August 30th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. India, Russia to expand Central Asia ties: envoy C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. ‘Oil palm plan is a recipe for disaster’ 2. NITI bats for tax breaks to achieve monetisation goal D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials GOVERNANCE 1. Towards a more humane police force ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 1. A fine line F. Prelims Facts 1. Hurricane Ida strikes U.S. G. Tidbits 1. China to require foreign vessels to report in ‘territorial waters’ 2. Rape and insensitivity 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. India, Russia to expand Central Asia ties: envoy
Context:
- The article analyzes the robust defence ties between India and Russia.
Details:
Major defence supplier:
- India may have seen a strategic tilt towards the US in the last decade, but Russia continues to be a large supplier of defence equipment to India.
- India went ahead and finalized the S-400 air defence system deal with Russia despite the threat of sanctions from the U.S. under the CAATSA regime.
Collaboration in defence production:
- Unlike the seller-buyer relationship that India enjoys with other defence suppliers, Russia has also been involved in large scale technology transfer and joint development ventures with India in the realm of defence technology.
- India and Russia are exploring possibilities of cooperation and collaboration in using India as a production base for exporting to third countries of Russian-origin equipment and services.
2+2 mechanism:
- India and Russia have agreed to establish a “2+2 ministerial dialogue” between foreign and defence ministers to add further momentum to the bilateral strategic partnership.
- Russia now has become part of a small group of countries with whom India has a 2+2 dialogue of foreign and defence ministers. India has such a mechanism with the US, Japan and Australia.
- What is significant is Russia is the first non-Quad member country with which India will now have the 2+2 mechanism.
Military exercises:
- India and Russia have been undertaking periodic bilateral exercises (Exercise INDRA) to strengthen mutual confidence and interoperability between the armed forces and enable sharing of best practices between the contingents of both countries.
- India and Russia are also seeking to expand cooperation in Central Asia and the possibility of supplementing bilateral exercises with trilateral and multilateral ones.
Proposed agreements:
- India and Russia are expected to conclude the bilateral logistics agreement, Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), and a Navy-to-Navy cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the upcoming Russian Defence Minister’s visit to India.
Cooperation on Afghan issue:
- India and Russia have also agreed to cooperate and align their approaches to the possible threats of the rise of extremist ideology, drug trafficking, organized crime and the flow of refugees that could arise from the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan.
For more related information, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 25, 2021: Modi, Putin discuss crisis in Afghanistan
C. GS 3 Related
1. ‘Oil palm plan is a recipe for disaster’
Background:
- The Centre plans to promote oil palm plantations in the northeastern states and Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
- NMEO-OP hopes to increase oil palm acreage by an additional 6.5 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and grow production of crude palm oil to 11.2 lakh tonnes by 2025-26 and up to 28 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.
For detailed information on the NMEO-OP, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 19, 2021: Centre to boost oil palm farming
Concerns:
- Prior experience of oil palm plantations in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka point to the concerns associated with large scale oil palm cultivation and warn against promoting them in the northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Impact on the ecology of the region:
- Environmental experts have warned that the adoption of large scale oil palm plantations might lead to the clearance of pristine forest areas in the specified regions. This would lead to widespread destruction of rainforests and native biodiversity. The regions being “biodiversity hotspots and ecologically fragile” makes the proposal all the more worrisome given that the new oil palm plantations could denude forest cover and destroy the habitat of endangered wildlife.
- The palm is an exotic species and it is not a natural forest product of northeastern India and could result in some unforeseen impact on the local biodiversity. Monoculture plantations are not desirable in such areas.
- Oil palm has shown signs of becoming an invasive species threatening native plants and animals in countries like Sri Lanka.
- Notably, the Supreme Court in a 2002 order had directed that existing plantations, whether of oil palm, rubber or teak, should be phased out and the land should be regenerated to its natural profile without any further introduction of exotic species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The crop requires high pesticide use in areas where it is not a native crop. This would have a detrimental impact in terms of chemical pollution in the region and could also lead to consumer health concerns.
Unsuitability for small farmers:
- Oil palm has a long gestation period and involves huge investments.
- The high levels of investment and the long wait for high returns make oil palm cultivation unviable for small farmers and suitable only for large corporate investors. This does not suit India’s unique characteristic of the preponderance of small and marginal farmers in the agricultural sector.
- Small cultivators would continue to be dependent on heavy government support.
Impact on tribal land ownership:
- The specified areas being predominantly tribal areas, the promotion of large plantations could impact the community ownership of tribal lands.
Water intensive crop:
- Oil palm is a water-guzzling crop. It requires almost 300 litres of water per tree per day.
- Large scale plantations could lead to the fast depletion of water resources in the region.
Possible impact on the local economy:
- The replacement of existing rubber, teak and coconut plantations by oil palm plantations had resulted in some economic consequences in Sri Lanka. As compared to oil palm plantations, rubber and coconut plantations offer higher employment generating capacity which becomes critical to the local economy. This gains prominence in the light of reports of a number of rubber farmers in Kerala showing interest in switching to oil palm.
Counter arguments:
Higher productivity of oil palm:
- The land productivity for palm oil is higher than that for oilseeds, i.e., the production of palm oil from one hectare is far greater than the production of other oilseeds like groundnut, mustard or sunflower.
- This makes it inevitable to adopt oil palm to fill the huge gap in production versus demand of edible oils.
- Palm oil currently makes up about 55% of India’s edible oil imports.
No fresh clearance of forest lands:
- Notably, of the recommended 28 lakh hectares targeted for oil palm cultivation across the country, only 9 lakh hectares are in the northeastern States. Also, the land identified for oil palm plantations in the northeastern States is already cleared for cultivation and thus there would be no new deforestation exercise for the oil palm plantations.
Land availability:
- According to a feasibility report prepared by the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) for oil palm cultivation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, apart from reviving existing oil palm plantations in the Katchal and Little Andaman Island, new plantations could be planned in the grasslands, which make up more than 75% of the land area of Little Andaman, Katchal, Baratang, Kamorta and Teressa.
- The existing grass in the islands is not of any use and is being burnt every year to avoid snakebites. Thus the oil palm plantations will ensure better usage of the land resources without any adverse ecological impact.
- The soil available in the focus regions is also found to be suitable for oil palm plantation.
Climatic suitability:
- Besides the availability of land in the focus regions, the suitability of climate is a major factor for the promotion of oil palm in the northeastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The hot and humid climatic conditions available in these regions make it an ideal location for palm oil cultivation. The high rainfall in the region will help do away with the need for irrigation which could otherwise suck out valuable groundwater resources.
Adoption of suitable agricultural pattern:
- Given the concerns over the unsuitability of oil palm plantations for small scale farmers, the IIOPR suggests multi-cropping during the first three years of the oil palm’s life cycle which would help provide income before the plantation yields returns from the fourth to seventh years.
Recommendations:
Mitigating environmental and economic consequences:
- While the focus on oil palm cultivation is a welcome move towards ensuring self-reliance for edible oil, there is the need to proceed on the basis of cautious scientific analysis. The concerns over the ecological and economic consequences of oil palm plantations should be appropriately taken care of.
Promotion of other dryland cultivation suitable oilseeds:
- Some experts have also proposed the extension of similar subsidies and support to other oilseeds which are indigenous to India and suited for dryland agriculture like groundnut, sesame and sunflower. This they argue can help India achieve self-reliance without dependence on oil palm.
Additional information:
- The state of Andhra Pradesh currently grows more than 90% of India’s oil palm.
2. NITI bats for tax breaks to achieve monetisation goal
Context:
- In the light of the recently unveiled National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), the NITI Aayog has come up with a list of prescriptions to make the NMP a success.
For detailed information on the provisions of the NMP, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 24, 2021: FM unveils Rs. 6 lakh-cr. asset monetisation plan
Details:
- The government plans to use the Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) route to monetise public assets under the NMP given the suitability of the InvITs and REITs model.
- InvITs give investors an opportunity to invest in infrastructure assets with predictable cash flows, while the asset owners can raise resources from those assets, which in turn can be deployed in new assets or used to repay debt.
Prescriptions made by NITI Aayog:
- Appropriate policy and regulatory changes to scale up InvITs and REITs need to be focussed upon. This would provide an impetus to expand the investor base of InvITs and REITs.
- Tax-efficient and user-friendly mechanisms like allowing tax benefits in InvITs will help attract investors to these instruments.
- The government should give Income Tax breaks on capital gains to attract retail investors into InvITs And REITs. Though this will entail a cost in the form of loss of revenue for the exchequer, the long-term benefits of infrastructure development and economic growth may outweigh the cost.
- Investment instruments like InvITs should be included under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. This will give added comfort to investors planning to invest in InvITs as extending IBC provisions to InvITs would help lenders access a faster and more effective debt restructuring and resolution option.
- Currently, InvIT structures are not considered a ‘legal person’ and cannot be brought under IBC proceedings.
- Provisions for a robust resolution process would be crucial to ensure retail investor safety in NMP.
For more related information on measures to be taken to ensure proper implementation and effectiveness of the NMP, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 29, 2021: Why is there a push for asset monetisation?
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Towards a more humane police force
Context:
- Recently, the Chief Justice of India had expressed concern at the degree of human rights violations in police stations in the country despite the existing constitutional guarantees.
- The CJI had noted that the threat to human rights and bodily integrity was the highest in police stations.
For more information on this topic, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 9, 2021: Human rights at risk in police stations: CJI
Background:
Custodial deaths:
- As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, though the number of custodial deaths varies year to year, on average, about 100 custodial deaths have taken place every year between 2010 and 2019.
- Custodial death is the demise of an individual when he is detained or when he is under the custody of the Police Authorities.
- Of the 100 average cases, about 3.5 persons allegedly died due to injuries caused by policemen and can be attributed to custodial violence.
Countering custodial violence:
- The article discusses some of the measures that can help in addressing the issue of custodial violence and help improve the human rights protection regime in police stations.
Reducing arrests:
- The most important measure to reduce instances of custodial violence would be to reduce the number of arrests. This would help reduce the chances of violence in custody.
- Despite clearly defined laws and judicial precedents (Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar, 2014) which mandate arrest only in certain circumstances, the police have resorted to unnecessary arrests at times.
- The Supreme Court in a recent judgment held that each arrest must be necessary and justified and that having the authority to arrest is alone not sufficient.
For more information on this development, refer to the following article:
CNA dated Aug 21, 2021: Arrest is not always a must, says Supreme Court
Separating investigative and law and order wings:
- The investigative functions and the maintenance of law and order functions of the police should be clearly demarcated and preferably separate forces should be allocated. The separate investigative wing will do more professional investigation and will not use unwarranted methods like torture to extract a confession from the accused.
- This has been recommended by various commissions and committees as well like the National Police Commission (1977-81), the Law Commission in its 154th report (1996) and the Malimath Committee Report (2003) and even the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006).
- Adequately resourced investigative wing in terms of human resources, funding and infrastructure can help bridge the large gap in demand and availability of investigative officers.
Implementation of guidelines issued in D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1996) case:
- The judgment in the D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1996) marks a landmark in the fight against custodial violence.
- The Supreme Court had laid down guidelines to check custodial torture and increase transparency and responsibility of the police officer effecting an arrest.
- Mandatory providing of information to a friend or relative about the arrest
- Compulsory medical examination
- Permission to meet a lawyer
- The right implementation of these guidelines will go a long way in addressing the issue of custodial violence.
Installation of CCTV cameras:
- The lack of effective legal representation at police stations leads to a lack of accountability on the part of the police officers and this becomes a huge detriment to arrested or detained persons.
- Installation of CCTV cameras in police stations will help in checking the violation of human rights in police stations. Mandatory storage facility of audio-video recording for 18 months must be ensured.
- An independent committee could study the footage and periodically publish reports of its observations.
Punishment to the guilty:
- The police officers guilty of custodial violence must be punished severely after a thorough and time-bound judicial inquiry. A swift and severe punishment will act as a deterrent to police officers.
Educating the police force:
- The police officers must be sensitised regularly on the issue of custodial violence and be encouraged to employ scientific tools of interrogation like the lie detection test, narco test and brain fingerprinting test.
- Brain fingerprinting is a lie detection technique that uses electroencephalography (EEG) to determine whether specific information is stored in a subject’s brain.
- The installation of display boards on human rights to disseminate information about the constitutional right to legal aid and the availability of free legal aid services may deter police excesses.
Category: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
1. A fine line
In the light of the Environment Ministry’s affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that it has permitted seven hydroelectric power projects in the state of Uttarakhand to go ahead, the article analyzes the concerns associated with hydroelectric power projects in the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas and calls for a fine balance between development needs and environmental sustainability.
This issue has been comprehensively discussed in the following article:
CNA dated Aug 29, 2021: Why are hydropower projects in the Himalayas risky?
F. Prelims Facts
- Hurricane Ida after having gathered force on its approach through the warm waters of the Gulf has made landfall on the coast of Louisiana as a powerful Category 4 storm.
- Hurricane Ida could be the most powerful storm to hit the state since 1850 giving rise to concerns over the effectiveness of the levee systems in place to address the challenge of waterlogging.
- The levee systems include a network of pumps, gates and earthen and concrete berms that were expanded after Hurricane Katrina.
G. Tidbits
1. China to require foreign vessels to report in ‘territorial waters’
- In a move that could have ramifications for the free passage of both military and commercial vessels in the South China Sea, Chinese authorities have stated that a specified range of vessels will have to report specified information when passing through China claimed territorial waters of the South China Sea.
- Indian commercial vessels, as well as ships of the Indian Navy, regularly traverse the waters of the South China Sea. About 55% of India’s trade passes through the South China Sea waters and the Malacca Straits.
- The “nine dash line” based on which China claims vast tracts of the South China Sea is deemed by most countries as being inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which only gives states the right to establish a territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles.
- Also, the new announcement would be inconsistent with UNCLOS, which states that ships of all countries enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
- The gang-rape of an MBA student in Mysuru and the subsequent events have brought to light not only the issue of violence against women but also the sexist and misogynist attitude of society.
- According to the latest records available with the National Crime Records Bureau, a rape occurs every 16 minutes in India.
- Sexist, misogynist, survivor-blaming remarks have invariably followed instances of violence against women in Indian society. The victims are often blamed for wearing supposedly improper clothing and staying out late.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. POSHAN Abhiyaan is the Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for which of the following sections of the society?
- Adolescent Girls
- Children
- Disabled
- Pregnant women and lactating mothers
- Senior Citizens
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition or POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission is the Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls and pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- The POSHAN Abhiyaan directs the attention of the country towards the problem of malnutrition and addresses it in a mission mode.
Q2. India entered into Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) with which among the following countries?
- Japan
- Australia
- USA
- Russia
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- As part of the efforts to further deepen the defence cooperation between India and Russia, India and Russia are expected to conclude the bilateral logistics agreement, Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) during the upcoming Russian Defence Minister’s visit to India.
- This means Indian ships or aircraft can now use Russian ports or airfields without having to take permission or make immediate payments. India has already signed a similar agreement with the USA. The LEMOA or the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement between India and the United States was signed in 2016.
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
- It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- CBI derives power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
- The Director of CBI has been provided security of two-year tenure, by the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
- The CBI is not a statutory body. It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
- The Director of CBI has been provided security of two-year tenure in office by the CVC Act, 2003.
Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to the South China Sea:
- It is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
- It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
- The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by the Philippines, China, and Taiwan.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The South China Sea is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
- The South China Sea is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
- The Scarborough Shoal located in the disputed South China Sea is claimed by the Philippines, China, and Taiwan.
Q5. Who among the following Mughal emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to the album and individual portraits? [UPSC 2019]
- Humayun
- Akbar
- Jahangir
- Shah Jahan
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- During Akbar’s reign, many manuscripts were illustrated, the prominent being Razmnamah, the Persian translation of Mahabharata. It was during Jahangir’s reign that manuscripts became less important and individual portraits became more prominent.
- Jahangir shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to the album and individual portraits.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Infrastructure development and eco-conservation should go hand-in-hand. Discuss in the context of proposed infrastructure development in the Himalayan region. (15 marks, 250 words)(GS Paper 3/Environment and Ecology)
- Women’s security must not be predicated on restrictions of their rights and freedoms. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words) (GS Paper 2/Governance)
Read the previous CNA here.
August 30th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here
Comments