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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. POLITY 01 • MGNREGA: On rural jobs scheme fund crunch
• Anticipatory Bail • Mobile Aided Note Identifier (MANI) App
• Article 19 • National Highways Excellence Awards
• Article 131 • National Startup Advisory Council
• All India Judicial Service no panacea, says study • National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub
• Democracy Index • National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI)
• Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO); • Paperless Licensing for Petroleum Service Stations
• Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South • PF benefits should be extended to contractual
Asia (FEMBoSA) employees, rules Supreme Court
• National Voter’s Day (NVD) • State Energy Efficiency Index 2019
• Muslim personal law a cultural issue: AIMPLB • UJALA and SLNP
• Review and Curative Petition • Web Portal ‘GATI’
• Speakers and disqualification powers • Wings India 2020
• Tele-Law • A multilateral alternative, by Asia
• The Indian Constitution’s unitary tilt • RBI reopens scheme for FPI investments in debt
• Needless impatience: On Centre’s plea on death row • Budgeting for jobs, skilling and economic revival
convicts
• IMF lowers India’s growth forecast to 4.8%
• The long wait for empowered mayors
• Redesigning India’s ailing data system
• Death sentence for rape-murder in 2019 highest in 4
• Govt to provide Rs. 5,559 crore funding to northeast
years: NLU report
gas grid
• The four phases of constitutional interpretation
• Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)
• A case for including Tulu in the Eighth Schedule
• The need for a single energy ministry
• The right to protest in a free society
• State can regulate minority institutions, says Supreme
3. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 42
Court
• Bolsonaro- Republic day Guest
• The warp and weft of religious liberty
• Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)
• Access to the internet is a fundamental right
• Donald Trump’s peace plan for Israel and Palestine
• International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in the
2. ECONOMY 23 Rohingya case
• Air India disinvestment • Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs)
• ARTIS (Application for Remedies in Trade for Indian • India- Australia Relations (A road map for robust trade
industry and other Stakeholders) ties)
• Baba Kalyani led committee- SEZ Policy Report • Jogbani-Biratnagar check post
• Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) • Kalapani border issue
• Coal Mining • Libya summit
• ELECRAMA • Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement
• Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) • Myanmar’s growing dependence on China
• Gold hallmarking being made mandatory • Raisina Dialogue
• India’s no-fly list • Sagarmatha Sambaad
• ‘Make in India’
 • Sampriti • Bru refugees to be settled in Tripura
• Shanghai Council meet • CDS and the path to jointmanship
• Soft power of India still untapped • De-Radicalization (DR)
• In the ruins of unilateralism • Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
• The new worry of depleting diplomatic capital • K-4
• New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST) • Ministry of Defence (MoD) No Objection Certificate
• India-Pak. trade freeze hits thousands: report (NOC) web portal

• Qassem Soleimani Assassination • NIA takeover of Bhima Koregaon case

• Saras Mk2

4. ART AND CULTURE 68 • Steel mesh to replace fences on the borders

• Bharat Parv
• Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) 7. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 85

• Bibi Ka Maqbara • African cheetahs to prowl Indian forests

• Bihu • Australia wildfires

• Classical Languages of India • Biotechnology adoption

• Indian Heritage in Digital Space • HydroChloroFluoroCarbon (HCFC)-141 b

• Kabir Yatra • Irrawaddy dolphins sighted in Chilika

• Madhavpur Mela • Maradu buildings destroyed

• Nagoba Jatara • Re-grassing is mandatory after mining, rules SC

• National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) • Waterbird census in A.P.

• Patola Saree • World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS)

• Tata Vadya or Stringed Instruments (Chordophones) • 10 more wetlands in India declared as Ramsar sites

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) • India records less than 100 tiger deaths for the first time
in three years
• Inscriptions confirm presence of two medieval monasteries
at Moghalmari • Green nod for oil, gas exploration waived

• Lai Haraoba • Eastern Ghats: land-use policies, climate change hit

endemic plant habitats
• Mandu Festival
• Kerala for steps to curb alien plants’ growth in NBR
• Seke Language
• Chinese paddlefish
• Sangita Kalanidhi award

8. HEALTH ISSUES 99
5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 74
• Coronavirus
• Challakere to be ISRO’s astronaut training hub
• Dengue
• Global Drosophila Conference
• National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019
• GSAT-30
• National Commission for Indian System of Medicine
• Indian cobra genome mapped (NCISM) Bill, 2019.
• Indian Science Congress (ISC) • Myeloma
• Vyom Mitra • EVALI
• Young Scientists Labs • 171 hospitals de-listed from PM’s health scheme after
6. SECURITY AND DEFENCE 78 fraud
• AK-203 Assault Rifles • Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD)
9. SOCIAL ISSUES 106 15. MISCELLANEOUS 121
• A Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 • Krishi Karman Awards
• A weak test: On Swachh ranking of cities • Mannequins to handle traffic surveillance
• Preventing Mob Lynching • National Youth Festival (NYF)
• Women politicians trolled more: Amnesty India • Pariksha Pe Charcha
• Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
10. GEOGRAPHY 109 • World Braille Day
• Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) • Youth Co: Lab National Innovation Challenge
• Mandovi River/ Mahadayi/Mhadei River • WHO has designated 2020 the International Year of the
• Papagni River Nurse and the Midwife

• Thirty Metre Telescope • Use of chemicals to ripen fruits amounts to poisoning

consumers
• Yellow Rust
• New method better estimates melting of debris-covered
Himalayan glaciers 15. PRACTICE QUESTIONS 124

• Heatwave effect
• Taal Volcano 16. ANSWER KEYS 138

11. EDUCATION 112 17. MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS 141

• Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)

• Deeksharambh Scheme 18. INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 144

• Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO

(INCCU)
• National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT)
• NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’
Holistic Advancement)
• Paramarsh Scheme

12. DISASTER MANAGEMENT 115

• Operation Vanilla
• Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020

13 HISTORY 116
• Savitribai Phule Jayanti

14. GOVERNANCE 117

• Corruption Perception Index
• Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
• National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP)
• One government proposes, the next disposes
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JANUARY-2020 1

POLITY

1. Anticipatory Bail • A
part from false cases, where there are reasonable
grounds for holding that a person accused of an
Bail
offence is not likely to abscond, or otherwise misuse
• ‘Bail’ refers to the process of releasing an accused his liberty while on bail, there seems no justification to
charged with certain crime by ensuring his future require him first to submit to custody, remain in prison
attendance in the court for trial and compelling him for some days and then apply for bail
to remain within the jurisdiction of the court.
Conditions while granting anticipatory bail
• Bail has been defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as
438(2) reads: “When the High Court or the Court of Session
“the security required by a Court for the release of a
makes a direction under sub-section (1), it may include
prisoner who must appear at a future time”.
such conditions in such directions in the light of the facts
In the 1973 case Supt. and Remembrancer of Legal Affairs of the particular case, as it may think fit, including —
v. Amiya Kumar Roy Choudhry, the Calcutta High Court
• a condition that the person shall make himself
explained the principle behind giving bail: “The law of
available for interrogation by a police officer as and
bails… has to dovetail two conflicting demands, namely,
when required;
• On one hand, the requirements of the society for
• a condition that the person shall not, directly or
being shielded from the hazards of being exposed
indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise
to the misadventures of a person alleged to have
to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so
committed a crime; and
as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the
• O
n the other, the fundamental canon of criminal Court or to any police officer;
jurisprudence viz. the presumption of innocence of
• a condition that the person shall not leave India
an accused till he is found guilty.”
without the previous permission of the Court;
Bail is of two kinds:-
Context
1. Regular bail
• The Supreme Court has ruled that anticipatory bail
• Regular Bail is a bail that is granted by the Court to a granted to a person “should not invariably” be limited
person after he has been arrested. to a fixed period and could continue till the end of trial.
2. Anticipatory bail. • I t said however that it is open for the court to limit its
• It is a bail that is granted to a person, even before tenure in case of “special or peculiar features”.
an arrest, in anticipation that he might be getting • F urther denial of bail amounts to deprivation of the
arrested in some days for a certain criminal offense. fundamental right to personal liberty in a free and
• T here is no need of a First Information Report (FIR) democratic country.
that is filed against a person to make an application Divergent views in the past
for the anticipatory bail.
• 1980 Sibbia case: Anticipatory bail can’t be construed
S. 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 as being limited by time
It lays down the law on anticipatory bail. Sub-section (1) * Court can impose appropriate conditions
of the provision reads: “When any person has reason to
• 1995 Salauddin case: Anticipatory bail limited within
believe that he may be arrested on an accusation of having
a time frame
committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to the
High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under • 2
010 Mhetre case: Life of anticipatory bail order can’t
this section; and that Court may, if it thinks fit, direct that in be curtailed
the event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail.” The questions referred to the Constitution Bench were
Rationale behind anticipatory bail twofold:
• This bail is essential nowadays where influential • Whether protection of anticipatory bail granted to
persons involve their opponents, in false and frivolous a person should be limited to a fixed period so as to
criminal issues to either damage their image or to get enable him or her to surrender before the trial court
them arrested for some time, to enable them to get and seek regular bail, and
their work done. • W
hether the life of anticipatory bail should end at the
time and stage when accused is summoned by the
court.

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JANUARY-2020 2

SC Ruling • Mere discussion or even advocacy of a particular

• Anticipatory bail does not end when the accused is cause howsoever unpopular is at the heart of Article
summoned by the court. 19(1)(a).

* The court held that protection against arrest • I t is only when such discussion or advocacy reaches
should adjust in favour of the accused. Restricting the level of incitement that Article 19(2) kicks in”.
the protection would prove unfavourable for the They cited Brandenburg’s case: “The wide difference
accused. between advocacy and incitement, between preparation
• Nothing in CrPC to suggest operation of order and attempt, between assembling and conspiracy, must
granting anticipatory bail must be limited by time be borne in mind. In order to support a finding of clear and
present danger it must be shown either that immediate
• H
owever, it is open for a court to impose appropriate serious violence was to be expected or was advocated,
conditions for grant of anticipatory bail if the specific or that the past conduct furnished reason to believe that
facts or the features of the offence involved demand
such advocacy was then contemplated.”
it.
* Courts have to consider the nature of the 3. Article 131
offence, the role of the person, the likelihood Context
of his influencing the course of investigation or
tampering of evidence, including intimidating • Kerala became the first state to challenge the
witnesses and fleeing justice. Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) before the
Supreme Court.
* B
ut restrictions/conditions can be imposed only
on a case-to-case basis. * The Kerala government has moved the apex
court under Article 131 of the Constitution, the
* S pecial or other restrictive conditions may be provision under which the Supreme Court has
imposed if the case or cases warrant, but should original jurisdiction to deal with any dispute
not be imposed in a routine manner in all cases, between the Centre and a state; the Centre and
the Bench pointed out. a state on the one side and another state on the
other side; and two or more states.
2. Article 19
• The Chhattisgarh government filed a suit in the
Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) Supreme Court under Article 131, challenging the
• In this case, the ‘clear and present danger’ test was National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act on the
expanded, and the ‘imminent lawless action’ test was ground that it encroaches upon the state’s powers to
laid down by the U.S. Supreme Court, which the court maintain law and order.
has followed since. Kerala Govt’s Challenge
• T his test states, “The constitutional guarantees of • The State of Kerala has filed a suit to challenge the
free speech and free press do not permit the state to Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, stating that it
forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of is violative of Articles 14 (equality before the law),
law violation, except where such advocacy is directed 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) and 25
to inciting or producing imminent lawless action”. (freedom of religion) of the Indian constitution as well
Initially, Indian courts explicitly rejected the “clear and as against the secular fabric of the nation.
present danger” test, arguing that the doctrine cannot • I t also challenges the Passport (Entry to India)
be imported into the Indian Constitution because of Amendment Rules 2015, and Foreigners (Amendment)
“reasonable restrictions”, but subsequently we see the Order 2015, which had regularised the stay of non-
courts adopting tests similar to the US ones, and even Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and
affirming the Brandenburg test, as in the case of Arup Afghanistan, who had entered India before December
Bhuyan [Arup Bhuyan vs State of Assam, (2011)]. 31, 2014, on the condition that they had fled religious
• T he Supreme Court said, citing the Brandenburg test, persecution from their home countries.
“We respectfully agree and are of the opinion that What is Jurisdiction?
they apply to India too, as our fundamental rights are
similar to the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution”. • Jurisdiction of a court is its power or authority to hear
and determine a matter
Shreya Singhal vs Union of India, (2013)
* Pecuniary (power of court based on the amount
How do we differentiate between advocacy and of money involved in the matter),
incitement? The Shreya Singhal judgment offers a very
clear exposition of the difference between advocacy and * Territorial (power of court based on the
incitement. geographical limit where the cause of action
arises or offence is committed),
• The court held that three concepts are fundamental
to understanding the scope of free speech. For them * Subject-wise (power of court based on a
“The first is discussion, the second is advocacy, and particular subject matter),
the third is incitement. * A
ppellate (the Supreme Court hears appeals
from lower courts)

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JANUARY-2020 3

* A
dvisory jurisdiction (the President has the Is it unusual for states to challenge laws made by
power to seek an opinion from the apex court Parliament?
under Article 143 of the Constitution) • Under the Constitution, laws made by Parliament
* O
riginal (power of court to hear a case from its are presumed to be constitutional until a court
beginning) holds otherwise. However, in India’s quasi-federal
constitutional structure, inter-governmental disputes
What is Article 131?
are not uncommon.
• In its extraordinary original jurisdiction, the Supreme
• T he framers of the Constitution expected such
Court has exclusive power to adjudicate upon
differences, and added the exclusive original
disputes involving elections of the President and
the Vice President, those that involve states and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for their resolution.
the Centre, and cases involving the violation of
4. All India Judicial Service no panacea, says study
fundamental rights.
Context
• F or a dispute to qualify as a dispute under Article 131,
it has to necessarily be between states and the Centre, • Report on The All India Judicial Service by Vidhi Centre
and must involve a question of law or fact on which for Legal Policy.
the existence of a legal right of the state or the Centre Background:
depends.
• The lower judiciary is plagued by a number of issues
• I n a 1978 judgment, State of Karnataka v Union of like the large pendency in the cases and the poor
India, Justice P N Bhagwati had said that for the quality of its judgment which is more often than not
Supreme Court to accept a suit under Article 131, the appealed in the higher courts. This is mainly due to
state need not show that its legal right is violated, but a large number of vacancies in judicial positions, the
only that the dispute involves a legal question. long delays in the appointment process and lack of
• A
rticle 131 cannot be used to settle political transparency in the appointment process.
differences between state and central governments • C
urrently, the appointments of District Judges and
headed by different parties. Subordinate Judiciary are done by the respective
Is there any bar on the original jurisdiction of the Supreme State governments.
Court? • G
iven the challenges being faced in the lower
Yes, the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court does judiciary, there has been a growing call for the creation
not extend to: of a unified pan-India judicial service.
• A dispute arising out of any treaty, agreement, • T he idea for All India Judicial Service (AIJS) was first
covenant, engagement or other similar instrument proposed by the 14th Report of the Law Commission
executed before the commencement of the of India in 1958, aimed at creating a centralised cadre
constitution and continues to be in operation or of District Judges.
which provides that the jurisdiction of the Supreme • T he Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in its recent report
Court shall not extend to such a dispute; titled, ‘A primer on the All India Judicial Service – A
• T he parliament may exclude the jurisdiction of solution in search of a problem?’ has brought forth
the Supreme Court in disputes relating to the use, many arguments against an AIJS.
distribution, or control of the water of any inter-state Arguments for AIJS:
river;
* A
All India Judicial Service (AIJS) would help in
• S uits brought by private individuals against the centralizing the recruitment process. This would
government of India. help attract the best talent from all over the
Can the Centre too sue a state under Article 131? country.
• The Centre has other powers to ensure that its laws * AIJS can help in a faster and timely recruitment
are implemented. The Centre can issue directions to process which would help address the high level
a state to implement the laws made by Parliament. If of vacancy in the judiciary. It will address the
states do not comply with the directions, the Centre problem of a high level of pendency in cases by
can move the court seeking a permanent injunction helping increase the judges: cases ratio in India
against the states to force them to comply with the • The AIJS can be implemented with provisions which
law. will help address the issue of lack of representation for
• Non-compliance of court orders can result in the marginalised in the judicial services.
contempt of court, and the court usually hauls up Arguments against AIJS:
the chief secretaries of the States responsible for
implementing laws. The report by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy points out
several issues in pitching AIJS as a solution to judicial
vacancies.

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JANUARY-2020 4

• The major arguments in favour of the AIJS were that * These nations have a valid system of
it would help fill the approximately 5,000 vacancies governmental checks and balances, an
across the District and Subordinate Judiciary in India. independent judiciary whose decisions are
However, a closer analysis would reveal the fact that, enforced, governments that function adequately,
it is only certain High Courts which account for a and diverse and independent media.
majority of the approximately 5,000 vacancies.
• F lawed democracies: are nations where elections are
• I nstead of proposing an AIJS as a solution for judicial fair and free and basic civil liberties are honoured but
vacancies, it may be more effective to investigate the may have issues (e.g. media freedom infringement).
reasons and causes for a large number of vacancies in
* These nations have significant faults in other
the poorly performing States and address the issues
democratic aspects, including underdeveloped
at the local levels.
political culture, low levels of participation
Reservation: in politics, and issues in the functioning of
• AIJS has been pitched as a solution to lack of governance.
representation for the marginalized in the judiciary. • Hybrid regimes: are nations with regular electoral
Interestingly many States are already reserving posts frauds, preventing them from being fair and free
for marginalized communities and women in the democracies.
appointment process of the lower judiciary.
* These nations commonly have governments
• T he creation of AIJS and the subsequent reservation that apply pressure on political opponents, non-
would face some backlash given that many of the independent judiciaries, widespread corruption,
communities who currently benefit from the State harassment and pressure placed on the media,
quotas, may oppose the creation of an AIJS. This anaemic rule of law, and more pronounced
is because the communities recognised as Other faults than flawed democracies in the realms
Backward Classes (OBC) by State governments may of underdeveloped political culture, low levels
or may not be classified as OBCs by the Central of participation in politics, and issues in the
government. This might lead to the disempowerment functioning of governance.
of a few communities in the state.
• Authoritarian regimes: are nations where political
Local language and customs: pluralism has vanished or is extremely limited.
• Judges recruited through a centralized process * These nations are often absolute monarchies
may not know the local languages of the States in or dictatorships, may have some conventional
which they are posted. This becomes an important institutions of democracy but with meagre
impediment considering the fact that the proceedings significance, infringements and abuses of civil
of civil and criminal courts are to be conducted liberties are commonplace, elections (if they
in a language prescribed by the respective State take place) are not fair and free, the media is
governments which in most of the cases is the state often state-owned or controlled by groups
language. associated with the ruling regime, the judiciary
• T he lack of understanding of the local language and is not independent, and there are omnipresent
customs are issues that deserve serious consideration censorship and suppression of governmental
since it will not only lead to longer case disposal times criticism.
and also may affect the quality of judgments. Context:
5. Democracy Index • India – the world’s biggest democracy has slipped 10
places in the 2019 Democracy Index to 51st place.
• Democracy Index is an index compiled by the
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a UK-based • T he report, “A year of democratic setbacks and popular
company. It intends to measure the state of protest”, was done by the Economist Intelligence Unit
democracy. — the research and analysis division of the Economist
Group, which is the sister company to ‘The Economist’
• T he index is based on 60 indicators grouped in
newspaper.
five different categories, measuring pluralism, civil
liberties and political culture. • T he report records how global democracy fared,
analyzing 165 independent states and two territories.
The In addition to a numeric score and a ranking, the index
categorizes each country in one of four regime types: full What does the report say?
democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and India:
authoritarian regimes.
• India’s overall score fell from 7.23 to 6.9, on a scale
• F ull democracies: are nations where civil liberties
and fundamental political freedoms are not only of 0-10, within a year (2018-2019) — the country’s
respected but also reinforced by a political culture lowest since 2006.
conducive to the thriving of democratic principles.

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JANUARY-2020 5

• India ranks eighth in the Asia and Australasia region, • A

fterwards, they can apply online through the
behind Taiwan and Timor-Leste. registered User-ID for various Visa and Immigration
related services in India viz. Registration, Visa
• T he survey attributes the primary cause of the Extension, Visa Conversion, Exit Permit, etc.
democratic regression to an erosion of civil liberties in Advantages of e-FRRO
the country. • It includes the facilitation of legitimate foreigners
* The report talks about the repeal of both Article through “Digital India” vision of the Government.
370 and Article 35A and the events that followed. • F oreigners need not visit FRRO/FRO office – “Services
* I t notes that the government restricted Internet from the comfort of home”.
access in the state. • Convenient and time-saving.
* I t pointed out that the NRC exercise in Assam • A
n exclusive dashboard for User-friendly experience
excluded 1.9 million people from the final list, and Uniform & Standardized Services across the
and that the vast majority of people excluded
country.
from the NRC are Muslims.
* O
n the CAA, the report says that it has enraged 7. Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South
the large Muslim population, stoked communal Asia (FEMBoSA)
tensions and generated large protests in major
• F EMBoSA is a regional establishment to increase
cities.
mutual cooperation in respect to the common
World: interests of the SAARC’s Election Management Bodies
(EMBs).
• The average global score also recorded its worst value
• I n 2010, for the first time, the Bangladesh Election
ever, down from 5.48 in 2018 to 5.44.
Commission organized a regional meeting titled
• T he fall is driven by a sharp regression in Latin America ‘Meeting on Cooperation of Election Commissions
and Sub-Saharan Africa, a lesser one in the Middle East in the South Asia Region’, which was later called
FEMBoSA as an institutionalized form.
and North Africa (MENA) region, and by stagnation in
• T he forum’s charter was approved in 2012 when
the remaining regions that were covered.
FEMBoSA was established.
6. Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO); • F EMBoSA was established at the 3rd Conference of
• The Foreigners Registration Office is the primary Heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of the
agency to regulate the registration, movement, stay, SAARC countries held at New Delhi in 2012.
departure of foreigners, and also for recommending • T he annual FEMBoSA meeting is held by rotation
the extension of stay in India. among the members.
• T he FRRO is an office exclusively for the services of • T he FEMBoSA represents a very large part of the
foreign tourists in the country. democratic world and is an active regional association
• T he FRRO comes under the administrative control of of the election management bodies of South Asia.
the Union Home Ministry. The objectives of the Forum are:
‘e-FRRO’ (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office) • To promote contact among the EMBs of the SAARC
scheme countries.
• e-FRRO scheme is aimed at building a centralized, • T o share experiences with a view to learning from
transparent online platform for foreigners to avail each other.
visa related services, and to provide Faceless, Cashless
and Paperless services to the foreigners with a user- • T o cooperate with one another in enhancing the
friendly experience. capabilities of the EMBs towards conducting free and
fair elections.
How does it work?
Context:
• e-FRRO includes online FRRO Service delivery
mechanism without the requirement of visiting • The Election Commission of India is going to host the
FRRO/FRO Office barring exceptional cases. 10th annual meeting of the Forum of the Election
Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) at New
• Using this application, foreigners are required to
Delhi.
create their own User ID by registering themselves.

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JANUARY-2020 6

8. National Voter’s Day (NVD) 9. Muslim personal law a cultural issue: AIMPLB
• NVD has been celebrated on January 25 every year Context
since 2011, all across the country at over ten lakh
• A writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court
locations across the nation, to mark the Foundation
challenging the Constitutional validity of the Muslim
day of Election Commission of India, which was
practice of Nikah Halala and Polygamy.
established on 25th January 1950.
• I t said practices violates the Muslim women’s right
• I t is being celebrated in order to encourage more
to live with dignity and their privacy, and hence
young voters to take part in the political process.
asked the Apex Court to declare such practices as
• D
edicated to the voters of the country, the Day unconstitutional and illegal.
is utilized to spread awareness among voters for
• T he All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)
promoting informed participation in the electoral
has replied to the petition filed in the Supreme Court.
process.
Meaning
Context
• Polygamy allows Muslim man to have more than one
• 10th National Voters’ Day was celebrated on 25th
wife
January 2020.
• N
ikah Halala is the procedure which a Muslim woman
Details
needs to follow if she wants to remarry her divorced
• Theme for NVD 2020 is ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger husband
Democracy’.
• T his year marks an important milestone in the history
of Indian democracy as Election Commission of India
(ECI) completes 70 years of its journey.

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JANUARY-2020 7

Petitioner’s arguments: 10. Review and Curative Petition

Violative of Constitution: Article 137 of the Indian Constitution provides for a
• The petition wants the apex court to declare Section review petition. Review literally and even judicially means
2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application reexamination or reconsideration. Basic philosophy
Act, 1937, violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the inherent in it is the universal acceptance of human fallibility.
Constitution and hence deem it to be unconstitutional. Rectification of an order thus stems from the fundamental
principle that justice is above all, It is exercised to remove
Rights of women: the error and for disturbing finality.
• The petition claims that the ban on polygamy and • In accordance to the rules set under the Supreme
nikah halala would help secure basic rights for the Court Rules, 1966 the petition must be filed within
women and also ensure the interest of public order, thirty days from the date of the order and must be
morality, and health. presented in front of the same bench of judges who
AIMPLB’s arguments had initially delivered the order.
Cultural issue: • I n eastern book company vs DB Modak SC declared
that review petition is liable to be dismissed on the
• The AIMPLB has argued that the Muslim personal
grounds of delay itself.
law, which allows practices like polygamy and nikah
halala, is a cultural issue and inextricably interwoven Process
with the religion of Islam. • Ordinarily, review petitions are tied up to the bench
Not bound by fundamental rights provisions: which had decided the main case. And if any judge
of that bench has retired, a new judge takes his place.
• The Board argues that since personal laws do not
derive their validity from the legislature or any other • T he case files are circulated to the judges in their
competent authority but from the scriptural texts of respective chambers and there is no need for the all
the respective religions, the personal law does not fall the judges on the bench to sit together. Nor is there a
within the definition of ‘laws’ under Article 13 of the requirement of lawyers to make oral arguments.
Constitution. • O
nly those, who were parties to the main case, are
• D
ue to this, the validity of personal law cannot be allowed to file review petitions unless the court
challenged on the basis of the fundamental rights specifically gives permission to any other party.
enshrined in the Constitution. What the case papers need to demonstrate to the judges
Constitutional provisions: is that
• The Constitution allows the continuance of the • there was a grave error in deciding the case,
different practices of various religions until the state • e
ither in law or on account of understanding of the
succeeds in securing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). facts, and
Uniform Civil Code: • T hat this error warrants a correction to meet the ends
• The Board has stated that the petition is a push for a of justice.
judicial pronouncement to bring the UCC. The board Open court hearing of review petitions
argues that even Article 44 of the Constitution only
says the state should try for bringing UCC and is not • The applications for open court hearing accompany
mandatory. the substantial review petition. It is completely the
discretion of the judges to decide whether the case
• A
rticle 44 has implicitly recognised the plurality of deserves an open court hearing.
faiths and permits their continuance in India.
• I f the bench is of the view that an open court hearing
Judicial precedents: furthers the interest of justice and it would assist the
• The SC in its 1997 judgment in the Ahmedabad judges in their decision-making in a given case, the
Women Action Group case, had already refused to plea for an open court hearing can be accepted.
examine whether polygamy in Muslim personal law is Curative Petition
illegal and an act of cruelty.
A curative petition may be entertained only after a review
• T he court had stated that the issue should be dealt petition has been disposed. A curative petition is usually
with by the legislature and not the courts. decided by judges in chamber, unless a specific request for
Women rights: an open-court hearing is allowed.
• The Board claims that the rights of Muslim women are • T he concept of Curative petition was evolved by the
already secure under the Muslim Women (Protection Supreme Court of India in the matter of Rupa Ashok
of Rights on Divorce) Act of 1986. Hurra vs. Ashok Hurra (2002) where the question was
whether an aggrieved person is entitled to any relief
against the final judgement/order of the Supreme
Court, after dismissal of a review petition

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JANUARY-2020 8

* The court ruled that a curative petition can be • Second, the court recommended to Parliament
entertained if the petitioner establishes there that it strongly considers removing the Speakers’
was a violation of the principles of natural justice, disqualification powers and forming an independent
and that he was not heard by the court before tribunal to take up these petitions.
passing an order. * Given the fact that a Speaker belongs to a
* I t will also be admitted where a judge failed to particular political party, the Court has mooted
disclose facts that raise the apprehension of bias. that these disqualification petitions be decided
by an independent permanent tribunal.
* Abuse of the process of court.
Background
For opening the channel of review the court has imposed
several conditions • The judges were ruling on the disqualification of
a Congress legislator in Manipur who joined the
The SC has held that curative petitions must be rare rather Bharatiya Janata Party right after the 2017 Assembly
than regular, and be entertained with circumspection. elections.
• The grounds stated in curative petition must be taken • T he Congress had asked the Manipur Speaker to
earlier in the review petition disqualify him. The Speaker failed to act and kept the
• A
curative petition must be accompanied by petition pending.
certification by a senior advocate, pointing out • A
fter the Speaker failed to take any action on these
substantial grounds for entertaining it. petitions, a writ petition was filed before the High
• I t must be first circulated to a bench of the three Court of Manipur at Imphal.
senior most judges, and the judges who passed * I n 2017, the High Court stated that as the issue
the concerned judgment, if available. Only when a of whether a High Court can direct a Speaker to
majority of the judges conclude that the matter needs decide a disqualification petition within a certain
hearing should it be listed — as far as possible, before timeframe is pending before a Bench of five
the same Bench. judges of the Supreme Court, it could not pass
• I f at any state of consideration the curative petition the any order in the matter.
bench holds that petition is without merit exemplary * Since the High Court refused to grant any relief,
costs may be imposed on the petitioner the appellant approached the Supreme Court in
Context appeal.

• SC rejects curative plea in Nirbhaya case • The question for the judiciary was to look at Speaker’s
powers to disqualify members and the extent to
11. Speakers and disqualification powers which courts can interfere with it.
Context Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu & others
• The Supreme Court in its latest verdict has asked • The present Bench referred to the five-judge Bench
Parliament to make changes in the Constitution to judgment in Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu & others,
strip Legislative Assembly Speakers of their exclusive which held, among other things, that a Speaker
power to decide whether legislators should be does not enjoy immunity from judicial scrutiny while
disqualified or not under the anti-defection law. deciding disqualification petitions under the Tenth
* T he Tenth Schedule provides the circumstances Schedule.
under which a Member of Parliament or a State • I t was also held in this case that a Speaker or a
Legislative Assembly can be disqualified for Chairman, acting under the Tenth Schedule, is a
defecting to another party. Tribunal.
* D
isqualification petitions under the Tenth • S o it made the Speaker’s order subject to judicial
Schedule are decided by the Speaker of the review on limited grounds.
concerned House.
• I t made it clear that the court’s jurisdiction would not
The court made two important declarations come into play unless the Speaker passes an order,
• First, the three-judge bench said that the Speakers of leaving no room for intervention prior to adjudication.
both the State Assemblies and the Parliament have Rajendra Singh Rana vs Swamy Prasad Maurya
to decide on disqualification petitions for members
• The court, elaborating on a 1992 decision in Kilhoto
within three months except for the existence of an
Hollohan vs Zachillhu and others, held that the
extraordinary circumstance.
Constitution prohibits judicial intervention
* It also held that courts have the powers to
* This means that the court cannot issue an
intervene if the proceedings are delayed.
interim order protecting the MLA or the MP from
disqualification proceedings.

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JANUARY-2020 9

• What the law does not prohibit is the court enforcing * The Speaker decides the duration of debates, can
disqualification proceedings, which are quasi-judicial discipline members and even override decisions
in character, when they are unnecessarily delayed. by committees.
• T hus according to Justice Nariman, when a Speaker • While facilitating the business of the House and to
refrains from deciding a petition within a reasonable maintain decorum in the House, the Speaker has
time, there was clearly an error “which attracted the ‘extensive functions to perform in matters regulatory,
jurisdiction of the High Court in exercise of the power administrative and judicial, falling under their
of judicial review”. domain. The speaker enjoys vast authority under the
What did the court say? Constitution and the Rules, as well as inherently’.
• Having cleared the confusion over contrasting past • T he Speaker is the ‘ultimate interpreter and arbiter of
judgments, the three-judge bench, in its verdict, set a those provisions which relate to the functioning of the
time limit of three months for the Speakers to decide House. The decisions taken by the Speaker is final and
on disqualification petitions. binding and ordinarily cannot be easily challenged.
• I t also recommended that Parliament should seriously Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the chief architects of India’s
consider taking away disqualification powers from freedom and a moving force behind its Constitution,
the Speakers. These powers could be given to an describes the position as: “The Speaker represents the
independent tribunal headed by a former Supreme House. She represents the dignity of the House, the
Court judge or a former chief justice of a High Court freedom of the House and because the House represents
or form “some other outside independent mechanism the nation, in a particular way, the Speaker becomes a
to ensure that such disputes are decided both swiftly symbol of the nation’s freedom and liberty. Therefore, that
and impartially”. should be an honored position, a free position and should
be occupied always by persons of outstanding ability and
Course correction for the Speaker’s office impartiality.”
Article 93 of the Indian Constitution speaks about the The nature of duties of the Speaker, technically as an
Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of the People “arbiter” or a “quasi-judicial body” should not be limited
• The House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall, as soon exclusively to matters under the Tenth Schedule; rather, it
as may be, choose two members of the House to be extends to a range of its functions.
respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof Speaker’s role has been questioned on the allegation of
and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy bias
Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose
another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as • The Supreme Court has observed in Jagjit Singh
the case may be versus State of Haryana as “…Without meaning any
disrespect for any particular Speaker in the country,
In the Lok Sabha, the lower House of the Indian Parliament, but only going by some events of the recent past,
both Presiding Officers—the Speaker and the Deputy certain questions have been raised about the
Speaker- are elected from among its members by a simple confidence in the matter of impartiality on some
majority of members present and voting in the House. As issues having political overtones which are decided
such, no specific qualifications are prescribed for being by the Speaker in his capacity as a Tribunal.”
elected the Speaker.
• A
s a minority view, Justice J.S. Verma in Kihoto
Functions performed by the Speaker Hollohan vs Zachillhu and Others observed: “The
The speaker is guided by the provisions of the Constitution Speaker being an authority within the House and his
and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok tenure being dependent on the will of the majority
Sabha. therein, likelihood of suspicion of bias could not be
ruled out.”
• The speaker is benefitted from the Directions issued
by the predecessors which are compiled periodically. Speakers as impartial and apolitical
• T he speaker is assisted by the Secretary-General of • The role and impartiality of the speaker currently
the Lok Sabha and senior officers of the Secretariat resonates with his personal image and character.
on parliamentary activities and on matters of practice • Even if the speaker wants to stay neutral, be apolitical
and procedure. and non-partisan, the structural issues in the
The office of the Speaker occupies a pivotal position in our system the manner of appointment of the Speaker
parliamentary democracy. It has been said of the office and tenure in office, will not allow the speaker to
of the Speaker that while the members of Parliament completely dissociate from the party considerations
represent the individual constituencies, the Speaker as the electoral system and conventions in India have
represents the full authority of the House itself. ‘not developed to ensure protection to the office’
• The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha • A
member is appointed to the office of the Speaker
if a motion nominating an individual is carried in the
• T he Speaker is the guardian of the rights and privileges
House.
of the House, its Committees and members

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JANUARY-2020 10

* E lections are not always by consensus and there • I t is aimed at facilitating the delivery of legal advice
have been cases when different parties have through an expert panel of lawyers.
fielded their own candidates. • T he Department has partnered with NASLA and CSC
* A
ll political parties campaign in the constituency eGovernance Service Ltd for offering this service to
of the Speaker. Even if the Speaker is re-elected poor and marginalised people.
to the House, the office of the Speaker in India is • T he project connects lawyers with clients through
still open for elections’. video-conferencing/telephone/chat facilities by the
• T herefore, what is required is not merely incidental Para-Legal Volunteers stationed at CSCs.
changes in the powers of the Speaker; rather a major • A
dedicated website on Tele-Law is maintained by
revamp in the structure of the office itself is necessary. the Department of Justice which has been designed
• I t is suggested that a scheme should be brought with support from CSC eGovernance and has been
wherein Speakers should renounce all political translated into 22 languages.
affiliations, membership and activity once they have • A
Tele-Law mobile application is available for the PLVs
been elected, both within the Assembly and in the to pre-register Tele-Law cases.
country as a whole.
• A
Tele-Law Dashboard is also developed with
UK Model decentralized features for login and registration of
• In the UK Model the speaker resigns from the party cases, and for viewing the status of cases added for
and remains politically neutral. He abstains from panel lawyers, PLVs, etc.
expressing any political views and he never voices an Context
opinion on party issues.
• The Department of Justice, Government of India
• A
s a result they have developed a convention in which celebrated 1,50,000 registrations for advice on Tele-
the speaker is elected unopposed.
Law.
* Political Parties do not field their candidates
against the speaker in the general poll. 13. The Indian Constitution’s unitary tilt
* The major political parties usually at the time Context
of general elections as a matter of convention The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National
support the Speaker as an independent Register of Citizens (NRC) has revealed some of the most
candidate. significant gaps of Indian federalism.
• T hus he is re-elected as the Speaker of the house on • State governments occupied by Opposition parties
account of strict impartiality and nonalignment to have declared that they would not implement the law
party politics.
• L egislative Assembly of Kerala went to the extent of
But in India, usually, the Speaker is elected from the passing a resolution, stating that the law “contradicts
majority party. The speaker’s continuation or re-election in the basic values and principles of the Constitution”
Parliament depends on the existence of the Government.
Hence the speaker owes his allegiance to the political • I n this backdrop let us have a look at the Federal
party from which he was elected. relationship between the Center and the States.

Conclusion Constitutional Perspective

• Impartiality, fairness and autonomy in decision- • Article 256

making are the hallmarks of a robust institution. * The executive power of every State shall be
• I t is the freedom from interference and pressures so exercised as to ensure compliance with the
which provide the necessary atmosphere where one laws made by Parliament and any existing laws
can work with absolute commitment to the cause of which apply in that State, and the executive
neutrality as a constitutional value. power of the Union shall extend to the giving of
such directions to a State as may appear to the
• At a time when India’s fall in ranks in the latest Government of India to be necessary for that
Democracy Index has evoked concern, it is expected purpose
that Parliament will pay heed to the reasoning of
the Supreme Court and take steps to strengthen the * It compels the State government to ensure
implementation of the laws made by Parliament.
institution of the Speaker.
* I f the State government fails to do so, the
12. Tele-Law Government of India is empowered to give
• It is an initiative to provide pre-litigation advice to “such directions to a State as may appear... to be
needy people. necessary”.
• T he initiative was launched in 2017 with an aim to
provide legal advice in the villages through Common
Service Centres (CSCs).

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JANUARY-2020 11

• Article 365 * I t has also led to denial of an Opposition vote

in the appointments to various anti-corruption
* Effect of failure to comply with, or to give effect
bodies
to, directions given by the Union Where any State
has failed to comply with or to give effect to any Time and again, our experiences with single-party
directions given in the exercise of the executive dominance have shown that in the face of comfortable
power of the Union under any directions given in majorities, our constitutional structure reveals its
the exercise of the executive power of the Union tendencies to concentrate power.
under any of the provisions of this Constitution, What was the need of strong Center?
it shall be lawful for the President to hold that
a situation has arisen in which the government • In the backdrop of a bloody partition and threats of
of the State cannot be carried on in accordance “fissiparous tendencies”, it was probably justified for
with the provisions of this Constitution the founders of the Indian republic to be hesitant in
instituting a stronger federalism.
* T he refusal to enforce the law even after the
Centre issues directions would empower the • I f we wanted to be together, the argument went, we
President to impose President’s Rule in those should only have so much federalism.
States under Articles 356 and 365. Electoral federalism
The Supreme Court of India has also confirmed this reading Over the last seven decades, there have been changes in
of the law in S.R. Bommai v. Union of India — arguably the ground realities.
most significant case on Indian federalism.
• We have seen repeated examples of huge vote swings
Anti-CAA ads in West Bengal between national and State elections, separated by
• Another controversy arose in West Bengal, where the only a few months, in the same constituencies.
State government put anti-CAA advertisements on its • People have identified the Central and State issues,
websites. and are now nuanced in their voting choices, leading
• I
n an interim order, the Calcutta High Court to the “losers” of national politics still winning State
directed the State government to remove those elections and form legitimately elected governments.
advertisements. • T he State governments are thus filling the Opposition
• T he question — whether State governments are deficit at the Centre. With this shift of Opposition
empowered to use public funds to campaign politics from New Delhi to State capitals, the politics
against a law made by Parliament — is open for final of Opposition is likely to become the politics over
determination. federalism.
• I n its final judgment, the High Court could bar the Conclusion
State government from campaigning against a • The conflict that the CAA has triggered might
parliamentary law. become a template for future contestations over the
Therefore, neither the refusal to implement nor the official federal question. While the politics seems to be ripe
protests registered by State governments carry much legal for advancing federalism, the law is likely to constrain
force. such a development.
Concerns raised about single party dominance for electoral 14. Needless impatience: On Centre’s plea on death row
politics
convicts
• Parliament, the “temple of democracy”, has been
Context
reduced to a site for procedural formalities. The Lok
Sabha appears to be an extension of the executive, • The Supreme Court (SC) of India has upheld its
rather than a mechanism for its accountability. decision of imposing death penalty to the four
convicts in the heinous ‘ Nirbhaya Gang rape case’
• T he Opposition’s right to question the government
and keep them accountable is seen as meddling in * But change in the date of the execution and the
Governance delay, is seen as justice delayed
* This is based on the assumption that losers • So the Ministry of Home Affairs essentially seeks the
should step aside, respect the democratic incorporation of measures aimed at reducing the
mandate, and let the government do its job scope for death row convicts to adopt dilatory tactics.
• The brute dominance has dwarfed any semblance of Guidelines given by the SC in Shatrughan Chauhan case
Opposition politics at the Centre. • Article 21 of the Constitution postulates that every
* This is manifested through the absence of the human being has inherent right to life and mandates
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha for six years in that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal
a row (a consequence of an archaic and arguably liberty except according to the procedure established
unlawful practice requiring a party to secure at by law.
least 10% of total seats to occupy the position of
Leader of Opposition)

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JANUARY-2020 12

• I n line with this the Supreme Court, in the Shatrughan • C

larify that mercy petition has to be filed within 7 days
Chauhan case, had stipulated that a convict must be of the issuance of death warrant by the court.
given 14 days between being informed that his mercy
plea has been rejected and his execution. • D
irect that death warrant against a convict has to be
executed within 7 days of rejection of mercy petition,
• T hese guidelines were undoubtedly aimed at regardless of the pendency of legal proceedings at
protecting the constitutional rights of prisoners in the instance of co-convicts.
the context of a sound body of jurisprudence that
maintains that such rights extend right up to the Conclusion
moment of their execution • Death penalty is about snatching the life of a person as
• F urther, the 14-day time lag between the closure of per the procedure established by law. Death penalty
the clemency route and their hanging is aimed at is limited to the “rarest of rare” cases. Therefore those
preventing secret executions. facing the execution should be allowed to exhaust all
possible remedies.
* The court was concerned about the right of the
convicts’ family members to be informed 15. The long wait for empowered mayors
* T he court had stated that this period of 14 days Context
would give a convict time to make “peace with
• Many Global cities like New York, Paris, London have
God”, accept his fate and prepare themselves
empowered mayors who lead their country on Urban
mentally.
Issues, but in India the metros have been deprived
Government View of empowered Mayors who can raise efficiency,
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the productivity and livability
SC that convicts of heinous offences who are given a A look at key Stat
death sentence take refuge under this precedent and
• The Economic Survey of 2017-18 notes that a third
Article 21, and thereby take the “judicial process for a
of the population now lives in urban areas which
ride”.
produce three-fifths of the GDP.
• T he government wants to make the guidelines victim-
Advantages of having empowered mayors
centric, rather than convict-centric as they are now.
• The system will allow mayor to select a team of
• T he ministry has requested the court to alter these
experts to handle various responsibilities such as
guidelines in a way that the convicts be bound to file
health, sanitation and transport and would ensure in
a curative petition within a specific time period after
a systematic functioning of the city.
the review petition is rejected.
* T he Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, assumed the
Cases with multiple convicts
leadership of the climate movement in iconic
• The government has stated that if there are multiple ways, with a move to prescribe green roofs in
convicts of a crime in which the death sentence has the vast French capital capturing the public
been awarded, the court should mandate the issuance imagination worldwide.
of death warrant within seven days of the rejection of
• An empowered Mayor could ensure better
the mercy plea, and the execution should take place
transparency, since municipal committees under
within seven days after the warrant is passed.
state authorities have a tendency to be ridden by
• This process, the government has urged, should be corruption.
irrespective of any other legal proceedings opted for
* G
overnment departments will feel accountable
by the co-convicts.
for urban services and infrastructure only under
• I t has argued that when there are multiple convicts the watch of an empowered leader, who enjoys
of the same crime awarded death penalty, the delay the mandate of the city’s residents.
tactic is visible when one convict files for review, others
Challenges
are advised not to opt for the same legal remedy, and
wait until the first one exhausts his legal options. • The first challenge is the status quo itself and the
vested interests it has entrenched. State governments
* The review petitions of the four convicts were
do not wish to delegate more authority to city-level
filed in 2018 and 2019. Three of the petitions
institutions.
were rejected in 2018; the fourth in 2019.
* Chief Ministers see a potential threat from
* T hereafter, only two convicts filed curative
a charismatic and empowered Mayor with
petitions, while the other two still haven’t.
progressive policies.
The following are the modifications sought:
* M
ayors could steal the limelight through
• Declare that death row convicts can file curative spectacular successes, leaving Chief Ministers
petition after the dismissal of review petition only and legislators with little direct connect with
within the time stipulated by the Court. urban voters.

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JANUARY-2020 13

* S ome of them have used the excuse of poor

performance of urban local bodies as a
justification to replace direct election of Mayors
with an indirect system.
• The second challenge is the post of municipal
commissioner. Even if some powers are delegated to
the municipality, the state governments have in place
municipal commissioners to perform the executive
functions, again cutting the mayor to size, the nature
of mayoral election notwithstanding.
• I t has to be ensured that the Mayor has autonomous
authority and is not a mere puppet with a glorified
title. It means that the Mayor should have access
to the city’s budget, which implies that the state
administration should step aside and not interfere in
city’s interior functioning.
Conclusion
• In the coming decade, progress on Sustainable
Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate
Change and the UN Habitat New Urban Agenda will
come under close international scrutiny.
• I ndia’s cities need a new deal, one that is focused
on development. Only elected, empowered and
accountable Mayors can deliver on that.

16. Death sentence for rape-murder in 2019 highest in 4

years: NLU report
Context
• The National Law University (NLU), Delhi, published
a report called ‘The Death Penalty in India: Annual
Statistics’ under Project 39A
• P
roject 39A is a research and litigation initiative
focussed on the criminal justice system, and especially
issues of legal aid, torture, death penalty, and mental
health in prisons.
Details
• According to this report higher number of death
sentences awarded in India in recent years relate to
cases of sexual offences

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JANUARY-2020 14

it was equally a unique achievement in terms of

constitutional design.
• R
epublic Day therefore provides us an opportunity
to take a step back from political contestations about
the Constitution and consider how the text has been
interpreted by the courts over the last seven decades.
Phase One-Textualist Approach
• In its early years, the Supreme Court focused on the
plain meaning of the words used in the Constitution.
• A
.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950) was one of the
early decisions in which the Court was called upon to
interpret the fundamental rights under Part III.
* The leader of the Communist Party of India
claimed that preventive detention legislation
under which he was detained was inconsistent
with Articles 19 (the right to freedom), 21 (the
right to life) and 22 (the protection against
arbitrary arrest and detention).
* T he Supreme Court decided that each of those
articles covered entirely different subject matter,
and were to be read as separate codes rather
than being read together.
• Amongst the most controversial questions in Indian
constitutional law has been whether there are any
limitations on Parliament’s power to amend the
Cases and convictions Constitution, especially fundamental rights. In its
early years, the Court read the Constitution literally,
• The trial courts in India imposed 102 death sentences concluding that there were no such limitations.
in 2019, a significant drop from 162 death sentences
in 2018. Phase Two- The Structure

* H
owever, the percentage of sexual offences in In the second phase, the Supreme Court began exploring
these cases increased from 41.35 (67 out of 162) other methods of interpretation.
in 2018 to 52.94 in 2019 (54 out of 102 sentences). • Appeals to the text of the Constitution were gradually
• This trend was also seen at the High Court’s where overtaken by appeals to the Constitution’s overall
65.38% (17 out of 26) cases of confirmations of structure and coherence.
death sentences involved sexual offences along with • I n the leading case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of
murder, the highest in four years. Kerala (1973), the Court concluded that Parliament’s
• T he Supreme Court in 2019 confirmed the death power to amend the Constitution did not extend
penalty of seven cases out of which four were of to altering its “basic structure” — an open-ended
murder involving sexual offences. catalogue of features that lies within the exclusive
control of the Court.
* It commuted a total of 17 cases of death penalty.
* When Parliament attempted to overturn this
POCSO Act amendment decision by amending the Constitution yet again,
• The report also observed that the amendment to The the Court, relying on structuralist justifications,
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) decisively rejected that attempt.
Act, introducing stringent mandatory minimum • I n this phase, the Court also categorically rejected the
punishments and death penalty for penetrative Gopalan approach in favour of a structuralist one in
sexual assault on children was a major development Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978). Through this
in this direction decision, the Court conceived of the fundamental
rights as a cohesive bill of rights rather than a
17. The four phases of constitutional interpretation miscellaneous grouping of constitutional guarantees.
Introduction * The right to life was incrementally interpreted to
• The Constitution of India came into force 70 years include a wide range of rights such as clean air,
ago, on January 26, 1950. The enactment of the speedy trial, and free legal aid.
Constitution was an ambitious political experiment —
with universal adult franchise, federalism in a region
consisting of over 550 princely States, and social
revolution in a deeply unequal society. However,

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JANUARY-2020 15

* T his paved the way for the Supreme Court to • In enacting the Constitution, the founders of our
play an unprecedented role in the governance Republic expressed a sense of unease with the status
of the nation. quo and raised expectations of root-and-branch
• Impact social revolution and transformation.

* What was common between the first two phases * The Court is now beginning to interpret the
of the interpretive story was that significant Constitution in accordance with its revolutionary
decisions involving the interpretation of the and transformative potential.
Constitution were entrusted to Constitution • With about a dozen significant Constitution Bench
Benches (comprising five or more judges of decisions from the Supreme Court since 2018,
court) and were carefully (even if incorrectly) there has been a renaissance in decision-making
reasoned. by Constitution Benches. This includes the Court’s
* There was limited scope for precedential decisions striking down Section 377 and the criminal
confusion, since matters which had been offence of adultery, and including the office of the
decided by Constitution Benches and which Chief Justice of India within the scope of the Right to
demanded reconsideration were referred to Information Act.
larger Constitution Benches. Conclusion
Phase Three- Eclecticism However, facets of phase 3 continue to linger on in the
In the third phase, the Supreme Court’s interpretive courts.
philosophy turned far more result-oriented than it had • Cases that involve substantial questions of
ever been. The Court often surrendered its responsibility interpretation of the Constitution — such as the cases
of engaging in a thorough rights reasoning of the issues concerning the National Register of Citizens and the
before it. Two factors underpinned this institutional failure. electoral bonds scheme — are still being adjudicated
• First, the changing structure of the Court, which upon by benches of two or three judges.
at its inception began with eight judges, grew to a • T here remains a latent risk, therefore, that the gains
sanctioned strength of 31; it is currently 34. made in the early days of phase four could be lost, and
* It began to sit in panels of two or three judges, we could slide back to panchayati adjudication once
effectively transforming it into a “polyvocal” again.
group of about a dozen sub-Supreme Courts.
18. A case for including Tulu in the Eighth Schedule
• Second, the Court began deciding cases based on
Context
a certain conception of its own role — whether as
sentinel of democracy or protector of the market • The Tulu speaking population of the country has been
economy. urging the government to expedite the steps to list it
under schedule eight.
* This unique decision-making process sidelined
reason-giving in preference to arriving at Stats about Languages in India
outcomes that match the Court’s perception. • According to the 2001 Census, India has 30 languages
The failure to give reasons contributed not only to that are spoken by more than a million people each.
methodological incoherence but also to serious doctrinal Additionally, it has 122 languages that are spoken by
incoherence and inconsistency across the law. at least 10,000 people each.
• This can be best described as panchayati eclecticism, • It also has 1,599 languages, most of which are dialects.
with different Benches adopting inconsistent • T hese are restricted to specific regions and many
interpretive approaches based on their conception of of them are on the verge of extinction. India must
the Court’s role, and arriving at conclusions that were accommodate this plethora of languages in its
often in tension with one another. cultural discourse and administrative apparatus.
* The imagery that panchayati eclecticism is Constitutional Angle
meant to invoke is that of a group of wise men
and women (applying the analogy, sub-Supreme • Article 29 of the Constitution provides that a section
Courts), taking decisions based on notions of of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture
fairness that are detached from precedent, have the right to conserve the same. Whose burden is
doctrine and established interpretive methods. it to conserve the distinct language, script or culture
of such a section of citizens? Does it fall on the state or
Phase Four- Purpose
the citizens concerned?
In the fourth phase, the Court has acknowledged as • A
ctually, both the state and the citizens have an equal
critical to its interpretive exercise the purpose for which responsibility to conserve the distinct language, script
the Constitution has been enacted. Many Constitutions and culture of a people.
attempt the task of entrenching a political compromise
between the incumbents and challengers of the day.
India’s Constitution, at its very inception, was different.

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JANUARY-2020 16

A look at Eighth Schedule Languages series of actions to promote cultural diversity, endangered
language protection, and the protection of intangible
• There are 22 Languages in 8th schedule of the Indian
cultural heritage...”
Constitution. They are protected in Schedule VIII of
the Constitution. Other languages demanding for inclusion under eighth
schedule
• A
ssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi,
kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, • As many as 37 languages including Angika, Banjara,
Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Bazika, Bhojpuri, Bhoti, Bhotia, Bunclelkhandi,
Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu. Chliattisgarhi, Dhatki, Garhwali (Pahari), Gondi, Guj
jail, Ho, Kachachhi, Kamtapuri, Karbi, Khasi, Kodava
About Tulu Language
(Coorg), Kok Barak, Kumaoni, Kurak, Kurmail, Lepcha,
• Tulu is a Dravidian language Limbu, Mizo, Magahi, Mundari, Nagpuri, Nicobarese,
• T he present-day Tulu linguistic majority area is Himachali, Pali, Rajasthani, Sambalpuri, Shaurseni,
confined to the region of Tulu Nadu, which comprises Siraiki, Tenyidi, and Tulu, want the government to
the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in include them under schedule eight.
Karnataka and the northern part of Kasaragod district Way forward
of Kerala up to the river Payaswani, or Chandragiri.
• India has a lot to learn from the Yuelu Proclamation.
• T he cities of Mangaluru, Udupi and Kasaragod are the Placing of all the deserving languages on equal
epicentres of Tulu culture. footing will promote social inclusion and national
Why Tulu should be included in eighth Schedule? solidarity.

• Sanskrit, an Eighth Schedule language, has only • I t will reduce the inequalities within the country to a
24,821 speakers (2011 Census). great extent.

* Manipuri, another scheduled language, has only • S o, Tulu, along with other deserving languages,
17,61,079 speakers. should be included in the Eighth Schedule of the
Constitution in order to substantially materialise
• The Census reports 18,46,427 native speakers of the promise of equality of status and opportunity
Tulu in India. The Tulu-speaking people are larger
mentioned in the Preamble.
in number than speakers of Manipuri and Sanskrit,
which have the Eighth Schedule status. 19. The right to protest in a free society
• M
any unscheduled languages too have a sizeable Context:
number of speakers: Bhili/Bhilodi has 1,04,13,637
speakers; Gondi has 29,84,453 speakers; Garo has • The article argues for the right to protest for the
11,45,323; Ho has 14,21,418; Khandeshi, 18,60,236; citizens.
Khasi, 14,31,344; and Oraon, 19,88,350. Background:
Advantages • Recently, there have been public protests in India
• At present, Tulu is not an official language in India or against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and
any other country. Efforts are being made to include the proposed National Register of Citizens.
Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. • T he government’s handling of the protests has invited
• I f included in the Eighth Schedule, Tulu would get criticism from certain sections. The administrations
recognition from the Sahitya Akademi. have been blamed of arbitrary imposition of section
144.
• T ulu books would be translated into other recognised
Indian languages. * Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code
(CrPC) of 1973 authorises the Executive
• M
embers of Parliament and MLAs could speak in Tulu Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an
in Parliament and State Assemblies, respectively. order to prohibit the assembly of four or more
• C
andidates could write all-India competitive people in an area.
examinations like the Civil Services exam in Tulu. * S ection 144 of CrPC generally prohibits public
Yuelu Proclamation gathering.
The Yuelu Proclamation, made by the UNESCO at * S ection 144 has been used in the past to impose
Changsha, The People’s Republic of China, in 2018, says: restrictions as a means to prevent protests that
“The protection and promotion of linguistic diversity helps can lead to unrest or riots.
to improve social inclusion and partnerships, helps to • The administration has defended its actions, as
reduce the gender and social inequality between different being preventive in nature and to avoid violence and
native speakers, guarantee the rights for native speakers damage to public property.
of endangered, minority, indigenous languages, as well as
non-official languages and dialects to receive education,
enhance the social inclusion level and social decision-
making ability by encouraging them to participate in a

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JANUARY-2020 17

India as a functioning democracy: * T he right to association can also be the right to

• The Preamble of the Constitution states that India is a associate for political purposes, which might
democratic republic. involve challenging government decisions.

• Democracies are founded on two core political rights. * T he right to peaceably assemble allows political
parties and citizenship bodies to question
* T he right of every citizen to freely elect their and object to acts of the government by
government and when dissatisfied with its demonstrations, agitations and public meetings.
performance, to vote it out of power in a
legitimately held election (Article 326). • The Supreme Court has reiterated that the right to
protest is a fundamental right through its verdicts in
* T he people have the right to question and many cases.
challenge the government’s proposals or
decisions. This allows the citizens to politically * I n the case of Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home
participate not only during but between Secretary, Union of India & Ors., the Supreme
elections. This involves a broader conception Court has held that citizens have a fundamental
of democracy that embodies active and not right to assembly and peaceful protest which
passive citizenship. cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive
or legislative action.
• D
emocracy requires that the voice of the people be
heard by those in power and decisions be reached * I n the Maneka Gandhi vs. Union of India case, the
after proper discussion and consultation. SC held similar views on right to protest.

• P
ublic protests for legitimate causes and concerns Inclusive approach:
are the hallmark of a free, democratic society. They • Street protests and demonstration movements
constitute our political freedoms. are particularly important for those outside the
• T he right to protest is a fundamental political right mainstream, or those not educated formally.
basic to a democratic society. • T hey provide an opportunity for even the most
Holding the government accountable: illiterate and powerless person to show dissent. Street
protests help involve many people in the movement.
• The protests perform an important function of
holding the government in power accountable to its • A
braham Lincoln had once noted that “the right of
actions and decisions. the people to peaceably assemble is a constitutional
substitute for revolution”.
• T he cluster of inter-related political rights of expression,
association, assembly, petition and protest is meant to Historical experience:
ensure that the government works in the interests of Independence struggle:
the citizenry.
• The background of the Indian Constitution is formed
• T he citizens can act as watchdogs and constantly by its anti-colonial struggle.
monitor the government’s acts.
• T he Indian freedom struggle involved public
* They play an important role of helping to expression of views against colonial policies and laws,
recognize and rectify mistakes. demonstrations expressing dissent and shaping of
* A
n elected government may stray from the public opinion against them.
constitutional course, go against the interests • The methods involved staging dharnas, holding large
of the people, become unresponsive and refuse public meetings and demonstrations and even civil
to listen. In such conditions, pressure against disobedience.
the government can be built through public
Post-Independence:
protests.
• Potti Sreeramulu undertook a satyagraha demanding
• This is similar to the multiparty system provided for
for the creation of a new Telugu-speaking state of
in the Constitution, where Opposition parties are
Andhra.
viewed as valuable adversaries and not enemies.
• T he Chipko Movement led by Gaura Devi, Chandi
Fundamental rights:
Prasad Bhatt, was a people’s movement to save the
• The right to protest peacefully is enshrined in trees in Uttarakhand. It was meant to prevent the
the Indian Constitution via Article 19(1)(a) which then U.P. government from awarding contracts to
guarantees the freedom of speech and expression commercial loggers.
and Article 19(1)(b) which assures citizens the right to
Context
assemble peaceably and without arms.
Restraints on Right to protest:
* The right to free speech and expression can be
also interpreted as the right to freely express an • The right to protest, to publicly question and force the
opinion on the conduct of the government. government to answer, is a fundamental political right
of the people that flows directly from a democratic

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JANUARY-2020 18
reading of Article 19. For this, the right to freedom • “ When it comes to the right to appoint teachers, in
of expression, association and peaceful assembly are terms of law laid down in the TMA Pai Foundation
necessary. case, a regulation framed in the national interest must
necessarily apply to all institutions regardless whether
• T he arbitrary restraint on the exercise of such rights by
they are run by majority or minority as the essence of
the imposition of Section 144 is a concern.
Article 30(1) is to ensure equal treatment between the
• S ection 144 is to be imposed in urgent cases of majority and minority institutions.”
nuisance or apprehended danger of events that has
• “ An objection can certainly be raised if an unfavorable
the potential to cause trouble or damage to human
treatment is meted out to an educational institution
life or property thus limiting it to only emergency
established and administered by minority. But if
situations.
ensuring of excellence in educational institutions is
Intolerance towards dissent: the underlying principle behind a regulatory regime
• T he arbitrary imposition of Sec 144 highlights the and the mechanism of selection of teachers is so
inability of the government to tolerate dissent. designed to achieve excellence in institutions, the
matter may stand on a completely different footing,”
• I t also reflects the incapacity of the government to
discuss, deliberate or listen. Details:

Way forward: • In the judgment, SC said the regulatory law should,

however, balance the dual objectives of ensuring a
• The people opposing the CAA have the right to standard of excellence as well as preserving the right
protest and express their opinions. The government of the minorities to establish and administer their
needs to acknowledge the right to dissent and protest educational institutions.
for all Indians.
• T he court explains how to strike a “balance” between
• N
otably, Article 19(1)(3) states that the rights are the two objectives of excellence in education and
subject to “reasonable restrictions” in the interest of the preservation of the minorities’ right to run their
public order. There is the need to ensure there is no educational institutions.
violence or damage to public property in the protests.
• F or this, the court broadly divides education into
20. State can regulate minority institutions, says Supreme two categories – secular education and education
“directly aimed at or dealing with preservation and
Court
protection of the heritage, culture, script and special
Context characteristics of a religious or a linguistic minority.”
• The Supreme Court has held that the state is well • W
hen it comes to the latter, the court advocated
within its rights to introduce a regulatory regime in “maximum latitude” to be given to the management
the “national interest” to provide minority educational to appoint teachers.
institutions with well-qualified teachers in order for
• T he court reasons that only “teachers who believe in
them to “achieve excellence in education.”
the religious ideology or in the special characteristics
• T he managements of minority institutions cannot of the concerned minority would alone be able to
ignore such a legal regime by saying that it is their imbibe in the students admitted in such educational
fundamental right under Article 30 of the Constitution institutions, what the minorities would like to
to establish and administer their educational preserve, profess and propagate.”
institutions according to their choice.
• H
owever, minority institutions where the curriculum
Background: was “purely secular”, the intent must be to impart
• The judgment came on a challenge to the validity of education availing the best possible teachers.
the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act of
2008. 21. The warp and weft of religious liberty

• T he State Act mandated that the process of Context

appointment of teachers in aided madrasahs, • A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court will begin
recognised as minority institutions, would be done by hearing arguments on questions concerning the
a Commission, whose decision would be binding. relationship between the right to freedom of religion
• T he apex court upheld the validity of the 2008 Act, and the rights of individuals to dignity and equality.
saying the Commission was composed of persons Background:
with profound knowledge in Islamic Culture and
• The establishment of the nine-judge bench originated
Islamic Theology.
out of an order of reference made on review petitions
TMA Pai Foundation case: filed against the Sabarimala judgment. The new
• Referring to the 11-judge Bench decision in the TMA bench will have to interpret the scope and extent of
Pai Foundation case, SC said Article 30(1) (right of the Constitution’s religious liberty clauses.
minorities to establish and administer educational
institutions of their choice) was neither absolute nor
above the law.

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JANUARY-2020 19

• T here have been many such cases in recent history ruled that a Parsi who married outside her community
which involved the often contradictory relationship must be allowed to enter fire temples and participate
between the right to freedom of religion and the in other religious rituals.
rights of individuals to dignity and equality. • A
lso, entry of menstruating women and non-Parsis is
1. Madesnana ritual: not allowed inside Fire Temple.
• It is a 500-year-old ritual performed at the Kukke • T here have been petitions which claim that the laws
Subramanya Temple in Karnataka. governing the personal lives of Parsis in India are
inherently discriminatory and there is a need for state
• T he practice involves people mostly belonging to
intervention to correct it.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, rolling over
plantain leaves left behind with food half-eaten by The Court will be faced with a difficult task of balancing the
Brahmins. The belief is that this act would cleanse right to freedom of religion and the rights of individuals to
their skin of impurities. dignity and equality.
• In 2012, following a petition by progressive-minded 1. Freedom of Religion:
citizens, a division bench of the Karnataka High Court • India is a pluralist and diverse nation. The groups and
had put a halt to the ritual, but allowed it to continue communities with their diverse religious or cultural
in a modified form where Devotees could now practices need to be protected, given that they have
voluntarily choose to roll over leaves containing food played an important role in society.
that was not tasted or partially eaten by the members
of any community. • T he Constitution of India in an effort to protect the
diverse practices recognizes both the freedom of
• T he order was lifted two years later by another religion as an individual right (Article 25), as well as the
division bench of the High Court, which allowed right of religious denominations to manage their own
madesnana in its original form. The court noted that affairs in matters of religion (Article 26).
the practise did not violate any law and the banning
of it would hurt the sentiments of devotees and effect 2. Reasonable restrictions:
their constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of • Communities which can be a source of solidarity
religion. among the people can also be a source of oppression
• F ollowing a challenge, the Supreme Court of India in and exclusion at times. Some members of religious
2014 placed a temporary ban on madesnana. and cultural communities may be subjected to
authoritarian and oppressive social practices.
2. Female genital mutilation:
• I n India, religion and social life are inextricably linked.
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practised in India Religious and social status often reinforce each other.
by the Dawoodi Bohras, a sect of Shia Islam with one
million members in India. The procedure is generally • T he practise of “untouchability”, which the
performed when a girl is seven years old and involves Constitution explicitly prohibits and the practice of
the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood. “ex-communication” reflect the effect that certain
religious practices can have on the social status of the
• I n 2017 a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case was vulnerable sections.
raised in India’s Supreme Court, seeking a ban on FGM
in India. • T he constitution recognizing the need to protect such
vulnerable sections, states that Articles 25 and 26 are
• T he petition claimed the practice violated children’s subject to public order, morality, and health. Article 25
rights under Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article is also subject to other fundamental rights guaranteed
21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution of India. FGM can by the Constitution, and to the state’s power to bring
lead to complications in later life including difficult in social reform laws.
deliveries and urinary infections.
Finding the middle ground:
• T he defendants argue that khafz is an essential part
of the community’s religion, and their right to practise • T here is a need to balance the autonomy of cultural
the religion is protected under Articles 25 and 26. and religious communities and also ensure that
The community believes that male and female individual rights are not entirely compromised due to
circumcision is required as “acts of religious purity”. community compulsions.
3. Parsi women and entry to sun temple: The doctrine of essential practices:
• A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship • Over the years, the Supreme Court has attempted
for Zoroastrians. to reconcile the two impulses of respecting religious
autonomy and enforcing individual rights by using
• T here is a religious custom in India of not allowing the jurisprudence of “essential practices of a religion”.
Zoroastrian women to enter the Fire Temple and The court has in its previous judgments held that
the Tower of Silence if they marry a non-Zoroastrian only those practices that are “essential” to a religion,
person. enjoy constitutional protection. All other rituals are
• O
verturning a previous a Gujarat High Court order considered open to the state’s interference.
which upheld the practice the Supreme Court has

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JANUARY-2020 20

• T he Courts have struck down a number of rituals Petitioners

across religions on the grounds that those practices
• Aggrieved by the same, the Petitioners (Ms. Anuradha
were embodiments of superstition as opposed to
Bhasin and Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad) approached
faith. The followers have opposed this questioning
Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution
the competency of the “secular” courts to make such
seeking issuance of an appropriate writ for setting
distinctions in religious practices.
aside or quashing any and all order(s), notification(s),
Way forward: direction(s) and/or circular(s) issued by the Govt.
The anti-exclusion principle: Context
• One way to strike a balance between the two rights • In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court said that
would be to check whether the effect of the disputed access to the Internet is a fundamental right under
religious practice causes harm to individual rights or Article 19 of the Constitution, and asked the Jammu
not. If it does not the religious practice can be allowed, and Kashmir administration to review within a week
if not it should be banned. all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory.
• I n this approach the enquiry is not whether the • A
five-judge bench headed by Justice NV Ramana
practice is truly religious, but whether its effect is to also asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration
subordinate, exclude a section of the society. to restore Internet services in institutions providing
• A
similar approach was used by the Bombay High essential services like hospitals and educational
Court in dealing with a petition challenging the places.
exclusion of women from the inner sanctum of the The SC was looking at the issues of Liberty and security
Haji Ali Dargah. The court found that this practice
• It wanted to strike a balance between liberty and
constituted a violation of equality for women and
security concerns so that the right to life is secured
struck it down.
and enjoyed in the best possible manner.
• E ven in the Sabarimala case, both the concurring
What is Internet Shutdown?
opinion of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and the
dissenting opinion of Justice Indu Malhotra agreed • Any disruption in access to Internet services is
that the anti-exclusion principle ought to be the test shutdown of Internet
of the permissibility of certain religious and cultural • S ection 144 Criminal Procedure Code was used to
practices. shut the Internet
Conclusion: * I t empowers the state government to take
• The rights of women who have long been at the measures, including the imposition of certain
receiving end of discriminatory practices and other restrictions, to maintain public tranquility.
vulnerable groups are on stake. The constitution • T emporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public
envisions a life of dignity and equality to all, both in Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017
the public sphere and in the sphere of community.
* R
ule 2(1) provides the procedure and powers for
• The court’s constitutional interpretation, in this case, the ‘competent authority’ to issue a direction for
will go a long way in guaranteeing the basic norms the suspension of Internet.
of fairness, equality, and freedom to members of a
community. * T he ‘competent authority’ refers to the Home
Secretary of Union government or the State
22. Access to the internet is a fundamental right government.
Background * I f in case obtaining of prior direction from the
• 5th of August 2019 the president of India issued competent authority is not feasible, such order
an order which changed the position of statehood may be issued by an officer, not below the rank
accorded to J&K to the status of Union Territory of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India.

• A
nticipating breach of peace and tranquility • Under these rules, the government can temporarily
the District Magistrates imposed restrictions on suspend the internet in any part of the country.
movement and public gatherings by virtue of powers SC Judgment - Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India and
vested under Section 144, CrPC. Ors
• T he Central Government and J&K Administration • Indian constitution makes the right to freedom of
also imposed Internet shutdown as they felt that speech and expression a fundamental right for all
the restrictions were necessary in the interest of citizens. It has been listed in Article 19 (1) (a) of the
national security. It was submitted that internet ban Constitution
is necessary to cut-off the co-ordination amongst
• T he Supreme Court has on many occasions expanded
militants.
the scope of the right to freedom of speech and
expression.

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JANUARY-2020 21

* I nternet is the primary source of information to Ram Jethmalani v. Union of India, (2011)
millions of Indian citizens.
• In order that the right guaranteed by Article 32 be
• A
non-citizen can avail the same benefits but cannot meaningful, and particularly because such petitions
claim it as his/her fundamental right. seek the protection of fundamental rights, it is
• T he court declared that the freedom of speech and imperative that in such proceedings the petitioners
expression and the freedom to practice any profession are not denied the information necessary for them to
or carry on any trade, business or occupation over the properly articulate the case and be heard, especially
medium of internet enjoys constitutional protection where such information is in the possession of the
under Article 19(1) (a) and Article 19(1) (g) The State.”
restriction upon such fundamental rights should be Freedom of Press
in consonance with the mandate under Article 19
(2) and (6) of the Constitution, inclusive of the test of • The apex court also considered the issue whether the
proportionality” freedom of the press of Anuradha Bhasin, Kashmir
Times Editor, was violated due to restrictions.
• Suspension of internet for indefinite period not
permissible. It can only be for a reasonable duration • W
hile upholding the right to access to the Internet,
and periodic review should be done. the court upheld the freedom of the press and
observed that “there is no doubt that the importance
* T he court also said the orders suspending the of the press is well established under Indian Law.
Internet would have to necessarily state how The freedom of the press is a requirement in any
the action was justified and proportionate to the democratic society for its effective functioning”.
imminent threat to law and order.
Reference to UDHR
• Going forward any net ban will be subject to the
scrutiny. • The right to access to the internet is also a salient
feature of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
* T he observations made by the court essentially (UDHR).
laid out guidelines that Internet shutdowns
cannot be arbitrary and can be challenged in • A
rticle 19 of the UDHR states that “everyone has
courts the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without
Chilling Effect Doctrine interference and to seek, receive and impart
• It is chiefly adopted for challenging an action of information and ideas through any media and
the State, which may be constitutional, but which regardless of frontiers.”
imposes a great burden on the free speech. High Court Judgments in the past
• T he chilling effect is used to describe overt censorship • 2015-The Gujarat High Court upheld the state
such as a government banning publication of a book, government’s decision to put a ban on mobile
as well as more subtle controls such as ambiguous internet during the Patel quota agitation
legislation and high legal costs that provoke
uncertainty and fear among writers and journalists. * A
ccording to order of the Gujarat High Court: Yes;
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
SC On Section 144 CrPC 1973 (“CrPC”) empowers the State government
• Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC cannot be machinery to impose a temporary ban.
imposed to suppress legitimate expression of opinion • 2018- The State of Rajasthan banned internet
or grievance or exercise of any democratic rights. services more than 10 times in the state when the
• S ection 144 CrPC orders can be imposed when there administration conducted exams including RAS
is apprehension of danger. But the danger must be in prelims and police constable recruitment.
the nature of an “emergency”. * The Govt shut internet to prevent cheating in
• W
hile passing orders under Section 144 CrPC, entrance examinations. It caused inconvenience
Magistrate has to balance interests of individual rights to general public
and concerns of state. * Rajasthan high court said Internet services
• T he orders under Section 144 CrPC should state cannot be banned for conducting exams.
material facts to enable judicial review. The power Conclusion
should be exercised in a reasonable and bona fide
manner. • The verdict may have larger, lasting consequences
for fundamental rights in our digital age, since other
• R
epetitive orders under Section 144, Cr.P.C. would be rules created and used by the Union government,
an abuse of power particularly under the Information Technology Act,
Chilli On the obligation of the State to disclose information have allowed the blocking of countless websites via
secret orders that are not published.

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JANUARY-2020 22

• I t has hurt democracy and gone against the principles

of judicial oversight and the necessity to have
thorough checks and balances.
• This judgment should be seen as a work in progress. It
leaves many issues of actual state measures impacting
citizens today, and matters of law, open. It should also
be seen as a call for further action.
• T he government going forward has to formulate
clear guidelines on internet shutdowns that are in
consonance with the Court’s ruling, and these should
be put out for public discussion.

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JANUARY-2020 23

ECONOMY
1. Air India disinvestment trans-shipment, express courier and special cargo
at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mangaluru and
Context
Thiruvananthapuram airports. This would provide the
• The NDA government has kicked off the disinvestment investor with an ancillary services firm with captive
process for Air India for the second time — its previous use.
attempt in 2018 had failed to receive a single bid.
• Air India currently operates to 56 Indian cities and
• T he Union government has now invited bids for 42 international destinations. Several of Air India’s
100% stake sale of Air India (AI) and transfer of international and domestic routes are profit-
management control along with its complete share generating, while a number of them are loss-making
in two subsidiaries-low-cost international carrier Air or witness low load factors. This is a legacy problem
India Express and ground-handling arm AISATS. that the airline comes with for the new promoter.
The government has sweetened the deal on several counts. How Air India Sale helps?
• First, unlike last time when it offered to offload only • The present offer marks a bold reform and a very
76 per cent of its stake in the airline, the government determined effort to exit the airline to allow the
will offload its entire stake. This is likely to encourage taxpayers’ funds to be utilized for the government’s
prospective bidders as it implies having full social agenda.
operational freedom to run the carrier.
• T he present offer involves a clean exit by the
• S econd, the government has taken steps to address government and complete transfer to the private
the airline’s massive debt, which has been a major player. This would ensure the private players enough
stumbling block for prospective buyers. This time freedom to run the state of affairs in the company
around, the government has transferred part of the without many regulations.
debt to a special purpose vehicle. As a result, the
How will consumers and employees be impacted?
buyer will now have to take over only Rs 23,286 crore
of debt. • CONSUMERS: If and when Air India is taken over by a
private entity or consortium, experts believe the first
• T hird, the government has lowered the net worth
move could be pruning of operations to ensure the
criteria for potential bidders from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs
airline inches closer to profitability. This could cause
3,500 crore.
Air India to cease operations on certain loss-making
• F ourth, eligibility norms have been tweaked and domestic and international routes — leading to a rise
consortiums have been given greater flexibility for in fares.
bidding, making it a better structured deal. However,
* It is believed that Air India’s continuous loss-
prospective buyers will still have to contend with
making operations have skewed the market,
the airline’s huge workforce. Some have argued that
wherein private companies have to play ball
investors may find it difficult to buy the entire airline.
even when fares are artificially low.
Eligibility
* C
utting certain routes could also impact
• Any private or public limited company, a corporate consumers in terms of the unique offerings by
body and a fund with a net value of ₹3,500 crores will Air India, such as higher baggage allowance, etc.
be eligible to bid.
• EMPLOYEES: Air India’s bloated staff strength was
What will the new investor get? flagged by potential investors in the last disinvestment
• The most attractive proposition in acquiring Air India attempt. According to the preliminary information
is the slots and landing rights that it holds at airports memorandum, 36% of the permanent staff will retire
such at Delhi, Mumbai, London, New York, Chicago, in the next five years.
Paris, etc. * The government has not addressed a prime
• T hese could be helpful both to airlines looking to hurdle to the stake sale — the fates of 17,984
expand into long-haul international operations, and employees of Air India and Air India Express,
to entities looking to set up global operations from 9,617 of whom are permanent
scratch. * A
part from the huge employee base, the
• The new investor also gets hold of the ground- successful bidder will also have to deal with
handling firm AI-SATS, which offers end-to-end pension liability for the airline’s retired employees
ground handling services such as passenger and and their perks such as free/rebated tickets.
baggage handling, ramp handling, aircraft interior
cleaning, load control and flight operations, and
cargo handling services for general, perishable,

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JANUARY-2020 24

* T here is no escaping the fact that whoever buys • S uggest measures for maximizing utilisation of vacant
the airline will have to shed surplus labour. A land in SEZs,
turnaround will not be possible without pruning • S uggest changes in the SEZ policy based on
employee costs. international experience and
Conclusion • M
erge the SEZ policy with other Government
• F or bidders, having full operational freedom without schemes like coastal economic zones, Delhi-Mumbai
government interference is a huge positive. industrial corridor, national industrial manufacturing
zones and food and textiles parks.
• H
owever if there are no bidders this time, in such
a scenario, the government can seriously consider Context
selling Air India in parts, given that there will be • Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister chaired
greater demand for some of its businesses such as a meeting to review Baba Kalyani report on Special
international routes.
Economic Zone (SEZ) policy of India..
• T hus, a more prudent approach would be to split its
various businesses such as international and domestic 4. Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)
operations, its ground services arm, and the airport Context
services company, and sell them separately.
• The National Statistical Office released data that
AISATS showed annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation
• I t is a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited, for December 2019 at 7.35%, which was the highest
and SATS Limited, a leading gateway services and since the 7.39% of July 2014, and also more than the
food solutions provider in Asia. Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper target limit of 6%.
• A
s part of the Indian Government’s initiative to • B
ut the real shocker was retail food inflation, which
upgrade its airports to world-class facilities and attract soared to a more than six-year high of 14.12%.
more airlines to fly into India, AISATS was formed with Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)
the vision to provide world-class airport services in
• It is a measure of change in retail prices of food
ground and cargo handling
products consumed by a defined population group in
2. ARTIS (Application for Remedies in Trade for Indian a given area with reference to a base year.
industry and other Stakeholders) * The base year presently used is 2012.
• The commerce ministry’s arm Directorate General • Like Consumer Price Index (CPI), the CFPI is also
of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has launched an online calculated on a monthly basis and methodology
system - ARTIS - for filing of anti-dumping applications remains the same as CPI.
by domestic industry with an aim to facilitate speedy • T he Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics
resolution of dumping issues. and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) releases
• I t is developed for filing of applications, responses CFPI for three categories -rural, urban and combined,
and other related submissions with respect to various separately on an all India basis
trade remedial measures. * P
rice data are collected from selected towns by
Significance the Field Operations Division of NSSO and from
selected villages by the Department of Posts.
• Its aim is to enhance transparency, efficiency and
provide expedited relief to the domestic producers * P
rice data are received through web portals
for different trade remedies like anti-dumping duty, being maintained by the National Informatics
safeguard duty and countervailing duty. Centre.
• A
pplicants can also monitor the current status of their How serious is the spike in food inflation? Is it more than
applications through this portal. what was expected?
• The sudden and sharp increase in the Consumer Food
3. Baba Kalyani led committee- SEZ Policy Report
Price Index (CPFI) inflation has caught everyone by
• The Baba Kalyani led committee was constituted by surprise. For an extended period from September
the Ministry of Commerce& Industry to study the 2016 to August 2019, the year-on-year CPFI inflation
existing SEZ policy of India consistently remained below the overall CPI inflation.
Objectives • B
ut CPFI inflation went up from 2.99% in August
• The objectives of the committee were to evaluate the to 5.11% in September to 7.88% in October, then
SEZ policy and make it WTO compatible, to 10.01% in November and 14.12% in December.
This last figure was the highest since the 17.89% for
November 2013.

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JANUARY-2020 25

So what accounts for this sudden spike? • T here is pressure now to open up or allow more
imports of commodities such as pulses, milk powder,
• The main reason seems to be the uneven rains. The
and edible oils. The government will ultimately have
southwest monsoon season (June-September) in
to take a considered decision that balances the
2019 brought little rain almost until the last week of
July. The late onset of the monsoon resulted in lower interests of both producers and consumers
and delayed sowing of the kharif crop.
5. Coal Mining
• H
owever, September, October, and even the first half
Context
of November saw heavy rain, which caused damage
to the standing crop that was in the late maturity • The Cabinet has cleared the Mineral Laws
stage, or due for harvesting. (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, which will open up
the coal mining sector completely, enabling anyone
• T he production disruptions during kharif, ironically
with finances and expertise to bid for blocks and sell
from more and not less rain, are the main reason for
the coal freely to any buyer of their choice
prices rising, especially from September onward.
Present Scenario
Is this then temporary and once-for-all?
• Until now there were restrictions on who could bid for
• The same heavy and unseasonal rain that wreaked
coal mines — only those in power, iron and steel and
havoc on the kharif (monsoon) crop has helped
coal washery business could bid for mines — and the
recharge groundwater aquifers, and filled the major
bidders needed prior experience of mining in India.
irrigation reservoirs to near full capacity. This is
proving beneficial to the rabi (winter-spring) crop. • T his effectively limited the potential bidders to a
select circle of players and thus limited the value that
• G
overnment data show farmers have sown 8% more
the government could extract from the bidding.
area during the current rabi season. That, together
with vastly improved soil moisture conditions and Now all end-use restrictions have been removed, easing
a normal winter, should hopefully translate into a the entry of companies not engaged in any coal-use
bumper harvest, offsetting any kharif losses. industry in coal mining.
Concerns • Moreover, existing private owners will now be able to
sell their surplus coal in the market.
• What could cause unease to the policy makers is that
the spike comes alongside a global upswing in food Why this is a very important step?
prices. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation’s • The ordinance essentially democratises the coal
Food Price Index (base year: 2002-04 = 100) averaged industry and makes it attractive for merchant mining
181.7 points in December 2019, the highest since the companies, including multinationals such as BHP and
185.8 level of December 2014. Rio Tinto, to look at India.
• T he simultaneous hardening of international prices • I ndia is one of the largest coal producers in the world
poses a challenge to the government and the Reserve with an output of 729 million tonnes in 2018-19.
Bank of India in containing domestic food inflation at However, despite sluggish economic growth, import
a time when the economy is already going through a shipments have surged from 190 million tonne in
deep slowdown. 2016-17 to 235 million tonne in 2018-19 — in value
• R
ising global prices can potentially undermine the terms, imports touched $26.18 billion in 2018-19, up
assumption of food prices cooling off after March, from $15.76 billion in 2016-17.
which also complicates RBI’s efforts at monetary * T his surge in coal imports, along with oil and
easing to address the ongoing slowdown. electronics imports, has exerted pressure on the
• T he disturbing December print has set off fears over country’s current account in recent years.
whether India is entering a period of slow growth * The relaxation in regulations, along with
accompanied by high inflation, in other words, previous initiatives such as allowing 100 per cent
stagflation. foreign direct investment through the automatic
What can the government do? route in commercial coal production, can aid
in boosting coal production in the country and
• Food inflation is not bad news for farmers who have
help reduce imports.
suffered from low crop prices and the end of the global
commodity boom after 2014. A price recovery would Advantages
give a boost to rural incomes, which is beneficial for • Large investment in mining will create jobs and set off
consumption and overall economic growth in the demand in critical sectors such as mining equipment
current circumstances. and heavy commercial vehicles.
• B
ut neither the government nor the RBI can afford
to ignore food inflation that will hurt consumers and
make further cuts in interest rate impossible.

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JANUARY-2020 26

• T he move to amend the law will help India gain access • A

s an advisory body it actively contributes to the
to high-end technology for underground mining policies of the Government of India and acts as an
used by global miners. interface between the engineering industry and the
• T he steel industry would get cheaper inputs, leading government.
to an increase in ‘competitiveness’. What are Engineering Goods?
• T he move will help create an efficient energy market, It includes
usher in competition and reduce coal imports, while
also ending the monopoly of state-owned Coal India • Iron and Steel and Products made of Iron and Steel
Ltd. • N
on-Ferrous Metals and Products made of Non-
What should the Government do? Ferrous Metals

• Government needs to reduce the time for approval • Industrial Machinery

of mining leases and also ease the procedures for * Boilers, parts, etc. IC Engines and Parts Pumps
clearances. of all types Air condition and Refrigerators
• T he opening up of coal mining effectively ends Coal Industrial Machinery for dairy, food processing,
India’s (CIL) monopoly status. textiles etc.

* C
IL is a Maharatna PSU and tremendous public * Machine Tools
resources have been invested in the company * M
achinery for Injection molding, valves and
over the years. It is the government’s responsibility ATMs
to ensure that CIL is not compromised the way
• Automobiles
BSNL has been by opening up to private players.
* M
otor Vehicle/cars; Two and Three Wheelers;
* The company employs about three lakh people,
Auto Components/Part; Aircrafts and Spacecraft
is listed and is a national asset. It has to be
parts and products; Ships Boats and Floating
nurtured even as private players are welcomed.
products and parts
Conclusion
• Other engineering products
• How quickly these investments fructify depends on
* Medical and Scientific instruments; Railway
the kinds of coal blocks offered, the infrastructure
Transport; Hand Tools & Cutting Tools; Electrodes
available, the government’s ability to ease the
Accumulators
regulatory hurdles such as the process of obtaining
clearances, and clearing of mining plans, that have Functions
complicated the process so far. • Keep in constant communication with Chambers
of Commerce and other mercantile and public
6. ELECRAMA
bodies throughout the world with a view to taking
• It is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical appropriate and necessary measures for maintaining
industry and a platform to connect the world with or increasing the exports of engineering goods;
Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends
• S upport upgradation of technology to boost India’s
and innovation for future energy transition.
engineering exports and establish synergy between
• E LECRAMA over the years emerged as a platform for industry and academia;
knowledge-sharing with a strong focus on electric
• E EPC India facilitates sourcing from India and
vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT), storage solutions
encourages MSMEs to raise their standard at par with
and renewable energy.
international best practices.
• E LECRAMA 2020 will serve as a catalyst to boost the
Context
Indian growth story for the Indian industry, MSME and
start-ups to understand and experience global trends • Engineering exports for (2019-2020) are expected to
and adopting new technologies. be almost the same as that of last year (2018-2019),
according to chairman of EEPC India.
Context
Region wise engineering export
• Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Minister
Inaugurated ELECRAMA 2020 • The U.S. and the EU are major destinations for
engineering exports and China’s supplies have
7. Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) come down drastically due to several reasons such
as pollution issues, high labour cost, anti-dumping
• EEPC India is the premier trade and investment
duties
promotion organisation in India. It is sponsored by
the Ministry of Commerce & Industry • E uropean clients had approached Indian companies
in the beginning of this financial year as Chinese
supplies reduced. But, India did not have adequate
capacity.

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JANUARY-2020 27

9. India’s no-fly list

Why is there a no-fly list?
• The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has
issued an advisory to the airlines on dealing with
unruly passengers.
• A
ccording to the DGCA, the adoption of unlawful/
disruptive behavior in any situation on board the
aircraft or during embarkation/disembarkation may
interfere with the performance of the duties of the
crew member.
• S uch an act may also lessen the ability of the crew
member to perform those duties or jeopardize the
safety of the aircraft/persons/property on board/
good order and discipline on board, aggravate
discomfort to other passengers & crew members and
may invite penal action in accordance with applicable
regulations.
8. Gold hallmarking being made mandatory
• T he government kick-started the process of
Context developing these rules after an incident involving
• Gold Hallmarking was made mandatory across the then Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an
nation from 15th January, 2020 but a period of one Air India staffer on a flight back in 2017.
year will be given for implementation * S ubsequently a number of airlines banned
Details Gaikwad from travelling on their flights. The
government then came out with the no-fly list in
Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of Gold
2017
• The BIS (Bureau of Indian standards) Act 2016 has
Guidelines for no-fly list
enabling provisions under Section 14 & Section 16 for
making hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts In 2017, the government issued rules for preventing
mandatory by the Central Government. This will disruptive behaviour by air travellers and laid down
make it compulsory for all the jewellers selling gold guidelines.
jewellery and artefacts to register with BIS and sell • As per the rules, a complaint of unruly behavior needs
only hallmarked Gold jewellery and artefacts. to be filed by the pilot-in-command, and this is to be
Significance probed by an internal committee to be set up by the
airline.
• It is designed to strengthen consumer confidence,
create a level-playing field for jewellers and make • D
uring the period of pendency of the inquiry, the rules
trade more organized empower the concerned airline to impose a ban on
the passenger. The committee is to decide the matter
• I t will help the customers as this will ensure purity
within 30 days, and also specify the ban duration.
of the precious metal, one will be assured of the
authenticity of the jewellery. The rules define three categories of unruly behavior:
• T he hallmarked gold will now fetch customers the • Level 1 refers to behaviour that is verbally unruly, and
right market price for gold when they have plans of calls for debarment up to three months;
selling the same in the future. • L evel 2 indicates physical unruliness and can lead to
Way forward the passenger being debarred from flying for up to six
months;
• The need of the hour is to create awareness among
the consumers across the country so that they • L evel 3 indicates life-threatening behaviour for which
demand hallmarked gold jewellery. the debarment would be for a minimum of two years.
• The government should ensure that the hallmarking How does someone end up on the list?
centers follow best practices while assaying the • A no-fly list essentially begins with a passenger
jewellery to ensure uniformity causing verbal, physical or life-threatening unruliness.
• B
arcodes on hallmarked gold jewellery should also The DGCA has given an indicative list of actions that
be made compulsory to avoid infiltration of jewellery may be construed as unruly.
with fake hallmarking certification into the supply • T hese include: consuming alcohol or drugs resulting
chain. in unruly behaviour; smoking in an aircraft; using
threatening or abusive language towards a member of
the crew or other passengers; intentionally interfering
with the performance of the duties of a crew member
etc.

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JANUARY-2020 28

• O
nce the pilot-in-command submits his complaint, What was the objective?
the airline is bound to refer the complaint to its • The initiative hopes to attract capital and technological
internal committee. investment in India
• During the course of the enquiry, the airline can ban • T he major objective behind the initiative is to focus on
the passenger from flying for a maximum period of job creation and skill enhancement
up to 30 days.
• T he initiative is set to boost entrepreneurship, not
• I n addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs provides a list only in manufacturing but in relevant infrastructure
of individuals identified as national security threats to and service sectors as well.
DGCA and to the airlines, for inclusion in the no-fly list.
As the policy changes were intended to usher growth
What is the structure of the internal committee? in three key variables of the manufacturing sector —
• The internal committee is to consist of a retired investments, output, and employment growth — an
district and session’s judge as Chairman, along with examination of these will help us gauge the success of the
a representative from a different scheduled airline policy.
and a representative from a passengers association or 1. Investment
consumer association as members.
• The last five years witnessed slow growth of
• T he internal committee shall give the final decision investment in the economy. This is more so when we
in 30 days by giving the reasons in writing, the rules consider capital investments in the manufacturing
state, and the decision of the committee shall be sector.
binding on the airline concerned.
• G
ross fixed capital formation of the private sector, a
• I n case the committee fails to take a decision in 30 measure of aggregate investment, declined to 28.6%
days, the passenger will be free to fly. of GDP in 2017-18 from 31.3% in 2013-14 (Economic
Is there redress for someone declared guilty by the internal Survey 2018-19).
committee? • I nterestingly, though the public sector’s share
• Any aggrieved person, upon receipt of communication remained more or less the same during this period,
of a ban from the airline, may appeal within 60 days the private sector’s share declined from 24.2% to
from the date of issue of the order, to an Appellate 21.5%. Part of this problem can be attributed to the
Committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil decline in the savings rate in the economy.
Aviation, consisting of a retired judge of a High Court • H
ousehold savings have declined, while the private
as Chairman; a representative from a passengers’ corporate sector’s savings have increased. Thus we
association or a consumer association; and an airlines find a scenario where the private sector’s savings have
representative not below the rank of vice-president or increased, but investments have decreased, despite
equivalent. policy measures to provide a good investment
• T he rules, however, do not specify the functional climate.
details of either the internal committee or the 2. Output Growth
appellate committee, and whether they would invite
the accused to make their case. • With regard to output growth, we find that the
monthly index of industrial production pertaining to
• T he Civil Aviation Requirements state that the decision manufacturing has registered double-digit growth
of the appellate committee shall be final and that any rates only on two occasions during the period April
further appeal shall lie in a High Court. 2012 to November 2019.
Context • I n fact, data show that for a majority of the months, it
• Four airlines in India — IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and was 3% or below and even negative for some months.
GoAir — have banned stand-up comedian Kunal Needless to say, negative growth implies contraction
Kamra from taking their flights after he allegedly of the sector.
heckled television news anchor Arnab Goswami on 3. Employment Growth
an IndiGo flight.
• Regarding employment growth, we have witnessed
10. ‘Make in India’ questions being raised over the government’s delay in
releasing data as well as its attempts to revise existing
• It is an initiative to encourage multinational, as well as
data collection mechanisms.
domestic, companies to manufacture their products
in India. Why it appears to have been unsuccessful?
• P
romoting India as best investment destination and • First, the bulk of these schemes relied too much on
establish India as a hub of global manufacturing foreign capital for investments and global markets for
produce.
• Make in India is based on 4 pillars namely - New
Processes, New Sectors, New Mindset and New • Second is about Policy Casualness.
Infrastructure.

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JANUARY-2020 29

* T he spate of policy announcements without • S tates are unable to pay the workers on time. For
having the preparedness to implement them is example, in Rajasthan, workers’ wages have not been
‘policy casualness’. paid since October-end 2019. This is contrary to the
spirit of the Act and violates the principle of rights-
• Third, the initiative brought in too many sectors into
based implementation of the MGNREGA scheme.
its fold. This led to a loss of policy focus.
• There is a high demand for work, as the rural economy
• F ourth, given the uncertainties of the global economy
is in distress and informal employment has also
and ever-rising trade protectionism, the initiative was
collapsed. The lack of funds is a cause of concern.
spectacularly ill-timed.
How MGNREGS has transformed the rural sector?
• L astly, it set out too ambitious growth rates for the
manufacturing sector to achieve. An annual growth • Several studies have shown that MGNREGS has
rate of 12-14% is well beyond the capacity of the helped the rural poor by providing employment in
industrial sector. Historically India has not achieved it the agricultural off-season, offering alternative jobs
and to expect to build capabilities for such a quantum during years of lean agricultural growth and as a
jump is perhaps an enormous overestimation of the safety net during crop failures.
implementation capacity of the government. • R
esearchers have also found that a large proportion
Way forward of those availing the scheme are from the 18-30 age
group, which suggests that this has addressed the
• The focus now should tilt towards proper
problem of youth unemployment
implementation of schemes to increase the
competitiveness of ease of doing business. • M
GNREGS has improved agricultural productivity
where it has been implemented properly.
• I ncreasing the investor confidence by bridging the
gaps in infrastructure Way forward
• A
dequate measures have to be taken address Red • MGNREGS should involve rural workers in skilled work
Tapism by complete overhauling of government and pay them more wages for asset creation beyond
management system ex-Ease of exiting from the just roads, wells and check-dams.
business as mentioned under chakravyuha challenge • A
change in mindset is therefore important as this not
in Economic Survey. only creates new opportunities for the unemployed
but it also provides an opportunity to address the
11. MGNREGA: On rural jobs scheme fund crunch slowdown.
Context * Economists have pointed to a slowing of rural
• Lack of funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural consumption, which has also dragged down the
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. economy.
Background: * B
y paying wages adequately, and on time, to
rural workers, the government could allow for
• 2019’s budget allocation was ₹60,000 crore for the
more spending and consumption and stimulate
MGNREGA scheme.
the economy.
• T he allocated amount for MGNREGA for the present
• A
more meaningful allocation for the scheme in the
fiscal (2019-20) was lesser than the amount spent
budget is therefore a much needed imperative.
under MGNREGA in the previous fiscal (2018-19).
Details: 12. Mobile Aided Note Identifier (MANI) App
• More than 96% of the allocated money for MGNREGA Context
has already been spent or is needed to pay pending • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a mobile
dues, with less than ₹2,500 crores left to sustain the app for visually impaired people to identify the
scheme for the next two months. denomination of currency notes called the Mobile
• J anuary, February, and March are months with little Aided Note Identifier (MANI)
agricultural activity when rural workers desperately Details
need employment.
• It seeks to help such people who faced various
Concerns: problems in accessing the new and old currency
• The Centre is on the verge of running out of funds for notes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series.
the crucial MGNREGA scheme. • U
sing the app, a visually challenged person can scan
• W
ith the Centre yet to release pending dues to the and identify the denominations by checking the front
states, fifteen States are already facing negative net or reverse side of a currency note, including folded
balances as per the scheme’s financial statements. notes.
Worryingly, these states will enter next year with
pending liabilities.

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JANUARY-2020 30

• T he app also works offline to scan and identify the • Promote ease of access to capital for startups,
denominations of currency notes once it is installed. incentivize domestic capital for investments into
startups, and mobilize global capital for investments
• The app is available both on Android and iOS
in Indian startups.
operating systems
Composition
• T he MANI app does not authenticate a currency note
as genuine or counterfeit while scanning them. • The Council will be chaired by the Minister for
Commerce & Industry.
How does it work?
• T he Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of
• For people with hearing and visual impairments,
Industry and Internal Trade will be the Convener of
the app has pre-defined vibrations for different
the Council.
denominations; one vibration for Rs 5, two vibrations
for Rs 10, three for Rs 20, four for Rs 50, five for Rs 100, • T he Council will consist of non-official members,
six for Rs 200, seven for Rs 500 and eight for Rs 2,000. to be nominated by the Central Government,
from various categories like founders of successful
• I n case the app is unable to identify the denomination,
startups, veterans who have grown and scaled
it uses a long vibration and asks for the note to be
companies in India, persons capable of representing
scanned again. interests of investors into startups, persons capable of
13. National Highways Excellence Awards representing interests of incubators and accelerators
and representatives of associations of stakeholders of
• National Highway Excellence Awards aim to recognize startups and representatives of industry associations.
the well-performing companies in the field of The term of the non-official members of the Council
construction, operations, maintenance, toll collection will be for a period of two years.
and road safety on National Highways.
• T he nominees of the concerned Ministries/
• The awards were instituted in the year 2018. Departments/Organisations, not below the rank of
• T he motive behind starting an annual awards Joint Secretary to the Government of India, will be ex-
program is to create a spirit of healthy competitiveness officio members of the Council.
amongst all stakeholders involved in the development
of highway infrastructure in the country and to 15. National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub
contribute to the larger goal of expanding the road • It is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning
network in the country. ecosystem that will assist the banking, financial
Context services and insurance (BFSI) sector.

• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways announced • It is created by the National Stock Exchange (NSE)
the second cycle of National Highway- Excellence • T he Hub has been developed by NSE Academy, a
Awards 2019 wholly-owned subsidiary of NSE.

14. National Startup Advisory Council • T he NSE Knowledge Hub will enhance skills and help
academic institutions in preparing future-ready talent
• The Council will advise the government on measures for the financial service industry.
needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing
innovation and startups in the country to drive • I t is also available on mobile and attempts to bring
sustainable economic growth and generate large together world-class content and learners through
scale employment opportunities. this state-of-the-art and future-ready platform.
Functions Context
• Suggest measures to foster a culture of innovation • The Union Commerce and Industry Minister
amongst citizens and students in particular. inaugurated NSE Knowledge Hub in New Delhi.
• S upport creative and innovative ideas through 16. National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI)
incubation and research and development to
transform them into valuable products, processes or Context
solutions to improve productivity and efficiency. • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has outlined an ambitious
• C
reate an environment of absorption of innovation in strategy for financial inclusion till 2024
industry. Background
• P
romote creation, protection and commercialization • Financial inclusion is recognized as a key driver of
of intellectual property rights. economic growth and poverty alleviation world over.
• M
ake it easier to start, operate, grow and exit • A
ccess to formal finance can boost job creation,
businesses by reducing regulatory compliances and reduce vulnerability to economic shocks and increase
costs. investments in human capital.

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JANUARY-2020 31
Details:
• Seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) of 2030 view financial inclusion as a • The process will include filing the applications online,
key enabler for achieving sustainable development online payment of fees which will go directly to the
worldwide. concerned officer’s ID without any manual interface.
• T o achieve the above objectives in a coordinated and • Applicants, at each stage of processing of the
time-bound manner National Strategy for Financial application, will be intimated via SMS and email, in
Inclusion (NSFI) is essential. case of discrepancy or grant of license or approval.
NSFI • T hese details will also be reflected in the applicant’s
profile.
• It sets forth the vision and key objectives of the
Financial Inclusion policies in India to expand the reach • T he entire process will not require any printing
and sustain the efforts by a convergence approach and physical dispatch of license. The license will be
involving all the stakeholders in the financial sector. dispatched electronically.
• I t aims to strengthen the ecosystem for various Significance
modes of digital financial services in all Tier-II to Tier VI • This initiative for petroleum pump licensing is
centers to create the necessary infrastructure to move expected to benefit more than 70,000 petroleum
towards a less-cash society by March 2022. pump owners and oil marketing companies.
* T he goal was also to see that every adult had • A
n added advantage of this move is that the
access to a financial service provider through a authenticity of the license may be verified on PESO’s
mobile device by March 2024. official website. This automation is expected to
• O
ne of the objectives is to increase outreach of benefit the petroleum and gas industry.
banking outlets so as to provide banking access to • T his move is in line with the government’s Digital
every village within a 5-km radius or a hamlet of 500
households in hilly areas by March 2020. India and Ease of Doing Business

Steps taken by the Govt 18. PF benefits should be extended to contractual

The government has been trying to take steps to provide employees, rules Supreme Court
access to credit at an affordable cost and financial Background
instruments to the low-income group and the weaker
• There was a petition filed by M/s Pawan Hans Limited
sections of the society.
* It is a helicopter service company
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana seeks to provide universal
banking services for every unbanked household * It is a Mini Ratna-I category PSU.
• Pension scheme such as Atal Pension Yojana * I t provides helicopter support services to the oil
sector for its offshore exploration operations,
• I nsurances schemes such as PM Suraksha Bima Yojana
services in remote and hilly areas, and charter
are some of the schemes launched by the government
services for the promotion of tourism.
Way forward
• The company had filed the petition against
• India has largely benefited from the Jan Dhan- its employees’ union, the Aviation Karmachari
Aadhaar- Mobile (JAM) trinity over the last few years, Sanghatana, which sought uniformity in service
steps are needed to strengthen the digital financial conditions among employees.
services’ ecosystem including increased awareness
• O
f a total workforce of 840 employees, the company
on usage of digital modes of transactions, increased
had engaged 570 employees on regular basis, while
acceptance infrastructure and a safe environment
270 employees were engaged on “contractual” basis.
incorporating the principles of consent and privacy
• T he company implemented the PF Trust Regulations
17. Paperless Licensing for Petroleum Service Stations only with respect to the regular employees, even
Context though the term “employee” had been defined to
include “any person” employed “directly or indirectly”
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and under the PF Trust Regulations.
Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry has launched paperless licensing process • T he contractual employees have been seeking parity
through the Petroleum and Explosives Safety with the regular employees, who are covered under
Organization (PESO) for petroleum service stations the Pawan Hans Employees Provident Fund Trust
(retail outlets storing and dispensing petrol/diesel for Regulations.
motor conveyances) under the Petroleum Rules, 2002.

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JANUARY-2020 32

Context * N
ew indicators include adoption of Energy
• The Supreme Court has observed that contractual Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017, energy
employees engaged by a Company, who draw their efficiency in MSME clusters, etc.
wages/salary directly or indirectly from the Company, • For rational comparison, States/UTs are grouped
are entitled to the benefit of provident fund under into four groups based on aggregated Total Primary
the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s
Provisions Act, 1952. actual energy demand (electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.)
Details across sectors.

• The SC says that employees who draw wages or * T PES grouping shall help states compare
salaries directly or indirectly from a company are performance and share best practices within
entitled to provident fund benefits under the their peer group.
Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Act.
• T he employer cannot differentiate between
contractual and permanent employees, as the casual
workers are also entitled to social security benefits

19. State Energy Efficiency Index 2019

• The index tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE)
initiatives in states and union territories based on 97
significant indicators
• I t is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency in
association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient
Economy.
• I t will help states to contribute towards national goals
on energy security and climate action by helping
drive Energy Efficiency policies and programme
implementation at the state and local level.
• The first such Index was launched in 2018.
• T he State Energy Efficiency Index categorises states
as ‘Front Runner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’
based on their efforts and achievements towards Performance
energy efficiency implementation. • Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala have topped the State
Significance Energy Efficiency Index 2019.
• It will help states contribute towards national goals • M
anipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan
on energy security and climate action by helping perform worst in their groups
drive EE policies and programme implementation
at the state and local level, tracking progress in
managing the states’ and India’s energy footprint and
institutionalising the data capture and monitoring of
EE activities by states
Context
• Union Government released the State Energy
Efficiency Index 2019
• T he index this year incorporates qualitative,
quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess
energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes
in five distinct sectors.
Details
• The State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 incorporates
qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based •
indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives,
programs and outcomes in five distinct sectors •
– buildings, industry, municipalities, transport,
agriculture, and DISCOMs.

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JANUARY-2020 33

20. UJALA and SLNP Details

Context • The portal has been created by NHAI taking inspiration

from the PRAGATI Portal used by PMO.
• The Government of India’s UJALA & Street Lighting
National Programme (SLNP) complete five successful • It can be accessed from the NHAI Website and
years. contractors/concessionaires can raise any project
related issues on the Portal.
About UJALA:
• T he issue will immediately come to the notice of
• Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All (UJALA) is every official of NHAI including top management,
a zero-subsidy scheme launched by the Government and immediate action will be taken by the concerned
in 2015. It is touted as the world’s largest domestic officer, duly updating on the Portal.
lighting project. For more on the UJALA Scheme, click
on the linked article. • T he issues raised in the GATI will be daily monitored
by a team of officers in NHAI and will be constantly
About the SLNP: reviewed by the senior officers of NHAI and the
• The SLNP is a government scheme to promote Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
energy-efficiency in India. • T his will bring transparency and speed up the
• E nergy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint decision making giving real GATI (pace) to highway
venture of PSUs under the Power Ministry, is the construction.
implementing agency for SLNP.
22. Wings India 2020
• E ESL, launched in 2015, has already replaced 50 lakh
street lights with LED bulbs in more than 500 cities of • It is an international exhibition and conference on civil
India. aviation sector
• T o bring in mass-scale transformation, EESL has • I t is Organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers
adopted a unique strategy by joining hands with of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) jointly with the
states, municipal bodies and Urban Local Bodies Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of
(ULBs). India (AAI)
* U
nder the programme, EESL replaces the • T he international platform focuses on new business
conventional street lights with LEDs at its acquisition, investments, policy formation and
own costs, with no upfront investment by the regional connectivity in civil aviation industry.
municipalities, thereby making their adoption Context
even more attractive.
• Asia’s largest Civil Aviation platform- ‘Wings India
* O
ver a period, EESL is repaid through
2020’ will be held at Hyderabad in March 2020.
the consequent reduction in energy and
maintenance cost of the municipality. 23. A multilateral alternative, by Asia
• This scheme is expected to enable peak demand Context
reduction of 500 MW, annual energy savings of 190
• This article discusses the transformation of Asian
crore kWh, and reduction in 15 lakh tons of CO2.
economies in the last few years and how this has led
• Objectives of SLNP: to them being larger than the rest.
* Mitigate climate change by implementing Asian Century
energy-efficient LED-based street lighting. • This Phrase is said to have arisen in the 1988 meeting
* Reduce energy consumption in lighting which between Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and former
helps DISCOMs to manage peak demand. Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, re-establishing
relations after the India-China border conflict in 1962.
* Provide a sustainable service model that obviates
the need for upfront capital investment as well • I t responds to the re-emergence of the two countries,
as additional revenue expenditure to pay for the leveraging size and technological competence to
procurement of LED lights. shape a new order that reflects their civilizational
values which are distinct from those of the West.
* Enhance municipal services at no upfront capital
cost of municipalities. A look at key facts
• Asia is home to more than half the world’s population.
21. Web Portal ‘GATI’
• O
f the world’s 30 largest cities, 21 are in Asia, according
Context: to UN data.
• Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways • B
y the end of 2020 it is said, Asia will also become
launched web portal ‘GATI’. home to half of the world’s middle class, defined
as those living in households with daily per capita
incomes of between $10 and $100 at 2005 purchasing
power parity (PPP).

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JANUARY-2020 34

• Since 2007, Asians have been buying more cars and * The recent India-China Summit on boundary
trucks than people in any other region — by about issues resolved to work out a framework on a
2030 they will be buying as many vehicles as the rest roadmap to a final solution on border issues.
• of the world combined, according to LMC Automotive. * I ndia has rejected American opposition to
Huawei taking part in 5G trials. The Indian
The decisive shift responds both to the Asian growth government has allowed all applicants, including
engine and to Asian technology. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, to participate.
India and China’s Global outreach Therefore, the contours of the new order should not be
• In 2015, emerging India established the International seen through a western prism.
Solar Alliance, laying out a distinct global sustainable Conclusion
development framework, and seeking a triumvirate.
• In Asia, differences will centre on overlapping
• C
hina, in 2013, after attaining 15% of the global wealth, priorities —
announced the multilateral Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) and in 2014, launched the Asian Infrastructure * Security (the U.S.’s efforts to maintain hegemony),
Investment Bank, challenging the global governance * E conomic (China’s emphasis on connectivity,
paradigm. markets and growth) and
• T he United States has recognized the ‘Asian Century’ * E quitable sustainable development (India-led
bypassing multilateralism; its direct dealings with framework of digital infrastructure designed as a
China and India and the Indo-Pacific construct are public good).
examples.
• By 2030, there is every possibility of a triumvirate.
USA continues to hold power
* Both the U.S. and China have regular high-
• USA has defined human rights solely on the basis of level discussions on strategic issues with India,
political and procedural terms. recognising it’s demographic, technological and
• I t has withdrawn from climate change after shifting resource potential to be part of a future global
the burden onto developing countries. triumvirate.
• I t has forced inclusion of intellectual property rights • Asia and Africa, former colonies with conditions closer
into the trade regime. to India than to China, are waiting for late-comer India,
a civilisational state like China, to lay out its vision of a
• U
.S.-determined national security standards on the digital, cooperative, sustainable multilateral strategic
world has led to a handful of countries agreeing to framework to complement the frameworks of the
ban Huawei 5G technology. other two powers.
• I t has imposed sanctions on companies building a gas • E arly concrete moves for their simultaneous rise are in
pipeline from Russia.
the global interest.
• S anctions on Iran have affected India’s interests,
impacting long-term relations. 24. RBI reopens scheme for FPI investments in debt
This is not just questioned by Asian countries but also by Context
its alliance partners. • The Reserve Bank of India raised the investment limit
How China has capitalized? for FPIs in government and corporate bonds
• The BRI provides a strategic framework for new Current norms
global institution building as its scope is as wide as • Short-term investments by a foreign portfolio
multilateral treaties. investor (FPI) should not exceed 20 per cent of
* For example, state-owned enterprises in the total investment of that FPI in either central
infrastructure sectors in the BRI, with backing government securities (including treasury bills) or
from national banks, are contributing to state development loans.
internationalisation of the Renminbi, enhancing • T he same norms are applicable on investments in
China’s role in global economic governance. corporate bonds.
• As the world leader in digital transactions, China is Changes introduced
developing block chain-based financial infrastructure
in BRI countries and exploring an international block- • The short-term investment limit has now been
chain currency for digital settlements without relying increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent in both the
on the dollar, thus reducing U.S. leverage. cases

• With the U.S. military ‘pivot to Asia’, China is keen • The RBI has also made relaxation in the voluntary
to resolve the border dispute with India to avoid retention route (VRR) for FPI investments in debt.
constraints.

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JANUARY-2020 35

* The investment limit under VRR has been Budget should focus on reviving demand to promote
increased to Rs. 1,50,000 crore from the Rs. 75,000 growth and employment.
crore of the earlier scheme, with a minimum • Schemes like PM-KISAN and Mahatma Gandhi National
retention period of three years. Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) are
Voluntary Retention Route: good instruments to boost rural demand.
• In March 2019, the RBI introduced a separate channel, • F armers and landless laborers spend most of their
the ‘Voluntary Retention Route’, to enable FPIs to income. This means that income transfers to such
undertake long-term investments in the debt markets groups will immediately increase demand.
in India. • F urther, rural India consumes a wide range of goods
• I nvestments through VRR are free of the macro- and services; so, if allocation and disbursement is
prudential and other regulatory prescriptions raised significantly, most sectors of the economy will
applicable to FPI investments in debt markets, benefit. And, the payoff will be immediate.
provided FPIs voluntarily commit to retaining a • R
ural unemployment can be reduced by raising
required minimum percentage of their investments in budgetary allocation for irrigation projects and rural
India for a particular period. infrastructure like roads, cold storage and logistical
chains.
25. Budgeting for jobs, skilling and economic revival
* These facilities, along with a comprehensive
Context crop insurance scheme, can drastically increase
• This article speaks about changes that needs to agricultural productivity and farmers’ income.
be introduced in the upcoming Budget to provide • M
oreover, by integrating farms with mandis, such
direction to India’s tottering economy and a boost to investments will reduce wastage of fruits and
aggregate demand and investment vegetables, thereby leading to a decrease in the
A look at key stats frequency of inflationary shocks and their impact.
• The unemployment rate at 6.1% (Financial Year 2017- • B
oosting urban employment: In urban areas,
2018) is the highest in 45 years. construction and related activities are a source of
employment for more than five crore people; across
* The rate for urban youth in the 15-29 years
the country, the sector’s employment figures are
category is alarmingly high at 22.5%.
second only to those of the agriculture sector.
• The Labour Force Participation Rate has come down
* These projects, along with infrastructure,
to 46.5% for the ‘15 years and above’ age category.
support 200-odd sectors, including core sectors
* It is down to 37.7% for the urban youth. like cement and steel.
• Even among those employed, a large fraction get low Issues with the Real Estate Sector
wages and are stuck with ‘employment poverty’.
Due the crisis in the real-estate and infrastructure sectors,
Structural factors construction activities have come to a grinding halt.
The prolonged, and ongoing, slowdown, is the main • At present, many real-estate projects are caught
reason behind the depressing employment scenario, up in legal disputes — between home-buyers and
though several structural factors have also contributed to developers; between lenders and developers; and
the situation. between developers and law enforcement agencies
• The GDP growth for the second quarter of Financial like the Enforcement Directorate.
Year 2019-2020 is 4.5%, the lowest in the last six • T he sector has an unsold inventory of homes, worth
years, for which a decline in private consumption and several lakh crores.
investment are the factors primarily responsible.
• E ven worse, multiple authorities — the Real Estate
* The aggregate investment stands at less than Regulatory Authority (RERA); the National Company
30% of the GDP, a rate much lower than the 15- Law Tribunal (NCLT); and the many consumer courts
year average of 35%. — have jurisdiction over disputes.
* P
rivate consumption, which contributes nearly Consequently, restructuring and liquidation of bad
55-60 per cent, to India’s GDP has been slowing projects is very difficult, and in turn, is a main source of
down. the problem of Non-Performing Assets faced by the Non-
* S avings by household sector – which are used to Banking Financial Companies.
extend loans for investment – have gone down How to revive the demand for housing sector?
from 35% (FY12) to 17.2% (FY18).
• The Budget can raise the limit for availing tax
exemption on home loans.

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JANUARY-2020 36

* The ₹25,000-crore fund set up by the center to * T his has increased cost of doing business for
bailout 1,600 housing projects should be put to SMEs, which employ over 11 crore people.
use immediately. • Next, according to some estimates, there are more
* T he funds should be used to salvage all projects than 22 lakh vacancies in various government
that are 80% complete and not under liquidation departments.
process under the NCLT. * Such negligence is baffling when the
• S everal additional measures can also help. For unemployment among youth is very high.
example, there should be a single adjudication * The government should fill these vacancies
authority.
• Job openings that arise in the private sector put a
• T he multiplier effects of spending on infrastructure premium on practical skills and work experience.
and housing in terms of higher growth and
employment are large and extensive. Therefore, the * S o the government should provide affordable
₹102-lakh-crore National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and good quality vocational training
programme is a welcome step. programmes.
Action Plan for the Future * T he Budget should give tax incentives to
companies and industrial units to encourage
More than 60% of the planned investment is expected them to provide internships and on-site
from the private sector and the States. vocational training opportunities.
• Private Sector: Many infrastructure projects are Conclusion
languishing due to regulatory hurdles and contractual
disputes between construction companies and • It is high time these reforms are introduced in the
government departments. As a result, infrastructure upcoming budget to give boost to multiple sectors in
investment has come to be perceived as very risky. the economy.
* This is the major reason behind non-availability National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)
of private capital for infrastructure. • It is estimated that India would need to spend $4.5
* T he government should standardize the trillion on infrastructure by 2030 to sustain its growth
regulatory uncertainty rate.
• The State finances are shaky due to low GST • T he endeavour of the National Infrastructure Pipeline
collection, the onus is on the Centre to ensure that the (NIP), is to make this happen in an efficient manner.
programme does not come a cropper. • N
IP will enable a forward outlook on infrastructure
* The budgetary support to infrastructure will projects which will create jobs, improve ease of living,
have to be much more than the NIP projection at and provide equitable access to infrastructure for all,
1.11% of the GDP. thereby making growth more inclusive.
• Bidding and contracting for new roads, highways, Benefits
railway tracks and urban development projects is a • For Government: Well-developed infrastructure
lengthy process. enhances level of economic activity, creates
* T his is also the reason why several infrastructure- additional fiscal space by improving revenue base of
linked Ministries like those for civil aviation the government, and ensures quality of expenditure
and roads have not been able to spend money focused in productive areas.
allocated to them in the current fiscal year. • F or Developers: Provides better view of project
* T herefore, rather than earmarking budgetary supply, provides time to be better prepared for project
support for new projects, the focus should be on bidding, and ensures enhanced access to sources of
projects that are currently under implementation finance as result of increased investor confidence.
so as to complete them as soon as possible. • F or Banks/financial institutions (Fls)/investors: Builds
* I n addition to creating employment, a timely investor confidence as identified projects are likely
completion of infrastructure projects will help to be better prepared, exposures less likely to suffer
increase competitiveness of the economy. stress given active project monitoring, thereby less
• The distress among Small and Medium Enterprises likelihood of NPAs.
(SMEs) is another area of concern. 26. IMF lowers India’s growth forecast to 4.8%
* F or many products produced by these Context:
enterprises, the GST rates are higher for inputs
than the final goods. Due to this anomaly, around • Update of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) report
₹20,000 crore gets stuck with the government of the International Monetary fund (IMF).
annually in the form of input tax credits. Projections for India:

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JANUARY-2020 37

• The IMF has lowered India’s economic growth estimate * F avourable news on US-China trade negotiations
for the current fiscal to 4.8%. This marks a lowering of in the form of the first phase of the trade deal.
its own estimate of 6.1% made in October 2019. * Diminished fears of a no-deal Brexit.
• T he growth markdown largely reflects a downward Way forward:
revision to India’s projection.
The WEO suggests the following measures for
The WEO lists the following reasons for the slowdown in strengthening economic activity and forestalling
growth estimates for India: downside risks to growth:
• Weak rural income growth leading to the decline in • Stronger multilateral cooperation.
rural demand growth
• B
alanced policy mix at the national level, considering
• The sharp decline in consumer demand
available monetary and fiscal space.
• Stress in the non-bank financial sector
27. Redesigning India’s ailing data system
• Sluggish credit growth
Context
India:
• The article offers a critique of the current official data
• India’s growth is projected to improve to 5.8 per cent in and suggestions to improve it.
2020 and 6.5 per cent in 2021 (1.2 and 0.9 percentage
point lower than the October 2019 WEO projections). Background:
• T he WEO notes that the growth momentum should • A new series of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures
improve in the coming fiscal due to: with 2011-12 as the base, was released in 2015.
* T he positive impact of corporate tax rate • T he administration has delayed the release of
reduction. employment-unemployment data and consumer
expenditure data.
* T he positive impact of monetary stimulus by the
RBI and fiscal stimulus by the government. • T he National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and the
National Statistical Commission have been brought
* Subdued oil prices under the fold of National Statistics Office, altering the
Projections for global growth: long-standing arrangement.
• The IMF’s new projections estimate that global growth Significance of data:
would be 2.9% in 2019, and would increase to 3.3% in • Data is the new oil in the modern networked economy.
2020 and 3.4% in 2021. It has an important role to play in the socio-economic
• H
owever, compared to the October 2019 WEO development of a country.
forecast, the estimate for 2019 and the projection for • O
fficial statistics are a public good and give vital
2020 represent 0.1 percentage point reduction for information regarding the state of the economy and
each year while that for 2021 is 0.2 percentage point the success of governance.
lower.
• T he economic data influence markets, signalling
Reasons: investment sentiments, the flow of funds and balance
• The downward revision in growth forecast is mainly of payments.
due to weaker growth across emerging economies, Concerns:
including India, Mexico and South Africa.
1. Flaws in approach:
• T he subdued growth forecast for India accounts for
the largest share of the downward revisions in global Problems with price adjustment:
growth estimates. • The data on GDP is initially estimated at the current
Risks: price and then deflated for the constant price for
comparability of data over time.
• The IMF has categorized rising geo-political tensions,
especially between the United States and Iran, as a • T he present series encountered serious problems
notable downside risk for the global economy. with respect to price adjustment, specifically for the
services sector contributing about 60% of GDP, in the
• Deterioration in economic relations between the US absence of appropriate price indices for most service
and its trade partners due to higher trade tariffs could sectors.
further undermine the growth prospects.
• P
rice indices going into a low and negative zone in
Positives: 2014-17 distorted the real growth.
• The IMF notes that market sentiment has improved Enterprise approach:
due to the following reasons:
• The shift from the establishment to enterprise
* T he broad-based shift toward accommodative approach, replacing Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)
monetary policy in most economies. with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs MCA21 data,
posed serious data and methodological issues.

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JANUARY-2020 38

• T he use of MCA21 data without weeding out development and reducing regional imbalance.
defunct enterprises, and the insufficient mapping of • D
ata should help the state pursue the right policy
comparable ASI data, was a major lacuna. right from the level of a district to the country at
2. Deficiencies: large. It should also help evaluate performance for
efficiency.
• I ndia is an evolving economy that is constantly
experiencing technological and institutional • T here is a need to re-engineer the existing system,
transitions in the economy. creating an integrated system populated with
granular data.
• T he present national accounting and analytical
framework misses out on many important dimensions Committees:
of the economy and its complex character. • Previously any data inconsistencies in official statistics
3. Unchanged approach: were addressed by setting up committees to address
the concerns.
The approach for the collection of data remains
largely unchanged for long even when more effective • H
owever thoughtful and well-meaning key
methodologies are available. recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission
and subsequent recommendations, 2006 onwards
Agriculture:
by successive National Statistical Commissions have
• Agricultural development is a major developmental faced stumbling blocks in implementation.
issue in India and productivity is a major concern for
• T he committees should have the support of a
agriculture.
dedicated team for audit, and the ability to implement
• T he yield rate for rice is still being estimated based on decisions by cutting red tape.
crop cutting experiments.
Data logistics:
• I nstead of collecting data on factors such as soil
• There is the need for systems which have the capability
conditions, moisture, temperature, water and fertilizer
to analyze large volumes of data, with high levels of
use can help in a more accurate determination of yield
reliability, validity, consistency and coherence.
rates.
• There is a need to adopt big-data technology.
• I srael a pioneer in agriculture technology, collects
data on the above factors for analysis to support Newer framework:
productivity. • There is a need for a new framework for the analysis
Reliance on field surveys: of complex and evolutionary economic system. This
should involve the aspects of automation, robotization
• There is still high reliance on field surveys for collection
and other labour-replacing technologies.
of data on employment-unemployment, consumer
expenditure, industrial output, assets and liabilities. • T here is the need to know in greater detail, the role
of technology and advanced research, changing
• T hough field surveys help validate projections
demand on human skills, and enterprise, which are all
and form an integral part of the official statistical
complex.
discourse, the failure to integrate new methodologies
is a concern. Move towards Micro-economic framework:
• T he initiatives under e-governance which have • The generally used macroeconomic framework of
enabled the capturing of huge amounts of data need analysis assumes symmetric income distribution and
to be collated for use in the production of official does not get into the depth of structural issues. These
statistics. can have a profound impact on the usefulness of the
data.
• T he process of collection of data needs modernisation,
using technology. • T he new approach should consider the micro-
behaviour of individuals, and the structure of
Way forward:
their mutual interactions. Given the availability of
Newer aspects: microdata, we need to build a system to integrate
• The major focus of official statistics has been on the micro with the macro, maintaining distributional
estimating GDP. characteristics.

• The official statistics should also focus on data to assess Transparency:

competitiveness, inclusive growth, environmental • There is a need for a renewed commitment to
protection, sustainable development and social produce the official statistics transparently, following
welfare. internationally accepted standards.
• The GDP data needs to be linked with a host of other Conclusion
data for deeper insight.
• As the statistics reflect on the performance of the
Need for granular data government, it is necessary that its independence is
• India is vast and heterogeneous, and there would maintained.
be differences in approach while setting goals for

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JANUARY-2020 39

28. Govt to provide Rs. 5,559 crore funding to northeast • P

ossibility of installing bottling plants for LPG is in the
gas grid exploration stage, for reducing transportation cost.
Context 29. Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Context
approved a Rs. 5,559 crore viability gap funding for
the proposed northeast gas grid. • The government has launched a central accident
database management system that will help in
Details: analysing causes of road crashes and in devising
• A viability gap funding of 60% of the project cost has safety interventions to reduce such accidents in the
been approved. The quantum of viability gap funding country.
(VGF) would be capped at 60 per cent of estimated Issue:
project cost and would not be linked with upward
capital cost variation. • India sees the largest number of road fatalities in the
world.
• T his is only the second instance of the government
directly funding a gas pipeline. • M
ore than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes
in the country in 2018, according to government data.
• T he funding support to the gas grid is a part of a Of the total people killed in road crashes in 2018, 48%
broader goal of the government to raise the share were between 18 years and 35 years old, and more
of natural gas in the country’s energy mix to 15% by than 60% of such fatalities were due to overspeeding.
2030 from the current 6.2%.
Details:
North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid:
• The IT tool, known as the Integrated Road Accident
• The 1,656-km North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid Database (IRAD), has been developed by the Indian
will connect Guwahati in Assam to major cities in the Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M).
region such as Itanagar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal,
Aizwal, Agartala, Shillong, Silchar, Gangtok, and • I t will be implemented by the National Informatics
Numaligarh. Centre.

• T he gas pipeline grid will be developed in the eight • T he project costs Rs.258 crore and is being supported
states of the North-Eastern region — Arunachal by the World Bank.
Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, • T he system will be first piloted in the six States with
Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. highest fatalities from road crashes — Karnataka,
• T he North-East pipeline grid is to be implemented by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
Indradhanush Gas Grid, a joint venture of state-owned and Uttar Pradesh.
GAIL India, Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Oil and Natural Gas • T he IRAD will be improved on the basis of the
Corp (ONGC), Oil India Ltd (OIL) and Numaligarh learnings from the trial, following which it will be
Refinery Ltd (NRL). rolled out across the country.
• T he vision envisages the development of the region How does it work?
by leveraging its hydrocarbon potential, enhancing
• The IRAD mobile application will enable police
access to clean fuel and accelerating the growth.
personnel to enter details about a road accident,
Benefits: along with photos and videos, following which a
• The pipeline will enable the supply of piped cooking unique ID will be created for the incident.
gas to households and CNG to automobiles, besides • S ubsequently, an engineer from the Public Works
fuel to industry. Department or the local body will receive an alert on
• T he pipeline grid would ensure reliability and his mobile device.
uninterrupted natural gas supplies to the consumers • H
e or she will then visit the accident site, examine it,
which otherwise gets severely affected due to various and feed the required details, such as the road design.
reasons in this part of the country.
• Data thus collected will be analysed by a team at IIT-M,
• The uninterrupted supply of LPG and other value- which will then suggest if corrective measures in road
added products in the region will bring energy design need to be taken.
security to the people in the area.
• R
oad users will also be able to upload data on road
• A
vailability of natural gas across the region is expected accidents on a separate mobile application.
to boost industrial growth without impacting the
environment and would offer better quality of life to 30. The need for a single energy ministry
the people in general due to use of cleaner and green
Introduction:
fuel.
• India’s energy sector is currently governed by a
• I t would boost exploration and production of gas in
multitude of regulators including five different
the region and help in early monetisation of natural
ministries.
resources.

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JANUARY-2020 40

• P
etroleum and natural gas, coal, renewable energy Sector by 2030” (2013) stated that “Multiple ministries
and nuclear energy have separate ministries or and agencies are currently involved in managing
departments. energy related issues, presenting challenges of
coordination and optimal resource utilization, hence
• W
e also have a Ministry of Power, along with State¬-
undermining efforts to increase energy security”.
level bodies that regulate electricity distribution
companies, or DISCOMS. • I n the Draft National Energy Policy (NEP), the NITI
Aayog has advocated that a Unified Ministry of Energy
• A
dd to this, the presence of different regulators for
be created by merging the Ministries of Petroleum
each type of fuel and energy source which makes it
and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Coal (MoC), New and
cumbersome for businesses operating in this sector.
Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Power (MoP).
• F urther, the petroleum and natural gas sector has two
• T he Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has been
regulators – Directorate General of Hydrocarbons for
left out since it has implications beyond the scope of
upstream activities and the Petroleum and Natural
energy and involves national security issues.
Gas Regulatory Board for downstream activities.
Proposed regulatory structure:
So the column proposes a single energy ministry which
could act as the sole point of reference for a crucial sector • The proposed ministry would have six agencies under
which is necessary to ensure energy security, sustainability it to handle various aspects of the energy sector
and accessibility. — Energy Regulatory Agency, Energy Data Agency,
Energy Efficiency Agency, Energy Planning and
Multiple regulators and issues with data collection:
Technical Agency, Energy Schemes Implementation
• No single agency collects energy data in a wholesome Agency and Energy R&D Agency.
and integrated manner. Data pertaining to
How a unified regulator can optimize efforts and resources?
consumption are barely available while supply side
data collected by agencies of respective ministries are • A single unified ministry of energy would help
riddled with gaps. India to have an integrated outlook on energy that
would enable us optimise our limited resources to
• T he Ministry of Statistics and Programme
meet the goals of energy security, sustainability and
Implementation collates data available from various
accessibility.
ministries and conducts surveys at sporadic intervals.
• I n the fast-¬changing energy landscape of our
• O
n the energy efficiency front, the Bureau of Energy
country, having a single energy ministry would
Efficiency is the sole statutory authority with the
be beneficial as it would allow for a quicker policy
mandate to regulate energy efficiency on the
response.
consumption side.
• F ormulating an integrated and wholesome energy
• T here is no agency or body for the same purpose on
policy in the current governance structure is a
the supply side. This stands in stark contrast to most
complex and challenging task not only due to lack
other nations with their varied energy governance
of coordination among ministries but also due to the
models.
absence of good quality consumption data and an
The global regulatory model: inadvertent promotion of their own fuels over other
• Developed and efficient countries such as the United choices, which may not always be the best option.
States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom Steps being taken:
have their energy sectors administered by a single
• The present government has already taken some
ministry or department.
steps towards unifying the governance structure of
• T here are also instances where the energy ministry the energy sector such as appointing a single minister
is in conjunction with other portfolios such as for both MNRE and MoP.
environment, climate change, mines and industry.
• T his move has been lauded across sections of society
• For example, the U.K. has the “Department for as both those sectors are heavily interlinked.
Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy”, France has
• Having the same person heading both of these
the “Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Marine
ministries will help resolve longstanding issues
Affairs”, Brazil has the “Ministry of Mines and Energy”
faced by both conventional and renewable power
and Australia has the ‘Ministry of Environment and
generators such as power balancing and transmission
Energy’.
infrastructure planning.
• T he predominance of unified energy ministries is
• T he hotly debated issue of non-payment of dues by
evident.
DISCOMS to the generators might also be resolved
Recommendations for a single energy ministry: with such synergy in administration.
• The Kelkar Committee in its report “Roadmap for • I n the past too, this government has had the same
Reduction in Import Dependency in the Hydrocarbon minister for MNRE, MoP and MoC with great results
in village electrification, LED bulb distribution (Unnat
Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All, or UJALA), power
sector reforms (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana, or

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JANUARY-2020 41

UDAY), coal block auctions and alleviation of coal Conclusion:

shortages.
• Though the actions by this government are a step in
• T his demonstrates the intention of the political the right direction, there is a long road ahead.
leadership to reform the energy governance structure.
• A
ccepting and implementing the recommendations
The ‘Jal Shakti’ model: of the NEP on reforming energy governance, which
• The government has already shown a disposition is to be placed for the approval of the Cabinet
towards unifying critical ministries. soon, would need to be carefully traversed given
their hard¬-hitting implications on the existing
• A
pertinent example is the newly created Ministry of bureaucratic structure.
Jal Shakti which was formed by merging the Ministry
of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga • B
ut nothing is more important than ensuring energy
Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and security, sustainability and accessibility. In this age of
Sanitation. energy transition, this can only happen with quick
and holistic decision¬-making as well as providing a
• T he objective of this action is to unify water level playing field for various fuels, all of which can
management functions, treat the issues of water happen if a single ministry handles the entire sector.
management holistically and ensure better
coordination of efforts. • S uch a Unified Ministry of Energy will not only enable
India to keep up with the global energy transition but
• T his was a crucial decision at a time when nearly 600 also to continue to be a leader in adopting cleaner
million Indians faced “high to extreme water stress”, energy sources.
while 75% households did not have drinking water
on their premises.

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JANUARY-2020 42

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Bolsonaro- Republic day Guest • Each country has different economic and political
Context leverage, and its own burden of domestic and external
issues.
• B
razilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the Chief Guest
at India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations. * T heir political regimes range from different types
of democracy in Brazil, India and South Africa to
Bolsonaro and his policies Vladimir Putin’s oligarch system and Chinese
• H
e studied at Brazil’s prestigious military academies Communist Party rule under a leader for life.
and served as captain in the Army before moving to • M
r. Bolsonaro in the past was critical about China, but
Rio and making his political career he had to share the stage with China’s head in the
• T he defining aspects of his administration have been BRICS summit
a strong inclination towards the U.S. and damaging Achievements of the grouping
policies affecting the Amazon rainforest.
• T he main achievement of BRICS is the New
* I n foreign policy, his affiliation with the U.S. Development Bank, with each country contributing
is driven by admiration for President Donald equally to its equity. The bank has so far financed over
Trump. Brazil has been designated a ‘major non- 40 projects at a cost of $12 billion.
NATO ally’, a status held by close U.S. allies like
Japan, Israel and South Korea. • T he BRICS countries are also developing a joint
payments mechanism to reduce foreign trade
* O
n the Amazon delta, his policy has been settlements in U.S. dollars.
to withdraw regulation and enforcement,
facilitating the utilisation of the indigenous • T hey share the benefits of autonomous decision
people’s land for the purposes of agri-business, making and the group’s informal structure is an
mining and cattle-ranching. advantage for coordination among the most
influential non-Western countries.
Imbalance within BRICS
• A
n offshoot of the group, dealing with climate
• B
RICS was set up as a move towards greater change, is BASIC (BRICS without Russia), which met at
multi-polarity; hence it has spread across three the Spain conference and reiterated its support to the
continents (Asia, Africa and South America) and both Paris Agreement.
hemispheres (North and South).
Brazil - India Relationship
• T he BRICS combination accounts for about one-third
of global output, but a glance at the GDP table and • B
razil’s has agreed to waive visa requirements for
growth rates will show the infirmities of the group: Indian citizens

* I n terms of GDP, China occupies the second • I n recent years, Brazil and India have demonstrated
position; India the fifth; Brazil the ninth; Russia an interest in having a more decisive role in
the 11th; and South Africa the 35th. international institutions, one that is proportional to
their geographic size and share in world population.
* I n terms of growth rates, China grew at 6%; India Both have campaigned for a UN Security Council
at 4.5%, Russia 1.7%, Brazil 1.2% and South Africa permanent seat.
0.1%.
• O
wing to their geographical significance and relative
* B
oth politically and economically, Brazil and advantages, Brazil in South America and India in South
South Africa have been the laggards in recent Asia are also considered as “regional” powers that
years. wield influence in their respective neighborhoods.
• G
lobal rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has • T heir foreign policy activism offers alternative
said that Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa narratives to those of the West in the BRICS and IBSA,
(BRICS) as economic grouping has lost relevance due that provide a reference to their “soft balancing”
to diverging long-term economic trajectory strategy that resents the dominant views of the West.
* T he better economic performance of China and • B
razil like India was little receptive to China’s ambitious
India over the past two decades contrasts with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and there is discussion in
disappointing results in Brazil, Russia, and South Brazil regarding China’s growing economic influence
Africa in South America
• I ndia’s trade with Brazil in 2018-19 stood at more than
$8 billion.

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JANUARY-2020 43

* Top export items from India include organic Guaranteeing healthcare, the Brazilian way
chemicals, chemical-based products, and Context
pharmaceuticals.
• P
otential of India-Brazil co-operation in the health
Conclusion sector.
• T he BRICS group can survive only if its members Background:
maximize their congruence to the extent possible,
• B
razil is currently the only country in the world where
despite the growing intensity of Sino-Russian ties; the
more than 100 million inhabitants have a universal
pro-American leanings in Brazil; the socio-economic
health system. Considering the fact that Brazil is often
difficulties of South Africa; and India’s many difficulties
classified as a developing country makes it even more
with China, including its abstention from the Regional
laudable that Brazil has achieved universal health
Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
coverage.
• I ndia and Brazil have shown the desire to increase
• I ndia’s Ayushman Bharat is currently the world’s largest
cooperation in diverse areas such as defense and
and most ambitious government health programme.
agriculture. But the total two-way trade is at a paltry
$8 billion. Therefore both the countries need to work • A
yushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan
on the economic front to bring a new optimism in Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or National Health Protection
their relationship. Scheme is a national scheme that is aimed at making
necessary interventions in primary, secondary and
India, Brazil sign 15 pacts, agree on joint action plan
tertiary health-care systems. It was launched in 2018,
India and Brazil agreed on an action plan to strengthen under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family
bilateral partnership and signed fifteen pacts in sectors Welfare in India.
ranging from agriculture to energy.
Brazilian experience:
• T he plan provides for following up in a coordinated
The Unified Health System (SUS):
manner the outcomes and activities of the existing
institutional mechanisms and the implementation of • Brazil’s efforts to achieve universal coverage have
cooperation initiatives in all areas of bilateral relations been through the establishment of a government-
funded system.
• O
ther important areas covered by the agreements
signed include health, bio-energy cooperation, • T he Unified Health System (SUS), which guaranteed
cultural exchange, geology and mineral resources, free health coverage that included pharmaceutical
animal husbandry and science & technology. services, was written into the new Constitution in
1988.
• A
s per the action plan, all the new goals identified by
the two sides to strengthen ties as well as the existing The Family Health Programme:
mechanisms would be grouped in six major thematic • The Family Health Programme (Programa Saúde
areas: political and strategic coordination; trade & da Família) of Brazil, relies on a community-based
commerce, investments, agriculture, civil aviation healthcare network.
and energy mechanisms; science, technology and
innovation, space cooperation, environment and • I t helped in the rapid expansion of health coverage in
technical cooperation, health mechanisms; defence Brazil.
and security mechanisms; culture and education • F rom 4% of coverage in 2000 to up to 64% of the
mechanism; consular issues, social security and legal overall population in 2015, it was able to reach even
cooperation mechanism. the rural areas and the poorest states of the country.
• T he India-Brazil Joint Commission for Political, • T he strategy is based on an extensive work of
Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural community health agents who pay monthly visits to
Cooperation shall be the main forum for monitoring every family enrolled in the programme.
the implementation of the action plan of the strategic
• T he health agents carry out multiple tasks. They
partnership.
conduct health promotion and prevention activities,
Conclusion oversee compliance in treatment regime and manage
• W
hile the presidential visit opened large avenues of the relationship between citizens and the healthcare
cooperation, the challenge will rest on keeping the system.
momentum and following it up, so that this strategic • R
esearch shows that the programme has drastically
partnership can translate into wide and concrete reduced Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and increased
collaboration. adult labour supply.
• I mplementing the Action Plan as well as the bilateral
agreements will require continued efforts of
mobilization of public and private actors to produce
the medium-term results.

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JANUARY-2020 44

Impressive progress: • T he diversity can act as a powerful source of policy

innovation and creativity and should be encouraged.
• In the last 30 years, Brazilians have experienced a
drastic increase in health coverage as well as health • Regional disparities in terms of resources and
outcomes. Life expectancy has increased, while the institutional capabilities must be addressed.
Infant Mortality Rate has declined. Polio vaccination
has reached an impressive 98% of the population. 2. Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)

• A
2015 report notes that 95% of those that seek care • I nitiated in 2007, it is the European Union and India’s
in the SUS are able to receive treatment. proposed Free Trade Agreement

High-cost efficiency: • I ndia and the EU expect to promote bilateral trade by

removing barriers to trade in goods and services and
• Unlike the universal health systems in other countries investment across all sectors of the economy
which consume around 8% of the GDP, Brazil spends
only 3.8% of its GDP on the SUS, serving a large Both sides have major differences on key issues like
population. intellectual property rights, duty cut in automobile and
spirits, and liberal visa regime.
• T he impressive progress in healthcare has been made
possible even amidst a scenario of tightening budget What does EU Want?
allocation in Brazil. • E U wants India to liberalize accountancy and legal
Given Brazil’s impressive performance, India and Brazil services.
can explore cooperation and strategic partnership in * T his has met with controversy as Indians do
healthcare. not want foreign lawyers and accountants to
Way forward: practice in India.

• A
chieving universal coverage in India, a country with • E uropean banks have been eyeing India’s relatively
a population of 1.3 billion, will be a big and complex under-tapped banking space
challenge. India may consider the following to ensure * But they are suspicious of the restrictive rules
Universal health coverage. on priority sector lending and obligation on
Steady improvement: financial inclusion.

• I ndia should focus on steady growth and improvement. • E U is requesting India to reduce import duties on
India must record details of improvement in terms of wines and spirits (France wants lower import tariffs on
access, production and population health on a year- wines)
by-year basis. * But tax reduction on wines and spirits is not
• A
ny deficiencies should be addressed through acceptable as these are regarded as ‘sin goods’
appropriate corrective actions. and the states which derive huge revenue from
liquor sales, would be reluctant to cut taxes.
Increased funding:
• Reduce taxes on automobiles.
• P
ublic health expenditure is still very low in India, at
around 1.3% of GDP in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. There * India maintains high duties on luxury cars where
is a need for increasing this in line with the national Germany is seeking better market access.
health policy. • I mport duties on Dairy products has to be reduced
Primary health care: substantially,

• W
ellness centres form a major pillar of the primary • T he major contentious issues that remain are the
health care system in India. differences on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR),
investment protection and trade in agriculture and
• T he Brazilian experience in the implementation of food items.
its successful Family Health Programme can inform
the design of the establishment of 1,50,000 wellness * India fears that any commitment over and above
centre by 2022. the WTO’s intellectual property rights (TRIPS, or
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Differentiated approach: Rights) will undermine its capacity to produce
• I ndia is composed of many States with their own generic formulations.
set of challenges and strengths. A one-size-fits-all • The EU seeks liberalisation of FDI in multi-brand retail
approach for such heterogeneous conditions would and insurance
be ineffective.
What does India want?
• T he challenge must be met by an intricate combination
of standardized programmes and autonomy to adopt Indian demand for more liberalisation in services and
policies according to their needs. greater flexibility on data privacy
• I ndia is asking for ‘Data Secure Nation’ status to be
granted by the EU.

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JANUARY-2020 45

* The country is among the nations not considered Conclusion

data secure by the EU. The matter is crucial as
• A
trade pact is about give and take. Failing to conclude
it will have a bearing on Indian IT companies
the EU-India BTIA will be a lost opportunity for both
wanting market access.
the partners, especially when the US is erecting new
• India seeks improved market access Mode 1 (ITeS/ barriers to trade.
BPO/KPO) and Mode 4 (movement of software
• B
oth India and the EU have enough trade
professionals).
complementarities and can gain a lot by opening up
* There are many barriers to movement of their respective markets.
professionals including cumbersome rules
• T herefore they need to create a platform of trust
on work permits, wage parity conditions, visa
and transparency to build a strategy and to find an
formalities and non-recognition of professional
agreement beneficial to both parties.
qualifications.
Context
* T hese rules also vary across different European
countries that India would want harmonised and • L atvian Foreign Minister’s Statement on the India-EU
relaxed access to. Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA).
• I ndia demands that the EU help the country in
3. Donald Trump’s peace plan for Israel and Palestine
the development of textile and chemical industry,
including leather goods and apparels, as gaining Context
better access to the EU may help in the expansion • P
resident Donald Trump has come up with a ‘Middle
of these sectors and their operations, thereby East plan, Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the
contributing to the overall growth of the Indian Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People’
economy
• It proposes to create Palestinian state with capital in
• M
iffed by MNCs frequently serving arbitration notices eastern Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking
on India for hefty compensation, New Delhi’s model steps to become self-governing, to end decades of
act on investment protection has introduced several conflict in the region.
changes that are not to the liking of the European
Commission, such as the removal of MFN clause and • I srael would control a unified Jerusalem as its capital
narrower scope of national treatment or exclusion and not require it to uproot any of the settlements in
of tax disputes from the purview of investment the West Bank
protection. Plan for Israel
* B
esides, it will allow investors to initiate • I srael gets unified Jerusalem as its capital, and it does
international arbitration only after domestic not have to dismantle any of its illegal settlements in
legal remedies are exhausted. the West Bank.
• O
ther sticking points are the presence of non-tariff • T he plan says the Jordan Valley, “which is critical
barriers that the EU imposes on Indian agricultural for Israel’s national security, will be under Israeli
products in the form of sanitary and Phyto-sanitary sovereignty”.
measures which are too stringent and enable the
• I n exchange, Israel would agree to accept a four-year
EU to bar many Indian agricultural products from
freeze on new settlement activity while Palestinian
entering its markets
statehood is negotiated.
* India wants the EU to cut its agricultural subsidies
For Palestinians
while the EU has interests in India reducing
its duties on dairy products, poultry, farm and • T rump promised to provide $50 billion in international
fisheries. investment to build the new Palestinian entity and
open an embassy in its new state.
Why they should be signing it?
* Iincludes constructing essential infrastructure
• A
common liberalized market would reach up to 1.7
including “high-speed transportation links”
billion consumers in both markets. The BTIA is seen
between the West Bank and Gaza, promoting
as a great way to reduce the existing trade barriers on
private sector growth, upgrading education, and
both sides.
improving the healthcare sector and the overall
• B
oth India and the EU are major exporters of IT and quality of Palestinian life.
associated services. Growing services trade and
• T o the Palestinians, the deal offers the possibility of
possible BTIA may facilitate further labour mobility.
a US-recognised quasi sovereign state that will not,
Concerns however, have a standing army; they will also have
• E uropean NGOs like Oxfam, Health Action to give up violent resistance to Israel, and ensure the
International have raised concerns that the proposed disbandment of Hamas, which governs Gaza.
EU-India BTIA may reduce access to affordable generic
medicines produced by India to a large number of
developing country patients.

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JANUARY-2020 46

• T he Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, * For any peace process to be successful, the
immediately denounced the plan as a “conspiracy first step is to take all conflicting parties into
deal” unworthy of serious consideration confidence.

Status of Jerusalem * B
y that standard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s
peace plan for Israel and Palestine is a failure
• B
oth Israel and the Palestinians make non-negotiable from the start
claims over Jerusalem. The plan says Jerusalem will
not be divided, and it will remain “the sovereign • T he Palestinians believe that Mr. Trump, whose
capital of the State of Israel”. administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
in 2017, is not an impartial negotiator between the
• T he capital of Palestine can occupy far-flung eastern two sides.
neighborhoods lying beyond “the existing security
barrier”, which can be renamed Al Quds, the Arabic • M
r. Trump has thrown his weight behind the two-state
name for Jerusalem. solution. But to achieve the solution, the plan overly
favors the Israeli positions and demands excessive
concessions from the Palestinians.
• A
ccording to the plan, Israel can annex the Jordan
Valley as well as the Jewish settlements on the West
Bank.
* It also recognizes Jerusalem as the “undivided
capital” of Israel, while the Palestinian capital
could come up in the eastern outskirts of the city.
* I t proposes to enlarge Gaza and swap the
Arab-populated towns in southeast Israel with
Palestine for parts of the West Bank.
* I n effect, the Palestinians would lose roughly
30% of the West Bank, their claim to Jerusalem
and the right to return of refugees.
* I n return, they will get an independent state
in a shrunken West Bank and an enlarged
Gaza connected through a tunnel that would
practically be encircled by Israel
• E ven to achieve statehood under the proposed
conditions, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is required
to crack down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad (which
is practically impossible as both operate from Gaza
and the PA runs only West Bank territories), stop
supporting families of those jailed or killed by Israel
and stop challenging Israeli actions on international
fora.
Conclusion
• U
nder the present plan it is virtually impossible for
any Palestinian leader to sell these proposals to a
people who have been resisting Israel’s occupation
for decades.
• A
ny plans going forward that seeks constructive and
lasting peace should include Palestine’s participation
from the beginning, rather than a unilateral imposition
by USA.
Oslo Accords
• T hey are a set of agreements between the Government
of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO).
It is not a fair deal say the observers
• T he first Oslo Accord was signed in Washington, D.C.,
• T he deal was drawn up without any meaningful in 1993 and the second Oslo Accord was signed in
Palestinian participation and is loaded in Israel’s favor. Egypt, in 1995.

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JANUARY-2020 47

• T he Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement was signed What did the ICJ say?
in Washington in 1995, subsequent to the Oslo • T he International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a unanimous
Accords. The Oslo Accords marked the start of the ruling, has pinned legal responsibility on Myanmar’s
Oslo process, a peace process aimed at achieving a government for the military’s large-scale excesses of
peace treaty between Israel and Palestine. 2017.
• The Oslo Accords created a Palestinian Authority • M
yanmar has also been asked to furnish periodic
tasked with limited self-governance of parts of the reports until the conclusion of the case, which relates
West Bank and Gaza Strip. The agreement set out to genocide accusations.
the scope of Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank
and Gaza. It even acknowledged the PLO as Israel’s The court indicated the following provisional measures:
partner in permanent-status negotiations and other • T hat Myanmar shall, in accordance with its obligations
questions. under the Convention on the Prevention and
• T he most important questions are related to the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, “take all
borders of Israel and Palestine, Israeli settlements, measures within its power to prevent the killing of the
the status of Jerusalem, Israel’s military presence in Rohingya or the causing of serious bodily or mental
and control over remaining territories after Israel’s harm to the members of the group”; deliberately
recognition of Palestinian autonomy, and the inflicting on the Rohingya “conditions of life calculated
Palestinian right of return. The Oslo Accords, however, to bring about (their) physical destruction in whole or
did not create a Palestinian state. in part”; and imposing “measures intended to prevent
births within the group”.
• T he Oslo Accords are based on the 1978 Camp David
• T hat Myanmar shall ensure that its military or any
Accords.
irregular armed units within its control, do not
4. International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in the commit any of the acts described above, or conspire
to commit, direct, attempt to commit, or be complicit
Rohingya case
in genocide.
Context
• T hat Myanmar shall take “effective measures to
• T he International Court of Justice (ICJ) has asked prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation
the government of Myanmar to immediately take of evidence related to allegations of acts” of genocide.
“all measures within its power” to prevent atrocities
• T hat Myanmar shall submit a report to the ICJ on all
against members of the minority Rohingya Muslim
measures taken to give effect to the order within four
community.
months, and thereafter every six months, until a final
Who took Myanmar to the ICJ? decision is passed.
• It was the Republic of the Gambia. It is important to note that these directions are “provisional
• G
ambia had filed a suit in ICJ on behalf of the measures” until the ICJ can finally decide if Myanmar has
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). been committing an ongoing genocide against the
Rohingya. The final verdict could take several years.
• T he suit alleged that the brutalities by the defence
services amounted to crimes of genocide under the Myanmar’s defence:
1948 Genocide Convention. • M
yanmar has expectedly, rejected the ICJ’s ruling and
• T he Gambia urged the ICJ to direct Myanmar to has accused rights groups of presenting the Court
stop the genocide, ensure that persons committing with a wrong picture of the situation in Myanmar.
genocide are punished, and allow the “safe and • M
yanmar has defended the army’s action as a
dignified return of forcibly displaced Rohingya”. legitimate response to violations of the law by the
• D
uring the proceedings, Gambia relied on the report insurgent Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
published by the Independent Fact Finding Mission What happens if Myanmar does not comply with the
on Myanmar established by the UN Human Rights provisional measures?
Council to support its case.
• For its part, Myanmar has denied that its military
Who are the Rohingyas? or paramilitary has participated in a genocide of
• T he Rohingyas are a largely Muslim ethnic group Rohingya and it is unlikely to alter its position.
belonging to the Rakhine region, who were rendered • P
rovisional measures are essentially a restraining
stateless under a controversial 1982 citizenship law order against a state when a case is pending and
and have been the subject of persecution since. can be seen as, at most, a censure. Provisional orders
• In recent years, the attempts of the Rohingya to flee cannot be challenged and are binding upon the state.
Myanmar by sea or land have captured international However, limitations in enforcing decisions of the ICJ
media attention. are widely acknowledged by law experts.

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JANUARY-2020 48

What are these limitations? • W

ith this induction, it appears that Russia has beaten
• W
hen a state fails to comply, the Security Council has the U.S. and China in deploying the HGV.
the power to impose sanctions against it and ensure * B
ut China and the U.S. are also close on the heels:
compliance when international security and peace the U.S. has moved from the research to the
are at stake. So far, the Security Council has never development stage, and China demonstrated
taken a coercive measure against any country to get the DF-17, a medium-range missile with the
an ICJ ruling implemented. HGV, at the military parade
• E ven with the stepping in of the Security Council, Avangard
there are several hurdles in enforcement of ICJ
• T he Avangard is a strategic Inter-Continental Ballistic
decisions. Any one of the five permanent members of
Missile (ICBM) system which has a range of over 6,000
the Security Council with veto powers can block the
km, weighs approximately 2,000 kg, and can carry a
enforcement of an ICJ decision against itself or its ally.
nuclear or conventional payload equipped with a
* F or example, in Nicaragua v United States (1989) hypersonic glide vehicle.
where the ICJ ruled against the US holding it
• I t’s designed to sit atop an ICBM and, once launched,
responsible for illegal military and paramilitary
it uses aerodynamic forces to sail on top of the
activities in and against Nicaragua, the US
atmosphere.
refused to abide by the ruling.
Significance of Hypersonic Technologies
Significance
This technology is considered to be a game changer as far
• A
lthough it could take years before the ICJ
as military strategy is concerned.
pronounces the final verdict in the genocide case, the
ICJ’s injunction in the case holds hope for Rohingya • A
ny country having this technology has an added
refugees languishing in the Bangladesh refugee advantage, as it creates uncertainty for its adversaries.
camps. • T he weapons’ manoeuvrability allows them to travel
• T he ruling empowers the UN Security Council to on unpredictable trajectories, making it difficult
prevail upon Myanmar to take appropriate measures to track and destroy them before they successfully
for the rehabilitation and repatriation of displaced penetrate advanced air and ballistic missile defences.
communities. How would the induction of hypersonics complicate
• I ndia has its own interests in an amicable resolution security concerns?
of Myanmar’s internal dispute. This would reduce the 1. First, these missiles are being added to the military
pressure on India to accept the incoming refugees. capabilities of countries that possess nuclear weapons
Conclusion which could escalate tensions between the countries.
• T he ICJ order to Myanmar to take concrete steps to • F or the adversaries the concern is, an attack on nuclear
prevent the genocide of the Rohingya is a landmark assets would degrade retaliation capabilities.
step to stop further atrocities against one of the • T he incoming warhead and destination ambiguities
world’s most persecuted people. could create misperception and miscalculation in
• T he world court’s orders are legally binding but it moments of crisis.
relies on the United Nations to add political pressure, 2. Second, the induction of hypersonics would lead to an
if necessary, to enforce them. offence-defence spiral.
• C
oncerned governments and U.N. bodies should now • A
ccording to reports, the U.S. has begun finding
weigh in to ensure that the order is enforced as the ways of either strengthening its BMD or looking for
genocide case moves forward. countermeasures to defeat hypersonics, besides
having an arsenal of its own of the same kind.
5. Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs)
• T he stage appears set for an arms race instability given
• A
hypersonic delivery system is essentially a ballistic
that the three major players in this game have the
or cruise missile that can fly for long distances and at
financial wherewithal and technological capability to
speeds higher than 5 Mach at lower altitudes.
play along.
• T his allows it to evade interception from current
• T his looks particularly imminent in the absence of any
Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD).
strategic dialogue or arms control.
• It can also execute a high degree of manoeuvres.
3. A third implication would be to take offence-defence
Context developments into outer space.
• I n December 2019, Russia announced that its new • C
ounter-measures to hypersonics have been
Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV), Avangard, launched envisaged through placement of sensors and
atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, had been interceptors in outer space.
made operational.

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JANUARY-2020 49

• W
hile none of this is going to be easy or quick, • F ourth, the relationship was previously held back by
weaponisation of outer space would, nevertheless, an absence of people-to-people content.
be a distinct possibility once hypersonic inductions
* I n recent years, however, Indian immigrants
become the norm.
have been among the largest contributors to
Conclusion Australia’s population growth.
• T hus induction of this technology would likely prove * I n addition to the massive influx of Indian
to be a transitory advantage eventually leading students, Indian tourists are also visiting Australia
nations into a strategic trap. in larger numbers.
• I ndia needs to make a cool-headed assessment of Strategic Side
its own deterrence requirements and choose its
• I ndia-Australia relations have experienced a major
pathways wisely. upswing. This is evident in a growing number of
6. India- Australia Relations (A road map for robust trade military exercises involving all three services, as well
as staff talks and military training initiatives.
ties)
• I n 2019, the countries took part in large-scale anti-
Introduction submarine warfare exercises in the Bay of Bengal.
• I ndia and Australia share a strong bilateral relationship • T he establishment of a bilateral 2+2 dialogue
based on historic ties, cultural links and extensive (involving senior foreign and defence ministry
people-to-people connections. officials) represent more heft and purpose in strategic
• A
s large democracies, the two countries play a central coordination.
role in strengthening geopolitical cooperation and Trade relationship
maintaining peace and security.
• T he trade between the two countries has been at a
Historically, India-Australia relations suffered from deep modest $31 billion, largely composed of resources
structural impediments. like coal and other minerals.
• The first was the logic of the Cold War, during which Issue Area
Australia decided to be among Britain and the United
States’ closest allies, while India initially opted for non- • N
egotiations on a Free Trade Agreement, which
alignment. began in 2011, have not moved forward significantly.
* T his led to a number of disagreements and • I t is important for India to concentrate on various
misunderstandings. underdeveloped and undervalued sectors such as
agriculture, education, tourism and services.
* A
s India achieved Independence, for example,
Australian leaders advocated to their British • A
dani Group’s coal project in Australia has been
counterparts that the strategically important hampered by regulatory delays and difficulty in
Andaman and Nicobar Islands be retained by the securing financing amid a passionate environmental
empire. protest movement.
• The second complicating factor was India’s nuclear India Economic Strategy 2035 Report
status outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty • I t was prepared by former Foreign Secretary of
(NPT). Australia Peter Varghese for the government of
* This resulted in Australia taking a particularly Australia which lays down a comprehensive road map
strong stance against India’s 1998 nuclear tests, for strengthening Australia’s trade engagement with
which came soon after French nuclear tests in India.
the South Pacific. • T his report recommends that Australia strive by 2035
* H
owever, the 2008 waiver granted to India by to lift India into our top three export markets, to make
the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the subsequent India the third largest destination in Asia for Australian
lifting by Australia of its uranium ban against outward investment, and to bring India into the inner
NPT non-signatories, and a bilateral civil nuclear circle of Australia’s strategic partnerships, and with
agreement in 2014-2015 largely addressed the people to people ties as close as any in Asia.
matter. Entrepreneurship and Digital Technology
• Third, the relationship historically suffered from a lack India-Australia trade has been steadily evolving into
of economic content. This has changed. a new architecture underpinned by developments in
* I ndia is one of the largest export destination for digital technology, the rise of a younger generation of
Australia, and Australia is a top 20 trade partner entrepreneurs, and a noticeable shift in the trade basket
for India. from resources to services.
* Yet, merchandise trade remains below potential

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JANUARY-2020 50

• T echnology and young entrepreneurship make a Details

formidable combination and should set the agenda • A
n ICP is intended to be a one-stop solution that
for the future of bilateral trade relations. houses all regulatory agencies, such as immigration,
* About 80% of the Australian small and medium- customs and border security.
sized enterprises are managed by young * The ICPs are aimed at facilitating cross-border
professionals. trade and movement of people.
• Y
oung Australians, like young Indians, carry the * I t helps in efficient management of border
compelling vision of 21st century globalization, crossings
multiculturism and quality education.
• T he second Integrated Check Post at Jogbani-Biratnag
* What adds strengths to this process is a great was built with Indian assistance to facilitate trade and
deal of social engineering, people-to people people’s movement across India-Nepal border.
contacts, and knowledge partnerships.
• T he first was built at the Raxaul-Birgunj border in
* T he young can see issues like immigration and 2018.
outsourcing with far more equanimity than the
Efficient border checkpoints
older generation.
• They are crucial for promoting regional trade
* Y
oung Australians are thus emerging as great
champions of India-Australia trade relations. • I nadequate infrastructure at border checkpoints is
one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of trade, as
• T here is also recognition that Australia is a laboratory
it hinders the movement of both goods and people in
of ideas, innovation, technology-led growth and
and out of neighboring countries.
university-industry partnerships. India is a large
and demographically young market with a love for • T hus, conditions at the border checkpoints must be
innovation and an appetite for new products and improved to improve India’s ties with neighbouring
services. These synergies should add momentum to a countries, and in particular, trade and people-to-
growing engagement in trade relations. people relations.
The weakest link in India’s exports to Australia is in Land Port Authority of India (LPAI)
merchandise. • I t is a statutory body established under the LPAI Act,
• F irst, despite globalization, markets are country- 2010—is responsible for the efficient management of
specific and culturally sensitive. the ICPs.
* Indian companies will need to invest a little • I t falls under the purview of the Border Management
more in market research on Australian consumer Department of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs
expectations and lifestyles before their products (MoHA) and is tasked with developing, sanitising and
can successfully penetrate the Australian market. managing the facilities for cross-border movement, at
the designated points along the international border
• S econd, Australia is a brand-conscious market while
of India.
India has not created a single consumer brand of
international acceptance. Conclusion
* Only when India’s textiles, leather products, cars • T he establishment of the ICPs reflects India’s
and two-wheelers, kitchen equipment and other willingness to provide world-class facilities at the
products are visible across the world’s shopping border checkpoint to promote trade and connectivity
malls and supermarkets displaying their own with its neighbour.
brands that India will be recognised as a major
player in the global markets. 8. Kalapani border issue
Conclusion Background
• T hus innovation is key for the success of the Global • I n November 2019, India released fresh maps of
trade. the newly created Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu
and Kashmir, and Ladakh, along with a map of India
• T he future must be woven around the three pillars,
depicting these UTs.
which are economic relationship, geostrategic
congruence and people⎯to⎯people ties. The glue that • I n the maps, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was part
can bind this is a sustained momentum. of Jammu and Kashmir, while Gilgit-Baltistan was
included in Ladakh.
7. Jogbani-Biratnagar check post • The map also included the Kalapani area.
Context • The Nepal government then lodged a protest against
• P
rime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the inclusion of the Kalapani area, claiming it as
Nepal K P Sharma Oli jointly Inaugurate Integrated Nepalese territory.
Check Post (ICP) at Jogbani-Biratnagar.

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JANUARY-2020 51

Context Though the committee managed to resolve a

large part of the dispute, they failed to reach a final
• T he Ministry of External Affairs has now said Nepal and
settlement.
India will resolve the Kalapani border issue through
dialogue. • E ventually, the issue was referred to the foreign
secretaries of the two countries and they have been
Geographical Location
trying to find a resolution to the dispute.

9. Libya summit
Context
• W
orld powers held a high-stakes summit in Berlin to
discuss the way forward to end the conflict in Libya.
Background:
• The Libyan Crisis refers to the ongoing conflicts
in Libya, beginning with the Arab Spring protests
of 2011, which led to a civil war, foreign military
intervention, and the ousting and death of Muammar
Gaddafi.
• T he civil war’s aftermath and proliferation of armed
groups led to violence and instability across the
country, which erupted into renewed civil war in 2014.
• T he ongoing crisis in Libya has so far resulted in tens
• K
alapani is a 35 square kilometre area, which is
of thousands of casualties since the onset of violence
claimed by both India and Nepal. River Mahakali,
in early 2011 and also affected the output of Libya’s
earlier known as river Kali, flows through Kalapani,
economically crucial oil industry.
which is situated on the eastern bank of the river.
• P
resently the major conflict is between Mr Fayez
• B
oth India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part
al-Sarraj Tripoli-based, UN-recognized Government
of their territories — India as part of Uttarakhand’s
of National Accord (GNA) and Khalifa Haftar, the
Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of the Darchula
Commander of the Libyan National Army. The
district.
Libyan National Army, under Haftar’s leadership, has
• K
alapani is also a tri-junction point, where the Indian, replaced nine elected municipal councils by military
Nepalese and Tibetan (Chinese) borders meet. The administrators.
region has been manned by the Indo-Tibetan Border
* Mr Sarraj’s GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar
Police since 1962.
while
What is the dispute?
* M
r Haftar has the support of Russia, Egypt and
• T he source of river Mahakali is at the heart of the the United Arab Emirates.
dispute between the countries.
Aim of the summit
• T he 1816 Treaty of Segauli, signed between British
• T he summit was aimed to help restart dialogue
India and Nepal, defined river Mahakali as the western
between the warring factions.
border of Nepal. River Mahakali has several tributaries,
all of which merge at Kalapani. • T he summit’s main goal was to convince foreign
powers wielding influence in the region to stop
• I ndia claims that the river begins in Kalapani as this is
interfering in the war in the form of supplying
where all its tributaries merge. But Nepal claims that
weapons, troops or financing.
it begins from Lipu Lekh Pass, the origin of most of its
tributaries. • T his was making the situation on ground more
complex given that Libya had become a stage for
• N
epal has laid claim to all areas east of the Lipu Gad
the struggle of regional and world powers. Libya was
— the rivulet that joins the river Kali on its border, a
facing the devastating impact of foreign influence on
tri-junction with India and China.
the conflict.
Politics of Kalapani
Details:
• T he origin of the dispute goes back to the early 19th
• T he Presidents of Russia, Turkey and France joined
century; politically it emerged as a contentious issue
other global chiefs at the talks hosted by German
between India and Nepal after the two countries
Chancellor and held under the auspices of the UN.
signed the Treaty of Mahakali in 1996.
• W
orld leaders present at the summit made a fresh
• The two countries had formed the Joint Technical
push for peace in Libya, in a desperate bid to stop the
Boundary Committee in 1981 to resolve the dispute.
conflict-affected nation from turning into a breeding
ground for extremist forces.

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JANUARY-2020 52

• UN hopes that all parties will sign up to a plan to • With the Myanmar visit, Xi has effectively completed
refrain from interference, and commit to a truce. his key neighborhood trips, having traveled through
• N
otably, leaders of both warring factions, Khalifa the Maldives and Sri Lanka in 2014, Pakistan in 2015,
Haftar and Fayez al-Sarraj were also present in the Bangladesh in 2016, and Nepal in 2019.
summit. This was the first such gathering since 2018. Key Agreements signed during the visit
10. Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement • D
uring Xi’s visit, China and Myanmar have signed a
total of 33 agreements, Memoranda of Understanding
Context
(MoU), protocols, and exchanges of letters on areas
• C
abinet approves ratification of Migration and including major infrastructure projects, railways,
Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and industrial and power projects, trade and investment.
France.
• T he two countries agreed on MoUs to undertake
This Agreement aims to establish and develop co- a feasibility study on the Myanmar-China Power
operation between India and France in the following areas: Interconnection Project in addition to conducting
• The circulation of persons feasibility studies for the Yangon River Estuary West
Bank Protection, Mandalay-Bagan Railway Line, and
• T he facilitation of mobility of students, academics, and Watalone Tunnel projects.
researchers, migration for professional and economic
reasons, abiding by equal treatment of nationals of • G
iving a big boost to China’s efforts at seeking greater
both Parties in similar situation. presence in the Indian Ocean, the two countries
signed a concession agreement and shareholders’
* The provisions of this Agreement will be without agreement for the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone
prejudice to the application of national laws on (SEZ) deep seaport project.
the stay of foreigners on all the points that are
not dealt with in this Agreement. * The Kyaukpyu deep seaport is particularly critical
for China as it would provide it with an alternative
• The prevention of and the fight against irregular to Straits of Malacca, which is currently their
migration and the exploitation and trafficking in lifeline for energy transportation as well as a
human beings in accordance with their laws and trade corridor.
respective obligations.
* M
aking progress on the Kyaukpyu port is
• T he provisions of this Agreement shall not substitute important also because it is linked to the China-
deeper engagement of the Parties in respect of the Myanmar Economic Corridor, part of the Belt and
temporary movement of natural persons for the Road Initiative (BRI), and therefore the China-
purpose of providing services as a result of a free trade Myanmar agreement on the port is touted as a
agreement binding the Parties. big success for the BRI.
Significance
• T he Agreement represents a major milestone in
enhancing people-to-people contacts, fostering
mobility of students, academics, researchers and
skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation
on issues related to irregular migration and human
trafficking between the two sides.
• T he Agreement is a testimony to India’s rapidly
expanding multi-faceted relationship with France
and symbolizes the increasing trust and confidence
between the two sides.

11. Myanmar’s growing dependence on China

Context
• C
hinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day
visit to Myanmar
Why Myanmar needs China?
Background
Analysts are skeptical about these projects as there are no
• T he last visit by a Chinese President took place in significant benefits for Myanmar.
2001.
• T he 70th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations was judged to be the ideal
occasion to launch a major renewal and strengthen
the process of the bilateral relationship.

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JANUARY-2020 53

• B
ut the prime reason why they are supporting China • O
rganized along the lines of the Shangri-La Dialogue
is because the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is held in Singapore
all set to deliver its judgment on the issue of violence
• E very year, global leaders in policy, business, media
against the Rohingya minority. Myanmar seeks
and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss
support from China on this issue.
cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international
* The joint statement issued during the visit stated policy matters.
that “The Chinese side supports the efforts of
• T he conference is hosted by the Observer Research
Myanmar to address the humanitarian situation
Foundation, an independent think tank, in
and to promote peace, stability and development
collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of
for all communities in Rakhine State.”
India.
* F or Beijing’s support on the Rohingya issue,
• T he Dialogue, since its inception, has attracted
Naypyidaw has reconsidered some of the earlier
academics, scholars, researchers, students, journalists
tough positions it had taken on stalled projects.
and even politicians who are either interested—or
• Because of the internal situation in Myanmar, most are working—in the field of international relations,
western countries are reluctant to fund projects in the geopolitics, security, nuclear issues and Indian foreign
country. Xi’s visit enhances investments in the country. policy.
* I n the first 11 months of 2019 investment from • T he name “Raisina Dialogue” comes from Raisina Hill,
China reached $20.9 billion, accounting for an elevation in New Delhi, seat of the Government
25.21% of all foreign direct investment, second of India, as well as the Presidential Palace of India,
only to Singapore Rashtrapati Bhavan
• Beijing is also supporting Myanmar via tourism: Themes and strategies
Chinese tourist arrivals increased 150% in 2019 when
• T he first edition of the Dialogue took place in March
compared with 2018
2016.
India’s Concern
• O
ver the past few years, discussions on the themes of
• A
Chinese-developed deep sea port in the Bay of regional and global connectivity, terrorism, maritime
Bengal will complete the encirclement of India — security threats and challenges, political cooperation,
with Sri Lanka already having given its Hambantota and global governance have been a staple at Raisina.
port on a 99-year lease to China, which has also
• T he title of the Raisina Dialogue 2020 is “Navigating
developed the Gwadar port on Pakistan’s coast on the
the Alpha Century”.
Arabian Sea.
Why does the Dialogue matter?
• C
hina has already been given a mediator’s status by
Dhaka and Naypyitaw in their Rohingya crisis dispute • R
aisina Dialogue has elevated the global profile of
— adding to New Delhi’s isolation in South Asia India by uniting the best strategic thinkers of the
world.
• C
onsidering that even Nepal, which will have a high-
speed rail link built by China and Sri Lanka, which has • R
aisina Dialogue is an opportunity for the world to see
a known pro-China Sri Lankan government, headed India’s growing aspirations to play a more proactive
by brothers Gotabaya Rajapaksa as president and role in international relations.
Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM, are heavily leaning on • R
aisina Dialogue is conceived as a platform for ideas,
Beijing. allowing India to enhance its importance
• F rom New Delhi’s perspective, these are problematic. * India is open to varying opinions, willing to
India has taken a strong position against Belt and debate and negotiate, and understanding the
Road and it worries about the strategic implications scale and stakes of global interdependencies.
of any Chinese bases in the Bay of Bengal under guise
of infrastructural projects. • The Dialogue also provides a golden chance for young
scholars and researchers to interact with a galaxy of
Conclusion stars from the international relations universe.
• C
hina keeps reiterating that it conducts its diplomacy Conclusion
with mutual respect and reciprocity as the guiding
principle, smaller countries in Asia have found China’s • T he Raisina Dialogue helps confirm global public
projects have significant downsides. perception that India’s time is fast approaching. India
is messaging to the world very clearly that it desires to
• I ndia, lacking China’s economic muscle or be recognized as an emerging and formidable power,
infrastructure-building capacity, can only hope that
a true world power.
Myanmar’s caution will limit China’s influence.

12. Raisina Dialogue

• It is India’s premier foreign policy conference which is
committed to addressing the most challenging issues
facing the global community.

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JANUARY-2020 54

13. Sagarmatha Sambaad 15. Shanghai Council meet

• The Sambaad (dialogue) is named after the world’s Context
tallest mountain, Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest), which is
• The 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
also a symbol of friendship
will be hosted by India
• It is scheduled to be held biennially in Nepal.
• A
s per protocol all heads of government would be
• T he Sambaad hopes to draw global leaders, including invited for the event.
heads of state/government, parliamentarians,
• T herefore Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan
policy makers, leaders from the inter-governmental
will also be invited to participate in the Heads of
organisations, the private sector, the civil society,
Government Council meeting
think tanks, women and the media to discuss on the
ways of cooperation, exchange of ideas and sharing What kind of a grouping is the SCO?
of experiences on prominent global issues. • A
fter the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then
Context security and economic architecture in the Eurasian
region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
• N
epal has invited the Prime Ministers of India
and Pakistan along with several other heads of • T he original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan,
government and heads of state for the Sagarmatha Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Sambaad • T he SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan
Details included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and
Pakistan.
• T he theme for the first edition of the Sagarmatha
Sambaad, scheduled from April 2-4, is ‘Climate • T he SCO, which has its headquarters in Beijing,
Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’ holds summits of heads of states as well as heads of
government meetings annually in member countries.
• T he main objectives of the first edition of the Sambaad
are to forge a common consensus among countries • T he event will bring together leaders from eight
on the impending climate crisis and encourage SCO member-states—India, China, Kazakhstan,
political leaders to mobilise political will to tackle the Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and
menace. Uzbekistan.
• I t also hopes to create awareness among participants Under what circumstances did India enter the SCO?
and the world about the direct relation that exists • W
hile Central Asian countries and China were not in
between the climate change and mountain ecology. favour of expansion initially, the main supporter — of
• T he Kathmandu event aims to draw all the SAARC India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
leaders and provide an opportunity to break the ice. • A
widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease
Significance about an increasingly powerful China prompted it
to push for its expansion. From 2009 onwards, Russia
• S agarmatha Sambaad will highlight Nepal’s ability to
officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO.
assert its point of view before the global audience
• C
hina then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s
14. Sampriti entry.
• It is a military exercise by Bangladesh and India. How does membership of the SCO help India?
• I t is hosted alternately by both countries. The exercise For India, two important objectives are counter-terrorism
was first held in Assam in 2011. and connectivity.
• T he exercise is aimed to strengthen and broaden the • I ndia wants access to intelligence and information
aspects of interoperability and cooperation between from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, Regional Anti-
the Indian and Bangladesh Armies. Terror Structure (RATS).
• T he exercise will involve tactical level operations • C
onnectivity is important for India’s Connect Central
in a counter insurgency and counter terrorism Asia policy. Energy cooperation dominates its interest
environment under the UN mandate.
16. Soft power of India still untapped
• I n addition to understanding each other in tactical
level operations, emphasis will also be laid for greater Definitions
cultural understanding to strengthen military trust According to Joseph Nye, hard power the term is “the
and cooperation between the two nations. ability to use the carrots and sticks of economic and
military might to make others follow your will.”
• H
ere, “carrots” are inducements such as the reduction
of trade barriers, the offer of an alliance or the promise
of military protection.

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JANUARY-2020 55

• O
n the other hand, “sticks” are threats including • Aamir Khan’s Dangal setting new box office and
the use of coercive diplomacy, the threat of military critical records of sorts in China. The themes, which
intervention, or the implementation of economic include women empowerment and a statement
sanctions. against female infanticide, have made the local
Chinese audiences as well as critics ask why their
• Ex: Surgical Strike in Pakistan, 2015 Indian counter-
government is not promoting films on social themes.
insurgency operation in Myanmar
• This development can be the foundation of a fresh
According to Joseph Nye, soft power is the ability of a
new chapter in the book of Indian Cinema being a
country to persuade others to do what it wants without
soft power.
resorting to force or coercion. Soft power, he said, lies in a
country’s attractiveness and comes from three resources: A PWC report states that the media and entertainment
industry outperformed expectations in FY19 and was
• its culture
amongst the fastest-growing sectors with a growth rate of
• i ts political values (when it lives up to them at home 13%.
and abroad),
Concerns
• I ts foreign policies (when they are seen as legitimate
1. Context
and having moral authority).
Despite all these advantages it is still far from being
Key Facts about India’s film industry
recognised as an important sector for the government.
• I ndia is the world’s largest in terms of the number of
• I nitially, under the Goods and Services Tax regime, the
films produced and second largest after Hollywood in
film industry was slotted under the ‘luxury’ category. A
terms of its global reach.
tax rate of 28% was imposed on it. After an outcry, this
• I ndian cinema is also the most diverse, contrary to was revised to 18%.
the general tendency in the West and elsewhere to
• H
owever, GST poses a challenge: if a particular movie
club all films under the generic “Bollywood”. Made in
appeals to a State government, that government can
several regional languages, they have their own film-
grant ‘tax free’ status to that film.
making styles, star systems and tell stories rooted in
specific cultural matrix. • W
ith the GST in place, States can waive off the SGST
(9%) alone. Therefore, a movie deemed ‘tax free’ is still
* T amil movies have an audience base in Sri Lanka,
be liable to pay CGST.
Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji;
Deeming the entertainment sector as a ‘luxury’ sector
* Bengali movies are hugely popular in
undermines its soft power.
neighboring Bangladesh; and
2. Need for improvements in Infrastructure
* Punjabi films too have a huge audience across
the border in Pakistan. India lacks the infrastructure to take films to interior areas.
• T he films are shown in some 100 overseas markets, • F or a population of 1.37 billion people, India has less
catalyzing the growth of trans-national creative than 10,000 screens, of which 6,700 are single screens.
networks, collaborations. The procedure to convert a single screen theatre to a
multiplex is tedious and costly.
• B
ig studios Columbia, Disney and 20th Century Fox
are now striking co-production deals with Indian * N
ew permission and licenses are required, and
companies. existing licenses often hold little value.
• B
ollywood, considered a living example of success • In stark contrast, China has about 60,000 screens for a
of cultural openness, has all the traits to emerge as population of 1.4 billion. These were created over the
India’s ‘soft power’ of the future, says a Deutsche Bank last decade with government support in the form of
chief economist. public-private partnership models, which makes the
country a viable market for foreign film industries as
Movies as Soft Power
well.
• I n the past, the US has used Hollywood to not only
* This has created revenue for the Chinese
fund wars, increase recruitment in the armed forces
government as foreign films have to share a
and even convinced the entire world that it was only
sizeable amount of their profit with the state.
America that could safeguard freedom, liberty and
equality for all. 3. Lack of guidelines for courses related to film industry
* The spread of American content helped create • T he Hindi film industry was accorded industry status
desirability for the American dream and way of only in 1998, even though the first Indian film was
life and cemented the hegemony of the U.S. made in 1913.
• T he industry employs a vast number of technicians
and creative professionals. But there are no formal
rules for courses related to the film industry.

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JANUARY-2020 56

• T he government created the Film and Television • The rise of assertive China both in trade and foreign
Institute of India, but its curriculum is not binding policy and the relative decline in America’s power.
on other private film schools. There are barely any
• I
ran’s dangerously aggressive, yet calculated
government academies catering to the industry.
behaviour and the rise of Turkey as a new power in
• In contrast, film education in the U.S. is accorded West Asia.
the same importance given to journalism or
USA’s domination in World Politics after the fall of the
biotechnology.
Soviet Union
4. Not enough incentives
• T he U.S. is the world’s mightiest military power and
• M
uch like the U.S., India allows its States to decide arguably the centre of the post-Soviet world order.
incentives for film shoots that take place within their
• I n the 1990s, the U.S.’s dominance was at its peak with
territories.
international and multilateral organisations getting
• A
merican states provide incentives such as tax overshadowed by its pre-eminence.
shelters, cash rebates and grants to productions
• I n 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, it got
taking place in their territories.
international support for its war in Afghanistan.
* D
uring a film shoot, the location gains tourist
• I n 2003, the U.S. went ahead with the plan to bomb
attention. Films also generate seasonal
Iraq despite the UN opposition, reminding the world
employment by hiring local staff and parts of the
of imperial invasions.
crew. It is a lucrative venture to have a film shoot
at site. Three developments in 2019 suggested that the U.S.’s
ability to shape global politics is clearly declining.
• It is because of this that countries like the U.K. and
Malta provide incentives such as easy clearances and 1. The Afghan experience
rebates upto 30-40% of the total cost of the projects • T he U.S. went to Afghanistan in October 2001, with
filmed there. a vow to destroy Al-Qaeda and topple the Taliban
• I n India the incentives are much lower, and in most regime. After years the US is now desperate to get
States the cash rebates are capped at nominal out of a stalemated conflict and has started direct
amounts which are not lucrative for big-budget negotiations with the Taliban.
productions. • T he whole Afghan experience shows how the U.S.
• M
oreover, though there is now a single-window botched up the war.
clearance for shoots in many States, shooting at * T he U.S. has a superior hand in conventional
various spots such as archaeological sites requires warfare.
multiple permissions and is a time-consuming and
arduous process. * B
ut winning a war abroad is not just about
toppling a hostile regime, but also about
Conclusion stabilizing the country after the regime is
• The film industry deserves more support for its growth toppled.
and protection. With high export potential, the • T he U.S., history shows, is good at the former but fares
content created helps disseminate the uniqueness of poorly in the latter. It is now left with no other option
India’s culture. but to reach an agreement with the Taliban for a face-
• Y
et, there are hardly any support tools from the saving exit.
government. The risk may be high, but the returns are • T hat would leave Kabul’s fragile, faction-ridden
good. Various countries are realising this and working government exposed to the Taliban insurgency, just
to either strengthen their content-creating industries like how the Mohammed Najibullah government was
or become viable destinations for hosting shoots. left to the Afghan Mujahideen in 1989 after the Soviet
• T apping into the potential of this multi seasonal withdrawal.
industry opens a plethora of opportunities: from 2. The Iran stand-off
better international awareness about the country to
creating employment opportunities within. • T he U.S.-Iran tensions were triggered by President
Trump’s unilateral decision to pull the U.S. out of the
• I ndia’s culture, heritage and its pluralism are its Iran nuclear deal.
strengths. India must use its culture to leverage and
accelerate its growth. • T rump’s plan was to put “maximum pressure” on Iran
through sanctions and force Tehran to renegotiate the
17. In the ruins of unilateralism nuclear deal. But Iran countered it through “maximum
Introduction resistance”, instead of giving in.

The year 2019 had many issues that defined global politics. • T he year 2019 saw Iran repeatedly provoking the U.S.
and its allies.
• T here were protests by students against the
establishment in several parts of the world — from
Santiago, Hong Kong, Beirut to New Delhi.

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JANUARY-2020 57

* It shot down an American drone over the Gulf, 18. The new worry of depleting diplomatic capital
captured a British tanker and is believed to Context:
have either carried out or orchestrated multiple
attacks on oil tankers that pass through the Strait • In the initial year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
of Hormuz. first tenure (2014¬-19), his foreign policy moves were
given priority.
* Two Saudi oil facilities came under attack, which
temporarily cut the kingdom’s oil output by half. • During the first term, the Modi government made
Iran was blamed for the attacks. significant diplomatic gains and reaffirmed India’s ties
with key global powers and as well as with neighbours.
• T he only counter-measure the U.S. took in response
to Iran’s growing provocations was imposing more • B
ut over the last one year, contentious domestic
sanctions. policies of the Modi government have started to have
an impact on India’s diplomatic ties and its standing
• T he U.S.’s inability to shape outcomes of the wars it as a vibrant, secular democracy.
launches is acting as a deterrent against its own war
machines. • T he Modi government has responded to this
criticism by vigorously trying to convince the global
3. Cracks in the NATO community that these are internal matters of India
• T he North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the and they do not have a bearing on India’s external
Cold War alliance that was formed as a counterweight policies and on countries that are friendly to India.
to the Soviet Union, continued to act as a vehicle of • T his column evaluates the consequences of this
Western military dominance under the leadership of strategy on India’s hard-won diplomatic capital over
the U.S. in the post-Soviet order. the years.
• T he alliance has come under pressure in recent years
Diplomatic gains during the first term:
with the rise of nationalist-populist leaders, like
Mr. Trump, who have a favourable view of Russian • P
utting the past with the United States behind
President Vladimir Putin and are critical of NATO. him — it had cancelled his visa for nearly a decade
and criticised his actions in Gujarat — Mr. Modi’s
• T hese contradictions sharpened in 2019, suggesting government forged an extra close bond with the
that there are growing cracks in the alliance. Barack Obama administration, opening a new chapter
• T urkey invaded northeaster Syria’s Kurdish held- in Indo¬-Pacific policy.
territories, which had housed U.S. troops during the • W
ith China, he also cast domestic sentiments aside to
war against the Islamic State welcome its President, Xi Jinping to India, following it
* A
nkara practically forced the Trump up with a visit to China.
administration to pull back troops from the areas • F inally, with India’s neighbours, he signalled a
before it started airstrikes. new start from his party, the Bharatiya Janata
* T he U.S. was relegated to the role of a spectator Party’s traditionally hard-line policies on Pakistan,
when a determined Turkey first captured some Bangladesh, even Sri Lanka, putting bilateral ties over
towns on the border and then struck a deal with domestic concerns.
Russia to create a buffer between Turkey and the Diplomatic impact of controversial domestic policies:
Kurdish-held territories of Syria, which will be
manned by Russian and Turkish troops. • T he contrast between that period and the first year
in his second tenure (2019¬-2020) could not be more
Conclusion pronounced; rather than dealing with bilateral ties,
• T hese incidents do not mean that the U.S.’s dominance the Ministry of External Affairs and its missions abroad
over global politics is over. But they do show that are now fully devoted to dealing with India’s domestic
America’s long wars and its inability to shape post-war concerns and their fallout.
outcomes are impacting its stature in an international • A
mong them, the decision to amend Article 370 of the
system that centres around it. Constitution on Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship
• T he relative decline in America’s power coupled with (Amendment) Act, 2019, or the CAA, 2019, and the
the rise of new and old powers point to a structural proposal for the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
churning in the post-Cold War order have been called into question by several countries
and international organisations.
* New economic powers (China) are on the rise
and an old military power (Russia) is making a State of India’s ties with U.S and Europe:
comeback. • T he impact of these policies has been most keenly felt
in ties with the U.S., where bipartisan support for India
has been the norm for at least two decades.

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JANUARY-2020 58
• T he whittling away of Democrat support was evident • S ome in Sheikh Hasina’s government have pointed
early on during the “Howdy Modi” event in September out that the Modi government’s desire to naturalise
2019, where only three out of the two dozen only one group of immigrants from Bangladesh
lawmakers at the event were from the Democratic but castigate the others as “illegal immigrants” and
Party; the party, especially under Mr. Obama, had “termites” cannot but be seen in a communal light.
been very supportive of the Modi government.
• If India’s motivation was compassion for the religiously
• While the ostensible reason was that they did not persecuted, they ask, then why was the Modi
wish to share a stage with U.S. President Donald government so impervious to Ms. Hasina’s repeated
Trump, it was significant that even among the five requests for help in the Rohingya refugee issue?
Indian¬-American lawmakers, only one was present.
Damage Control:
Nor has the discomfort in Washington been limited to
the Opposition party alone. • R
egardless of the reasoning, India’s diplomats,
including new Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan
• I n the weeks that followed “Howdy Modi”, the State
Shringla, who had earlier served in Dhaka, will have
Department and several bipartisan committees
their work cut out in repairing the damage.
have issued statements of concern over continued
detentions in Kashmir and the CAA, held hearings • I f close friend Bangladesh that defends India at the
in the U.S. Congress, and even inserted language on Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) feels that
Kashmir into the annual Foreign Appropriations Act India’s actions are religiously discriminatory, it is only a
for 2020. matter of time before others in the Islamic world, most
notably the Arab countries, who have been muted so
• A resolution urging India to lift restrictions in
far, will become more vocal.
Kashmir, sponsored by Indian¬-American lawmaker
Pramila Jayapal, now has 29 co¬sponsors, including • T he OIC’s plans for a special meet on Kashmir and the
two Republicans, and a lawmaker who had earlier CAA in April 2020, possibly in Islamabad, is one such
attended “Howdy Modi”. indicator.
• T he same issues found voice in the U.K. Parliament. In • I t would be easy to dismiss all of the above with the
the European Parliament, there were also discussions simple line that they constitute interference in India’s
on Kashmir. internal affairs.
• I t also led to heated battles within their polities, as • E ven if countries issue statements and world bodies
Kashmir became a campaign talking point between pass resolutions on the detentions and the Internet
Labour and Conservative candidates in the U.K. ban in Kashmir, the crackdown in Uttar Pradesh and
elections. protests across the country, does New Delhi really
need to worry?
• T he Modi government’s invitation to far¬-right
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to visit • T here are, in fact, a number of reasons why the
Kashmir (October 2019) has riled European diplomats government must weigh its diplomatic posture
from various countries — they have been denied on these issues carefully, as all of them are likely to
similar access. dominate its time in 2020.
Impact on neighbourhood ties: Will it affect India’s national interests?
• I n the neighbourhood, the government has upset • T he stand taken by some of these countries could
both friend and foe with its wording of the CAA. lead to worrisome measures against India.
Pakistan is predictably angry, while Afghanistan is • T he U.S. Commission for International Religious
more muted. But the real damage has been done to Freedom (USCIRF) has already recommended
ties with Bangladesh. sanctions be considered for Home Minister Amit Shah
• I n the past decade, and especially after completing and other officials.
the Land Boundary Agreement, Dhaka and New Delhi * While this may be considered an extreme step, it
had worked hard on building connectivity, opening must be remembered that it was the USCIRF that
energy routes, trade and developing travel links. first recommended a visa ban against Mr. Modi,
• T he relationship was seen as a “win¬-win” in contrast as Gujarat Chief Minister, in 2005.
to the preceding years when terror safe¬-havens and • I n the U.S. Congress too, lawmakers can effectively
border killings dominated the India¬-Bangladesh block defence sales to India, or pursue sanctions
narrative. on the S¬400 missile system purchase from Russia,
• B
y clubbing Bangladesh with Pakistan and for example, regardless of support in the Trump
Afghanistan on treatment of minorities, India has administration for India.
introduced a note of bitterness that is hard to mistake • O
n the international stage, the United Nations and its
in the bilateral engagement. affiliated bodies, which often seem toothless, could
provide a platform for India to be targeted.

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• N
ew Delhi’s break in ties with Turkey and Malaysia • I t will help assess foreign policy and international
for their comments at the UN on Kashmir could also legal implications of emerging technology and
lead to them vetoing India’s legitimate position at the technology-based resources
Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where it hopes to
• The desk will also be involved in negotiations to
blacklist Pakistan for terror financing this year.
safeguard Indian interests at multilateral fora like the
• At the very least, the unrest that has emerged from the United Nations or the G20 where rules governing the
policies will lead to a lower number of foreign visitors, use and access to such technologies could be decided.
and visit cancellations/postponements by leaders,
• N
EST will negotiate technology governance
recent examples being Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo
rules, standards and architecture, suited to India’s
Abe, or Bangladesh’s Foreign and Home Ministers.
conditions, in multilateral and plurilateral frameworks.
Is it worth losing India’s diplomatic capital?
• I t will also undertake creation of HR capacity within
• T he government must also evaluate the toll on its the ministry for technology diplomacy work by
diplomatic resources that have been diverted for utilising the existing talent-pool and facilitating
much of the year in fire fighting negative international functional specialisation of Foreign Service officers in
opinion. various technology domains.
• T he skills of the Minister of External Affairs, himself a 20. India-Pak. trade freeze hits thousands: report
trained diplomat, for example, could be better used
than they have been; he has had to give a barrage of Context
interviews to the European and U.S. media and the • A
report highlighting the effect of India-Pakistan ties
“think-tank blitz” in Washington and New York to deal on the lives of the people in the bordering regions.
with questions about Kashmir and the NRC.
Background:
• M
issions everywhere, including in friendly countries,
• F ollowing the Pulwama attack, India imposed
have been overworked, disseminating FAQs and
economic sanctions on Pakistan which curbed
lobbying with lawmakers on Article 370, the Ayodhya
the bilateral trade between the two neighbouring
verdict and the CAA.
countries.
• M
any are occupied martialling their strengths to
• T here has been the shutdown of trade between India
prevent resolutions with objectionable wording from
and Pakistan across the Wagah-Attari border and the
being drafted, and UN Security Council meetings
Line of Control (LoC) Salamabad-Chakhan da Bagh
from being held.
routes.
• F inally, the government must consider the impact of
• T he cancellation of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN)
its domestic actions on India’s diplomatic capital.
status to Pakistan and the trade routes’ closure, was
Conclusion: followed by Pakistan’s counter-measures, including
• T his capital is a complex combination of the an airspace ban and suspension of trade relations.
goodwill the country has banked on over decades Details:
as a democratic, secular, stable power, bilateral
• A
ccording to the report titled “Unilateral decisions,
transactions it can conduct in the present, and the
bilateral losses” authored by researchers at the Bureau
potential it holds for future ties, particularly in terms
of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals
of its economic and geopolitical strengths.
(BRIEF), the measures and countermeasures have led
• A
t a time when the western world is in flux, the to a decline in the relatively meagre bilateral trade of
economy under stress and the rules-based order in $2.56 billion in 2018-19 dropping to $547.22 million
recess, India’s diplomatic capital is being depleted at (April-August 2019).
a rate unseen in the last few decades. • I t has resulted in losses in billions of dollars and
19. New and Emerging Strategic Technologies (NEST) hundreds of job days affecting the livelihood
opportunities of the locals.
Context
• M
any families and roughly 50,000 people, in Punjab
• T he Ministry of External Affairs has announced the and nearly 900 families in Kashmir have been directly
setting up of a new division on New and Emerging affected by the shutdown of trade between India and
Strategic Technologies (NEST), to deal with emerging Pakistan.
security implications arising due to emergence of
new technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence • T he affected groups comprise of traders, custom
house agents, truck drivers and helpers, those working
Details at tyre and mechanic stores, local dhabas and motels,
• T The NEST division will act as the nodal point in India’s who are more vulnerable to economic hardships and
foreign ministry for all matters connected to new and poverty.
emerging technologies including exchange of views
with foreign governments and coordination with
domestic ministries and departments.

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Government’s arguments: What did the Quds Force do?

• G
overnment officials justify the decisions on trade as • K
homeini had created the prototype in 1979, with
being meant to be a tough message for Pakistan and the goal of protecting Iran and exporting the Islamic
to show India’s frustration over Pakistan’s continued Revolution.
support to terrorism.
• I n 1982, Revolutionary Guard officers were sent to
• T he economic sanctions would affect Pakistan’s Lebanon to help organise Shia militias in the civil war,
economy even more than India’s. which eventually led to the creation of Hezbollah.
• T he Union Home Ministry has argued that trade needs • A
ccording to the Centre for Strategic and International
to be stopped until a stricter regulatory regime is in Studies, the IRGC including the Quds Force has
place to block the misuse of the route for smuggling contributed roughly 125,000 men to Iran’s forces and
weapons, narcotics and fake currency. The ministry has the capability of undertaking asymmetric warfare
has stated in the suspension order that trade would and covert operations.
be resumed at a later date considering any change in
• Q
uds Force plots have been uncovered in countries
prevailing circumstances.
including Germany, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Kenya, Bahrain,
Way forward: and Turkey.
• T he governments at the Centre and in Punjab and • The Quds Force plotted a terrorist attack against the
Jammu Kashmir should consider compensating the Saudi Ambassador to the US on American soil.
affected people for the losses as a short term measure.
• 2
018: A US federal court found Iran and the IRGC liable
• I n the longer run, there is the need to find alternative for the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing which killed 19
trading markets internally so that those affected are Americans.
not put out of business permanently. • # Support to terror organisations: According to the
State Department, Iran funds, equips, and fuels
21. Qassem Soleimani Assassination
terrorism, violence, and unrest across the Middle
Context East and around the world. “The IRGC continues to
• M
ajor General Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian provide financial and other material support, training,
Revolutionary Guards commander, was killed in a US technology transfer, advanced conventional weapons,
strike at Baghdad International airport guidance, or direction to a broad range of terrorist
organizations, including Hizballah (Hezbollah),
What exactly happened in Baghdad? Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas and Palestinian
• G
en Soleimani was killed in an airstrike, for which the Islamic Jihad, Kata’ib Hizballah (Hezbollah) in Iraq, al-
US later claimed responsibility. The strike was carried Ashtar Brigades in Bahrain, and other terrorist groups
out by a drone on a road near Baghdad’s international in Syria and around the Gulf.”
airport. How has the US justified his killing?
• Soleimani had reportedly just landed from a plane. • T he Department of Defense issued a statement
• T he blast also killed others including Abu Mahdi al- underlining Soleimani’s leadership role in conflict
Muhandis, deputy commander of the Iranian-backed with the US: “General Soleimani and his Quds Force
militias in Iraq known as Popular Mobilisation Forces. were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of
American and coalition service members and the
Who was Gen Soleimani?
wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated
• S oleimani was in charge of the Quds Force of Iran’s attacks on coalition bases in Iraq resulting in the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi
US designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in personnel.”
2019.
• T he Pentagon in a statement said that the Iranian
• T he Quds Force undertakes Iranian missions in other general was “actively developing plans to attack
countries, including covert ones. American diplomats and service members in Iraq and
• S oleimani, who had headed the Quds since 1998, throughout the region”.
not only looked after after intelligence gathering and Self-defence:
covert military operations, but also drew immense
• The U.S. had no authorization from the UNSC.
influence from his closeness to Iran’s supreme leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was seen as a potential • N
otably, the targeting of Soleimani in Baghdad had
future leader of Iran no prior consent from Iraq as well. This constitutes a
violation of the territorial integrity of Iraq.
• I n recent years, Soleimani was believed to be the chief
strategist behind Iran’s military ventures and influence • T he U.S. can justify its use of force as being lawful only
in Syria, Iraq and throughout the Middle East. if it is able to show that it was an exercise of its right to
self-defence.

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* Article 51 of the UN Charter recognises the right • T wenty-four Iranian sites are on UNESCO’s World
of every state to use force in self-defence, only “if Heritage List, two of which are natural sites and the
an armed attack occurs”. rest cultural sites. Among the main World Heritage
Sites in Iran are the Meidan Emam and Masjed-e-
• H
owever, unlike an “armed attack”, which is an
Jame in Isfahan; the Golestan Palace in the historic
objective standard, an “anticipated” armed attack is
heart of Tehran; Pasargadae and Persepolis, capitals
subjective and remains controversial and contested.
of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II and
• T here are both legal and policy arguments against Darius I in the 6th century BC; and the archaeological
recognising a right to anticipatory self-defence. Given site of Takht-e Soleyman, which has the remains of an
the subjectivity of the provision of “anticipated” armed ancient Zoroastrian sanctuary.
attack, it is vulnerable to abuse by states.
What is the problem with targeting cultural heritage?
Need for anticipatory self-defense
Following the unparalleled destruction of cultural heritage
• G
iven the rise of terrorism and the advancement in in World War II, the nations of the world adopted at The
weapons technology, there might be the need for a Hague in 1954, The Convention for the Protection of
right to anticipatory self-defence. Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the first
Way forward international treaty focussed exclusively on the protection
of cultural heritage during war and armed conflict.
• The objective of the general prohibition on the use of
force as propounded in the U.N. charter is to minimise • The Convention defined cultural property as “movable
the chances of unilateral use of force. To ensure this or immovable property of great importance to the
objective a stricter and restricted notion of the right to cultural heritage of every people, such as monuments
self-defence is perhaps more appropriate. of architecture, art or history, whether religious or
secular; archaeological sites….”, etc.
• T he threat of an armed attack must be so imminent
that the need to act in self-defence should be “instant, • T he signatories, referred to in the Convention as “the
overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no High Contracting Parties”, committed themselves
moment of deliberation”. to protecting, safeguarding, and having respect for
cultural property.
• T o hold the countries responsible for their acts,
the legality of any act of self-defence will depend • T here are currently 133 signatories to Convention,
on the subsequent disclosure of facts to prove the including countries that have acceded to and ratified
imminence of a planned attack. The country will the treaty. Both the United States and Iran (as well as
have to justify that its action was proportional to the India) signed the Convention in 1954, and it entered
planned attack. into force in 1956.

Conclusion The Rome Statute of 1998, the founding treaty of the

International Criminal Court, describes as a “war crime”
• I n the current case, the U.S. administration will have any intentional attack against a historical monument, or a
to justify its use of force in Iraqi territory and prove building dedicated to religion, education, art, or science.
that Iraq was either unable or unwilling to prevent the
imminent attack. • Article 8 of the Rome Statute deals with war crimes.

• T he U.S. will also have to provide an explanation for * Article 8(2)(b)(ii) says war crimes include
its use of drones during peacetime, which resulted in “intentionally directing attacks against civilian
collateral casualties. objects, that is, objects which are not military
objectives”, and
The threat to cultural sites
* 8(2)(b)(ix) mentions “intentionally directing
Context attacks against buildings dedicated to religion,
• F ollowing the assassination of Soleimani, President education, art, science or charitable purposes,
Donald Trump tweeted that if “Iran strikes any historic monuments, hospitals and places where
Americans, or American assets” in retaliation, the US the sick and wounded are collected, provided
would target 52 sites in Iran, “some at a very high level they are not military objectives”.
& important to Iran & the Iranian culture”. • 122 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of
Important sites in Iran the International Criminal Court. The United States is a
signatory that has not ratified the Statute.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilisations
dating back to 10,000 BC. Its rich heritage and culture is • India has neither signed nor ratified the Statute.
an amalgam of Arab, Persian, Turkish and South Asian The U.S. president’s threat to target cultural sites in Iran was
cultures. in breach of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection
of Cultural Property during armed conflict.

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JANUARY-2020 62

Iran’s counterattack Further escalation and implications

Context • I f the U.S. had responded with air strikes or missile
• I ran launched ballistic missile attacks at American attacks inside Iran, it could have triggered further
troops in two military bases in Iraq in retaliation for attacks from Iran, setting off a cycle of violence and
the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. aggression.

• A
rticle 51 of the UN Charter was invoked by Iran, • A
direct shooting match between the U.S. and Iran
which allows member-states to take military actions would have been disastrous for the whole of West
in self defence if they come under attack. Asia.

• T he attacks were both an act of retaliation and a show • I ran may be a weaker power compared to America’s
of its capability. conventional military might, but it is a formidable rival.
It not only has ballistic missiles and a wide range of
What was the scale of Iran’s attack? rockets but also a host of militias under its command
• N
umber of Missiles: The US Department of Defence across the region. It could have made an invasion and
said in a statement that Iran had launched “more than air strikes on its territories extremely costly for the U.S.
a dozen ballistic missiles” that “targeted at least two and its allies.
Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition • I t could also have disrupted global oil supply by
personnel”. attacking the Gulf waterways. By any assessment, a
Two bases that were hit direct war would have been catastrophic
Way forward
Mr. Trump did well to step back and not push the Gulf
region into a disastrous cycle of violence and destruction.
• T he international community should now push for a
diplomatic settlement of the crisis and find ways to
revive the nuclear deal which could bring long-term
peace to the Gulf.
• And Iran should seize this opportunity for de-
escalation.
Impact
Volatile region
• T he killing of Gen. Soleimani, considered the architect
of Tehran’s spreading military influence in West Asia,
• A
IN AL-ASAD: This vast air base is located in Iraq’s marks a dramatic escalation in the regional shadow
western al-Anbar governorate, about 160 km west war between Iran and the U.S. and its allies, principally
of Baghdad, and nearly 220 km from the border with Israel and Saudi Arabia. At the outset, it appears as a
Syria. The base, for long a major hub for US military reckless and unilateral act of provocation by the U.S.
operations in western Iraq, has also hosted Danish that could trigger another full-scale war in West Asia.
and British troops. • T he region is already struggling to cope with multiple
• E RBIL: The other base that came under attack, is conflicts and external interventions.
located in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous • I ran has in the past used its foreign proxies, and it
Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. might resort to the same in the present scenario. The
* The base is adjacent to the city’s airport, which latest escalation could trigger multiple attacks across
American transport aircraft, gunships, and the West Asia region, destabilising it further and
reconnaissance aircraft have used for operations causing heavy casualties. This could help the jihadist
in northern Iraq and eastern Syria. groups such as al-Qaeda and the IS regroup and re-
emerge.
* T he base has been a Special Operations hub to
hundreds of American and other allied troops, Worsen the situation in Iraq
logistics personnel and intelligence specialists • G
en. Soleimani’s assassination in Baghdad is likely to
throughout the fight against the IS worsen the already bad situation in Iraq. Iraq has been
America’s Response witnessing nearly three months of youth protests
and is undergoing political chaos under a caretaker
• The Pentagon’s assessments suggested there were no government. The undue foreign interference by both
American casualties and only minimal damage in the Iran and the U.S. would only complicate the matters
attacks. more.
• M
r. Trump has signalled that he was backing away
from further conflicts with Iran.

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JANUARY-2020 63

• T he event is likely to re-polarise Iraqi society along • Iran has the capacity to influence the U.S.-Taliban
sectarian lines and intensify the Iran-U.S. competition peace process in Afghanistan, a neighbouring country.
for influence in Iraq. The situation could turn more The derailment of the peace process in Afghanistan
volatile providing a fertile ground for the growth of would have adverse effects on India.
terrorist organizations.
3. Indian Diaspora:
• The popular Iraqi clamour for political reforms and
• T hough Iran hosts very few Indians, given the fact that
transparency may be eclipsed by the demand for
the Iran-US escalation will not be limited to the two
eviction of the U.S. presence itself.
nations and would spread out to the entire West Asian
Efforts towards De-escalation region, the safety of an estimated eight million Indian
• I ran despite having a range of options at its disposal, expatriates in the Gulf may be affected.
stopped at retaliatory strikes on US bases in Iraq. • I ndia is a large recipient of remittances and a large
• T he U.S. has decided against further attacks claiming share of this is accounted by West Asia. Any turbulence
that the Iran missile attacks had not caused any in West Asia will adversely affect remittance flow and
American casualties. the Indian foreign reserves.

• W
ith both Iran and U.S. not seeking an escalation, 4. Domestic factors:
the chances of war have diminished. This is a good • A
fter Iran, India has perhaps the largest number of
development not only for the countries concerned the world’s Shia population. The killing of Soleimani
but also the west Asian region and the world at large. has resulted in widespread anger among the Shia
Nuclear weapon community and the possibility of some of them being
radicalized by this event cannot be ruled out. This
• F or the U.S. the development of Nuclear weapon by will pose an additional challenge to the anti-terror
Iran is a major concern. apparatus in India.
• I ran when it publicly declared its intention to walk Given India’s goodwill in the region and the large stakes
away from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in the extended neighbourhood, it is in India’s interest to
(JCPOA) in the aftermath of Soleimani’s killing, it activate its regional diplomacy in order to de-escalate the
was careful to reassure the international community tensions and encourage dialogue.
of its continued commitment to the NPT and IAEA
inspections. Peremptory Norm/ Jus Cogens /Ius Cogens

Potential fallout in India: • J US COGENS or ius cogens, meaning “compelling

law” in Latin, are rules in international law that are
India has already had considerable difficulties in adapting peremptory or authoritative, and from which states
to the U.S.-Iran cold war. Now that the conflict has cannot deviate.
escalated, its adverse impact on India could only magnify.
* These norms cannot be offset by a separate
1. Oil imports treaty between parties intending to do so, since
• T he U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and has they hold fundamental values.
been steadily increasing the sanctions on Iran. This • T oday, most states and international organisations
has involved asking other countries to limit economic accept the principle of jus cogens, which dates back
transaction with Iran to isolate it economically. to Roman times.
• I ran has traditionally been one of the major sources • T he jus cogens rules have been sanctioned by the
of oil for India. The price and the payment options Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties of 1969
that Iran offers India has been the best deal for India and 1986. According to both Conventions, a treaty is
in terms of oil purchasing. India has been pressurized void if it breaches jus cogens rules.
into stopping oil imports from Iran post the American
sanctions. Important Articles

• G
iven India’s huge dependence on imported oil, • A
rticle 53 of the 1969 Convention (“Treaties conflicting
the reduced basket of oil exporters to India and the with a peremptory norm of general international law
possibility of the disrupted supply chain will definitely (“jus cogens”)”) says: “A treaty is void if, at the time of
lead to a rise in India’s import bill and difficulty in its conclusion, it conflicts with a peremptory norm
procuring oil. of general international law. For the purposes of the
present Convention, a peremptory norm of general
2. Geostrategic reasons: international law is a norm accepted and recognized
• I ndia’s ties with Iran, apart from being “civilizational”, by the international community of States as a whole
have their own geostrategic significance. as a norm from which no derogation is permitted and
which can be modified only by a subsequent norm of
• T he much touted Chabahar port in Iran is very
general international law having the same character.”
important for India geostrategically, given the
growing strength of the Chinese in the region. The
Chabahar port of which India is a major player would
suffer from the delays as a result of any escalations.

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JANUARY-2020 64

• A
rticle 64 of the 1986 Convention, “Emergence of a Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations
new peremptory norm of general international law
• T he instrument of Protecting Powers is provided
(jus cogens)”, says: “If a new peremptory norm of
for under the 1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions
general international law emerges, any existing treaty
on Diplomatic Relations. “If diplomatic relations
which is in conflict with that norm becomes void and
are broken off between two States, or if a mission is
terminates.”
permanently or temporarily recalled… the sending
• Besides treaties, unilateral declarations also have to State may entrust the protection of its interests and
abide by these norms. those of its nationals to a third State acceptable to the
Examples receiving State,” the 1961 Vienna Convention states.

• S o far, an exhaustive list of jus cogens rules does not • A

nd the 1963 Convention reiterates: “A sending State
exist. However, the prohibition of slavery, genocide, may with the prior consent of a receiving State, and
racial discrimination, torture, and the right to self- at the request of a third State not represented in the
determination are recognised norms. receiving State, undertake the temporary protection
of the interests of the third State and of its nationals.”
• T he prohibition against apartheid is also recognised
as a jus cogens rule, from which no derogation is How is the Iran air crash being probed?
allowed, since apartheid is against the basic principles Context
of the United Nations.
• A
ssuming the passenger jet had been misidentified
Context as a cruise missile flying over its Airspace, a missile
• R
esponding to President Donald Trump’s threat to was launched at Ukraine International Airlines Boeing
attack sites that were “important to Iran and Iranian 737-800 a flight from Tehran, Iran to Kiev, Ukraine,
culture”, Iran’s Foreign Minister posted on Twitter: killing all 176 people on board.
“Having committed grave breaches of int’l law in • I ran has admitted that it accidentally shot down
Friday’s cowardly assassinations, @realdonaldtrump Ukrainian passenger jet
threatens to commit again new breaches of JUS
Details
COGENS; — Targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME
• T he Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), Civil
Protecting Power
Aviation Organisation, Islamic Republic of Iran has
• D
uring armed conflicts a protecting power is a neutral possession of Black Boxes
State or one which is not party to the conflict, and is
designated by a party to the conflict and accepted by
the adverse party.
• A
protecting power is a country that represents
another sovereign state in a country where it lacks its
own diplomatic representation.
Context
• F ollowing the killing of Iranian military and intelligence
commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in
Baghdad in a drone attack carried out by the United
States, the Iranian government registered its protest
with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.
Example
• S witzerland represents the interests of the US in Iran.
This is because the US itself does not have an embassy
there.
• I ran’s interests in the United States, on the other
hand, are represented by the Pakistan Embassy in
Washington.
• I n an arrangement such as this, Switzerland is the
“Protecting Power” of the United States’ interests in
Iran.
Why Switzerland?
• I t has historically represented a number of countries
in territories where they have no diplomatic mission.

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JANUARY-2020 65

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JANUARY-2020 66

What are black boxes? Annex 13 states that investigation can take place when:
• They are not actually black, but high-visibility orange. • A person is seriously injured
• A Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) for pilot voices or • the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure
cockpit sounds
• the aircraft is missing or completely inaccessible
* It keeps track of conversations that occur in the
Who will investigate?
cockpit
• U
nder Annex 13, the State where the accident occurs
* A recorder might pick up a stall warning sound
will lead the accident investigation.
or may reveal that the engine wasn’t operating
correctly. • U
nder international law, four states participate in an
investigation:
* A recorder can also help investigators determine
whether flight crew was aware that something * State where the crash has occurred (Iran in this
was wrong before the plane went down. case);
* Data from the black box can help investigators * State of the operator (Ukraine in this case);
determine what led to the plane crash, it can also * State of registration;
be used as evidence to prove negligence on the
part of the airline * State of the manufacturer (U.S. in this case).

• A Flight Data Recorder (FDR): It stores information • The investigatory procedures include putting out
about relevant news and information, initiating forensic
identification, protecting crash site evidence and
* How fast the plane was traveling sending an initial notifications
* The direction the plane was flying in Does ICAO have any authority over a country’s
* Fuel data investigation board?
* How high the plane was traveling (altitude) • I CAO is not directly involved in any aircraft accident
investigation.
• They’re typically kept in the tail of an aircraft, which is
less likely to be damaged in a crash. • I t simply lays down the recommended practices,
which states are expected to adhere to. Also, ICAO
Importance of Blackbox
conducts annual audits of states and publishes its
• T he data helps experts piece together the cause of an report.
accident or serious incident.
• T hus, if a state has not adhered to ICAO’s recommended
• I nvestigation is not to proportion liability of anyone practices it gets bad publicity.
but to find out the cause that led to the crash and
• S tates (where the accident has occurred) have a right
prevent it from happening in the future.
to disallow any state from taking part in an ongoing
-International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigation. Thus, the state (where the accident has
• T he Convention on International Civil Aviation, also occurred) can conduct the investigation (including
known as the Chicago Convention, established the decoding of the black box) independently and this
ICAO which is charged with coordinating international would not render the investigation invalid, provided
air travel ICAO’s recommendations are followed.

* It is the specialized agency of the United Nations • I t must be noted that only a few countries, mainly
(UN) for civil aviation the U.S., the United Kingdom and France possess the
proper technology to decode black boxes.
• T he Convention establishes rules of airspace, aircraft
registration and security in relation to air travel. • I f it lacks the technological infrastructure required, it
should take the assistance of states that are equipped
* It also sets international standards and to deal with it.
regulations necessary for safe, regular, efficient
and economical air transport How is the recreation of the sequence of the crash done?
Where does the engine manufacturer fit in?
Annex 13
• The recreation of events that led to the crash is done
• W
hen an accident happens involving an international by the investigators and no law requires the recreation
civil aviation flight, Annex 13 of the International to be done at any particular phase of the investigation
Civil Aviation Convention sets out the rules on the
notification, investigation and reporting of the • I t can be done at any time, whenever the investigators
accident. deem fit.

• I t sets out the rights on who should conduct the • O

n the involvement of the engine manufacturer/s,
investigation, which are the parties who can be they have the right to be “apprised” of the outcome of
involved, what rights does each party have, how the investigation.
should the investigation be conducted, and how the
final results should be reported.

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JANUARY-2020 67

• B
ut their involvement is at the sole discretion of the • F or example in the 2001 Siberia Airlines case, after
state (where the accident has occurred). investigations showed Ukraine’s involvement,
Can a civilian aircraft be brought down by a state? Ukraine and Israel signed an agreement where the
family members of the Israeli citizens were awarded
• T he “law” over this point is not very clear. An
$200,000 each.
amendment in the Chicago convention (many
countries including India have not ratified this • I n 1988, when the U.S. Navy shot down an Iran Air
amendment), provides that states should refrain from flight (Flight 655), the U.S. was insistent that there was
exercising the use of weapons against civilian aircraft. no improper use of force, and thus, it did not have a
duty to compensate. It did so later on humanitarian
• B
ut while suggesting that states should refrain from
grounds.
such acts, it does not make the act illegal, provided
the state had reasonable reasons to believe that the • T hus, in cases where it is found that the airliner was
aircraft was on a destructive path. shot down by a state even when it knew that there
was no reasonable apprehension of any terror act, the
• L egal scholars converge on the point that a state can
culprit state can be taken to the International Court of
shoot down an airliner if:
Justice.
* it has reason to believe that the aircraft is being
India
used for terror
• I n India, the air accident investigation is governed by
* t he aircraft is not responding to any other means
the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents)
of interception
Rules, 2012.
* i t is headed towards a strategically important or
• T he Central government is under an obligation
a populated place.
(and has the power) to investigate any accident that
In most cases, if it emerges that the airliner was wrongly happens within the territory of India, and in cases of
judged, the state that took it down makes an ex-gratia aircraft registered in India even if the accident occurs
compensation to families. outside India.
• T he Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
is a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which
investigates aircraft accidents and incidents in India.

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JANUARY-2020 68

ART AND
ART CULTURE
AND CULTURE

1. Bharat Parv * Bhogali or Magh Bihu celebrated in January,

• I t is a festival organised by Ministry of Tourism, * Rongali or Bohag Bihu, which is also the
Government of India Assamese New Year in April and Kongali or
• T he objective of Bharat Parv is to encourage people * Kati Bihu, reflecting a season of short supplies in
to visit different tourism places of the country and to the month of October.
inculcate
5. Classical Languages of India
Context
• T here are six languages that have been declared
• B
harat Parv 2020 was celebrated from 26th to 31st
‘classical languages’ in India.
January
• They are:
• The Central theme of 2020 is ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha
Bharat’ and ‘Celebrating 150 Years of Mahatma * Tamil – declared in 2004
Gandhi’. * Sanskrit – declared in 2005
2. Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) * Kannada – declared in 2008
• It is the international theatre festival of India organized * Telugu – declared in 2008
by National School of Drama (NSD) * Malayalam – declared in 2013
* T he National School of Drama (NSD) is an * Odia – declared in 2014
autonomous institution under the Ministry of
Culture • F our of the six classical languages are Dravidian
(Sanskrit and Odia are Indo-Aryan). And, five of the six
• It was established two decades ago to stimulate the are regional languages (all except Sanskrit, which is
growth and development of theatre across India. not specific to any region).
• Originally a national festival showcasing the work • T he Ministry of Culture confers the classical language
of the most creative theatre workers in India, BRM status. The following are the guidelines that the
has evolved to international scope, hosting theatre government follows while conferring this status:
groups from around the world, and is now the largest
theatre festival of Asia. * High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history
over a period of 1500-2000 years.
Context
* A
body of ancient literature/texts, which is
• 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav inaugurated in New Delhi considered a valuable heritage by generations
of speakers.
3. Bibi Ka Maqbara
* T he literary tradition has to be original and not
• The tomb is located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. borrowed from another speech community.
• It is known as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’ because of its * T he classical language and literature being
striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal. distinct from modern, there may also be a
• It was commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb in discontinuity between the classical language
1660 in memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum and its later forms or its offshoots.
(posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani). • Upon receiving the proposal for considering a
language for the status, the Ministry of Culture refers
4. Bihu it to the Committee on Linguistic Experts through
It is mainly a harvest festival, wherein the farmers thank the Sahitya Akademi for recommendations. The
the lord for the successful harvest and welcome the spring Ministry then forwards the proposal along with the
season. recommendations to the Prime Minister’s Office for
further action.
• It has been derived from the Sanskrit word bishu,
which means “to ask for prosperity from the Gods Benefits of being conferred the classical language status:
during the harvesting season”. • T wo major international awards for scholars who have
• O
ne of the most important festivals of Assam, Bihu made significant contributions to Classical Indian
is celebrated three times a year. The three sets of Languages are awarded annually.
festivals include

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JANUARY-2020 69

• A
Center of Excellence for the Study of Classical * Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
Languages has been set up by the government.
* Taj Mahal, Agra
• Central Universities have also been requested to
provide grants for Professional Chairs for Classical * Sun Temple, Konark
Languages. * Ramachandra Temple, Hampi
• T he University Grants Commission (UGC) also awards * Rani Ki Vav, Patan
research projects for promoting these languages.
• T he Central Institute of Indian Languages located 7. Kabir Yatra
in Mysore, Karnataka works for the promotion of • I t is organized by Lokayan in partnership with
Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia. Rajasthan Tourism and Rajasthan Police
How many people speak classical languages? • T he Rajasthan Kabir Yatra is a musical gala aimed at
• S anskrit is spoken as a first language only by 24,821 celebrating the philosophies and teachings of the
people in the country. The percentages of population Bhakti and Sufi saint poets such as Kabir, Mira, Bulleh
that speak the other languages are given in the Shah etc.
following table: • T he festival aims to create an inclusive space where
artists, scholars and students from different genres
Language Percentage of Population
can come together to celebrate Bhaktism and Sufism.
Telugu 6.7
• T he festival wants to promote love and harmony and
Tamil 5.7
Kannada 3.61
dissolve all barriers of caste, class, religion and identity.
Odia 3.1 8. Madhavpur Mela
Malayalam 2.88
• I t is an annual fair held at Madhavpur Ghed in
Porbandar district in Gujarat
Context: • M
adhavpur Ghed, a small but culturally significant
village, is the place where, according to folklore,
• V
ice President stresses the need to preserve and
Lord Krishna married Rukmini, the daughter of King
promote classical languages. Bhishmaka.
6. Indian Heritage in Digital Space • T he Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat shares it’s connect to
Context: the Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.

• T he Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism * The Mishmi Tribe traces its ancestry to the
(IC) launched a special exhibition titled Indian legendary King Bhishmak and through him to
Heritage in Digital Space and first international his daughter Rukmini and Lord Krishna.
heritage symposium in New Delhi. • The festival celebrates the immortal journey which
• T he exhibition was organized in collaboration with Rukmini undertook from Arunachal Pradesh to
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Gujarat with Lord Krishna.
Details Context:
• This special exhibition showcase adaptation and • T he art, culture, cuisines, handicrafts and handlooms
infusion of technologies being developed under of the Northeastern region will be showcased at the
the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the ‘’Madhavpur Mela’’ to be held in Gujarat in April
Department of Science and Technology (DST)
9. Nagoba Jatara
• T he exhibition demonstrates the outcome of two
flagship projects • Nagoba Jatara is a tribal festival held in Keslapur
village in Telangana.
* A digital mini-spectacle to showcase the glory of
Hampi and • It is the second biggest tribal carnival and celebrated
by the Mesram clan of Gond tribes for 10 days.
* Augmented reality based interactions with
physical models of monuments; that are • Tribal people from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
completed under the DST mentored initiative and Madhya Pradesh belonging to the Mesram clan
Indian Heritage in Digital Space (IHDS). offer prayers at the festival.
• The goals of these projects are to create digital
installations using 3D laser scan data, AR, holographic
projections and 3D fabrication to provide interactive
and immersive experiences showcasing the glory of
five Indian monuments namely

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JANUARY-2020 70

• T he event also includes a ceremony called ‘bheting’, Patola Silk Saree:

which incorporates new brides into the clan. The
• P
atola, the trademark Saree of Gujarat, is considered
Raj Gond Adivasis of Adilabad follow an elaborate
to be very costly and worn only by the Royals or the
ritual called Bheting, one of their many regalistic
Aristocrats. It was conferred with a GI tag in 2014.
ceremonies, through which new daughters-in-law
are formally introduced to the clan. All those who • B
ased on their origin, there are essentially two
are married into the clan during the last year need varieties of Patola sarees – the Rajkot Patola and the
to ‘meet’ clan deities through Bheting so that they Patan Patola. Rajkot Patolas are single ikat weaves
become eligible to enter the deity’s temple. while Patal Patolas are double ikat weaves.
• The women clad in white saris are the Bheti Koriad • A
double ikat weave, Patola sarees originated in the
or daughters-in-law to be introduced to goddess town of Patan in Gujarat and is a characteristic weave
Jangubai and belong to the eight clans which have of the silk weavers of the Salvi caste of Karnataka and
Jangubai as the clan deity. Maharashtra, who migrated to Gujarat.
• A
divasis celebrate with music and more than 15 types • A
fter the decline of the Solanki Empire, it was a sign of
of dances. social status amongst Gujarati women.
• T he Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the • Traditionally, every region in India has had its own
Gond tribe is a major special attraction of the event. unique weave for the Silk Saree. Patola Silk Saree is
amongst the top five silk weaves.
10. National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) • P
atola sarees are considered sacred in a number of
• I t is an autonomous society under the Ministry of communities.
Culture • I ts immense value is not just because of its intricacy
• NCSM has its Headquarters in Kolkata but also because of the tremendous amount of skill
and perseverance that goes into making it.
• I n addition to development of Science centres/
museums, NCSM strives to communicate Science and Significance:
educate masses by its Mobile Science Exhibitions, • I t would help cut down the cost of production of silk
Lectures and Demonstrations, Training and yarn drastically and increase the sale and availability
Workshops, Publications etc. of raw material for Gujarati Patola Sarees locally.
Context: • I t is an effort to generate livelihood and boost sales of
• N
ational Council of Science Museums, of the Culture Patola Sarees by making silk more readily available at
Ministry, collaborated with Google Arts & Culture for a low cost, for the Patola Saree manufacturers in the
the largest interactive online exhibition on inventions nearby areas.
and discoveries
12. Tata Vadya or Stringed Instruments (Chordophones)
Details
• T he tata vadya is a category of instruments in which
• N
CSM had collaborated with Google Arts & Culture sound is produced by the vibration of a string or
for ‘Once upon a Try’: Epic journeys of invention and chord. These vibrations are caused by plucking or by
discovery. bowing on the string which has been pulled taut
• I t’s the largest online exhibition about inventions and • T he length of the vibrating string or wire, the degree
discoveries ever curated, as an attempt to explore to which it has been tightened, determines the pitch
humanity’s greatest inventions and discoveries in an of the note and also to some extent the duration of
interactive online exhibition. the sound
• T he online exhibition contains collections, stories • T he Chordophones can again be classified into two
and knowledge from over 110 renowned institutions, groups:
across 23 countries, highlighting millennia of major
* Plucked
breakthroughs and the great minds behind them.
* Bowed.
11. Patola Saree
• F urther subdivided into the fretted and non-fretted
Context: variety.
• I n a historic initiative taken by Khadi and Village
Industries Commission (KVIC), a silk processing plant
has been set up in Gujarat.

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JANUARY-2020 71

Plucking Context
• I t is used as the sole method of playing on instruments • T he President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind,
such as the banjo, guitar, harp, lute, mandolin, oud, presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the
sitar, and either by a finger or thumb, or by some type year 2017 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
of plectrum.
Bowing 14. Inscriptions confirm presence of two medieval
monasteries at Moghalmari
• I t is a method used in some string instruments,
including the violin, viola Context
• T he bow consists of a stick with many hairs stretched • A
study of inscriptions on clay tablets recovered
between its ends. from recent excavations at Moghalmari, a Buddhist
monastic site of the early medieval period in
Ektara
West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, have
• It is a one-stringed musical instrument confirmed the presence of two monasteries —
• I n origin the ektara was a regular string instrument Mugalayikaviharika and Yajñapindikamahavihara.
of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is Details:
plucked with one finger.
• T he presence of two monasteries dating to the same
• T he ektara is a common instrument in Baul music period within a single compound is unique in eastern
from Bengal India. Earlier excavations had indicated the presence
of two monasteries on the basis of the structural plan.
• T he monasteries at Moghalmari date from 6th century
CE and were functional till the 12th century CE.
• S ix tiny fragments of inscribed seals were found
during excavations. Each of them contained a set
of letters accompanied by the deer-dharmachakra
symbols.
• T he inscriptions are in Sanskrit and the script is a
transitional phase between later north Indian Brahmi
and early Siddhamatrika.
• T he first name Yajñapindikamahavihara, implying
etymologically ‘a place of sacrificial offering’ is of
13. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) special significanc.e.
• T he Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national • T he second name on the seals, Mugalayikaviharika,
academy for music, dance and drama. bears a phonetic resemblance to the modern name of
• I t is the highest Indian recognition given to practising the site, Moghalmari
artists. In Xuanzang’s travels:
• T he awards are given in the categories of music, • A
rchaeologists and historians point out that famous
dance, theatre, other traditional arts and puppetry, Chinese traveller Xuanzang (more widely identified
and for contribution/scholarship in performing arts. as Huen Tsang), who visited India in the 7th century
• A
kademi Puraskar carries Rs 1,00,000/- (rupees one CE, referred to the existence of ‘ten monasteries’
lakh) along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram. within the limits of Tamralipta (modern day Tamluk in
adjoining Purba Medinipur district). However, he did
Significance: not refer to any specific name or location.
• T he Akademi is an autonomous body of the Ministry • W
ith the discovery of the site and the deciphering of
of Culture, Government of India and is fully funded by the inscriptions, at least two of these monasteries are
the Government for implementation of its schemes now identified.
and programmes.
• I t is known from Buddhist texts that Buddhist
• T he Akademi establishes and looks after institutions monasteries have a definite hierarchy — Mahavihara,
and projects of national importance in the field of the Vihara and Viharika — which is reflected in the
performing arts. inscriptions found.

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JANUARY-2020 72

• T he study provides the only contextual epigraphical Details

proof for the existence of a viharika (Mugalayikaviharika • T he New York Times reported that the “near-extinct”
in this case) as early as the 6th century in this part of Nepalese language Seke has just 700 speakers around
the subcontinent. the world.
• T he study of the inscribed seals suggests that the Details
monastery was called Mugalayikaviharika.
• A
ccording to the Endangered Language Alliance
• I t is believed that the name Mugalayika suggests a fair (ELA), Seke is one of the over 100 indigenous
connection to the modern place-name Moghalmari. languages of Nepal and is mainly spoken in the five
villages of Chuksang, Chaile, Gyakar, Tangbe and
15. Lai Haraoba
Tetang in the Upper Mustang district.
• I t is a ritualistic festival observed by Manipuri meitei
• A
ccording to ELA, difficult conditions at home and job
communities since ancient times
prospects elsewhere have brought speakers of Seke
• I t is jointly organized by Department of Information to places such as Pokhara, Kathmandu and even New
and Cultural Affairs, Government of Tripura, Puthiba York.
Lai Haraoba Committee and Puthiba Welfare &
• T herefore, the vulnerability of the language is linked
Cultural Society, Agartala.
to the migration of people to places where Seke is
• T he festival aims to uphold tradition and cultural not spoken, which has reduced the intergenerational
values of Meitei community. transmission of the language.
• L ai Haraoba is one of the main festivals still performed • F urthermore, the younger generation does not find
in Manipur which has its roots in the pre-Vaishnavite much use in learning the language, giving preference
period. to Nepali and English.
* Lai Haraoba is the earliest form of dance which Languages in danger?
forms the basis of all stylised dances in Manipur.
UNESCO has six degrees of endangerment. These are:
* L iterally meaning - the merrymaking of the gods,
• S afe, which are the languages spoken by all
it is performed as a ceremonial offering of song
generations and their intergenerational transmission
and dance.
is uninterrupted;
* L ai Haraoba is celebrated through oral literature,
• V
ulnerable languages, which are spoken by most
music, dance and rituals. children but may be restricted to certain domains;
16. Mandu Festival • D
efinitely endangered languages, which are no longer
being learnt by children as their mother tongue.
• I n Madhya Pradesh, the first edition of the Mandu
festival concluded in Mandu, a world-famous • S everely endangered are languages spoken by
picturesque tourist destination known for its forts and grandparents and older generations, and while the
palaces, located in the Dhar district. parent generation may understand it, they may not
speak it with the children or among themselves.
• I t was organized by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Board and witnessed a celebration of the historic • C
ritically endangered languages are those of which
heritage blended with the modern vibrancy of the the youngest speakers are the grandparents or
city culture. older family members who may speak the language
partially or infrequently and
• B
ased on the idea of ‘Khojne Me Kho Jao’, the Mandu
festival offered an eclectic mix of performing arts, • L astly, extinct languages, of which no speakers are
workshops, art installations, nature trails, walks, food, left.
architecture and music to the visitors during the Considering these definitions, Seke may be considered to
festival. be a definitely endangered language.
17. Seke Language • A
s per UNESCO, roughly 57 per cent of the world’s
estimated 6,000 languages are safe, about 10 per cent
Context
are vulnerable, 10.7 per cent are definitely endangered,
• T he New York Times reported that the “near-extinct” about 9 per cent are severely endangered, 9.6 per cent
Nepalese language Seke has just 700 speakers around are critically endangered and about 3.8 per cent of all
the world. languages are extinct since 1950.

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JANUARY-2020 73

Stats
• A
s per the Endangered Languages Project (ELP), there
are roughly 201 endangered languages in India and
about 70 in Nepal.

18. Sangita Kalanidhi award

• It is the title awarded yearly to a Carnatic Musician by
the Madras Music Academy.
• sangeetha = music, kala = art, nidhi = treasure
• T his honour is considered one of the highest awards
in Carnatic music.
Context
• W
ell-known Carnatic vocalist S Sowmya was awarded
‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award

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JANUARY-2020 74

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Challakere to be ISRO’s astronaut training hub About the conference:

Context: • This biennial conference aims to promote the
interaction of Drosophila researchers in the Asia-
• According to an update from the Indian Space
Pacific region with their peers in the rest of the world.
Research Organisation (ISRO), a world-class facility for
the training of astronauts will come up in Challakere • I t will bring together scientists from all over the world
in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. who use the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model organism
to address basic and applied questions.
* C
hallakere, about 200 km from Bengaluru, is also
where premier scientific establishments have set Drosophila
up adjoining and interactive campuses. • Drosophila is one of the most widely used and
* C
alled the Science City, it houses facilities of the preferred model organisms in biological research. They
ISRO, the Defence Research & Development are ideal for the study of genetics and development.
Organisation’s Advanced Aeronautical Test • T he relationship between fruit fly and human genes is
Range, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and so close that often the sequences of newly discovered
the Indian Institute of Science. human genes, including disease genes, can be
Details matched with equivalent genes in the fly.
• ISRO has proposed a ₹ 2,700-crore master plan to 3. GSAT-30
create top infrastructure that will house its young
Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC). Context:
• C
urrently, HSP [Human Spaceflight Programme] • India’s telecommunication satellite GSAT-30 was
work is split across various centres such as the Vikram successfully launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer
Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram Orbit (GTO) from Kourou launch base, French Guiana
and the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. The by Ariane-5 VA-251.
Institute of Aerospace Medicine of the Air Force has Details
been roped in for the astronauts’ selection, basic and
final training in Bengaluru. • The satellite will replace the Defunct INSAT-4A

Significance • The satellite has a mission life of 15 years.

India pays a substantial sum to use such facilities abroad. • It has two band Transponders:

• The first set of four astronaut candidates for the first * K

u band: It will provide services to Indian
Gaganyaan mission of 2022 are to train at the Yuri mainland and islands
Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre for 15 months as * C band: It will provide extended coverage over
candidates for Gaganyaan, in Russia. Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries
* I n Moscow, they will learn the skills of life and and Australia.
survival in a narrow capsule, before, during and Applications
after travelling away from earth’s gravity while
• GSAT-30 will provide DTH Television Services,
managing the travel around earth.
connectivity to VSATs (that support working of banks’)
• With the establishment of such facilities in India, ATMs, Stock-exchange, Television uplinking and
future training could be done in India. Teleport Services, Digital Satellite News Gathering
• T he centre is tasked with pursuing future human space (DSNG) and e-governance applications.
missions, complete mission planning, developing • T he satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for
engineering systems for survival and safe return of a host of emerging telecommunication applications.
the crew from space, as also selecting and training the
astronauts. 4. Indian cobra genome mapped
Context:
2. Global Drosophila Conference
• A consortium of scientists, including some from
Context:
India, have mapped the genome of the Indian Cobra,
• The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research among the most poisonous snakes in the country.
(IISER) is organizing the fifth edition of the Asia Pacific
• The Indian cobra genome sequencing is reportedly
Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5).
the most detailed blueprint of a snake’s genes.
• It is being organized in the country for the first time.

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JANUARY-2020 75

Stats Concerns
• Every year, approximately five million people • The antivenom now available is effective only against
worldwide are bitten by venomous snakes resulting the ‘Big 4’. The study titled “Beyond the ‘big four’:
in about 400,000 amputations and more than 100,000 Venom profiling of the medically important yet
deaths. neglected Indian snakes reveals disturbing antivenom
• E ach year, about 46,000 people die and 140,000 deficiencies”
people are disabled in India from snakebites by the • F or instance, the monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia),
‘Big 4’ — the Indian cobra, the common krait, Russell’s found in east and north-east India, is not among the
viper, and the saw-scaled viper. ‘Big 4’, but its venom, tested in mice, is more potent
How is antivenom made? than that of the Indian cobra. But the commercial
antivenom is not effective against the monocled
• Antivenom is made by extracting venom from the
cobra.
snake and injecting small amounts into rabbits or
horses. 5. Indian Science Congress (ISC)
• I n the case of the polyvalent antivenom available in Context
India, it is made by injecting it into horses.
• Prime Minister inaugurated the 107th edition of the
• T he donor animal is hyperimmunized with non- Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru.
lethal doses of one or more venoms to produce a
neutralizing antibody response. Details

• T he antibodies that form are then collected from the • The objective of the ISC is to build a scientifically
domestic animal’s blood, purified and isolated. literate country and mould younger generations
empowered with critical thinking and scientific
• T he process is considered laborious, expensive and temper.
time consuming.
* Article 51A (h) mandates that it shall be the duty
• It can be irrelevant of every citizen of India to develop the scientific
Monovalent vs. polyvalent temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and
reform.
• If the hyperimmunizing venom is obtained from a
single species, then it is considered a monovalent • The theme of ISC 2020 is “Science and Technology:
antivenom. Rural Development”.
• I f the antivenom contains neutralizing antibodies • T he event brings together science fraternity across the
raised against two or more species of snakes, then the world to discuss scientific innovation and research.
composition is considered polyvalent. Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map
What does sequencing a cobra genome mean? (I-STEM) Portal
• They used the genome and gene expression data • The web portal ‘I-STEM’ has been developed by
from 14 different cobra tissues. scientists from the Indian Institute of Science –
Bengaluru.
• T hey analysed the genomic organisation of gene
families encoding toxin proteins • I -STEM will allow researchers to identify the specific
facility they need located closest to them for their R&D
• T argeting these 19 specific toxins using synthetic work in India.
human antibodies should lead to a safe and effective
anti-venom for treating Indian cobra bites • T ermed as ‘One Nation One Research Web Portal’
for the scientific community, the portal will link
* T hese are the constituents of venom that cause researchers and resources, hold a database of all the
paralysis, internal bleeding and death associated R&D facilities established in institutions around the
with snakebite country, and enable their sharing in a transparent
• I f genomes of more snakes are sequenced, there is manner.
a bigger possibility of genes commonly associated • A
secure payment gateway and SMS-based booking
with venom production (across snake species) are confirmation would enable them to compare the
identified and more broad-spectrum antivenoms are usage charges, make payments and schedule the
made. time-slots.
Significance • I n the near future, there are also plans to include
• Knowing the sequence of genes could aid in private laboratories and universities in the database,
understanding the chemical constituents of the which could also benefit start-ups.
venom and contribute to development of new anti-
venom therapies, which have remained practically
unchanged for over a century.
• I t can be used for the development of synthetic anti-
venom of defined composition

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JANUARY-2020 76

Need for the Project • B

esides the 40 CSIR laboratories and a few premier
• At present, there is no mechanism for young scientists research institutions like the Indian Institute of
to gain access to facilities needed for experiments, Science and the Indian Institutes of Technology, there
which are not available in their labs. As a result, they are over 600 universities, meeting the educational
have to individually approach institutes to seek requirements of about 29 million students.
permissions to use their facilities, a process that is * But hardly any international-level research is
tedious. done in the universities. Our impact on global
• By the time a researcher gets a time slot to make use science continues to be minimal, except for a few
of the facility, their samples get degraded. The aim, isolated bright spots.
therefore, is to make the entire process hassle-free. • T he situation is so dire in India that even the country’s
premier technology colleges, the Indian Institutes of
Compromising Scientific curiosity for marketability Technology, are reaching out to their alumni for funds.
Introduction • A
s for developing self-financing models for
• At the recently concluded 107th Science Congress, the government labs, the government should tread its
Prime Minister has conveyed that young researchers path slowly and selectively looking at the strengths
should “innovate, patent, produce, prosper”. and weaknesses of each of the institutes. It will be
counterproductive to implement a one-size-fits-all
• I n 2015 the directors of Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) labs under the ‘Dehradun solution in a hasty manner.
declaration’ decided to market patents as a means to Way forward
self-finance research.
• Government expenditure, almost entirely the Central
* I
t was a market-driven revenue model Government, is the driving force of R&D in India
which encourages students, researchers and which is in contrast to the advanced countries where
universities to innovate, come up with a new private sector is the dominant and driving force of
product and market this product to gain R&D spend. There is a need for greater participation of
monetary benefits. State Governments and private sector in overall R&D
• I t is this model that has been encouraged by the spending in India especially in application oriented
Union Government. It has been directing laboratories research and technology development.
and other research centers to earn their own revenue • I ndia needs to re-double its efforts to improve its
from external sources by marketing their expertise ranking in the science and research ecosystem by
and investing the surplus to develop technologies for increasing the national expenditure on R&D.
national missions.
• T he immediate priority in this regard should be to
• C
onsequently, there has been a steady decline in increase the government funding in higher education
government expenditure in higher education and and R&D. The forthcoming Union Budget will provide
research, reflecting this changed stand on making the an excellent opportunity to make this long-standing
government labs financially autonomous and leaving
demand a reality.
their fortunes to be determined by the market forces.
Investments in R&D 6. Vyom Mitra

• Investments are key inputs in economic growth. The Vyom Mitra is a half-humanoid, set to take the first
impact of this is proven on productivity, exports, unmanned flight to space under Gaganyaan.
employment and capital formation. India’s investment • She can switch panel operations, ECLSS [environment
in R&D has shown a consistent increasing trend over control and life support systems] functions, be a
the years. companion, converse with the astronauts, recognise
• H
owever, it is a fraction of India’s GDP, it has remained them and also respond to their queries.
constant at around 0.6% to 0.7% of India’s GDP. • T wo trial flights without crew will take place with a
• T his is below the expenditure of countries like the US humanoid.
(2.8), China (2.1), Israel (4.3) and Korea (4.2). • T he humanoid will simulate the human functions
Concerns required for space before real astronauts take off
before August 2022.
• There is a genuine concern among the researchers and
academics that this transformation will have serious 7. Young Scientists Labs
repercussions for India’s competence in research.
Context:
• S cience is essentially an end-product of human
curiosity and a desire to understand the world. Thus, • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Defence
an increasing emphasis on immediate applicability Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO)
of science should not be allowed to steal the space of Young Scientists’ Laboratories to enable focused
curiosity-driven basic science which can be sustained research in advanced technologies.
only by direct government funding.

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JANUARY-2020 77

Details
Investment in the future technology is the need of the
hour and innovation is necessary to protect our citizens,
borders and interests.
• The lab lays down the foundation for research and
development of futuristic technologies.
• E ach lab will work on key advanced technology of
importance to the development of futuristic defence
systems, such as artificial intelligence, quantum
technologies, cognitive technologies, asymmetric
technologies and smart materials.
Significance
• In the field of defence manufacturing, DRDO will come
up with new innovations to make India self-reliant.
• I n promoting a Vibrant Defence Sector, DRDO’s
innovations have a huge role in strengthening Make
in India.

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JANUARY-2020 78

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

1. AK-203 Assault Rifles Significance

Context • Its introduction will allow New Delhi to phase out
its own rifle, the INSAS (Indian National Small Arms
• The Army is likely to sign a Memorandum of
System) rifles.
Understanding (MoU) for the procurement of
over 7.5 lakh AK-203 assault rifles, which are to be • I NSAS was found to be an unreliable firearm, and in
manufactured locally by an India-Russia Joint Venture 2017 it was decided that it needs to be withdrawn.
(JV). SIG716
Details • The assault rifle will be supplied by US arms maker Sig
• The rifles will be manufactured by the Indo-Russian Sauer.
Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) at Korwa, in the Amethi • The SIG716 uses the powerful 7.62×51 mm cartridge.
district of Uttar Pradesh.
• T he Sig Sauer rifles will be used by soldiers deployed
• T he facility is being set up by the Ordnance Factories
Board (OFB) from the Indian side, and Rosoboron along the border with China.
Exports and Kalashnikov from the Russian side. 2. Bru refugees to be settled in Tripura
* 5 percent of its stakes will belong to the Indian Background
Ordnance Factory Board, and the remainder to
Russian entities: Rosoboron Exports (7.5 percent) • In the year 2018 a tripartite pact was signed by the
and Kalashnikov Concern (42 percent; the Centre, Mizoram government and Bru representatives
concern, in turn, belongs to the Russian defense which envisaged repatriation of displaced Bru
giant Rostec). refugees to Mizoram, barely 328 families returned.

• The JV was formed following an inter-governmental • T he rest, living in Tripura for over two decades, were
agreement between India and Russia in 2019. reluctant to move out.

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JANUARY-2020 79

• The Centre then started fresh negotiations to find a • It was a long-pending reform for the establishment of
solution to the Bru people’s demand that they be a CDS, which was recommended by the Kargil Review
allowed to settle down in Tripura. Committee in 2001.
Context Role of CDS
• Union Home Minister presided over the signing • The CDS will be “first among equals” in that he will
of a Quadripartite Pact of MHA with the State consult and solicit the views of the services, but the
governments of Tripura, Mizoram and leaders of Bru final judgment will be taken by CDS alone
community to permanently settle around 34,000
• H
is views will be confined to the acquisition matters
internally displaced people in Tripura.
exclusive to each service and won’t extend to the
Details procurement of big-ticket items such as warships or
• The Centre has sanctioned around ₹600 crore as a fighter aircraft, which will remain under firm control
settlement package of the Department of Defence (DoD).

• The community members would also get a * CDS will enjoy the rank of Secretary within the
DoD and his powers will be confined to only the
* One-time assistance of ₹4 lakh as fixed deposit. revenue budget.
* A 40/30 feet plot of land, • T he CDS will be the single-point military adviser to
* an aid of ₹5,000/month for the next two years, the Defence Minister on matters involving all three
services and the service chiefs will be obliged to
* F ree ration and ₹1.5 lakh to build houses will be confine their counsel to issues pertaining to their
given to them. respective services.
* T he Tripura government has identified land to • T he CDS is also vested with the authority to provide
settle them directives to the three chiefs.
Significance * Additionally, the CDS will lead the Department
• The Bru community who were living a life of apathy of Military Affairs (DoMA) dealing with the three
will now live with dignity services.
• The Brus would get voting rights in Tripura and would * W
hile the CDS does not enjoy any command
get “tribal status.” authority, in his capacity as DoMA, he will wield
control over issues governing promotions,
Concerns
travel, appointment to key posts, and overseas
• It could lead to conflicts with the locals of Tripura. assignments. Consequently, the CDS will enjoy a
* Conflicts between the Brus and the local Bengali substantial amount of influence.
non-tribal people have started taking place in * A
bove all, his core function will be to foster
Tripura. greater operational synergy between the three
• Rights activists fear it could “legitimise” the ejection of service branches of the Indian military and keep
minority communities by ethnocentric states. inter-service frictions to a minimum.

• T he protector of rights of the people the government • Fundamentally, the CDS will perform two roles,
has withdrawn from the executing its duty of * One, as the single point military advisor to the
protection Defence Minister
• R
epatriated Brus in Mizoram Demand Equal Share in * Two, as head of the DoMA.
Rehabilitation Package
Advisory role in the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).
* The repatriated Brus received ₹80,000 on their
• Since the CDS will also administer the Strategic
return to Mizoram and were entitled to free
Forces Command, this measure will go a long way in
rations for a year.
enhancing the credibility of our nuclear deterrent.
* The quadripartite agreement signed by the
• G
iven the differing interpretations of India’s nuclear
Centre, the governments of Tripura and Mizoram
doctrine voiced by Government of India (GoI)
and various Bru refugee organisations entail a
functionaries from time to time, the CDS would do
housing plot in Tripura for each displaced family
well to initiate an early review of the doctrine.
in addition to ₹4 lakh as a fixed deposit, ₹5,000
per month for two years, free rations for two Significance of this move
years and ₹1.5 lakh to build houses. • With creation of the Department of Military Affairs
(DMA) headed by CDS, the military will, for the first
3. CDS and the path to jointmanship
time, be admitted into the central edifice of the GoI
Context and become a participant in policy-making.
• Gen. Bipin Rawat was appointed as the first Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS), which is one of the key policy
decisions made by the Narendra Modi government.

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JANUARY-2020 80

• D
esignation of the CDS as Principal Military Adviser 4. De-Radicalization (DR)
(PMA) to Raksha Mantri (RM) will enable unhindered
Context:
access to MoD, accelerating the process of decision-
making and accord of approvals. • Three attacks in 2019, one in the U.K. and two in the
U.S.’s military facilities, were characterized by sections
Challenges
of the media and by analysts as ‘lone wolf’ attacks.
• There are concerns over matters relating to service
Details:
parochialism.
• The stabbing at London Bridge in the U.K., and the
* If the CDS privileges support for parent service,
shootings at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and
it is likely to have opposition from the other two
Pensacola Naval Air Station in the U.S., were all quickly
services.
characterised as ‘lone wolf’ attacks.
* Any parochialism could potentially derail
• T here has been an increasing trend of labelling acts of
the primary objective of creating the CDS —
violence, as acts of terror.
promoting synergy and shaping acquisition
priorities both within and between the services. • T he basis for categorisation of violent acts as terrorist
acts includes the type of weapons used in the killings,
• CDS’s role is not simply about tri-service cooperation,
the beliefs of the accused, the number of people
it is equally about fostering better cooperation
killed, etc.
between the MoD bureaucracy and the services and
ensuring that projected and planned acquisitions of • C
ategorising violence is important, as it provides a
the services do not exceed capital allocations. framework for future remedial actions.
• I ndian Army consumes the lion’s share of the defence • T hough the mentioned acts of violence have been
budget. As it is a manpower-intensive fighting force, termed as lone-wolf attacks, the reality is more
pruning the number of personnel in the Army will complex. Though all three cases are still under
remain perhaps the most vexed challenge investigation, going by the news reports, except the
attack in Pensacola Naval Air Station, the other two
• T he final challenge facing the CDS will be the extent
attacks do not qualify as acts of terror.
to which he can encourage the services to support
indigenisation. Concerns:
* Cost saving is not simply about reducing Discounting structural factors:
manpower in the Army, it is equally about • The focus of counterterrorism programmes have been
getting all the services, particularly the capital- on individuals and do not take into consideration
intensive services, to rally behind a committed overarching structural factors in play.
enterprise to support the native Research and
Development for production and eventual • N
o society can benefit by oversimplifying the
deployment of weapons systems, which when factors that push an individual towards violence.
procured from abroad drive a massive hole in Oversimplification will mean that we will be left with
the budget. poor policies.
Steps that can be undertaken • T he influence of an extremist organisation’s concerted
efforts at recruiting individuals to its cause is often
• There are no instant remedies, but one pointer is discounted and individuals getting radicalized
towards greater investment in Artificial Intelligence because of propaganda on the Internet is simply
(AI) over the long term, a process that has already called “self-radicalised”.
begun, but will require a dedicated push from the
CDS over the course of his tenure. Understanding the process of radicalization:
* The application of AI technology is likely to lend • There is a concern regarding how the process of
itself to tanks and artillery systems, as is visibly radicalisation is perceived by analysts and academics.
evident from the vigorous pursuit of AI by China’s Most consider radicalisation as a linear process where
People’s Liberation Army. the individual goes through a number of stages.
However, recent studies point to an aggregation
• To ensure adequate availability of expertise, civilians of factors, structural and causal, that may push an
will need to be inducted into DMA and military individual to an act of terror.
personnel into DoD. This will require the CDS to
vigorously pursue enabling amendments to GoI • T he final cognitive step of actually committing
Business Rules and the Central Staffing Scheme. violence cannot be prejudged accurately every time.

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Radicalization • I t was launched by the army in 1998 in rural areas of

• It is a product of protracted psychological conditioning Jammu & Kashmir
of minds. • U
nder this programme, the Army has tried to improve
• I t is carried out by political propaganda, print and the quality of life of people in five focus areas:
social media. education, infrastructure development, health and
sanitation, women and youth empowerment and
Steps to be taken
community development.
• First we need to get to the nerve of who is radicalizing
people. 5. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
• S econd, venues of radicalization need to be sanitised • The I4C is a multipronged system, which includes
vigorously. * National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit,
• T hird, start isolating these people gradually and * National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal,
then start a counter-radicalization programme by
identifying people who have been radicalized, to * National Cyber Crime Training Centre,
what degree. * Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit,
* One has to segregate them in degrees and then * National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation
look at those who are completely radicalized Centre,
• Fourth, techniques should be adopted which varies * National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory
from soft to hybrid to hard approaches Ecosystem and
* Soft approach requires committed and * Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation
charismatic leadership for initiating a change of Team.
approach to violent extremism.
• The portal enables citizens to report online content
* Hybrid Approach: The State alone does not with specific focus on crimes against women,
have all the tools necessary to counter violent children, particularly child pornography, child sex
extremism. abuse material, online content pertaining to rapes/
* Hard Approach: Violent extremists in prison gang rapes.
require “a professional, comprehensive and Significance
financially sustainable” DR programme.
• The portal can boost the capacity of the law
Way forward enforcement agencies to investigate cases and will
• Given the nature of the problem, any policy or improve the success rate of prosecutions
programme with respect to radicalisation must be • T he portal will improve coordination amongst the
based upon objectively researched conclusions based law enforcement agencies of different states, districts
on empirical evidence and not merely the subjective and police stations for dealing with cybercrimes in a
experience of an officer. coordinated and effective manner
• M
ost important, a credible strategy of WHAM Context
(winning hearts and minds) needs to be systematically
• Union Home Minister inaugurated the Indian Cyber
promoted
Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
• I mprovements in governance are necessary, whereby
political leaders at all levels and the administration 6. K-4
remain committed to the aspirations of the people. Context
• C
ontemporary educational infrastructure with • India successfully test-fired the 3,500-km range
dedicated security cover should be created and the submarine-launched ballistic missile, K-4.
religious preachers should not be allowed to spew
venom and spread ideology of hatred. • T he test was carried out by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) from a
• S ince poverty creates exploitable conditions for submerged pontoon off the Visakhapatnam coast. A
radicalisation and idle minds are the root of all evil, pontoon simulates the situation of a launch from a
job opportunities should be created expeditiously by submarine.
giving a boost to tourism, developing infrastructure
Operation Sadbhavana
• U
nder Op Sadbhavna Army took up a large number of
welfare and development projects.

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Significance: 7. Ministry of Defence (MoD) No Objection Certificate

Technological breakthrough: (NOC) web portal
• UThe missile ejecting from a submerged platform to Context
the surface [sea] possess several technical challenges. • Defence Minister launched Ministry of Defence (MoD)
There are very few countries which have managed to “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) web portal www.
achieve this. modnoc.ncog.gov.in for undertaking aerial survey
• T his technological breakthrough marks an important with the final permission of Directorate General of
step towards achieving indigenization of defence Civil Aviation (DGCA).
technology. Details
Edge over other missiles of the same class: • The portal will be used by various vendors engaged
• The Circular Error Probability (CEP) of the K-4 is much by state governments, public sector undertakings
more sophisticated than most countries which and autonomous bodies in seeking NOC from MoD
possess similar missiles. The CEP determines the • T he initiative will help speed up development projects
accuracy of a missile. The lower the CEP, the more undertaken by various agencies, besides ensuring
accurate the missile would be in targeting. expeditious disposal of applications for carrying out
Increased range: aerial surveys while bringing in more transparency
and accuracy.
• INS Arihant, the first and only operational SSBN, is
armed with K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 • T he portal is hosted on the National Informatics
km. The K-4 has an enhanced range. Centre platform.
• T he K-4 missiles will be the mainstay of the Arihant Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
class of indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarines • The DGCA is the governmental regulatory body for
and will give India the stand-off capability to launch civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
nuclear weapons submerged in Indian waters.
• I ts vision is to promote safe and efficient air
• S tandoff weapons are missiles or bombs which may transportation through regulation and proactive
be launched at a distance sufficient to allow attacking safety oversight system.
personnel to evade defensive fire from the target area.
Typically, they are used against land- and sea-based • T he body governs the safety aspects of civil aviation in
targets in an offensive operation. the country.

Second strike capability: • It is headed by the Director-General of Civil Aviation.

• The nuclear triad is a three-pronged military force • A

mong other things, the DGCA is engaged in the
structure that consists of land-launched nuclear registration of civil aircraft; licensing of pilots, aircraft
missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines and maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, etc.;
strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. certification of aerodromes; checking the proficiency
of flight crew; granting air operator’s certificates to
• I ndia completed its nuclear triad with the Indian carriers; approving institutes engaged in flying
commissioning of INS Arihant in 2016, which was training including simulator training, and any other
India’s first submarine built indigenously. related training; advising the government on matters
• T he K-4 being nuclear-capable, it will also enhance pertaining to air transport.
the second strike capability of India.
8. NIA takeover of Bhima Koregaon case
• I n nuclear strategy, a second-strike capability is a
country’s assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack Context
with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker. • The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over
Additional Information: the Bhima Koregaon case in which several activists
were booked for making provocative speeches at the
• SSBN is the US Navy hull classification symbol for a Elgaar Parishad event organised at Shaniwar Wada in
nuclear-powered, ballistic missile-carrying submarine. Pune in 2017, which then allegedly escalated tensions
• T he SS denotes “submarine” or “submersible”, the B leading to riots in Pune and Mumbai.
denotes “ballistic missile,” and the N denotes “nuclear • T he activists were arrested and booked under the
powered.” Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
• T he transfer of the case to the NIA is now being looked
at as a “misuse” of the powers conferred upon the
agency.

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Procedures for NIA to investigate a case * An impression has formed that the agency, set
• According to the rules, for the NIA to take over a case up in 2008 following the Mumbai attacks to
from a state, a formal communication is usually sent probe acts of terrorism, is just another arm of the
to the MHA by the state requesting for a transfer of Centre, another “caged parrot” meant to serve its
the case to the agency, following which a notification political masters.
is issued and the investigation is formally transferred. Conclusion
• T he state police then formally hands over all the files • Whatever the merits of the claims and counter-claims,
related to the case to the agency. the probe has been completed and the case is waiting
• B
ut in this case, Section 6(5) of the NIA Act was to be heard by the court.
invoked that permits the central government to direct • A
ny attempt to unilaterally change the course now
the agency (NIA), suo motu, to investigate any offence will be seen as motivated and driven by bad faith and
if it feels that a crime is a scheduled offence fit to be will hurt the Centre and the investigative agency
probed by the NIA.
9. Saras Mk2
Background
• It is the first indigenous light transport aircraft
• The Pune police have filed a charge sheet against
designed by the National Aerospace Laboratories
activists on the charge of being part of a Maoist
(NAL).
plot against the government, basing their claim on
purported material seized from computers during • T he 19-seater aircraft, developed with a target cost of
raids. ₹50 crores, is at least 20-25% lower in cost than other
aircraft in a similar category.
• I t was believed that a sinister plot was devised to
overthrow the government, allegedly at the behest of Significance
the Communist Party of India (Maoist). • It is slated to be one of the biggest achievements
• Despite its inter-State ramifications, the State under the Make in India mission.
government opposed a petition in the Supreme • T he CSIR-NAL, without prior experience, designed and
Court for a court-monitored independent probe. developed the first prototype of Saras. Consequently,
• A
t that time, the Centre, expressed no inclination to the first successful maiden flight took off in 2004,
hand over the probe to the NIA, even though sections thus enabling India to join the elite club of nations to
of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) manufacture the light passenger transport aircraft.
were invoked.
10. Steel mesh to replace fences on the borders
The Union government cannot now turn around and
claim that it is a fit case for an NIA probe. Context
Issue Area • India shares 4,096.7 km border with Bangladesh and
3,323 km border with Pakistan. The border currently
• It is an unwarranted interference in the police powers
has barbed wires which will be replaced with meshed
of the State as policing and law and order are state
fence made of steel and coated with anti-rust paint
subjects.
• T his will be a complete overhaul of the security
* The Pune police reports to the state government,
system.
the NIA is answerable only to the Union Home
Ministry. Details
• It threatens to undermine the spirit of federalism. • The Border Security Force (BSF) that is deployed along
the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders has been tasked
• T he Elgar Parishad case has gone through the
to ensure that the fence is installed in a time-bound
investigation process and reached the courts — bail
manner.
pleas in the case have been heard by the Supreme
Court. • T he Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is
implementing the project
* For the Union Home Ministry to intervene at this
juncture and change the investigating agency is • M
easures also include strengthening Indian defences
tantamount to undermining this process. along Pakistan, mapping of infiltration prone areas
along the two borders
* Even if the state government orders a review of
the case, it will have to pass the test of the courts. • B
SF is pushing the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to
get the latest technology to disable drones.
• T he credibility of the NIA as an independent
investigative agency itself is being questioned. * Surveillance drone flights are very frequent. But
load-carrying drones are a grave threat. In fact,
that’s the future of warfare.

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JANUARY-2020 84

* The assassination of Iranian Major General

Qasim Suleimani in Iraq by a US drone strike is
an instance
* T hey have requested for a drone disabling
technology that can cut radio frequency and
disable GPS — the two key technologies guiding
most drones
Significance
• It will plug vulnerable and infiltration-prone
patches along its sensitive border with Pakistan and
Bangladesh

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ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAND
ANDECOLOGY
ECOLOGY
1. African cheetahs to prowl Indian forests Significance:
Context: The possible gains from introducing the cheetah in India
• T he Supreme Court has lifted its stay on a proposal to include:
introduce African cheetahs into the Indian habitat. • T he move would boost wildlife tourism in the region.
Background: This would provide impetus to the development of
the surrounding regions.
• T here have been previous proposals to introduce
African cheetahs in India, as part of a plan to revive • The introduction of cheetahs could lead to the
the Indian cheetah population. The proposal was improvement of grasslands. They could help control
to introduce African cheetahs into the Palpur Kuno the population of the herbivores in the region.
Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh on an experimental • T he success of the initiative would help bring
basis. global recognition for India for having been able to
• However, the Supreme Court had stalled the plan in successfully revive the Cheetah in India.
2012. • T he lessons learned in the implementation of the
• T he SC had expressed concerns that the proposed programme could help guide similar efforts in the re-
introduction of cheetahs in the given sanctuary, introduction of other species.
may come into conflict with a parallel project to Key fact
reintroduce lions into the sanctuary and delay its
implementation. • A
ccording to the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, cheetah’s
• T he court had also expressed doubts over the choice population is ‘vulnerable’ witnessing a decreasing
of the sanctuary for the re-introduction proposal, over trend with only less than 7,000 of them left in the wild
doubts on the abundance of prey. It had opined that globally.
the Kuno Sanctuary was not a natural habitat for the
African cheetah. Concerns

• T he court also took into consideration many scientific • F ew Conservationists fear that India will end up
studies which claimed that the introduction of an alien housing the animals in semi-captive conditions,
species involves considerable risk of destabilizing secured open air zoos rather than allowing them to
the ecological balance and should be considered live free.
only if no suitable native species are available for re- • Man-animal conflicts is an area of worry
introduction.
• T he current prey base sustains the tiger and leopards.
Details: Introduction of new predator may add pressure in the
• F ollowing a favourable view from the National Tiger existing eco system
Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Supreme Court • C
heetahs are genetically fragile and lose cubs
has lifted its seven-year stay on a proposal to introduce prematurely, affecting the establishment of a viable
African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian habitat population.
on an experimental basis.
• G
iven the fact that cheetahs do not breed well in
• The hearing came on an application filed by the NTCA. captivity and require vast stretches of grassland and
• T he court has asked for the right precautions to be access to adequate prey to thrive, officials at the NTCA
taken during the process and ensure every effort is feel that the actual process of translocation and its
taken to ensure that the re-introduction is a success. success might be a long-drawn effort.

• T he court has called for a proper survey to be done to Conclusion

identify the best possible habitat for the cheetahs. • I ndia will need to maintain strict protocols to reduce
• T he SC has set up a three-member committee, to the risk of human injury, livestock predation and
guide the NTCA in the implementation of the re- stress, and improve identification of prey and non-
introduction programme. The Committee will have prey species
to file a progress report every four months on the • T he plan to bring the cheetah to India should have
progress made. The committee would help, advice a minimum requirement of setting up a Grassland
and monitor the NTCA in the programme. Policy
• I ndia should also focus on the species it has and
restore the ecology.

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JANUARY-2020 86

2. Australia wildfires • The fires have also caused a drop in the bird, rodent
Introduction and insect populations. These creatures are the
building blocks of the ecosystem and the fall in their
• F ire is no stranger to Australia but the fires of 2020 population is bound to have long-term impacts.
have been described as unprecedented with over 10
million hectares of land damaged, killing at least 25 Conclusion
people and tens of millions of animals, besides forcing • T he situation is bound to worsen without policy
the evacuation of communities. change, as temperatures are predicted to soar to 50°C.
• B
ushfires are actually a part of Australia’s ecosystem. • O
ver the past half century, the number of hot days
Many plants depend on them to cycle nutrients and and very hot days each year have steadily increased.
clear vegetation. In fact, eucalyptus trees in Australia It would be tragic if this scientific insight is ignored.
depend on fire to release their seeds. But all this usually
• L ong-term prosperity for Australians and a future for
happens during a few weeks in late January-February,
its charismatic animals can be secured only through
when the country is at its driest. The prolonged
policies that foster environmental protection.
blaze of 2020 has coincided with Australia’s harshest
summer. IOD and its link to Bushfires
• M
uch of Australia is facing a drought that is a result • T he 2019 June-September monsoon in India started
of three consecutive summers with very little its withdrawal on October 9, against the normal
precipitation. This, according to climate scientists, is date of September 1, making it the most delayed in
unprecedented. recorded history.
• A
ustralian Bureau of Meteorology’s 2018 State of the • I t was also the strongest in recent years with a surplus
Climate report notes, “Australia’s climate has warmed of 10% in 2019 — both attributed in part due to the
by just over 1 degree Celsius since 1910, leading to positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.” Why did Australia suffer from drought?
This has led to more rainfall in northern Australia, but
created drought-like conditions in the more densely • T he Indian Ocean saw eight cyclones in 2019 which is
populated southeast. more than the normal
Political decisions of the Government criticized • T he Arabian Sea saw five major intense high-
frequency cyclones, over the normal one per year.
The Government has sought to downplay the impact of
changing climate * T his caused the revival of the south west
monsoon and also the month-late withdrawal of
• I t ignored calls from fire experts to prepare in advance monsoon from the country.
to reduce the damages due to fire
• I ndian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in 2019 was two degrees
• A
ustralia is a major producer of fossil fuels, and among above normal, leading to the unusually dry weather in
the world’s top exporters of coal and liquefied natural Australia that triggered the recent devastating forest
gas. fires
* T he prime minister has further pledged to * T he IOD measures differences in sea surface
maintain Australia’s position as a world-leading temperatures between the western and eastern
coal exporter. parts of the Indian Ocean.
* I t continues to support aggressive development * A
positive IOD occurs when waters near the
without giving importance to environment and Horn of Africa are warmer than average leading
sustainable development to enhanced rainfall there, while cooler waters
• T he Govt has prioritized the needs of business over develop off Indonesia resulting in less rainfall
action to cut carbon emissions. and high temperatures in Australia.
Concerns * N
egative IOD: In this case the eastern equatorial
Indian Ocean off Sumatra in Indonesia becomes
• A
ustralia’s encounters with devastating fires could
abnormally warm while the western tropical part
become more frequent, perhaps even once in
of the ocean near the African coast becomes
eight years, making large parts of the continent
relatively colder.
uninhabitable.
* A
s in 1982 there were forest fires in Australia due
• A
ustralia is home to nearly 250 animal species, some
to a combination of the high IOD levels and the
of them like the koalas and kangaroos are not found
El-Nino in the Pacific Ocean.
elsewhere. But the region also has the highest rate of
native animals going extinct over the past 200 years.
The fires will aggravate this situation.

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JANUARY-2020 87

Inference • India’s productivity has been only a third of these

countries for over four decades. This questions the
• T ypically, a “positive IOD brings below-average winter-
impact of Bt. Cotton cultivation in India.
spring rainfall to southern and central Australia,
with warmer days for the southern two-thirds of the India’s reliance on hybrids:
country. • I ndia is the only country that grows cotton as hybrids
• Positive IOD events are often associated with a more and was the first to develop hybrid cotton back in
severe fire season for South-east Australia. 1970.
• Hybrids are made by crossing two parent strains
3. Biotechnology adoption having different genetic characters.
Context: • T hough hybrids offer the advantage that these plants
• T he article deals with arguments for and against the have more biomass than both parents, and also a
use of Biotechnology, especially with respect to Bt. capacity for greater yields, there are some concerns
Cotton, in India. with respect to hybrids.
A look at key stats: • H
ybrid cotton seed production is expensive since it
requires manual crossing. The availability of low-cost
• I ndia’s cotton production in 2019 is projected as the
manual labour in India makes hybrid’s economically
highest ever.
viable in the Indian context.
• I ndia’s cotton production has doubled over the past
* H
ybrids, farmers must purchase seed for each
decade.
planting.
• I ndia is expected to be the world’s largest cotton
* U
sing hybrids gives pricing control to the seed
producer, surpassing China in output in 2020.
company and also ensures a continuous market.
Arguments against Bt. cotton:
* H
ybrids require more inputs, including fertilizer
There have been many concerns with Genetically Modified and water.
(GM) pest-resistant Bt. cotton hybrids.
Neglect of other approaches:
Favoring seed companies over farmers:
• I ndia has continued to neglect the use of other
• S eeds have captured the Indian market since their alternate technologies or methods in the domain of
introduction in 2002. These now cover over 95% cotton cultivation.
of the area under cotton, with the seeds produced
Variety:
entirely by the private sector.
• I n the case of Varieties, seeds are produced by self-
• T he current annual value of the cotton seed used
fertilization.
for planting is about Rs. 2,500 crore, and that of lint
cotton produced is Rs.68,000 crore. • V
arieties can be propagated over successive
generations by collecting seeds from one planting
• T his makes it appear that the country’s hybrid seed
and using them for the next planting. This reduces the
model for cotton, favours seed companies over
costs incurred by the farmers.
farmers.
High-Density Planting (HDP):
Impacting livelihoods of farmers:
• I n cotton cultivation, the strategy of using High-
• T he hybrid seeds involve high input costs. The volatile
Density Planting (HDP) of compact varieties has been
nature of the markets and the increasing variability in
found to outperform hybrids at the field level.
rainfall patterns has made cotton cultivation riskier for
the low resource farmers in rain-fed areas. • F or over three decades, most countries have been
growing cotton varieties that are compact and short
• A
gricultural distress is extremely high among cotton
duration.
farmers and the combination of high input and high
risk has likely been a contributing factor. • T he compact nature of the plants allows these varieties
to be planted at high density whereas hybrids in India
Low productivity In India:
are bushy, long duration and planted at ten-fold lower
• Though India leads in the production of cotton, India’s density as compared to high-density planting. This
productivity (yield per unit area), is much lower than compensates for even the lower boll production by
other major cotton-producing countries. This implies compact varieties.
that a much larger area is used for cotton production
in India.

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JANUARY-2020 88

Arguments for Bt cotton:

Choice of the farmer:
• The fact that Indian farmers have chosen seeds with
biotechnologies by planting hybrid cotton biotech
seeds on over 90% of the country’s cotton acreage
proves the efficacy of the Bt. Cotton.
• F armers have not shown any preference for planting
non-Bt cotton seeds including the quantity supplied
along with the Bt cotton seed, by the seed companies
as per regulatory guidelines.
Higher production:
• B
iotechnology in cotton, post its introduction in 2002,
has led to transformational changes in India’s cotton
cultivation.
• It has helped increase cotton yields by over 1.8 times
between 2002-2003 and 2018-2019.
• G
M cotton countries, contribute to more than 90% of
global cotton production.
Reduced pesticide usage:
• Hybrid cotton has delivered not only higher yields but
also provided resistance to some pests and diseases.
• T he technology offered a solution to some of the
farmer’s biggest on-field pest challenges. This marked
a considerable improvement over the low tech
approach of insecticide and pesticide usage.
• T he introduction of Bt cotton which is resistant against
certain pests has greatly reduced pesticide use. This
saves costs for the farmers and also is beneficial to the
ecology.
High economic returns:
• A study shows that the significant increase in farmer
incomes from higher yields and reduced pesticide
use has generated additional farm income of over
Rs.42,300 crores.
• Additional incomes are also generated from cotton
seeds oil and cotton seed oil meal.
• T he Bt cotton seed market is about Rs.3,000 crore,
making it hardly 2.5% of the total value generated.
Potential for improvement:
• Biotechnology offers other avenues for improvement.
There is the possibility of introducing weedicide
resistance in the Bt cotton. In such a scenario Bt
cotton farms would require lesser labour for weed
management. Labour accounts for over 58% of
a farmer’s cost of cultivation per acre. Given the
decreasing availability of low-cost manual labour and
the challenges in securing labour to conduct field
operations, the shift to Bt cotton will help decrease
the costs incurred in cotton cultivation.

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JANUARY-2020 89

Ripple-effect benefits: Details

• Several key studies by economists and sociologists • H
CFC-141b is not produced in the country and all the
have established that 85% of hybrid Bt cotton seed domestic requirements are met through imports.
farmers and farm labourers have observed improved * T he issuance of import license for HCFC-141b
quality of life. is prohibited from 1st January 2020 under the
* Higher investment in education for children. Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and
Control) Amendment Rules, 2019 issued under
* Higher intake of nutritious food.
the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
* Better health of their family members.
• N
early, 50 % of the consumption of ozone depleting
Other factors: chemicals in the country was attributable to HCFC-
• While considering the fact that productivity in India 141 b in the foam sector.
is low, it is important to note that it is not just the * It is one of the most potent ozone depleting
technology that increases yields. India’s farmers face chemical after Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFCs)
numerous uncertainties and crop management
• India has consciously chosen a path for environment-
challenges, affecting farm yield.
friendly and energy-efficient technologies while
Unviability of other alternatives: phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs).
• Alternate techniques like High-Density Planting • I mportantly, India is one among the few countries
(HDP) have limited relevance for India given that the globally and a pioneer in some cases in the use of
planting rates are determined by several agronomic technologies, which are non-Ozone Depleting and
and environmental conditions. have a low Global Warming Potential (GWP).
• A
s against the claim that hybrid farmers need to buy What was it used for?
seeds repeatedly, the fact is that not just biotech
• I t is a chemical used by foam manufacturing
cotton, but all hybrid seeds lose their benefits if
enterprises
replanted, creating reduced and erratic yields. New
seeds help farmers sustain high yields year on year. • ( HCFC)-141 b is used mainly as a blowing agent in the
production of rigid Poly Urethane (PU) foams.
Ecological benefits:
* T he Polyurethane Foam Sector has links with
• Given the fact that Bt cotton offers higher production
important economic sectors related to buildings,
from the same area, the expansion of agricultural land
cold storages and cold chain infrastructure,
into forest areas has been slowed. This has helped
automobiles, commercial refrigeration,
conserve biodiversity.
domestic appliances such as refrigerators, water
Way forward: geysers, thermo-ware, office and domestic
• New technology introduction has stopped in India furniture applications, specific high-value niche
since 2005, affecting the growth of yields applications, etc.

* O
ther countries have been using more advanced Measures taken to reduce the impact on Industries
GM traits than what is being used in India. There In India, the foam manufacturing sector is a mix of large,
is a need to consider the usage of the new medium and small enterprises having varying capacities,
technologies in India too. with a preponderance of MSMEs. Many of the MSMEs
• In a fast-evolving global market, India’s farmers need operate largely in the informal sector.
the best technologies to remain competitive. • T o ensure minimal dislocation in the sector and for
• T he knowledge of cultivation and correct agronomic enhancing the capacities of MSMEs in converting
practices can make a significant impact on agricultural to low-GWP non-ODS technologies, training and
yields. Extension efforts need to be emphasized. awareness programmes on non-ODS and low-
GWP alternatives to HCFCs including the adoption
• A
one-sided depiction regarding GM seeds not only of such alternatives have been organized in close
harms agriculture and the industry. There is a need collaboration with the industry.
for scientific and detailed studies to ensure proper
evaluation of the technology. • M
SMEs will also be facilitated for adequate tie-ups
with system houses, laboratories for getting their
4. HydroChloroFluoroCarbon (HCFC)-141 b material tested, etc. in addition to organizing study
Context tours, field visits, etc.

• I ndia has successfully achieved the complete phase

out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b

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JANUARY-2020 90

Significance of phase out • P

rotection from international trade is provided by the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
The phase out of HCFC-141b from the country has twin
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 2004, CITES
environmental benefits viz.
transferred the Irrawaddy dolphin from Appendix IIto
• assisting the healing of the stratospheric ozone layer Appendix I, which forbids all commercial trade in
• T owards the climate change mitigation due to species that are threatened with extinction.
transitioning of foam manufacturing enterprises at • T he Irrawaddy dolphin is listed on both Appendix I and
this scale under HCFC Phase out Management Plan Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of
(HPMP) to low global warming potential alternative Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
technologies. Context:
5. Irrawaddy dolphins sighted in Chilika • T he dolphin census was taken up in Chilika and off
• T he Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline (able to tolerate Odisha coast.
a wide range of salinity) species of oceanic dolphin • O
disha Forest Department officials, wildlife experts
found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea and researchers have sighted 146 Irrawaddy dolphins
coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of in Chilika Lake.
Bengal and Southeast Asia. It is an aquatic mammal.
Details:
• A
lthough sometimes referred to as the Irrawaddy river
• C
hilika Lake has the highest single lagoon population
dolphin, it is not a true river dolphin, but an oceanic
of the Irrawaddy dolphin in the world.
dolphin that lives in brackish water near coasts, river
mouths and in estuaries. • T he counting of dolphins was done using
hydrophones. A hydrophone is a microphone
Range: designed to be used underwater for recording or
• I t has established subpopulations in freshwater listening to underwater sound. Most hydrophones
rivers, including the Mahakam River, the Mekong, the are based on a piezoelectric transducer that generates
Ganges and the Irrawaddy Riverfrom which it takes its an electric potential when subjected to a pressure
name. change, such as a sound wave.
• I ts range extends from the Bay of Bengal to New Significance:
Guinea and the Philippines although they do not • T he good numbers recorded signify the importance
appear to venture offshore. of freeing the lake from encroachments by prawn
• I n India, it is mostly present in the brackish-water farming gherries.
Chilka Lake. Their Presence has also been recorded • P
ost the eviction of encroachments, Dolphins were
from Sunderbans National Park.
colonizing new areas.
Threat:
6. Maradu buildings destroyed
• I rrawaddy dolphins are more susceptible to human
conflict than most other dolphins who live farther out Background
in the ocean. • T he Maradu Panchayat had granted permission
• T he Irrawaddy dolphin’s proximity to developing for the construction for five waterfront apartments
communities makes the effort for conservation overlooking the scenic canals of Kochi backwaters.
difficult. Entanglement in fishnets and degradation of • T he 343 flats in the five buildings cover an area of
habitats are the main threats to Irrawaddy dolphins. 68,028.71 sq mts.
• S ome Irrawaddy dolphin sub-populations are • B
ut after granting permission, the panchayat issued
classified by the IUCN as critically endangered. a notice to the builders following a directive by the
Irrawaddy dolphins in general, however, are listed as Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA).
an endangered species in the IUCN list, which applies
Why did KCZMA object the construction?
throughout their whole range.
• T he government body said the site fell under the
Conservation efforts:
CRZ-III vulnerable category where no construction is
• C
onservation efforts are being made at international allowed within 200 metres from the coast.
and national levels to alleviate the threats faced by
• A
ny such act will be identified and acted upon as a
the Irrawaddy Dolphins.
violation of the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) rules.
What is CRZ?
• T he CRZ norms are framed under Section 3 of the
Environment Protection Act, 1986 to promote
sustainable development based on scientific
principles.

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JANUARY-2020 91

• N
o construction is allowed within 200 metres from • T he safety of public assets such as roads and bridges
the coast in areas falling under CRZ-III zone was also a concern.
How did the Supreme Court come into the picture? • B
esides, there were environmental costs of the
demolition including air and noise pollution,
• T he builders managed to get an interim stay order
contamination of the lake, and safe disposal of the
from the Kerala High Court in 2007 and finished the
debris.
construction before starting selling the flats.
If an industry discharges effluents, the enforcement agency
• T he KCZMA approached the Supreme Court in 2016
can fine or tax them (polluter pays principle) and/or insist
and argued the panchayat issued construction permit
that they install pollution control measures or follow safe
without their concurrence.
waste disposal strategies. But if someone violates the law
• T he apex court formed a technical committee to and constructs apartments in an ecologically sensitive
study the issue - whose findings were in favour of the zone, the removal of these buildings is the only solution;
KCZMA. no heavy fine will fulfil the purpose of complying with the
• I n May 2019, the Supreme Court declared the law.
construction permission granted by the Panchayat Conclusion
“illegal” and ordered the demolition of the complexes.
• W
hat will happen to other illegal constructions in
Finally on January 11 and 12 following a Supreme Court India in the future is unclear. But there is no doubt that
order the buildings were destroyed the Maradu incident will help builders guard against
Supreme Court order future violations.

• T he apex court stated that these apartments had been Significance:

built on the shores of Vembanad wetland, renowned • T he Miyawaki method of afforestation has
for its rich biodiversity. revolutionized the concept of urban afforestation by
• T he wetland is a part of the strictly restricted zone turning backyards into mini-forests. This concept has
for construction under the provisions of the CRZ helped increase green cover in urban areas.
notifications, which aim to protect the ecology of the • I t will help increase the green cover in India and also
coast. help meet India’s pledge in the Paris Climate Deal,
• Hence, the violations cannot be lightly condoned. The which involved increasing carbon sequestration in
illegal constructions in Maradu might have hindered India.
the natural water flow of Vembanad and resulted in Context:
severe natural calamities such as floods, which Kerala
• K
erala Government’s move to implement the concept
witnessed in 2018.
of Miyawaki forests in more areas.
Flaws in the system
Details:
• T he crime branch found that the builders had
• F ollowing the success by individual initiatives, the
constructed the apartments after conspiring with
Kerala government has decided to employ the
panchayat officials in 2006. This indicates the gravity
Miyawaki method of afforestation to add a green
of institutional and policy failures.
cover on government office premises, residential
• W
hen there is weak enforcement of environmental complexes, school premises, and puramboke land in
laws, corruption, and undue political influences, Kerala.
violations become common
• T he Forest Department would be the nodal agency in
Cost of violations the State.
The overall cost of violation is immeasurable. • T o take the initiative forward, each department has
• T he house owners who lost their flats not only suffered been asked to nominate nodal officers at the State
financial losses but were also under mental pressure. and district levels and issue formal orders on the
initiative.
• T here were major administrative challenges in
demolishing the apartments. Expert consultations 7. Re-grassing is mandatory after mining, rules SC
had to take place, the public needed to be made
aware of what was happening and a safe demolition • R
e-grassing is a technique to reclaim land by growing
strategy had to be drawn up. grass on land affected by mining activity

• F amilies in the neighbourhood were anxious about Context

their life and property. • A
Bench led by the Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde
ordered the government to include re-grassing
of mined areas as a mandatory condition in every
mining lease, environmental clearance and mining
plan across the country.

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JANUARY-2020 92

• T he Supreme Court has ordered that mining lease • I t will give a picture of its present state and results of
holders should be held responsible for re-grassing the conservation being done in the wildlife sanctuary
mined areas, so that biodiversity gets a second chance and outside
in these scarred landscapes. Indian Skimmer
Environmental issues • It is a waterbird
• I t includes erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater
and surface water by chemicals from mining • I t has started visiting the Godavari mangroves. It can
processes, and the effects persist for years. also be sighted at Chambal River in Central India
• When mining happens, there is large-scale de-
grassing, due to which the habitat is destroyed
resulting in denial of fodder to herbivores
Recommendations
• T he court asserted that the area which has been
mined should be restored so that grass and other
vegetation, including trees, can grow in the mining
area for the benefit of animals.
• T he court opined that it can be achieved by directing
the Union of India to impose a condition in the mining
lease and a similar condition in the environmental
clearance and the mining plan to the effect that
the mining lease holders shall, after ceasing mining
operations, undertake re-grassing the mining area
and any other area which may have been disturbed
due to their mining activities and restore the land to a
condition which is fit for growth of fodder, flora, fauna,
etc.
• T he Bench also directed the government to devise
methods to ensure compliance by mining lease
holders.
• The cost of re-grassing the mined area and wherever
damage was caused, would be entirely borne by the 9. World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS)
licence holder.
• WSDS is the annual flagship event of The Energy and
The mandatory re-grassing would be in addition to the Resources Institute (TERI).
other conditions imposed on the licence holder in the
• S tarted in 2001, the Summit has become a focal point
mine closure plan, to restore biodiversity. for leaders and stakeholders across the world to bridge
thought and action for sustainable development.
8. Waterbird census in A.P.
• T he Summit series has emerged as the premier
Context
international event on sustainability which focusses
• T he Annual Bird Census will commence in the Coringa on the global future, but with an eye on the actions in
Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) and surrounding wetlands in the developing world which could bend our common
the Godavari mangrove cover on the east coast future.
* Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is Located in Andhra • The WSDS has continued the legacy of the erstwhile
Pradesh Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)
* It is part of the Godavari estuary which was initiated in 2001 with the aim of making
‘sustainable development’ a globally shared goal.
Details:
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
• I t will be a two-day census of the avian species which
will access the threats and challenges being faced by • TERI is a leading think tank dedicated to conducting
the water birds. research for the sustainable development of India and
the Global South.
• T he census aims at documentation of migratory
and resident birds to be able to prepare a better • T ERI was established in 1974 as an information
management plan of the complex ecosystem that centre on energy issues. However, over the following
supports the waterbird species. decades, it made a mark as a research institute, whose
policy and technology solutions transformed people’s
lives and the environment.

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JANUARY-2020 93

• The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel • T he Convention is also known as the Convention on
delivered the keynote address at the TERI’s World Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran,
Sustainable Development Summit 2020 on ‘Energy where the Convention was signed.
Future Road Map’. • W
etlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under
strict guidelines. Certain activities are prohibited
10. Ten more wetlands in India declared as Ramsar sites
within wetlands.
Context
Significance of wetlands:
• U
nion Environment Minister’s announcement on the
• Wetlands provide a wide range of important
addition of new wetlands from India to the Ramsar
resources and ecosystem services such as food, water,
Convention.
fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood
Details: moderation, erosion control, and climate regulation.
• I ndia has added 10 more wetlands to sites protected • T he wetlands also support a large number of
by the Ramsar Convention. migratory birds.
• A
mong the 10 new Ramsar sites is Nandur • T he wetlands are, in fact, a major source of water.
Madhameshwar, the first Ramsar site in Maharashtra. The main supply of freshwater comes from an array
• P
unjab, which has three Ramsar sites, added of wetlands that help soak rainfall and recharge
three more including the Keshopur-Miani, Beas groundwater.
Conservation Reserve and Nangal. Government efforts:
• U
P, which had one Ramsar site previously, has added • Recognizing the importance of wetlands and the
six more including Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, increasing risk faced by them due to anthropogenic
Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar. activities, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
• T he other Ramsar sites are in the states of Rajasthan, Climate Change has prepared a four-pronged strategy
Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, for the restoration of wetlands.
Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra • T he strategy includes preparing baseline data,
Pradesh, Manipur, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Tripura. wetland health cards, enlisting wetland Mitras and
• W
ith the new additions, a total of 37 sites in the country preparing targeted Integrated Management Plans.
have been recognized under the international treaty.
11. India records less than 100 tiger deaths for the first
• T he new additions are expected to bring renewed
time in three years
focus and commitment to the conservation of
wetlands in India. Context
Additional Information: • A
ccording to data from the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), for the first time
• T he countries with most sites are the United Kingdom
in the past three years, the number of tiger deaths in a
and Mexico. And, the country with the greatest area of
year in the country has been less than 100.
listed wetlands is Bolivia.
A look at stats
Background:
• I n 2019, there were 84 cases of tiger deaths in the
Wetland:
country and 11 cases of seizures (in which a tiger is
• W
etland constitutes a land area covered by water, presumed dead on the basis of body parts seized by
either temporarily/seasonally or permanently. It has authorities). Both put together, the number of tiger
the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. deaths was 95.
Ramsar Convention: * The data on tiger mortality also confirms 22
• T he Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International cases of poaching in the country and one case of
Importance is an international treaty for the tiger poisoning in 2019.
conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. The • I n 2018, the number of tiger deaths recorded was 100
Convention, signed in 1971, is one of the oldest inter- (93 mortalities and seven seizures).
governmental accords for preserving the ecological
• I n 2017, the number of tiger deaths was 115 (98
character of wetlands.
mortalities and 17 seizures).
• I t aims to develop a global network of wetlands for the
• In 2016, it was 122 (101 mortalities and 21 seizures).
conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining
human life.

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JANUARY-2020 94

Background:
• P
reviously, even exploratory surveys required the
highest level of environmental scrutiny and were
classified under category ‘A’ projects.
* Category ‘A’ projects required project proponents
to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment
(EIA) plan.
* T he EIA would be scrutinized by a centrally
constituted committee of experts.
* T he project would also be subject to a public
hearing involving the locals of the proposed
project site. Public hearings, for category ‘A’
projects, are generally exempted if they are
offshore projects.
Details:
• T he new exemption of environmental clearance is
Figures from the States valid only for drilling explorations of both on-shore
• M
adhya Pradesh, which has the highest number of and offshore projects.
tigers in the country (526, as per the last census), has • D
eveloping an offshore or onshore drilling site as
recorded the most number of cases of tiger deaths, a hydrocarbon block will still continue to merit a
with 31 tiger deaths reported from the central Indian “category A” classification.
State in 2019.
• T he new amendments demote exploratory projects
• I t is followed by Maharashtra, which reported 18 to the category of ‘B2’ projects, which implies that the
deaths. project appraisal would be conducted by the States
• K
arnataka, another State with high tiger population, concerned and will not require an EIA.
recorded 12 deaths, and Uttarakhand recorded ten • T he move is part of a larger process of decentralization
deaths. by the Centre, which is seeking the devolution of
• Tamil Nadu recorded seven cases of tiger deaths. more regulatory actions to State and local units.
How was this achieved? Concerns:
• T he reduced numbers of tiger mortalities are because • S ince the exploratory drilling process is an
of surveillance, good management of Tiger Reserves ecologically-intensive exercise that involves digging
and a lot of awareness and education programmes on multiple wells and conducting seismic surveys
tiger conservation. offshore, environmentalists fear that the exemption
could lead to lax oversight over such projects.
• M
-STriPES (Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive
Protection & Ecological Status) patrolling app was • E nvironmentalists note with concern that this move
deployed and used in every Tiger Reserve. is part of a continuing trend of the larger lack of
oversight by the Environment Ministry and making
Recommendations
the projects more business-friendly by focusing on
• T igers are coming out of Reserves and covering long ease of doing business.
distances, so there is a need for more Tiger Reserves. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry experience:
12. Green nod for oil, gas exploration waived • I n 2019, ONGC and the Vedanta group were granted
permission to conduct exploratory oil surveys in Tamil
Context:
Nadu and Puducherry.
• T he Environment Ministry’s notification granting
• Amid fears that the exploratory drilling would lead to
exemption to oil and gas firms involved in exploratory
the destruction of agricultural fields in the Cauvery
drilling, from seeking environmental clearance.
delta, there were protests in the region.

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JANUARY-2020 95

• T here are also arguments by environmentalists that Climate change effect:

offshore drilling operations can lead to a build-up of
• O
bservations based on simulations have shown that
heavy water contaminants and possibly affect fish
that the temperature in the region is likely to increase
and other sea life that rely on sonar for navigation.
by 1.8 degree Celsius by 2050 to 1.98 degree Celsius
• T here are fears that the exploratory drilling in offshore by 2070. The rainfall is also projected to increase by
areas can increase the risk of oil spills and severely 113 millimetres by 2050 and 160 millimetre by 2070.
impact the coastal ecology.
• G
iven that the mean temperature and rainfall are
13. Eastern Ghats: land-use policies, climate change hit crucial for the plant species, the endemic species are
endemic plant habitats at risk.

Context: • T he regional or local climate change (warming) has

led to frequent prolonged non-rainy days, increased
• A
study on the effect of anthropogenic activities and number of days with maximum and minimum
climate change on the endemic species of the Eastern temperatures resulting in loss of soil moisture and soil
Ghats in India. degradation.
Background: • T he increased temperatures and reduced moisture
• T he Eastern Ghats, consisting of a chain of broken hill- have also contributed to the occurrence of frequent
ranges is spread across Odisha, Telangana, Andhra forest fires, eliminating regeneration of the less-
Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. frequent endemic species in the forest.
• T he Eastern Ghats is home to unique ecosystems and Significance of the study:
consists of over 450 endemic plant species. The region • T he study confirms other similar studies from across
remains one of the most exploited and degraded the globe which have shown that the tropics are losing
ecosystems of India. more plant biodiversity than other regions. These
Details: observations stress the need for urgent conservation
strategies.
Increasing anthropogenic pressure:
Way forward:
• T he study notes that with intensifying anthropogenic
activities like agricultural practices, urbanization and • T he biodiversity conservation initiatives of Ministry
pressures from mining and deforestation, the Eastern of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of
Ghats ecology is under severe strain. Government of India and State forest departments
should focus on the Eastern Ghats to protect declining
• T he highly threatening human activities in the Eastern habitats of endemic and RET species.
Ghats area are mining, urbanisation/settlements, dam
construction, firewood collection and agricultural • M
ore scientific studies including the setting up of
expansion. Unsupervised tourism has also been a larger species inventories to identify and record
major source of concern. species can help on conservation efforts.
• T he study estimates that by 2050 the total human • T he administrations should consider redefining the
population in the Eastern Ghats region would reach boundaries of national parks and sanctuaries based
2.6 million, raising pressure from anthropogenic on the richness of endemic and RET species. This
activities. would aid the conservation efforts of these species.
Habitat Destruction: • E cotourism with regulatory guidelines being a
positive way to educate and promote conservation
• T he increased demand for land for food, road and other
activities will lead to encroachments and threaten should be encouraged and supported by the state.
the habitats of endemic and rare, endangered and 14. Kerala for steps to curb alien plants’ growth in NBR
threatened (RET) species of Eastern Ghats.
Context
• T he endemic species of Eastern Ghats were found
to be distributed in the core areas of the forests of • T he Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department is gearing
Kalahandi, Mahendragiri, Nallamalai-Seshachalam, up to adopt comprehensive steps to arrest the
Kolli and Kalrayan hill forests, while the RET species rampant growth of invasive alien plants, especially
were distributed not only in the core areas but also tree species like ‘Senna Spectabilis’, in the forest areas
in the periphery of the forests, thus being at a greater of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), including the
risk from anthropogenic disturbances. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

• T here are fears that this habitat destruction could What are Alien Invasive Species?
have led to species loss also. • A
n invasive species is one that is not native to a
• T he study notes that unsupervised tourism has also specific location (an introduced species), and that has
affected the distribution of endemic and RET species. a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause
damage to the environment, human economy or
human health.

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JANUARY-2020 96

• A
ccording to experts, alien species become ‘invasive’ Other prominent cases in India in recent times:
when they are introduced deliberately or accidentally
• C
hilika Lake became degraded mainly through
outside their natural areas, where they out-compete
siltation and the choking of the seawater inlet
the native species and upset the ecological balance.
channel, this resulted in the proliferation of invasive
• The most common characteristics of invasive species freshwater species, a decrease in fish productivity and
are rapid reproduction and growth, high dispersal an overall loss in biodiversity.
ability, ability to survive on various food types and
• Invasive growth of the grass Paspalum distichum has
in a wide range of environmental conditions and the
changed the ecological character of large areas of
ability to adapt physiologically to new conditions,
the Keoladeo National Park, reducing its suitability
called phenotypic plasticity.
for certain waterbird species including the Siberian
How Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are introduced? Crane.
• T he movement of people and goods around the • I n the Kanjli Wetlands, the water hyacinth which was
world increases the opportunity for the introduction introduced is now invasive. From time to time it is
of IAS. removed using mechanical means.
• T he most effective way to stop the negative impacts • At the Ropar Wetlands, invasive weeds are also
of IAS is through prevention of spread by regulating a concern and management plans are under
the trade or movement of a species. development.
• O
nce an IAS has arrived, early detection, monitoring Key Details:
and eradication can stop the species from spreading.
• T he spread of invasive plants, especially Senna
Negative Consequences of Invasive Species: Spectabilis, is posing a major threat to the forest areas
• I nvasive species can have a number of negative of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, owing to its quick
impacts on the areas that they invade. Perhaps the growth and coppicing character.
most significant of these is the widespread loss of • T he tree species had been found in nearly 10 km sq.
habitat. area of 344.44 sq. km of the sanctuary around five
• S ome invaders can physically alter the habitat in years ago. But now it has invaded more than 50 sq.
addition to destruction. km of the sanctuary in a short span of time.

• O
ther invasive species may not destroy habitat • T his showed its high invasive nature. A recent study
but can have an impact by killing large numbers of of the Ferns Nature Conservation Society with the
endemic species. support of the Forest Department recorded the
presence of the plant on 78.91 sq. km area of the
• I nvasive species can also impact human health. sanctuary.
Invasive zebra mussels accumulate toxins in their
tissues like PCBs and PAHs. When other organisms Impact on Tiger Reserves located in NBR:
prey on these mussels, the toxins are passed up the • T he plant started to invade adjacent tiger reserves,
food chain and can also enter animals consumed by including Bandipur and Nagarhole in Karnataka and
humans. the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
• B
allast water from ships also sometimes contains • E arlier, it was planted as avenue trees along roadsides
harmful bacteria like cholera. Invasive animals can in Wayanad. Due to massive flowering and drying
also be vectors for diseases. of bamboo species in the Wayanad, lots of open
• I n addition to these impacts, invasive species can also spaces were created which were occupied by Senna
have enormous economic costs. Spectabilis.

Some commonly found alien species: • A

n adult tree grows up to 15 to 20 metres in a short
period of time and every year distributes thousands
• A
frican apple snail (Achatina Fulica): The most invasive of seeds after the gregarious flowering.
among all alien fauna in India, this mollusc was first
reported in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is • T he thick foliage arrests the growth of other
now found across the country and is threatening the indigenous species of trees and grass, and causes
habitat of several native species. food shortage for the wildlife population, especially
herbivores, during summer.
• P
apaya Mealy Bug (Paracoccus marginatus): Native
of Mexico and Central America, it is believed to have • M
oreover, wildlife would not feed on the leaves of the
destroyed huge crops of papaya in Assam, West tree as it was not palatable for them.
Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Chemical measures:
• C
otton Mealy Bug (Phenacoccus solenopsis): Native • “ The ‘vayal’ ecosystem’ (marshy land) of the forest
to North America, it has severely affected cotton crops area now houses this plant in large numbers. The
in Deccan. allelochemicals produced by this plant adversely
• A
mazon sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis): affect the germination and growth of the native
This species is responsible for destroying the fish species.
population in the wetlands of Kolkata.

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JANUARY-2020 97

• T he KFRI has developed some physical and chemical How did the study determine that it has gone extinct?
measures to tackle the threat of the plant. Though the Chinese researchers made this conclusion based on the
physical method has been followed for the past five Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation
years to tackle the issue, it was yet to have any desired of Nature (IUCN). The Red List has several categories for
effect. extinction, or for how endangered a species is.
• Hence plans have been made to adopt an integrated • F or example, “extinct in the wild” means a species
method by combining the physical as well as chemical survives only in a captive environment while “locally
measures to address the issue. extinct” means a species has ceased to exist in a
• I nter-State co-ordination needed: As the same threat particular area but may exist in other areas.
is being faced by the adjacent tiger reserves, managers • T hen there is “functionally extinct”, which means the
of the reserves agreed to follow similar steps to tackle species continues to exist but it has too few members
the threat. The issue would be further discussed with to enable to reproduce meaningfully enough to
them in the Inter-State meetings to be held soon. ensure survival.
15. Chinese paddlefish • T o be “globally extinct”, it means a species has no
surviving member anywhere. Such a conclusion is
Context reached when there is no reasonable doubt left that
• O
wing to human activities, the Chinese paddlefish, its last member has died.
one of the world’s largest fish that have been around Declaring species extinct is an elaborate process.
for 200 million years has now been declared Extinct.
• I t involves a series of exhaustive surveys, which need
Details to be taken at appropriate times, throughout the
• Its ancestral home was the Yangtze River. species’ historic range and over a time-frame that is
appropriate to the species’ life cycle and form.
• W
hen these surveys fail to record the existence of any
individuals belonging to that species, a species may
be presumed to be extinct.

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• O
nce declared extinct, a species is not eligible
for protective measures and conservation
funding; therefore, the declaration has significant
consequences.
In the case of the Chinese paddlefish, the researchers
made the conclusion over long-term surveys.

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HEALTH ISSUES

1. Coronavirus • Hence, time-tested measures which include

handwashing and hand hygiene, wearing protective
• Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses with some
gear while attending to sick people and covering
causing less severe common cold to more severe
one’s mouth and nose properly when coughing or
diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
sneezing will drastically reduce the infection risk.
(SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
Why coronavirus virus could hit Indian pharma
* It causes respiratory and intestinal diseases.
industry?
• A coronavirus has many “regularly arranged”
Context
protrusions on its surface, because of which the entire
virus particle looks like an emperor’s crown, hence the • I ndia has reported its first confirmed case of
name “coronavirus”. coronavirus in Thrissur district of Kerala.
• A
part from human beings, coronaviruses can affect • T he patient is a student studying in Wuhan University,
mammals including pigs, cattle, cats, dogs, martens, China and had recently returned to India.
camels, hedgehogs and some birds. • T he central and state governments will be expected
• D
etailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was to try to ensure that its response system is strong,
transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV quick, and proactive in order to prevent the infection
from dromedary camels to humans. from spreading any further.
What do we know about the virus? Impact on the pharma industry
• M
uch remains to be understood about the new • T he density of population in India, low levels of public
coronavirus. Not enough is known about 2019- awareness, and vulnerabilities in the healthcare
nCoV to draw definitive conclusions about how it is network present strong challenges to controlling
transmitted, clinical features of disease, or the extent outbreaks of communicable disease.
to which it has spread. • I ndia is vulnerable also because it is heavily dependent
• The source also remains unknown. on China for components used to make products
across industries, including essential medicines.
Initial Symptoms
• T he lockdown in China to control the outbreak has
• C
oronaviruses are transmitted between animals and
the potential to disrupt global supply chains of
people, according to the WHO.
various essential products and consumer goods. If the
• T he agency said common signs of the new coronavirus situation does not improve soon, several industries in
infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, India and, ultimately, its citizens, could be impacted.
shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
• A
ccording to government data, bulk drugs used
• I n more severe cases, the infection can cause to manufacture medicines were among the top 10
pneumonia, SARS, kidney failure and even death. imports from China between 2015 and 2019. While
Steps to be taken an impact is expected across the board if the situation
does not improve, experts feel pharmaceuticals may
• I ndividuals with symptoms of Coronavirus should be be among the sectors to be hit the hardest.
first isolated and public awareness has to be raised
• C
hina supplies nearly 70% of the total bulk drugs
* This is essential so that they report to a hospital and intermediates (raw materials) imported to
when symptoms show up later or in case of make medicines in India. Some 354 drugs and drug
contact with a person who has travelled to China ingredients were imported from China in 2017.
recently.
• E xperts said that supplies of fermentation-based
• T here is evidence that those who appear to be healthy ingredients used to make most antibiotics and
despite being infected can spread it even during the vitamins would be the most impacted in case a
incubation period. Also, cases have been reported shutdown of operations in China continues, or if the
wherein people have not exhibited symptoms in spite infection spreads to major manufacturing hubs.
of being infected.
Impact on patients
• I n both instances, thermal screening at airports, which
is largely helpful, would fail to detect infected people • I ndustry executives fear that if the situation does not
improve soon, the cost of materials used to make
medicines in India will rise regardless of therapeutic
category.

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JANUARY-2020 100

• In the case of products that are under price control, • I t is also important for the WHO to keep its coronavirus
the prices that customers pay should not be impacted. ‘disease outbreak news’ page on its website regularly
updated.
• I n the past increasing prices of key therapeutic
ingredients used to make drugs have led to shortages What makes WHO declare a disease outbreak a public
of the medicines in the country. health emergency?
WHO’s unexplained hesitancy Context
Global economic and financial market impact • W
orld Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the
novel coronavirus outbreak in China as a ‘Public
• A
paper by Jong-Wha Lee and Warwick McKibbin
Health Emergency Of International Concern (PHEIC) ’
estimates the global economic loss due at SARS at $40
billion in 2003. What criteria does the WHO follow to declare PHEIC?
• A
2016 study by the Commission on a Global Health • P
HEIC is declared in the event of some “serious public
Risk Framework for the Future estimated that health events” that may endanger international public
pandemic disease events would cost the global health.
economy over $6 trillion in the 21st century — over • U
nder the International Health Regulations (IHR),
$60 billion per year. a public health emergency is defined as “an
• A
2017 paper by economists Victoria Fan, Dean extraordinary event which is determined, as provided
Jamison and Lawrence Summers estimated that the in these Regulations: to constitute a public health
expected annual losses from pandemic risk to be risk to other States through the international spread
about $500 billion — or 0.6% of global income — per of disease; and to potentially require a coordinated
year, accounting for both lost income and the intrinsic international response”.
cost of elevated mortality. • T he responsibility of declaring an event as an
Market winners and losers emergency lies with the Director-General of the
WHO and requires the convening of a committee of
• Winners
members.
* D
espite the disruption to the wider economy,
What are the implications of a PHEIC being declared?
virus outbreaks have tended to benefit
pharmaceutical stocks • A
In the past decade, WHO has declared public health
emergencies for outbreaks including swine flu, polio
* Facemask manufacturers also outperformed.
and Ebola.
• Losers
• T here are some implications of declaring a PHEIC for
* Tourism and travel-related stocks — hotels, the host country, which in the case of the coronavirus
airlines and luxury and consumer goods — tend is China. Declaring a PHEIC may lead to restrictions on
to get punished. travel and trade.
* People didn’t take public transport, stayed away • H
owever, several countries have already issued
from work, stayed away from shops, restaurants, advisories to their citizens to avoid traveling to China,
cinemas, conferences etc. while others are airlifting their citizens from it.
The impact from the disease is massive on the economy, Convalescent plasma therapy tested on critically ill
but almost all of it indirect, due to the precautionary COVID-19 patients
behaviour of the population
Context
How is the information disseminated to public?
• A
s part of controlling the spread of novel coronavirus
• T he World Health Organization (WHO) has taken to and to develop vaccines for the patients China’s
twitter to keep the public updated. With Twitter not pharmaceutical company has turned to plasma taken
available in China, WHO has been regularly posting from people who have recovered from the infection
updates on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site. to treat critically ill patients.
• T he update on WHO website about the virus is slow. • They have called people who had recovered from the
Even on Twitter, there seems to be some unexplained new coronavirus to donate blood plasma, because it
hesitancy on WHO’s part to retweet important might contain valuable proteins that could be used to
information about the virus treat sick patients
Way forward What are Antibodies?
• T witter is an excellent medium to quickly disseminate • A
ntibodies are proteins that the immune system
information, particularly for the WHO which has 5.1 makes to fight invaders such as viruses, bacteria or
million people followers. Therefore, it is crucial for the other foreign substances. Antibodies are specific to
WHO to retweet the important updates each invader. However, it takes time for the body to
ramp up its production of antibodies to a completely
new invader.

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JANUARY-2020 101

• I f that same virus or bacteria tries to invade again Details:

in the future, the body will remember and quickly
• T he advent of a new tetravalent vaccine against the
produce an army of antibodies.
dengue virus has thrown new light into the evidence-
• People who have recently recovered from COVID-19 based management of dengue.
still have antibodies to the coronavirus circulating in
• The studies and trials have indicated that this vaccine
their blood.
confers about 80% protection to children vaccinated
• I njecting those antibodies into sick patients could between 4 and 16 years of age without any major side
theoretically help patients’ better fight the infection. effects.
• T his treatment will transfer the immunity of a Concerns:
recovered patient to a sick patient, an approach that
Challenges associated with Dengue:
has been used previously in flu pandemics
• U
rbanisation, poor town planning, and improper
Examples from the past
sanitation are the major risk factors for the
• T his is not the first time that plasma from recovered multiplication of the vector mosquitoes. The rapid and
patients has been used to treat people infected with unplanned urbanization in India has only amplified
certain viruses for which drugs are not available. the challenges for the public health system
• W
hen Ebola struck Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia • A
edes eggs can remain dormant for more than a year
in 2014, the World Health Organization prioritised the and will hatch once they come in contact with water.
evaluation of treatment with convalescent plasma
Shortage of skilled manpower:
derived from patients who had recovered from the
disease. • Source reduction activities like preventing water
stagnation and using chemical larvicides and
Issue Area
adulticides are often recommended. These chemicals
• A
ntibodies in the plasma bind to the virus and prevent need to be applied in periodic cycles to kill the larvae
them from entering the cells. But by the time it is that remain even after the first spray.
given, many cells would have been infected. Hence,
* An adulticide is a type of insecticide used to kill
convalescent plasma therapy is not very effective
adult mosquitoes
• T he New England Journal of Medicine had published
• However given the scale of operations required and
an article which said convalescent plasma in a trial
the shortage of skilled workers available for such
carried out in Ebola patients was not beneficial.
measures, the above options are rarely used.
Treatment Options
• M
any posts in government departments remain
• P
lasma infusions are just one of many ways experts vacant despite there being a dire public health need.
are considering to treat COVID-19. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Program
• O
thers include repurposing antivirals or looking for notes that the deficiency of manpower has led to a
brand-new molecules that can block the binding of lack of active surveillance in India which has severely
impeded India’s actions against Dengue.
the virus into cells
Under-Reporting:
2. Dengue
• D
engue cases are often under-reported due to
Context: political reasons, fearing political backlash by the
• The advent of a new vaccine against the dengue virus. voters in subsequent elections.
Background: • T he state also considers under-reporting of cases to
avoid spreading panic among the common people.
• D
engue is essentially a tropical disease that occurs in
the countries around the Equator. Lack of Co-ordination:
• H
ot weather and high humidity aided by intermittent • T here is a lack of coordination between the local
rainfalls favour the sustenance of Aedes aegypti and bodies and health departments in the delivery of
Aedes albopictus (a minor contributor) the vectors public health measures. This has resulted in piecemeal
transmitting the dengue virus. efforts from the stakeholders thus depriving the
community the benefit that would arise from synergy.
• D
engue is mostly an asymptomatic infection, and only
a very few develop severe disease. Those very young • T he lack of proportionate targets and resources to the
or very old and those who have chronic ailment are different levels of public health system has resulted in
at a greater risk of developing severe disease. The overburdening of the grass root levels.
worldwide Dengue case fatality rate is as low as 0.3%.

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JANUARY-2020 102

Alternative medicine drugs: Proper Case Management:

• D
espite the guidelines for the management of • F luid management is the cornerstone in the
dengue cases by the World Health Organisation management of severe diseases like dengue
(WHO) and the Indian government, the usage of hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
complementary medicines like Nilavembu kudineer There is a need to adhere to the guidelines of the
(a Siddha medicine) and papaya leaf extract are World Health Organization (WHO), given that, it is
rampant among the people. based on elaborate studies and trials.
• For any medicine, safety is more important than Need for studies on alternative medicines:
efficacy. Every modern medicine drug has come out • A
lternative medicines need to undergo rigorous
after rigorous safety and efficacy studies for around 10 testing before its wide-scale usage.
years, with an informed declaration of the side effects.
There has been a lack of such studies with respect to 3. National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019
the above alternative drugs.
Context:
• T he studies on which alternative drugs are being
• T he Union Cabinet has approved the amendments in
promoted are based on very primitive forms of
the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019
research like case reports, in-vitro studies, and animal
for amending the Homoeopathy Central Council Act,
studies.
1973.
• A
meta-analysis of various studies has shown that there
Details:
is no credible evidence for the use of papaya extract
in dengue fever. However, some pharmaceutical • T he amendments intend to ensure necessary
companies are still marketing papaya extract pills. regulatory reforms in the field of Homoeopathy
There are case reports which point out to many side education.
effects due to the usage of these medicines. • T he bill seeks the establishment of the National
Way forward: Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH), which will
replace the current regulatory body for homoeopathy,
More comprehensive approach:
the Homoeopathy Central Council.
• A
comprehensive mechanism is required in the efforts
• T he Bill seeks to repeal the Homoeopathy Central
against Dengue. Apart from promoting the use of the
Council Act, 1973 and provide for a medical education
vaccine, gaining control over dengue will require
system which ensures:
a more holistic approach. An integrated approach
against Dengue should also include within its ambit * availability of adequate and high quality
vector control and proper case management. homoeopathic medical professionals
Vector control: * adoption of the latest medical research by
homoeopathic medical professionals
• A
edes mosquitoes have a limited range as it cannot fly
beyond a hundred meters. Keeping the surroundings * periodic assessment of medical institutions,
clean and hygienic can help prevent the breeding of * An effective grievance redressal mechanism.
the vector mosquitoes.
Functions of the NCH include:
• C
onsidering that the vector mosquitoes bite during
the daytime, keeping the windows shut in the day • f raming policies for regulating medical institutions
hours is a simple yet effective measure to reduce and homoeopathic medical professionals,
dengue incidence. • a ssessing the requirements of healthcare related
Epidemiological Measures: human resources and infrastructure,

• E pidemiological measures are essential in the • e

nsuring compliance by the State Medical Councils of
management of communicable diseases like Dengue. Homoeopathy of the regulations made under the Bill

• E pidemiology is the study and analysis of the • E nsuring coordination among the autonomous
distribution, patterns and determinants of health boards set up under the Bill.
and disease conditions in defined populations. It Entrance examinations:
is a cornerstone of public health and shapes policy
• T here will be a uniform National Eligibility-cum-
decisions and evidence-based practice by identifying
Entrance Test for admission to under-graduate
risk factors for disease and targets for preventive
homoeopathy education in all medical institutions
healthcare.
regulated by the Bill.
• S ingapore uses one successful model of mapping
• T he NCH will specify the manner of conducting
and analysing data on dengue, using Geographical
common counselling for admission in all such medical
Information System (GIS). This involves mapping the
institutions.
streets with dengue cases for vector densities. It helps
the state to focus attention on such areas for more
effective interventions.

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JANUARY-2020 103

Significance * The Search Committee will consist of five

members including the Cabinet Secretary
• T hey will also enable transparency and accountability
and three experts nominated by the central
for protecting the interests of the general public.
government (of which two should have
• T he Commission will promote the availability of experience in any of the fields of Indian System
affordable healthcare services in all parts of the of Medicine).
country.
Functions of the NCISM include:
Background:
• f raming policies for regulating medical institutions
• The Homoeopathy Central Council (HCC) Act, 1973 and medical professionals of Indian System of
was enacted for: Medicine,
* The constitution of a Central Council of • a ssessing the requirements of healthcare related
Homoeopathy for the regulation of education human resources and infrastructure,
and practice of Homoeopathy.
• e
nsuring compliance by the State Medical Councils
* T he maintenance of a Central Register of of Indian System of Medicine of the regulations made
Homoeopathy and for matters connected under the Bill, and
therewith.
• e
nsuring coordination among the autonomous
• The broad functions, constitution and regulation- boards set up under the Bill.
making powers of the Council are identical to those of
Significance
the Medical Council of India.
• T he proposed regulatory structure will enable
• W
hile the Act provides a solid foundation for
transparency and accountability for protecting the
the growth of medical education and practice in
interests of the general public
Homoeopathy, various bottlenecks in the functioning
of the Council have been experienced, which has • T he NCIM will promote availability of affordable
resulted in serious detrimental effects on medical healthcare services in all parts of the country
education as well as delivery of quality Homoeopathy
healthcare services. 5. Myeloma
• Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a
4. National Commission for Indian System of Medicine cancer of plasma cells.
(NCISM) Bill, 2019.
* Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell made
Context in the bone marrow.
• T he National Commission for Indian System of * Bone marrow is the ‘spongy’ material found in
Medicine Bill, 2019 seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine the centre of the larger bones in the body and is
Central Council Act, 1970 where all blood cells are made.
Details • Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it
• T he NCIM bill is aimed at bringing reforms in the progresses, bone pain, bleeding, frequent infections,
medical education of Indian medicine sector in lines and anemia may occur
with the National Medical Commission proposed for How does myeloma develop?
setting up for Allopathy system of medicine
• M
yeloma develops when DNA is damaged during the
• I t seeks to replace the existing regulator, the Central development of a plasma cell.
Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM), with a new body
to ensure transparency and accountability • T his abnormal cell then starts to multiply and spread
within the bone marrow and they start to multiply the
• T he Bill provides for the establishment of the National wrong way.
Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM).
• T he abnormal plasma cells release a large amount of
* The NCISM will consist of 29 members, appointed a single type of antibody – known as paraprotein –
by the central government. which has no useful function.
* A Search Committee will recommend names
to the central government for the post of 6. EVALI
Chairperson, part time members, and presidents • E -cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung
of the four autonomous boards set up under the Injury (EVALI)
NCISM.
• I t is the name given by the Centers for Disease Control
* These posts will have a maximum term of four and Prevention (CDC) to the dangerous, newly
years. identified lung disease linked to vaping.

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• E -cigarettes, also called ‘vapes’ or ‘electronic nicotine Functions of NHA

delivery systems (ENDS)’, are battery-run devices
• F ormulation of various operational guidelines related
that were originally marketed as a safer alternative to
to PM-JAY
smoking traditional cigarettes.
• D
evelop, and enforce compliance with, standards
Context
for treatment protocols, quality protocols, minimum
• I n recent years, there has been a deadly rise in nicotine documentation protocols, data sharing protocols,
addiction in the US, allegedly due to aggressive data privacy and security protocols
marketing by manufacturers.
• I t also works on fraud prevention and control
Details including penal provisions etc.
• T he disease ‘EVALI’ is unknown to doctors, and a * Regular Anti-Fraud Advisory Notes are issued
link between vaping and the lung illness is yet to be to all States advising them on measures to be
concretely established. adopted to prevent, detect and deter fraud.
• S ymptoms, according to the CDC, are those in National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU)
common with other respiratory illnesses, including
• N
AFU at National Health Authority that is responsible
coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath,
for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri
extreme fever or fatigue. Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-Pmjay), is conducting regular
medical audits to check any violations under the
7. 171 hospitals de-listed from PM’s health scheme
scheme
after fraud
• N
AFU is supported by State Anti-Fraud Units (SAFU) at
National Health Authority (NHA) State level.
• I t is the apex body responsible for implementing Context
India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance
scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya • T o curb frauds in the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the
Yojana’. National Health Authority (NHA) has taken action
against more than 390 hospitals.
• I t is an attached office of the Ministry of health and
Family Welfare with full functional autonomy Steps taken by NHA

• N
HA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the • T hese hospitals have been served show cause notice,
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. suspended and de-empanelled in different states.

• C
hief Executive Officer (CEO), an officer in the rank • T he amount of penalties levied is more than Rs 4.6
of Secretary to the Government of India manages its crores in 9 states
affairs. • A
close watch is also maintained on wrongful
* The CEO is the Ex-Office Member Secretary to enrolment of beneficiary
the Governing Board.

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8. Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD)

Context
• T he Madras High Court has directed the Centre to
consider providing medical care to economically poor
patients suffering from the rare Lysosomal Storage
Disorders (LSD), a group of more than 50 genetically
inherited and potentially fatal disorders, as an issue
no less than a “national emergency” and come up
with a concrete plan, within a month, on sharing the
financial burden with the State governments.
Details:
• L ysosomal storage diseases are a group of about 50
rare inherited metabolic disorders that result from
defects in lysosomal function. They are inherited
metabolic diseases.
• Lysosomes are sacs of enzymes within cells that digest
large molecules and pass the fragments on to other
parts of the cell for recycling.
• T his process requires several critical enzymes. If one
of these enzymes is defective, because of a mutation,
the large molecules accumulate within the cell,
eventually killing it.
• L ysosomal storage disorders are caused by lysosomal
dysfunction usually as a consequence of deficiency
of a single enzyme required for the metabolism of
lipids, glycoproteins (sugar-containing proteins), or
so-called mucopolysaccharides.

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SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, • T he bill also proposed enhancing the upper gestation
2020 limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of
women, which will be defined in the amendments to
Context
the MTP Rules and would include vulnerable women
• The Union Cabinet has approved the Medical including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other
Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, vulnerable women (like differently-abled women,
to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, minors) etc.
1971.
• Upper gestation limit will not apply in cases of
What was the need of new bill on abortion? substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by Medical
• Section 3 of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, Board.
1971, capped the abortion limit at 20 weeks. * The composition functions and other details of
• U
nder Section 5, a woman could undergo abortion Medical Board is to be prescribed subsequently
beyond 20 weeks only if her life was endangered by in Rules under the Act.
pregnancy. • Name and other particulars of a woman whose
* But there remained no provision for fetuses that pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed
were diagnosed with severe life threatening except to a person authorized in any law for the time
defects. being in force

* M
ost birth defects are diagnosed between 16 to Significance
18 weeks of pregnancy. But some anomalies of • The extension of limit would ease the process women,
the brain and spine can be detected only after 20 allowing the mainstream system itself to take care of
weeks. them, delivering quality medical attention.
• The MTP Act, 1971 was replete with unclear language, • I t has a provision to protect the privacy of the person
which resulted in doctors refusing to perform seeking abortion.
abortions even within the stipulated 20 week
• T he proposed increase in gestational age will ensure
gestation limit fearing criminal charges.
dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and justice for
* Women had to seek the approval of the judiciary, women who need to terminate a pregnancy.
which, by most accounts, did not always come
• T he extension will help victims of rape, girls with
in time.
disabilities as well as minors, who may not realize they
* “As a result”, notes a 2015 study in the India are pregnant until later
Journal of Medical Ethics, “10 to 13 per cent
Issue Area
of maternal deaths in India are due to unsafe
abortions”. • First, it doesn’t allow abortion on request at any point
after the pregnancy.
* Given the delays in the judicial system, the 20-
week mark often passed, leaving many, including • S econd, it doesn’t take a step towards removing the
rape survivors, with unwanted pregnancies. prejudice against unmarried women by amending
the relevant provision.
Features of the bill
• T hird, it enhances the gestational limit for legal
• The bill proposes to permit the termination of
abortion from 20 to 24 weeks only for specific
pregnancy up to 24 weeks from the existing 20 weeks.
categories of women such as survivors of rape, victims
* It aims to expand access of women to safe and of incest, and minors.
legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic,
* This means that a woman who does not fall into
humanitarian or social grounds.
these categories would not be able to seek an
• The amendments proposed in the bill are the abortion beyond 20 weeks, even if she suffers
requirements for opinion of one doctor for from grave physical or mental injury due to the
termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation, pregnancy.
and introducing the requirement of opinion of two
• F inally, MTP will be extended till 24 weeks only for
doctors for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks
certain category of women, there is also a provision
of gestation.
that says that pregnancies with foetal abnormalities
can be terminated only after being approved from
medical boards

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JANUARY-2020 107

* Medical boards often delay medical interventions • States should ask for extended funding under such
required and often do not have the right kind of schemes to create the infrastructure for a future-
specialists. focused clean-up and, simultaneously, institute
Way forward measures to reduce waste.

• The Government needs to ensure that all norms and • T he emphasis should be on creating a circular
standardized protocols in clinical practice to facilitate economy centred at the principle of material recovery
abortions are followed in health care institutions from all kinds of waste, reuse, recycling and reduced
across the country. pressure on natural resources.

• T he government should also learn from the Conclusion

experiences of the 1971 Act: The new piece of • A sound ranking of cities and towns is important but
legislation should be worded in a manner that this will also require changes in the policy formulation
removes frequent appeals to the judiciary. and a switch to alternative sources to eliminate single-
use plastic.
2. A weak test: On Swachh ranking of cities
Introduction 3. Preventing Mob Lynching

• Sanitation and public health are responsibilities Context

of State governments and the States have failed • The Supreme Court described lynching as a
at managing growing volumes of municipal and “horrendous act of mobocracy”. Looking at this
hazardous waste. horrified rule of mobs the SC had requested Central
* The problem has been compounded by the and state Govt’s to draft laws to bring perpetrators
absence of plans that take a holistic view of crime under the watchful eyes of law and impose
of housing, sanitation, water supply, waste punishment
management and transport. • M
anipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal introduced bills
• To address these issues and unleash the competitive to fight the menace of Mob Lynching
spirit among States, the Union Government had • W
hat this article speaks about is what aspects should
launched Swachh Survekshan. be included while the center drafts the law?
Ahead of the launch of Swachh Survekshan 2020, the What the Centre can do?
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is once again
• While adopting the guidelines, the Centre would do
trying to stir up competition among cities, by pre-ranking
well to incorporate sections in the law for penal action
them for their performance.
against doctors who stand accused of dereliction of
Issues duty, for delay in attending to victims of lynching, or
• The idea of competition seems good but in reality, submitting false reports without carrying out a proper
the problems confronting urban India require large- and thorough medical examination of the victims,
scale infrastructure creation, full adherence to legal either under coercion by the police or due to their
requirements on waste management, and transparent own prejudice against the community or religion of
technical audits. the victims.

• M
any cities remain clueless about handling their • Under the compensation scheme for the victims, the
waste, one shocking example being the rising amount to be paid to the victims should be recovered
mountain of garbage at the Ghazipur landfill in Delhi. from the perpetrators of the crime or collective fines
be imposed on the villagers where the lynching takes
* Ironically, Bhopal, which figures among the top place.
five cleanest cities, continues to live with the
effects of the gas disaster of 1984. • W
hile framing the laws, the Centre could even provide
for punitive action against political leaders found
• R
anks and prizes clearly cannot solve the national guilty of inciting mobs. Until a zero-tolerance attitude
waste management crisis. is adopted in dealing with mob lynching, this crime
Steps to be taken will continue to show a rising trend.
• The Urban Affairs Ministry has identified ambitious • P
unitive action to be taken against police officers
targets: “100% processing and safe disposal of waste accused of dereliction of duty, as incorporated in
and wastewater treatment and reuse.” the law enacted by Manipur government, could be
replicated in the Central law too as it would deter
* The Ministry has also sanctioned funds under police officials acting in a partisan manner in favour of
the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban the lynch mob
Transformation (AMRUT) to help States set up
facilities necessary to manage waste.

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4. Women politicians trolled more: Amnesty India

What’s in News?
Amnesty India had carried out a study of 95 politicians
during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in India.
Findings:
• Twitter is a toxic space for Indian women politicians,
who face substantially higher abuse on the social
media platform than their counterparts in the U.S. and
the U.K., according to a study. One out of every seven
tweets mentioning them is problematic or abusive,
with many women targeted by a relentless flow of
threats and sexist, religious, racist and casteist slurs.
• W
hile all women are targeted, Muslim women
politicians faced 55% more abuse than others.
• T he report quotes one of the women leaders, which
say: “Women do not enter politics because the price
of constant online harassment and trolling was too
high.”

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JANUARY-2020 109

GEOGRAPHY

1. Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) • It is a right-bank tributary of the Pennar River.

• It is a waterfall in Venezuela. Environmental issues
• It is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall. • Human activities in this region have led to
deterioration in the quality of groundwater as there is
excessive sand mining in the riverbed.

4. Thirty Metre Telescope

Context:
• India, a partner in the construction of one of the
largest telescopes in the world, has said it wants
the project to be moved out of the proposed site at
Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii.
Details:
• The TMT or Thirty Metre Telescope, as it is called, is a
joint venture (JV) involving five countries, but the $2
billion project has been marred by protests for over
a decade.
• T he TMT will enable scientists to study fainter objects
far away in the universe, which would give information
about early stages of evolution of the universe.
• A
lso, it will give out finer details of not-so-far-away
objects like undiscovered planets and other objects in
the Solar System and planets around other stars.
• C
anada, the United States, China and Japan are the
other — and more significant — partners in terms of
the monetary and infrastructural aspects of the TMT.
The level of contribution determines the amount of
viewing time, or slots, that the member-countries’
scientists get on the machine. Thus India, in a given
year, stands to get 10% of the available slots; any
downtime could potentially eat into those.
• T he proposed site is considered sacred to indigenous
Hawaiians, and also has too many observatories for
one more such massive establishment to come up,
2. Mandovi River/ Mahadayi/Mhadei River
say groups that have contested the site.
• I t is the west-flowing inter-state river which rises in the
Issues:
Western Ghats from Karnataka’s Belagavi district.
• The TMT has been a litigious site since 2014. In 2018,
• The river travels 35 km in Karnataka; 82 km in Goa
the Supreme Court of Hawaii gave permission for
before joining the Arabian Sea.
construction to proceed but the project’s proponents
Context have not made progress because they were
• M
igratory seagulls are seen arriving along the obstructed twice, in 2015 and 2019, respectively, from
construction.
Mandovi river at Betim in Goa
• P
rotests at the site in 2019 saw scientists unable to
3. Papagni River access other telescope facilities in Mauna Kea.
• T he Papagni originates in the Nandi Hills of • T he project has been delayed by nearly five years and
Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka. should have begun operations by 2025.
• I t is a non-perennial river that is rainfed which flows • I ndia has committed $200 million, which is about a
through the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. tenth of the proposed cost.
• T he telescope needs 492 precisely polished mirrors
and India is to contribute 83 of them.

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JANUARY-2020 110

• T he project delay has meant that these manufacturing 5. Yellow Rust

contracts have also been delayed.
• Wheat yellow rust, also known as wheat stripe rust, is
• I ndia too has its problems with hosting ambitious one of the three major wheat rust diseases, along with
science projects. The Indian Neutrino Observatory, stem rust of wheat and leaf rust.
proposed to come up in Theni, Tamil Nadu, has also
• Y
ellow rust is a fungal disease that turns the
been stalled due to protests against the project in the
crop’s leaves into a yellowish colour and stops
State.
photosynthetic activity, which eventually could result
in a drop of wheat crop productivity
• T he disease usually occurs early in the growth season,
when temperature ranges between 2°C and 15°C.
High humidity and rainfall are favourable conditions
for increasing the infection on both leaf blade and leaf
sheath, and even on spikes when in epidemic form.
Symptoms
• It includes stunted and weakened plants, shrivelled
grains, fewer spikes, loss in number of grains per spike
and grain weight.
Concerns
• The disease can spread rapidly under congenial
conditions and affects crop development, and
eventually the yield.
Context
• Wheat crop in Haryana has come under attack of
‘yellow rust’ due to cold and humid conditions
prevailing in the region

6. New method better estimates melting of debris-

covered Himalayan glaciers
Mauna Kea:
Context
• The Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) are a number
• A group of researchers studied the impact of debris
of independent astronomical research facilities and
on Glacier melting in the Himalayan Region
large telescope observatories that are located at the
summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, Effect of debris
United States. • About 20% of Himalayan glaciers are debris-laden,
• T he location was considered near ideal because and their dynamics are very different from the ones
of its dark skies from lack of light pollution, good without debris cover.
astronomical seeing, low humidity, high elevation, • I n glaciers without a debris cover, the rate of melting
position above most of the water vapour in the increases as the elevation decreases.
atmosphere, clean air, good weather and low latitude
location. * However, in glaciers covered with debris, the
thick cover partially insulates the glacier from
Next Best Site: the warm exterior and thereby slows down the
• The next best site to locate the telescope is the melting.
Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) Satopanth glacier
on La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain (Northern
Hemisphere). • Satopanth glacier is located in Garhwal in Central
Himalaya, in Uttarakhand.
• H
anle, in Ladakh, was also in the running to host the
TMT, but lost out to Mauna Kea, which is considered • I t is the origin of the river Alaknanda, one of the two
a superior site due to the imaging possibilities it main tributaries of the Ganga.
offers, its stable weather, and also because it has • The other tributary is Bhagirathi, which originates
the necessary infrastructure to manage telescopes, from the Gangotri glacier.
already being host to several telescopes. • T hese two rivers join at Devprayag, around 70 km
upstream of Rishikesh. Downstream of Devprayag,
the river is called Ganga

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JANUARY-2020 111

• T he term ‘Satopanth’ is perhaps derived from two A complex volcano

words – ‘Sat-o’ meaning of truth, and ‘Panth’ meaning
• Taal is classified as a “complex” volcano by the
path or way. So its literal meaning is the path of truth.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
7. Heatwave effect (PHIVOLCS).
• Heatwaves can also occur in the ocean and these are • A
complex volcano, also called a compound volcano,
known as marine heatwaves or MHWs. Under MHWs is defined as one that consists of a complex of two
the ocean temperatures are extremely warm for an or more vents, or a volcano that has an associated
extended period of time. volcanic dome, either in its crater or on its flanks.
Examples include Vesuvius, besides Taal.
• M
arine heatwaves can occur in summer or winter –
they are defined based on differences with expected • T he Taal volcano does not rise from the ground as
temperatures for the location and time of year. a distinct, singular dome but consists of multiple
stratovolcanoes (volcanoes susceptible to explosive
• M
arine heatwaves affect ecosystem structure, by eruptions), conical hills and craters of all shapes and
supporting certain species and suppressing others. sizes, as per NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Biodiversity can be drastically affected by marine
heatwaves. Marine heatwaves can cause economic • T aal has 47 craters and four maars (a broad shallow
losses through impacts on fisheries and aquaculture. crater).
• T he unprecedented death of nearly one million birds
between 2015 and 2016, whose remains washed
ashore in Alaska, US, was brought on by a severe and
long-lasting marine heatwave in the northeast Pacific
dubbed “The Blob”.
• T he heatwave lasted more than 700 days from 2014 to
2016, increasing water temperature and interrupting
patterns in the food web from the smallest creatures
to top predators. It squeezed out the bird’s fish food
supply in the Pacific Ocean.

8. Taal Volcano
• Taal is one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes.
• It is the second most active volcano in the Philippines.
• T he lake partially fills Taal Caldera, which was formed
by prehistoric eruptions.
• A
ll volcanoes of the Philippines are part of the Pacific
Ring of Fire.
• I t sits in the middle of a lake about 70 km south of the
centre of the capital, Manila.

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JANUARY-2020 112

EDUCATION

1. Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) * For instance, among the cognitive tasks
administered in ASER 2019 (seriation [“the ability
Context to arrange objects in order by size”], pattern
• N
GO Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report recognition and puzzle) only 23.8% children of
(ASER) in the past has spoken about deficiencies in grade one in government schools could do all
India’s Education system and how children fall short three tasks compared to 43.1% in private schools.
on basic learning skills Recommendation
• I n the latest edition of ASER, it directs attention to • According the report within Standard I, children’s
children between four and eight years of age, and performance on cognitive, early language, early
suggests that India’s learning crisis could be linked to numeracy, and social and emotional learning tasks is
the weakness of the country’s pre-primary system strongly related to their age. Older children do better
Key stats on all tasks
• The Right to Education and national policy mandates • T herefore ASER suggests children between four
that children enter grade one at age six. and eight should be taught cognitive skills through
play-based activities. It emphasizes on developing
• M
ore than 20 per cent of students in Standard I are
problem-solving faculties and building memory of
less than six, ASER 2019 reveals — they should ideally
children, and not content knowledge
be in pre-school.
Leveraging the existing network of anganwadi centres to
• A
t the same time, 36 per cent students in Standard 1
implement school readiness.
are older than the RTE-mandated age of six.
• India has a huge investment in its early childhood
• A
comparison of Govt and private school shows 26.1%
programme, administered through 1.2 million
children in grade one of government schools are four
anganwadis under the Integrated Child Development
or five years old compared to 15.7% in private schools.
Services Scheme.
At the other end of the spectrum, 30.4% children in
grade one of government schools are seven-eight * Pre-school education is part of their mandate.
years old compared to 45.4% in private schools. But at the best of times, these centres do no
more than implement the government’s child
According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)
nutrition schemes.
2019, 21% children in grade one of government schools
could read words compared to 46.7% in private schools — • A number of health crises — including Acute
an advantage of 122%. How is this possible? Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreak in Bihar
— have bared the inadequacies of the system. A
• It is well known that children who go to private schools
growing body of scholarly work has also shown that
come from relatively affluent backgrounds. They also
the anganwadi worker is poorly-paid, demoralised
tend to have more educated parents. This affords
and lacks the autonomy to be an effective nurturer.
them certain advantages which are not available to
children who are from less advantaged families and • T he findings of ASER 2019 make a clear case for
are more likely to attend government schools. strengthening these early childhood education
centres so that they implement appropriate “school-
• E arly childhood education is supposed to prepare
readiness” activities.
children for school. Children are supposed to be
exposed to activities that build their cognitive abilities * There is a need to expand and upgrade
and early literacy and numeracy skills. anganwadis to ensure that children get adequate
and correct educational inputs
* For instance, the National Early Childhood Care
and Education curriculum framework talks about Conclusion
developing skills related to sequential thinking, • Therefore a reworking of curriculum and activities is
predicting patterns, observing, reasoning and urgently needed for the entire age band from four
problem solving in the pre-school stage. These to eight, cutting across all types of preschools and
cognitive and early language skills are highly early grades regardless of whether the provision is by
correlated with the child’s ability to acquire
government institutions or by private agencies.
further language skills.
* Therefore, children who enter grade one better
prepared with these skills are likely to perform
better.

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JANUARY-2020 113

2. Deeksharambh Scheme • To collaborate with the National Commissions of Asia

• It is a guide to Student Induction Programme which is and the Pacific and with UNESCO’s Regional Offices
prepared by the University Grants Commission (UGC). and centres in fostering regional, sub-regional and
bilateral cooperation in education, the sciences,
• I t will help new students adjust and feel comfortable culture and information, particularly through the joint
in the new environment, inculcate in them the ethos formulation and execution of programmes;
and culture of the institution, help them build bonds
with other students and faculty members, and expose • T o disseminate information on the objectives,
them to a sense of larger purpose and self-exploration. programme and activities of UNESCO and endeavour
to arouse public interest in them;
• T he Programme engages with the new students as
soon as they come into the institution, before regular 4. National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT)
classes start. • It is an initiative of Ministry of Human Resource
3. Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Development for using technology for better learning
outcomes in Higher Education.
UNESCO (INCCU)
• The objective is to use Artificial Intelligence to make
• The INCCU is a governmental body formed by the
learning more personalised and customised as
Government of India which functions under the
per the requirements of the learner. This requires
Department of Secondary and Higher Education in
development of technologies in Adaptive Learning to
the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
address the diversity of learners.
• T he objective of the Commission is to advise the
• A
ICTE would be the implementing agency for NEAT
Government in matters relating to the UNESCO.
programme. The scheme shall be administered under
Context the guidance of an Apex Committee constituted by
• Union HRD Minister chairs a meeting of the Indian MHRD.
National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO • I t will function through a PPP model between the
in New Delhi. Ministry of HRD and EdTech companies.
Background Significance
• India has been a member of the United Nations • It offers adaptive and personalized learning through
Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization Artificial Intelligence (AI) to students, particularly from
(UNESCO), a specialized agency of the United Nations economically and socially weaker sections.
since its inception in 1946.
5. NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and
• T he Constitution of the UNESCO mandates each
member to form a national commission to function as Teachers’ Holistic Advancement)
agencies of liaison between the national government • It is an initiative to build capacities of teachers and
and UNESCO. school principals at the elementary stage.
• A
ccordingly, an interim Indian National Commission • T he initiative is an Integrated Teacher Training
for Co-operation with UNESCO was set up in 1949 by Programme of the Department of School Education
the Government of India, Ministry of Education. and Literacy, Ministry of HRD as part of its National
• A permanent Commission was established in 1951.\ Mission to improve learning outcomes at the
Elementary level under the Centrally Sponsored
Functions of the INCCU Scheme of Samagra Shiksha during 2019-20.
• To promote understanding of the objects and • T he programme aims to build the capacities of around
purposes of UNESCO among the people of the 42 lakh participants covering all teachers and Heads
Republic of India; of Schools at the elementary level in all Government
• T o serve as a liaison agency between the Government schools, faculty members of State Councils of
of India and the institutions concerned with the Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District
working for the advancement of education, science Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) as well as
and culture; Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource
Coordinators in all States and UTs.
• T o cooperate with the Government departments
and with services, organizations and institutions • T he aim of this training is to motivate and equip
concerned with questions within UNESCO’s teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in
competence; students, handle diverse situations and act as first
• T o encourage participation of national, governmental level counsellors.
and non-governmental institutions and various
individuals in the formulations and execution of
UNESCO’s programmes so as to secure for UNESCO
all the intellectual, scientific, artistic or administrative
assistance that it may require;

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6. Paramarsh Scheme
• ‘Paramarsh’ is a University Grants Commission (UGC)
scheme for Mentoring National Accreditation and
Assessment Council (NAAC) Accreditation Aspirant
Institutions to promote Quality Assurance in Higher
Education
• T he scheme will be a paradigm shift in the concept of
mentoring of institution by another well performing
institution to upgrade their academic performance
and enable them to get accredited by focusing in
the area of curricular aspects, teaching-learning &
evaluation, research, innovation, institutional values &
practices etc.
• T he Scheme will be operationalized through a “Hub &
Spoke” model wherein the Mentor Institution, called
the “Hub” is centralized and will have the responsibility
of guiding the Mentee institution through the
secondary branches the “Spoke” through the services
provided to the mentee for self-improvement.
• T his allows a centralized control over operational
efficiency, resource utilization to attain overall
development of the mentee institution.
Significance
• The scheme will lead to enhancement of overall
quality of the Mentee Institutions and enhance its
profile as a result of improved quality of research,
teaching and learning methodologies.
• M
entee Institution will also have increased exposure
and speedier adaptation to best practices.
• “ Paramarsh” scheme will also facilitate sharing of
knowledge, information and opportunities for
research collaboration and faculty development in
Mentee Institutions.

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Operation Vanilla * Mr. K M Singh who has been selected for the
award is a founder member of the National
Context
Disaster Management Authority. He is known for
• Indian Navy had launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ to his work during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
* D
isaster Mitigation and Management Centre in
at Madagascar
Uttarakhand has also been chosen for the award.
Details
* I n 2019, the 8th Battalion of the National Disaster
• It was launched to provide assistance to the affected Response Force (NDRF) located in Ghaziabad
population of Madagascar post devastation caused was selected for its commendable work in
by Cyclone Diane disaster management.
* It had caused heavy flooding and landslides
leading to massive loss of life and property.
• INS Airavat reached port city Antsiranana, Madagascar
and immediately began to provide medical aid
* It o It rendered all necessary assistance to the
local population in Madagascar.
• India’s assistance to Madagascar is in consonance
with Indian Navy’s Foreign Cooperation initiatives in
line with India’s vision of ‘Security and Growth for all in
the Region (SAGAR)’.

2. Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar

2020
• In order to recognise the excellent work done by
individuals and institutions in India in the field of
disaster management, the Government of India
has instituted an annual award known as Subhash
Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar.
• T he award is announced every year on 23rd January,
the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• U
p to three awards are given under this. Both
institutions and individuals are eligible for these
awards.
• I f the awardee is an institution, it shall receive a
certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakhs. The
Institution shall utilize this cash prize for Disaster
Management related activities only.
• I f the awardee is an individual, the winner shall receive
a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5.00 lakhs.
• O
nly Indian nationals and Indian institutions can
apply for the award.
• F or institutional awards, voluntary organizations,
corporate entities, academic/research institutions,
response/uniformed forces or any other institution
may apply for the award.
Context:
• Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar
2020 announced.

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HISTORY

1. Savitribai Phule Jayanti

Context
• PM pays tribute to Savitribai Phule on her jayanti.
Background:
• Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer,
educationalist, and poet.
• S he played an important role in improving women’s
rights in India. She is regarded as the mother of Indian
feminism.
Her efforts
• She worked to abolish the discrimination and unfair
treatment of people based on caste and gender.
• She campaigned against child marriage.
• S avitribai started the Mahila Seva Mandal to raise
awareness about women’s rights. She supported
widow remarriage too.
• S he and her husband, Jyotirao Phule, opened a school
for women in Pune during 1848; at a time when public
education was limited.
• S he initiated the first Satyashodhak marriage-a
marriage solemnised in austerity.
She is regarded as an important figure of the social reform
movement in Maharashtra. All her efforts, though diverse,
had a unanimous effect of posing a brave and pioneering
challenge to the caste system and patriarchy.

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JANUARY-2020 117

GOVERNANCE

• The report observed that, in democracies like India

1. Corruption Perception Index and Australia, unfair and opaque political financing,
Context: undue influence in decision-making and lobbying by
powerful corporate interest groups, have resulted in
• Transparency International has announced that
stagnation or decline in the control of corruption.
India’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index
(CPI-2019) has slipped from 78 to 80, compared to • T he CPI report has revealed that a majority of
2018. countries are showing little to no improvement in
tackling corruption.
Corruption Perceptions Index:
• T ransparency International pointed out that their
• Transparency International (TI) has published the
analysis also showed that corruption was more
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) since 1995,
pervasive in countries where big money could
annually ranking countries “by their perceived levels
flow freely into electoral campaigns and where
of corruption, as determined by expert assessments
governments listened only to the voices of wealthy or
and opinion surveys
well-connected individuals.
• T he CPI generally defines corruption as “the misuse of
Conclusion:
public power for private benefit”
• The CPI has been widely credited with putting the
• T he assessments are either business people opinion
issue of corruption on the International Policy Agenda.
surveys or performance assessments from a group of
It sends a powerful message and the governments
analysts
are forced to acknowledge their scores and act on it.
• T he score runs from zero, which is highly corrupt, to
• T he governments must urgently address the
100, which is very clean.
corrupting role of big money in political party
financing and the undue influence it exerts on the
political systems.

2. Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)

Context
• The Union Cabinet has approved the organizational
India’s ranking restructuring of the railways through the unification
of the existing eight Group A services into one central
• With a score of 41, India is at the 80th spot. The rank service — the Indian Railway Management Service
is also shared by China, Benin, Ghana and Morocco. (IRMS).
• C
hina has improved its position from 87 to 80 with a • T he move was required as there was huge
score of 41 out of 100. “departmentalism” that delayed many projects.
• Pakistan is ranked at the 120th place. What is the present system like?
Global Ranking • The Indian Railways is governed by a pool of officers,
• Denmark and New Zealand have cornered the top among whom engineers are recruited through the
spot, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Indian Engineering Services Examination and civil
Switzerland in the top ten. servants through the Civil Services Examination.
• O
ther countries in the top level are Norway (7th rank), • T he engineers are in five technical service cadres —
the Netherlands (8th), Germany and Luxembourg Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE), Indian
(9th). Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME),
Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE),
• The global average for 2019 is 43.
Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) and
Analysis: the Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS).
• In the last eight years, only 22 countries significantly • T he Civil Servants are in the Indian Railway Traffic
improved their CPI scores, including Greece, Guyana Service (IRTS), Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)
and Estonia. In the same period, among the 21 and Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS).
countries that saw a significant fall in their scores are
Canada, Australia and Nicaragua. In the remaining
137 countries, the levels of corruption show little to
no change.

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JANUARY-2020 118

Why was the reform needed? * The civil servants come from all walks of life after
The government wants to end inter-departmental rivalries, clearing the Civil Services Examination.
which it says have been hindering growth for decades. * T he engineers usually sit for the Engineering
• Several committees including the Bibek Debroy Services Examination right after getting an
Committee in 2015 have noted that“departmentalism” engineering degree. Various studies have noted
is a major problem in the system. that engineers join the Railways around the age
of 22-23, while the civil servants join when they
* Most committees have said the merger of the are around 26, barring exceptions.
services in some form would be a solution.
* T he civil servants are saying that if all present
• The Debroy panel had recommended the merging cadres are merged and even higher departmental
of the eight services into two — the Indian posts become open to all, engineers, being in
Railway Technical Service (IRTechS) comprising larger numbers and of a certain age profile, may
five engineering services (IRSE, IRSSE, IRSEE, IRSME end up occupying most posts, if not all.
and IRSS), and the Indian Railway Logistics Service
(IRLogS), comprising non-technical services (IRAS, Future Course
IRPS and IRTS). The government has now collapsed all • The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will be
services into one. conducting an exclusive examination for recruitment
• T he government has followed the Prakash Tandon of officers to handle specialised services in the newly
Committee’s recommendations of 1994 as it was created Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).
apprehensive that even if there are two services, there • C
andidates aspiring to get into railways will have to
would be infighting. appear for the prelims after which they will indicate
What will change with the restructure? their preference for IRMS under five specialities —
four of them engineering specialities for ‘technical’
• The Chairman along with four members responsible operations comprising of civil, mechanical, telecom
for and electrical, and one ‘non-technical’ speciality which
* Infrastructure, will recruit officers for accounts, personnel and traffic.
* Operations and Business development, * This means the Engineering Services
Examination, which selects officers for five out
* Rolling stock and of eight railway services, will become redundant.
* Finance respectively will form the Railway Board. * I ndian Railways will now provide the UPSC
• The Chairman shall be the cadre controlling officer with its exact requirement of engineers, e.g. for
responsible for Human Resources (HR) with assistance electrical and mechanical. The UPSC, will, in turn,
from a DG (HR). choose them from candidates having those as
optional subjects.
• T hree apex level posts shall be surrendered from
Railway Board and all its remaining posts shall be • The first batch will be recruited in 2021, while the new
open to all officers regardless of the service to which five-member board with merged officers will be in
they belonged. place by mid-2021.
• T he Board will also have some independent non- • T he government, it’s learnt, may also make it
executive members, who will be highly distinguished mandatory to select non-engineers — e.g. for
professionals with deep knowledge and 30 years accounting, traffic and personnel — from a few
of experience including at the top levels in industry, disciplines such as economics and commerce,
finance, economics and management fields. restricting the entry of recruits with optional subjects
such as history, political science, sociology, among
Concerns
others. However, this will have to wait until the GoM
• People with a specific skill set might be pushed to takes a final call.
perform other work about which there is no clarity.
• T he merger is unscientific and against established 3. National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP)
norms, because it proposes to merge two Context:
fundamentally dissimilar entities, with multiple
• NITI Aayog released its vision for the National Data
disparities.
and Analytics Platform (NDAP)
• T here is growing uncertainty over promotions and
• T he development of NDAP will take place over a
career progression of the officers who are currently
period of one year. The first version of the platform is
employed in Railways.
expected to be launched in 2021.
• There could be misunderstanding between civil
servants and engineers in Railways.

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JANUARY-2020 119

Details • The review exercise may help verify if any project has
• The platform aims to democratize access to publicly been awarded at allegedly uncompetitive pricing to
available government data. favour any particular person or group.

• It will host the latest datasets from various government • T he review might help ascertain the viability of the
websites, present them coherently, and provide tools project or contract in changed circumstances. For
for analytics and visualization. example, the attempts to renegotiate existing power
purchase agreements make sense in the light of
• N
DAP will follow a user-centric approach and will falling power prices and consumption.
enable data access in a simple and intuitive portal
tailored to the needs of a variety of stakeholders. Concerns:

• N
DAP will spearhead the standardization of formats • Favoritism: There are concerns that the major intention
in which data is presented across sectors and will behind reviews is to refashion deals to benefit new
cater to a wide audience of policymakers, researchers, government officials and their supporters.
innovators, data scientists, journalists and citizens. • G
enuine investors face a lot of difficulties in the wake
• A
n inter-ministerial committee will oversee the of reviews. The subsequent delays lead to huge losses
progress of the development of platform and a for them.
group of leading experts have been inducted into an * Cancellations expose the State and also the
advisory group to provide technical guidance for the genuine investors to potentially costly and
development of the platform. damaging legal challenges.
* The success of the endeavor is dependent on the Attracting Investors:
cooperation and support of various stakeholders. • The constant reviews risk alienating potential
investors. The relative lack of information about
4. One government proposes, the next disposes
how the reviews are being made, and whether
Context: stakeholders have a real voice in the outcome, will be
• The trend of incumbent governments cancelling the a major concern to the investors.
projects and proposals of precedent governments. • I t will become extremely hard for the States to attract
Background: foreign investors in the future.

Andhra Pradesh: • I n the case of Andhra Pradesh, potentially at risk is the

reputation of what has been considered one of the
• After coming to power, the new government in most business-friendly states in India. It might come
Andhra Pradesh has cancelled or put on hold a across as a less transparent, less predictable and less
number of high-profile State contracts and projects, open economy.
many involving foreign partners. Most notably in the
case of planning for the proposed city of Amaravati. • G
iven the increasing competitive federalism, there
have been increased numbers of potential Indian
• I n addition, the incumbent government has made business destinations which means that investors can
other reversals, including challenging the contracts look elsewhere if things in any State get tough.
awarded towards the massive Polavaram dam
project, sacking a large number of State bureaucrats, Affecting Development:
and restricting liquor licences and sales. • Without investments, it will be harder for the State to
• T here have been attempts to renegotiate existing raise the revenue it needs for social programmes and
power purchase agreements and other high-value economic development.
tenders. • C
ancelling multiple high-profile public projects may
Maharashtra: imperil the state’s ability to create new jobs and
opportunities and subsequent development.
• The new State government of Maharashtra is
considering cancelling public work commitments • I f more and more States follow this trend, the
made by their predecessors like the Mumbai- dependability of India as a foreign direct investment
Ahmedabad bullet train project and the Mumbai- destination may be negatively affected.
Pune hyperloop project. Impact on Indian economy:
Similar instances have been noted in states which have • Recent events in two of India’s largest state economies
witnessed changes in the government. of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have chilled
Incumbent Government’s arguments: investor enthusiasm. In the backdrop of the slowing
Indian economy, this is worrisome given that it will
• Reviewing commitments made by the previous lead to a further slowdown of the economy.
government will help increase accountability and
possibly decrease corruption in the State.

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JANUARY-2020 120

Way forward:
• The States should create a set of governing rules
and guidelines for future reviews of projects and
programmes.
• E stablishing procurement regimes that allow for open
tendering, stakeholder engagement, and outside
audits would reassure domestic and foreign investors
that governments are fair and open to all for business.
Newly-elected governments certainly have the right to
review potentially unjust or unwarranted deals. However,
a State must be careful to provide clear evidence when
making its case to trigger such reviews. The review should
have the right intentions.

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JANUARY-2020 121

MISCELLANEOUS

1. Krishi Karman Awards • T he mannequin traffic police would also keep

surveillance with a secret camera and take photos of
• The Krishi Karman Awards are given to the best
traffic violators.
performing states in food grain production.
Significance
• T here are a total number of 7 rewards including 3
for the States with highest food grain production in • It will create fear among commuters about traffic
three identified categories –large, medium and small policemen watching them and hence reduce traffic
producers; and 4 rewards one each for the highest violations.
production under rice, wheat, pulses and coarse • T he mannequins would be of immense help as
cereals crops. there is a shortage of traffic policemen at unmanned
• T he states are divided into the following 3 groups junctions.
based on the highest production levels of food grains
achieved by the States in the previous five years. 3. National Youth Festival (NYF)
What’s in News?

Group Highest Production States • Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State
(in ‘000 tons) Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly organizing
Group 1 > 10000 UP, Punjab, AP, WB, 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020.
Haryana, MP, Rajas-
than, Maharashtra,
Details
Karnataka, Bihar • The Government has been organizing NYF since 1995.
Group 2 1000 - 10000 Odisha, TN, Gujarat,
Chhattisgarh, Assam • The objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring
Jharkhand, Uttara- the youth of the country together in an attempt to
khand, HP, J&K provide them the opportunity to showcase their
Group 3 <1000 Rest of the states talents in various activities.
• I t also provides an arena, by creating a mini-India,
where youth interact in formal and informal settings
* However, for rice and wheat, no grouping of
and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness.
states is carried out.
• T he theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020
• The reward amount for the highest food grain
is ‘FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA’ in pursuance of the goal of
producing State will be Rs 2 crores and for the
Prime Minister for New India to be a fit India.
individual crop categories, it is Rs 1 crore.
• N
YF 2020 would leverage on the knowledge and
• T he first Krishi Karman Awards were first given in
ideas that Youth of today bring to the table where
2011.
they are hugely connected and integrated through
Context online and offline communication channels than ever
• The Prime Minister distributed Krishi Karman Awards before.
and Commendation Awards to states at a public • T he NYF 2020 intends to focus on bringing the
meeting in Karnataka. attention of the Youth towards dialogue and
discussions on selected thematic interfaces so that
2. Mannequins to handle traffic surveillance the outcome feeds into a National Level.
Context
4. Pariksha Pe Charcha
• As an innovative measure, the Karimnagar
Commissioner ate of Police has decided to install • T his is an interaction programme of the Prime Minister
mannequins for traffic surveillance in various parts of with a cross-section of students and teachers from
the district. India and abroad.

Details • T he idea behind the programme is to beat exam

stress.
• The mannequins wearing traffic police gear, including
uniform, reflector jacket, cap, boots, mask and • T he first such event was held in 2018. 2020 is the third
sunglasses, would be installed at strategic locations to such interaction programme.
regulate traffic and prevent accidents.
5. Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
• T his award scheme gives awards in two categories
every year:

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JANUARY-2020 122

* Bal Shakti Puraskar (to individuals) • D

espite 2.2 billion people with visual impairment in
the world, most of the schools do not offer classes in
* B
al Kalyan Puraskar (for institutions/individuals
Braille and a lot of countries do not even recognize
working for children)
this as a part of their educational curriculum.
• Bal Shakti Puraskar
• T he 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with
* This award is given to children in the fields of Disabilities considers Braille essential for education.
innovation, social service, scholastic, sports, art
• H
ence, the celebration of the World Braille Day is
and culture and bravery.
intended to spread awareness amongst people
* I t carries a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, a regarding the necessity and importance of including
certificate and a citation. the language at a more global level.
* I t was formerly known as “National Child Award
for Exceptional Achievement”. 7. Youth Co: Lab National Innovation Challenge

* It was instituted in 1996 and renamed to “Bal Context

Shakti Puraskar” in 2018. • Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog and United
• Bal Kalyan Puraskar Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted
Youth Co: Lab -national innovation challenge in Delhi
* This award was instituted in 1979 as “National
Child Welfare Awards”. Details

* It was renamed in 2018 to “Bal Kalyan Puraskar”. • Youth Co: Lab launched in collaboration by AIM and
UNDP earlier, aims at fostering technology, promoting
* T his is given to individuals and/or organisations youth leadership and social entrepreneurship in India.
working in the field of child development, child
protection and child welfare. • C
o-created in 2017 by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi
* T his award is given in two categories – Individual Foundation, Youth Co: Lab aims to establish a
and Institution. Three awards are given in each of common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in
these two categories along with cash prizes. and empower youth to accelerate implementation of
How does it work? the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Any child with exceptional achievement in the fields Significance
of innovation, scholastic achievements, social service, • It will enable young students from all over the country
arts & culture, sports and bravery can apply for the and all over the world to participate in generating
award. new ideas and coming up with innovative solutions
• A
lso, any person who knows about a meritorious to many of the problems faced by the world aligned
achievement by a child can recommend this child for with the SDGs.
the award.
8. WHO has designated 2020 the International Year of
• A
high-level committee selects the winners after the Nurse and the Midwife
careful consideration of each application.
• Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing
• T he scheme is under the Ministry of Women and Child health services.
Development.
• T hese are the people who devote their lives to
Context: caring for mothers and children; giving life-saving
• The President of India presented the Pradhan Mantri immunizations and health advice; looking after older
Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2020 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. people and generally meeting everyday essential
health needs.
6. World Braille Day • T hey are often, the first and only point of care in their
• January 4th is celebrated as World Braille Day in order communities.
to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. The • T he world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives
declaration to celebrate the day was given by the UN if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
in 2018.
• S o to promote the profession and this cause, the World
• L ouis Braille is credited with inventing the Braille Health Assembly of the WHO has designated 2020 the
language. Braille is a tactile writing system used by
people who are visually impaired. International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

• T he World Braille Day spreads awareness about Braille

script and other accessible forms of communication,
as most of the public places such as hospitals fail to
provide their material in Braille.

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JANUARY-2020 123

9. Use of chemicals to ripen fruits amounts to poisoning

consumers
What’s in News?
The Delhi High Court has observed that the use of
pesticides and chemicals to ripen fruits amounts to
poisoning the consumer while noting that invoking penal
provisions against the culprits would have a deterrent
effect.
• The Bench was hearing a petition initiated by the court
to monitor use of pesticides on fruits and vegetables.
• Chemicals, such as calcium carbide, are used to ripen
fruits, like mangoes. It is hard to detect the presence
of the chemical as its presence can only be tested in
laboratories with the help of proper equipment and
additional chemicals.
Concern:
A report by amicus curiae had stated that due to excessive
usage of pesticides in fruits and vegetables, various
countries have banned the import of Indian vegetables
and fruits and many more are under scrutiny.

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JANUARY-2020 124

PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 2. The upper stage of GSLV MK-III launch vehicle is
1. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an agency of the powered by Cryogenic Engine (CE)-20.
Government of India, under the Ministry of Petroleum Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
and Natural Gas.
A. 1 only
2. It was created under the provisions of the National
B. 2 only
Renewable Energy Act.
C. Both 1 and 2
Options:
D. Neither 1 nor 2
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
6. Consider the following statements about Central
C. Both 1 and 2
Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
D. Neither 1 nor 2
1. CPCB is a statutory organization under the Ministry of
Environment and Forests.
2. During the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the British East 2. It was established under the Environment Protection
India Company fought against a band of Muslim Act, 1986.
mercenaries known as –
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
A. Pindaris
A. 1 only
B. Mappilas
B. 2 only
C. Santhals
C. Both
D. Bhills
D. None

3. Who appoints the State Election Commissioner, for

7. Under what circumstances does an elected member
overseeing elections to the local bodies?
be disqualified under the Anti-Defection law?
A. President
1. If an elected member voluntarily gives up his
B. Ministry of Home Affairs membership of a political party.
C. Governor 2. If the elected member votes or abstains from voting
D. Chief Minister in such House contrary to any direction issued by his
political party.
3. If a nominated member joins a political party after 6
4. Which of the following statements is/are correct months of nomination.
with respect to The global code of practice on the
International recruitment of health personnel? Options:

1. It was adopted by the WHO’s 63rd World Health A. 1 and 2 only

Assembly in 2010. B. 2 and 3 only
2. It is the main international policy framework for C. 1 and 3 only
addressing shortages and maldistribution of healthcare
D. 1, 2 and 3
professionals.
8. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?
Options:
1. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve- West Bengal
A. 1 only
2. Satkosia Tiger Reserve – Odisha
B. 2 only
3. Rajaji National Park- Uttarakhand
C. Both 1 and 2
4. Buxa Tiger Reserve- Maharashtra
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Options:
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
5. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
B. 2 and 3 only
1. A cryogenic rocket engine uses a cryogenic fuel and/
or oxidizer which is liquefied and stored at extremely C. 1, 3 and 4 only
low temperatures. D. 1 and 4 only

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JANUARY-2020 125

9. Arrange the following from west to east: C. Both 1 and 2

1. Kanchenjunga D. Neither 1 nor 2
2. Annapurna
3. Dhaula Giri 13. Arrange the following ports from north to south:
4. Mt Everest 1. Krishnapatnam port
Options: 2. Vishakapatnam port
A. 4-1-2-3 3. New Mangalore port
B. 4-1-3-2 4. Mormugao port
C. 3-2-4-1 5. Ennore port
D. 4-3-2-1 Options:
A. 2, 4, 1, 5, 3
10. Which of the following states have been accorded B. 2, 1, 4, 3, 5
special provisions under Article 371 of the Indian C. 2, 4, 1, 3, 5
Constitution:
D. 1, 2, 4, 3, 5
1. Sikkim
2. Karnataka
14. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
3. Tripura
1. The Eat Right India Movement is an initiative of the
4. Maharashtra Ministry of Women and Child Development.
5. Mizoram 2. It involves providing fortified food to infants and
6. Nagaland lactating mothers at Anganwadi Centres.
Options Options:
A. 1, 3, 5 and 6 A. 1 only
B. 1, 5 and 6 B. 2 only
C. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 C. Both 1 and 2
D. 1, 2, 4 and 6 D. Neither 1 nor 2

11. Which of the following statements are correct? 15. The term Miyawaki is associated with which of the
following?
1. The Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha nominates the
members of the privileges committee of Rajya Sabha. A. Traditional dance of Tibet
2. The Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha consists of B. Afforestation method
ten members. C. A musical instrument from Arunachal Pradesh
Options: D. Traditional silk weaving technique
A. 1 only
B. 2 only 16. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
C. Both 1 and 2 1. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana provides an
D. Neither 1 nor 2 insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh per individual.
2. The PMJAY beneficiaries get an e-card that can be
used to avail services at any hospital, public or private,
12. Which of the following statements are correct?
anywhere in the country.
1. The six zonal councils in India have been created
3. The eligibility for the PMJAY is based on the SECC
under the States Re-Organization Act, 1956.
2011 data.
2. The councils function under the aegis of the Ministry
Options:
of Home Affairs’ Inter-State Council Secretariat.
A. 1, 2 and 3
Options:
B. 1 and 3
A. 1 only
C. 2 and 3
B. 2 only
D. 3 only

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JANUARY-2020 126

17. Arrange the following cities from North to South: 21. The term Drosophila is associated with which of the
following?
1. Sydney
A. Bacteria
2. Perth
B. Fungi
3. Brisbane
C. Flies
4. Melbourne
D. Fish
5. Canberra
Options:
22. Consider the following statements with respect to
A. 3, 2, 1, 5, 4
River Beas:
B. 3, 1, 2, 5, 4
1. It is one of the major tributaries of River Indus.
C. 2, 3, 1, 4, 5
2. The river originates near the Rohtang Pass, on the
D. 2, 3, 4, 1, 5 southern end of the Pir Panjal Range.
3. The river lies entirely within the Indian Territory.
18. India is a member of which of the following?? Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
1. Belt and Road Initiative A. 1 only
2. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership B. 2 only
3. The Indo-Pacific Business Forum C. 2 and 3 only
4. The Blue Dot Network D. None of the above
5. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Options: 23. Consider the following statements with respect to
A. 3, 4 and 5 Indian Council of Agricultural Research:

B. 2, 3 and 5 1. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is

an autonomous organisation under the Department of
C. 4 only Agricultural Research and Education.
D. None of the above 2. The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding
and managing research and education in agriculture
including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in
19. “The Blue Dot Network” is associated with:
India.
A. The international protocol for internet connectivity
3. The Union Minister of Agriculture is the President of
B. The network of countries involved in the blue flag ICAR.
certification of their beaches
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
C. Infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific
A. 1 only
region
B. 1 and 2 only
D. A group of countries working towards enhancing
port infrastructure C. 1, 2 and 3 only
D. 2 and 3 only
20. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Bibi Ka Maqbara was commissioned by Mughal 24. Consider the following statements:
Emperor Jahangir. 1. Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSD) are a group of rare
2. It is located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. inherited metabolic disorders.
Options: 2. LSD occurs due to mutations in genes.
A. 1 only 3. Gaucher’s Disease is a type of LSD.
B. 2 only Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
C. Both 1 and 2 A. 1, 2 and 3 only
D. Neither 1 nor 2 B. 2 only
C. 1 only
D. 3 only

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JANUARY-2020 127

25. Consider the following statements with respect to C. Russell’s viper

Prompt Corrective Action (PCA):
D. Saw-scaled viper
1. PCA is a framework under which banks with weak
financial metrics are put under watch by the World Bank.
2. The PCA framework deems banks as risky if they 29. “The final value of the goods and services produced
slip below certain norms on three parameters namely within the geographic boundaries of a country during
capital ratios, asset quality and profitability. a specified period of time” is termed as:

Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect? A. Net National Product

A. 1 only B. Gross Domestic Product

B. 2 only C. Gross National Product

C. Both 1and 2 D. Purchasing Power Parity

D. Neither 1 nor 2
30. Consider the following statements:

26. Consider the following statements with respect to 1. The Supreme Court has the ability to review any
the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development judgment declared by it.
Authority (PFRDA): 2. Review Petition, Curative Petition and Presidential
1. PFRDA is a statutory body having executive, legislative Pardon are the resources available to those seeking
and judicial powers. relief from an Order of the Supreme Court.

2. PFRDA is responsible for regulating and administering 3. Curative Petition is the last judicial resort available for
both the National Pension System (NPS) and the Atal redressal of grievances in court.
Pension Yojana (APY). Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
3. The President of India is the guardian of PFRDA. A. 1 and 3 only
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? B. 1 and 2 only
A. 1 only C. 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 2 only D. 1, 2 and 3
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3 31. Consider the following statements with respect to the
European Council (EUCO):

27. Consider the following statements with respect to the 1. EUCO is a collective body that defines the European
Model Code of Conduct (MCC): Union’s overall political direction and priorities.

1. The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the 2. It comprises the heads of state or government of
Government of India to regulate political parties and the EU member states, along with the President of the
candidates prior to elections to ensure free and fair European Council and the President of the European
elections. Commission.

2. The MCC is operational from the date that the election 3. The European Council has legislative powers.
schedule is announced until the date that results are Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
announced.
A. 1 and 3 only
3. The MCC is not enforceable by law.
B. 1 and 2 only
Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
C. 2 and 3 only
A. 1 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
32. Consider the following statements with respect to the
D. 2 and 3 only National Green Tribunal (NGT):
1. It is a Constitutional Body that draws inspiration from
28. Which among the following is the most toxic Indian India’s constitutional provision of Article 21.
Snake? 2. It has Original Jurisdiction on matters of substantial
A. Sind Krait question relating to environment and damage to the
environment due to specific activity.
B. Spectacled cobra
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

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JANUARY-2020 128

A. 1 only 4. Destroying, damaging or defiling any object generally

known to be held sacred or in high esteem by members
B. 2 only
of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes.
C. Both 1 and 2
Options:
D. Neither 1 nor 2
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
33. Consider the following statements:
C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
1. National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) is under the
D. 2, 3 and 4 only
Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. NCRB publishes the ‘Crime in India’ report.
37. With reference to Vembanad Lake, consider the
3. NCRB is entrusted with the responsibility for
following statements:
monitoring, coordinating and implementing the Crime
and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) 1. It is the largest lake in Tamil Nadu.
project. 2. The Vembanad Wetland system is included in the list
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? of wetlands of international importance, as defined by
the Ramsar Convention.
A. 1 and 2 only
Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
B. 2 only
A. 1 only
C. 1, 2 and 3
B. 2 only
D. 3 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
34. Which among the following is/are not Stringed
instruments?
1. Ghatam 38. The red line campaign is associated with:
2. Khol A. Creating awareness on HIV-AIDS among the masses.
3. Kamaicha B. Part of government’s Anti-Microbial resistance
awareness campaign
Options:
C. Creating awareness about the critically endangered
A. 1, 2 and 3
species in India
B. 2 and 3 only
D. Campaign against sexual harassment at workplace.
C. 1 and 2 only
D. 3 only
39. The term Candida auris is associated with:
A. Disease causing fungi
35. “Brickfielder” in Geography refers to:
B. Disease causing virus
A. Showers that help crops grow during spring.
C. Bacteria used in production of biofuels
B. Grasslands in Mid Africa.
D. Bacteria used extensively for production of
C. Hot, dry and dusty winds in Southern Australia. antibiotics
D. A rift valley lake.
40. The Anamalai tiger reserve is situated in which of the
36. Which of the following are offences against the following states:
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes? A. Kerala
1. Compelling a member of the Scheduled Caste or B. Tamil Nadu
Scheduled Tribe to dispose or carry human or animal
C. Karnataka
carcasses, or to dig graves.
D. Telangana
2. Garlanding with footwear or parading naked or semi-
naked, a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled 41. Which of the following is wrongly matched?
Tribe. A. Bihu: Assam
3. Corrupting the water of any spring, reservoir or B. Lavani: Maharashtra
any other source ordinarily used by members of the
Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes. C. Dollu Kunitha: Karnataka
D. Pulikali: Tamil Nadu

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JANUARY-2020 129

42. Which of the following statements are correct? 46. Consider the following statements with respect to
1. Petroleum And Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) Volcano Taal:
comes under the Ministry of petroleum and natural gas. 1. It is one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes.
2. The Headquarters of PESO is in New Delhi. 2. It lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
Options: Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
A. 1 only A. 1 only
B. 2 only B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2 C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2

43. Which of the following statements are correct? 47. Consider the following statements with respect to
1. The Kisan Credit Card scheme was prepared by the Input Tax Credit (ITC):
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. 1. ITC is the tax that a business pays on a purchase that
2. Participating institutions under this scheme include can be used to reduce the tax liability when it makes a
only the commercial banks. sale.

Options: 2. ITC is not available for goods or services exclusively

used for personal use.
A. 1 only
3. Only a business under composition scheme can avail
B. 2 only ITC.
C. Both 1 and 2 Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
D. Neither 1 nor 2 A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
44. Arrange the following cities from east to west: C. 3 only
1. Muscat D. 1, 2 and 3
2. Tehran
3. Sanaa 48. Consider the following statements with respect to
4. Kuwait city Raisina Dialogue:
5. Tripol 1. The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference held
bi-annually in India.
Options:
2. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research
A. 1, 2, 4, 3, 5 Foundation (ORF).
B. 4, 2, 1, 5, 3 Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
C. 2, 1, 4, 3, 5 A. 1 only
D. 2, 4, 1, 3, 5 B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
45. Which of the following statements are correct? D. Neither 1 nor 2
1. The Vembanad Lake is included in the list of
wetlands of international importance, as defined by the
Ramsar Convention. 49. Consumer Price Index (CPI) is released by:
2. The government of India has identified the A. Reserve Bank of India
Vembanad wetland under the National Wetlands B. Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and
Conservation Programme. Program Implementation
Options: C. Office of the Economic Advisor, Ministry of
A. 1 only Commerce and Industry
B. 2 only D. Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP),
Department of Agriculture and Co-operation
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

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50. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in: 54. Consider the following statements with respect to
Multiple myeloma:
1. Disputes between the Centre and State(s).
1. It is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell
2. Matters regarding the enforcement of Fundamental
called a plasma cell.
Rights.
2. It causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone
3. Any dispute between the Indian Government and
marrow.
one or more States on one side and one or more States
on the other side. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
4. Disputes between States. A. 1 only
Choose the correct option: B. 2 only
A. 1 and 4 only C. Both 1 and 2
B. 1 and 2 only D. Neither 1 nor 2
C. 1, 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4 55. Consider the following statements with respect to
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
1. SCO is a Eurasian Economic, Political and Security
51. Which of the following is/are Critically Vulnerable
organization.
Coastal Areas as per the CRZ Regulations?
2. It has eight member nations.
1. Gulf of Khambat
3. India, Pakistan and Iran are among the permanent
2. Karwar
members of SCO.
3. Bhaitarkanika
Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
Choose the correct option:
A. 1 only
A. 1 only
B. 3 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1 and 2 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

56. Consider the following statements:

52. Consider the following statements with respect to
1. Bru tribals inhabit parts of Assam, Mizoram and
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC):
Tripura.
1. MPC is a committee constituted by the Government
2. They are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
of India for fixing the benchmark policy interest rate to
Group (PVTG)..
restrain inflation within the particular target level.
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
2. The MPC consists of six members.
A. 1 only
3. The MPC is required to meet at least four times in a
year. B. 2 only
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? C. Both 1 and 2
A. 1 and 2 only D. Neither 1 nor 2
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only 57. Consider the following statements with respect to
Regional Antiterrorism Structure (RATS):
D. 1, 2 and 3
1. RATS was established at the Astana Summit of
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
53. Which of the following is the last judicial resort
2. RATS is a permanent organ of the SCO.
available for redressal of grievances in the court?
3. It is engaged in furthering cooperation between
A. Curative petition
member countries on concerns of terrorism, security,
B. Review Petition drug trafficking and cyber warfare.
C. Presidential Pardon Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
D. None of the above A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only

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C. 2 and 3 only 61. Which of the following statements are correct?

D. 1, 2 and 3 1. The “Blue Dot Network” (BDN) encourages private
investment in infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific
region by offering public loans to viable infrastructural
58. Which of the following statements are correct? projects.
1. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has been 2. Currently, the U.S., Japan, Australia and India are its
established in pursuance of Article 323A of the Indian members.
Constitution.
Options:
2. The members of the defence forces, officers, staff
A. 1 only
of the Supreme Court and the secretarial staff of the
Parliament are not covered under the jurisdiction of B. 2 only
CAT. C. Both 1 and 2
3. The appeal against the orders of CAT could be made D. Neither 1 nor 2
only in Supreme Court.
Options:
62. The Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement of
A. 1 and 2 India is associated with which of the following?
B. 2 and 3 A. The European Union
C. 1 and 3 B. South Korea
D. 1,2 and 3 C. United States of America
D. Japan
59. Which of the following statements are correct?
1. The Constitutional Amendments with respect to 63. Which of the following statements are correct?
federal provisions will need the ratification by at least
50 per cent of the state assemblies. 1. Share of natural gas in India’s energy basket is higher
compared to the global average.
2. The states are required to ratify the bill within 6
months of passage by the parliament, failing which the 2. India is more dependent on LNG imports as compared
bill lapses. to crude oil imports.

Options: Options:

A. 1 only A. 1 only

B. 2 only B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2 C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2

60. Which of the following statements are correct? 64. The term “The Blob” is associated with which of the
following
1. The GSAT-30 is a communication satellite of India
which was placed in the geostationary orbit by the A. Cold current off the coast of Peru
Ariane launch vehicle. B. Marine Heat waves in northeast Pacific
2. The GSLV-MkIII launch vehicle has a capacity of C. Heat wave in North America
placing 4 tonne class satellites of the GSAT series into
D. Depression off the coast of South America
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits.
Options:
65. Which of the following statements are correct with
A. 1 only
respect to the Sun temple at Konark?
B. 2 only
1. It is attributed to King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern
C. Both 1 and 2 Ganga dynasty.
D. Neither 1 nor 2 2. It is a classic illustration of the Kalinga Architecture.
Options:
A. 1 only
B. 2 only

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JANUARY-2020 132

C. Both 1 and 2 A. 1 only

D. Neither 1 nor 2 B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1, 2 and 3 only
66. Which of the following statements are correct with D. None of the above
respect to The Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)
Act, 2013? 71. World Economic Outlook report is published by:

1. The constitution of an Internal Complaints A. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Committee is a statutory requirement under the act for B. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
all establishments.
C. United Nations Conference on Trade and
2. The Internal Complaints Committee is always headed Development (UNCTAD)
by a female member.
D. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
3. The Internal Complaints Committee consists of only Development (OECD)
internally selected members.
Option:
72. Consider the following statements with respect to the
A. 1 and 2 Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
B. 2 and 3 1. It was founded on the initiative of G 20.
C. 2 only 2. It is responsible for setting global standards on anti-
D. 1 only money laundering (AML) and combating the financing
of terrorism (CFT).
3. India is a full-time member of FATF.
67. The term euryhaline implies
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
A. Can tolerate only low salinity environments
A. 1 only
B. Needs high salinity environments
B. 1 and 2 only
C. Can tolerate a wide range of salinity
C. 2 and 3 only
D. Salinity observed at high depths of the oceans
D. 1 and 3 only

68. The successfully tested K-4 is

73. Consider the following statements with respect to
A. Submarine-launched ballistic missile BrahMos:
B. Supersonic cruise missile 1. It is a long-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile.
C. Air to air beyond visual range missile 2. It can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or
D. Anti-tank missile land.
3. It is the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world..
69. The recently released MANI app has been developed Which among the above statements is/are incorrect?
by A. 1 and 2 only
A. Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment B. 2 and 3 only
B. Ministry of Finance C. 1 only
C. National Payments council of India D. 3 only
D. Reserve Bank of India

74. Consider the following statements with respect to

70. Consider the following statements with respect to the Coronaviruses:
UDAN Scheme: 1. Coronavirus has regularly arranged protrusions on its
1. It is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). surface.
2. The Scheme is funded jointly by the Centre and the 2. SARS Coronavirus and MERS Coronavirus, both cause
State governments. severe respiratory diseases.
3. The primary objective of the Scheme is to facilitate 3. All Coronaviruses are zoonotic.
regional air connectivity. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect? A. 1 only
B. 2 only

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JANUARY-2020 133
C. 1 and 2 only 78. Consider the following statements:
D. 1, 2 and 3 1. The Chief Election Commissioner and the other
Election Commissioners have equal powers to take all
decisions relating to the elections.
75. Consider the following statements:
2. The Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the
1. Citizenship is listed in the Union List and is under the President; however, he cannot be removed from office
exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament. by the President.
2. “Deprivation” is the compulsory termination of Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
the Citizenship of India obtained by Registration or
Naturalisation. A. 1 only

3. A person registered as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) B. 2 only

cannot acquire the citizenship of India. C. Both 1 and 2
Which of the above is/are correct? D. Neither 1 nor 2
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only 79. “Tallinn Manual” relates to:
C. 1 and 3 only A. Artificial Intelligence
D. 1, 2 and 3 B. Zoonotic Diseases
C. Outer space treaty
76. India and Nepal have territorial disputes over which D. Cyber conflicts and cyber-warfare
of the following region/s?
1. Kalapani
80. Consider the following statements with respect to the
2. Susta World Health Organization (WHO):
3. Aksai Chin 1. WHO is a member of the United Nations Development
Choose the correct option: Group (UNDG).

A. 1 only 2. The annual publication of the WHO – World Health

Report (WHR) began with the inception of the
B. 1 and 2 only organisation in 1948.
C. 1, 2 and 3 3. World Health Assembly is the forum through which
D. None of the above the WHO is governed by its member states.
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
77. Consider the following statements: A. 1 only
1. Anti-defection law was inserted via the 42nd B. 1 and 3 only
Amendment Act and is contained in the Tenth Schedule C. 1 and 2 only
of the Constitution.
D. 1, 2 and 3
2. The decision on disqualification on grounds of
defection is referred to the Chairman or the Speaker
of the House of the Parliament, and his/her decision is 81. Consider the following statements with respect to
final. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
3. Anti-defection law is not applicable to an independent 1. CBI comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
member who joins a political party within 6 months of
2. It is a statutory body.
his/her election.
3. The CBI acts as the “National Central Bureau” of
Which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
Interpol in India.
A. 1 only
Which of the following statement/s is/are incorrect?
B. 2 only
A. 1 only
C. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 3 only
D. None of the above
C. 1 and 2 only
D. 3 only

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82. Which of the following is/are the publication/s of 86. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with
Transparency International? respect to the National Security Act?
1. Corruption Perceptions Index 1. It is applicable to the citizens of India only.
2. Democracy Index 2. The maximum period for which any person may be
detained shall be six months from the date of detention.
3. Global Corruption Barometer
Options:
Choose the correct option:
A. 1 only
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. Both 1 and 2
C. 1 only
D. Neither 1 nor 2
D. 1 and 3 only

87. Which of the following is not covered under the

83. Consider the following statements with respect to
Integrated Child Development Scheme?
International Court of Justice (ICJ):
A. Immunization
1. It has the jurisdiction to deal with applications
only from states, non-governmental organizations, B. Formal pre-school education
corporations or any other private entity but not C. Supplementary nutrition
individuals.
D. Health check-up
2. It can Suo Motto take up disputes between states.
3. Judgments delivered by the Court are binding upon
the parties concerned. 88. Which of the following countries is the largest sugar
producer in the world?
Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?
A. Brazil
A. 1 and 2 only
B. India
B. 2 and 3 only
C. United States of America
C. 2 only
D. China
D. 3 only

89. Arrange the following in increasing order of their

84. “Ophichthus kailashchandrai” is: contribution to the tax revenues of the government.
A. A new snake eel species discovered in Odisha 1. Corporation tax
B. A new species of ginger found in the Western Ghats 2. Income tax
C. A new species of snake discovered in the Western 3. Goods and Services Tax
Ghats
4. Custom duties.
D. None of the above
Options:
A. 4,2,3,1
85. Which of the following countries have been declared
Measles free by the World Health Organisation B. 4,3,2,1
(WHO)? C. 3,4,1,2
1. Maldives D. 4,2,1,3
2. Sri Lanka
3. Brazil 90. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
4. Greece 1. The Dhanush is a self-propelled artillery gun with the
Choose the correct option: Indian Army.
A. 1, 2 and 4 only 2. The Dhanush howitzer has been designed and
developed by DRDO.
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
Options:
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
A. 1 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

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91. Which of the following statements is/are correct? Options:

1. Rani ki Vav is situated in the state of Rajasthan. A. 1 only
2. It is listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. B. 2 only
3. Rani Ki Vav was constructed during the rule of the C. Both 1 and 2
Chalukya dynasty. D. Neither 1 nor 2
Options:
A. 1 and 2 only 96. India is not a signatory of which of the following
B. 2 and 3 only conventions?
C. 1 and 3 only A. World Health Organization’s Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control.
D. 1, 2 and 3
B. The International Criminal Court’s Rome statute.
C. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention of the
92. Which of the following is wrongly matched?
International Labour Organization
A. Taal Volcano: Philippines
D. Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage of
B. Mount Merapi: Indonesia UNESCO.
C. Kilauea: Malaysia
D. Mount Erbus: Antarctica 97. Gatka, a form of martial art is associated with which
of the following state?
93. Which of the following statements is/are wrong? A. Haryana

1. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a B. Punjab

statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and C. Himachal Pradesh
Empowerment.
D. Uttar Pradesh
2. CARA monitors and regulates both in-country and
inter-country adoptions.
98. Which of the following statements is/are correct
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
with respect to Kuno National Park?
A. 1 only
1. It is in Madhya Pradesh.
B. 2 only
2. It is part of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests
C. Both 1 and 2 ecoregion.
D. Neither 1 nor 2 Options:
A. 1 only
94. The Lily Thomas v. Union of India case of 2013 is B. 2 only
associated with:
C. Both 1 and 2
A. The Supreme Court (SC) directing the political
D. Neither 1 nor 2
parties to publicize pending criminal cases faced
by their candidates.
B. SC asking the Centre to appoint special courts to 99. Which of the following pairs of wetland and state is
exclusively try cases against politicians. wrongly matched?
C. The removal of the statutory protection offered A. Harike Wetlands: Punjab
to convicted legislators from immediate B. Pong Dam lake: Himachal Pradesh
disqualification.
C. Nandur Madhameshwar: Maharashtra
D. SC directing the completion of trials involving
elected representatives within a year. D. Sarsai Nawar: Madhya Pradesh

95. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 100. Arrange the following cities from north to south:
1. India is the largest cotton producer in the world. 1. Beirut
2. India is the largest cotton exporter in the world. 2. Tel Aviv
3. Damascus
4. Jerusalem

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JANUARY-2020 136

Options: Options:
A. 1, 3, 2, 4 A. 1 and 3 only
B. 1, 2, 3 ,4 B. 2 only
C. 3, 1, 2, 4 C. 1 and 2 only
D. 3, 1, 4, 2 D. 1, 2 and 3

101. Which of the following statements is/are correct 105. Consider the following statements with respect
with respect to Plastic Waste Management Rules? to the Gaza Strip:
1. It stipulates a minimum thickness of 50 microns for 1. It is a territory on the eastern coast of the
plastic sheets. Mediterranean Sea.
2. The Rules lay down the phasing out of all 2. It borders Egypt on the South-West and Israel on
Multilayered Plastics. the East and North.
Options: Options:
A. 1 only A. 1 only
B. 2 only B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2 C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2

102. “Yellow Rust Disease” is: 106. Which of the following statement/s about
calcium carbide is/are correct?
A. A fungal disease that stops photosynthetic activity.
1. It is used as a deoxidizer during the manufacture of
B. A viral disease that develops due to the lack of
steel.
photosynthetic activity.
2. It is used as a ripening agent.
C. A bacterial disease particularly affecting the root.
3. It is used in the removal of sulfur from iron.
D. None of the above
Options:
A. 1 and 2 only
103. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
B. 2 and 3 only
1. It is a tribal carnival held in the state of Chattisgarh.
C. 1 and 3 only
2. Gusadi Dance performance by the Gond tribe is a
major attraction of the event. D. 1, 2 and 3
3. The event includes a ceremony called ‘bheting’, which
incorporates new brides into the clan. 107. Madhav National Park recently seen in news is
Options: in which state?
A. 1 and 2 only A. Madhya Pradesh
B. 2 and 3 only B. Rajasthan
C. 1 and 3 only C. Uttarakhand
D. 1, 2 and 3 D. Maharashtra

104. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? 108. Which of the given pair/s is/are correctly
matched?
1. The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for two
hundred days of employment in every financial year 1. Vishnuprayag Hydro-electric project: River Alaknanda
to adult members of rural households at a statutory 2. Maneri Bhali Hydro-electric project: River Yamuna
minimum wage.
3. Pashulok Hydro-electric project: River Bhagirathi
2. The Central Government bears the 100 percent
wage cost of unskilled manual labour, under the
scheme.
3. The Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) is monitoring the entire implementation of this
scheme in association with state governments.

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JANUARY-2020 137

Options:
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 2 and 3

109. The World Health Organization (WHO) has in

the past, declared Public Health Emergency of I
nternational Concern (PHEIC) for the outbreak/s of
which of the following diseases?
1. Polio
2. Ebola
3. H1N1 Swine Flu
Options:
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1, 2 and 3
D. 1 and 3 only

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JANUARY-2020 138

ANSWER KEYS

1 D 21 C

2 A 22 D

3 C 23 C

4 C 24 A

5 C 25 A

6 B 26 B

7 D 27 A

8 B 28 A

9 C 29 B

10 C 30 D

11 C 31 B

12 B 32 B

13 A 33 C

14 D 34 C

15 B 35 C

16 D 36 C

17 A 37 A

18 D 38 B

19 C 39 A

20 B 40 B

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JANUARY-2020 139

41 D 61 D

42 D 62 A

43 A 63 D

44 A 64 B

45 C 65 C

46 D 66 C

47 A 67 C

48 B 68 A

49 B 69 D

50 D 70 D

51 D 71 A

52 B 72 C

53 A 73 C

54 C 74 C

55 B 75 A

56 C 76 B

57 C 77 C

58 A 78 C

59 A 79 D

60 C 80 B

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JANUARY-2020 140

81 C 101 A

82 D 102 A

83 A 103 B

84 A 104 B

85 B 105 D

86 D 106 D

87 B 107 A

88 B 108 A

89 A 109 C

90 D

91 B

92 C

93 A

94 C

95 A

96 B

97 B

98 C

99 D

100 A

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JANUARY-2020 141

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. The National Infrastructure Pipeline will help boost investment in the infrastructure sector as well as help revive the flagging
economy. Critically examine the statement. (250 words; 15 marks)

2. Discuss the salient features of the SDG Index that has been developed by NITI Aayog. Comment on the observations made by
the 2019 SDG index with respect to regional variances. (250 words; 15 marks)

3. In global politics, the hegemony of a single power is temporary. Explain the statement with reference to the USA? (250 words,
15 marks)

4. If India is to have a real chance to minimise the housing development divide, it requires an integrated housing development
strategy. Discuss. (150 words, 10 marks)

5. The recent U.S. assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, in an airstrike has serious consequences not just for
the West Asian region but also for India. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

6. The recent move of the Kerala Assembly to pass a resolution calling upon the Centre to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act, 2019 has found both supporters and detractors. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

7. India, facing the double burden of malnutrition, has taken several steps to address the same. Despite the progress made, there
are still considerable challenges facing India in the fight against malnutrition. Comment. Also suggest suitable steps that need to
be incorporated in India’s efforts. (15 marks, 250 words)

8. In the backdrop of the recent U.S. moves making the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body dysfunctional, discuss the
significance of the WTO’s Appellate body and the concerns associated with its current state of affairs. (10 marks, 150 words)

9. There has been a deterioration of the relationship between the U.S. and China in recent times which spells serious concerns for
the world. Comment. Discuss what the specific concerns to India are and suggest suitable steps to be taken by India to counter
these concerns. (15 marks, 250 words)

10. The Citizenship Amendment Act could have landed India in an unenviable diplomatic spot and have long-term implications
for India’s foreign policy. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

11. With respect to the Yuelu Proclamation, discuss the significance of protecting linguistic diversity. Discuss the constitutional
provisions available in the Indian Constitution to conserve the linguistic diversity of India. (15 marks, 250 words)

12. Despite the rapid and impressive growth in the higher education system in India, its performance has been below par.
Comment. What is the importance of a vibrant higher education system for India? (10 marks, 150 words)

13. The creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has been a long-pending demand and forms part of higher-level
military reforms. However, there are concerns regarding the current provisions and powers of the CDS. Comment. (15 marks, 250
words)

14. India and Australia have many converging interests and presently there is an opportunity to translate these converging
interests and coalescing of values into a formidable partnership. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

15. What is Green Politics? Discuss whether the world is witnessing the dearth of Green Politics due to increasing industrialisation
and urbanisation? (15 Marks, 250 Words).

16. Discuss the significance of the Centre’s decision to liberalise norms for entry into coal mining and the relaxation of regulations
on mining. (10 Marks, 150 Words).

17. Financial inclusion without financial literacy has no meaning. With reference to this statement, explain the role of Technology
in Financial Inclusion.(15 Marks, 250 Words).

18. Discuss how the Right to Internet access as a fundamental right strikes a balance between liberty and security. (10 Marks, 150
Words).

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JANUARY-2020 142

19. Define Indian Ocean Dipole and explain how it is one of the causes of the raging bushfires in Australia. Comment on the
arguments being made by Scientists and researchers that the unfolding fire disaster in Australia can be attributed to climate
change. (10 marks, 150 words)

20. In the backdrop of a recent study pointing to the better carbon capture by species rich forests discuss the other benefits of a
species rich forest. Comment on how the recent observations necessitate the need to transform the reforestation/afforestation
policies in India. (15 marks, 250 words)

21. The often conflicting relationship between the right to freedom of religion and the rights of individuals to dignity and equality
has been a constant source of litigation of late. Comment. Discuss the Supreme Court’s stand on such issues. (15 marks, 250 words)

22. In the backdrop of the recent demolition of apartments in Kochi, discuss the concerns regarding violations of environmental
laws and the significance of the Supreme Court directions in the case. (10 marks, 150 words)

23. In the backdrop of the killing of General Soleimani in a drone strike by the U.S., discuss the concerns being raised that the U.S.
actions and its subsequent justification of self-defence are exploiting the loopholes in the UN charter. Suggest suitable safeguards
in this regard. (10 marks, 150 words)

24 Given the risks posed by deterioration of ties between Iran and the U.S. to the region and the world at large, suggest necessary
steps to de-escalate the tensions. Discuss India’s role in this regard. (10 marks, 150 words)

25. Early childhood education has the potential to be the “greatest and most powerful equaliser”. In the backdrop of the recently
released Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report, analyse the statement and suggest measures to improve India’s pre-
primary education system. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

26. Is an empowered office of a directly elected mayor desirable for Indian cities? What are the associated challenges? Discuss. (15
Marks, 250 Words).

27. Recent laws passed with respect to mob lynching in some states provide a good start yet fall short in adhering to the criteria
laid down by the Supreme Court. Discuss. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

28 Discuss the challenges associated with addressing the issue of Bru refugees to be settled in Tripura. What are the features of the
tripartite agreement signed in this regard? (10 Marks, 150 Words).

29. The phase one trade deal between the U.S. and China though is only a temporary truce that leaves the key issues of the trade
dispute still unresolved, is still a significant step forward. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

30. In the backdrop of large number of infant deaths being reported from Kota and other places in Rajasthan discuss the major
underlying causes and also the associated concerns. Suggest suitable measures to address the challenge. (15 marks, 150 words)

31. Stagflation challenges the conventional economic view that inflation helps an economy operate at full capacity. Comment.
Discuss the concerns associated with Stagflation in an economy. (10 marks, 150 words)

32. In a notable shift from the British-era focus on high-value timber, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department’s move to focus on
threatened indigenous tree species, holds immense significance in the present context. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

33. Despite the ‘Make in India’ initiative being a well-intended policy, it suffers from major shortcomings. Comment. Evaluate the
effectiveness of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. (15 marks, 250 words)

34. In the backdrop of the signing of the quadripartite agreement in New Delhi to solve the Issue of the Brus, discuss both the
significance and also the associated concerns with the agreement. (10 marks, 150 words)

35. Given the significance of data in the modern networked economy and concerns regarding the current official approach to
data collection and processing, there is the need for a complete overhaul of the system. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words)

36. Given Brazils impressive performance in increasing health coverage, India and Brazil can explore cooperation and strategic
partnership in healthcare. Comment. Discuss the steps to be taken in India to ensure Universal health coverage. (15 marks, 250
words)

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JANUARY-2020 143

37. Given the potential benefits of a trilateral Co-operation between India, China and Pakistan not just for the members of the
grouping but also for the region and the world at large, there is a need to explore such an arrangement. Comment. (10 marks,
150 words)

38. The right to protest is a fundamental political right basic to a democratic society like India. Comment. Discuss the provisions
regarding the right to protest peacefully enshrined in the Indian Constitution. (10 marks, 150 words

39. Indian cinema is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a New India. How can the Indian government explore
movies as an instrument of soft power? (15 Marks, 250 Words)

40. Is the Supreme Court justified in asking the Parliament to cut down powers of the Speakers? How will this impact the
functioning of India’s legislatures? (15 Marks, 250 Words)

41. With inconsistencies on the Economic and Political front, do you think BRICS is still a relevant bloc? Justify your Opinion. (150
words, 10 marks)

42. The persistent slowdown in the economy will require big-ticket reforms from the Government especially on the demand side.
Suggest measures to spur economic growth. (250 words, 15 marks)

43. Given the current inflation trends, the monetary policy has its own limitations in helping boost India’s slowing growth. The
need of the hour is more structural reforms and fiscal measures. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)

44. The NITI Aayog’s draft policy to revamp the government’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in the urban areas is
a welcome relief, considering the distinctive characteristics of urban areas and the corresponding health needs. Comment. (10
marks, 150 words)

45. The philosophy and teachings of Basaveswara, a seminal figure of the Bhakti movement, not only held relevance during the
12th century but are also relevant even today. Analyze. (10 marks, 150 words)

46. The development of the anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile capability holds immense significance for India. Comment. Also discuss
the associated concerns with the Mission Shakti. (10 marks, 150 words)

47. Discuss the advantages offered by the use of Genetically Modified (GM) pest-resistant Bt. cotton hybrids in India and also the
concerns associated with it. (15 marks, 250 words)

48. Discuss the underlying reasons for the increased criminalization of Indian politics and the associated concerns. Comment on
the landmark Supreme Court judgments in addressing the issue of criminalization of politics and their effectiveness. (15 marks,
250 words)

49. In the backdrop of the renewed efforts by the government to disinvest its share in Air India, discuss the significance of
disinvestment as a policy measure and the associated concerns. (10 marks, 150 words)

50. The Supreme Court decision to allow the introduction of cheetahs into Indian forests is a significant step forward. Comment.
(10 marks, 150 words)

51. India needs to redouble its efforts to improve science and research and development in the country. Discuss. Also suggest
suitable measures. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

52. Discuss how Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has transformed the rural economy
and the employment scenario. Evaluate the successes and failures of the scheme. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

53. The higher judiciary must be the guardian of citizens’ constitutional rights when there is an onslaught on liberty and freedom
of speech. Illustrate with relevant case laws the difference between advocacy and incitement. (15 marks, 250 words)

54. Explain in detail how the coronavirus impacts the Indian Pharma Industry and the economy. What steps should be taken by
the Government to reduce human losses? (10 marks, 150 words)

55. Discuss the transformation of the Asian economies in the past decade and comment how this has helped them in becoming
larger than the rest. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

56. Critically analyse the significant gaps in Indian federalism. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

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JANUARY-2020 144

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Candidate Details:

• Name: Saumya Sharma

• Rank: 9 (CSE 2017)
• Hometown: Delhi
• Education: Graduated in B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), from National Law University, Delhi in June 2017.
• Work Experience: No previous experience as a permanent employee. Cleared the exam in the first attempt. Internships under
Hon’ble Justice Bhat of the Delhi High Court, PRS Legislative Research and Human Rights Law Network.
• Hobbies: Travelling, Reading, Photography, Map reading.
• Optional subject: Law

Interview Panel Chairperson Details:

• Interview panel chairperson: Shri. Arvind Saxena.

• Arvind Saxena is an Indian civil servant and is the current chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

• Arvind Saxena earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi, before pursuing a
master’s degree in systems management from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

• A 1978-batch officer, he served in the Indian Postal Service for 10 years.

• In 1988, Saxena left the Postal Service to join the Research and Analysis Wing, where he specialized in the study of strategic
developments in the neighbouring countries including Nepal, China, and Pakistan.

• Arvind Saxena has had the opportunity to travel extensively in India and abroad and has had the opportunity to interact and
establish productive relations with the senior-most echelons of leadership in various countries covering areas of local politics,
intelligence, military, international relations, terrorism, finance, and commerce.

• He took over as Special Secretary in-charge of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) in 2014, where he strengthened working ties
with similar agencies of other countries and interacted closely in India with the Chiefs of the three Defence Services and Heads
of Central Armed Police Forces.

• In May 2015, he joined the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as its member and was appointed its acting chairman in
June 2018. In November 2018, he was appointed the full-time chairman.

Interview Questions:

• Interview duration: 35 minutes

• Questions were mainly asked from the Detailed Application Form (DAF) and Current Affairs.

Graduation and optional based questions:

• Questions based on the Criminal Law of India.

• Have the Environmental laws of India been effective in ensuring environmental conservation?

• Can you elaborate on the Constitutional and legislative framework regarding water in India?

Current affairs based questions:

• How will India-U.S. relations be affected by the election of Mr. Donald Trump as the U.S. President?

• Has Demonetization served its intended purpose?

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JANUARY-2020 145

• What do you mean by Net neutrality? Why is it important?

• What do you mean by Equalization levy? Why is it necessary?

• What do you mean by wilful defaulters and how should the state deal with them?

Hobby based question:

• The question was based on the hobby of map reading as mentioned in the DAF.

• If one travels from Delhi to Sudan via road, what all countries will one cross?

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JANUARY-2020 146

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