30 Jan 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 30 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Use externment orders with caution: SC
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India, Oman to hold 10th military cooperation meeting
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Can a Russia-Ukraine conflict be averted?
POLITY
1. Awards & consent
F. Prelims Facts
1. Parasitic plant found in Nicobar eco hotspot
2. Snow ‘bomb’ unleashes blizzard on eastern U.S.
3. Scientists spot a blinking star’s ‘totally unexpected’ behavior
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. India, Oman to hold 10th military cooperation meeting

Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Mains: India-Oman Military & Strategic partnership

Prelims: Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC)

Context: – India and Oman are set to hold a meeting of the Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC).

Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC): –

• The Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMMC) is the top forum of engagement between India and Oman in the field of defense and gives a framework to defense exchanges between the two sides.
• The last JMCC was held in Oman in 2018.
• It evaluates and provides guidance to the overall framework of defense exchanges between the two sides.

Significance of Oman for India: –

• Defense cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of India-Oman strategic partnership.
• Oman is India’s closest defense partner in the Gulf region and an important anchor for India’s defense and strategic interests.
• Oman is the only country in the Gulf region with which all three services of the Indian armed forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and staff talks.
• Oman also provides critical operational support to Indian naval deployments in the Arabian sea for anti-piracy missions.
• Oman also actively participates in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
• India secured access to Duqm port as part of its maritime strategy to counter Chinese influence and activities in the region.

Know more about the India-Oman Relations

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Can a Russia-Ukraine conflict be averted?

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

Mains: The role of various stakeholders in de-escalating the situation in Ukraine.

Context

Russia has mobilised around 1,00,000 troops on its border with Ukraine.

Details

• Russia claims that the eastward expansion by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which they call “enlargement”, has threatened Russia’s interests and has asked for written security guarantees from NATO.
• The crisis has led to many diplomatic moves with the U.S., NATO and the European Union holding talks with Russia.

Image Source: The Hindu

Read more about Russia-Ukraine crisis

Enlargement of NATO

• NATO is a military alliance of twenty-eight European and two North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense.
• Enlargement of NATO is the process of including new member states in NATO.
• Since the German unification in 1990, NATO has added new members five times.
  • The alliance had 12 founding members in 1949, which currently has 30 members,
  • Members include three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that share borders with Russia.
  • Members also include Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, all of them being a part of the former Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

Russia’s demands

• Russia has demanded a ban on further expansion of NATO that includes countries like Ukraine and Georgia that share Russia’s borders.
• Russia asked NATO to pull back its military deployments to the 1990s level and prohibit the deployment of intermediate range missiles in the bordering areas.
• Further, Russia asked NATO to curb its military cooperation with Ukraine and other former Soviet republics.
• Russia not just wants to prevent NATO’s future expansion but also its retrieval from Russia’s rim land.
• Russia has also asked for a written response by the U.S. to its proposals regarding security guarantees and official commitments for non-expansion of NATO eastwards.

The response from the U.S.

• The U.S. has given a written response to the Kremlin, which hasn’t been released.
• The public remarks by top officials suggest that the U.S. has taken a mixed stand of diplomacy and economic deterrence.
• The U.S. has ruled out changing NATO’s “open door policy” that means, NATO would continue to induct more members.
• The U.S. also says it would continue to offer training and weapons to Ukraine.
• The U.S. is said to be open for a discussion regarding missile deployment and a mutual reduction in military exercises in Eastern Europe.
• The U.S. has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine or other military measures against Russia in the event of an invasion. However, it has threatened to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia in case of any military move.

Options for Russia

• Russia says it won’t attack Ukraine, but since the annexation of Crimea, the situation continues to remain tense.
  • Russia is backing separatists in the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk republics (Donbas) in eastern Ukraine.
  • Russia could annex Donbas and launch incursions, capturing more territories along the Sea of Azov, establishing a land bridge from its border to Crimea.
  • Russia could provide further military assistance to the rebels in Donbas to push the frontline further into Ukraine without triggering a major international response.
• Moscow has mobilised troops on Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia and northern border with Belarus, southern border with Crimea and south-western border with Transnistria.
  • In case of invasion, Russian troops could make swift moves into Ukraine from three sides.
• The other option is to de-escalate, claiming a diplomatic victory which would be based on guarantees from the West.

India’s stand

• India called for “a peaceful resolution of the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts for long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond”.
  • This was India’s stand even during the Crimean crisis.
• The decisions taken after the annexation of Crimea offer insights into the minds of policy-makers in India on Ukraine,
  • Immediately after the annexation, India abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that sought to condemn Russia.
  • In 2014, Putin praised India’s “restraint and objectivity”.
  • In 2020, India voted against a Ukraine-sponsored resolution in the UN General Assembly that sought to condemn alleged human rights violations in Crimea.
• India’s position is largely rooted in neutrality and has adapted itself to the post-2014 status quo on Ukraine.

Conclusion

The continuing diplomatic activities between the various stakeholders is a positive sign that suggests that a military conflict is not imminent. However, there is no clarity on the de-escalation along the borders.

Nut Graf

The rising tensions between Russia and NATO over the mobilization of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border threaten to disrupt peace and stability in the region and have huge implications on geopolitics.

Category: POLITY

1. Awards & consent

Syllabus: State Legislature – Structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges and issues arising out of these.

Prelims: Facts about Padma Awards

Mains: Selection process of Padma Awards and provisions for declining the award.

Context

The Padma awards were announced recently, and a former West Bengal Chief Minister has refused the award.

Background

• The awards are announced a day before the Republic Day celebrations.
• The awards are given by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan usually in the months of March-April every year.
• The refusal of the award has given limelight to the question “under what circumstances a recipient can decline the award”.

Padma awards

• The Padma awards are the second highest civilian awards in the country after Bharat Ratna and are given in three categories.
  • The awards were initially known as Padma Vibhushan, and categorised as Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg, in 1954.
  • They were later renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri in 1955.
• The awards recognises achievements in public service in the field of art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sport and civil services, among others.
• The Padma Vibhushan is given for exceptional and distinguished service.
• The Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of a high order.
• The Padma Shri is for distinguished service.
• At the ceremonial function held at the President’s House in Delhi, the recipients are presented a ‘Sanad’ (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
  • A small replica of the medallion is also given to them which can be worn during any ceremonial or State function.
• The award does not amount to a title under Article 18 and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.

Read more about – Padma Awards

Who is eligible for Padma awards?

• All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.
• The government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these awards.
• The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously.
• A higher category of Padma award can be conferred on a person only where a period of at least five years has elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma award. However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can be made by the Awards Committee.

Who nominates the awardees?

• Any citizen of India can nominate a potential recipient.
• One can even nominate one’s own self.
• All nominations are to be done online where a form is to be filled along with details of the person or the organisation being nominated.
  • An 800-word essay detailing the work done by the potential awardee is also to be submitted for the nomination to be considered.
• The government opens the Padma awards portal for nominations between May 1 and September 15 every year. It also writes to various state governments, governors, Union territories, central ministries and various departments to send nominations.
• There is also no rigid criteria or formula for selection, according to MHA. However, the lifetime achievement of an individual is the main consideration.

Who decides the awards?

• The awards are conferred based on the recommendations of the Padma Awards Committee constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary which includes the Union Home Secretary, the Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members whose names are not revealed.
• The names nominated and shortlisted by the committee for the awards are revealed only after the announcement of awards.
• The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the final list is signed by the President before being notified in the Gazette of India.

Can a recipient decline the award?

• The convention is that the Home Secretary calls up each awardee and informs them about the civilian honour on January 25.
• The individuals have the option of declining the award then, following which the name is removed from the list before it is sent to the President for approval.
• Example: In 2022, eminent artistes, percussionist Pandit Anindya Chatterjee and vocalist Sandhya Mukhopadhyay turned down the awards when they received the call and their names were not inserted in the final list.

Controversy in the case of former CM

• In the case of Mr. Bhattacharjee the former CM of West Bengal, the call was received by his wife as he is ailing.
  • A Home Ministry official said she was informed of the conferment of the Padma Bhushan on the former West Bengal Chief Minister.
  • “If the award had to be declined, they could have called back and said so” the official mentioned.
• A statement issued by Mr. Bhattacharjee after the announcement of awards said, “I know nothing about this award. No one has told me anything about it. If they have decided to offer the Padma Bhushan to me, I refuse to accept it”.
• There is no such rule to refuse the award once it has been announced.

Previous examples

• In 1992, former general secretary of the CPI(M) E.M.S. Namboodiripad had declined the award.
• N. Haksar, principal secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was offered the Padma Vibhushan days after he retired in 1973.
  • He wrote to the then Home Secretary, “I have difficulty in accepting the award. All these years, I have often said to myself that one should work so that one can live with oneself without regret.”
• Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Mission refused the award in 2000 as it was given to him as an individual and not to the Ramakrishna Mission.
• Historian Romila Thapar has declined the award twice.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Parasitic plant found in Nicobar eco hotspot

Context: –

A new genus of a parasitic flowering plant has recently been discovered from the Nicobar group of islands.

Genus Septemeranthus

• The genus Septemeranthus is the parasitic flowering plant.
• It grows on the plant species Horsfieldia glabra (Blume) Warb.
• The plant was found on the periphery of the tropical forest in the Nicobar group of islands separated from the Andaman group of Islands.

Source: The Hindu

Special features: –

• The leaves of the plant are heart-shaped with a very long tip and the ovary, fruit and seeds are ‘urceolate’ (earthen pot-shaped).
• It has a modified root structure spread on the stem of the tree and is anchored inside the bark of the host tree.
• They play an important role as they provide food for frugivorous birds.

2. Snow ‘bomb’ unleashes blizzard on eastern U.S.

Context: –

The National Weather Service confirmed that snow had intensified into a “bomb cyclone” in eastern United States.

What is a bomb cyclone?

• A bomb cyclone is a type of storm that typically develops in the wintertime, over the ocean or off a coast.
• It begins in the temperate latitudes and strengthens fast, with the atmospheric pressure at its center dropping swiftly, a process now called “bombogenesis.”
• Know more about the Bomb Cyclones

What is bombogenesis?

• The word “bombogenesis” is a combination of cyclogenesis, which describes the formation of a cyclone or storm, and bomb.
• This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters.
• It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours.
• Bombogenesis is fairly common in the Pacific Ocean region because there is enough water surface area for strengthening.
• It has happened a few times on the Atlantic coastline; however, it is not as common there.

3. Scientists spot a blinking star’s ‘totally unexpected’ behavior

Context: –

Scientists have detected a rare dense star using the Murchison Widefield Array telescope.

Ultra-long period magnetar: –

• Scientists suspect it may be the first known example of what is called an ”ultra-long period magnetar”.
• Ultra-long period magnetar is the collapsed core of a massive star that’s magnetized, rotates slowly.
• This is a variety of neutron star that is highly magnetized and rotates relatively slowly.
• It is opposed to fast-spinning neutron star objects called pulsars that appear from Earth to be blinking on and off within milliseconds or seconds.
• The object may be continuously beaming strong radio waves from its north and south poles.
• It is located relatively close to Earth in cosmic terms, roughly 4,200 light years away, where a light year is the distance light travels in a year.
• Know more about the Magnetar

Source: reuters

What is a Neutron star?

• Neutron star is the compact collapsed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova.
• Neutron stars including pulsars are among the universe’s densest objects.
• A neutron star with an extreme magnetic field, a magnetar, could potentially power the radio pulsations.

About Murchison Widefield Array telescope

• The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is a low-frequency radio telescope operating between 80 and 300 MHz.
• It is a dipole-based aperture array synthesis telescope located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia.
• The main objective of the MWA:
  • To detect neutral atomic Hydrogen emission from the cosmological Epoch of Reionization (EoR)
  • To study the sun, the heliosphere, the Earth’s ionosphere, and radio transient phenomena, as well as map the extragalactic radio sky.

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

Q1. With respect to Juvenile Justice Act (JJA), which of the following statements is/are 
correct?

Q2. The Golden Triangle of the Indian Constitution includes which of the following Articles?

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):

Q4. Consider the following statements:

Q5. In India, the central bank’s function as the ‘’lender of last resort’’ usually refers to 
which of the following?

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 30 Jan 2022:- Download PDF Here