20 August 2023 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related C. GS 3 Related INDIAN ECONOMY 1. Centre imposes 40% duty on onion exports D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Why is the BRICS summit important for India? INDIAN POLITY 1. How is the SC tackling gender stereotyping? F. Prelims Facts 1. White-bellied sea eagle 2. Pipeline work leads to vast megalithic site in Kerala 3. Green Hydrogen Standard for India G. Tidbits 1. Bhashini 2. Haiti H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
C. GS 3 Related
1. Centre imposes 40% duty on onion exports
Syllabus: Storage, Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce and Issues and Related Constraints
Prelims: Custom Duty, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Minimum Export Price
Mains: Agricultural Export Policy, Doubling Farm Incomes, Food Inflation
Context:
- The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on Saturday imposed a 40% customs duty on the export of onions. It will be in force till 31st December 2023.
- India imposed an export ban on non-basmati white rice in July 2023
- The government will also offload stocks of onions in various wholesale markets to reduce the retail prices.
Read more on Centre bans export of non-basmati white rice to control price rise in India.
Why is it needed?
- The national average price of onions has increased by at least ₹5 from last year’s.
- The decision was taken to increase the availability of onions in the domestic market, especially in view of the coming festival season.
- According to the Monetary policy framework, RBI is expected to keep the inflation between 4-6%. Higher vegetable prices have already led to CPI inflation reaching 7.4% in July 2023.
- The move will also lead to private traders who were holding on to their stocks to offload fearing a crash in prices.
- Experts such as Ashok Gulati have highlighted that export duties will help offset the input subsidies given to farming by the government. For example, free electricity and water for agriculture, subsidised fertilisers are provided by the government to aid agriculture.
Also read Crash in Onion Prices.
Trade tools to control inflation?
- India uses a variety of trade policy tools to control inflation by restricting exports: Minimum Export Price, Export duty, Export bans, Export quota, Export capping, Export permit
- Minimum Export Price(MEP): It is the price below which an exporter is not allowed to export the commodity from India. Notifications on MEP issued by the Department of Commerce.
Issues with restriction of exports?
- Farmers should have the ability to export and get remunerative prices. But ad hoc restrictions and duties will lead to an unstable trade policy regime affecting export supply chains.
- India’s image as a reliable supplier of agricultural commodities will be affected. This will make it difficult for India to achieve the goals of its Agriculture Export Policy.
- It reduces the appetite of traders to invest in infrastructure such as warehouses. Legal methods of agricultural storage by traders should be encouraged for year round supply of agricultural commodities.
- Export bans on food items hurt vulnerable nations. India is the leading exporter of rice and vegetables, and export bans have direct consequences on food security around the world.
Read more on Ban on Export of Sugar.
Way Forward:
- There has to be a balance between the interests of farmers and consumers. Farmers should get remunerative prices. Consumers should get onions at a reasonable price. It is the duty of the government to ensure a win-win situation.
- The government should focus on other measures to control inflation, such as increasing production and reducing food waste.
- Efficient value value chains for perishable commodities are needed. For example, processing facilities to turn perishable commodities into products with a longer shelf life, such as tomato puree and dehydrated onion flakes, needs support from the government.
Nut Graf: India imposed a 40% export duty on onion exports to control rising prices and ensure adequate supply in the domestic market. The way forward is to find a balance between the interests of farmers and consumers. The government should focus on other measures to control inflation, such as increasing production and reducing food waste. Efficient value chains for perishable commodities are also needed.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Why is the BRICS summit important for India?
Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Mains: Implications of BRICS Summit on India
Prelims: BRICS Group, Johannesburg Declaration, African Union
Context:
- The 15th BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Importance:
- BRICS nations represent around 42% of the world’s population and 23% of the world’s GDP.
- The group, as a coalition of emerging economies, aspires to reform the current systems of global governance which was established under the leadership of the west.
- Recently, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and evolving tensions between the US and China has drawn the attention of the world to the BRICS Summit.
- The 15th BRICS summit is the first in-person summit since 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the earlier summits were conducted virtually.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will be joining the summit virtually due to a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him.
- With the USA and EU trying to isolate Russia over the Ukraine crisis, the western countries are keen to look out for any “counter-western” views from the summit.
- Russia is also key to ensuring food, fuel and fertiliser security in these emerging economies and hence is of importance for global security in general.
Read more on BRICS.
Main Agenda for Countries
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will be meeting in person in the context of the border clashes at Line of Actual Control (LAC) beginning in 2020. This could be seen as an opportunity to resolve the situation at LAC.
- India is hosting the G20 summit in 2023. Ensuring the summit is a success by full participation of the members, cooperation of China and Russia for a joint declaration from G20 etc will be high on India’s agenda. Differences of opinion on the Ukraine crisis, climate change and debt financing by countries (Example: China’s Belt and Road initiative) has led to disagreements on the language of the joint declaration.
- India will try to be careful with China’s proposed language for the BRICS economic roadmap and prevent it from promoting initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative where there are key differences of opinion. India refused to agree to the economic roadmap of SCO in 2023 for similar reasons.
- 55 countries of the African Union will also be joining the event as special invitees. This could be seen as an attempt by the countries of the Global south to come together on various economic issues.
- The idea of expansion of BRICS will also be discussed. More than 19 countries have applied for the membership of BRICS and there seems to be a consensus on Argentina, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran joining the group.
- Initiatives like New Development Bank, Contingency Reserve Arrangement, R&D centers for vaccines and other scientific discoveries are attracting interest among the developing countries.
- Proposal for intra-BRICS trading in national currencies is also expected to be discussed.
- An equitable transition to a climate-resilient economy, enhanced trade with the African Continental Free Trade Area and the meaningful participation of women in peace processes are some of the areas of interest for South Africa
Nut Graf: The 15th BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit is expected to discuss a range of issues, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the expansion of BRICS, and the development of new initiatives to promote economic growth and development.
1. How is the SC tackling gender stereotyping?
Syllabus: Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
Mains: Addressing Gender stereotypes in the Judicial system
Prelims: The Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes
Context:
- The Supreme Court’s “The Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes” is a significant step towards recognizing and addressing the biases of the legal system.
Importance:
- By acknowledging and challenging stereotypes associated with women, and providing alternate words and phrases, the Court has taken a crucial step towards discarding the patriarchal notions of language in the legal system.
- Lawyers and judges have also been asked to move away from these gender-unjust terms.
- Some of the important changes are:
- The word “adulteress” should be replaced with “woman who has engaged in sexual relations outside of marriage.”
- Words like “obedient” and “chaste” should not be used as prefixes for women.
- A person who has experienced sexual violence can choose to identify as either a “survivor” or a “victim.”
- It should be made clear that a person’s clothing choices do not imply consent for sexual activity, and it is never okay to touch someone without their permission.
- The handbook recognizes that it takes courage to report a sexual offense and acknowledges that women may delay filing a complaint until they are able to do so. This challenges the stereotype that delayed reporting implies dishonesty on the part of the woman.
Impact of negative stereotypes:
- Stereotypes are harmful because they create unequal opportunities based on preconceived notions about gender, race, caste, religion, and other factors. This has direct implications in areas such as education, employment, and access to justice.
- For example, the stereotype that people from marginalized castes are not meritorious can create additional mental pressure for individuals from these groups, affecting their performance.
- Over 25,000 reserved category students have dropped out of central universities and IITs in the past five years, citing reasons such as poor performance and personal issues.
- In the context of gender, phrases like “women are nurturing” might perpetuate the idea that childcare responsibilities fall exclusively on women.
- The Supreme Court‘s handbook addresses these issues by providing guidelines for judges and lawyers to recognize and avoid gender stereotypes in their decision-making process. By emphasizing that gender does not determine a person’s capacity for rational thought, the Court has set a precedent for future cases involving gender bias.
Judgements where the patriarchal notions were challenged?
- In Joseph Shine vs Union of India, the Court struck down the offense of adultery under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, calling it a “codified rule of patriarchy” that restricts women’s behavior and attributes impossible virtues to them.
- In State of Jharkhand vs Shailendra Kumar Rai, the Court prohibited the use of the “two-finger test” in determining rape, stating that it violates the dignity of rape survivors or victims and is not relevant to the investigation.
- In State of Punjab vs Gurmit Singh, the Court ruled that a rape survivor or victim’s testimony is inherently credible.
Read more on Gender Sensitization.
Way forward:
As suggested by IAS officer Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta, the handbook will bring about a gradual shift in perspective, ultimately leading to a significant change in mentality and awareness on these issues.
Nut Graf: The Supreme Court’s handbook on combating gender stereotypes is a significant step towards recognizing and addressing the biases of the legal system. The handbook provides guidelines for judges and lawyers to recognize and avoid gender stereotypes in their decision-making process. It also challenges the patriarchal notions of language in the legal system and provides alternate words and phrases.
F. Prelims Facts
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
- Habitat: Sea Coasts of India, Eastern coasts of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the coasts of South East Asia up to Australia
- They fall under the category of raptors (or birds of prey) because they hunt and feed on other mammals, small birds etc.
- They usually feed on sea snakes and fishes.
- Habitat loss is a major concern and these birds are making their nests on towers holding high tension power wires. This is due to the lack of natural nesting sites such as trees. Nesting at heights helps the birds to scan the marine areas for food.
Read more on IUCN Red List.
2. Pipeline work leads to vast megalithic site in Kerala
- Hat stones belonging to the Megalithic period were recovered from an excavation site in Nagaparamba(Kerala).
- Hatstones are locally referred to as “Thoppikkallu”. These are made of laterite and used as lids on burial urns.
- Megalithic Period
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- Megaliths can be used to denote one or more rocks hewn in a definite shape for special purposes. It has been used to describe structures built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods.
- Megaliths in India are dated before 3000 BC, with recent findings dated back to 5000 BC in southern India.
- Megaliths are found in almost all parts of southern India. They are also found in central India and the upper Indus valley.
- A large section of these structures are associated with burial or post burial rituals of people.
- Some of the important megalithic sites in India are Adichanallur, Thrissur, Nagarjunakonda, Junapani, Maski, Brahmagiri, Piklihal, Hallur etc.
3. Green Hydrogen Standard for India
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has notified the Green Hydrogen Standard for India.
- It highlights the emission norms that must be met to classify the hydrogen produced as Green.
- Hydrogen which has a well-to-gate emission (i.e., including water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying and compression of hydrogen) of not more than 2 kg CO2 equivalent / kg H2 will be considered “Green”. Well-to-gate emissions track the emissions throughout the lifecycle of production.
- The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) (Ministry of Power) will be the nodal authority for verification and certification of Green Hydrogen projects.
- As part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (announced in 2023), the Union government intends to add 125 GW from Green hydrogen in the country by 2030.
Read more on Green Hydrogen Policy 2022.
G. Tidbits
1. Bhashini
- BHASHa INterface for India (Bhashini) is language translation platform that will make Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available to Startups in the public domain in the local languages.
- It is being implemented by the Ministry of Electronics & IT.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. What is the main objective of the Digital India “BHASHINI” initiative?
- To restrict access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages.
- To promote foreign languages and discourage the use of Indian languages online.
- To provide easy access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages, while also encouraging content creation in these languages.
- To replace Indian languages with English as the primary language for digital services and content.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation: It aims to provide easy access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages, as well as encourage the creation of content in these languages to empower Indian citizens and achieve digital inclusion.
Q2. Consider the following statements about White-bellied sea eagles:
- They have a distinctive black head and white wings.
- They primarily feed on fish and aquatic prey.
- Their IUCN conservation status is “Vulnerable.”
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- Only three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation: It has a white head, rump and underparts, and dark or slate-grey back and wings. Their IUCN conservation status is “Least Concern”; thus statements 1 & 3 are wrong.
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding 'Namoh 108' lotus:
- It has 108 petals and was discovered in Manipur.
- Its fiber quality is superior to other lotus varieties.
- It is the first lotus variety whose genome is completely sequenced.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: Statement 2 is incorrect; its “fiber quality” is actually less compared to other lotus varieties.
Q4. With reference to the Ajnala massacre in India, which of the following statements is incorrect?
- The Ajnala massacre took place in Punjab during the First War of Indian Independence in 1857.
- It involved a mass killing of Indian soldiers by the British East India Company.
- The massacre was a response to a peaceful protest by Indian soldiers.
- The bodies of the soldiers were dumped into a well, which was later filled in.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation: It occurred due to a mass killing of Indian soldiers by the British East India Company. It was not a response to a peaceful protest, but rather a tragic event during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding green hydrogen:
- Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources.
- Electrolysis is the process used to produce green hydrogen.
- In India, green hydrogen is defined as having well-to-gate emission of not more than two kg carbon dioxide equivalent per kg hydrogen.
How many of the statements given above are incorrect?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation: All three statements are correct.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Discuss the role and significance of BRICS grouping in the current geopolitical context. (250 words, 15 marks) (GS-2; International Relations )
- How is the Supreme Court tackling gender stereotyping? Examine in detail. (250 words, 15 marks) (GS-2; Indian Polity )
Read the previous CNA here.
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