08 Jan 2024: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

D. GS 4 Related

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E. Editorials

Category: GOVERNANCE

1. Aviation professionalism which India must draw from

Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation

Mains: Issue of aviation safety in India and the way forward 

Context: Recently a JAL(Japan Airlines) Airbus A350 collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, resulting in fatalities on the smaller aircraft.

Japan’s Case Study:

• Notable professionalism in JAL’s crew training saved 379 lives during a fiery accident through orderly evacuation.
• Efficient use of limited exits despite a non-functional cabin public address system showcased high standards.

Other Incidents:

• Air France Flight AF 358 (August 2, 2005):
  • Overshot the runway while landing in Toronto during heavy rain.
  • Despite the aircraft catching fire, all 309 passengers were evacuated, although 11 sustained injuries.
  • Some passengers were observed leaving the aircraft with their hand luggage, potentially hindering the evacuation process.

• Emirates Flight EK 521 (August 3, 2016):
  • Experienced a crash landing during its arrival in Dubai from Thiruvananthapuram.
  • The evacuation process was compromised due to several passengers attempting to retrieve their hand luggage, causing delays and potentially increasing risks during the emergency.

• Air India Airbus Hard Landing at Dubai (December 20, 2023):
  • The aircraft experienced an extreme hard landing with an impact of 3.5g, resulting in substantial stress on the landing gear.
  • There were concerns regarding delayed reporting and transparency about the incident, which only came to light after observations from tracking sites.

Safety Concerns and Training Flaws:

• Discrepancies in reporting safety incidents in India compared to Japan’s transparent approach.
• Air India’s mishandling of an extremely hard landing incident raises questions about safety reporting, training, and management decisions.
• Failure to address concerns raised by an instructor regarding pilot training and experience, leading to potential safety risks.

Way Forward:

• Emphasize the importance of proactive reporting and transparent communication in the aviation industry.
• Air India needs to reevaluate its safety protocols, training standards, and management practices.
• There is a need for stringent criteria, beyond seniority, in selecting crews for new aircraft like the Airbus A350.
• There is a need for both DGCA and Air India to prioritize safety, conduct thorough investigations, and learn from global incidents for continuous improvement.

Nut Graf: In the wake of the recent Japan Airlines incident, global aviation safety standards are scrutinized. Drawing on varied examples, including the recent Air India hard landing, there is a need for heightened transparency, passenger discipline, and rigorous training protocols in the industry.

Category: SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Structured negotiation as a boost for disability rights

Syllabus: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes

Mains: Importance of negotiation for disabled-friendly corporates

Context: Collaborative dispute resolution, structured negotiation, vital alternative to litigation, notably effective in the U.S., especially in disability rights cases.

Importance of Negotiation:

• Success Rate:

• • Resolves issues like inaccessible ATMs, POS devices, and websites, fostering compliance with social welfare legislation.
  • Influential in achieving institutional reform, e.g., accessible voting machines.

• Win-Win Situation:

• • Service providers avoid high litigation costs and negative publicity.
  • Complainants seek barrier-free market participation, ensuring mutual benefits.

• Legal Precedents:

• • Strong disabled-friendly legal precedents are crucial for structured negotiation success.
  • Courts create a blueprint, facilitating businesses to ensure accessibility without resorting to litigation.

India’s Red Tape:

• Legal Framework: Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 empowers the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) to address non-compliance.
• Challenges:

• • Pendency, paperwork, and red tape in Indian civil courts dissuade traditional dispute resolution methods.
  • CCPD’s role raises questions about its impact on repairing accessibility barriers.

• Case Example:

• • PayTM directed to make its application accessible, but compliance resulted in increased inaccessibility.
  • Real-time efforts require constant vigilance and user inputs for effective solutions.

Precondition of Success:

• Constant Vigilance:

• • Ongoing commitment to making digital services accessible for persons with disabilities.
  • User inputs are essential for validating the efficacy of solutions.

• Structured Negotiation Benefits:

• • Service providers avoid embarrassment, legal fees, and paperwork.
  • Persons with Disabilities directly engage with providers, monitoring the implementation of fixes.

Way Forward:

• Priority:

• • Success is linked to the priority service providers afford to the struggles of persons with disabilities.
  • Businesses tapping into the enormous buying capacity of persons with disabilities crucial for success.

• Optimism and Achievement:

• • Helen Keller’s quote emphasizes optimism as the faith leading to achievement.
  • Urges India to deploy structured negotiation, urging businesses to prioritize disabled users’ needs.

Nut Graf: Structured negotiation, a collaborative dispute resolution, proves notably effective in U.S. disability rights cases, fostering compliance and institutional reform. Amid India’s bureaucratic challenges, success hinges on prioritizing persons with disabilities and embracing this alternative to litigation for mutual benefits in a barrier-free marketplace.

2. Panspermia: Life from one world to the next

Context: The concept of panspermia, tracing its roots back to ancient Greece, has sparked ongoing debates and inquiries into the origins of life. 

 Panspermia: 

• Panspermia, a concept tracing back to ancient Greece, posits that life may have originated on one planet and travelled as ‘seeds’ to another. 
• Coined by philosopher Anaxagoras, the idea gained traction in modern times as scientific advancements showcased the resilience of microorganisms in space conditions.
• Studies demonstrated the potential for life to endure ejection from a planet, navigate interplanetary travel, and survive upon reaching a new world. 
• Despite its intriguing premise, panspermia remains a fringe theory in the scientific community, lacking empirical evidence. 
• Critics argue it doesn’t provide a clear explanation for life’s origin. Controversies, like speculations around the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua, further contribute to the debate.

Significance:

• Panspermia challenges traditional notions of how life originated, providing an alternative perspective rooted in ancient philosophy.
• The theory has sparked scientific curiosity and research, leading to studies demonstrating the potential resilience of microorganisms in extreme space conditions.
• Despite its status on the scientific fringes, panspermia continues to stimulate discussions about the broader cosmic implications of life’s existence and dispersal in the universe.

G. Tidbits

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H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding India-Saudi Arabia relations:

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding Input Tax Credit (ITC):

Q3. Mannhit app is related to -

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding India-Maldives relations:

Q5. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general 
difference between plant and animal cells?