CNA 30 March 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Myanmar’s continued suspension of democracy 2. Indian power projects replace Chinese ventures in Sri Lanka POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. Facebook and fake news C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Bridging the bay in quest of a stronger BIMSTEC POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. Unreformable criminal justice F. Prelims Facts 1. Rhino population up by 200 in Kaziranga G. Tidbits H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Myanmar’s continued suspension of democracy
Syllabus: India and its neighbourhood – relations.
Mains: Myanmar’s military coup and global response
Context:
- Myanmar’s military ruler has vowed to “annihilate” the anti-coup protesters during a speech on Armed Forces Day with Russia as the guest of honour.
- Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day was recently commemorated with a grand parade in honour of the army’s resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945.
For information on the Myanmar military coup, refer to the following article: Myanmar Coup d’état 2021
Details:
- The country’s ruling military leader made inflammatory remarks, claiming that the armed forces would “annihilate” dissidents who posed a threat to the country’s peace and security.
- By declaring the protestors terrorists, the General invalidated their identity and agency, allowing the authorities to engage in violent behaviour.
Major Players for Myanmar:
Response to Myanmar’s Military Coup and subsequent developments in Myanmar:
Global Stand:
- Various multilateral forums and organizations have attempted to persuade the military junta to change its ways.
- The United Nations Security Council condemned the junta’s actions but stopped short of calling the events of 2021 a “coup.”
- According to ASEAN, the junta leadership has given a positive response to the possibility of him meeting with democratic leaders.
- In an attempt to bring Myanmar into the international spotlight, the United States ruled that the military junta committed genocide against the Rohingya minority.
- Sanctions were imposed on high-ranking members of the junta by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
- New Zealand broke diplomatic and political ties with Myanmar in 2021, but continued to ensure that development programmes ran smoothly.
India’s Stand:
- In order to keep China’s growing influence in check, India’s relationship with Myanmar has been predicated on maintaining a balance in its neighbourhood.
- As a result, it has abandoned certain democratic ideals and allowed itself to remain silent about the events in Myanmar.
- It has consistently refused to actively speak out against the junta, abstaining from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar.
- India recently urged Myanmar to put an end to the violence and implement the ASEAN five-point consensus. Myanmar continues to be a target for military exports.
Nut Graf
India’s relationship with Myanmar has been predicated on maintaining a balance in its neighbourhood in order to check China’s growing influence, and as a result, it has not been critical of Myanmar’s military coup. India has to play a balancing act of maintaining good relations with the powers in Myanmar as well as nudge the restoration of democracy in the neighbouring nation.
2. Indian power projects replace Chinese ventures in Sri Lanka
Syllabus: India and its neighbourhood-relations.
Mains: Indian investments in Srilanka; Issues with Chinese loans
Context:
India will set up hybrid power projects in three Islands off Jaffna, effectively replacing the Chinese venture.
What is the issue?
- In 2019, a Chinese company was awarded a $12 million contract to build wind turbines on three small islands in the Palk Strait, which connects southern India and Sri Lanka.
- Work on the islets of Nainativu, Analaitivu, and Delft was never started due to Indian protests about Chinese activity so close to its coast, and the project was later scrapped.
Indian Projects in Sri Lanka:
- India plans to build hybrid power plants on the islands of Nainativu, Delft as well as Analaitivu. This is the third Indian energy project coming up in Sri Lanka’s north and east.
- The previous agreements with Sri Lanka are the National Thermal Power Corporation’s solar venture in eastern Sampur town and the Adani Group’s renewable energy projects in Mannar and Pooneryn in the north.
- In addition, India and Sri Lanka agreed to establish a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
- India will also assist in the development of fisheries harbours in the Northern Province’s Point Pedro, Pesalai, and Gurunagar, as well as Balapitiya, south of Colombo.
India’s concerns with projects awarded to a Chinese firm:
- Sri Lanka, which lies just across the narrow Palk Strait off India’s southeastern coast, is considered part of India’s sphere of influence.
- China would have been adjacent to India’s southern coast if the Chinese power plant project had been realized.
Issues with Chinese loans:
- Under Beijing’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, China is one of the largest investors in various infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka.
- Infrastructure projects financed with Chinese loans are being blamed for the country’s debt crisis.
- Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves are depleting, but the country still owes $7 billion in foreign debt.
- There has been widespread criticism, both domestically and internationally, and growing concerns that China is luring Sri Lanka into a debt trap.
Nut Graf
Indian investment in different projects in Sri Lanka is significant from a strategic point of view as India has to resist the Chinese assertiveness while maintaining peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region.
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
Syllabus: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.
Mains: Issues raised over Facebook Algorithms; Impact of Facebook on Politics
Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology questioned Facebook officials over allegations that the algorithm promotes one political party.
Concerns with Facebook Algorithms:
- Misuse for Political Advertising: Political campaigns, political action committees, and private citizens with their own agendas now have a new way to target voters via online platforms. As concerns about fake news stories arose, the political role of Facebook and the other internet giant, Google, was called into question.
- Threat to User Privacy: Online platforms that make money from targeted advertising are in the business of collecting as much personal data about their users as possible. Users have no way of stopping Facebook from collecting their personal information, which is a violation of their privacy.
- Spreading Harmful Content: Online platforms have created the world’s largest forum for bad actors to post and spread violent and extremist content, fake news, and misinformation. According to some reports, flaws in Facebook’s algorithms have resulted in an epidemic of fake news and hate speech.
Nut Graf
The allegations by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology have put the political role of Facebook and Google under scrutiny. There is a need to address concerns arising from Facebook algorithms such as fake news, the spread of hate speech and political advertising, or else, the functioning of democracy could be endangered.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Bridging the bay in quest of a stronger BIMSTEC
Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Prelims: BIMSTEC
Mains: Significance of BIMSTEC for India and the region; Recommendations to strengthen BIMSTEC
Context:
- Sri Lanka will be hosting the Fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in virtual/hybrid mode on March 30.
- BIMSTEC is celebrating its 25th year of establishment.
Significance of BIMSTEC for India:
- BIMSTEC is witnessing enriched political support and commitment from India, given its special significance for India.
Substitute for the failure of the SAARC:
- The strains in the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have rendered SAARC almost defunct. BIMSTEC provides India with a parallel platform for regional cooperation devoid of Pakistan.
- Also, trade agreements like the SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement (SAAFTA) and other critical initiatives of SAARC are not yet realized. With SAARC proving to be insufficient to realize India’s goal of ‘Neighbourhood First’, India is now looking towards BIMSTEC.
Increased focus on Act East Policy:
- The shift of India’s foreign policy towards the east affirms the importance of India’s Act East Policy in the coming years.
- The importance of maritime neighbourhood along with continental neighbours and India’s need to negate the Chinese influence further added to the shift in focus to BIMSTEC. Thus BIMSTEC will help revitalize India’s regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region along with deepening its relations with ASEAN.
Significance for Northeast India:
- BIMSTEC connects India’s northeast with BIMSTEC countries. This would enable better connectivity to the region and contribute to its economic development.
Tool for India’s neighbourhood first policy:
- The Bay of Bengal region is integral to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies which can accelerate the process of regional integration.
Countering growing Chinese influence:
- China’s growing influence and assertiveness in the region remain a major concern for the peace and security of the region. BIMSTEC offers India a platform to counter China multilaterally.
Economic importance:
- BIMSTEC holds immense significance for India to realize its ‘blue economy’ ambitions.
- The Bay of Bengal is strategically located linking the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Carrying one-fourth of the global trade, it becomes the access point to India for resources including energy sources like natural gas reserves and securing this economically significant region is important for India to enlarge its economic market.
Significance of BIMSTEC for the region:
- Notably, BIMSTEC matters not just for India but also to the entire region.
Bridge between the two regions:
- BIMSTEC serves as a bridge between two major high-growth centres of Asia — South and Southeast Asia.
- Comprising five states from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two countries from South East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand), BIMSTEC enables regional integration by acting as a bridge between South Asia and South-East Asia.
Strategic significance:
- Bay of Bengal region is emerging as a new strategic space with the emergence of the idea of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ region.
- The rapidly changing geopolitical calculus and the growing economic, geopolitical and security connections between the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions are creating a shared strategic space in the Indo-Pacific and the Bay of Bengal is evolving as the centre of the Indo-Pacific region.
Tool for regional integration:
- BIMSTEC offers significant avenues for regional integration between the member states through cooperation and collaboration for developmental cooperation.
- The geographical contiguity, abundant natural and human resources, rich historical linkages and cultural heritage between the member nations offer significant potential for the BIMSTEC to promote deeper cooperation in the region.
Performance of BIMSTEC:
- Though the organization was mild and slow in the initial stages, the rising potential of the organisation and its strategic relevance led to the strengthening of the organization.
- There has been tangible progress in BIMSTEC cooperation in several areas that include security, counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, cybersecurity and coastal security, transport connectivity and tourism, among others.
Summit expectations:
- The upcoming summit must ensure the finalisation of several important agreements to enhance regional strategic and economic integration.
- Finalization of the BIMSTEC Charter which would help further augment the organization’s visibility and stature in international fora.
- Given the critical role being played by the BIMSTEC Secretariat, measures to strengthen the institutional capacity of the BIMSTEC Secretariat need to be taken.
- BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity
- BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility
- Cooperation between diplomatic academies/training institutions
- Memorandum of Association for the future establishment of BIMSTEC centres/entities
Recommendations for strengthening the BIMSTEC organization:
Connectivity:
- Adequate, affordable and quality connectivity is essential for the economic growth and development of the Bay of Bengal region. This necessitates the development of new infrastructure projects as well as the upgrading of existing ones and also the dovetailing of national connectivity projects into regional connectivity projects.
- The BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity must provide the necessary boost to connectivity.
Multidimensional partnership:
- BIMSTEC should work towards strengthening the economic, political, maritime and security cooperation among the member nations.
- Increased cooperation and collaboration between educational institutions, industries and business chambers should also be prioritized.
India’s role:
Given India’s stature in the region, India has a key role in accelerating regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and in making it vibrant, stronger and result-oriented.
Nut Graf
The BIMSTEC grouping holds immense significance for India and the region. It can act as a platform to realize India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, Act East Policy and blue economy ambitions while also acting as a natural platform for development cooperation in the region ensuring regional integration.
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Unreformable criminal justice
Syllabus: Important Aspects of Governance
Mains: Concerns with the Indian criminal justice system
Context:
- Aiming to make comprehensive changes in criminal laws, the government has initiated the process of amendment to laws such as the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act in consultation with all stakeholders.
- In this context, the article analyses some of the challenges in India’s criminal justice system.
Background:
Criminal Justice System:
- The Criminal Justice System refers to the agencies of government charged with enforcing the law, adjudicating crime, and correcting criminal conduct.
- The legal framework for Criminal Jurisprudence in India includes the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure.
Concerns/challenges in India’s criminal justice system:
Large number of pending cases:
- There are more than 4 crore cases pending before the judiciary including the Supreme Court, High Courts and district courts.
- The large pendency is contributing to a large number of undertrial prisoners which is consequently leading to human rights violations of the undertrials and convicts.
Inaccessibility of justice:
- The inordinate emphasis on institution-building rather than capacity building of the judiciary has led to a situation where the justice mechanisms have become inaccessible to the poor and marginalised classes of citizens.
Police excesses:
- The abuse of power by the police remains a major concern.
- There are several Supreme Court and high court cases that have revealed how investigations were pursued in order to frame innocent persons or subject them to harassment.
Excessive stress on crime prevention:
- The Indian criminal system sets itself the utopian goal of achieving a hundred per cent rate of success in crime prevention. This is an unattainable ideal.
- Initiatives such as community policing mechanisms and situational crime prevention have been ineffective. Also, the excessive stress on crime control seems to be promoting the abuse of power by the police.
Continued reliance on custodial punishments:
- Despite several research studies showing that punishment has little impact on lowering crime rates, custodial punishment remains the main aspect of the criminal justice system in India. This is leading to the problem of overcrowding of prisons.
- Diversionary principles in the treatment of offenders are yet to materialise despite several Law Commissions and committees having recommended non-custodial measures of punishment of offenders.
Lack of data:
- There continues to be a lack of reliable state-sponsored data collection, maintenance and analysis mechanisms that can help in evidence-based policymaking in the realm of criminal justice reforms.
- Criminal justice system reforms broadly comprise three sets of reforms viz. Judicial reforms, Prison reforms, Police reforms.
Recommendations:
Accepting issues:
- While taking measures to reform criminal laws and criminal justice, the existing challenges in the criminal justice system need to be acknowledged first. Accepting and acknowledging the problems will have a favourable impact on the way we plan our institutional reforms and responses.
- Acknowledging the inaccessibility issue being faced by the poor and marginalized sections of society will lead to measures being taken to empower such sections to tap into the criminal justice system.
- Acknowledging the limitations of mere ethical obligations on police officers to limit their misuse or abuse of power will lead to the adoption of measures like independent investigative procedures and stern punitive sanctions against errant police officers.
- Accepting the pendency issue in the criminal justice system may force us to reconsider the tendency to over-criminalise conduct.
Holistic reforms:
- There is a need for holistic reforms in our criminal justice system.
- Addressing the existing challenges in the system requires concurrent reforms at the institutional, social and individual levels.
Nut Graf
Any attempt to reform the criminal justice system in India must begin by acknowledging the challenges plaguing it. The system needs a major overhaul with concurrent reforms at the institutional, social and individual levels to address these challenges.
F. Prelims Facts
1. Rhino population up by 200 in Kaziranga
Syllabus: GS3: Environment and Ecology: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Prelims: Indian Rhinoceros; Kaziranga National Park
Context:
A recent Rhino census found that the population of Assam’s iconic one-horned rhino at Kaziranga National Park has increased.
Rhino Census:
Know about Indian Rhinoceros.
- The latest census of Indian rhinoceros was carried out by the World Heritage Site.
- The population of the greater one-horned or Indian rhinoceros in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has increased by 200 in four years.
- In 2022, the census put the estimated number of rhinos at Kaziranga National Park at 2,613.
- In 2018, the rhino population in the park was 2413.
- In 2015, the rhino census had counted 2401 rhinos in the park.
G. Tidbits
Nothing here for today!!!
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements with regards to Rhinos in India:
- Launched in 2005, Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was an ambitious effort to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020.
- Wild-to-wild translocations were an essential part of IRV 2020 – moving rhinos from densely populated parks like Manas National Park to ones in need of more rhinos, like Kaziranga National Park.
- The five rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) have signed a declaration ‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ for the conservation and protection of the species.
Choose the correct statement/s:
- 1 only
- 1 & 3 only
- 2 & 3 only
- All of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was established in 2005 with the goal of achieving a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread across seven protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by 2020. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
- Wild-to-wild translocations were an essential part of IRV 2020 – moving rhinos from densely populated parks like Kaziranga NP to ones in need of more rhinos, like Manas NP. Hence Statement 2 is not correct.
- For the conservation and protection of rhinos, the five rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) signed the ‘New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’. Hence Statement 3 is correct.
Q2. Consider the following statements with regards to BIMSTEC:
- Initially, it was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BISTEC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
- It got renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ in 1997, following the inclusion of Myanmar.
- With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).
Choose the correct code:
- 1 & 2 only
- 2 & 3 only
- 1 & 3 only
- All of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal.
- Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Hence Statement 1 is correct.
- Following the inclusion of Myanmar in 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Hence Statement 2 is correct.
- With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting, the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC). Hence Statement 3 is correct.
Q3. The MNREGA wages are fixed according to the changes in
- Consumer Price Index – Agriculture Labour
- Consumer Price Index – Rural Labourer
- Consumer Price Index – Industrial Workers
- Consumer Price Index – Rural Urban Combined
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- The MGNREGA wage rates are fixed according to changes in the CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index-Agriculture Labour), which reflects the increase in the inflation in rural areas.
- Hence option A is correct.
Q4. Consider the following statements with regards to Sariska Tiger Reserve:
- Kankarwadi fort is located in the centre of the Reserve and it is said that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh at this fort in the struggle for succession to the throne.
- The Reserve also houses a famous temple of Lord Hanuman at Pandupole related to Pandavas.
- Sariska is the first tiger reserve to have successfully relocated Royal Bengal tigers in India.
Choose the correct code:
- 1 & 2 only
- 2 & 3 only
- 1 & 3 only
- All of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Kankwari fort was used by Aurangzeb to imprison his brother Dara Shikoh in the 17th century AD. This fort is located on the premises of the Sariska tiger reserve.
- Pandupole is an ancient Hanuman temple located inside the Sariska National Park. The legend is that the Pandavas spent their exile time unknown (Gupta time) here.
- Sariska is the first tiger reserve to have successfully relocated Royal Bengal tigers in India and as of 2020, there are around 20 tigers in the reserve.
- Hence all the statements are correct.
Q5. In India, separation of judiciary from the executive is enjoined by [UPSC 2020]
- the Preamble of the Constitution
- a Directive Principle of State Policy
- the Seventh Schedule
- the conventional practice
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Article 50 of the Indian Constitution recommends the state to take efforts to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State. The Criminal Procedure Code (1973) has affected the separation of the Judiciary from the Executive in pursuance of Article 50 under the Directive Principles of State Policy.
- Hence option B is correct.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Examine how the current political situation in Myanmar and its proximity to Russia will affect India’s interests? (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, International Relations]
- India’s criminal justice regime is beset with problems which seem ingrained in not only the constitutive fabric of institutions, but also in the psyche of their functionaries. Critically analyse. (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, Polity & Governance]
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CNA 30 March 2022:- Download PDF Here
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