06 Nov 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 06 Nov 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
SOCIAL JUSTICE
1. Snakebites deaths in India
GOVERNANCE
1. Supreme Court on sealed cover affidavits
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL JUSTICE
1. How is India planning to end child marriage?
F. Prelims Facts
G. Tidbits
1. Ghaem 100
2. "Italian Pyramid"
3. World heritage glaciers
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Category: GOVERNANCE

1. Supreme Court on sealed cover affidavits

Syllabus: Means to ensure Transparency & Accountability in Governance

Mains: Rationale and the criticism against judicial practice of sealed cover affidavits

Context: Supreme Court gave a way out of sealed cover affidavits in a recent suggestion to the government and its agencies.

Introduction:

  • The Supreme Court has suggested a way out of routinely filing documents in sealed covers, especially in cases touching on national security.Β 
  • The court said the government could redact the sensitive portions and show the rest to the petitioners.Β 
  • This would address both the state’s concerns about β€œnational security” and the β€œright to know” of petitioners.
  • The Supreme Court also said that the government has to present β€œextenuating circumstances” before confidentially passing materials to the court without disclosing them to the petitioners.Β 
  • The observations came during a hearing on the challenge to the telecast ban on the Kerala-based Media One TV channel.Β 
    • The government wanted to pass on its internal files in a sealed cover. The government was reluctant to share the details with Media One TV channel as its security clearance was revoked in January, 2022 on the grounds of β€œnational security and public order”.
  • According to the Media One TV channel’s argument, a sealed cover affidavit would compel the judges to accept the state’s version, that too, in cases in which the government’s narrative is under challenge and the fundamental rights of the petitioners are at stake.Β 

Sealed cover jurisprudence:

  • It is a practice used by the Supreme Court and sometimes lower courts, of asking for or accepting information from government agencies in sealed envelopes that can only be accessed by judges.
  • There is no specific law that defines the doctrine of sealed cover.
  • The Supreme Court derives its power to use it from Rule 7 of order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules and Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
  • Under the said rule, if the Chief Justice or court directs certain information to be kept under sealed cover or considers it of confidential nature, no party would be allowed access to the contents of such information, except if the Chief Justice himself orders that the opposite party be allowed to access it.Β 
    • It also mentions that information can be kept confidential if its publication is not considered to be in the interest of the public.
  • As for the Evidence Act, official unpublished documents relating to state affairs are protected and a public officer cannot be compelled to disclose such documents.
  • Information may also be sought in secrecy or confidence when its publication impedes an ongoing investigation, such as details which are part of the police’s case diary; or breaches the privacy of an individual.

Criticism against sealed cover jurisprudence:

  • It is against the principles of transparency and accountability of the Indian justice system, standing in contrast to the idea of an open court, where decisions can be subjected to public scrutiny.
  • It increases the scope for arbitrariness in court decisions, as judges are supposed to lay down reasoning for their decisions.
  • Not providing access to such documents to the accused parties obstructs their passage to a fair trial and adjudication.Β 
  • The need for such special privilege to the government is questioned when existing provisions like in-camera hearings already provide sufficient protection to sensitive information.

Judiciary’s observation:

  • In P Gopalakrishnan V. The State of Kerala 2019, the Supreme Court had said that disclosure of documents to the accused is constitutionally mandated, even if the investigation is ongoing and said documents may lead to breakthrough in the investigation.
  • The Supreme Court in the INX Media case in 2019, had criticised the Delhi High Court for basing its decision to deny bail to the former union minister on documents submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a sealed cover as it would be against the concept of fair trial.
  • In the S.P. Velumani case 2022, the Supreme Court criticised the Madras High Court’s decision to permit a report to remain β€œshrouded in sealed cover” when the State had not even claimed any specific privilege.Β 
  • In Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India case 2020, theΒ  court said sensitive portions in government records β€œcan be redacted or such material can be claimed as privileged, if the state justifies such redaction on the grounds, as allowed under the law”.

Read more on Sealed Cover Jurisprudence

Nut Graf: Β The Supreme Court being critical about the government’s practice of submitting sealed affidavits suggested the government could redact the sensitive portions and show the rest to the petitioners. This highlights the right to information as an important facet of the right to freedom of speech and expression.Β 

F. Prelims Facts

Nothing here for today!!!

G. Tidbits

1. Ghaem 100

  • Iran’s Revolutionary Guards recently tested Ghaem 100.
  • It is a three-stage, solid fuel launcher that will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg in an orbit 500 km above the Earth’s surface.
  • The new rocket will be used for future launches of Iran’s Nahid communications satellites.
  • This follows the launch of an Iranian military spy satellite by Russia in August in 2022 and the first flight of the country’s Zoljanah suborbital rocket in 2021 and the country’s first homegrown launch of a military satellite in 2020 on a Qassad rocket.
  • The U.S fears the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads.Β 

2. “Italian Pyramid”

  • It is the world’s longest-running high-altitude research facility. The laboratory was installed and became operational in September 1990.Β 
  • The Pyramid International Observatory is aΒ  high altitude scientific research centre located at 16,568 ft.in the Khumbu Valley, Sagarmatha National Park, at the base of the Nepali side of Everest.Β 
  • Since 1990, it has been offering the international scientific community an opportunity to study the environment, climate, human physiology and geology in a remote mountain protected area.Β Β 
  • The Pyramid is jointly managed by the Ev-K2-CNR Committee and the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).Β 
  • To date, 520 scientific missions have been carried out there by 220 researchers from 143 different scientific institutions in several nations.
  • Its location at a high altitude and low latitudeβ€”makes it crucial to research on critical fields such as climate change,biodiversity, high-altitude physiology and the effects of pollution.
  • It also acts as a point of reference for local populations and tourists who could take advantage of the advanced telecommunications systems available there to send urgent messages to Kathmandu or abroad.Β 
  • Facility is falling apart as the funding for the facility was cut short in 2014, and maintenance for existing lab equipment is now done by one lab manager.Β 
  • Researchers say even the limited data the observatory still collects are important for studying the effects of climate change in the region.

3. World heritage glaciers

  • As per recent study by UNESCO in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a third of the glaciers on the UNESCO World Heritage list are under threat, regardless of efforts to limit temperature increases.
    • The warning followed a study of 18,600 glaciers at 50 World Heritage sites.
    • The study showed that these glaciers have been retreating at an accelerated rate since 2000 due to CO2 emissions, which are warming temperatures.Β 
    • They are currently losing 58 billion tonnes of ice every year β€” equivalent to the combined annual water use of France and Spain β€” and are responsible for nearly 5% of observed global sea level rise.Β 
  • However, the study said it was still possible to save the other two-thirds if the rise in global temperature did not exceed 1.5Β°C compared to the pre-industrial era.Β 
  • Covering about 10% of the planet’s surface, ice masses are crucial for sustaining life on Earth.Β 
    • Glacial ecosystems provide vital resources to a significant proportion of the global population because of their high biological diversity and ecosystem services such as sediment sinks, freshwater reservoirs and habitats for biodiversity.Β 
    • About 50% of the global biodiversity hotspots on the planet are located in basins drained by glaciers and contain a third of the entire terrestrial species diversity .
    • Often referred to as natural β€œwater towers”, glaciers in mountains provide lowlands with essential freshwater supply.Β 

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. β€˜Ghaem 100’ recently seen in news is: (Level-Difficult)
  1. Iran’s first three-stage satellite launch vehicle.
  2. Iran’s latest Ballistic Missile Program.
  3. Russia’s thermonuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
  4. Longest-range missile North Korea has tested till date.
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:Β 

  • Iran recently tested Ghaem 100.
  • It is a three-stage, solid fuel launcher that will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg in an orbit 500 km above the Earth’s surface.
  • The new rocket will be used for future launches of Iran’s Nahid communications satellites.
Q2. Sunda Strait lies between: (Level-Medium)
  1. Java and SumatraΒ 
  2. Malay Peninsula and Sumatra
  3. Java and Malay Peninsula
  4. Sumatra and Borneo
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:Β  The Sunda Strait is a strait which is between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. This strait connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.

Sunda

Image Source-Wikipedia

Q3. Consider the following statements: (Level-Medium)
  1. Cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
  2. Asiatic cheetah is classified as β€œcritically endangered” in the IUCN Red List
  3. Asiatic cheetahs have been introduced into Kuno National Park under the cheetah reintroduction project.

How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?

  1. One statement onlyΒ 
  2. Two statements only
  3. All three statements
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:Β 

  • Statement 01 is correct, The fastest land animal, Cheetah, went extinct in 1952Β  in India due to too much reckless hunting activities.Β 
  • Statement 02 is correct, Asiatic Cheetahs have a very small population base and are listed as critically endangered species in the (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
  • Statement 03 is incorrect, African Cheetahs have been introduced into Kuno National Park under the cheetah reintroduction project.
    • They were brought from Namibia – are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.Β 
Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to Raja Ram Mohan Roy: 
(Level-Difficult)
  1. He represented Akbar II in England where he pleaded for his pension and allowances.
  2. He started the Atmiya Sabha in 1814 as an effort against idol worship and superstitious beliefs.
  3. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Alexander Duff jointly founded the Calcutta Unitarian Committee to promote education of women.

How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?

  1. One statement only
  2. Two statements only
  3. All three statements
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:Β 

  • Statement 01 is correct, Raja Ram Mohan Roy visited England as an ambassador of the Mughal king Akbar Shah II (father of Bahadur Shah)Β  where he pleaded for his pension and allowances.
    • Akbar II awarded him the title β€˜Raja’.
  • Statement 02 is correct,Β  Atmiya Sabha was a philosophical discussion circle in India started by Ram Mohan Roy in 1814 in Calcutta. They used to conduct debate and discussion sessions on philosophical topics, and also used to promote free and collective thinking and social reform.Β 
  • Statement 03 is incorrect, Β The Calcutta Unitarian Committee was jointly founded by William Adam and Rammohun Roy in September 1821.Β 
    • It sought to bring together prominent Brahmins who were friends of Roy’s and supporters of his agenda for the promotion of religious monotheism and social reform.
Q5. The term β€˜Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the 
news in the context of; (Level-Medium) (PYQ-CSE-2016)
  1. Pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate refugees from the war-affected Middle East
  2. Plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change.
  3. Capital contributed by the member countries in the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
  4. Plan of action outlined by the countries of the world regarding Sustainable Development Goals
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:Β 

CNA 06 Nov 2022:- Download PDF Here

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