25 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. The Wagner group’s actions in Africa

Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries 

Prelims: Facts about the Wagner group

Mains: Wagner group’s involvement in Africa, its key objectives and implications on the region.

Context

In the wake of the political crisis in Sudan which recently has turned into a countrywide armed conflict, there have been questions raised over the involvement of the Wagner group.

Read more on the Sudan crisis in the linked article.

Wagner Group

• The Wagner group is a Russian private paramilitary organisation which is led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a rich businessman who is famously known as “Putin’s chef”. 
• The Wagner Group is known to have very close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The first operation of the Group was helping Russia annex Crimea in 2014 and since then the Wagner Group has been used in various Russian military operations in many countries.
• Although the Wagner group works closely with the Russian security apparatus, it is legally not recognised as a Russia-based private military company as private mercenary groups are illegal in Russia. 
  • However, in 2018, the Russian President recognised the group saying that the group has the right to pursue its interests anywhere in the world as long as they do not break Russian law.
• Apart from engaging in counter-militancy operations in Africa, the group is also involved in various political, economic and military fields. 
  • The group has been active in countries like Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Mozambique and Libya in Africa. 

Wagner Group’s Involvement in Africa

Image Source: The Hindu

• Sudan: The group started its engagements in Sudan during the rule of its former President Omar al-Bashir in 2017.
  • The key objective of the ties with Sudan was to safeguard the country’s mineral resources, especially the gold mines, and support the government against international opposition. 
  • The group also played an active role in suppressing the Sudanese uprising in 2019 that toppled Bashir’s regime. 
  • Russia has recently developed a strong relationship with the Rapid Support Forces (RSP) and its commander, General Mohamed Hamadan Dagalo, who is a rival leader fighting against the Sudanese army. 
  • Russia is also looking to sign an agreement with Sudan to build a military base in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
  • However, in recent times, there have been allegations about the Wagner group’s involvement in the ongoing violence in Sudan. 
• Central African Republic (CAR): The Wagner group started its engagement in the country in 2018 to protect President Faustin-Archange Touadéra against rebel groups.
  • The group helped in training the country’s army and local security forces and in exchange the Group has received licences for diamond and gold mining.
  • Further, the CAR government has also granted the subsidiary unrestricted logging rights across 187000 hectares. The group hence makes profits by importing timber.
• Mali: Wagner group’s deployment in Mali led to a decline in France-Mali relations and the end of France’s Operation Barkhane.
  • The group is filling in the void created by anti-French sentiments which led to the withdrawal of the French forces from Africa.
  • The group is currently involved in training the local forces and providing security services in fighting extremist groups. 
• Libya: The mercenaries of the Wagner groups have been deployed in Libya since 2019 and are believed to have fought for rebel leader Khalifa Haftar.
  • In return, the Wagner Group has received licenses for mining in civilian areas.
• Mozambique: The government in Mozambique invited the Wagner Group in 2019 against the backdrop of escalations of the al-Shabab insurgency.
  • According to reports, the group still maintains its presence in the country and has left behind a small cyberwarfare cell employed by the government.

Key reasons for the Wagner group’s active involvement in Africa

• The main objective of the group’s involvement is to gain access to key natural resources in the region. 
  • Reports suggest that the Wagner group’s presence and moves make up one of the strategies of Russia to secure access to Africa’s rich natural resources. 
• Russia’s access to natural resources in African nations has been providing key financial support to continue the war in Ukraine. 
• Further, Russia looks at the Wagner group as an instrument of diplomacy in Africa.
  • This Russian strategy comes with minimal economic costs but ensures heavy political returns. 
  • In recent times, Russia has been successful in securing 15 abstentions from African countries against the UN’s resolution condemning Russia. 

Implications for Africa

• The increasing reliance on the Wagner group mercenaries implies more violence, intimidation and uncertainties for African nations.
• As per a UN report published in June 2021, private military groups, especially Wagner Group have violently harassed people and committed sexual violence. 
  • Additionally, there have been allegations of extrajudicial killings in the Central African Republic and Mali.
• The involvement of the group poses a significant threat to democratic governance and democratic values in the region. 
• The current trends among African countries to seek the assistance of Russian mercenaries suggest mounting security concerns and increasing authoritarian footprints of Russia across the continent.

Nut graf: The recent crisis in Sudan has brought the debates over the involvement of the Wagner group in African nations into the limelight as there have been allegations of human rights violations and gross abuse of civilians in Africa by the Group and claims that its involvement has impacted the democratic process in Africa.

E. Editorials

Category: POLITY

1. Pending Bills, the issue of gubernatorial inaction

Syllabus: GS-2, State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

Prelims: Facts about the Office of Governor

Mains: Issues associated with the discretionary powers of the Governor and the controversies surrounding the Governor’s assent to passed Bills.

Context

The Tamil Nadu Governor was again in the news as the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution that sought the Union government and the President to issue instructions to the Governor to give assent to the Bills passed by the Assembly “within a specific period”.

Background 

• The resolution, among other things, also urged the Union government and the President to specify a time limit for Governors to give their assent to Bills passed by the legislators.
• The resolution was passed by the Assembly as the State Governor publicly stated that if the Bill passed by the legislature disobeys constitutional limits, then it is the responsibility of the Governor to not give assent.
• Numerous Bills passed by the State Assembly are still pending as the Governor has not taken any decision over such Bills.

Constitutional provisions

• According to Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, it shall be the duty of the Union to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. 
  • As explained by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly, the general meaning and purpose of the Article were to provide justification for the “invasion of the provincial field” which the Union government may have to do. 
• The Constitution mandates the Governor to act when a Bill is passed by the Assembly and present it to him based on the options provided under Article 200 of the Constitution.
  • Article 200 mentions the options available to the Governor when a Bill is presented to him after being passed by the legislature.
  • The options available to the Governor are: 
    • To give assent, or
    • To withhold assent, or
    • To send it back to the Assembly to reconsider it, or
    • To send the Bill to the President for his consideration.
  • If the Governor sends back a Bill to the Assembly to reconsider and if the Assembly passes the Bill once again with/without accepting any of the suggestions made by the Governor, the Governor is then bound to give his assent.
• Thus sitting on a Bill passed by the Assembly is not an option available to the Governor as per the Constitution.
  • If in case a Governor sits on the Bills indefinitely, he/she is considered to be creating a situation where the governance of the state cannot be carried on as per the constitutional provisions. 
  • Hence, the State Government can invoke the provisions of Article 355 and inform the President and request the President to direct the Governor to act in such a way that the government is carried on in accordance with the Constitution. 
• Further, there have been questions over the provision of Article 200 that provides an option for the Governor to withhold assent to a Bill in the exercise of their discretionary powers. 
  • However, according to Article 154 of the Constitution, the Governor can exercise his/her executive powers only on the “aid and advice of the Council of Ministers”.
  • Thus, the Governor can withhold assent to a Bill only on ministerial advice.

Know more – Discretion of Governor

Practice followed in the U.K.

• The answers to the questions raised over the option of withholding assent can be found by analysing the practice followed in the U.K. as the Indian Constitution has adopted the U.K.’s model of government.
• It can be seen that the position of the State Governor is similar to that of the Sovereign in England.
• Theoretically, the sovereign can refuse to give the assent but this right has not been exercised since the reign of Queen Anne. 
• The veto power can now be exercised based only on ministerial advice and usually, the government would not veto the Bills which were formulated by themselves.
• The refusal of royal assent on the ground that the monarch strongly disapproved of a Bill or that it was intensely controversial is said to be unconstitutional.

Key Supreme Court judgments on the issue of justiciability

• Purushothaman Namboothiri vs State of Kerala Case, 1962: In this case, the issue that was discussed was that a Bill pending before the State Governor does not lapse on the dissolution of the Assembly.
  • However, this judgment does not deal with the justiciability of the process of assent.
• Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. And … vs State Of Bihar And Others Case, 1983: In this case, the Court ruled that a Governor reserves a Bill for the consideration of the President in the exercise of his discretion.
• However, the Court cannot determine whether it was necessary for the Governor to reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President and hence even this case does not deal with the justiciability of assent.

Also read – Sansad TV Perspective: State Govt vs Governor

Nut graf: There has been an increase in the instances of the tussle between the Governors and the State governments caused due to indecision by the Governor on passed Bills. This issue requires the intervention of the Supreme Court as a judicial pronouncement on the issue of justiciability of assent is required to eliminate the existing confusion.

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

G. Tidbits

1. Nuclear liability issues not yet resolved for Jaitapur project: French firm EDF

• The French energy company Electricite de France (EDF) submitted its techno-commercial offer for the construction of six nuclear power reactors in Maharashtra’s Jaitapur in April 2021.
  • However, the discussions between Indian and French officials over issues like liability and the high cost of power per unit have still not resulted in any breakthrough.
• The project at Jaitapur is a 9,900-MW project and is said to be the world’s biggest nuclear power generation site under consideration at present.
• The Department of Atomic Energy and the Indian operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) have not signed off on EDF’s technical specifications for its European pressurised reactors as the cost proposed was significantly high.
• Key officials have said that they are looking to “speed up” the talks between EDF and the NPCIL to resolve the issues at the earliest.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the SCO? (Level – Moderate)

1. India holds the current (2023) presidency of the SCO.
2. It has 9 members with India and Pakistan being the latest ones to join.
3. It has a permanent Anti-Terrorist Structure RATS which was created by the efforts of India.

Options:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3
4. 1 and 2

Q2. How many of the following statements is/are true regarding the Circus in India? 
(Level – Difficult)

1. Keeleri Kunhikannan is considered the Father of the Indian Circus.
2. India’s only circus academy was in Thalassery in Kerala.
3. Gemini Circus was the first Indian circus to take part in the International Circus Festival.

Options:

1. Only 1 statement
2. Only 2 statements
3. All 3 statements
4. None of the statements

Q3. Which of the following agencies release the Logistics Performance Index? (Level – Easy)

1. World Economic Forum
2. World Trade Organisation
3. World Bank
4. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Q4. Which of the following statements are true regarding the Hope Space Probe? 
(Level – Moderate)

1. It is the first interplanetary mission launched by any Arab country.
2. It aims to study the Martian atmosphere.
3. It makes Saudi Arabia the 5th country to launch a successful mission to Mars.

Options:

1. 2 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1 only

Q5. Consider the following statements: (Level – Difficult) [PYQ 2019]

1. Under Ramsar Convention, it is mandatory on the part of the Government of India to protect and conserve all the wetlands in the territory of India.
2. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 were framed by the Government of India based on the recommendations of the Ramsar Convention.
3. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 also encompass the drainage area or catchment regions of the wetlands as determined by the authority.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3