CNA 19th March 2021:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. SC to hear plea against sale of electoral bonds INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. ‘India has assured Sri Lanka of support’ C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. Roads to be freed of toll booths in a year: Gadkari 2. Rajya Sabha passes Bill to raise FDI limit in insurance sector D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials GOVERNANCE 1. Aadhaar as a hurdle F. Prelims Facts 1. Digital Green Certificates G. Tidbits 1. Russia hosts Afghan peace meet 2. Don’t stereotype women in court rulings, says SC 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. SC to hear plea against sale of electoral bonds
Context:
Chief Justice of India has agreed to urgently hear a plea by an NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms to stay the sale of a new set of electoral bonds on April 1, before the Assembly elections in crucial states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Issue:
- The NGO voiced serious apprehensions about the sale of electoral bonds before elections.
- The NGO argued that the data obtained through RTI had shown that illegal sale windows had been opened in the past to benefit certain political parties.
- It said that the scheme had opened doors to unlimited political donations, even from foreign companies, thereby legitimising electoral corruption at a huge scale, while at the same time ensuring complete non-transparency in political funding.
- It reminded the court that both the RBI and the Election Commission had objected to the electoral bond scheme.
Read more on this topic covered in the 9th March 2021 Comprehensive News Analysis.
- Further, advocate Prashant Bhushan said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Election Commission had both said that the sale of electoral bonds had become an avenue for shell corporations and entities to park illicit money and even proceeds of bribes with political parties.
Electoral Bonds:
- Electoral bonds are instruments/securities that are used to donate funds to political parties.
- The Finance Act of 2017 introduced the use of Electoral Bonds. They are exempt from disclosure under the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
- Contributions received by any eligible political party in the form of electoral bonds will be exempt from income tax.
Read more on Electoral Bonds.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. ‘India has assured Sri Lanka of support’
Context:
A new resolution on Sri Lanka’s human rights record will be put to vote at the UN Human Rights Council.
Background:
- The human rights situation in Sri Lanka has worsened since Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President in 2019.
- Tamil communities in the north and the east fear increasing abuses.
Read more on Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Crisis covered in 18th February 2021 Comprehensive News Analysis.
Details:
- Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary has said that India has assured Sri Lanka of its support at the UN Human Rights Council.
- Sri Lanka had sought India’s proactive support at the UN Human Rights Council, where a resolution on the country will be soon put to vote.
This topic has been covered in the 27th February 2021 Comprehensive News Analysis.
C. GS 3 Related
1. Roads to be freed of toll booths in a year: Gadkari
Context:
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed the Lok Sabha that India will implement a GPS-based toll collection system and do away with all toll booths within a year.
Details:
- The toll collection will happen via GPS.
- 93% of the vehicles have already started paying toll using FASTag — a system that facilitates electronic payment of fee at toll plazas seamlessly — but the remaining 7% had still not adopted it despite paying double the toll.
Vehicle Scrapping Policy:
- Details of the vehicle scrapping policy were also shared.
- It was first announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22.
- The new policy provides for fitness tests after the completion of 20 years in the case of privately owned vehicles and 15 years in the case of commercial vehicles. Any vehicle that fails the fitness test or does not manage the renewal of its registration certificate may be declared as an ‘End of Life Vehicle’.
- All government vehicles and those owned by PSUs will be de-registered after 15 years.
- According to the policy, the automobile industry in India will see a jump in turnover to ₹10 lakh crore from ₹4.5 lakh crore.
- It would reduce pollution, improve fuel efficiency, and increase the government’s revenue collection from the sale of new vehicles.
- To encourage owners to take their old vehicles to scrapping centres, the government has announced several incentives, including advisories to the States to give up to 25% rebate in road tax for personal vehicles and up to 15% rebate for commercial vehicles.
- The government will also offer a waiver of registration fees on the purchase of new vehicles.
- Timeline:
- The policy will kick in for government vehicles from April 1, 2022.
- Mandatory fitness testing for heavy commercial vehicles will start from April 1, 2023.
- For all other categories of vehicles, including personal vehicles, it will start in phases from June 1, 2024.
- The Ministry has proposed that commercial vehicles be de-registered after 15 years in case of failure to get the fitness certificate, and a private vehicle will be de-registered after 20 years if it fails fitness certification.
2. Rajya Sabha passes Bill to raise FDI limit in insurance sector
Context:
The Rajya Sabha passed the Insurance Amendment Bill, 2021. The bill will be sent to the Lok Sabha for approval.
- The bill increases the maximum foreign investment allowed in an insurance company from 49% to 74%.
Criticisms:
- Opposition parties raised concerns about the clause enabling “control and ownership” by foreign investors.
- It was pointed out that big insurance firms were not in shortage of capital and that the Bill differed from the government motto of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
- It was highlighted that the insurance firms had managed to get FDI even up to the present limit of 49%. Justification to increase the limit was also sought.
Details:
- The Finance Minister assured that the policy holder’s money would not leave Indian shores and have to be compulsorily invested here.
- It was argued that more FDI would mean greater competition and thus better-negotiated premiums for the end-user.
- Under the new structure, the majority of directors on the board and key management persons would be resident Indians, with at least 50% of directors being independent directors.
- It was highlighted that the key management personnel would have to be Indians and therefore would be governed by Indian laws.
- The increase in FDI limit is expected to encourage foreign insurers to bring more capital into the country which has a huge potential for growth in the sector.
Note:
In 2015, the government hiked the FDI cap in the insurance sector from 26% to 49%.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Context
- There was a petition that was filed in the Supreme Court which alleged that three crore ration cards were cancelled for not being linked with the Aadhaar database and that these were connected to reported starvation deaths in some States.
- The Supreme Court has termed the cancellation due to non-linking with Aadhaar card as too serious, and sought response from the Central government and all states on the issue.
Aadhaar verdict of the Supreme Court
- The SC had upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar.
- It said that the Aadhaar card is a must for availing facilities of welfare schemes and government subsidies as it empowers the poor and marginalised.
- It is a reasonable restriction on individual privacy to fulfil welfare requirements and dignity.
The judgement does not mean identity verification failures are addressed.
Issues with Aadhaar
- Inefficiencies in biometric authentication and updating.
- Errors in the process of linking: There are instances where there is an error in linking Aadhaar and often no one knows what the error is.
- The technological system based on iris identification, thumbprints, non-possession of Aadhaar, non-functioning of the internet in rural and remote areas, etc, has led to largescale cancellation of ration cards.
- Aadhaar is designed to store finger and iris scans of most users. It has raised doubts about the success rates of authentication and the generation of “false negatives”, more so for labourers and tribal people.
- Those engaged in manual and hard labour, for example, are susceptible to fingerprint changes over time.
Administrative failures:
- Lack of accountability: There are instances when people submit their details, but concerned functionaries do not do the needful.
- In some cases, there were people who lost their Aadhaar number/card and could not get it reissued.
Denied benefits due to Aadhaar authentication failure
- With benefits under the PDS, the NREGA and LPG subsidy, among other essentials, requiring individuals to have the Aadhaar number, inefficiencies and failures have led to inconvenience and suffering for the poor.
- Failures in authentication have led to delays in the disbursal of benefits and, in many cases denial due to cancellation of legitimate beneficiary names.
- The government had promised that exemption mechanisms would be set up to overcome the authentication failures help beneficiaries still avail subsidies and benefits. But such a system has not been put in place in many states.
- This has deprived millions of Indians living below the poverty line of food and led to starvation deaths.
Way forward
- Far from being inclusive and reducing corruption, Aadhaar is becoming a tool of exclusion. Therefore, the right to food, which the ration card symbolised, cannot be curbed or cancelled because of the lack of Aadhaar.
- Given the scale of the problem, the central and state governments should allow alternative identification so that genuine beneficiaries are not denied due subsidies.
F. Prelims Facts
- The European Commission has unveiled a “digital green certificate” that could allow EU citizens who have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from Covid-19 to travel more freely within the bloc.
- The certificate will be available, free of charge, in digital or paper format. It will include a QR code to ensure the security and authenticity of the certificate.
- The certificate can be issued by authorities, including hospitals, testing centres and health authorities. Once the proposal for digital certificates is finalised, it will be accepted in all EU countries and will help to ensure that the restrictions imposed in different areas within the EU can be lifted in a coordinated manner.
What is the need for such a document?
- In the EU and across the world, the tourism industry has been severely impacted due to the spread of the disease.
- Many countries have, therefore, been contemplating digital certificates or passports that will be proof that a person has been vaccinated or has recovered from COVID-19.
G. Tidbits
1. Russia hosts Afghan peace meet
What’s in News?
Russia hosted a peace conference for Afghanistan.
- It brought together government representatives and Taliban adversaries along with international observers.
- The conference was organised in a bid to help jump-start Afghanistan’s stalled peace process.
- The attempt at mediation comes as Doha talks have stalled.
- It is the first of three planned international conferences ahead of a May 1, 2021 deadline for the final withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan.
- The date was fixed under an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban.
Note:
- Moscow, which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Soviet troops’ withdrawal in 1989, has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator in Afghanistan.
- It has reached out to feuding factions as it competes with the U.S. for influence in Afghanistan.
2. Don’t stereotype women in court rulings, says SC
What’s in News?
The Supreme Court forbade judges from making gender-stereotypical comments.
Concerns:
- Instances of stereotypical comments on women had been seen in the recent past while hearing cases of sexual offence.
- For example: “good women are sexually chaste”, women who drink and smoke “ask” for sexual advances, or presume that a sexually active woman consented to rape.
- Recently, the Chief Justice of India enquired a Maharashtra government employee asking whether he would marry a girl he was accused of raping repeatedly while she was a minor.
- In another case, the Bench stayed the arrest of a man accused of rape after falsely promising marriage.
A Bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and S. Ravindra Bhat stopped judges from trying to mandate marriage or compromise between a molester and his victim.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility L58:
- It is the last ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark IV Class.
- The ship was indigenously designed and built.
- It would be deployed for surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands, Bay of Bengal and in the Indian Ocean.
Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 2 only
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- LCU L58 is the eighth and last ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark IV Class.
- The ship was indigenously designed and built by GRSE, Kolkata.
- The LCU 58 would be based at Port Blair and will be deployed in a variety of roles such as Beaching, Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief, Coastal Patrol and Surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands, Bay of Bengal and in the Indian Ocean.
Q2. Consider the following statements about the Jal Jeevan Mission:
- It is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
- It aims to create local infrastructure for rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
Which of the given statement/s is/are CORRECT?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
- The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, rainwater harvesting.
Q3. Consider the following statements:
- Alternative dispute resolution mechanism is a wide range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement through negotiations and discussions.
- Lok Adalat system was set up to ensure that the disputes in the pre-litigation stage could be settled amicably.
- Arbitration, negotiation, mediation and conciliation are types of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms.
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Alternative dispute resolution mechanism is a wide range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement through negotiations and discussions.
- ADR is generally classified into – arbitration, negotiation, mediation and conciliation.
- Lok Adalat system was set up through the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 to ensure that the disputes in the pre-litigation stage could be settled amicably.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
- Supplementary, additional or excess grants are not mentioned in the Constitution of India.
- Supplementary grants are presented and passed by the Parliament before the end of the financial year.
- The Demand for Excess Grants must be presented to the Parliament before the end of the financial year in which the expenses were made.
Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Supplementary, additional or excess grants and votes on account, votes of credit and exceptional grants are mentioned in the Constitution of India.
- Supplementary grants are presented and passed by the Parliament before the end of the financial year.
- The Demand for Excess Grants is made after the actual expenditure is incurred and is presented to the Parliament after the end of the financial year in which the expenses were made.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Aadhaar which was projected as a tool to improve the administrative efficiency of welfare programmes has become a hurdle in the delivery of benefits. Examine. (10 Marks, 150 Words) [GS-2, Governance]
- Discuss the controversy surrounding the electoral bond scheme and how it affects transparency in political funding. (10 Marks, 150 Words) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 19th March 2021:- Download PDF Here
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