16 Jan 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

16 Jan 2021 CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. After U.S., Russia pulls out of Open Skies treaty
2. Unveiled document highlights Trump’s mixed China legacy
3. Nepal raises Kalapani boundary issue with India
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Trade with China shrank in 2020, deficit at five-year low
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
HEALTH
1. Vaccine optimism and the scientific uncertainty link
POLITY
1. Private space
2. Double ignominy
F. Prelims Facts
1. Army Day
G. Tidbits
1. World’s largest vaccination programme begins today
2. Army inks $20 mn deal with ideaForge for UAV
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Nothing here for today!!!

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. After U.S., Russia pulls out of Open Skies treaty

Context:

Russia has announced that it is pulling out of the Open Skies treaty (OST).

Details:

  • Russia said that the pact, which allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, had been seriously compromised by the withdrawal of the United States.
  • Russia said in a statement that Moscow had made specific proposals to other members to mitigate against the impact of the U.S. exit but that those proposals were not backed by Washington’s allies.
  • It has raised concerns that despite leaving the treaty Washington could potentially retain access to overflight intelligence gathered by allies who remain members in the treaty.
Open Skies Treaty:
  • The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and came into effect in 2002.
  • The agreement allows its 34 signatories to conduct unarmed reconnaissance flights over the territory of treaty countries to monitor signatories’ arms development activities.

Read more on this topic covered in Treaty on Open Skies: RSTV- Big Picture

Concerns:

  • Arms control tensions have been rising between Moscow and Washington.
  • The New Start Treaty is set to expire in February 2021.
    • New Start Treaty is an agreement that caps Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenal.
  • The United States left the Open Skies arms control and verification treaty in November 2020, accusing Russia of violating it.
  • The U.S.’s exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty and its departure from the OST have raised the strong possibility that the U.S. administration may not renew the New Start Treaty.
  • The U.S. administration has been worried that extending New Start without including China would help China increase its nuclear arsenal.
  • The U.S. intends to establish a new arms control regime which would include China.

2. Unveiled document highlights Trump’s mixed China legacy

Context:

A declassified 2018 Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific was made public by the Trump administration in its last week in office.

Details:

  • The document underlines how prominently strategic competition between the U.S. and China set Washington’s regional policy over the past four years, and President Donald Trump’s mixed record in effectively addressing that challenge.
  • Among the objectives outlined in the document are:
    • Promoting American values throughout the region to counterbalance values being promoted by China.
    • Deterring China from using force or threats against U.S. allies and partners.
    • Building a credible economic response and advancing “U.S. global economic leadership” to counter China’s influence and its projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
  • While the Trump administration did achieve some of the outlined objectives, particularly in expanding security cooperation with India, Japan and Australia — or the “Quad”, its economic aspirations, as well as building a broader coalition to respond to China’s actions, remain works-in-progress.
  • Trump’s inconsistent approach to many of America’s own allies and partners, particularly on the trade front, has been one major obstacle.
    • One of his first acts in office was to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which would have created the world’s biggest trading bloc without China.
    • The agreement was later concluded without the U.S.
  • The end of his term saw the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement come into force.
    • This includes Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, four countries that the U.S. had hoped to align with to offer a robust economic regional response to China.

China’s response:

  • China hit out at the document, saying that it proves the malign motives of the U.S. side to contain China.

The U.S relations with India:

  • Wary of the unpredictability in Washington, countries including India and Japan moved to try and shore up relations with China.
  • However, the U.S. relations with India emerge as one major positive.
  • The framework describes one of its desired end-states – the U.S. becoming India’s “preferred partner on security issues”.
  • The two countries have been cooperating to counter Chinese influence in South and Southeast Asia. However, this remains a work-in-progress.

3. Nepal raises Kalapani boundary issue with India

Context:

During the Joint Commission meeting, Nepal’s Foreign Minister has raised the Kalapani boundary dispute with India.

Details:

  • The Minister said that the Indo-Nepal boundary dispute existed in two segments and Kathmandu wished to find a solution to the matter urgently.
  • This is the first time that the Foreign Minister of Nepal has presented the dispute on the boundary front from the Indian capital since the issue erupted in November 2019 following which Nepal unveiled a new political map that showed the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region of Pithoragarh district as part of the country’s sovereign territory.
  • Noting that there were ups and downs in the India-Nepal relations and differences on some issues, the foreign minister said that the overall partnership and relations moved smoothly.
  • The statement from Nepal said that both the teams “discussed the review of the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950”.

Read more on this topic covered in 13th January 2021 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Category: POLITY

1. Private space

Context:

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ruled that the mandatory provision of making public the names of people who want to get married under the Special Marriage Act invades their privacy and their liberty, and made such publishing optional.

Significance:

  • According to the new order, if a couple gives it in writing that they do not want the notice publicised, the Marriage Officer can solemnise the marriage.
  • The court said that mandatorily publishing a notice of the intended marriage and calling for objections violates the right to privacy.
  • Many intercaste and inter-faith marriages have faced violent opposition from those acting in the name of community.
  • It serves as a major irritant out of the way of couples wanting to marry against the wishes of their parents or their immediate community.

Read more about the U.P. religious conversion ordinance.

Also, read the editorial Personal choices, the Constitution’s endurance.

2. Double ignominy

Context:

Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump has entered the record books for being the only American President to be impeached twice.

Details:

  • His first impeachment, in September 2019, was for “abuse of power” and “obstruction of justice” over his dealings with Ukraine and attempts by Congress to investigate the same, yet he survived in office owing to a Senate acquittal.
  • The moment of dishonour came after the House of Representatives passed a motion of impeachment against him, this time for incitement of insurrection, following the assault on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 by a violent pro-Trump mob.

Read more on the impeachment of the U.S President covered in 26th September 2019 CNA and 20th December 2019 CNA.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Army Day

  • On 15 January 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa (then Lieutenant General), took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher (the last British person to hold that post).
  • Every year, this day is celebrated as Army Day in India.

Read more on Army Day

G. Tidbits

1. World’s largest vaccination programme begins today

What’s in News?

The Prime Minister of India will flag off the first phase of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

  • Covishield and Covaxin vaccines have been delivered across the country.
    • The beneficiaries currently will not have a choice between the two vaccines.
  • The world’s largest vaccination programme will begin at a total of 3,006 session sites across all the States and the Union Territories, which will be connected virtually throughout the exercise.
    • It has been planned in a phased manner after identifying the priority groups.
    • Healthcare workers, both in the government and private sectors, including Integrated Child Development Services workers, will receive the vaccine in the first phase.
  • A dedicated 24×7 call centre — 1075 — has been set up to address queries related to the pandemic and the vaccine roll-out.
  • The CoWin platform will facilitate real-time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine.

Read more on CoWin.

2. Army inks $20 mn deal with ideaForge for UAV

What’s in News?

The Indian Army has signed a $20-million contract with ideaForge to procure undisclosed quantities of a high-altitude variant of SWITCH UAV.

  • ideaForge is a player in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.

Details:

  • SWITCH UAV is an indigenous system used in surveillance operations.
  • It is built to cater to the most demanding surveillance operations of the Indian forces.
  • The fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing UAV can be deployed at high altitudes and under harsh environments for day and night surveillance.
  • ideaForge has been awarded this one-year contract marking a strategic shift in the Indian defence procurement process.

 

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Nagi and Nakti bird sanctuaries are located in which state?
  1. Bihar
  2. Uttar Pradesh
  3. Odisha
  4. Madhya Pradesh
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • The Nagi and Nakti bird sanctuaries are two sanctuaries in Bihar, so close to each other that they can be taken as one bird area.
  • Nagi is 7 km from Jhajha in the Jamui District, and Nakti is a further 4 km from Nagi, occupying similar habitat.
  • Bihar’s first state-level bird festival ‘Kalrav’ will be held at the world-famous Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuaries from January 15, 2021.
Q2. Consider the following statements about Open Skies Treaty:
  1. It is an agreement that allows the signatory-countries to monitor arms development by conducting unarmed surveillance flights over each others’ territories.
  2. The surveillance flights can collect data on military forces and activities.
  3. India is a member of this treaty.

Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?

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

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Signed in 1992, the Open Skies Treaty permits each state-party to conduct short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance flights over the others’ entire territories to collect data on military forces and activities.
  • It is an agreement that allows the signatory-countries to monitor arms development by conducting unarmed surveillance flights over each others’ territories.
  • India is not a member of this treaty.
Q3. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty covered which of the following types of missiles?
  1.  Intermediate-range land-based missiles carrying nuclear warheads
  2. Medium-range land-based missiles carrying nuclear warheads
  3. Nuclear sea-launched missiles

Choose the correct option:

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

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was a nuclear arms-control accord reached by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987 in which the two nations agreed to eliminate their stocks of intermediate-range and shorter-range (or “medium-range”) land-based missiles which could carry nuclear warheads.
  • It also covered all land-based missiles, including those carrying nuclear warheads but did not cover sea-launched missiles.
  • The United States withdrew from the Treaty on 2nd August 2019.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
  1. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
  2. CARA monitors and regulates both in-country and inter-country adoptions.
  3. India has ratified the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993.

Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?

  1. 2 only
  2. 1 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

All the statements are correct.  

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. What is the Open Skies Treaty? With the introduction of modern drones & satellites, has the treaty outlived its utility? (15 Marks, 250 Words) [GS 2, International Relations].
  2. In the backdrop of the roll-out of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination programme in India, discuss the key regulatory challenges and measures essential in achieving vaccine confidence. (15 Marks, 250 Words) [GS 2, Health].

16 Jan 2021 CNA:- Download PDF Here

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*