17 Nov 2023 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. Sub-categorisation within castes C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials POLITY 1. Challenging the electoral bond scheme 2. State funding of elections F. Prelims Facts 1. World’s first vaccine for Chikungunya G. Tidbits 1. Fentanyl problem in US-China relations 2. Indian Navy in Gulf of Guinea H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. Sub-categorisation within castes
Syllabus: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the States.
Mains: The issue of sub-categorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs)
Context
Prime Minister Modi’s pledge to explore the sub-categorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Telangana has rekindled the legal and political debate on this issue, with historical attempts and judicial intricacies.
Introduction
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to explore the sub-categorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Telangana has sparked discussions on the legal and political aspects of this issue.
Legality of Sub-Categorization
- Historical Attempts
- States like Punjab, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu have attempted sub-categorization of SCs through state-level reservation laws, facing legal challenges.
- The Supreme Court is in the process of forming a larger Constitution Bench to decide on the legality of SC sub-categorization.
- Judicial History
- In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that states couldn’t unilaterally sub-categorize SCs or STs; only Parliament could decide and notify such lists.
- A 2020 judgement suggested that deciding on benefits within the already notified lists might be permissible, leading to a referral to a larger Bench for clarity.
- Legal Opinions
- In 2005, the Attorney-General of India opined that sub-categorization was possible with “unimpeachable evidence.”
- The Union government formed a National Commission and a constitutional amendment to Article 341 was recommended.
Government Initiatives and Commission Opinions
- Efforts by the Union Government
- The Union government initiated dialogue with the Law Ministry and considered a constitutional amendment for sub-categorization.
- The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) opined against a constitutional amendment.
- Principal Arguments
- The main argument for sub-categorization is the graded inequalities among SC communities, addressing disparities within marginalised groups.
- The idea is to provide separate reservations for more backward communities within the SC category.
- Counter Arguments
- SC and ST Commissions argue that separate reservations may not address the root cause of the problem.
- They emphasise the need for existing schemes and government benefits to reach the most backward sections before sub-categorization.
Challenges and Future Steps
- Legal experts highlight the necessity for concrete population numbers and socio-economic data to support sub-categorization decisions.
Nut Graf: The legal and political dynamics of SC sub-categorization in India, spurred by PM Modi’s announcement, involve historical attempts, judicial considerations, government initiatives, principal arguments, counterarguments, and data challenges.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Challenging the electoral bond scheme
Syllabus: GS-2, Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Ac, Transparency & Accountability
Mains: Issues with Electoral bond
Prelims: Provision of Electoral bond
Context: Ongoing legal battles challenge India’s Electoral Bond Scheme, highlighting opacity in political funding and its potential impact on fair elections.
About Electoral Bonds:
Read more on electoral bonds in the linked article. |
Transparency Advocacy vs. Political Funding Secrecy:
- Traditional resistance exists among political parties to disclose funding sources, creating a barrier to transparency.
- Civil society has actively campaigned to empower voters with information, utilizing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) as a means of achieving greater transparency in political funding.
Evasion Tactics: Electoral Trusts to Electoral Bonds:
- The political establishment responded with strategic moves, introducing the Electoral Trusts Scheme and later the more ambitious Electoral Bond Scheme (EBS).
- Legislative amendments were implemented to obscure the identities of corporate donors, demonstrating a concerted effort to safeguard political funding secrecy.
Legal Challenge Against Amendments:
- Months before the implementation of EBS, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Common Cause filed a PIL challenging the constitutionality of amendments made to the legal framework of corporate donations.
- The PIL argued that these amendments compromised the country’s autonomy, incentivized corrupt practices, and posed a threat to transparency, thus violating citizens’ fundamental right to information.
Impact and Dominance of Electoral Bonds:
- Over time, electoral bonds emerged as the preferred mode of political donation, with a significant total value sold in multiple tranches.
- Research by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) revealed that electoral bonds accounted for a substantial percentage of political donations, with the BJP notably receiving the majority share.
Judicial Response and Challenges:
- Despite the growing influence of electoral bonds, a PIL challenging the constitutionality of these bonds faced a prolonged legal battle.
- The Supreme Court, in an order dated June 23, 2021, declined the petitioner’s request for an interim stay on the scheme, suggesting that voters could potentially pierce the scheme’s secrecy by cross-referencing electoral bond expenditure disclosed in corporate filings with political party accounts.
Argument for Anonymity and Hopes for Resolution:
- The government has defended the anonymity of donors, citing privacy rights and the need to protect them from potential retribution.
- Questions persist about why corporate donors receive greater protection and the potential implications for transparency.
Nut Graf: In India’s political landscape, a clash unfolds between transparency advocates and entrenched secrecy in funding sources. From the resistance of political parties to disclose finances to the contentious Electoral Bond Scheme, this conflict accentuates the struggle for transparency, shaping the narrative around fair and informed electoral processes.
Syllabus: GS-2, Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Ac, Transparency & Accountability
Mains: State funding of election is viable or not
Context: The discussion revolves around the viability of public funding of elections in India as a means to enhance transparency, with a focus on recent judicial scrutiny of the electoral bonds scheme and its implications on election funding.
Public vs. State Funding:
- Clarifying Terminology: “State funding” is better termed as “public funding,” emphasizing that it’s the people’s money allocated for elections.
- Transparency Potential: Public funding can introduce transparency, but the mechanics of implementation are crucial to its effectiveness.
Viability and Conditions:
- Reports Insights: Noteworthy reports such as the Indrajit Gupta Committee Report, the Law Commission of India Report of 1999, the Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission in 2008, and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution Report of 2001 advocate public funding to some extent. They stress conditions like internal party democracy and financial transparency as prerequisites for successful implementation.
- Quantifying Funding: Determining the allocated amount requires understanding past election expenditures, both by the Election Commission and political entities.
Mechanisms and Distribution:
- In-Kind Funding: Suggestions exist for non-cash support like free transport, but detailed planning is essential.
- Distribution Model: Parties’ participation in deciding how funds are allocated is critical, but clarity on criteria for distribution remains a challenge.
Challenges and Comparison:
- Current Party Dynamics: Rising family-oriented regional parties raise questions about fair fund distribution.
- Global Practices: Insights from other democracies show varying models of state funding, often tied to stringent transparency regulations.
Conclusion:
- Accountability and Transparency: Public funding necessitates complete financial disclosure from parties or candidates, highlighting the need for accountability and transparency in election finances.
Nut Graf: Amidst judicial scrutiny of electoral bonds in India, discussions on public funding of elections emerge. Insights from pivotal reports stress prerequisites like party democracy and financial transparency. Global models showcase varying approaches. The state funding of elections involves complexities and there is a need for emphasizing accountability and transparency in reshaping election funding mechanisms.
F. Prelims Facts
1. World’s first vaccine for Chikungunya
Syllabus: GS 3- Science and Technology
Prelims: About vaccine for Chikungunya
Introduction
- On November 9 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the world’s first vaccine for chikungunya, developed by Valneva, a European vaccine manufacturer, under the brand Ixchiq.
Chikungunya: An Emerging Global Health Threat
- Characteristics
- Chikungunya is a viral infection transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, causing severe joint pain, fever, and impaired mobility.
- It is prevalent in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, with sporadic outbreaks reported globally.
- Symptoms
- Joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, rash.
- Prevention and Control
- Public health outreach and civic maintenance for mosquito control.
- Use of medicated mosquito nets and prevention of water stagnation to avoid mosquito breeding.
Ixchiq Vaccine: Composition and Approval
- Composition
- Given as a single injection into the muscle, it includes a live, attenuated form of the chikungunya virus, eliciting symptoms resembling those of the actual disease.
- Clinical Studies and Side Effects:
- Safety was evaluated in clinical studies with about 3,500 participants. Commonly reported side effects are headache, fatigue, muscle and joint discomfort, fever, nausea, and tenderness at the injection site.
- Efficiency Evaluation
- Evaluated based on immune response data from a U.S. study in individuals aged 18 and older. Effectiveness demonstrated through the level of antibody known to be protective in non-human primates.
Role of the Vaccine
- Unmet Medical Need
- The approval addresses an unmet medical need for a disease with limited treatment options.
- Offers an important advancement in preventing chikungunya, a potentially debilitating disease.
- Global Rollout
- Fast-track approval may expedite the rollout in countries where chikungunya is prevalent, including Brazil, Paraguay, India, and parts of western Africa.
G. Tidbits
1. Fentanyl problem in US-China relations
Introduction
- U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit aimed at easing tensions between the two nations.
- The talks covered issues like military communications, Taiwan, and the production of fentanyl, a key concern for the U.S.
Agreement on Fentanyl Production Crackdown
- Both leaders agreed that China would crack down on the production of fentanyl.
- Xi expressed sympathy for U.S. victims affected by the devastating impact of the drug on communities.
Fentanyl menace in the US
- Fentanyl is responsible for a deadly epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S.
- It has ravaged communities across the country.
- Drug overdose killed more than 100,000 people across the country in one single year.
- Out of those fatalities, over 66% were linked to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin.
- Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug that can be prescribed by a doctor to treat severe pain.
- However, criminal organisations engage in the illicit production and distribution of the drug. The majority of unlawfully produced fentanyl in the United States is transported from Mexico, utilising chemicals acquired from China.
2. Indian Navy in Gulf of Guinea
- The Indian Navy has concluded its second anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean.
- INS Sumedha, an offshore patrol vessel, undertook a 31-day anti-piracy patrol as part of an extended-range operational deployment.
- The first Gulf of Guinea anti-piracy patrol was conducted by INS Tarkash in September-October 2022.
- The region is vital for India’s national interests, serving as a crucial source for the country’s energy requirements.
- INS Sumedha’s deployment strengthens national interests and enhances Navy-to-Navy connections with regional Navies, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Angola, and Namibia.
- The deployment also included participation in the maiden India-EU Joint Exercise and a port call at Walvis Bay, Namibia, as part of Mission Based Deployment to West Africa and the Atlantic.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA):
- NGOs receiving foreign donations must be registered under the FCRA.
- FCRA prohibits the receipt of foreign funds by journalists and judges.
- FCRA registration is valid for 5 years, and renewal is required within six months of expiry.
How many of the statements given above are incorrect?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation: FCRA mandates registration for NGOs receiving foreign donations, prohibits certain entities from receiving foreign funds, and requires renewal every 5 years.
Q2. 'Fentanyl' recently in the news, is
- A new missile developed by DRDO
- A synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than morphine
- India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 payload
- A new stealth fighter aircraft developed by China
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid around 100 times more potent than morphine, used to treat severe pain. The other options are completely unrelated to fentanyl.
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding Chikungunya:
- Chikungunya is characterized by severe joint pain and is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes.
- Chikungunya outbreaks have become more frequent due to viral adaptations.
- Ixchiq, a vaccine for Chikungunya, contains a live, weakened version of the virus.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation: Chikungunya is characterized by severe joint pain, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, outbreaks have increased since 2004, and Ixchiq vaccine contains a live, weakened version of the virus.
Q4. Indrajit Gupta Committee is related to:
- Police reforms in India
- State funding of elections
- Agricultural policy recommendations
- Electoral boundary delimitation
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: The Indrajit Gupta Committee, formed in 1998, recommended state funding of elections in India to enhance transparency.
Q5. With reference to the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is the northeasternmost portion of the tropical Pacific Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa.
- The Gulf of Guinea is located at the junction of the Prime Meridian and the Equator at 0°0’N and 0°0’E.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost portion of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, located off the western coast of Africa, situated at the junction of the Prime Meridian and the Equator.
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