August 17th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. How Taliban took Kabul without a fight POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. SC raises query on Tribunal Reforms Bill C. GS 3 Related INTERNAL SECURITY 1. Agencies brace for sharp rise in drug trafficking D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. The message from the IPCC report 2. Beating plastic pollution GOVERNANCE 1. The big opportunity F. Prelims Facts 1. HC seeks Centre’s response to petition on data breaches G. Tidbits 1. Demand for cans in packing rising: Ball Beverage Packaging H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. How Taliban took Kabul without a fight
Context:
- Taliban assert control over Afghanistan with the takeover of the capital, Kabul.
Details:
- As against the initial estimates of U.S. intelligence agencies that predicted that the Taliban could capture Kabul in 90 days, the Taliban has made rapid territorial gains in a short period of time and were also able to take over power without much resistance.
- The article analyzes the factors which have aided this rapid ascent of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
U.S.-Taliban deal:
- The U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in February 2020Â marked the ascent of the Taliban to prominence in Afghanistan.
- The very fact that the then U.S. administration held direct talks with the Taliban bypassing the Afghan government and signed an exit agreement even without taking the elected government into confidence, gave the Taliban an upper hand in Afghanistan affairs.
- The agreement also failed to extract any concession from the Taliban towards a political settlement in Afghanistan or even a ceasefire. This provided the Taliban with a sense of victory, while demoralising the Afghan troops.
- The U.S. decision to cut down on airstrikes post the Doha agreement allowed the Taliban to regroup across the country.
External support:
- Pakistan has been providing all kinds of support to the Taliban in the form of arms and ammunition, training, finances and shelter for the Taliban fighters. This supply chain has helped the Taliban thrive in the fight against the Afghan security forces.
- Legitimised by the U.S. deal, the Taliban also reached out to regional players such as China, Russia and Iran with success. The recognition offered by these countries to the Taliban only helped increase its prominence in Afghanistan.
Internal divisions:
- The Afghanistan administration was internally divided based on ethnic lines. The unity government formed after the U.S. interference was not very effective in suppressing the internal divisions and putting up a united front against the Taliban forces. This led to the weakening of the anti-Taliban coalition.
American withdrawal:
- The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan involved not just the soldiers and American air support but also the intelligence agents and contractors who were serving Afghanistan’s warplanes and helicopters. This adversely impacted the functioning of the Afghan air force, the only superiority the Afghan troops had in the war against the Taliban.
- This allowed the Taliban to overrun vast areas in a short period of time. This allowed the Taliban to take the rural districts first and then lay siege to the cities.
Lack of resistance from the Afghan security forces:
- The overstretched and resource-limited Afghan security forces were under pressure from the drying supply lines. The demoralized forces when given an option to surrender chose it to save their lives.
- As soldiers surrendered without a fight, cities after cities fell to the Taliban. Within eight days after the capture of the first provincial capital, more than half of the provincial capitals were under the control of the Taliban. Kabul had been surrounded by the Taliban on all sides and its fall became inevitable.
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. SC raises query on Tribunal Reforms Bill
Context:
- The Supreme Court has asked the government to produce material showing its reasons for introducing the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021.
Background:
Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021:
- The Bill replaced the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021.
Major provisions:
- The Bill seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate bodies and transfer their functions (such as adjudication of appeals) to other existing judicial bodies.
- Provisions regarding the composition of search-cum-selection committees:
- The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a Search-cum-Selection Committee. The Committee will consist of: (i) the Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court Judge nominated by him, as the Chairperson (with casting vote), (ii) two Secretaries nominated by the central government, (iii) the sitting or outgoing Chairperson, or a retired Supreme Court Judge, or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court, and (iv) the Secretary of the Ministry under which the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting right).
- State administrative tribunals will have separate search-cum-selection committees.
- The central government must decide on the recommendations of selection committees preferably within three months from the date of the recommendation.
- Provisions regarding qualification and terms and conditions of service of tribunal members:
- The Bill provides for a four-year term of office (subject to the upper age limit of 70 years for the Chairperson, and 67 years for members).
- It also specifies a minimum age requirement of 50 years for the appointment of a chairperson or a member.
Details:
- A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, has criticized the government for the complete absence of material justifying the Bill and the lack of proper debate in Parliament before it was made into law.
Concerns:
- Notably, the Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021 revives provisions of tenure and service of members of tribunals which were earlier struck down by the Supreme Court in a judgment. This gives rise to concerns of the government overlooking the judiciary’s observations in its previous judgments. This could lead to the triggering of further litigation and causing inconvenience to citizens, courts and other stakeholders.
- The fact that this was done without debate in the parliament, raises concerns over the falling standards of lawmaking in the country.
- The bill has been criticised for undermining the independence of the judiciary by giving the government wide powers regarding appointments, service conditions, salaries, etc. of members of key tribunals.
C. GS 3 Related
1. Agencies brace for sharp rise in drug trafficking
Context:
- Taliban assert control over Afghanistan.
Details:
- With the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan, the Indian anti-drug law enforcement agencies are suspecting a steep surge in cross-border trafficking of heroin and crystal methamphetamine.
- Heroin is a depressant and is manufactured from opium.
- Methamphetamine is a stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug. The drug is prepared using ephedrine extracted from Ephedra plants.
- This projection is based on the following recent reports.
- There have been reports of an increase in drug trafficking in the region, mostly through maritime routes. Several seizures of Afghan-origin heroin and methamphetamine in the high seas of the region have been made in the recent past.
For more information on this issue, refer to the following article:
UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 23rd March 2020
- According to the latest World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan reported a 37% increase in the extent of land used for illicit cultivation of opium poppy during 2020 compared with 2019.
- Afghanistan accounted for 85% of the global opium production in 2020.
- The Golden Crescent region of South Asia—comprising Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan—is a principal global site for opium production and distribution.
- Iran too has reported an increase in the proportion of Afghan-origin methamphetamine seizures over the years.
Contributing factors:
Taliban’s dependency on drug money:
- Drug money has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban. Given the weak economic fundamentals of the Afghanistan economy, the Taliban will continue to be reliant on drug money to fund its operations and maintain influence among its cadres.
Economic disruption caused by the pandemic:
- The economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic had increased the appeal of illicit poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, given the high returns from its cultivation.
- The 2020 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) cautions that the economic hardship caused by the pandemic could lead to an increase in the number of people resorting to illicit activities linked to drugs to make a living.
- Fewer countries are taking part in joint drug operations due to budgetary problems.
For more related information on this issue, refer to the following article:
UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 27th June 2020
Additional information:
Colombo Declaration:
- The Colombo Declaration was adopted in 2016 by 18 littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), to make the region a Drug-Free Zone.
- It emphasizes the need for cooperation amongst the coastal areas in the form of sharing information and intelligence in narcotic drug trafficking, providing mutual legal assistance and enforcing maritime law.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. The message from the IPCC report
The article argues that the key to achieving Paris Agreement’s temperature goals is pursuing equitable cumulative emission targets instead of focusing on net zero.
What is Net Zero?
- Net zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere.
- The Paris Agreement underlines the need for net zero, requiring states to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases.
- Permanent ‘net zero’ refers to a balance between all greenhouse gas sinks and sources that is sustained over matching time scales.
- That is, that any greenhouse gas removals do not leak into the atmosphere over time.
Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
- It is titled ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’.
- It is the only one of the four of AR6 to be ready before the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Glasgow.
- The report provides a summary assessment of all aspects of the challenge of global warming.
Read more on the Sixth Assessment Report by IPCC.
Findings:
- At present, the global surface temperature is higher by 1.07 °C since the pre-industrial era.
- No part of the inhabited world is left untouched by the impact of global warming.
- Carbon dioxide is the dominant source of warming.
- Aerosols contribute to reducing the impact of warming by other greenhouse gases, by almost a third.
- Methane reduction, while needed overall, is particularly significant as the drastic reduction of aerosols actually leads to an increase in warming.
- The report projects an increase in climate extremes due to global warming, with heatwaves, extreme rainfall events and occurrence of extreme sea levels all expected to intensify and be more frequent.
Use of Climate Models in AR6:
- The report makes use of climate predictions from models. Multiple lines of evidence (through precise technical methods) are used to pin down the values and trends of key climatic variables more accurately.
- The value of equilibrium climate sensitivity is now pinned down to the range of 2.5°C to 4.0°C, with a best estimate of 3°C, compared to the AR5 range of 1.5°C to 4.5°C.
- Value of equilibrium climate sensitivity is the measure of how a specified increase in carbon dioxide concentration translates into long-term surface temperature rise.
- India also has joined the climate modelling fraternity with the inclusion of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s Earth System Model among the climate models used in AR6.
Restrict cumulative emissions:
- While the climate change campaign by the developed countries was focused on net zero, the report asserts that it is the cumulative emissions in reaching net zero that determine the temperature rise.
- It points to the fact that historical cumulative emissions are the cause of the climate crisis that the world faces today.
- Cumulative carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚) emissions is the total quantity of COâ‚‚ emissions emitted from 1751 until a given year, measured in metric tons.
- The report makes it clear that reaching net zero was NOT the determining factor for the world to limit itself to a 1.5°C or 2°C.
- It highlights that air pollution reduction and steep climate change mitigation are not complementary goals but require independent efforts over the short and medium terms.
- This is particularly important as the claims of such a linkage have been used to argue that India must stop the use of coal immediately, despite it being important for the country’s energy security.
- The report is a clarion call for developed countries to undertake immediate, deep emission cuts so that they do not deprive the rest of the world of any hope of future development.
India’s Role:
- India has contributed less than 5% of global cumulative emissions to date, with per capita annual emissions a third of the global average.
- India is also the only nation among the G20 with commitments under the Paris Agreement that are even 2°C warming-compatible.
- With India’s annual emissions at 3 billion tonnes in carbon dioxide equivalent terms, even the complete cessation of emissions for the next 30 years, with others’ emissions remaining the same, will give the world just two years or less of additional time for meeting the Paris Agreement temperature goals.
- India needs its development space urgently to cope with the future.
Way Forward:
- One of the alarming findings is that the world is set to cross the 1.5°C limit within 10-15 years.
- The 3 big emitters (the U.S., the European Union and China) must take up deep emissions cuts, failing which, even the prospect of a mild overshoot of the limit followed by a later decline might not materialise.
- With the focus having shifted from net zero emissions to cumulative emissions, it is the responsibility of the developed countries to take responsibility and concrete actions to cut down on emissions.
- The need of the hour is to focus on definite cumulative emission targets keeping equity and historical responsibility in view.
Conclusion:
Immediate emission reductions by the developed countries with phase-out dates for all fossil fuels, massive investment in new technologies and their deployment, and a serious push to the mobilisation of adequate climate finance are needed. This is the message that the IPCC report has sent to the world.
Context:
The Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules.
Read more on Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules covered in PIB Summary & Analysis for 13th August 2021.
Details:
- The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules acknowledge the gravity of pollution caused by plastic articles of everyday use, particularly those that have no utility beyond a few minutes or hours.
- The manufacture, sale and use of some single-use goods made with plastic, polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene, such as earbuds, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, wrapping and packing films, are prohibited from July 1, 2022.
- The decisions follow recommendations made by an expert group constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
Issue:
- In 2018, India won praise globally for asserting that it would eliminate all single-use plastic by 2022.
- However, policy coherence to achieve the goal has been lacking.
- The Central Pollution Control Board has reported that while 22 States have announced a ban on single-use plastic, it has had little impact on the crisis of waste choking wetlands and waterways and being transported to the oceans to turn into microplastic.
Concern:
- India has a staggering annual volume of plastic waste.
- It generated about 34 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 alone. Of this, only about 60% is recycled.
- A recent study of the top 100 global producers of polymers that turn into plastic waste found six of them based in India.
- India’s policies on environmental regulation are discordant. While the rules are hefty, the outcomes are not clearly monitored.
- State governments have not replaced municipal contracts, instead, companies are paid for the transportation of mixed waste, with terms that require segregation and accounting of materials.
- But, considerable amounts of plastic waste cannot be recycled because of lack of segregation.
- Patchy regulation has led to prohibited plastic moving across state borders.
Way Forward:
- The international view is changing, with the UN Plastic Treaty gaining more support.
- The majority of G7 countries are supportive of cleaning up the oceans through a charter in the interests of human wellbeing and environmental integrity.
- Now that India has adopted a broad ban, further pollution must end.
- Microplastic is already found in the food chain, and governments must act responsibly to stop the growing menace.
The article talks about the enormous growth opportunity that lies ahead of India in the form of a favourable demographic dividend.
COVID-19 is an ongoing challenge that is further aggravating bigger concerns like economic recession and climate change. For most countries, these two situations would be bigger than the pandemic.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Owing to the pandemic and the resultant changes in the world economies, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study, the equivalent of five years or more of per capita income would likely be lost by the end of 2021.
- The World Bank notes that the world is likely to witness deep global recessions fuelled by
- lowered investments,
- displacement of human capital owing to lost jobs and schooling,
- disintegration of global trade and supply chains
Silver lining for India:
- According to various international studies, the median age in India would be 28 years by 2022-23, in contrast to 37 in China and 45 in western Europe.
- India will have the highest number of people in the workforce.
- India’s non-working population would be outnumbered by the working population, leading to a favourable demographic dividend.
- Despite the gloomy outlook, there is a hopeful prospect for India in the form of the demographic dividend.
- The demographic dividend is the economic growth brought on by a change in the structure of a country’s population.
- This leads to an increase in the labour force and, in turn, more people are working and being productive.
- It accelerates urbanisation and the growth of industries.
- As the purchasing power of the populace increases, it opens up a bigger domestic market (which is already sizeable in India’s case) thus attracting more investment and increasing opportunities.
- Taking all these factors into account, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicts that despite the pandemic, India will become the third-largest economy in the world by 2030.
- Deutsche Bank also supports this forecast with their own findings that India’s economy will grow to $7 trillion by 2030 (it is about $2 trillion now).
Effects of climate change:
- Increased use of non-degradable plastics, bio-medical waste and impediments to ongoing climate programmes have further led to climate change deterioration.
- According to a UNEP report – the effects of increased use of plastics during the pandemic would cost fisheries, tourism and maritime transport industries an additional $40 billion.
Role of India’s youth in Climate Change campaign:
- The younger the population the more climate-conscious they are.
- As they see the real-time impact of climate change, it makes them more inclined to act towards a greener tomorrow.
- A UN report on climate change states that close to half a million youth around the world have been taking action against climate change through initiatives at their homes, schools and communities.
- According to a survey, 85% of India’s youth are interested in green jobs as they believe in sustainable development by way of healing the environment.
- India’s younger demography has a role to play in the country’s performance on climate change mitigation.
- The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 puts only two G20 (or Group of Twenty) countries — India and U.K. — in the top 10.
- India is one of the top 10 countries to have made substantial efforts towards mitigating climate change.
Way Forward:
- Inequality is a pressing issue and the pandemic has further deepened this divide.
- While the Union government has rolled out various subsidies and employment schemes, the dominance of the informal economy makes it difficult for all benefactors to reap the benefits.
- The need of the hour is for public-private partnership (PPP) models to work together to bridge the gap.
- Education and skilling are key components in enhancing the capabilities of the growing young population and helping them realize their full potential.
- Besides, labour-intensive sectors need to be better supported for further job creation.
- For India to continue unhindered on the path of reaping the benefits of the demographic dividend, concrete efforts are necessary.
The growing young population provides India with a great opportunity for growth. To make the best use of this demographic dividend, policies must ensure that they comprehensively cover all aspects aimed at increasing human development and standards of living.
F. Prelims Facts
1. HC seeks Centre’s response to petition on data breaches
CERT-In:
- Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the nodal agency operational since 2004 for responding to computer security incidents. It is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India.
- CERT-In has been designated to perform the following functions in the area of cybersecurity:
- Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber incidents.
- Forecast and alerts of cybersecurity incidents
- Emergency measures for handling cybersecurity incidents
- Coordination of cyber incident response activities.
- Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes and whitepapers relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents.
- Such other functions relating to cybersecurity as may be prescribed.
Context:
- The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to respond to a petition highlighting the inaction of CERT-In over reports of alleged cybersecurity breaches and data leaks on the online platforms of BigBasket, Domino’s, MobiKwik and Air India.
G. Tidbits
1. Demand for cans in packing rising: Ball Beverage Packaging
- Aluminium cans are better for the environment than plastic, glass.
- Aluminium cans are more recyclable and hence provide more sustainable solutions.
- Also, emissions related to transporting and cooling are lower for aluminium cans than for plastic and glass bottles.
- Glass manufacturing involves large emissions and also plastic packaging is adversely affecting marine life, polluting the rivers and oceans and ending up as non-degradable heaps of waste at landfills.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Which of the given statements with respect to Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is/are INCORRECT?
- It is an annual index designed and published by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
- It assesses national performances based on GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate Policy.
- India is among the top 10 countries in CCPI 2021.
Options:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is published by Germanwatch in cooperation with the NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network International.
- The CCPI evaluates 57 countries and the European Union, which together generate 90%+ of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Using standardised criteria, the CCPI looks at four categories, with 14 indicators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (40% of the overall score), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%), and Climate Policy (20%).
- The CCPI’s unique climate policy section evaluates countries’ progress in implementing policies working towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals. It creates transparency in climate policy, makes it possible to compare climate protection efforts, and lets evaluate progress and setbacks. Thus as an independent monitoring tool, the CCPI has a leading role in informing on the Paris Agreement’s implementation phase.
- India remains in the top 10 for the second year in a row in CCPI 2021, occupying rank 10.
Q2. Which of the given statements with respect to Visceral Leishmaniasis is/are INCORRECT?
- It is one of the neglected tropical diseases caused by a protozoan parasite.
- It is transmitted by the bite of female Phlebotomine sandflies.
- It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
- In India, humans are the only known reservoirs of the infection.
Options:
- 2 and 4 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 3 and 4 only
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and is associated with high fatality.
- It is the second most parasitic killer after malaria.
- Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites which are transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.
- It is one of the neglected tropical diseases. The disease affects some of the poorest people and is associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and lack of financial resources.
- It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
- In India, humans are the only known reservoirs of the infection.
Q3. Which of the given statements with respect to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is/are correct?
- It had its origin as the Central Malaria Bureau.
- It is the nodal agency in India for the surveillance, prevention and control of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
- World Health Organization funded Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) is a unit under the NCDC.
Options:
- 1 only
- 3 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), formerly the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), had its origin as the Central Malaria Bureau in 1909. NICD was transformed into the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with a larger mandate of controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases in 2009.
- The Institute is under the administrative control of the Director-General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The institute has its headquarters in Delhi.
- It functions as the nodal agency in the country for disease surveillance facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is a nationwide disease surveillance system in India incorporating both the state and central governments aimed at early detection and long term monitoring of diseases for enabling efficient policy decisions. It was started in 2004 with the assistance of the World Bank. A central surveillance unit has been set up at the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi. All states, union territories, and district headquarters of India have established surveillance units.
Q4. Who among the following cannot receive foreign contribution as per the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA)?
- Political party
- A candidate for election
- Publisher of a registered Newspaper
- Member of any legislature
- Editor or correspondent of a registered Newspaper
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- As per Section 3(1) of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010, foreign contribution cannot be accepted by any:
- Candidate for election
- Correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper
- Judge, government servant or employee of any Corporation or any other body controlled or owned by the Government
- Member of any legislature
- Political party or office bearer thereof
- Organization of a political nature as may be specified by the Central Government
- Association or company engaged in the production or broadcast of audio news or audio-visual news or current affairs programmes through any electronic mode, or any other electronic form
- Correspondent or columnist, cartoonist, editor
Q5. Consider the following pairs (UPSC-2019):
    Movement: Organization Leader
- All India Anti-Untouchability League: Mahatma Gandhi
- All India Kisan Sabha: Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
- Self Respect Movement: E.V. Ramaswami Naicker
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Mahatma Gandhi founded the All India Anti Untouchability League in 1932, to remove untouchability in the society, which was later renamed as Harijan Sevak Sangh (“Servants of Harijan Society”).
- All India Kisan Sabha was a peasant movement formed by Sahajanand Saraswati in 1936.
- The Self-Respect Movement had the aim of achieving a society in which backward castes have equal human rights. It was founded in 1925 by S. Ramanathan who invited E. V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar by his followers) to head the movement in Tamil Nadu. The movement was extremely influential not just in Tamil Nadu, but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Malaysia and Singapore.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Serious implementation of new plastic waste rules can address the problem of waste. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-3, Environment and Ecology]
- Tribunals must not be seen as an extension of the executive. Justify. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
Read the previous CNAÂ here.
August 17th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here
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