CNA 06 Aug 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY 1. Parliamentary Privilege C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Lessons for India from the Taiwan standoff GOVERNANCE 1. Addressing the challenges in new-age digital commerce ENVIRONMENT 1. Sticking to commitments F. Prelims Facts 1. Policy Repo Rate G. Tidbits 1. Non-woven Plastic carry bags 2. Monkeypox Vaccine H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: GS2-Polity
Syllabus: Parliament and State Legislatures
Mains: Privileges and functions of Members of Parliament
Context: The Chairman of Rajya Sabha Shri M Venkaiah Naidu said that MPs could not avoid summons from law enforcement agencies as they do not have immunity from being arrested in criminal cases.
Introduction:
- Opposition parties in the Parliament have been protesting against the alleged misuse of central enforcement agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by the government to “frame” political rivals.
- These protests have led to constant disruption in the parliamentary proceedings and wash out of the winter session.
- In this backdrop, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha clarified that, after examining all the precedents and under Article 105, MPs do not enjoy privilege from action by agencies while the session is on.
- He insisted that the MPs should not avoid appearing before any agency when they are called upon by citing reasons of House duty.
Parliamentary Privileges and Constitutional Provisions:
- Parliamentary privileges are special rights, immunities and exemptions enjoyed by the two houses of Parliament and their members. This privilege is available only in civil cases and not in criminal cases or preventive detention cases.
- They are individual and collective privileges to “effectively discharge their functions”.
- Article 105 of the Indian Constitution talks about the powers, privileges, etc. of Parliament, its members and committees while Article 194 deals with the state legislatures.
Read more on Parliamentary Privilege and immunities.
Nut Graf: MPs and MLAs as lawmakers shall respect the law and legal procedures of the land as it applies to all, in all cases. They can seek a further date for appearance in front of enforcement agencies when the House is in session instead of avoiding their summons or notices altogether.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Lessons for India from the Taiwan standoff
Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
Mains: Lessons for India from the Taiwan standoff
Context: China’s aggressive reaction to the visit of the US House Speaker to Taiwan.
Background
For a detailed background of the issue refer to the following article:
UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 04 Aug 2022
Latest developments
- As China continues to conduct military drills in six areas around Taiwan, China is also looking to sanction the U.S. House Speaker for her visit to Taiwan and suspend eight key dialogue mechanisms with the U.S.
- The cancelled dialogues include:
- Theatre Commanders Meet
- Defence Policy Coordination Talks
- Talks under the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA)
- China is also expected to suspend bilateral talks on climate change, and pause cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal matters, transnational crimes, and counternarcotics.
- Further, the military exercises have shut down the waters and airspace in areas around Taiwan which have caused severe disruptions in shipping and operation of flights.
Lessons for India from the Taiwan standoff
- Resilience of Taiwan – India has to deeply observe how Taiwan, which is a small island with just 2.3 crore population, is standing up and defending itself against one of the strongest military and economic powers in the world.
- India being a more powerful nation with nuclear capabilities and a significant number of military personnel continues to be hesitant about Chinese territorial misadventures.
- Stressing the threshold levels and sovereign positions in a clear cut manner – India must unambiguously emphasize the threats from China as a lack of such clarity will be used by China to push India’s limits.
- Due to various domestic political challenges, there is a lack of clarity about the standoff that took place in the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020 and the events that followed the incident.
- This lack of national position or narrative has given a psychological advantage to China.
- Further, an unambiguous narrative will help India gain support from its friendly countries and other international communities.
- Appeasement is a bad strategy – Taiwan by facilitating the visit of the US Speaker to the country has shown that appeasement is not the way to counter Chinese aggression.
- With China being a revisionist power that is challenging the existing global power balance, appeasement tactics might work only in the short term.
- India must make note of this as India is continuing to host Chinese military leaders despite them violating territorial norms. China can view this as India’s acquiescence despite provocations.
- Also, India must restart having diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Tibet which India had halted respecting China’s political reservations.
- Further, experts say that India was also about to abandon joining the Quad for appeasing China.
- Increasing economic and trading relations does not help India – It is said that growing trade between India and China can help address the growing tensions between them. However, it is to be acknowledged that the trade deficit is in China’s favour.
- The latest standoff in Taiwan has shown India that trade can continue despite tensions and without India compromising on its territorial sovereignty.
- China is the largest trading partner of Taiwan and accounted for over $2.5 billion worth investments from 2009 to 2021 in Taiwan. Despite such huge dependence, Taiwan has not surrendered to Chinese aggression.
- India being a bigger economy and a military power must not worry about the economic relationship with China while dealing with Chinese aggression.
Nut graf: The latest standoff between China and Taiwan near the island nation has important lessons for India about how to deal with the challenges posed by a belligerent China.
1. Addressing the challenges in new-age digital commerce
Syllabus: e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
Mains: Significance and advantages of adopting an Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system in the digital commerce ecosystem
Context: This article talks about the new age digital commerce in India and various challenges associated with it.
Background
- The increase in the use of smartphones along with the affordable data plans in the country have brought about a digital revolution in India and consumer behaviour in India is undergoing a huge transformation.
- Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted digital inclusion, and various services such as food, personal care items and even medical consultations are available online.
Challenges associated with digital commerce in India
- Despite swift improvement in the digital market in India through incentives such as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, there is still a large amount of digital vacuum existing in the society as small enterprises and local stores have not gained from this.
- Further, centralising digital commerce transactions on a single platform creates a single point of failure.
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India set up the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) which aims to level the playing field by creating an open e-commerce platform and help small businesses and enterprises to access it.
- ONDC has helped to achieve the dual objectives of providing a wider basket of choices for consumers and providing access to a wider consumer base for sellers.
- However, with the plans to extend the ONDC platform across the country, the claims of “disputes” are expected to increase.
Addressing these challenges through Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system
- The Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system is the need of the hour as it provides a cost-effective, timely and high-speed dispute resolution system.
- ODR is known to work efficiently with an incumbent set-up as it is not restricted to the use of legal mechanisms like mediation, conciliation and arbitration in an online environment but can be altered for addressing specific cases.
- ODR involves case management systems, the use of communication technologies like email, SMS, WhatsApp and appropriate data set.
- Further, it can also involve advanced technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide speedy resolutions.
- ODR can help in:
- Making the process of dispute resolution simple while addressing complex disputes
- Provide 24×7 accessibility even in the remote and far-flung regions
- Establishing a platform for ensuring safe and secure online transactions
- Facilitate an enhanced user experience
- Further, ODR helps in mitigating litigation risks and reduces the burden on the courts and consumer forums.
- A specialised ODR system also plays a key role in achieving the targets of adding $48 billion in gross merchandise value to India’s e-commerce market, a network of 90 crore buyers and 12 crore sellers in the next five years through the ONDC.
Increased adoption of ODR
- Several e-commerce firms have adopted ODR as an efficient dispute resolution mechanism that will help in maximising transactions.
- Example: the ODR used by eBay Resolution Center resolves about 60 million disputes between small traders every year without the need of a third party.
- Alibaba, which is one of the largest retailers and e-commerce companies, has also adopted the ODR to resolve disputes.
- Example: the ODR used by eBay Resolution Center resolves about 60 million disputes between small traders every year without the need of a third party.
- Even in India, various Government agencies, regulators and private companies have been adopting and encouraging the ODR system.
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has directed platforms in the UPI ecosystem to use ODR for addressing grievances.
- SEBI SCORES (Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI COmplaints REdress System), RBI CMS (Reserve Bank of India Complaint Management System), MahaRERA (Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority), MSME Samadhaan (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Delayed Payment Monitoring System), and RTIOnline (Right To Information Online) are examples of adoption of ODR.
Learn more about – Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)
Nut graf: Adoption of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India’s digital commerce ecosystem is crucial as it delivers quick, affordable and enforceable outcomes that help address the underlying challenges in the ecosystem and achieve the targets of ONDC with fewer hiatuses.
Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Prelims: About UNFCCC, Conference of the Parties and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
Mains: India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
Context: The Indian Cabinet has approved the commitments made by the Prime Minister at the COP26 in Glasgow.
Details
- The Union Cabinet has approved India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) with the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) scheduled to take place in El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022.
- The Paris Agreement of 2015 mandated nations to announce measures to ensure that the globe does not heat beyond 2°C, and mitigate it below 1.5°C by 2100.
- The COP of UNFCCC persuades countries to make compromises on the cuts they can undertake with the least impact on their developmental priorities.
- Countries are required to submit NDCs every five years, about their contributions towards minimising fossil-fuel emissions.
India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
- India announced eight targets in its first NDC, in 2015, which include:
- Reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%-35% (of 2005 levels) by 2030
- Achieving 40% of its installed electricity capacity through renewable energy
- Developing an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2030.
- At COP 26 in Glasgow, the Indian Prime Minister announced five commitments which are famously called “Panchamrit”. They include:
- India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW (gigawatt) by 2030
- Meeting 50% of India’s energy requirements through “renewable energy” by 2030
- Reducing the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes till 2030
- Reducing the carbon intensity of India’s economy by over 45%
- Achieving the target of “net zero” by the year 2070, when there will be no net carbon dioxide emitted from energy sources
Read more about – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
Way forward
- India has shown its intent towards mitigating the adverse effects of climate change through various laws and legislations which regulate the use of energy efficiently and with several corporations having committed to phasing away from the use of fossil fuels.
- Going forward, India must follow and implement these established grounds and become an example for balancing energy use, development and meeting climate goals.
Nut graf: As India looks to establish a framework for achieving its NDCs, India should make sure that it does not promise more than what it can deliver as it erodes the moral authority that India brings to future negotiations.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: Mobilization of resources- Monetary policy
Prelims: Monetary policy committee
Context: Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously decided to raise the policy repo rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 5.4%.
Rationale behind the increase in policy rate:
- The decision to increase the repo rate was taken due to elevated levels of inflation.
- Projections show inflation to remain above the upper tolerance level of 6% through the first 3 quarters of 2022-23.
- Calibrated tightening is necessary to contain inflationary pressures, pull back headline inflation within the tolerance target range and sustain growth.
- The RBI retained its inflation and GDP growth projections for the current fiscal year ending in March 2023 at 6.7% and 7.2%, respectively.
- With concerns regarding the external sector, the RBI said that the Current Account Deficit is within manageable limits.
Read more on Monetary Policy.
G. Tidbits
1. Non-woven Plastic carry bags
- The Himachal Pradesh administration has decided to put a complete ban on the use of non-woven plastic bags from January 1, 2023.
- In July, the Himachal administration banned the use of non-woven plastic carry bags less than 60 Gram per Square Meter (GSM), apart from the use of plastic carry bags, irrespective of their sizes and thickness under the Himachal Pradesh Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1995.
- Non-woven plastic bags: They are made of polypropylene fibre, which is non-biodegradable. It is made using spun and bond polypropylene fibre, and it is soft and air-permeable. They are prepared on a machine by spreading rolls of plastic.
- Non-woven bags became popular after the ban on single-use plastic.
- They are harmful to the environment as they cannot be recycled.
- A task force recently constituted by the Government of India on Monkeypox has put out plans to fund research in developing the crucial infrastructure required for preparing an indigenous vaccine.
- The task force is headed by Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
- A dedicated vaccine development would take well over a year due to several gaps in figuring out the ideal approach.
- India has reported 8 cases of Monkeypox till the first week of August 2022.
- As per the experts, monkeypox was unlikely to immediately require mass vaccination as the virus is structurally more stable compared with SARS-CoV-2.
- Bavarian Nordic, a Denmark biotech company has developed a smallpox vaccine, called ‘JYNNEOS’.
- This vaccine has been tested for effectiveness and safety in people against monkeypox in the lab, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Read more on Monkeypox.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements: (Level-Medium)
- MPs cannot be arrested during the session of Parliament and 40 days before the beginning and 40 days after the end of a session. This privilege is available in civil cases and in criminal cases.
- According to the Constitution, courts can inquire into the proceedings of a House or its committees in exceptional circumstances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect, This privilege is only granted in civil matters and not in criminal or preventive detention situations.
- Statement 2 is incorrect, courts are not empowered to inquire into any proceedings that happen inside the Parliament.
Q2. With respect to Private Member’s Bill introduced in the Parliament, which of the statements is/are correct?
- A member of the ruling dispensation who is not a minister is also considered a Private Member.
- Government bills and private members’ bills are governed by the same general procedure and pass through the same stages in the House.
- Its introduction in the House requires seven days’ notice.
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct, Any MP who is not a Minister is referred to as a private member.
- Statement 2 is correct, both kinds of bills are governed by the same general procedure and stages in both houses.
- Statement 3 is incorrect, the introduction of a private member’s bill requires one month’s notice whereas a public bill can be introduced with 7 days’ notice.
Read more on the Private Member Bill.
Q3. Which of the following statements with respect to Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is/are incorrect?
- PMFBY is optional for the farmers who have not availed of institutional credit, while all the farmers who have borrowed institutional loans from banks are covered under the scheme mandatorily.
- Under PMFBY, farmers have to pay a uniform maximum premium of 1.5% for crops that they cultivate in any season.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect, PMFBY provides a comprehensive insurance cover against crop failure. It is optional for the farmers who have not availed of institutional credit and mandatory for those who have borrowed institutional loans from banks
- Statement 2 is incorrect, farmers have to pay a 2% premium for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all rabi crops. It is 5% for annual commercial and horticultural crops.
Read more on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Q4. Mission Raftaar recently seen in news is
- A drive against the smuggling of narcotics through rail.
- A mission introduced by Indian Railways in order to mitigate the hardships of the mothers travelling with their infants.
- An initiative of the Ministry of Railways to achieve a target of doubling the average speed of freight trains and increasing the average speed of superfast, mail and express trains by 25 kmph.
- A set up for the purpose of business re-engineering and introducing a spirit of innovation in Railways.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- ‘Mission Raftaar’ was announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17 with a view to increasing the speed of trains in Indian Railways.
- The mission envisages a target of doubling the average speed of freight trains and increasing the average speed of all non-suburban passenger trains by 25 kmph in the next 5 years.
Q5. Consider the following pairs:
King Dynasty
- Nannuka Chandela
- Jayashakti Paramara
- Nagabhata II Gurjara-Pratihara
- Bhoja Rashtrakuta
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- All four pairs
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct, Nannuka was the founder of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region, present-day Madhya Pradesh.
- Statement 2 is incorrect, Jayashakti was a 9th-century ruler from the Chandela dynasty of Central India.
- The Paramara dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between the 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of Rajputs.
- Statement 3 is correct, Nagabhata II was an Indian emperor from the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty.
- He was designated with imperial titles – Parama Bhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Paramesvara after the conquest of Kannauj.
- He finds a mention in the Gwalior inscription.
- Statement 4 is incorrect,Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja I was a king belonging to the Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty in the 9th century. He adopted the title of Adivaraha as he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- The Open Network for Digital Commerce has the potential to create an even playing field between the local offline stories and big businesses in India. Do you agree? Elaborate. (250 words; 15 marks) ( GS 03-Economic Development)
- India’s relations with Taiwan must not be guided by China’s relation with Taiwan. Discuss. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS02-International Relations)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 06 Aug 2022:- Download PDF Here
Comments