CNA 04 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. What Russia hopes to do by ratcheting up tensions with Ukraine C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. Extending the GST compensation D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. India’s rights record, America’s blinkered vision POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. Aiding in Governance F. Prelims Facts 1. ‘ISRO gearing up for multiple missions in year 2022’ G. Tidbits 1. ‘Jobless rate hit high of 7.9% in December’ 2. RBI approves small, offline e-payments 3. World powers vow to stop spread of nuclear weapons 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. What Russia hopes to do by ratcheting up tensions with Ukraine
Syllabus: Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries
Prelims: Organisation for Security and Co-operation; Location of countries in Europe
Mains: Concerns with rising tensions between Russia and the western powers over the Russian military build-up along the Ukrainian border
Background:
- Russia has been indulging in military build-up along its border with Ukraine, an aspiring NATO member. Russia has stated that its troop deployment is in response to NATO’s steady eastward expansion. Russia argues that its moves are aimed at protecting its own security considerations.
- Russia is believed to have amassed more than 1,00,000 troops along the border, prompting fears that it is planning to invade its neighbour.
- This has resulted in tensions between Russia and the West which have been supportive of Ukraine. The U.S. has assured Ukraine that it will “respond decisively” in case of an invasion by Russia.
Russia’s demands:
- Putting the onus of de-escalation on the West, Russia has put forward certain conditions that must be met before it considers scaling back its military mobilisations along the Ukrainian border.
- Russia has asked NATO to withdraw its forces from all countries in Europe that joined the alliance after May 1997. This would include Baltic countries like Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, central European states such as Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, and Balkan states such as Croatia and Slovenia.
- Russia also wants NATO to drop plans of any further ‘enlargement’ of its membership. This would mean NATO not accepting Ukraine and Georgia as members of NATO.
- Russia also demands that NATO must not hold drills in eastern Europe, (Ukraine and Georgia) without prior approval from Russia.
West’s response:
- The U.S and NATO officials have termed Russia’s proposals as being unrealistic. Their line of argument has been that countries like Ukraine and every other country are sovereign entities and thus have the right to determine their own foreign policy without outside interference and join whichever alliance they want.
- The west powers believe that Russia, by amassing troops at the Ukrainian border and upping tensions, is hoping to negotiate a regional security architecture directly with the U.S., bypassing the smaller European states. However, both the U.S. and NATO have indicated that they would consult with their European allies on any negotiations with Russia.
- Germany has also warned Russia that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be stopped if Russia were to invade Ukraine.
Recommendation:
- Diplomatic negotiations between Russia and the Western powers led by the U.S. seem to be the only way to try and work out a path towards de-escalation. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) can provide such a platform.
- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Most of its 57 participating countries are in Europe, but there are a few members present in Asia and North America. The participating states cover much of the land area of the Northern Hemisphere. It was created during the Cold War era as an East-West forum.
- The OSCE is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation.
Nut Graf
The rising tensions between Russia and the western powers over the Russian military build-up along the Ukrainian border threaten to disrupt peace and security not just in Europe but could also have a spillover impact on global geopolitics. The increasing isolation of Russia and China by the western powers and their increasing closeness threaten to adversely impact global peace and security.
C. GS 3 Related
1. Extending the GST compensation
Syllabus: Government Budgeting
Prelims: GST Compensation scheme – Provisions
Mains: Impact of revenue shortfall on state finances and its impact on the economic recovery of India in the post-pandemic phase.
Context:
- Ahead of the 46th meeting of the GST Council, Finance Ministers of several States have demanded the extension of the GST compensation scheme beyond June 2022, when it is set to expire.
Background:
GST compensation:
- The adoption of nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) was made possible by States ceding almost all their powers to impose local-level indirect taxes and agreeing to come under the GST framework.
- To address the concerns of any possible shortfall in revenue for the states, it was agreed that revenue shortfalls arising from the transition to the new indirect taxes regime would be compensated from a GST Compensation Fund which is to be funded through a compensation cess levied on some select ‘demerit’ goods.
- The computation of the revenue shortfall is done calculating the difference between revenue projections based on 14% compounded growth from the base year’s (2015-2016) revenue and the actual GST collections in a year.
- This compensation is to be paid for five years from the launch of the indirect tax regime in July 2017 to June 2022.
Arguments of the states:
- The states point out the widening gap between the actual revenues realised and the protected revenues guaranteed over the last few years.
- Their argument has been that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lower revenues for the states and also that the states are having to spend substantially more to address the ongoing public health emergency and also address its socio-economic fallout on the people. This has resulted in acute stress on the state’s finances and hence the need for extension of GST compensation.
- The states argue that at the time of the introduction of GST, the States had agreed to forego their fiscal autonomy with an assurance from the Union government that their revenues would be protected. Hence the Union government must ensure this by extending GST compensation.
Recommendations:
- Considering the adverse impact that financial stress in the states can have on the economic recovery process of India in the post-pandemic phase, the union government is well advised to extend the GST compensation scheme beyond the current deadline.
- Earlier in the face of inadequate resources in the GST Compensation fund to compensate the states for the revenue shortfall, the union government had borrowed ₹1.59 lakh crore and released it to the States and UTs. Instead of such an ad-hoc move, this time the Union government can move an amendment to the GST law to extend the GST compensation scheme.
- To fund the extension, the government can extend the compensation cess period. Notably, even now the compensation cess will continue to be levied well beyond the current fiscal year since the borrowings made in lieu of the shortfalls in the compensation fund would need to be met.
Nut Graf
GST collections account for a substantial share of the states’ revenues. The adverse impact of the pandemic on the Indian economy in general and state revenues, in particular, has affected the financial standing of the states, which if not addressed could adversely impact the economic recovery of India in the post-pandemic phase.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India’s rights record, America’s blinkered vision
Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
Mains: India-US Relations in a Changing Strategic Environment
Context:
This article talks about the recent developments in India-US relations.
India-US Relations in a Changing Strategic Environment
- The United States considers India to be a crucial ally and the sole recognised Major Defense Partner.
- In a very short period of time, India-US relations reached even higher heights.
- The US Administration has maintained its predecessors’ harsh stance toward China, ratcheting it up in several areas.
- The United States convened a virtual summit of Quad leaders, energizing a platform that had been lacking in direction.
- From India’s perspective, there are repercussions of a hastened withdrawal of American soldiers from the war-torn country Afghanistan on India in terms of security challenges.
Democratic Values in India-US Relations:
- The United States is understanding of India’s broad downgrades in indicators used to gauge democratic norms and human rights.
- The world’s two most powerful democratic powers are India and the United States. Both parties have highlighted the importance of common principles in strengthening India-US ties.
- The question of values sparked suspicion that Washington would try to exert pressure on New Delhi in response to perceived threats to India’s democratic fabric.
- In the unusual position of Chinese authoritarianism and Indian democracy, there have been doubts regarding India’s usefulness as a US ally in battling China.
- Experts argue that the US should not engage in India’s domestic affairs and have begun to argue that the US should confront the Indian administration more forcefully on problems of democracy and human rights.
Significant Aspects of India-US Relations:
- Threat of Sanctions:
- The United States should not dismiss the reality that a militarily robust India with Russian assistance can operate as a deterrent to China.
- Before threatening India with sanctions, the US, which is opposed to India’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, will have to recognise the two countries’ intimate defense ties.
- Human Rights Violations:
- According to the United States State Department’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices, India has “serious human rights concerns,” such as extrajudicial murders, violence against minorities, and so on.
- International Findings:
- Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index placed India at number 142.
- In the Open Doors World Watch List, India is listed fourth for ‘severe’ Christian persecution, behind Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
- The U.S. government has chosen to ignore all these findings to the dismay of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and activists due to the positioning of India as an indispensable partner for the US.
- World Media
- Third-world leaders like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Nigeria attempted to develop a competing media platform, but they lacked the resources and reach of the English-medium news ecosystem dominated by the West.
- The news in the world is filtered by a few western capitals, who may enjoy the United States and its allies ranting endlessly about opponents who humbly succumb to the diatribes.
Way Forward:
It’s paradoxical for the world’s oldest democracy like the US to adjudicate other people’s fundamental rights while itself experiencing democratic problems. Global efforts should be made to address important issues such as inequality, climate change, and arms control on the earth and in space.
Nut Graf
The routine flagging of human rights violations in other countries by the US-led West has got more to do with geopolitics than genuine concern for human rights. Such unwarranted criticism threatens to undo the significant advancements made in the India-US ties over the recent past.
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
Syllabus: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Mains: Significance of non-state actors in the development of a country.
Context:
This article examines how the collaborative effort of markets and the Government leads to the development of a country.
Aspects of Corporate Development
- Non-State Actors and Corporates:
- The corporates who are beyond a certain level of profits and turnover are required to pay at least 2% of their net profits before tax to the development space, as per Section 135 of the Companies Act.
- This law provides businesses with the push they need to work with non-state entities like NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs).
- Non-state players provide patient capital to business boardrooms while also assisting the government with social programmes.
- Patient capital is another name for long term capital. Patient capital refers to an investor’s willingness to put money into a business with no expectation of making a quick profit.
- This is a typical example of state-driven governance procedures encouraging non-state players to collaborate.
- Role of NGOs:
- NGOs and volunteer organizations have played an important role in empowering individuals to hold governments accountable.
- With the government declaring that any activity by a non-governmental organisation that is critical of the government is “anti-national,” the room for foreign funding has been limited.
- CSR Responsibility:
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding has become more important in providing much-needed support to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) as vital participants in non-state governance.
- Corporate companies and governments, especially in the years leading up to elections, are ambitious in their target-setting when it comes to CSR initiatives and flagship projects.
- Problem with Bureaucracy:
- Because their political superiors’ goalposts are continually shifting, the Indian bureaucratic elite lacks risk-taking and creativity.
- There’s also the fear of failure, which has the unintended result of non-risk-takers rising to the top of the chain.
What is the Significance of Non-State Actors?
- The non-state actor is the one who invents and develops new community involvement models. They also serve as a conduit for people’s demands to reach official institutions.
- Even in the face of disasters, NGOs and CSOs take on the heavy lifting to guarantee that programmes reach the last individual.
- Non-state actors relieve the state of a significant burden, allowing it to focus more on governance.
- On the field, NGOs and CSOs are most adapted for last-mile delivery of government programmes or execution of a corporate house’s CSR activities, thereby nudging one another toward a developmental state, thanks to their penetration.
- The CSR law has not only forced corporations to clean up their own mess, but it has also established a legal framework for corporations to collaborate with NGOs and CSOs.
Way Forward:
NGOs and CSOs in India will play a critical role in mobilizing public action to correct many wrongs, despite the government’s blatant opposition. They have the potential to contribute to better politics and government. Most significantly, they have the authority to function as crucial cogs in the wheel of effective government, rather than merely as actors who must ride off into the sunset once their duty is done.
Nut Graf
The NGOs and the corporate sector play an important part in the development process of a country like India. It is vital for the government to synergise and work together with them.
F. Prelims Facts
1. ‘ISRO gearing up for multiple missions in year 2022’
XpoSat:
- The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite is an ISRO planned space observatory to study the polarization of cosmic X-rays. It aims to study various dynamics of astronomical sources in extreme conditions. XPoSat will study the 50 brightest known sources in the universe, including pulsars, black hole X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and non-thermal supernova remnants.
DISHA:
- DISHA stands for Disturbed and quiet-type Ionosphere System at High Altitude and will involve twin satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 450 km.
- The mission aims to study the Earth’s aeronomy, the uppermost layer of a planet’s atmosphere which interacts with space.
TRISHNA:
- The TRISHNA mission (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment) is a French-Indian mission to acquire imagery of Earth’s surface in the thermal infrared frequency with a high resolution.
G. Tidbits
1. ‘Jobless rate hit high of 7.9% in December’
- As per the latest data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate hit a four-month high in December. It stood at 7.9%. The urban unemployment rate was higher compared to the rural unemployment rate.
- Many economists worry that the Omicron variant could reverse the economic recovery seen in the previous quarter.
2. RBI approves small, offline e-payments
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come out with a framework for facilitating small-value digital payments in offline mode.
- Offline digital payment does not require Internet or telecom connectivity.
- Under this new framework, such digital payments can be carried out face-to-face (proximity mode) using any channel or instrument like cards, wallets and mobile devices.
- This move would help address the issue of digital connectivity in semi-urban and rural areas and thus help promote digital payments in these areas.
3. World powers vow to stop spread of nuclear weapons
- In a welcome development, ahead of a review of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT), the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and known nuclear powers have pledged to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and avoid war between nuclear-weapon states. Considering the far-reaching consequences that nuclear use could have, a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.
- They pledged to further strengthen national measures to prevent unauthorised or unintended use of nuclear weapons.
- They stated that nuclear weapons should serve only defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war.
- The declaration by the atomic powers could help reduce global tensions amid the rapid developments taking place in global geopolitics.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements with regards to ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission:
- The formal announcement of the Gaganyaan programme was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2018.
- The initial target was to launch human spaceflight before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on August 15, 2022.
- GSLV Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.
Choose the correct code:
- 1 & 2 only
- 2 & 3 only
- 1 & 3 only
- All of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The Gaganyaan Programme envisages undertaking the demonstration of human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the short term and will lay the foundation for a sustained Indian human space exploration programme in the long run.
- The objective of the Gaganyaan programme is to demonstrate the indigenous capability to undertake human space flight missions to LEO.
- As part of this programme, two unmanned missions and one manned mission are approved by the Government of India (GoI).
- The initial target was to launch human spaceflight before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on August 15, 2022. However, due to the pandemic, this timeline has been shifted. The two unmanned flights under the Gaganyaan mission will happen in 2022 and the third, carrying an Indian crew will happen in 2023.
- GSLV Mk III, heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan.
Q2. Which of the following statements is not correct with regards to the Pangong Tso lake?
- Extending to almost 160 km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China.
- It is situated at a height of almost 4,350 m and is the world’s highest freshwater lake.
- It is formed from Tethys geosyncline.
- Pangong Tso literally translates into a “conclave lake” since Pangong means conclave in Ladakhi and Tso means a lake in the Tibetan language.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Pangong Tso is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.
- Lake Baikal is the highest freshwater lake. It is in the southern part of eastern Siberia, Russia.
Q3. Consider the following statements with regards to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty:
- Ever since it came into effect in 1970 after it was opened for signing in 1968, the Non-Proliferation Treaty has 187 nations who are a party to it – more than any other arms limitation treaty.
- The Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibits the nations who don’t have nuclear weapons from acquiring them, at the same time prohibiting the nuclear states from helping others in acquiring the weapons.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the successor of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, verifies compliance with the treaty.
Choose the correct code:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
- Opened for signature in 1968, the treaty entered into force in 1970.
Q4. Consider the following statements with regards to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and its specialized bodies:
- The Headquarters and Secretariat of the Association are in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Degrees and Certificates awarded by the South Asian University in India are at par with the respective Degrees and Certificates awarded by the National Universities/Institutions.
- SAARC Arbitration Council is an inter-governmental body having its office in Pakistan and is mandated to provide a legal framework/forum within the region for fair and efficient settlement of commercial, industrial, trade, banking, investment and such other disputes.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
- 1 & 2 only
- 2 & 3 only
- 1 & 3 only
- All of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The headquarters and Secretariat of SAARC are in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Q5. Which one of the following statements is not correct? (UPSC-2019)
- Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV.
- Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine.
- Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV.
- Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B; however, no vaccine is available for hepatitis C.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Given the size and diversity of India, we need a robust presence of NGOs and cooperatives to ensure the last-mile delivery of basic amenities in the country. Do you agree? Give arguments to support your stance. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS Paper 2/Governance)
- Enlist the initiatives taken by the government thus far to protect the Human Rights of people in India. Also, evaluate the performance of such initiatives. (250 words; 15 marks)(GS Paper 2/Polity)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 04 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here
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