11 Mar 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

11th March 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

Today’s CNA is compiled from the Bangalore edition of ‘The Hindu’ since there was no Delhi edition on account of Holi.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Kasuri recalls plan for Sir Creek pact
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. LPG scheme PM Ujjwala Yojana closed, but only 3 States have become kerosene-free
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Thermal coal imports for 2019 rise 12.6%
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ECONOMY
1. Market mayhem
2. The public unravelling of Yes Bank
EDUCATION
1. Scoring low
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. For a universal status of personhood
F. Prelims Facts
1. Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD)
2. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary
G. Tidbits
1. Putin backs amendment that will let him remain in power
2. ‘Containment zone’ in New York to halt spread
3. Shared economy at $2 bn by end-2020
4. ‘Hindu adoption not valid without consent from wife’
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

E. Editorials

Category: ECONOMY

1. Market mayhem

Context:

  • India’s BSE Sensex suffered its worst single-day fall in terms of points, down by 5.2%, to close at its lowest in 52 weeks.

Details:

The Sensex crash:

  • The S&P BSE 500 index, comprising the top 500 BSE-listed companies across all key industries and S&P BSE SmallCap index, representing the smallest listed firms, has witnessed huge equity sell-offs.
  • Around 93% of the total 1,200 companies listed under the two indices have witnessed declines.

Declining trend:

  • The dramatic decline is but a part of an extended slide over the past month. Sensex has lost about 13% over the last month.

Other concerns:

  • Worryingly, coinciding with this slide has been a 116% jump in the volatility of the equity prices as measured by the National Stock Exchange’s India VIX index. This is an indication that the prices are unlikely to stabilize in the immediate future.
  • Foreign institutional investors have turned net sellers of their Indian equity holdings. This points to the retreating foreign investment from the Indian markets.

Causes:

  • The immediate trigger for the selling of the equities seems to be the global market rout induced by the oil price drop.
  • However, the breadth of the losses is indicative of the fact that investors are looking to exit equities, for the time being, pointing to the fact that the investor sentiments have turned bearish.

Concerns:

  • The global rout in equities amid the widening coronavirus outbreak is indicative of larger concerns for the times ahead.
  • The global outlook for growth remains bleak owing to the widening coronavirus outbreak. The coronavirus outbreak threatens to push the world into a global recession, after the 2008 financial crisis.

Way forward:

  • The leading western economies are considering coordinated actions through their central banks and appropriate fiscal measures to address the economic threat posed by COVID-19.
    • The U.S. Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate and the US administration is contemplating tax cuts to increase disposable income in the hands of the people.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian government should take appropriate measures to ensure adequate liquidity in the economy. This will help boost market sentiment at this time of market and economic fragility.

2. The public unravelling of Yes Bank

Context:

  • Reserve Bank of India’s “Yes Bank Ltd Reconstruction Scheme, 2020” announced in the light of the Yes Bank crisis.

Details:

  • The author of the article questions the manner of the Yes Bank collapse and the central bank’s role and the late action by the Enforcement Directorate.
  • Balance sheet scam:
    • The RBI’s asset quality review (AQR) of 2015 had forced Yes Bank to report transparently their previously unstated non-performing assets (NPAs).
    • Before the AQR in 2015, bankers generally avoided recognizing bad loans on their books. This was done by restructuring the loans susceptible to defaults or by extending new loans, to keep the stressed borrowers afloat. This is referred to as ever-greening. While the borrowers were able to avoid defaults on repayments, the lenders managed to show low NPAs.
    • The scam on the Yes bank’s balance sheets must have been visible to the RBI as far back as in 2015.
  • Despite Yes Bank’s serial under-reporting of NPAs and the RBI fining the bank and forcing changes in its management, Yes Bank’s transgressions continued. No serious action was taken by the ED.

For more information on this, please refer to the 10 March 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Category: EDUCATION

1. Scoring low

Context:

  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development’s (HRD) report on the 2020-2021 budgetary grants for school education and literacy submitted to the Rajya Sabha.

Details:

  • The Parliamentary panel has identified critical infrastructure gaps in government schools. It has used data available from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2017-18 survey.
  • The survey reports that only 56.45% of government schools had access to electricity and 56.98%, a playground.
  • The survey also notes the neglect of toilet construction for children with special needs, failure to build toilets for girls in a third of secondary schools and laboratories for higher secondary science students.

Concerns:

  • Lack of basic facilities:
    • Though there are some high-performing States, however, even in politically well-represented Uttar Pradesh, almost 70% of schools lacked electricity. Manipur and Madhya Pradesh have reported less than 20% of government schools having access to power.
    • India has not been able to electrify a significant number of government schools.
  • Lack of intent:
    • The budgetary allocations have observed a 27% cut over the budgetary proposals made by the School Education Department. This, even though public expenditure on education has been rising yearly.
    • Notably, the department had only spent 71% of revised estimates by December 31, 2019.
    • The tardy progress on important facilities, despite the projects having been sanctioned, shows the low priority that school education is being accorded. It speaks poorly of policy priorities of the government.
  • Effect on learning outcomes:
    • Though India has a large private school system at the primary and secondary level, complementing the government-run schools, the share of students in the 6 to 14 age group in government schools still stands at around 70%.
    • While quantitatively India is inching closer to universal education, the quality of its education has been questioned particularly in its government-run school system.
    • The lack of appropriate infrastructure at government schools may further impact the learning outcome of its students and may also alienate students from government schools.
    • Given the comparatively higher fees structure in the private institutes, the poor have very few alternatives apart from government schools.
    • This would severely affect India’s ability to harness its demographic dividend.

Way forward:

  • Prioritizing public school system:
    • A public school system that guarantees universal access, good learning and all facilities has to be among the highest national priorities.
  • Mission mode approach:
    • Similar to the launch of a ‘100-day programme’ for education launched by the present government, focusing on the training of schoolteachers and opening of central schools, there is the need for a mission-mode approach on school infrastructure.
    • Basic infrastructure should be focused on, like electricity and toilets.
  • Co-operation and coordination:
    • The panel has recommended that the HRD Ministry collaborate with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to provide solar and other energy sources so that schools have access to power.
    • Government schemes like MGNREGA can be utilized to build basic infrastructure for the schools.
  • Community participation:
    • Community participation should be emphasized. Apart from contributing resources to the cause they can also help monitor the progress and ensure accountability.
  • Need for fund infusion:
    • The government-run school sector needs a fund infusion. Given the criticality of education, core schemes like the Samagra Shiksha Scheme should get additional funds.
  • Inclusive approach:
    • Given the stark differences in the statistics among the states and within the states, there is a need to ensure a balanced approach to ensure that no school is left behind.
    • Keeping in line with the spirit of Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, the work should also involve toilet construction for children with special needs.
  • Focusing on all-round development:
    • Given the increasing evidence of the importance of physical activities for a child’s development, infrastructure like playground facilities should also be considered as basic infrastructure for schools.
    • Though it may be challenging to find attached playgrounds, the problem can also be overcome by identifying suitable commons that can be upgraded to accommodate students, while permanent arrangements are made.
    • This will also provide impetus to government initiatives like Fit India Movement.

Additional Information:

  • Originally, education came under the state list of the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
  • Through the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976, education was transferred from State to Concurrent List.
  • Under the framework of concurrent powers, the Centre operates its schemes and sponsors several school education programmes covering the States, notably Samagra Shiksha and the Mid-Day Meal scheme.

For more information on the topic, refer to the 09 March 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. For a universal status of personhood

Context:

  • The series of judgments delivered by the Gauhati High Court over the governance of the Foreigners Tribunals in Assam.

Background:

  • The Foreigners Act, 1946:
    • The Act, which was enacted by the colonial government to regulate migration into India, defines a foreigner as any person who is not a citizen of India.
    • The Act accords to the government wide-ranging powers to control the entry, exit, and movement of foreigners to and within the territory of the country. The Foreigners Act empowers the Indian government to detain a person until deportation back to their country of origin.
  • The Foreigners’ Tribunals (FT):
    • The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 was issued by the Central Government under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
    • The Foreigners’ Tribunals, which work as quasi-judicial bodies, are tasked with furnishing opinions on whether persons referred to them were “foreigners” or not within the meaning ascribed to the term under the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Details:

  • The Assam Accord of 1985 was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement.
    • The agreement was a product of a student-driven movement against large scale immigration into Assam from Bangladesh.
  • Clause 5 of the Assam Accord deals with the issue of foreigners, that is, detection of foreigners in Assam, deletion of their names from the voters’ list and their deportation through practical means.
    • Immigrants who entered Assam till December 31, 1965, were to be granted citizenship with voting rights.
    • Foreigners who came to Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 24, 1971, shall be detected as per the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964. The accord states that the names of the persons so identified, ought to be deleted from the electoral rolls and it requires them to register as foreigners following the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.
    • The pact requires the government to identify those who came into Assam on or after March 25, 1971, and expel them.
  • To implement the provisions under the Assam accord, in 1997 the electoral rolls were revised in Assam and more than three lakh individuals were marked as doubtful voters and nearly two lakh people have been referred to the FTs.
  • Many of the verdicts of the FTs have been appealed against in the Gauhati High Court which has ruled on these petitions.

Concerns:

  • The burden of proof:
    • Section 9 of the Act states that, where the nationality of a person is not evident, the onus of proving whether a person is a foreigner or not, shall lie upon such person.
    • Ordinarily, under the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, the burden of proof in a court of law lies on the person who seeks to make a claim or assert a fact. Going by this logic, since it is the government that claims a person as a deemed foreigner, in case of the FTs, the burden of proof ought to be on the government.
    • Previous attempts to correct the oppressive nature of the burden placed on the deemed foreigners have been struck down by the judiciary.
      • In 1983, the Union government introduced the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act. This law, overriding the Foreigners Act, subtly shifted the onus to prove citizenship from the individual to the government. But, in July 2005, the Supreme Court, in Sarbananda Sonowal vs Union of India, declared the legislation unconstitutional. The SC stated that migration into Assam constituted “external aggression” against the State, and, therefore, the Central government had violated Article 355 of the Constitution.
  • Documents required:
    • The petitioners in the FTs are required to produce documentary evidence establishing that their parents or ancestors were present on Indian soil before March 25, 1971.
    • A long list of documents is deemed inadequate for establishing a person’s citizenship.
      • Documents like electoral photo identity cards, voters’ lists bearing petitioners’ names, land revenue receipts, certificates issued by the local Panchayat, bank passbooks, permanent account number (PAN) cards, and ration cards have been variously rejected as proof of citizenship.
    • The petitioners are also required to independently validate the documents by securing the testimony of their issuing authorities.
    • These strict parameters place a huge burden on the petitioners. The standard of proof foisted by the court is so disproportionate that it is virtually impossible for a petitioner to succeed in an appeal.
  • High conviction rate:
    • Given the strict parameters in place, the chances of success of an appeal against the FT verdicts are negligible.
    • Out of 787 orders and judgments of the High Court between 2010 and 2019, in 97% of the cases, the petitioner before the court was confirmed as a foreigner.
  • The higher burden on the poor:
    • Notably, most of the deemed foreigners are poor. In India, where the weakest and poorest are often denied access to basic goods, requiring individuals to produce documents to establish citizenship can by itself represent an onerous demand.
    • In instilling a regime where there is a presumption against citizenship, the Foreigners Act denies the weakest their rights.
  • Incommensurate consequences:
    • The consequences of being confirmed as a foreigner include consignment to detention camps and a pronouncement of a condition of statelessness.

Way forward:

  • Reducing the burden of proof on deemed foreigners:
    • Legal experts and academicians have suggested the outlining of a sensible test on what degree or level of proof ought to be sufficient to discharge the burden.
    • Perhaps, the approach taken by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights might serve as a guiding light.
      • The burden to establish citizenship might still lie on the individual, as per the Foreigners Act.
      • However, once the deemed foreigner has produced a basic set of documents that make out a plausible claim, the onus ought to then shift to the State to rebut the evidence provided.
    • Similar observations have also been made by the Gauhati High Court as well when it held that individuals should not be expected to establish “beyond reasonable doubt” that they are citizens of India. Rather, they should be able to show on a balance of probabilities that they are not foreigners.
  • The concept of universal citizenship:
    • The author of the article calls upon the people to recognize a universal status of the personhood of every human being independent of their nationality.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD)

  • Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) is caused by the Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae.
  • KFDV was identified in 1957 when it was isolated from a sick monkey from the Kyasanur Forest in Karnataka.
  • Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a zoonotic disease associated with sudden onset of high-grade fever, prostration, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and occasionally neurological & haemorrhagic manifestations.
  • KFDV is transmitted by an infected tick, especially nymphal stage ticks.
  • Humans can get the disease from an infected tick bite or by contact with an infected animal, such as a sick or recently dead monkey.
  • Available epidemiological data do not suggest any human-to-human transmission.

2. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shimoga district is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in the state of Karnataka.
  • The sanctuary came into existence in 1976.
  • It has a total area of 396 sq.km.
  • The Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to many threatened and endangered species of animals like white-backed vultures, Indian Nightjar and white-bellied drongo.

G. Tidbits

1. Putin backs amendment that will let him remain in power

What’s in News?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek re-election after his current term ends in 2024.

  • The President is elected in a two-round system every six years, with a two consecutive term limitation.
  • If no candidate wins by an absolute majority in the first round, a second election round is held between two candidates with the most votes.

Details:

  • Putin, 67, has been in power for more than 20 years, becoming Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
  • After serving two presidential terms in 2000-2008, he shifted to the Russian Prime Minister’s office while protege Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder President.
  • Putin reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another term in 2018.
  • The President’s current six-year term expires in 2024.

2. ‘Containment zone’ in New York to halt spread

  • New York’s Governor has announced that the National Guard would be sent into a “containment area” in New York City suburb.
  • The move is to help fight what is believed to be the nation’s biggest cluster of coronavirus cases — one of the most dramatic actions yet to control the outbreak in the U.S.
  • Schools, houses of worship and large gathering places will be shuttered for two weeks in a “containment area and the troops will scrub surfaces and deliver food to the zone.

3. Shared economy at $2 bn by end-2020

What’s in News?

According to a recent report by Maple Capital Advisors, the shared economy in India is estimated to be an about $2 billion industry by the end of 2020-21.

  • As per the report titled ‘Shared Economy — India Story,’ with high mobile penetration, high millennial concentration and an aspirational population, Asia has the highest willingness to use shared assets.
  • In 2019, the segment was estimated to be over $1.5 billion in size in India.
  • The report added, “In this era of growing concern on climate, wastage, resource scarcity and population intensity (especially in the developing world), the shared economy seems to be a sustainable, scalable and efficient form of addressing these concerns.”

What is Shared Economy?

  • The ‘shared economy’ includes segments such as co-working (Awfis, WeWork India), co-living (Stanza Living, OYO Life, Oxford Caps), shared mobility (Uber, Ola, Shuttl) and furniture rental (Furlenco, Rentomojo.)

4. ‘Hindu adoption not valid without consent from wife’

What’s in News?

The Supreme Court has held that a Hindu adoption is not valid unless the man takes prior consent from his wife and there is a “ceremony of giving and taking in adoption.”

  • The Bench pointed out that the mandate of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act of 1956 was that no adoption was valid unless the two essential conditions of the consent of the wife and the actual ceremony of adoption were established.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD):
  1. It is a zoonotic bacterial disease.
  2. The disease is mostly transmitted by tick.
  3. Known as Monkey Fever, it was first identified in Karnataka.

Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?

a. 1 and 3 only
b. 1 only
c. 1 and 2 only
d. 2 only

See
Answer

Answer: b

Explanation:

Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) is caused by the Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. It is a zoonotic disease. KFDV was identified in 1957 when it was isolated from a sick monkey from the Kyasanur Forest in Karnataka. KFD is also known as Monkey fever and is so named because it primarily affects black-faced langurs and red-faced bonnet monkeys. 


Q2. Arrange the following states in the descending order of the length of border they share
with Bangladesh:
  1. Meghalaya
  2. Tripura
  3. Assam
  4. West Bengal

Choose the correct option:

a. 4, 1, 2, 3
b. 4, 2, 1, 3
c. 4, 1, 3, 2
d. 2, 4, 1, 3

See
Answer

Answer: b

Explanation:

Bangladesh and India share a 4,156-kilometre-long international border including 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 180 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya, and 2,217 km in West Bengal. 

 

Q3. “Lopinavir” and “Ritonavir” recently in news are:

a. Drugs for treating HIV
b. Drugs for treating Tuberculosis
c. Two new species of wild ginger discovered in Manipur and Nagaland
d. None of the above

See
Answer

Answer: a

Explanation:

Lopinavir and Ritonavir — second-line HIV drugs have been used for treating those affected by the novel coronavirus. Both lopinavir and ritonavir belong to a class of drugs known as HIV protease inhibitors.

What’s in News?

The elderly Italian couple currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19) at a hospital in Jaipur have been administered a combination of two drugs (Lopinavir and Ritonavir), commonly used for controlling HIV infection. 


Q4. Arrange the following from West to East:
  1. Khori Creek
  2. Sir Creek
  3. Kajhar Creek

Choose the correct option:

a. 3, 1, 2
b. 1, 2, 3
c. 3, 2, 1
d. 2, 1, 3

See
Answer

Answer: c

Sir Creek

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. In the light of the observations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development regarding critical infrastructure gaps in government schools, analyze the associated concerns and suggest remedial actions necessary. (15 marks, 250 words)
  2. Discuss the significant provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. In light of the recent experiences in the state of Assam, examine the major concerns with respect to the provisions of the Act. (10 marks, 150 words)

11th March 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

Read previous CNA here.

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