given scholarships, while some others are given fee discounts by the institutions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much.
Mains level: Paper 2-Pandemic and SDGs
Context
- As lockdown eases, return to business as usual is unimaginable in Asia and Pacific which was already off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Efforts to respond to the pandemic have revealed how many people in our societies live precariously close to poverty and hunger.
Progress towards SDGs in pandemic
- The SDGs can serve as a beacon in these turbulent times.
- SDGs are a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, globally, by 2030.
- The pandemic has exposed fragility and systemic gaps in many key systems.
- Countries have used workable strategies during pandemic to accelerate progress related to development goals and strengthen resilience.
- Countries have taken steps to extend universal health care systems and strengthen social protection systems.
- Accurate and regular data have been key to such efforts.
- Innovating to help the most disadvantaged access financing and small and medium-sized enterprise credits have also been vital.
- Several countries have taken comprehensive approaches to various forms of discrimination, particularly related to gender and gender-based violence.
- Partnerships with the private sector and financing institutions, have played a critical role in fostering creative solutions.
Focus on green recovery in Asia-Pacific countries
- Countries in Asia and the Pacific are developing ambitious new strategies for green recovery and inclusive approaches to development.
- South Korea recently announced a New Deal based on two central pillars: digitisation and decarbonisation.
- Many countries in the Pacific are focusing on “blue recovery,” which promote more sustainable approaches to fisheries management.
- India recently announced operating the largest solar power plant in the region.
- China is creating more jobs in the renewable energy sector than in fossil fuel industries.
Suggestions for policymaking
- We need a revolution in policy mindset and practice- following are part of the transformations needed.
- 1) Inclusive and accountable governance systems.
- 2) Adaptive institutions with resilience to future shocks.
- 3) Universal social protection and health insurance.
- 4) Stronger digital infrastructure.
Consider the question “Pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our systems. But it also emphasised the need to strive to achieve the SDGs. Comment.”
Conclusion
With the onslaught of pandemic disrupting us, we should base our recovery and progress trajectory firmly towards achieving SDGs.
Back2Basics: SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals and India
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
- The 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities.
- The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.
- The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices now to improve life, in a sustainable way, for future generations.
- They provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the world at large.
The SDGs are an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite us together to make a positive change for both people and planet. “Poverty eradication is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, and so is the commitment to leave no-one behind,” UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said. “The Agenda offers a unique opportunity to put the whole world on a more prosperous and sustainable development path. In many ways, it reflects what UNDP was created for.”
The Goals
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Contempt of court
Mains level: Paper 2- Contempt of court and issues
The article discusses the issues that law for contempt of the court give rise to. The practice has monarchical origins. Its continuance conflicts with the ideals of democracy.
Objective
- The objective for contempt is stated to be to safeguard the interests of the public if the authority of the Court is denigrated and public confidence in the administration of justice is weakened or eroded.
- Need to “respect the authority and dignity of the court” has monarchical origins.
Issues in India
- With adjudicatory role having been handed over to judges, showing extreme deference to judges does not sit well with the idea of a democracy.
- But the definition of criminal contempt in India is extremely wide, and can be easily invoked.
- Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer famously termed the law of contempt as having a vague and wandering jurisdiction, contempt law may unwittingly trample upon civil liberties.
- Criminal contempt is completely asynchronous with our democratic system which recognises freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental right.
- Excessively loose use of the test of ‘loss of public confidence’, combined with a liberal exercise of suo motu powers, can be dangerous.
- It can amount to the Court signalling that it will not suffer any kind of critical commentary about the institution at all.
Lessons from other democracies
- Contempt has practically become obsolete in foreign democracies.
- Canada ties its test for contempt to real, substantial and immediate dangers to the administration.
- American courts also no longer use the law of contempt in response to comments on judges or legal matters.
- In England, too, the legal position has evolved.
Approach of Indian judiciary
- Truth and good faith were not recognised as valid defences until 2006, when the Contempt of Courts Act was amended.
- Indian courts have not been inclined to display the same maturity and unruffled spirit as their peers in the other democracies.
Consider the question “A law for criminal contempt is completely asynchronous with our democratic system which recognises freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental right. Examine the issue in India context and suggest the major to strike the balance.”
Conclusion
Besides needing to revisit the need for a law on criminal contempt, even the test for contempt needs to be evaluated. If such a test ought to exist at all, it should be whether the contemptuous remarks in question actually obstruct the Court from functioning. It should not be allowed to be used as a means to prevent any and all criticism of an institution.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Information war against India
Information war waged against India from across the border needs consideration. Three factors have triggered the war in the realm of information. This article examines the way in which it is perpetrated.
Factors
- Following three triggers are responsible for Pakistan’s information war.
- 1) The Balakot attack of February 2019.
- Balakot demolished Pakistan’s presumed nuclear equivalence that guaranteed that India would not retaliate against terrorist attacks
- 2) The return of the BJP government in the May 2019 elections-which signalled that India would follow aggressive muscular policy.
- 3) The August 2019 revision of Article 370.
- The Article 370 decision demolished the centrepiece of Pakistan’s nationalism build on Kashmir.
- The move also raised apprehensions about India’s plans for Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
- These developments have forced it to shift the emphasis of its anti-India strategy from fomenting terrorism supported by an information war component to an information war supported by terrorism.
How the information war is waged
- The ISI and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) two main instruments for the furtherance of this policy.
- The ISPR has, over the years, recruited thousands of youth, trained them in the mechanics of social media and used them to project anti-India themes.
- The core Pakistani objective is to demolish “Brand India” by attacking its key components — an inclusive and secular society, democratic polity, decisive government, a developing economic powerhouse and strong foreign policy.
- The expectation is that such a strategy would adversely impact India’s secular and democratic credentials, scare foreign investment and lead to questions about its international image.
- The key platforms for this strategy are Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook.
- A large number of fake social media accounts, especially on Twitter, have been created.
- The use of handles with phoney Middle Eastern identities is the latest addition to its bag of tricks.
Themes of information war
- Internal developments and dissent in India have been manipulated, packaged and used to develop a narrative damaging India’s social fabric.
- On J&K, the key themes are: Kashmir is a “disputed territory” awaiting solution under the UN resolutions; India needs to talk to Pakistan to resolve the issue and since India refuses to talk, there must be international intervention, the Indian Army is violating the human rights of Kashmiris.
Consider the question “Internet has made waging information war easier. Examine the threat posed by the information war to Indian polity. Suggest the measures to contain the threat emanating from the information war.”
Conclusion
Even though the Indian polity is strong, such persistent venomous attacks can temporarily damage our social fabric. We must not allow ourselves, wittingly or unwittingly, to fall prey to such machinations to polarise society, even temporarily.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Discretionary powers of Governor
Mains level: Speaker vs Governor Tussle
A Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court has held that a Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test on the recommendation of the Cabinet.
Try this question for mains:
Q. “Time and again, the courts have spoken out against the Governor acting in the capacity of an all-pervading super-constitutional authority.” Analyse.
Resolving the deadlock
- The judgment is significant in the present deadlock between the CM and the Governor over the summoning of an Assembly session for a floor test.
- The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head.
The Nabam Rebia Case
- The five-judge Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court cited the Nabam Rebia versus Deputy Speaker on July 13, 2016.
- It held that a Governor cannot employ his ‘discretion’, and should strictly abide by the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet to summon the House.
- It held that the discretionary power of the Governor is extremely limited and entirely liable to judicial review.
- The judgment was a consequence of then Arunachal Pradesh Governor J.P. Rajkhowa’s decision to advance the Assembly session, a move which led to unrest in the State and resulted in the President’s rule.
- The Constitution Bench held Mr. Rajkhowa’s decision to be a violation of the Constitution.
Governor’s discretion: Limited to specified areas
- The Supreme Court highlighted that Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers.
- The court said the Governor’s discretionary powers are limited to specified areas like giving assent or withholding/referring a Bill to the President or appointment of a CM or dismissal of a government which has lost of confidence but refuses to quit, etc.
Back2Basics: Governor’s Discretionary Powers
The governor can use his/her discretionary powers:
- When no party gets a clear majority, the governor has the discretion to choose a candidate for the chief minister who will put together a majority coalition as soon as possible.
- He can impose president’s rule.
- He submits reports on his own to the president or on the direction of the president regarding the affairs of the state.
- He can withhold his assent to a bill and send it to the president for his approval.
- During emergency rule per Article 353, he can override the advice of the council of ministers if specifically permitted by the president.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Landfills
Mains level: Social and environmental threats posed by Landfills
The Ghazipur landfill site rises by nearly 10 metres a year and is expected to surpass the height of Qutub Minar and other vertical structures in the country.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2016:
Q.What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture?
- Proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in soil can occur.
- Increase in the acidity of soil can take place.
- Leaching of nitrate to the ground-water can occur.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
What are Landfills?
- A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials.
- Some landfill sites are also used for waste management purposes, such as temporary storage, consolidation and transfer, or for various stages of processing waste material, such as sorting, treatment, or recycling.
Threats posed by landfills
Landfills have the potential to cause a number of issues. Infrastructure disruption, such as damage to access roads by heavy vehicles, may occur amongst others.
1) Leachate
- When precipitation falls on open landfills, water percolates through the garbage and becomes contaminated with suspended and dissolved material, forming leachate.
- If this is not contained it can contaminate groundwater.
2) Decomposition gases
- Rotting food and other decaying organic waste create decomposition gases, especially CO2 and CH4 from aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, respectively.
- Both processes occur simultaneously in different parts of a landfill.
3) Other threats
- Poorly run landfills may become nuisances because of vectors such as rats and flies which can spread infectious diseases.
- The occurrence of such vectors can be mitigated through the use of daily cover.
- Other potential issues include wildlife disruption due to occupation of habitat and animal health disruption caused by consuming waste from landfills, dust, odour, noise pollution, and reduced local property values.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Seismic noise
Mains level: Seismic activity and thier monitoring
The seismic noise level has dropped by as much as 50 per cent between March and May due to lockdowns this year, according to researchers.
Ever heard of space-based monitoring of seismic activities? This topic creates a scope for potential prelims question…
What is Seismic Noise?
- Seismic noise refers to vibrations within the Earth, which are triggered by natural and man-made phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes and bombs.
- Seismometers, specialised devices that record ground motions, also capture seismic noise.
- Everyday human activity — such as road traffic, manufacturing in factories, the sound produced by planes roaring overhead, or simply people walking down the street.
- The sound signals created by human beings are often referred to as anthropogenic seismic noise.
- Seismic noise acts almost like background sound for seismologists — it is the unwanted component of signals recorded by a seismometer.
Variations in noise levels
- The level of anthropogenic seismic noise recorded varies based on a number of factors.
- Highly-populated urban areas will generate more vibrations from human activity than less densely populated regions.
- Timing too plays an important role. The degree of seismic noise is found to be much lower during public holidays.
Why is this important to record this noise?
- Due to this, scientists will be able to spot weaker signals.
- Such small signals tell us about a geological fault making seismic hazard assessment more accurate.
- This means that scientists will have a better shot at monitoring a whole range of seismogenic behaviour, including the smallest earthquakes or the early signs of a volcanic eruption.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kashmir Saffron
Mains level: Not Much
The J&K administration has issued the certificate of geographical indication (GI) registration for saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley.
Must read:
GI Tags in news for 2020 Prelims
All time GI tags in news
Kashmir saffron
- It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) in some regions of Kashmir, including Pulwama, Budgam, Kishtwar and Srinagar.
- It is a very precious and costly product. Iran is the largest producer of saffron and India is a close competitor.
- It rejuvenates health and is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes.
- It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region.
- Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1st Century BCE. In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as ‘bahukam’.
3 Types
The saffron available in Kashmir is of three types —
- ‘Lachha Saffron’, with stigmas just separated from the flowers and dried without further processing;
- ‘Mongra Saffron’, in which stigmas are detached from the flower, dried in the sun and processed traditionally; and
- ‘Guchhi Saffron’, which is the same as Lachha, except that the latter’s dried stigmas are packed loosely in air-tight containers while the former has stigmas joined together in a bundle tied with a cloth thread
Whats’ so special about Kashmir Saffron?
- The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness).
- It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL (above mean sea level), which adds to its uniqueness and differentiates it from other saffron varieties available the world over.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ravines, Chambal River
Mains level: Features of badland topography
Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare held a meeting with World Bank representatives to bring large Ravines of Gwalior–Chambal region under agriculture.
Try this question for mains:
Q.What is Badland Topography? Discuss the scope of their utilization as arable land in India.
What are Ravines?
- Badland topography is a major feature of the Chambal valley is characterized by an undulating floodplain, gullies and ravines.
- Ravines are a type of fluvial erosional feature and are formed as a result of constant vertical erosion by streams and rivers flowing over semi-arid and arid regions.
How are they formed?
- Researchers consider the regional climate as a major factor in the formation of ravines.
- Climate indeed plays a huge role by supplying the water in the form of rain or snow as well as providing the temperature variations.
- However, the ravines of Chambal are a bit difficult to be explained solely on climatic terms.
- The region through which the Chambal River flows does not receive enough rainfall to create ravines that are 60–80 m deep.
- Researchers have attributed neotectonic activities to the Chambal ravines genesis.
Other factors
- It is well known that rivers are full of energy and actively erode in their initial phases and progressively become passive as they attain their base levels.
- But sometimes, due to tectonic movements, the base level may be lowered further thus energizing the river and reactivating the erosion. This is known as River Rejuvenation.
- Moreover, wind erosion has also contributed to the formation of Chambal ravines.
Back2Basics: What are Badlands?
- Badlands are erosional landforms of highly dissected morphology that are created on soft bedrock in a variety of climate conditions.
- They develop in arid to semiarid areas where the bedrock is poorly cemented and rainfall is generally heavy and intermittent.
- The dry, granular surface material and light vegetation are swept from the slopes during showers, leaving the gullies bare.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Parliamentary vs presidential system
Mains level: Paper 2- Issues with the parliantary system of government
The article brings out the flaws in the parliamentary system of government in India and makes the case for the parliamentary system.
Problems with our parliamentary system
- Our parliamentary system has created a unique breed of legislator, largely unqualified to legislate.
- Those legislators has sought election only in order to wield executive power.
- It has produced governments dependent on a fickle legislative majority.
- Fickle majority leads the government to focus more on politics than on policy or performance.
- Current system has distorted the voting preferences of an electorate that knows which individuals it wants to vote for but not necessarily which parties.
- It has given rise to parties that are shifting alliances of selfish individual interests, not vehicles of coherent sets of ideas.
- It has forced governments to concentrate less on governing than on staying in office, and obliged them to cater to the lowest common denominator of their coalitions.
Problems with party system in India
- Parliamentary system, devised in Britain — is based on traditions which simply do not exist in India.
- The parties in England are clearly defined, each with a coherent set of policies and preferences that distinguish it from the next.
- In India, a party is all-too-often a label of convenience which a politician adopts and discards frequently.
- So, a politician changing a party is not treated as an unusual event in India.
- In the absence of a real party system, the voter chooses not between parties but between individuals.
- The candidates are usually chosen on the basis of their caste, their public image or other personal qualities.
- So, voters vote for a legislature not to legislate but in order to form the executive.
4 Problems with choosing executive from Parliament
- 1) It limits executive posts to those who are electable rather than to those who are able.
- Though he can bring some members in through the Rajya Sabha, but it too has been largely the preserve of full-time politicians, so the talent pool has not been significantly widened.
- 2) It puts a premium on defections and horse-trading. The anti-defection Act of 1985 has failed to cure the problem.
- 3) Legislation suffers. Most laws are drafted by the executive — in practice by the bureaucracy.
- The ruling party inevitably issues a whip to its members in order to ensure unimpeded passage of a bill.
- The parliamentary system does not permit the existence of a legislature distinct from the executive.
- Accountability of the government to the people, through their elected representatives, is weakened.
- 4) For those parties who do not get into government Parliament or Assembly serves as a theatre for the demonstration of their power to disrupt.
Case for presidential system
- A directly elected chief executive at Centre and State would be free from vulnerabilities of coalition support politics, would have the stability of tenure free from a legislative whim.
- He/she will be able to appoint a cabinet of talents, be able to devote his or her energies to governance, and not just to government.
- The Indian voter will be able to vote directly for the individual he or she wants to be ruled by.
- The president will truly be able to claim to speak for a majority of Indians rather than a majority of MPs.
The risk of dictatorship
- The only serious objection to the presidential system is that it carries with it the risk of dictatorship.
- The fear is of an imperious president, immune to parliamentary defeat and impervious to public opinion, ruling the country by fiat.
- But under the current parliamentary system, a leader with absolute majority and subservient legislature could act in the same manner.
Consider the question “Examine the differences between the presidential system and the parliamentary system of government. Do you think that the parliamentary system has served well in the Indian context?”
Conclusion
With the needs and challenges of one-sixth of humanity before our leaders, we must have a democracy that delivers progress to our people.
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