06 Jan 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 06 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. China’s bridge over Pangong Tso
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT
1. The granite scarcity problem in Kerala
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The Chinese challenge uncovers India’s fragilities
EDUCATION
1. These islands of excellence must not be marooned
ECONOMY
1. Third time lucky?
F. Prelims Facts
1. 10.74 lakh birds flock to Chilika Lake
G. Tidbits
1. Trade figures
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. The Chinese challenge uncovers India’s fragilities

Topic: India and its neighbourhood – relations.

Mains: The border crisis with China and its challenges to India.

Context: 

China has once again moved forward with aggressive diplomatic and military actions against India. After the border crisis that started two years ago, China has recently renamed 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh as a part of its new Border Law.

Details:

  • Nearly 20 months after the border crisis started in Ladakh, China renamed 15 places that belong to the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of its new Border Law. China claimed that it has historical, cultural, and administrative jurisdiction over the area.
  • China’s new land border law came into force at the start of the new year, which provides the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with full authority to take actions against “invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation” and safeguard Chinese territory. 
  • This law backs and reinforces the construction of 628 Xiaokang border villages by China along its disputed border with India. Satellite images show at least two of these villages have been constructed on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. 

Read more about China’s new Border Law.

Challenges to India

Political Challenges

  • The newly constructed villages will assist China when the principle of ‘settled areas’ is invoked to resolve the border dispute in the future.
  • The rather muted response from India has been criticized as that it has run out of proactive options against Beijing that will force the Chinese leadership to change course on its India policy. 
  • The reliance on Tibet and the Dalai Lama who were once considered as India’s trump card has not yielded intended results.
  • The ongoing internal disturbances in the north and northeast also have provided leverage to China to show its assertiveness.

Economic Challenges

  • India shares an asymmetrical trade relationship with China.
  • India is heavily dependent on China’s manufactured products.
  • The trade deficit has further worsened due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
  • India’s current economic situation and dependence on China restrict India from taking assertive actions against China.

Diplomatic Challenges

  • Delhi has little geopolitical leverage over Beijing to challenge its assertiveness currently.
  • The internal balancing of military deployments from Pakistan’s borders to counter Chinese deployment could have negative security implications on the Western sector. There is a looming threat of a two-front war situation.
  • Ineffectiveness of multilateral groupings like the QUAD, which does not include military assistance to its partners.

Way Forward

  • India has to resolve its ongoing internal disturbances in Kashmir and the northeast which share a border with China.
  • India needs to prepare and continue to build roads to improve the infrastructure along the border, to keep itself ready to deal with any contingency.
  • Better people to people connection has to be established between the two countries.
  • Bridging the trade deficits between the two countries.
  • India can look towards Russia, to act as a mediator between India and China.
  • India should demonstrate its willingness and capability of influencing the maritime balance in East Asia, where China faces off a combination of the United States, Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
  • Strengthen its diplomatic and military engagements with the US to counter China’s aggression in the region.
  • India should also infuse more energy into its relations with Japan, Australia, and the ASEAN.
Nut Graf
The alleged usurpation of Indian territory in Ladakh by the PLA, the angry communique by the Chinese embassy in India to the union ministers who met the Tibetan Govt-in-Exile and the renaming of Indian Territories in Arunachal Pradesh by China have been met with a muted response from the Indian side. Critics argue that it is reflective of the lack of credible options available to the Govt of India in tackling the ‘Chinese dragon’.

Category: EDUCATION

1. These islands of excellence must not be marooned

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Mains: The issues associated with the National Law Universities and the way forward.

Context: 

Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), N.V. Ramana, during his recent addresses in various universities, observed that the national law universities were being perceived as ‘elitist and detached from social realities’ because not enough students were joining the bar.

Details:

Earlier, the CJI had pointed out that law graduates were inadequate to handle the profession and the lowering standard of legal education in the law institutions in the country was a worrying trend. The CJI’s words are a welcome cause for introspection, as these institutions are capable of altering and shaping up the entire legal landscape of the country.

Issues with the legal educational institutions:

  • The institutions are deemed by many to be detached from society.
  • National law universities are criticised for imparting knowledge focused on securing placements in corporate firms, and these placements are considered to be a significant marker in judging the success of national law universities.
  • Even though they are called ‘National’ Law Universities, they are established and funded by the State governments. National law universities, therefore, have to operate in an increasingly fluid political environment and face several issues due to the state’s patronage.
  • With state funding shrinking, most national law universities are facing a serious crisis.
  • The national law universities face tight competition from the upcoming private universities.
  • The rigid pay structure discourages quality faculty from joining the institutions.
  • Constant protests by the students, demanding better faculty, teaching, and curriculum.
  • The inability of the leadership to respond and cater to the needs of the students, faculty, and staff has also triggered protests.

Way Forward

  • The disconnect between social realities and legal education can only be bridged by promoting research-driven academics.
  • The research emerging from the universities will address social issues and provide practicable solutions.
  • There is a need to have separate faculty for teaching and research.
  • Research must be incentivized and promoted through various schemes.
  • Induction of quality faculty with exposure to best practices. 
  • Day-to-day problems of the students, faculty and staff have to be addressed efficiently through proper leadership channels.
  • The curriculum must be focused on practical aspects of law, rather than just the theory.
  • The universities must impart a practical understanding of the functioning of laws and the justice system.
  • The universities must involve serving judges and advocates to contribute to the classrooms. They must be encouraged to offer paid internships to students to incentivise their learning experiences.
  • Also, there is a need to establish an independent regulator for legal education in India.
  • Finally, the focus of pedagogy at the post-graduate level should stress imparting students with the ability to not only critically evaluate but also to apply the knowledge. 

Conclusion

The National Law Universities that are celebrated as “islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity”, have a need to plan for the future. Except for a few national law universities, most of them have a long way to go with respect to the points raised above. As mentioned earlier, national law universities have the potential to transform the legal landscape of our country, but many actions are still pending before such a potential can be realised.

Nut Graf
The National Law Universities that are regarded as “islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity” face a lot of structural and administrative challenges that are to be resolved to realise their true potential of shaping up the legal landscape of the country.
Category: ECONOMY

1. Third time lucky?

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Mains: Challenges posed by the third wave on the Economic recovery and the way forward.

Context: 

India’s post-COVID economic recovery remains fragile at the start of the third successive year under the shadow of the pandemic. With the Union Budget for the financial year less than four weeks away, the latest set of numbers showing different aspects of the economy present a mixed picture with persistent pressure points. 

Cause of Worry

  • The COVID-19 restrictions in the wake of the third wave, are already in place denting India’s services exports.
  • Imports grew faster than exports last month.
  • The eight-core sectors had a disappointing November.
  • The customs duty collections dipped to a five-month low.
  • The firms surveyed for the Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI) by IHS Markit reported job losses in the manufacturing and services sectors.
  • The PMI for manufacturing and services were strong for the month of December, but have decreased from previous months as the input cost pressures remain a cause of worry for the businesses.

Some Positives

  • The merchandise exports have hit a record high in December. 
  • The GST collections from that month were reasonably healthy.
  • The GST compensation cess revenues touched a record high in November.

Way forward

  • The governments should evoke an appropriate mix of relief and support measures for businesses and jobs.
  • The government should look beyond the credit guarantees that have not yielded results in the recent past. 
  • There should be an increase in healthcare spending, including on COVID vaccinations and booster shots.
  • The focus should continue on public capital expenditure with a greater purpose in getting actual projects off the ground. 

Conclusion

As the possibility of more disruptions appear, increased vaccination coverage and richer experience with pandemic management provide the confidence that the recovery can continue even in the event of a third wave. Yet, there is a risk of damage to certain sectors that are contact-intensive. 

With lakhs of jobs at stake, more effective interventions with a stable and clear policy direction could have a calming effect in 2022.

Nut Graf
As the possibility of a fresh lockdown and more disruptions on business activities looms larger, the experience of handling the prior two waves and preparing for the worst may help India overcome the challenges.

F. Prelims Facts

1. 10.74 lakh birds flock to Chilika Lake

Context:

  • Water Bird Status Survey-2022 conducted in the Chilika Lake.
    • Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lake and wintering ground of birds in the Indian subcontinent.

Details:

  • As per the survey, a million birds visited the Chilika Lake this year. Chilika Lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas. The birds find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock suitable to congregate.
  • The major species of birds noticed include the three pintail species of ducks – the northern pintail, gadwall and Eurasian wigeon, greater flamingo, northern shoveler, tufted duck, red crested pochard, common coot and common pochard. This time even the Mongolian gull was spotted in the lake.
  • Some of the resident species include the purple swamp-hen, purple heron, Indian moorhen, and jacanas.

G. Tidbits

1. Trade figures

  • India’s trade deficit in December 2021 stood at 21.99 billion US dollars.
  • Although India’s exports in the month surged an impressive 37% on an annual basis, imports too rose by 38% on account of an increase in oil imports and the rise in fossil fuel costs.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. With reference to Caspian Sea, which of the following statements is/are Correct?
  1. It is the world’s largest inland body of water.
  2. The Caspian Sea is endorheic.
  3. Volga, Ural, and Terek empty into the Caspian Sea.

Options:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d
Explanation:

Image Source: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

  • The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water. It lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. The sea’s name derives from the ancient Kaspi peoples, who once lived in Transcaucasia to the west.
  • It is an endorheic basin that lies between Europe and Asia. The sea is bordered by Kazakhstan in the northeast, by Turkmenistan in the southeast, by Iran in the south, by Azerbaijan in the southwest, and by Russia in the northwest.
  • The shores of the northern Caspian are low and reflect the great accumulation of alluvial material washed down by the Ural, Terek, and Volga rivers that empty into the sea whose deltas are extensive.
Q2. Which of the following countries share its border with the Aral Sea?
  1. Russia
  2. Azerbaijan
  3. Kazakhstan
  4. Uzbekistan

Options:

  1. 1, 2 and 4 only
  2. 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 3 and 4 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

Image Source: WorldAtlas

  • The Aral Sea separates Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan to the north and Uzbekistan from Kazakhstan to the south.
  • It was previously Central Asia’s largest saltwater lake spanning 63,000 square kilometers. However, the lake started shrinking in the 1960s, when the Soviet government decided to divert two of its main rivers, the Syr-Darya and the Amu-Darya, to irrigate the surrounding arid region.
  • It is the world’s fourth-largest body of inland water.
Q3. With respect to Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM FME)
 Scheme, which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry.
  2. It has an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme was launched on 29th June 2020.
  • It is a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
  • It is a centrally sponsored scheme. The share of expenditure under the PM FME scheme is as follows:
    • 60:40 between the central government and state governments and UTS with the legislature
    • 90:10 between central and North Eastern and Himalayan states
    • 100 percent central assistance for UTs without legislatures.
  • It aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector and support Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
  • Under the scheme, 2,00,000 micro food processing units will be directly assisted with credit-linked subsidies.
  • It has an outlay of 10,000 crore and will run for five years – 2020-21 to 2024-25. The central government will bear the expenditure for the first year irrespective of who incurs it; later it will be adjusted in the ratio mentioned above; in the next four years.
  • The central government will provide funds to the state based on the approved Project Implementation Plan (PIP).
  • One-District One-Product Approach (ODOP) plan to be implemented to encompass input procurement, common services availability, and product marketing.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
  1. As per Article 348 of the Constitution of India, English is the official language for all the courts in India.
  2. The Governor of a state, with the consent of the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, can authorize use of official language of the state in proceedings before its high court.

Which of the statements is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is not correct.

As per Article 348 of the Constitution of India,

  • All proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court (Not all the Courts).
  • The authoritative texts of all,
    • Bills to be introduced or amendments to be moved in either House of Parliament or in the House or either House of the Legislature of a State,
    • Acts passed by Parliament or the Legislature of a State and all Ordinances
    • Orders, rules, regulations and bye-laws issued under this Constitution.

“shall be in the English language”.

  • Statement 2 is not correct.

The Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State: Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to any judgment, decree or order passed or made by such High Court.

Q5. Consider the following pairs:

Commonly used material vs. Unwanted or controversial chemicals found in them

  1. Lipstick: Lead
  2. Soft drinks: Brominated vegetable oils
  3. Chinese fast food: Monosodium glutamate

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (UPSC CSE 2017)

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct. Research by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found lead and other toxic metals in a surprising number of lipsticks.
    • Exposure to lead has been linked to a host of health concerns:
      • Neurotoxicity
      • Reduced fertility
      • Hormonal changes
      • Menstrual irregularities
      • Delayed onset of puberty
  • Statement 2 is correct. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides that have been reacted to contain atoms of the element bromine bonded to the molecules. Brominated vegetable oil is used primarily to help emulsify citrus-flavored soft drinks, preventing them from separating during distribution.
    • Standards for soft drinks in India have prohibited the use of BVO since 1990.
    • Health Hazards,
      • Memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, headache, and ptosis of the right eyelid, as well as elevated serum chloride.
      • Patients also reported a loss in their ability to walk.
  • Statement 3 is correct, Monosodium glutamate was found in a popular brand of two-minute noodles.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. List out the important applications of Granite. Discuss issues that can possibly lead to the shortage of granite in India. (250 Words, 15 Marks)[GS-1, Minerals]
  2. “In the wake of ongoing Chinese aggression, India needs a comprehensive strategy to solve the border issues with China”. Discuss (250 Words, 15 Marks)[GS-2, International Relations]

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 06 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here

IAS General Studies Notes Links
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Oxford Student Atlas Economics Books
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