CNA 20 Dec 2021:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY 1. Questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Six nations call for ‘immediate’ aid for Afghans C. GS 3 Related ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. Thar desert expanding fast with land degradation, finds study D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. Can India become a technology leader? INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Testing the red lines in the Iran nuclear talks F. Prelims Facts 1. Defence in the sea 2. Goa never forgot its Indianness: Modi 3. Bridge with a life G. Tidbits 1. Priority for Bill on voter ID-Aadhaar link 2. Sri Lanka arrests 55 Indian fishermen 3. What kept cybersecurity busy in 2021? H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. Questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission
Topic: Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies
Prelims: Election Commission of India- Constitutional provisions, composition, functions and powers
Mains: Concerns/challenges with the functioning of the ECI
Context:
- The informal meeting between Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister have raised questions of propriety.
Election Commission of India:
- The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election process in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
- As per Article 324 of the Indian Constitution, the superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission.
- The important functions of the commission include deciding the election schedules, preparing electoral roll, issuing Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC), granting recognition to political parties, allotting election symbols, issuing the Model Code of Conduct in election for political parties and candidates, setting limits of campaign expenditure and also monitoring of the same.
- Originally the commission had only one election commissioner but after the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body. The commission currently consists of one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
Concerns:
- The meeting has raised questions about the functioning of the Commission. It has raised questions about the neutrality and independent functioning of the Commission.
- The three ECs are expected to maintain distance from the executive, a constitutional safeguard to insulate the commission from external pressure and allow it to continue as an independent authority.
- Over the last couple of years, several actions of the commission have come under criticism. It is blamed of overlooking various instances of violations of the model code of conduct during the various Elections. The Commission’s belated decision in banning election campaigns in the midst of the pandemic came under severe criticism.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Six nations call for ‘immediate’ aid for Afghans
Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Prelims: International North South Transport Corridor
Mains: Potential/Significance of the relationship with Central Asian Nations; Challenges and recommendations
Context:
- The third India-Central Asia dialogue, hosted by Indian External Affairs Minister saw participation from the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Details:
Afghan issue:
- The six nations shared common concerns and objectives in Afghanistan.
- The participating ministers noted the broad ‘regional consensus’ on the issues related to Afghanistan like the formation of a representative and inclusive government in Afghanistan, preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups, combating terrorism and drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
- Notably none of the countries recognise the Taliban. While Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have reopened their missions in Kabul and also exchanged ministerial-level visits with Kabul, like Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan has taken a strong stand against the Taliban.
- The joint statement noted the importance of providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people
Bilateral ties:
- The dialogue involved discussions on how to increase links between Central Asian countries and India in terms of connectivity and trade relations.
- Noting Pakistan’s block on land trade from India, the countries proposed making use of the sea route via India-run terminal at the Chabahar port in Iran and the International North South Transit Corridor that goes via the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
- International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), is multi-modal transportation established for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States. This corridor connects India Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via the Islamic Republic of Iran and then is connected to St. Petersburg and North Europe via the Russian Federation.
- The dialogue also decided to explore establishing joint working groups to address issues of free movement of goods and services between India and Central Asian countries.
C. GS 3 Related
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Thar desert expanding fast with land degradation, finds study
Topic: Environmental Degradation
Prelims: UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Mains: Desertification- Causes and concerns
Context:
- The study on desertification of Thar region conducted by the Central University of Rajasthan as part of an assessment of the environmentally sensitive areas within the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
- The Thar desert is the world’s ninth largest hot subtropical desert.
Details:
- The scientists studied the climate and vegetation in Thar to understand the desertification process.
- Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, collectively known as drylands, resulting from factors, including both human activities and climatic variations.
- Desertification leads to loss of biological productivity of soils as a result of which fertile areas become increasingly arid.
- The study notes the fast eastward expansion of the Thar desert in India.
Contributing factors:
- In general, desertification is caused by variations in climate and by unsustainable land-management practices in dryland environments.
- The over-exploitation of resources had led to reduction in vegetation cover in the areas adjacent to the Thar desert, contributing to its expansion beyond four districts in western Rajasthan.
- The destruction of the Aravali ranges due to unregulated and unsustainable mining operations is a major factor contributing to the desertification in the region. The Aravali hills acts as a ‘natural green wall’ between the desert and the plains.
- Climate change also seems to be contributing to the spread of arid region. The changes in the rainfall pattern, higher temperatures is aiding the spread of sand dunes beyond their traditional regions.
Concerns:
- The degradation of land is posing a threat to the desert ecology and the flora and fauna of the region.
- The failure to control the spread of sand dunes will have an impact on the Aravali ranges’ northern part as an ecotonal area, acting as transition zone between the ecological systems. Notably, this region supports a large population.
- The increasing desertification will result in sandstorms from the desert travelling as far as the National Capital Region (NCR) in the years to come. The sandstorms will also become more intense with the erosion of the Aravali’s. Also the suspended particles from the arid region are contributing to air pollution in NCR.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Can India become a technology leader?
Context:
- India is presently not a major player in the field of technology due to certain challenges and on the other side, there are many celebrated Indian technologists around the world as many of the technology giants choose an India-born techie as their leader.
- The conversation around Indian executives at the helm of top tech companies has gathered some momentum with Parag Agrawal taking over as Twitter CEO. The major technology companies like Google and its parent company Alphabet, Microsoft and Twitter, Adobe and IBM are all headed by Indians.
The Case of the U.S:
- The Indian immigrants in the U.S are the part of the most educated and professionally accomplished communities in that country.
- As of 2019, there were 2.7 million Indian immigrants in the U.S.
- The government of the U.S has been instrumental in the triumphs of enterprise and the free market.
- The governmental agencies have been actively supporting the research and developments which carry a higher risk and thus the private sector would not enter into those.
- Google’s success and discovery of the molecular antibodies are some of the successful results of such government fundings.
The strategies of China:
- China marked its dominance on the global market by combining the strengths of the public sector, markets and globalisation.
- It restructured the state-owned enterprises which were seen as inefficient.
- The state-owned enterprises strategically participated in the technologically dynamic industries such as electronics and machinery.
- The state retreated from light manufacturing and export-oriented sectors, leaving the field open for the private sector.
The Case of India:
- The starting pitch for the development goals for industry and technology was rightly put as there were industry-oriented objectives in the Indian Planning in the early 1950s.
- There was public sector funding of the latest technologies including space and atomic research.
- The era of globalisation required greater efforts to strengthen the technological capabilities of the country.
- But the spending on research and development as a proportion of GDP declined in India from 0.85% in 1990-91 to 0.65% in 2018.
- The spending on research and development as a proportion of GDP has increased over the years in China and South Korea.
Favourable Factors For India:
- India has the potential to become a leading nation in the field of technology by the right recognition and strengthening of the supply and demand factors.
- India has the highest enrollment for tertiary education after China.
- The tertiary education enrollment in India was 35.2 million in 2019.
- As per the UNESCO data, India has one of the highest graduates from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programmes as a proportion of all graduates.
- India is a potential market for all kinds of new technologies with the increasing internet consumption across the nation.
- India will soon have twice the number of Internet users as the U.S.
Challenges for India:
- The educational infrastructure for higher studies poses certain challenges with respect to quality and accessibility.
- The domestic industry has not yet managed to derive the benefits of the large consumer base of India.
- Also, India is operating far below its potential in sectors like electronic manufacturing.
- India is also highly dependent on imports for electronic goods and components.
Suggestive measures:
- As India accounts for one of the highest tertiary education enrolments, the universities and public institutions in the country should be strengthened to deepen and broaden India’s technological capabilities.
- The public spending on education should be increased to improve the quality of and access to higher education.
- A strengthened public sector will create more opportunities for private businesses and widen the entrepreneurial base.
- The PSUs should be valued for their long-term contributions to economic growth and asset building for the nation.
- The government should be more versatile for increasing the business participation of private industries.
- For example, an initiative like ‘ Make in India’ needs to be more comprehensive than a singular focus on ease of doing business.
- The domestic markets should be categorically strengthened to avail the advantages of a large consumer base for the technology sector.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Testing the red lines in the Iran nuclear talks
Context:
- With the new government taking over Iran, after the recently concluded presidential elections, nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 nations have resumed in Vienna.
Background:
- In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed between Iran and P5+1 nations (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; plus Germany). Accordingly, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear stockpile and in return, the USA and its allies agreed to lift economic sanctions placed on Iran.
- However, In 2018, the USA under Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from JCPOA and reimposed economic sanctions on Iran, leading to resumption of efforts by Iran to increase its nuclear stockpile and uranium enrichment to exceed the JCPOA limit.
Stand of Iran and USA:
- Both parties are trying to bargain hard with each other, with no one agreeing to back first.
- Iran wants economic sanctions on it to be lifted first but the US wants Iran to reduce enrichment of uranium and accept full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections and thereafter economic sanctions will be lifted.
- Iran, like North Korea, is trying to strengthen its economic relations with Russia and China to reduce the impact of economic sanctions by the USA.
- USA has no direction of dealing with Iran, with President Joe Biden not commiting to lift sanctions during his tenure.
- These factors have created an impasse between the two nations, reducing the chances of success of Vienna talks.
Stand of European Countries:
- Till now there has not been much participation by European countries.
- However, Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General/Political Director, European External Action Service is positive about the talks that have been resumed.
- He is of the view that the USA and European side should take care of the new political situation in Iran.
- However, it seems that Europeans want to salvage the deal as soon as possible as Iran has enhanced its effort to enrich uranium.
- At the same time, they do not want to act as forceful mediators as Russia and China are on Iran’s side.
China’s Stand:
- China has sided with Iran stating that the USA has done injustice to Iran and in this the Europeans have helped them, terming the whole saga as “nuclear hypocrisy” of the West.
- While the Iranian negotiators are saying that time is running out for the US to negotiate successfully, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said the same for Iran, that time is running out of Iran’s hand to renegotiate the deal.
- However, Blinken is positive about the deal and said it is not too late for Iran.
Iran’s Stand:
- In the Vienna talks, Iran has come up with a new general nuclear strategy.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei arguments have centered around complete upliftment of sanctions imposed by US and its allies and now the newly elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has stated that nothing is agreed on unless everything has been agreed on.
- It seems that Iranian government is trying to fructify its expanding nuclear programme to get maximum concessions from the international community, without paying significant costs.
- This has reduced the chances for success of the nuclear deal.
- IAEA is nervous about the continuing efforts being made by Iran to pursue 20% uranium enrichment at the underground Fordow facility.
Israel’s Stand:
- Israel is trying its best to project Iran as a serious nuclear threat in front of the USA and European governments.
- Former Israeli Defence Minister, Moshe Ya’alon has stated the decision of Trump’s administration to quit the JCPOA as a big mistake.
- However, the current Prime minister of Israel has stated that the mistake made in the 2015 nuclear deal won’t be repeated again.
- He has also asked the USA to adopt a different approach to thwart Iran’s nuclear enrichment of Iran.
F. Prelims Facts
- Mormugao, the Indian Navy’s second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class is set to be commissioned in mid-2022.
- INS Visakhapatnam is the first indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class.
2. Goa never forgot its Indianness: Modi
- 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Goa from Portugal, in 1961.
- Operation Vijay was the military action by which India liberated the territories of Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule in 1961.
- The jing kieng jri or living root bridges are bridges built by weaving and manipulating the roots of the Indian rubber tree (ficus trees). These living roots bridges are primarily a means to cross streams and rivers.
- They are made by the Khasi and Jaintia peoples of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong Plateau,
G. Tidbits
1. Priority for Bill on voter ID-Aadhaar link
- The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to link electoral rolls to Aadhaar to establish identity
- The Bill allows electoral registration officers to ask for the Aadhaar of applicants for registration as voters and also of persons already included in the electoral roll for the purposes of authentication of entries in electoral roll
- This is meant to curb the menace of multiple enrolment of the same person in different places.
2. Sri Lanka arrests 55 Indian fishermen
- The Sri Lankan Navy has seized eight Indian fishing vessels and arrested 55 fishermen on the charge of ‘illegal fishing’ in Sri Lankan territorial waters
- The issue has become recurrent with Sri Lankan Navy blaming the Indian fishermen for trespassing into Sri Lankan waters.
3. What kept cybersecurity busy in 2021?
- The recent years have seen numerous cyberattacks across industries and organisations. Hackers are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure systems and indulging in Ransomware attacks.
- India too witnessed numerous such cyberattacks including that on Air India and Cowin app. India witnessed over six lakh cyber security incidents in the first six months of 2021, as per the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
- The year also witnessed some major state-sponsored attacks. Chinese State-sponsored actors attacked India’s power sector.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Which of the given statements with respect to UN Convention to Combat Desertification is/are INCORRECT?
- It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.
- It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
- The Global Environment Facility (GEF) serves as a financial mechanism for UNCCD.
Options:
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
- It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21. As the dynamics of land, climate and biodiversity are intimately connected, the UNCCD collaborates closely with the other two Rio Conventions; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to meet these complex challenges with an integrated approach and the best possible use of natural resources.
- The Global Environment Facility (GEF) serves as a financial mechanism for UNCCD.
Q2. Which among the following was the first military exercise between Indian and Vietnamese armies?
- INVITEX
- LAMITIYE
- VINBAX
- Ekuverin
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- VINBAX is the military exercise between armies of India and Vietnam. It stands for India-Vietnam Bilateral Army Exercise.
Q3. Which of the following statements best describes “Operation Vijay”?
- A codename assigned to the Indian Air Force’s strike to support the ground troops in an Indian operation to push back the infiltrators from the Kargil sector.
- A codename given to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces to wrest control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
- A code name assigned to the military operation by which Republic of India took control of Portuguese Indian territories of Goa, Daman and Diu.
- A code name for the police operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the state of Hyderabad and annexed the state to the Indian Union.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Goa from Portugal, in 1961.
- Operation Vijay was the military action by which India liberated the territories of Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule in 1961.
Q4. Delft Island often seen in news is a part of:
- Vietnam
- Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Australia
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Delft island is in Sri Lanka. It was in news recently because some Indian fishermen were arrested close to the island by Sri Lankan navy for trespassing.
Q5. There has been a persistent deficit budget year after year. Which action/actions of the following can be taken by the Government to reduce the deficit?(UPSC 2016)
- Reducing revenue expenditure
- Introducing new welfare schemes
- Rationalizing subsidies
- Reducing import duty
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Reducing revenue expenditure and Rationalizing subsidies will help reduce expenditure from the government. This will help reduce the budget deficit of the government.
- The introduction of new welfare schemes will entail new expenditure on the government. Also reducing import duty will reduce government revenue. Hence these two measures will actually contribute to increasing the budget deficit of the government rather than decrease it.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Despite India having the potential to become technological powerhouse, it is beset with challenges. Discuss the steps to be undertaken to foster an environment for innovation. (15 Marks, 250 Words)[GS-3, Science and Technology]
- Has the Election Commission’s independence been diluted? Critically Analyse. Also, suggest measures to insulate the commission from the influence of the political executive. (15 Marks, 250 Words)[GS-2, Polity]
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CNA 20 Dec 2021:- Download PDF Here
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