14 Jan 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The Lithuania-China kerfuffle
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Forest, tree cover in India up by 2,261 sq. km in two years
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. The controversy over inclusion of the mmWave band in 5G auctions
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
HEALTH
1. An Epidemiologically sound testing strategy
F. Prelims Facts
1. Tools to test ties with the past
G. Tidbits
1. India, U.K. kick off talks for free trade agreement
2. India extends $900 mn aid to Sri Lanka
3. U.S. denounces China’s maritime claims
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. The Lithuania-China kerfuffle

Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries.

Mains: The recent disruptions in Lithuania and China relations and its geopolitical implications.

Context

Lithuania has accused China of using coercive methods to alter the country’s stance towards Taiwan Policy.

Background

• The Lithuanian government has supported the cause of Taiwan since 2020.
• A Taiwanese Representative Office was opened in Lithuania, this is a significant move because it is for the first time that Taiwan was allowed to use its own name to open an office within the European Union.
• China, being angered by the actions downgraded its relationship with Lithuania by permanently recalling its ambassador from the country. 
• China has called the move a violation of the “One China Policy”. 
• China has also unofficially boycotted products from Lithuania.

Lithuania’s actions against China

• Lithuania’s current assertive actions against China have been attributed to the change of Government in 2020.
• The growing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe between the EU and NATO with Lithuania’s neighbours, Russia and Belarus have also been the cause.
• The new Government of Lithuania adopted a “values-based” foreign policy based on democracy and freedom, and has offered support to the cause of Taiwan. 
• Lithuania has been one of the biggest critics of China on issues like Xinjiang and Hong Kong. 
• Lithuania supported Taiwan’s proposal to become an observer at the World Health Organization in 2020 against China’s opposition.
• Citing security reasons, Lithuania has advised its population to avoid buying smartphones made in China, and has kept China away from acquiring controlling stakes in its Klaipėda seaport, as well as from its 5G infrastructure bids.
• In 2021, Lithuania quit the 17+1 dialogue format which was initiated by China in 2012 as a multilateral forum for engagement with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and stated economic non-reciprocity of China and threats to European unity as the reasons for its exit.

China’s Response

• China downgraded its diplomatic relationship with Lithuania by permanently recalling its ambassador from the country.
• China is pressuring its companies to stop sourcing products from Lithuania for China-bound exports and threatens that they will lose access to Chinese markets if they do so. 
• China previously used this strategy with countries like Norway, Japan and Australia when they acted against China’s core interests.
• China’s coercive moves against Lithuania are directed not just against the country, but also against any other country which could potentially act against China.
• China alleges that Lithuania is acting with the influence of American efforts against China by using the Taiwan card.
• In addition, the state-run Chinese media have given the issue an anti-Communist propaganda colour.

Impact on Lithuania

• China accounts for about 1% of Lithuania’s exports and its imports from China is 5%. Hence there is not much of a direct impact on the country.
• However, this has resulted in a strain on its trade with partners in the rest of Europe, which are highly dependent on China. 
  • The EU is currently China’s largest trading partner, and about 80-90% of Lithuania’s exports are based on manufacturing contracts with the rest of the EU. 
  • China has stopped processing such direct or indirect goods sourced from Lithuania.
  • China has tried to weaken European support to Lithuania, and nullify the country from global supply chains. 
• Meanwhile, Taiwan has made efforts to compensate the Lithuanian economy for China’s coercion. 
  • Taiwan has come up with a $200 million investment plan to help cover Lithuania’s economic losses. 
  • Taiwan is also planning to introduce a $1 billion credit program aimed at benefiting Lithuanian businesses.
  • About 20,000 bottles of Lithuanian rum that were bound for China was bought by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp (TTL).

Geopolitical Implications

• Taiwan, the U.S. and the EU have been calibrating their response to the China-Lithuania row. 
• Taiwan is considering establishing further relationships with Lithuania to gain access to the EU market, especially given the current semiconductor supply shortages. 
• The European Commission has also warned of raising the Lithuania issue at the World Trade Organization by filing a complaint against China. 
• The U.S. has expressed concerns about China’s attempts to coerce Lithuania over Taiwan.
• A few EU countries including Germany have expressed solidarity with Lithuania. 
• These developments in the backdrop of the Beijing Winter Olympics have put the EU member states in a dilemma of joining a diplomatic boycott of the event, initiated by the U.S.
• The China-Lithuania issue appears to perfectly coincide with the intensifying power struggle.

The shape of the future:

• When the aggressive policies of China are concerned, experts ascertain solutions in diplomatic negotiations that are time tested. 
• The Lithuania-China crisis sends a strong message to the international community that an open challenge with China can have adverse effects on the geopolitical interests of the countries that are dependent on China. For instance, despite strong opposition towards China, the EU was sceptical to join the diplomatic boycott initiated by the US stating human rights concerns. 
• Thus the China – Lithuania issue appears to perfectly dovetail with rising power rivalry.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Forest, tree cover in India up by 2,261 sq. km in two years

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims: India State of Forest Report-2021 and its relevant facts

Mains: Formulation of policies in Forest management

Context

• The Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the ‘India State of Forest Report 2021’ prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) .

Details

• India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial publication of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 is the 17th report in the series, and this report was first published in the year 1987. 

Read about India State of Forest Report-2019.

Highlights of India State of Forest Report – 2021

• The total forest and tree cover was 80.9 million hectares, which accounted for 24.62% of the geographical area of the country.
• The report further added that 17 States and Union Territories had more than 33% of their area under forest cover.
• The forest and the tree cover has increased by 2,261 square kilometres in India since its last assessment conducted in 2019.
  • Forest cover has increased by 1,540 sq. km.
  • Tree cover has increased by 721 sq. km.
• The report has classified India’s forests into four categories.
  • Very dense Forest – All lands with tree cover (including mangrove cover) of canopy density of 70% and above.
    • Very dense forests account for just 3.04% of the total forest cover.
    • India has reported an increase of a mere 501 sq km under the Very Dense Forest category in the last two years. 
  • Moderately Dense Forest – 40% < Tree canopy density < 70%.
    • Moderately dense forests account for 9.33% of total forest cover.
    • There is a loss of 1,582 sq km under the Moderately Dense Forest category.
  • Open Forest – 10% < Tree canopy density < 40%
    • The open forests currently have the biggest share in the country’s forest cover, accounting for 9.34% of the total forest cover. 
    • Open forests have reported an increase of 2,612 sq km.
  • Scrub – All forest lands with poor tree growth mainly of small or stunted trees having canopy density less than 10%.
• The report attributed the loss of forest cover in the Himalayas and North East regions to an increase in developmental activities coupled with agriculture.

Key Findings

• In terms of area, the list of top 5 states in terms of Largest Forest Area in India are given below,
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Odisha
  • Maharashtra
• Forest Cover as a percentage of total geographical area, the top 5 states are listed below,
  • Mizoram (84.53%)
  • Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%)
  • Meghalaya (76.00%)
  • Manipur (74.34%)
  • Nagaland (73.90%)

Other Findings

• The total mangrove cover in the country has increased by 17 sq. km, to reach 4,992 sq. km. Top states showing mangrove cover increase are,
  • Odisha (8 sq km)
  • Maharashtra (4 sq km)
  • Karnataka (3 sq km)
• The total carbon stock in forests has been estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes, an increase of 79.4 million tonnes compared to 2019.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: HEALTH

1. An Epidemiologically sound testing strategy

Syllabus: Issues relating to health

Mains: Effectiveness of the new strategy to tackle the pandemic

Context: India’s response to deal with the pandemic undergoes a shift from treatment-oriented to one that focuses on public health. 

The perspective:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research released an Advisory on Purposive Testing Strategy for COVID-19 in India. 
• The advisory provides insights on the individuals who can be tested or who needs to be tested.
• It is proposed in the report that the asymptomatic individuals and those with confirmed cases of COVID-19 among others, need not be tested unless they are at high risk. 
• This marks a considerable shift in the testing strategy which was earlier carried out on demand of the individuals who wished to get tested. 
• The new approach attracted opinions of diverse nature with the biggest question raised on its effectiveness.

The aggressive testing approach: 

• At the very onset of the pandemic, the wave of continuous testing spread not just in India but across the globe. 
• India augmented its COVID-19 testing capacity by setting up 3100 laboratories with a daily capacity of nearly 2 million RT-PCR tests along with rapid antigen test (RAT) kits.
• Even though the aggressive testing approach worked so far it cannot be claimed that every infection was tested.
• According to the fourth round of the COVID-19 National Sero Survey, only one in every 30 infections were detected in India.
• Therefore the aggressive testing strategy was useful but not enough. 

Emergence of Omicron:

• The rise of the Omicron variant with a much higher rate of transmission left a large majority of infected individuals asymptomatic.
• This made countries revise their testing strategies and other public health tools such as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. 

Arguments supporting aggressive testing:

• Public health benefits and tackling the spread of infection are the major objectives of diagnostic testing during outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics.
• It is suggested that at the individual level an early detection will benefit the clinical management.
• Early detection with the increase in testing capacity will also reduce the transmission of infection.
• According to many experts, ramping up of tests will generate data on the pandemic scenario. 

Arguments against aggressive testing:

• It is argued that testing asymptomatic individuals or those with mild symptoms will not bring any alterations and benefits to the treatment. Therefore, testing asymptomatic individuals will increase the burden on the laboratories. 
• The transmission of the Omicron variant is already widespread with many asymptomatic cases. This makes it absolutely unnecessary to ramp up testing for individuals who are not at high risk. 
• It has been observed that the RAT (Rapid antigen testing) kits are not accessible to all. As a result, a mere increase in the availability of the testing kits will not serve as an efficient method to detect all infections. 
• Moreover, in a country like India, there are 800 million beneficiaries of free ration who cannot afford the RAT kits. 
• The promotion of RAT kits will be sound only if it ensures equitable access to all. 
• Ramping up tests on the grounds of data collection is not in alignment with the primary objective of public health interventions. 

Walking ahead with the new testing strategy:

• After a profound analysis, the health experts extended support towards a holistic public health system that offers maximum benefits to most of the citizens. 
• The efficient, optimal and intelligent use of laboratory and available testing tools is highly recommended as unnecessary testing may lead to the delay in the release of reports for those who are at high risk. 
• It is a requirement of essence that the public health tools are modified and calibrated at every stage of the pandemic. 
• The new strategy of testing with a purpose and when needed is anticipated to improve the methods of dealing with the infection with judicious use of healthcare tools. This will also reduce the burden on healthcare professionals and speed up the process of service delivery. 
• The shift recommended by ICMR will provide a comprehensive approach to respond to the pandemic with an understanding of local epidemiology and the principles of public health. 

F. Prelims Facts

1. Tools to test ties with the past

Context 

Tamil Nadu is using technology for authentication of the findings from the excavations at Keeladi and Sivakalai, besides tapping into literary evidence.

Details

• Archaeological excavations at Keeladi and carbon dating analysis of rice with soil found in a burial urn at Sivakalai, indicate the Thambirabarani civilisation dates back to 3,200 years, have reignited an interest in the ancientness of Tamil civilisation.
• The State is now using scientific methodologies, along with literary evidence, to ensure the findings are indisputable and stand intellectual scrutiny globally. 

Use of Technology

• An ancient DNA lab is being set up at Madurai Kamaraj University in collaboration with international agencies. Samples are being sent to Florida for carbon dating.
• A further three sites will be added to the excavation list including Tulukkapatti and Vembakottai to validate the cultural significance of Adichchanallur and Sivakalai; and Perumbalai.
• Efforts are on to undertake under-sea explorations through a survey at an ancient port Korkai. This will be a multi-modal agency operation involving the National Institute of Ocean Technology and the Indian Maritime University. 
• Efforts are on to incorporate the findings with much focus on ancient science and technology in the school syllabus.
• The government has shown interest in multidisciplinary long-term projects that will help to address many aspects of the State’s heritage.
• Among the major projects are to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence and training people to decipher inscriptions and identify changes that occur over a period of time on the inscriptions.

G. Tidbits

1. India, U.K. kick off talks for free trade agreement

Context

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and U.K. Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan kicked off talks for an ambitious, comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Details

• India stands to gain from this multi-dimensional economic partnership with its exports growth in leather, textiles, jewellery, processed agri-products.
• The bilateral trade of $50 billion is expected to double to $100 billion in 10 years.
• This is the first major negotiation exercise that the U.K. has held with India since Brexit.
• The U.K. counterparts believe that, by 2050, India will be the world’s third-largest economy with a middle class of almost 250 million shoppers and want to unlock this huge new market for British producers and manufacturers across numerous industries from food and drink to services and automotive.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. The post of Lt. Governor can be found in which of these Union Territories? 

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Chandigarh
3. Delhi
4. Lakshadweep
5. Puducherry

Options:

1. 1, 2, 3 and 5 only
2. 3 and 5 only
3. 1, 3 and 5 only
4. 1, 2 and 4 only

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. The proposal for appointment of Administrator/Lt. Governor in the UTs is initiated by the Home Ministry. 
2. The concurrence of the Cabinet committee on appointments is obtained for appointment to the post of the administrator.
3. As per the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 only an IAS officer can be appointed as an Administrator.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. The proposal for appointment of Administrator/Lt. Governor in the UTs is initiated by the Home Ministry and approval of the President of India is obtained through the Prime Minister of India.
• Statement 2 is not correct. As per Article 239, President appoints the administrator of a Union Territory. Hence, the concurrence of the Cabinet committee on appointments or the cabinet is not required.
• Statement 3 is not correct. People other than IAS officers can also be appointed as Administrators of Union Territories.

Q3. With respect to India State of Forest Report, which of the following statements is/are 
correct?

1. It is published every two years by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
2. The first survey was published in 1987. 

Options:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None 

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial publication of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 is the 17th report in the series, and this report was first published in the year 1987. 

Q4. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Forest Survey Report 
2021?

1. As compared to the assessment of 2019, there is a decrease in the total forest and tree cover of the country.
2. Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country.
3. Mangroves have shown an increase of 17 sq km.

Options:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3 

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is not correct. The forest and the tree cover has increased by 2,261 square kilometres in India since its last assessment conducted in 2019.
• Statement 2 is correct. Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country.
  • Top 5 states in terms of area:
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Odisha
    • Maharashtra

• Statement 3 is correct. The total mangrove cover in the country has increased by 17 sq. km, to reach 4,992 sq. km. Top states showing mangrove cover increase are,
  • Odisha (8 sq km)
  • Maharashtra (4 sq km) 
  • Karnataka (3 sq km) 

Q5. With respect to Asian Clearing Union (ACU), which of the following statements is/are 
correct?

1. The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) was established at the initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 
2. It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.

Options:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

• Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is a payment settlement forum whereby the participants settle payments for transactions that take place within the regions and this is facilitated through the participating central banks on a wider basis.
• Statement 1 is not correct. The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) was established at the initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). 
• Statement 2 is not correct. The foundation of the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), with headquarters in Tehran, Iran, was laid on December 9, 1974.

Read more about Asian Clearing Union.

Q6. Siachen Glacier is situated to the (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. East of Aksai Chin
2. East of Leh
3. North of Gilgit
4. North of Nubra Valley

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

Image source: https://www.spslandforces.com/

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Discuss the role played by ISRO in making India a global space power. Also throw light on some of the challenges faced by ISRO in the present times. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-3, Science & Tech]
2. Is it time to go back to the ‘Gandhian’ version of socialism to propel India’s development in the next few decades? Give supporting arguments. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-3, Economic Development]