CNA 15 Nov 2021:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY 1. CBI, ED chiefs can now have five-year terms GOVERNANCE 1. Increase in digital connectivity but there are many who are still left out C. GS 3 Related ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. Coal ‘phase-down’ is a right: Minister D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials GOVERNANCE 1. Creating safe digital spaces POLITY 1. A routine matter or a punishment post? INTERNAL SECURITY 1. A lost cause F. Prelims Facts 1. Kaiser-i-Hind is Arunachal’s State butterfly 2. The Norovirus outbreak: prevention rooted in hygiene G. Tidbits 1. ‘Tiger tourism’ on Nallamala Hills 2. Divide between haves, have-nots remains: CJI H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. CBI, ED chiefs can now have five-year terms
Context:
- The Indian President has promulgated two ordinances that would allow the Union Government to extend the tenures of the directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Background:
Supreme Court Order:
- The one year extension provided by the central government to the current ED director was challenged in the Supreme Court recently.
- The SC bench had asked the government not to provide any more extension, while observing that any extension of tenure during superannuation has to be for a short period and held that such extensions could be given only in rare and exceptional circumstances to facilitate an ongoing g investigation.
Details:
- The directors of the CBI and the ED currently have fixed two-year tenure. The newly promulgated ordinances allows for the provision of three annual extensions, thus it allows for extension of tenure from the current two years to up to five years.
- The ordinance amends the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 to change the tenure of the post of CBI Director and amends the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 to change the tenure of the post of ED Director.
- The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 states that the period for which the Director of Enforcement holds the office, may in the public interest and on the recommendation of the Committee which recommends names to the post be extended up to one year at a time. The ordinance mentions that the reasons for the extension need to be recorded in writing.
- The ordinance also explicitly mentions that no such extension shall be possible after the completion of a period of five years in total.
Concerns expressed by opposition:
- The opposition has criticized the government’s move to take the ordinance route repeatedly. This they claim makes the Parliament redundant and results in subverting democracy.
- Ordinances are laws that are promulgated by the President of India on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. They can only be issued when Parliament is not in session.
- Article 123 of the Indian Constitution provides for the power of the President to promulgate Ordinances.
1. Increase in digital connectivity but there are many who are still left out
Context:
- Study on the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 with respect to services like healthcare and education. The focus of the study was on digital technologies in healthcare, education and work.
Details:
Increased internet connectivity:
- Internet connectivity has increased over the last few years, with most new users attributing their connections to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The study found that 47% of the population are Internet users, a significant jump from the 19% who were identified as Internet users in late 2017.
Challenges/Concerns:
- The survey has found that despite increased internet connectivity, remote work, education and healthcare are still not equally available to all, even among those with digital access.
Education:
- The survey found that 80% of school-age children in the country had no access to remote education during pandemic induced school closure phase.
- Lack of compatible digital devices, poor 3G/4G signal and high data cost have been the biggest hurdles in ensuring access to online education.
- Nationwide, 38% of households said at least one child had dropped out of school due to COVID-19.
Work:
- Only 10% of those employed during the lockdown were able to work from home.
- There were significant geographical and sectoral variations.
- Availability of compatible and adequate number of digital device and connectivity challenges were the major challenges to the people working from home.
Healthcare:
- Although telemedicine and online doctor consultations surged during the pandemic phase, still only 38% were able to access telemedicine services.
- Lack of awareness of internet, lack of access to devices and lack of skills are the reasons why people do not go online.
C. GS 3 Related
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Coal ‘phase-down’ is a right: Minister
Context:
- The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties of the UNFCC in Glasgow ended with the Glasgow Climate Pact.
The Glasgow Climate Pact:
- The 26th Conference of Parties adopted a resolution by member countries to revisit and strengthen existing emission targets by 2022.
- The final text of the agreement calls for coal to be “phased down” rather than “phased out” as demanded by developed countries.
- The Paris Rulebook, which specifies guidelines for how the Paris Agreement is to be delivered, was also finalized. The agreement has better clarity on the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
- Article 6 of the Paris Agreement aims at promoting integrated, holistic and balanced approaches that will assist governments in implementing their NDCs through voluntary international cooperation.
- The Glasgow climate agreement creates a ‘centralised hub’ for bilateral carbon trade, replacing the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.
- The 1997 Kyoto Protocol validated carbon credit trading via a Clean Development Mechanism. This mechanism had expired in 2020.
- Carbon credits allow companies in developed countries to indirectly pay for clean energy transitions in developing countries by accumulating credits.
- The 1997 Kyoto Protocol validated carbon credit trading via a Clean Development Mechanism. This mechanism had expired in 2020.
- The new agreement also provides much needed clarity on aspects of calculation of carbon accounts by clearly laid guidelines with respect to Certified Emission Reductions.
- Certified Emission Reductions are a type of emissions unit issued by the Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board for emission reductions achieved by CDM projects and verified under the rules of the Kyoto Protocol.
India’s line of argument:
- India played an important role in the final text of the agreement that called for coal to be “phased down” rather than “phased out”.
- India’s main line of argument has been that the unregulated use of fossil fuels has enabled developed countries to attain high level of growth and it cannot be expected of developing countries facing developmental challenges to give up usage of coal.
- Developing countries like India have a right to their fair share of the global carbon budget and are entitled to the responsible use of fossil fuels within this scope.
- Also despite arguments from the developed countries on the ill effects of coal, many developed countries have still not completely phased out coal.
- Notably, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) refers to mitigation of GHG emissions from all sources including coal, oil and gas. Whereas the developed countries tend to shift focus away from oil and gas only because of its relevance to their domestic economies.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Creating safe digital spaces
International Day against Violence and Bullying at School
- School violence and bullying including cyberbullying is widespread and affects a significant number of children and adolescents.
- It is infringement of children’s right to education and to health and well-being
- To raise awareness among students, parents, members of the school community, education authorities and others about the problem of online violence and cyberbullying, UNESCO Member States declared the first Thursday of November as the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School
What is cyberbullying?
- Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies.
- It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones.
- It is repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted
Examples include:
- spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos of someone on social media
- sending hurtful messages or threats via messaging platforms
- Impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf.
A look at numbers
India
- In India, an estimated 71 million children aged 5-11 years access the Internet on the devices of their family members, constituting about 14% of the country’s active Internet user base of over 500 million.
- It should also be noted that two-thirds of Internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 years.
Worldwide
- A 2020 study by Plan International, involving 14,000 women aged 15-25 from across 22 countries, revealed that 58% of girls in the Asia-Pacific region reported online harassment.
- Globally, of the girls who were harassed, 14% who self-identified as having a disability and 37% who identified themselves as from an ethnic minority said they get harassed because of it.
Issue Area
- Covid-19 had resulted in closure of Schools and offline classes, leading to students attending classes on the online mode. This meant unprecedented rise in unsupervised screen time for children and young people
- Reports have now indicated that children were exposed to online violence, cyberbullying and instances of child sexual exploitation
Negative impact
Online violence including cyber bullying has a negative effect on academic achievement, mental health, and quality of life of students.
- Children who are frequently bullied are nearly three times as likely to feel left out at school as those who are not.
- They are also twice as likely to miss out on school and have a higher tendency to leave formal education after finishing secondary school.
Therefore, cyberbullying prevention interventions should aim at tackling all types of bullying and victimisation experiences at the same time, as opposed to each in silo.
Tackling the menace
- Efforts must be made to explain children about cyberbullying by giving them examples in a way they understand so that they can protect themselves from its different forms, whether perpetrated by peers or adults.
- Schools should establish a school safety committee that will control and discuss the problems of online bullying.
- Teachers should teach students how to use digital media in respectful and safe ways.
- Information booklet brought out by UNESCO in partnership with NCERT on Safe Online Learning in Times of COVID-19 can be a useful reference for schools to start with.
- It supports the creation of safe digital spaces and addresses the nuances of security.
- Similarly, to prevent the adverse effect of online gaming and the psycho-emotional stress that children could be undergoing, the Department of School Education and Literacy has circulated exhaustive guidelines to raise children and parental awareness.
Conclusion
- Cyber bullying may take place in a virtual world but has real impact on children’s health. Therefore to ensure access to safe, inclusive and health-promoting learning environments for all children we must redouble our efforts to tackle this menace
1. A routine matter or a punishment post?
Context
- The Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to transfer the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Sanjib Banerjee, to the Meghalaya High Court, as well as the senior-most judge of the Allahabad High Court, Munishwar Nath Bhandari, to the Madras High Court, has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters of the legal fraternity.
Transfer of High court Judge
Article 222 of the Constitution provides for the transfer of a judge (including Chief Justice) from one High Court to any other High Court.
- The President may, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, transfer a Judge from one High Court to any other High Court.
Explaining why such a power would be required, Dr. B R Ambedkar had in a speech given in the Constituent Assembly said
Locus Standi
Public Interest
|
Issue Area
- Justice Banerjee was managing a larger High Court. His transfer to a northeastern State looks like a punishment as the reasons for the transfer of judges are withheld from public by the collegium.
- Withholding of reasoning also, naturally, gives rise to speculations and casts a shadow on the judge concerned as well as the integrity of the Collegium’s decision.
- In the case of Justice Banerjee, since the proposal came from the Supreme Court collegium, the Central government, which has to advise the President of India, is entitled to ask for relevant material before tendering any advice.
- If it is not satisfied, the Central government can ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision.
- However in the present case it looked like both the Government and the Judiciary had a common intention for the transfer and few also speculate that there could be an element of executive influence over decision-making
|
- Normally when proposals to transfer are made, a judge in the Supreme Court who comes from the State in which the transferee judge is holding office is also consulted.
- With regard to Justice Banerjee’s transfer, there are four judges who are qualified to be called consultee judges.
- Why was consultation in the case of Justice Banerjee made only with the junior-most judge of the Supreme Court and not the senior judges?
- The frequency with which judges are transferred, sometimes with only months remaining before their retirement, has been another ground on which transfers are questioned.
Conclusion
- Lack of transparency and the absence of formal criteria has put the credibility of transfers in Question. Therefore the Collegium System in the Indian Judiciary should make its transfer policy public and resume the practice of giving reasons for transfers as opacity in decision-making only gives rise to speculation.
1. A lost cause
Context
- 26 Maoists were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in a dense forest in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra
Gadchiroli
- Gadchiroli has dense forests, rivers and sparse population, and has long been a difficult terrain for security personnel to control and operate
- It is difficult to operate in this region due to Gadchiroli’s location at the trijunction of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Telanagana. The Maoists would be able to shift bases easily.
- With the coordination among state forces not always at optimal levels, Gadchiroli offers both a corridor for passage, as well as a mostly safe holding area for Maoists.
- It is among Maharashtra’s poorest and the Maoists have sought to expand their presence extending from neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Concerns
- Despite suffering significant losses to its leadership either in military operations or due to physical infirmities and a shrinking of the areas of influence, the Maoists have refused to withdraw from their pursuit of armed struggle.
Conclusion
- The success of development programs must continue, people attracted towards Maoism should be weaned away and Maharashtra must not rest on its success in militarily diminishing the Maoist threat in Gadchiroli.
Reference:
Left Wing Extremism: UPSC Internal Security Notes
F. Prelims Facts
1. Kaiser-i-Hind is Arunachal’s State butterfly
Kaiser-i-Hind:
- Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) is found in six States along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,000-10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
- The butterfly is also present in neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
- The Kaiser-i-Hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Its IUCN status is Near Threatened
Context:
- Arunachal Pradesh has approved the Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) as the State butterfly.
Additional information:
- The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet has adopted the Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 declaration on climate change-resilient and responsive Arunachal Pradesh aimed at lowering emissions and sustainable development.
2. The Norovirus outbreak: prevention rooted in hygiene
Norovirus:
- Norovirus (stomach flu viruses) are an important cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in children as well as adults.
- Infection is characterised by an acute onset of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea.
- NoV is a highly contagious virus and transmission occurs at a rapid pace.
- Transmission occurs predominantly by the faecal-oral route, directly or indirectly, through the ingestion of contaminated water or food or contact with infected surfaces.
- The disease is self-limiting and rarely dangerous. There is no specific treatment except rest and rehydration.
Context:
- Acute diarrhoeal disease outbreak caused by Norovirus (NoV) has been reported in Wayanad district of Kerala.
G. Tidbits
1. ‘Tiger tourism’ on Nallamala Hills
- The Telangana Forest Department has come out with a CBET (Community Based Eco Tourism) model in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve area.
- The initiative would involve the youth from the local Chenchu tribe as travel guides.
- The initiative will help the tourists acknowledge the importance of environmental conservation and tribal cultures while also bringing in much needed economic development in the area which is both sustainable and inclusive in nature.
2. Divide between haves, have-nots remains: CJI
- Speaking at a pan-Indian legal awareness and outreach campaign programme, the Chief Justice of India lamented on the continued existence of stark economic division between haves and have-nots in India.
- The CJI emphasised that there could be no real freedom without economic freedom of an individual
- The CJI noted how poverty among the people has been a major impediment in the people’s aspiration to lead a dignified life.
- Despite India adopting the welfare state principle in its Constitution, adequate benefits have not trickled down to the poor and under privileged.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Earthquakes:
- The magnitude of earthquakes is measured on the Mercalli Scale.
- The magnitude is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Mercalli scale measures the intensity of an earthquake.
- Intensity scales, like the Modified Mercalli Scale and the Rossi-Forel scale, measure the amount of shaking at a particular location. An earthquake causes many different intensities of shaking in the area of the epicenter where it occurs. So the intensity of an earthquake will vary depending on where you are. Sometimes earthquakes are referred to by the maximum intensity they produce.
- Magnitude scales, like the moment magnitude and Richter scale measure the size of the earthquake at its source.
- The magnitude in richter scale is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10.
- The Richter scale is a base-10 logarithmic scale, meaning that each order of magnitude is 10 times more intensive than the last one. In other words, a two is 10 times more intense than a one and a three is 100 times greater. In the case of the Richter scale, the increase is in wave amplitude.
Q2. With respect to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), which of the following statements is/are correct?
- The cost of houses would be shared between Centre and States.
- Selection of beneficiaries is only based on housing deprivation parameters of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana is a social welfare programme of the Indian Government, to provide housing for the rural poor in India.
- The cost of houses would be shared between Centre and States.
- Selection of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) is based on housing deprivation parameters of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, subject to 13 point exclusion criteria, followed by Gram Sabha verification. Households that are houseless or living in zero, one or two room kutcha houses (kutcha wall and kutcha roof) are provided financial assistance for construction of pucca houses under PMAY-G.
Q3. Consider the following statements:
- Kaiser-i-Hind was recently declared as State butterfly of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Its IUCN status is Near Threatened
- Kaiser-i-Hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
Kaiser-i-Hind:
- Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) is found in six States along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,000-10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
- The butterfly is also present in neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
- The Kaiser-i-Hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Its IUCN status is Near Threatened
Context:
- Arunachal Pradesh has approved the Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) as the State butterfly.
Image courtesy: The Hindu
Q4. Kamo'oalewa recently seen in news is
- A new variant of coronavirus found in samples taken from the Xinjiang region of China
- A fossil of a new megaraptor in Patagonia
- A Near-Earth asteroid which could be a fragment of our moon
- A Most Advanced Humanoid Robot
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Kamoʻoalewa is a very small asteroid, fast rotator and near-Earth object. Currently, it is the smallest, closest, and most stable (known) quasi-satellite of Earth.
- Recent studies point to the possibility of Kamo’oalewa being a part of the Earth’s Moon. It could have broken away from the Moon due to a possible impact, and gone on to orbit the Sun rather than the Earth-like its parent does.
Q5. In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents?
- Service providers
- Data centres
- Body corporate
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Cybersecurity incidents mean any real and suspected adverse event in relation to cybersecurity that violates an explicitly or implicitly applicable security policy resulting in unauthorized access, denial of services, unauthorised use of computer resources for processing or storage of data or change in data without authorization.
- Section 70-B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 gives the Central government the power to appoint an agency of the government, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team to report incidents of cybersecurity.
- Rule 12 of the CERT rules gives every person, company or organization the option to report cybersecurity incidents to the CERT-In.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Despite suggestions from various commissions, the Supreme Court hasn’t allowed any reforms in the collegium system. In this context, enlist the merits and demerits of the existing collegium system. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-2, Polity]
- Eradicating the problem of cyberbullying requires concrete measures from the policymakers in India. Suggest such measures keeping in mind the present scenario. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-2, Governance]
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 15 Nov 2021:- Download PDF Here
Comments