CNA 20th July 2021:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. Speedy trial a fundamental right: HC HEALTH 1. Oxfam report highlights sharp inequalities in health indicators C. GS 3 Related SECURITY 1. Rahul, Prashant Kishor, ex-EC Lavasa on list of spyware targets ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. Climate change has added over 1,000 lakes in Swiss Alps: study ECONOMY 1. SC reserves order on telcos’ pleas in AGR case D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials GOVERNANCE 1. Surveillance reform is the need of the hour 2. A more humane police force F. Prelims Facts 1. Karnataka opposes river linking project by T.N. G. Tidbits 1. Making India a sporting nation H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Speedy trial a fundamental right: HC
Context:
The Bombay High Court has said “speedy trial is a fundamental right”.
Details:
- The comments were made highlighting the issue of people languishing in prisons waiting for the trial to begin.
- The right to a speedy trial is a fundamental right inherent under Article 21 of the Constitution which provides for the right to life and personal liberties.
- The Constitution of India provides that, whenever there is a violation of fundamental rights, a person can move to the Supreme Court under Article 32 and to the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.
Need for Speedy trial:
- Both the prisoner and his guard equally suffer human rights violations in case of delayed trials.
- The undertrial prisoner, who is yet to get his day in court, suffers the most, languishing behind bars for years without a hearing.
- Speedy trial remains one of the best ways to remedy the unwarranted phenomenon of overcrowding of prisons.
- Speedy trial is important to ensure justice as well as undue and oppressive imprisonment and ensures dispensation of justice by providing fair and just trial to all its citizens.
- ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ is the cornerstone in delivering justice.
1. Oxfam report highlights sharp inequalities in health indicators
Context:
India Inequality Report 2021: India’s Unequal Healthcare Story has been published by Oxfam India.
Key Findings:
- India’s low spending on public healthcare systems and focus on supporting private healthcare has led to serious inequalities in access to healthcare, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic.
- The average medical expenditure per hospitalisation case has tripled between 2004 and 2017, making it difficult for poorer and rural households.
- Rural India houses 70 percent of the population, while it has 40 percent of hospital beds.
- Sharp inequalities exist across different caste, religious, class and gender categories on various health indicators.
- The General category is better off than SCs and STs, Hindus are better off than Muslims, the rich are better off than the poor, men are better off than women, and the urban population is better off than the rural population” on most health determinants, interventions and indicators including access to improved, non-shared sanitation facilities.
- Vaccination drive against Covid-19 ignores the country’s digital divide.
- Despite improvement in child immunisation, the rate of immunisation of girls continues to be below that of the male child; immunisation of children in urban areas is more than those in rural areas; and immunization of SCs and STs is behind that of other caste groups.
- While women’s literacy has improved across social groups over the years, SC and ST women lag behind the general category by 18.6% and 27.9% respectively.
- There exists a gap of 55.1% between the top and bottom 20% of the population in 2015-16.
- The Oxfam report has marked the state of Kerala as a success story in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Note:
- Oxfam is a confederation of independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty.
- It was founded in 1942 and is led by Oxfam International.
C. GS 3 Related
1. Rahul, Prashant Kishor, ex-EC Lavasa on list of spyware targets
Context:
Former Congress president, former Election Commissioner, Union Ministers have appeared on a leaked list of potential or actual targets for spying by the Pegasus spyware.
How does Pegasus Spyware Work?
Read more on Pegasus Spyware covered in July 8th, 2021 CNA.
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Climate change has added over 1,000 lakes in Swiss Alps: study
Context:
According to a study published by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), climate change has dramatically altered the Swiss Alp landscape.
Concerns:
- Almost 1,200 new lakes have formed in formerly glaciated regions of the Swiss Alps since the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850.
- About 180 have been added in the last decade alone.
- Glaciers in the Swiss Alps are in steady decline, losing a full 2% of their volume in 2020 alone.
- According to a 2019 study, even if the world were to fully implement the 2015 Paris Agreement two-thirds of the Alpine glaciers will likely be lost.
Swiss Alps:
- The Alps are the highest and extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe.
- It stretches across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.
- The mountains were formed as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided.
- The Alpine region of Switzerland is conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps.
- The Alps cover 60% of Switzerland’s total surface area, making it one of the most alpine countries.
1. SC reserves order on telcos’ pleas in AGR case
Context:
The Supreme Court has reserved orders on pleas made by telecom majors for a chance to place their grievances about arithmetical errors in the calculation of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues before the Department of Telecom (DoT).
Background:
- The Supreme Court in September 2020 had granted 10 years to telecom firms for paying the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)-related dues to the DoT with certain conditions.
- The SC asked telcos to pay 10 per cent of the AGR-related dues by March 31, 2021.
Read more September 2nd 2020 CNA
What is Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)?
- Telecom operators are required to pay licence fees and spectrum charges in the form of ‘revenue share’ to the Centre.
- The revenue amount used to calculate this revenue share is termed the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR).
- According to the DoT, the calculations should incorporate all revenues earned by a telecom company – including from non-telecom sources such as deposit interests and sale of assets.
- The companies, however, have been of the view that AGR should comprise the revenues generated from telecom services only and non-telecom revenues should be kept out of it. They had argued that AGR must only include license and spectrum fees.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Surveillance reform is the need of the hour
Context:
- ‘Pegasus Project’ report produced by the collaborative investigation of journalists from around the world.
Background:
For information on the Pegasus spyware and its modus operandi refer to the following article:
UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 8th July 2021
Details:
- As per the initial reports, the Pegasus spyware is reported to have been used to hack phones and install spyware to enable surveillance.
- As per the report, over 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers, including those used by ministers, opposition leaders, journalists, the legal community, businessmen, government officials, scientists, rights activists and others were targeted using the spyware.
Legal provision:
- Notably, there are no provisions in existing laws that allow the government to hack the phones of any individual since the hacking of computer resources, including mobile phones and apps, is a criminal offence under the IT Act.
Concerns:
Against rights of citizens:
- Surveillance, whether under a provision of law or without it, is a gross violation of the fundamental right of citizens to the exercise of freedom of speech and personal liberty and privacy under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, respectively.
- The perceived threat of surveillance impacts the ability of people to express, receive and discuss unorthodox or controversial ideas. This results in what has been defined by the judiciary as a “chilling effect on free speech”.
Threat to press freedom:
- The emerging reports of usage of Pegasus spyware against journalists raise concerns over the right to privacy and free speech of journalists which is so very important for free and fair news reporting.
Weak protection for surveilled:
- Existing laws seem to offer impunity for surveillance
- The existing provisions of law under the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 and the Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000 (Section 69) seem to offer the government total opacity and impunity in respect of its interception and monitoring activities.
- Even the Interception Rules of 2009 offer weak protection to the surveilled.
- There is also no scope for an individual subjected to surveillance to approach a court of law to challenge acts of surveillance.
- Even the proposed personal data protection law fails to consider surveillance while also providing wide exemptions to government authorities.
For more related information refer to:
UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 17th Nov 2019
Threat posed by technical developments:
- Given the increasing affordability and accessibility of spywares and increasing sophistication in their modus operandi, the scope for large scale surveillance is only bound to increase over time. This raises concerns over state-sponsored mass surveillance.
Lack of oversight:
- There is an almost total absence of parliamentary or judicial oversight on surveillance activities undertaken by the executive.
- This is worrisome despite the executive’s claims that any surveillance which takes place happens through a “due process of law”. The lack of oversight makes surveillance activities liable for misuse.
- This violates not only the ideals of due process but also goes against the requirement of procedural safeguards as mandated in K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd) v. Union of India (2017).
Threat to separation of power:
- Vesting disproportionate surveillance power with the executive threatens the separation of powers of the government.
- Given the secrecy involved in surveillance activities, the affected person is unable to show a breach of his/her rights. Thus, there is limited scope for the Supreme Court and High Courts to issue writs under Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution.
Recommendations:
- Surveillance reform is the need of the hour in India.
Balancing the contrasting needs:
- There is a need to balance the necessity of the government’s objectives of surveillance with the rights of the impacted individuals.
Role of judiciary:
- In order to satisfy the ideal of “due process of law”, to maintain an effective separation of powers and to fulfil the requirements of procedural safeguards, there needs to be an oversight from another branch of the government over the executive’s power of surveillance.
- Such a role can be effectively played by the judiciary.
Also read: Difference Between Procedure Established by Law and Due Process of Law
Background:
- Custody-related deaths and instances of custodial torture in India are relatively very high as compared with other nations.
- There are also ample reports of improper police behaviour with the general citizenry.
Work culture in the lower rungs of the police system:
- In the Indian police force, the lower ranks of police personnel are often verbally abused by their superiors. Their relationship with their superior officers is stressful and sycophantic. The lower-ranked police personnel often work in inhumane conditions and also their work environments are not harmonious.
- This in turn seems to have a negative impact on the way the lower rung police personnel interact with the public.
Recommendations:
- While improvements in pay scale and promotions are necessary aspects of police reforms, there is also the important need for reforms at the psychological level.
- There is an urgent need for appropriate reforms in this direction as noted by several committees’ recommendations and the Supreme Court of India judgement in the Prakash Singh case (2006).
F. Prelims Facts
1. Karnataka opposes river linking project by T.N.
What’s in News?
Karnataka has approached the Supreme Court staking claim to 91 tmc ft of surplus water annually in the Cauvery Basin while opposing the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar (CVG) link project planned by Tamil Nadu.
- Tamil Nadu has planned the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar (CVG) link project for transferring 45 tmc ft of surplus water yearly.
- It is a 262 km river-linking project.
- It aims to divert surplus water during floods and increase the groundwater levels in the state’s southern districts to meet drinking water needs.
- Karnataka argues that the project would compel an advance commitment of the surplus water. It says that the project is not in accordance with the Interstate River Water Disputes Act.
- As per the Act, surplus water should be adjudicated and the tribunal has to decide on it.
G. Tidbits
1. Making India a sporting nation
Context:
- Upcoming summer Olympic games in Tokyo.
Background:
India’s performance in Olympics:
- The early exposure to international sporting events during colonial rule gave India an edge over other ‘Third World’ nations in the 1950s and early 1960s. However, as more and more nations started coming into the international sports arena, India’s relative position started declining from the 1970s.
- India’s best performance at the Olympics was in London (2012) where it won two silver medals and four bronzes and ranked 56th in the medal’s tally. At the Rio Olympics (2016), with one silver and one bronze, India’s rank came down to 67.
- Smaller Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Singapore and Malaysia continue to perform better than India at the Olympics.
Factors that impact Olympic performance:
- There are many factors that are important in determining the performance of a nation in various sports.
Economic prosperity:
- The economic prosperity of a nation and the general standard of living in a nation could be seen as good indicators of the nation’s sports prowess with some exceptions.
- Economic prosperity and good standards of living for the citizens also implies the nutritional and health security of the citizens. A person of poor health can never be a good sportsperson.
- A decent standard of living will help people take up sports as a hobby and this is what gives rise to a sporting culture.
- The economic strength of the nation in providing quality sports infrastructure and training facilities for its upcoming athletes has a major impact on the performance of the athletes.
Genetic factors:
- Genetic impacts on the physical features of a person like height affect the person’s performance in certain sports like swimming, basketball, etc. Thus genetic factors are also an important factor that has a bearing on the Olympic performance of nations.
Availability of sports infrastructure:
- Quality infrastructure and world-class training provide an edge to sportspersons and their performance.
- Example – The availability of world-class training facilities with adequate and accessible sports infrastructure explains the U.S.’s excellent performance in athletics and gymnastics, and the U.K.’s commendable performance in diving, sailing and cycling.
Recommendations:
Initial focus on a few sports:
- Given the limited financial resources for sports in the Indian context, these scarce financial resources are spread thinly across sports disciplines.
- Also, India has been moderately good at many sports but not good enough to be the best at any of them. This could be observed in the relatively few Olympic medals for India.
- In this regard, there is the need to concentrate more on sports where the physical build of an average Indian will not stand as a disadvantage.
- Example – Jamaica does well at the Olympics in sprinting and Kenya gets medals in long-distance running.
- Sports like shooting, amateur boxing, wrestling, gymnastics and badminton in which India has shown promise in recent years need to be focussed upon initially.
One State, one sport:
- States need to be integrated into India’s sports policy.
- Given that people of different States have different food habits and build, there is a need to develop different States as centres of excellence for different sports.
- This involves developing training infrastructure for different sports in different parts of the country depending on the inclination of people of that area and their habits and build.
Government’s lead role:
- Given that individual talent alone cannot make India a great sporting nation, the government has an important role in this regard by setting up a suitable ecosystem for sports development in India.
- This could involve appropriate policy measures and schemes to promote the uptake of sports from a very young age. There is also the need to provide adequate sporting infrastructure and training facilities. There need to be regular sporting events right from school levels up to the national level. A bottom-up approach to identifying young sporting talents and their grooming needs to be prioritized.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. A Living Root Bridge, a type of simple suspension bridge built by manipulating the roots of the trees, is usually seen in the state of
- Himachal Pradesh
- Kerala
- Meghalaya
- Odisha
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- The trees in Meghalaya not only develop the conventional rooting system but also develop aerial rooting system. Aerial roots are roots that grow on the above-ground parts of a plant. Therefore, people in the region make use of Living Root Bridges.
- A living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping. They are common in the southern part of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya.
- They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) by the Khasi and Jaintia people.
Q2. Which of the following are the primary sources of vegetable oils in India?
- Cottonseed
- Groundnut
- Rice Bran
- Soybean
- Sunflower
Options:
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2, 4 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
- 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Primary sources of vegetable oil: Soybean, Rapeseed & Mustard, Groundnut, Sunflower, Safflower & Niger.
- Secondary sources of vegetable oil: Oil palm, Coconut, Rice Bran, Cotton seeds & Tree Borne Oilseeds.
Q3. Consider the following statements:
- Switzerland and Austria have a warmer climate due to the Föhn, as moist winds off the Mediterranean Sea blow over the Alps.
- Föhn is responsible for rapid temperature rise, melting snowfall and the avalanche risk.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- A föhn or foehn is a type of dry, warm, down-slope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range.
- Foehn is a hot wind of local importance in the Alps. With the arrival of these winds, there is a rapid rise in temperature.
- Switzerland and Austria have a warmer climate due to the Föhn, as moist winds off the Mediterranean Sea blow over the Alps.
- Föhn is responsible for rapid temperature rise, melting snowfall and the avalanche risk.
Q4. Twin Deficit is a condition where a nation has both
- Current Account Deficit and Fiscal Deficit
- Current Account Deficit and Revenue Deficit
- Primary Deficit and Revenue Deficit
- Fiscal Deficit and Hyperinflation
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- A twin deficit economy is one that has both fiscal and current account deficits.
- A twin deficit occurs when a nation’s government has both a trade deficit and a budget deficit.
- A trade deficit, also known as a current account deficit, occurs when a nation imports more than it exports.
- Fiscal deficit is a condition where the government is spending more money than it takes in from taxes and other revenues excluding debt.
Q5. With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements:(UPSC 2014)
- The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
- South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The First Summit of BRICS was held in Yekaterinburg in Russia in 2009.
- South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.
- BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
- South Africa was invited to join the bloc (BRIC) in December 2010, resulting in BRICS.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Examine the constitutional and legal safeguards in India with regard to state-led surveillance. Do they suffice? (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
- Illustrate the steps to be taken to make India a sporting nation. (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 20th July 2021:- Download PDF Here
Comments