27 Aug 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. SC urged to set up 11-judge Bench on quota cap

Context:

The Supreme Court has been urged to set up an 11-judge Bench to reconsider its 50% cap on reservation.

Details:

• The push for it came while the court was hearing a challenge to the Maratha reservation law which provides 12% to 13% quota for the community in Maharashtra.
• A bunch of petitions contended that it breached the 50% cap on reservation declared by a nine-judge Bench of the court in 1992.
• The High Court had concluded, “the mere fact that other OBCs would have to share their reservation quotas with the Marathas [if the Marathas were simply included in the existing OBC category] constitutes an exceptional circumstance warranting a breach of the 50 percent ceiling limit set by Indira Sawhney”.

The lawyers submitted that the court should revisit the percentage of reservation, taking into consideration the recent developments in the front, including the 10% quota for economically weaker sections introduced recently through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment.

Read more about Indra Sawhney case and Reservation Policy after the Indra Sawhney judgment covered in the 8^th January 2019 CNA: Centre plans 10% quota for the poor.

E. Editorials

Category: EDUCATION

1. Perils of prematurely imparted literacy

This topic has been covered in the 30^th July 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis: NEP Focus.

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. A shot in the dark

Background:

India has decided to approach the UN Security Council President to bring to his notice a series of false claims levelled by Pakistan on terrorism, in one of the strongest responses by the Indian permanent mission so far.

This topic has been covered in the 26^th August 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Details:

• In the letter, Pakistan’s Ambassador sought to portray Pakistan as a victim of cross-border terrorism.
• It was claimed that Pakistan is responsible for decimating al-Qaeda in the region.
• The statement then went on to list “four types of terrorism” Pakistan confronts, each of which was attributed to India.
  • Some of the attacks in Pakistan carried out by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that according to Pakistan’s unsubstantiated claim has been funded by an Indian terror syndicate based in Afghanistan.
  • That claim has been rejected by the UNSC in part already, as two of the four names forwarded by Pakistan weren’t accepted into the terror designations list.
  • The second allegation was that India has hired mercenaries to carry out attacks, in operations Pakistan claims have been organised by Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former naval officer.
  • Another contention was that policies of the government amount to “Hindutva terrorism”, with specific references to the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Ram temple construction.
  • Finally, about Indian government actions in Jammu and Kashmir which it refers to as “state terrorism”.

Conclusion:

• India has described these allegations as preposterous and laughable.
• India has an acclaimed role in fighting terror and cooperating on the international stage to deny terrorists funding and safe haven.
• Pakistan has consistently done the opposite. Pakistan’s continued grey-listing at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), as well as the presence of the names of hundreds of Pakistani terror groups and individuals on UN terror lists, are proof of that.
• Even so, it is important that the Government of India takes the Pakistani attempt to build its case seriously.
• India should pre-empt Pakistan’s larger strategy of painting India in a poor light ahead of its tenure at the UN Security Council 2021-2022 and the upcoming scrutiny process at the FATF.

Category: GOVERNANCE

1. Bringing the Internet to everyone

The editorial talks about the need to bridge the digital divide, for everyone to access the same economic opportunities.

Fast emerging trends:

At present times, technology plays a major role in our day to day lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the influence of technology in our lives.

• Things can be bought and sold online.
• Quality access to education is possible, online.
• Quality access to healthcare, government services is possible online.
• Payment gateways enable cashless transactions.
• Verifications and signatures are digitised.

Even amidst this pandemic, technology enables some of us to stay within the safety of our homes, survive and even thrive.

Digital divide:

• A substantial section of the population, including the urban poor, the elderly and those in remote areas, find themselves marginalised and isolated because of their inability to navigate the digital space.
• They find themselves unable to get access to health and welfare alerts, critical services.
• It is difficult for such people to engage in upskilling or learning, or take part in economic activities due to the persistent digital divide.

Government initiatives to bridge the digital divide:

• In 2011, the Indian Government launched the National Optical Fibre Network project for providing broadband connectivity to 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats.
• In 2015, the programme was renamed Bharat Net and integrated into the government’s Digital India initiative.
• It included plans for tying up with and subsidising 4G telecom operators for setting up 700,000 Wi-Fi hotspots spread across each of our villages for last-mile connectivity.
• The Punjab Government has started distributing 1.75 lakh free smartphones to its students.

Issues:

• In 2016, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution that declared Internet access as a human right. This hasn’t translated into affirmative governmental action.
• Despite various initiatives by the government, the rate of Internet penetration still stands at 50%.

Way forward:

• Internet connectivity has to be ensured in our remotest areas by accelerating the deployment of additional optical fibres, wireless technology, drones and satellites.
• Community access points have to be installed in every nook and corner to ensure that even those who lack their own devices can access the digital space.
• Many more initiatives of distribution of subsidised smart devices along with low-cost data plans to lower-income groups are needed.
• The National Education Policy 2020 advocates greater integration of technology. However, India still lacks a concrete roadmap for ICT training in various proficiency levels for our diverse population segments.
• The post-COVID world will be more digitised than before. Those with the ability to navigate the digital landscape would get more economic opportunities and receive more avenues of social mobility than others.
• Therefore, it should be a priority to ensure basic digital literacy and Internet connectivity for all citizens.

Category: ECONOMY

1. Making agricultural market reforms successful

Context:

The recent reforms in agricultural marketing have brought a sea change in policy. Consistency in Central policy, complementary reforms and a collaborative Centre-State approach are necessary for making agricultural market reforms successful.

This topic has been covered in the Editorials Segment of 17^th May 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis and 17^th August 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. The uncharted territory of outer space

The editorial covers outer space vision, challenges involved and the need for a space legislation.

Outer space for technology demonstrations:

• Russia’s Sputnik and the U.S.’s Apollo 11 were metaphors of geopolitical competition.
• India’s Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan were symbols of national pride.

Issue:

• The author opines that, in the present times, outer space no longer captures our mind space in the way cyberspace does.
• However, several space events planned well in advance have proceeded amidst the COVID-19 pandemic without much attention, all of which portray a trend that outer space is witnessing cluttered new activities.
  • The launch of missions to Mars by China and the U.S. along with the UAE’s Mars orbiter.
  • The first astronaut trip to orbit on a commercial enterprise built by Space X.
  • The completion of the Chinese ‘BeiDou’ satellite navigation system.

Growth of the space industry

• Technological changes augur well for the peaceful use of outer space. The price tag for reaching low Earth orbit has declined by a factor of 20 in a decade.
  • In a decade, the cost could be less than $100 per kg.
  • It not only enhances human space travel possibilities by leveraging new commercial capabilities but will usher in applications dismissed earlier as science fiction.
• According to a Bank of America Report, the $350 billion space market today will touch $2.7 trillion by 2050.
• Space industries are likely to follow a path akin to the software industry. In a decade, 80,000 satellites could be in space compared to less than 3,000 at present.
• Starlink, the constellation being constructed by SpaceX to provide global Internet access, plans more than 10,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit.
  • It hopes to transcend the digital divide and provide everyone, everywhere access to services such as distance education and telemedicine.
• Amazon’s Project Kuiper received U.S. Federal Communications Commission approvals for more than 3,000 micro-satellites.
• Space could prove attractive for high-tech manufacturing too. In short, an exciting new platform is opening up for entrepreneurs.

However, what is technologically feasible is not easily achievable. The challenges to fulfilling the potential of space are many.

Challenges in fulfilling potential:

Framework for its governance is becoming obsolescent:

• This challenge arises as the outer space is becoming democratised, commercialised and crowded.
• The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 enshrines the idea that space should be “the province of all mankind” and “not subject to national appropriation by claims of sovereignty”.
• The Rescue Agreement, Space Liability Convention, and the Space Registration Convention expanded provisions of the Outer Space Treaty.
• The Moon Treaty of 1979 was not ratified by major space-faring nations.
• Space law does not have a dispute settlement mechanism, is silent on collisions and debris, and offers insufficient guidance on interference with others’ space assets.
• These gaps heighten the potential for conflict in an era of congested orbits and breakneck technological change.

Non-state entities in the fray for commercial space exploration and utilisation:

• While non-state entities are taking part in space exploration and utilisation, the legal framework is state-centric, placing responsibility on states alone.
• Some states are providing frameworks for resource recovery through private enterprises based on the notion that this is not expressly forbidden for non-state actors.
• The lack of alignment of domestic and international normative frameworks risks a damaging free-for-all competition for celestial resources involving actors outside the space framework.

Space arms race:

• States are investing in military space systems for communications, navigation, and reconnaissance purposes, so as to ensure the operability of a range of capabilities.
• So investment in technologies that can disrupt or destroy space-based capabilities is underway.
• The space arms race is difficult to curb, especially since almost all space technologies have military applications.
  • For example, satellite constellations are commercial but governments could acquire their data to monitor military movements.
• The current geopolitical situation does not hold hope for addressing concerns of a space arms race.
  • The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space since 1982.
  • Chinese- and Russian-backed Treaty proposals were initiated in 2008 and updated in 2014.
  • The EU’s International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities has not gained traction.
  • For various legal, technical, and political reasons these have not advanced at the Conference on Disarmament. Groups of Governmental Experts have not helped in making progress.

Way forward – the Indian context:

• India has invested enormous resources in its space programme through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• More importantly, space assets are crucial for India’s development.
• India’s future plans are ambitious. The plans are designed to establish India as a major space-faring nation by the end of the decade. These include :
  • landing on the Moon
  • the first Indian solar observatory
  • the first crewed orbital spaceflight mission
  • installation of a modular space station in 2030.
• The proposed involvement of private players and the creation of an autonomous body IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) under the Department of Space for permitting and regulating activities of the private sector are welcome efforts.
• However, the space environment that India faces requires us to go beyond meeting technical milestones.
• There is a need for a space legislation enabling coherence across technical, legal, commercial, diplomatic and defence goals.
• India’s space vision also needs to address global governance, regulatory and arms control issues.

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Pulikkali:

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to UMANG App:

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to Export Preparedness Index 2020:

Q4. Greece is bordered by which of the following countries?

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. What are the challenges posed by the growing global space industry? Discuss the various aspects that India needs to consider while formulating its space vision. (GS 3 Science and Technology) (15 Marks, 250 Words)
2. The post COVID world would be more digitised than before. In this backdrop, India should make it a priority to ensure basic digital literacy and Internet connectivity for all the citizens. Elucidate. (15 Marks, 250 Words).

Read the previous CNA here.