01 Jun 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

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CNA 01 June 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Questioning the safety of Aadhaar
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Looking at the UN report on the Taliban regime
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. India’s EV ambition rides on three wheels
POLITY
1. A judicial course that calls for introspection
F. Prelims Facts
G. Tidbits
1. India decided to oppose WTO freeze on e-com duties
2. Israel-UAE free trade deal
3. Ministry brings out guidelines to manage monkeypox cases
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Looking at the UN report on the Taliban regime

Syllabus: International relations

Mains: India and its neighbourhood, Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Context:

  • A recently released report from the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) says that foreign terrorist organisations continue to enjoy safe haven under the new Taliban regime.
  • The report also says, that due to financial constraints, and possibly under political pressure not to embarrass the Taliban internationally at this juncture, the terrorist groups are currently in consolidation mode and not likely to launch major attacks outside Afghanistan before 2023.

Taliban’s internal tussle

  • The foremost internal division in the Taliban is between the moderate and the hardline blocs. While the moderate bloc wants working relationships with foreign partners and integration with the international system, the hardliners (consisting of senior Taliban leaders centralized around Hibatullah Akhundzada) have a more ideological stance, with little interest in international relations.
  • Independent of both these blocs is the Haqqani Network which, while more aligned with the hardliners, is inclined towards a pragmatic rather than ideological approach to securing Taliban interests.
  • According to the report, under the command of Hibatullah, various Taliban factions are manoeuvring for advantage, with the Haqqani Network cornering most of the influential posts in the administration.
  • The Kandahari (Durrani) Taliban is in the ascendancy among the Taliban leadership, with Pashtuns getting precedence over non-Pashtuns.
  • Several key Tajik and Uzbek commanders in the north have been replaced with Pashtuns from the south, and these decisions have come against the backdrop of an “organized campaign by Pashtuns to dislodge ethnic Tajik, Turkmen and Uzbek communities from rich agricultural land in the north”.
  • Internal cohesion within the Taliban was easier to maintain during the insurgency period, when there was a “compelling common cause to expel foreign forces from Afghanistan”. Now that they are in power, “the Taliban’s core identity of a Pashtun nationalist cause dominated by southern Taliban has again come to the fore, generating tension and conflict with other ethnic groups.”

Presence of Foreign Terrorists

  • Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) constitutes the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with their numbers estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 and operating along the east and southeast Afghanistan – Pakistan border areas.
  • The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Khorasan (ISILK) has grown in strength through prison releases and new recruitments.
  • Al-Qaeda still has a relationship with the Taliban and is renewing its pledge of allegiance to Taliban leader Hibatullah.
  • However, neither ISILK nor Al-Qaeda are capable of mounting international attacks before 2023 but their presence, along with the presence of other terrorist groups on Afghan soil, remains a matter of concern for neighbouring countries and the international community.

India-focussed Terrorist Groups

  • The report also highlights the threat of India-focused terrorist groups. According to the report, two India-focused terrorist groups, Jaish-i-Mohammed ( JiM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are reported to have training camps in Afghanistan. Both the groups enjoy close links with the Taliban leadership, with the LeT having a history of providing finance and training expertise to Taliban operations.
  • The Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has 180400 fighters in Afghanistan. “Fighters included nationals from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan.”
  • However, AQIS capabilities were weakened from losses as a result of the October 2015 joint United States Afghan raid in Kandahar’s Shorabak district and financial constraints.
  • The name change of the AQIS magazine from ‘Nawa-i-Afghan-Jihad’ to ‘Nawa-e-Gazwah-e-Hind’ suggests a “refocussing of AQIS from Afghanistan to Kashmir”.
Nut Graf
Despite the Taliban’s pledge not to allow the use of Afghan land for terror activities, Afghanistan is still a safe haven for terrorist threats to the international community including India.

2. Israel-UAE free trade deal

  • Israel signed a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates, its first with an Arab country, building on their U.S.brokered normalization of diplomatic relations in 2020.
  • With this FTA, businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as the nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation.
  • The 2020 deal was part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with Bahrain and Morocco.

3. Ministry brings out guidelines to manage monkeypox cases

  • The Union Health Ministry issued guidelines on the management of monkeypox disease.
  • Monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity.
  • The natural reservoir of the virus is yet unknown, and certain rodents (including rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice) and nonhuman primates are known to be naturally susceptible to the virus.
  • The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days, and the period of communicability is a day or two before the rash until all the scabs fall off or subside. Suspected cases include a person of any age having a history of travel to affected countries within the last 21 days presenting with an unexplained acute rash and one or more symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes, fever, head/body ache and profound weakness. As per the guidelines, contacts should be monitored at least daily for the onset of signs/symptoms for a period of 21 days from the last contact during the infectious period.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to the index of 
eight core industries?
  1. It is released by the Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
  2. Among the eight sectors, the highest weightage is given to the electricity sector while the least weightage is given to fertilizer industry.
  3. Under the electricity vertical, renewable energy is not included.

Options:

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

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • The Eight Core Industries include Natural Gas, Coal, Refinery Products, Crude Oil, Cement, Electricity, Steel, and Fertilizers. These industries are termed as the core industries owing to their strong impact on the general economic activities and the other industrial activities.
  • These industries comprise a total of 40.27% of the total weight of the overall items that are included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The Index of Eight Core Industries’ highest weight is currently possessed by the Refinery Products Industry. Earlier the highest weightage was given to the Electricity Industry.
  • In the decreasing order of the weightage of these industries, the list is stated as below:
    • Refinery Products Industry
    • Electricity Industry
    • Steel Industry
    • Coal Industry
    • Crude Oil Industry
    • Natural Gas Industry
    • Cement Industry
    • Fertilizers Industry
Q2. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to textile exports 
from India?
  1. There has been a substantial dip in the Textile and Apparel export from India in the current year owing to reduction in demand in the global market and competition from emerging players like Bangladesh and Vietnam in the export market.
  2. United Arab Emirates is the top export destination for Textile and Apparel exports from India.

Options:

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

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • India scaled its highest ever exports tally at US$ 44.4 Bn in Textiles and Apparel (T&A) including Handicrafts in FY 2021-22.
  • USA was the top export destination accounting for 27% share, followed by the EU (18%), Bangladesh (12%) and UAE (6%).
  • In terms of product categories, the export of cotton Textiles was US$ 17.2 Bn with a 39% share. Man-made textiles export was US$ 6.3 Bn with 14% share.
  • Export of  Ready-Made Garments was US$ 16 Bn with 36% share.
Q3. Which of the following pairs of Indigenous livestock breeds and their main associated 
state is incorrectly matched?
  1. Amritmahal – Punjab
  2. Ongole – Rajasthan
  3. Malenadu Gidda- Tamil Nadu
  4. Surti – Bihar
  5. Beetal- West Bengal

Options:

  1. 1, 2 and 5
  2. 1, 3 and 4
  3. 2, 4 and 5
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • The Amrit Mahal is a breed of cattle that originated from the erstwhile state of Mysore in Karnataka, India. They originated from the Hallikar. They are notable for their great endurance and speed.
  • Ongole cattle is an indigenous cattle breed that originates from the Prakasam District in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The breed possesses resistance to both foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease.
  • Malenadu Gidda is a dwarf breed of cattle native to the hilly, rainy and densely forested Malenadu region of the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka in India. They are of short stature and known for their adaptability, and disease resistance. The milk and urine are of medicinal value.
  • The Surti is a breed of water buffalo found in the Kaira and Vadodara districts of Gujarat. Its average milk yield is 1600-1800 litres. The fat content of the milk is about 8-10 percent.
  • Beetal is a Goat breed found mainly in the state of Punjab. These breeds are grown mainly for the purpose of milk and meat.
Q4. Which of the following statement/s is/are incorrect with respect to GST compensation?
  1. As per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, the states are assured of compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST for a period of 15 years.
  2. The States’ protected revenue is projected at a compounded growth rate of 10%
  3. The compensation fund is funded by the Consolidated Fund of India.

Options:

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

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country w.e.f. 1st July 2017 and States were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for a period of five years. For providing compensation to States, Cess is being levied on certain goods and the amount of Cess collected is being credited to Compensation Fund.
  • Bi-monthly GST compensation to States for the period 2017-18, 2018-19 was released on time out of the Compensation Fund. As the States’ protected revenue has been growing at 14% compounded growth whereas the Cess collection did not increase in the same proportion, COVID-19 further increased the gap between projected revenue and the actual revenue receipt including a reduction in cess collection.

Context:

  • The Government of India has released the entire amount of GST compensation payable to States up to 31st May, 2022 by releasing an amount of Rs.86,912 crores.
Q5. Which article of the Constitution of India safeguards one’s right to marry the 
person of one’s choice?
  1. Article 19
  2. Article 21
  3. Article 25
  4. Article 29
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • In the Lata Singh v/s state of Uttar Pradesh case, the Supreme Court viewed the right to marry as a component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Similar observations were made by the Supreme Court in the Hadiya case where it held that the right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution.
  • Article 21 states that no person shall be deprived of his life and personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law.
  • Article 19 embodies basic freedoms.
  • Article 25 is with respect to religious rights.
  • Article 29 grants protection to both religious and linguistic minorities.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. Assess the performance of FAME II scheme across the country and the roadblocks that still remain in place in expanding the EV accessibility in India. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS III- Energy)
  2. What is Article 142 of the Indian constitution? Does it go against the doctrine of separation of powers? Elaborate. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS II- Polity)

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 01 June 2022:- Download PDF Here

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