08 Mar 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 08 March 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
1. Is heat in India set to get worse?
ENVIRONMENT
1. How did the treaty on the high seas come through?
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Home and away
HEALTH/GOVERNANCE
1. Challenging dogma
F. Prelims Facts
1. Parrot Lady of Khajuraho
G. Tidbits
1. The concerns over linking Aadhaar with voter IDs
2. India sending 20,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. How did the treaty on the high seas come through?

Syllabus: GS-3, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

Prelims: About high seas and treaty on the high seas

Mains: Threat to high seas, the need for protection and the significance of the High Seas Treaty

Context

The members of the United Nations (UN) have recently agreed on a treaty for protecting marine life in international waters that lie outside the jurisdiction of any country.

Background

  • The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted in 1982 and came into force in 1994.
    • UNCLOS set out rules to govern the oceans and the use of its resources, but there was no comprehensive legal framework that covered the high seas.  
  • As climate change and global warming became global concerns, there was a need to formulate an international legal framework to safeguard high seas and marine life.
  • The UNGA after years of informal talks decided to develop a legally binding instrument within the framework of UNCLOS in 2015. 
  • An Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) was convened to come up with a legal instrument on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). 
  • Recently, the UN members reached an agreement on this treaty to protect the world’s oceans after about 15 years of negotiations. However, the treaty has still not been formally adopted as members are yet to ratify it.

What are the high seas?

High Seas

Image Source: The Guardian

  • As per the Geneva Convention on the High Seas (1958), those parts of the sea that are not included in the territorial waters or the internal waters of a country are called the high seas.
  • No individual country is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of resources on the high seas as they do not come under their jurisdiction.
  • Close to about two-thirds of the world’s oceans are considered international waters, wherein all countries have the right to undertake fishing and research.
  • However, only about 1% of these waters have been protected which leaves the marine biodiversity in these high seas at risk of exploitation.

Significance of high seas

  • Since the high seas account for over 60% of the world’s oceans they cover about half of the Earth’s surface.
  • The high seas are a hub of marine life and they house close to 2.7 lakh known species and many are yet to be discovered.
  • Due to their sheer scale, the high seas have become extremely crucial for human survival and well-being.

Threat to the high seas

  • Since the oceans absorb the majority of the heat from the atmosphere they are affected by phenomena such as El Nino, and ocean acidification.
  • Studies have revealed that thousands of marine species would be at risk of extinction by 2100 if current trends in ocean warming and acidification persist.
  • Climate change has also increased marine heat waves 20-fold which could cause extreme events like cyclones and mass mortality events.
  • Further, the high seas are increasingly under threat from various anthropogenic activities such as pollution, seabed mining, overfishing, chemical spills, geoengineering, disposal of untreated waste and introduction of invasive species which endanger marine flora and fauna. 

The High Seas Treaty

  • The draft agreement of the Treaty acknowledges the need to combat the issues of biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems of the ocean. 
  • The High Seas Treaty is a legally binding pact that aims to conserve and ensure the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity.
  • The treaty provides a legal framework for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas.
    • The treaty places 30% of the world’s oceans into protected areas and includes provisions to increase investments in marine conservation.
  • The treaty will facilitate the constitution of an access- and benefit-sharing committee to frame guidelines to manage and look after the conservation of ocean life. 
  • The treaty will introduce arrangements for sharing marine genetic resources like biological material from plants and animals in the ocean. 
  • The treaty also mandates that activities concerning marine genetic resources on the high seas must be carried out in the interests of all States, for the benefit of humanity and exclusively for peaceful purposes.
  • The treaty further puts in place various rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans.

Significance of the treaty

  • The treaty also helps strengthen multilateral cooperation to preserve crucial marine life and biodiversity.
  • The treaty will play a critical role in enforcing the 30×30 pledge and historic Biodiversity Deal made by the member nations at the UN biodiversity conference in December 2022, to protect a third of the sea (and land) by 2030. 
    • Without such a treaty, the target would fail since there was no legal mechanism to set up MPAs on the high seas.
  • Furthermore, the treaty is also vital for achieving ocean-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Read more about – the High Seas Treaty and its significance

Nut graf: The High Seas Treaty is regarded as a historic and pathbreaking development as it finally opens the door to providing protection to marine biodiversity across the high seas and a significant platform for governments to work together and protect global ocean health which is crucial for socioeconomic wellbeing and food security across the globe.

Category: HEALTH/GOVERNANCE

1. Challenging dogma

Syllabus: GS-2, Issues related to health; Government policies and interventions and issues arising from it.

Mains: Menace of Dog-bites in India

Details:

  • In Rajasthan, an infant was taken away by stray dogs. In Telangana, a four-year-old child was attacked by dogs with a fatal result.
  • According to the 2019 livestock census, India has a population of nearly 1.5 crore stray dogs.
  • Moreover, India has the distinction of being the dog-bite-and-rabies-capital of the world.
  • Despite the knowledge of the crisis by the authorities (Municipalities, State, Centre, Judiciary, and NGOs), the problem still persists.

Associated Concerns:

  • There is a moral dilemma between being responsible for the welfare of animals and focusing on public safety.
  • Much of the world has derecognized the rights of stray animals. If the animals are leashed and registered, human custodians are mandated to take care of them. Otherwise, as a last resort, in the public interest states can even euthanise them.
  • It is argued that the existing laws aim to limit the stray population, but are largely silent on public safety.
    • The two existing laws are the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act and the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001.
    • Both rules acknowledge that unchecked stray animals should be controlled.
  • The draft (proposed) Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules have only put forth procedural changes in sterilization and vaccination. Moreover, it permits only “incurably ill and mortally wounded” dogs to be euthanised.
  • Furthermore, leaders of resident welfare associations are made responsible for feeding strays in their pockets.
  • It is also found that the laws do not factor in the magnitude of the problem. For instance, there is one stray for every 100 humans.
  • There is inadequate infrastructure and mechanisms in India to ensure the accessible treatment to vulnerable sections like the poor and their children.

Conclusion:

India has committed to eliminating rabies by 2030. However, without considering the threat of stray dogs as a public health crisis, the target seems to be a distant dream and will also hamper poor people’s right to safe public spaces.

Also read: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis. Sep 24th, 2022

Nut Graf: The issue of stray animals is a serious concern, especially for the vulnerable section of society. The threat from stray dogs must be framed as a public health issue to achieve the target of eliminating rabies by 2030.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Parrot Lady of Khajuraho

Syllabus: GS-1; Art and Culture; Salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture

Prelims: About Parrot Lady of Khajuraho sculpture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Context

  • About 26 repatriated Indian antiquities will be exhibited and displayed in the national capital in order to spread awareness on the prevention of illicit trafficking of antiquities.
  • Among the antiquities displayed, the “Parrot Lady of Khajuraho” sculpture was a major attraction.

Parrot Lady of Khajuraho sculpture

Parrot Lady of Khajuraho

Image Source: The Hindu

  • The “Parrot Lady of Khajuraho” is a 900-year-old sandstone sculpture.
  • This is a three-foot-long sculpture that is exquisitely carved and depicts a lady with a parrot near her right ear which symbolises love.
  • A few historians believe that the “Parrot Lady” may have been the queen of Khajuraho portrayed as the majestic ‘Abhisarika’ or cupid-struck lady, always engaged in conversation with her pet parrot.
  • The sculpture was smuggled from Delhi to Canada (Toronto) and was brought back to India from Canada in 2015 in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.
  • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the nodal agency for dealing with antiquities and about 244 stolen or missing artefacts have been repatriated to India to date.

Learn more about – The Parrot Lady

G. Tidbits

1. The concerns over linking Aadhaar with voter IDs

  • Close to 60% of Indian voters have currently linked their Aadhaar to their name on the electoral rolls. 
    • The linking exercise has achieved coverage of over 90% in States like Tripura and is lagging behind in states like Gujarat and Delhi as only 30% of the electorate has provided their Aadhaar to election officials.
  • The linking of Aadhaar with voter IDs is being carried out by filling Form 6B, which is provided by election officials and is a result of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 that has allowed the linking. 
    • While the Election Commission of India (ECI) has maintained that the linking is optional, Form 6B requires voters to declare that they do not have an Aadhaar to avoid doing so.
    • Before the passage of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, the Supreme Court had restricted the mandatory use of Aadhaar to welfare schemes and PAN linking. 
  • Several activists have raised concerns about disenfranchisement, coercion and privacy as a result of this linking exercise.
    • There have been concerns over privacy issues as Aadhaar linking may enable political parties to micro-target voters.
  • Activists from the NGO Swechha have said that documents they had obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request revealed that over 20 lakh voters were deleted from the rolls in Telangana following an Aadhaar-linking exercise.

For more information on this topic, refer to the following article:

UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 29 Aug 2022: Aadhar-Voter ID Linkage

2. India sending 20,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar

  • India is looking to send its next consignment of wheat to Afghanistan as aid via the Chabahar port in Iran.
  • This decision was announced during the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Afghanistan in Delhi, as the agreement with Pakistan for sending the wheat over the land route has expired and talks to extend the time have not yielded any results.
    • This JWG meeting was held after the India-Central Asia summit in January 2022.
    • At the JWG, India also agreed to offer “customised capacity building courses” for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) officials and cooperate on initiatives to counter drug trafficking and rehabilitation efforts for Afghan drug users, especially women.
  • In the wake of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, India had announced its partnership with the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) for the delivery of 20,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan.
    • India had sent around 40,000 tonnes out of the 50,000 tonnes promised after an agreement with the previous Pakistan government. However, the shipments were halted after the floods in Pakistan, and the time allowed by Pakistan expired.
  • India in the past has used the Chabahar port route to send shipments of wheat to Afghanistan.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. The prestigious ‘Pritzker prize’ is conferred in the field of (Level – Moderate)
  1. Virology
  2. Architecture
  3. Efforts towards world peace
  4. Efforts towards gender parity
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • Pritzker Prize is awarded annually “to honour a living architect or architects whose work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”
  • Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, the award is funded by the Pritzker family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation.
  • It is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
  • The prize is said to be awarded “irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology.”
Q2. Consider the following statements with regard to India’s carbon sink: 
(Level – Difficult)
  1. India is committed to increase its carbon sink by 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, but it has not formally submitted to the UNFCCC the clarification that the baseline year for this would be 2005.
  2. India has committed to increase its carbon sink by 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 through the creation of additional forest and tree cover.
  3. As per the Forest Survey of India, India’s forests and tree cover had a carbon sink of 29.38 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015.

Choose the correct code:

  1. Only one statement is wrong
  2. Two statements are wrong
  3. All statements are wrong
  4. None of the statements is wrong
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct, India is committed to increasing its carbon sink by 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, but it has not formally submitted to the UNFCCC the clarification that the baseline year for this would be 2005. 
  • Statement 2 is correct, India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
  • Statement 3 is correct, As per the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the country’s forests and tree cover had a carbon sink of 29.38 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015.
    • Further, this was projected to increase in a business-as-usual scenario i.e. without the intervention of any fresh effort to 31.87 billion tonnes in 2030.
Q3. Consider the following statements with regard to the National Assessment and 
Accreditation Council (NAAC) Assessing System: (Level – Moderate)
  1. NAAC is an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC), that assesses and certifies Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with gradings as part of accreditation.
  2. The ratings of institutions range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
  3. Only higher education institutions that are at least ten years old, or from where at least three batches of students have graduated, can apply.

Choose the correct code:

  1. Only one statement is wrong
  2. Two statements are wrong
  3. All statements are wrong
  4. None of the statements is wrong
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct, The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which conducts assessment and accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI).
  • Statement 2 is correct, The grades issued by NAAC range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
  • Statement 3 is not correct, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with a record of at least two batches of students who graduated, or have been in existence for six years, whichever is earlier, are eligible to apply for the process of Assessment and Accreditation (A&A) of NAAC.
Q4. Consider the following statements with regard to the Chabahar Port: 
(Level – Easy)
  1. The port of Chabahar is located in southeastern Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
  2. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
  3. It will make way for India to bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan using a sea-land route.

Choose the correct code:

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

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct, Chabahar Port is located in Sistan and Baluchestan province in the Southeastern part of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
  • Statement 2 is correct, Chabahar Port is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
  • Statement 3 is correct, Chabahar Port provides India with better connectivity to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan using a sea-land route. 
Q5. Bisphenol A (BPA), a cause of concern, is a structural/key component in the manufacture 
of which of the following kinds of plastics? (Level – Difficult) [PYQ (2021)]
  1. Low density polyethylene
  2. Polycarbonate
  3. Polyethylene terephthalate
  4. Polyvinyl chloride
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics.
  • Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in various products such as shatterproof windows, eyewear, water bottles, and water supply pipes.
  • Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children.
  • The primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through diet while air, dust, and water are other possible sources of exposure.

CNA 08 March 2023:- Download PDF Here

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