03 Jul 2024: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

03 July 2024 CNA
Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Jaishankar to represent India in place of Modi at SCO summit in Kazakhstan
POLITY
1. Fact-check unit needed to protect people from fake news: Centre in Bombay HC
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ECONOMY
1. Mixed signals
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. France: India’s steady partner in green growth
F. Prelims Facts
1. Beijing, Manila hold talks after maritime stand-off
2. Two vaccines that brought us to the brink of eradicating polio
G. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
H. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Mains: About SCO

Context: 

  • External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represents India at the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan on July 3-4.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the summit could disappoint Central Asian countries due to previously cancelled interactions.
  • Leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend.

Key Discussions:

  • Discussions will focus on multilateral cooperation in trade and counter-terrorism.
  • Jaishankar is expected to address the plenary session on the morning of 4th July.
  • The leaders will review the organisation’s past activities and future cooperation.

Bilateral Meetings and Strategic Partnerships:

  • Jaishankar met Kazakh Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.
  • Discussions included expanding strategic partnerships and India’s engagement with Central Asia.
  • Modi is set to meet Russian President Putin next week in Moscow for a bilateral visit.

Future Prospects and Challenges:

  • Modi’s absence may affect Central Asian leadership due to cancelled engagements in recent years.
  • The next SCO Heads of Government meet is in Pakistan later this year; the next summit will be in China in 2025.
  • SCO Council will adopt the Astana Declaration focusing on economic ties, connectivity, and regional developments.
  • Discussions will also cover developments in Afghanistan and cooperation with the Taliban regime.

Nut Graf: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represents India at the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi skips the meeting, focusing on multilateral cooperation in trade and counter-terrorism, and potentially impacting India’s relations with Central Asian countries.

Category: POLITY

1. Fact-check unit needed to protect people from fake news: Centre in Bombay HC

Syllabus: Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States

Mains: Fake news and the dilemma in controlling it 

Introduction:

Petitioners’ Concerns:

  • Petitioners, including comedian Kunal Kamra, argue that the FCU aims to censor information the government does not want to be disclosed or debated.
  • They contend that this could have a chilling effect on free speech as intermediaries might preemptively remove content.

Government’s Defense:

  • Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta argues the FCU is necessary to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation.
  • Mehta emphasizes that the right to accurate information is as important as the right to free speech.
  • Examples cited include misinformation about the Election Commission and the detrimental impact of fake news during the U.S. pandemic.

Role and Function of the FCU:

  • The FCU is portrayed as a systematic method for the government to address misinformation.
  • Mehta clarifies that the FCU is not the final authority; intermediaries and courts have roles in the process.
  • The FCU is compared to similar units in State governments and private firms.

Nut Graf: The Bombay High Court hears challenges to the Union government’s Fact-Check Unit (FCU) under IT rules, with petitioners fearing censorship, while the government defends it as essential for preventing misinformation and safeguarding the right to accurate information.

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. France: India’s steady partner in green growth

Syllabus: GS-2, Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Mains: India-France Cooperation in Green Development

Introduction: Indo-French Partnership for the Planet

  • On July 14, 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi elevated the ‘Partnership for the Planet’ as a key pillar of the Indo-French Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
  • The partnership emphasizes cooperation on climate change, biodiversity, health, and the environment.
  • France and India advocate for socioeconomic development alongside environmental protection and aim to bridge North-South divides.
  • Joint initiatives include the International Solar Alliance and various tangible projects in India for a greener future.

French Development Agency’s Role:

  • The French Development Agency (AFD) supports various sustainability projects in India, such as protecting the one-horned rhino in Assam, Pune’s metro system, and Chandigarh’s future water supply system.
  • AFD comprises AFD, Proparco (private sector arm), and Expertise France (technical cooperation agency).
  • AFD operates in over 4,200 projects across more than 150 countries, approving over 1,000 new projects worth €13.5 billion in 2023.
  • India is a priority partner, with AFD committing over €4 billion since 2008 for nearly 100 projects in energy transition, sustainable urban development, biodiversity conservation, and inequality reduction.

Recent Projects and Achievements:

  • In 2023, AFD approved four new loans totalling nearly €400 million for climate change projects, including:
    • Two credit lines to Indian public banks.
    • A policy loan for Himachal Pradesh to boost disaster risk management.
    • A national program for increased urban water management and sanitation resilience in 20 cities.
  • Four environment protection projects were signed and started in 2023, focusing on:
    • Increasing forest cover in Rajasthan.
    • Improving sanitation in small towns of Himachal Pradesh.
    • Enhancing solid waste management in 18 cities.
    • Disbursing a green credit line with the State Bank of India for electric buses and energy-efficient housing.

Private Sector Contributions:

  • Proparco invested €11.2 million in Sahyadri, a farmer-led organization in India, to reduce farm losses, pesticide and fertilizer use, and increase yields and produce quality.
  • In the health sector, Proparco approved a €33 million equity investment in Quadria, an Indian private equity firm focused on healthcare investments across South and Southeast Asia.

Future Directions:

  • The partnership is expanding into the Indo-Pacific region with initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership.
  • Plans include creating a joint fund for scaling up green technologies in the region.
  • Innovation is central to AFD’s approach, with the Indo-French Year of Innovation in 2026 set to highlight innovative solutions blending social inclusion and sustainability.
  • France remains a steadfast partner in India’s journey towards a more resilient and equitable future.

Read more about India – France relations in the linked article.

Nut Graf: France and India have strengthened their partnership for green growth through the ‘Partnership for the Planet,’ emphasizing climate action, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Key projects and investments by the French Development Agency and Proparco drive this collaborative effort toward a resilient, equitable future.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Beijing, Manila hold talks after maritime stand-off

High-Level Meeting:

  • Context: China and the Philippines met to ease tensions after a maritime standoff in the South China Sea.
  • Date: The meeting took place on the 2nd of July following the June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal.

Key Outcomes:

  • Commitment: Both countries committed to de-escalating tensions while maintaining their respective positions.
  • Progress: Significant progress was made in developing measures to manage the situation, though substantial differences remain.

Statements and Agreements:

  • Philippine Stance: Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro emphasized the Philippines’ determination to protect its sovereignty and interests.
  • Communication Agreement: An agreement was signed to improve emergency communications at sea.
  • Coast Guard Cooperation: Both sides agreed to continue talks on enhancing ties between their coast guards, though no details were provided.

2. Two vaccines that brought us to the brink of eradicating polio

Discovery and Development:

  • 1948 Discovery: John F. Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins discovered a way to grow the poliovirus in non-nerve cells.
  • Major Breakthrough: Overcame the misconception that the poliovirus could only grow in nerve cells, enabling mass production for vaccine research.

Vaccine Development:

  • Jonas Salk’s IPV: Salk used Enders’ method to create an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) by treating the virus with formaldehyde and injecting it to induce systemic immunity.
  • Albert Sabin’s OPV: Sabin developed the oral polio vaccine (OPV) using weakened live virus strains, administered orally to induce mucosal immunity in the gut.

Global Eradication Efforts:

  • Dual Approach: Countries used a combination of IPV and OPV to leverage both vaccines’ strengths.
  • Patent-Free Vaccines: Both Salk and Sabin did not patent their vaccines, allowing widespread use.
  • Current Challenges: Polio is restricted to rural areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, but vaccine hesitancy is causing reemergence in cities, threatening eradication goals for 2024.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. ‘Talle Wildlife Sanctuary’ recently seen in the news is located in:
  1. Arunachal Pradesh
  2. Manipur
  3. Sikkim
  4. Andhra Pradesh
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Arunachal Pradesh. 

Q2. Arrange the following islands from North to South:
  1. New Caledonia
  2. Vanuatu
  3. Tuvalu
  4. Kiribati

Choose the correct answer from the code given below:

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

Answer: a

Explanation: Arrangement from north to south: Kiribati, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, New Caledonia.

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to the Second Thomas Shoal 
recently seen in the news:
  1. It is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.
  2. It is one of the focal points of tension where Vietnam and China have competing claims.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: Statement 2 is incorrect. It is a source of dispute between the Philippines and China. 

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to polio:
  1. Polio is a viral infectious disease that affects the nervous system.
  2. India received polio-free certification by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014.
  3. Humans are the only natural hosts of the polio virus.

How many of these statements is/are incorrect?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation: All three statements are correct. 

Q5. ‘Xenophrys apatani’, recently seen in the news, is a newly discovered 
species of:
  1. Turmeric
  2. Butterfly 
  3. Horned Frog
  4. Bat
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has identified a new species of horned frog, named Xenophrys apatani, in the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary.

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*