CNA 22 Nov 2021:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. PM likely to join Joe Biden’s Democracy Summit C. GS 3 Related SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. The panoptic nature of biometric technology ECONOMY 1. KIIFB: debt-financed expenditure offering a lifeline during a difficult financial period D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1. Go back to committees’ is the farm laws lesson 2. Reliable data, good policy DEFENCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY 1. Keeping a close eye on China’s nuclear capabilities F. Prelims Facts 1. Pratham gets Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2. Some nations stalling maritime order: Rajnath G. Tidbits 1. Social audit being extended to more Govt. schemes in Rajasthan 2. Prolonged school closures pose threat to gender equality: study 3. Life expectancy lower for urban poor, says study 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. PM likely to join Joe Biden’s Democracy Summit
Context:
- The U.S.’s invitation to the Indian Prime Minister for participation in the “Summit for Democracy” being hosted by the U.S. President.
Details:
- More than 100 countries have been invited to the summit to be held in the virtual mode.
- The summit is expected to spell out commitments to protect democracy. It will discuss individual and collective commitments to defend democracy and human rights at domestic and international level.
- The summit is being viewed by some experts as a subtle message to the U.S.’s chief rivals China and Russia, who have not been invited to the summit, though both countries refer to themselves as democracies.
Criticism:
- Russia has been sharply critical of the Democracy Summit. It calls it as an attempt to divide the world on ideological basis. It is nothing but an attempt by the U.S. to garner more support for itself against its chief rivals China and Russia.
- The summit follows months after an attempt by the U.S. and the U.K. to expand the G-7 meeting into a “D-10” or group of 10 democracies including Australia, India and South Korea, along with the G-7 group.
Catch 22 scenario for India:
- India is looking to maintain cordial relations with Russia even as it seeks to strengthen its ties with the U.S. Notably, the Indian PM is slated to take part in the summit for democracy close on the heels of Indian PM’s annual summit with Russian President and the 2+2 meeting of Indian and Russian Foreign and Defence Ministers, where the two countries are expected to announce a number of bilateral agreements and defence deals.
- It is still unclear whether other democracies in the region such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan are also being invited. Apart from Bangladesh and Bhutan being close allies of India, the move has also raised doubts in India on the objective of the summit.
- Afghanistan and Myanmar, where democratic governments were overthrown forcibly are likely to be on the agenda of the summit as a key point of discussion. A tough stance against these countries and India’s stance on such a statement could affect India’s ties with these countries.
- Another point of concern would be the extent of commentary about the quality of democracy amongst the conference invitees. India has traditionally regarded issues of democracy and human rights an “internal matter” for the country, and in the past few years India has rejected attempts by other powers to comment on India’s internal issues on grounds of human rights.
C. GS 3 Related
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. The panoptic nature of biometric technology
Context:
- Facebook, now renamed as Meta Platforms Inc, had recently stated that it would be shutting down its facial recognition technology (FRT) on its platform, following a class action lawsuit against it for failing to perform necessary disclosures related to handling of its users’ biometric data.
- This development has brought the facial recognition technology (FRT) into limelight.
Facial Recognition Technology:
- Facial recognition is a biometric technology that uses distinctive features on the face to identify and distinguish an individual.
- Facial recognition technology has been introduced primarily for two purposes:
- As a compare and contrast tool meant for identification based on existing information or,
- To create a repository on the basis of which the process of identification can be enhanced
Concerns:
- Without proper laws protecting digital privacy, inappropriate use of facial recognition technology will enable mass surveillance
- A growing body of research shows that biometric scanning technologies coupled with AI have an inherent bias. There seems to be an algorithmic bias in this technology.
- A report by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) noted that facial recognition technology found Black, Brown and Asian individuals to be 100 times more likely to be misidentified than white male faces.
- Scanning technology and biometric tracking pose a grave threat to freedom of expression, a fundamental right as envisaged by the Indian Constitution. There have been numerous instances when this technology was used by law enforcement agencies to crack down on protestors even in legitimate causes.
- 100% accuracy in finding matches has not been achieved under this technology. Facial recognition does not return a definitive result. It identifies or verifies only in probabilities (e.g., a 70% likelihood that the person shown on an image is the same person on a watch list).
For more related information on this issue refer to the following article:
UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis of 31st Dec 2020
Significance:
- FRT can act as valuable tool for the law enforcement agencies to nab criminals.
- Example: An FRT software made it possible for the law enforcement agencies to identify perpetrators of the U.S. Capitol siege in January.
International scenario:
- There have been the growing calls for laws in various countries to curb the ill-effects of FRT.
- Some U.S. lawmakers introduced the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act in 2020. Also several states in the U.S. have banned the use of FRT.
- In the EU, Article 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prohibits processing of personal biometric data for the purposes of identifying an individual. This provides the much needed protection against FRT infringing on individual’s privacy.
Scenario in India:
- The National Crime Records Bureau in India has requested for proposals to create a National Automated Facial Recognition System to build a national database of photographs to identify criminals.
- Notably India lacks a robust legal framework to address the possible misuse of biometric technology even as the Union Government deployed over a dozen different FRT systems across the country that collect and use biometric data.
- India still does not have a personal data protection law. The draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 is still under parliamentary scrutiny.
For more related information on this topic refer to the following article:
1. KIIFB: debt-financed expenditure offering a lifeline during a difficult financial period
Context:
- Kerala Finance Minister has strongly objected to observations made in the recent audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for 2020 on the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board:
- Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) is a body corporate constituted by the Government of Kerala to mobilise financial resources for infrastructure development of the State.
Pattern of Funding:
- KIIFB intends to raise funds through term loans from public sector banks and other financial institutions and grant funds for infrastructural projects.
- In 2019, KIIFB became the first ever State Government agency in India to access the offshore debt market when it raised money through Masala bonds.
- Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated bonds issued outside India by Indian entities. They are debt instruments which help to raise money in local currency from foreign investors. Both the government and private entities can issue these bonds.
- Another source is the money raised through a chit fund scheme for non-resident Indians (Pravasi chitti scheme).
- KIIFB also receives some degree of funding from the State Government.
Significance:
- KIIFB has been able to fund infrastructural projects in the state of Kerala which has helped increase the total capital expenditure by the State Government. Such capital expenditure is inevitable to accelerate economic growth in the state.
- The funding of critical infrastructural projects will help enhance Kerala’s capabilities in the areas of transport, energy, information technology, water sanitation, and the social sector.
- Given the limited fiscal space available for states to undertake capital expenditure, which has further deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KIIFB offers a unique opportunity to raise financial resources for public expenditure in infrastructural projects.
- The KIIFB framework allows for sustainable debt-financed expenditure which can help yield rich economic growth dividends going forward.
Concerns:
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has raised concerns about the KIIFB.
- The CAG pointed out that the borrowings by KIIFB are outside of the State budget and amounted to “off-Budget borrowings” and, therefore, do not have legislative approval.
- CAG also noted that the KIIFB had high chances to become a liability and the State Government may have to repay the liabilities of KIIFB in such a scenario.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Go back to committees’ is the farm laws lesson
Explicit Indications From The Repeal
- The repeal of the farm laws has embarked on a new phase of non-political movements that involved only prolonged non-violent agitation as in the case of farmers.
- The farm Bills were not referred to either the standing committee or a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament.
Parliament As The Integral Asset
- The importance of Parliament could not be emphasized more as it has a major role in the working of government and hence consultation with Parliament is a necessity for governments.
- Standing committees are very significant for the same reason.
The Standing Committee Question
- The Government took the ordinance route instead of the standing committee setup.
- In terms of the domain of a standing committee,the bills which are brought to replace the ordinances can be referred to the standing committees of Parliament.
- The Speaker/Chairman has the authority to refer any Bill except a money Bill to the standing committees.
Course and Cost
- Parliament will repeal these laws in the winter session that commences on November 29.
- The protesting farmers lost 700 of their brothers after being exposed to the harshness of the summer, winter and monsoon for almost 14 months.
- Government though has announced the repeal of the laws, it believes that these laws are required for the transformation of the farm sector.
- The repeal of laws could be a tactical move by the Government to tide over the emerging political situation in certain regions of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Insights
- For future legislation on farmers, learning from this lesson, it is necessary to involve the systems of Parliament fully so that a balanced approach emerges.
- The detailed examination of Bills by committees result in better laws,and hence the practice must be followed.
Significance of public data:
- Reliable and timely public data are a must for evidence-based policymaking and good governance.
- Such public data can provide valuable insights for the administration to design and implement programmes effectively.
Concerns:
- Though India is credited to have a relatively robust public data system generated through its decennial Census and yearly sample surveys on specific themes, there continues to be some concerns.
Long delays/postponements:
- The long delay in the release of the collected data and in some cases the government even refrains from releasing the collected data.
- Example- Socio Economic and Caste Census data has not been released.
- The Government in November 2019 announced that the MHCE data collected in 2017-18 could not be released due to ‘data quality issues’.
- The government has also postponed the decennial census in 2021 to 2022 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Such delay renders the collected data less useful for policy intervention.
Frequent and uncalled for revisions:
- The frequent revisions in methodology like the changes introduced to the estimation of GDP gives rise to the issue of comparability of data over time. Also, such revisions instead of being made to increase accuracy are being made for political considerations.
Slippages in the conduct of sample surveys:
- Slippage in the conduct of important sample surveys like the ‘Monthly Household Consumer Expenditure’ (MHCE) affects the accuracy of important economic indices like Inflation Index, the poverty line and poverty ratio, and consumption expenditure in the national accounts system. This will affect the implementation of important schemes such as the Public Distribution System.
Recommendations:
- Government needs to ensure that the data generation possibilities opened up by new digital technologies are embedded in a robust system of public data production and use. Digital data collection tools need to be adopted to enhance data collection and processing capabilities.
- The government should focus on ensuring timely and reliable public data along with the adoption of the latest data processing technologies to ensure the usefulness of the collected data.
Category: DEFENCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY
1. Keeping a close eye on China’s nuclear capabilities
Context:
- China Military Power Report (CMPR) recently released by the Pentagon.
Details:
- The Pentagon report notes with concern the increasing military capabilities of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
- The report highlights in particular a transformation in both the quantity and the quality of China’s nuclear arsenal. The report notes fundamental changes in the quantitative strength and atomic yield of nuclear arsenal, enhanced delivery capabilities (missile) and nuclear posture of China.
Rising number of nuclear war heads:
- China’s nuclear arsenal is set to increase. As per the report, by 2027, China could have around 700 nuclear weapons consisting of varying yields.
Tactical low yield nuclear weapons:
- China seems to be prioritizing low-yield nuclear weapons. Low-yield weapons are weapons meant for battlefield use during conventional military operations and against conventional targets such as concentrations of armoured, artillery and infantry forces. The increasing preference of low yield nuclear weapons seems to be indicative of China’s use of nuclear weapons for tactical rather than strategic purposes. This gives rise to speculation that China plans to use its nuclear weapons not just for deterrence but intends to use them in the battlefield if necessary.
Increasing delivery capabilities:
- China has been notably developing long range nuclear weapon delivery capable missiles like the Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile Dong-Feng-26 (DF-26) ballistic missile and the JL-2 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) with a range of 7,200 kilometres.
- Such long range capacity missiles would allow China to strike any target across continental Asia.
- Notably, China has even deployed these missile systems in key areas.
Concerns over the Nuclear posture:
- China has adopted a Launch on Warning (LoW) nuclear posture.
- Launch on warning (LOW) or fire on warning is a strategy of nuclear weapon retaliation. This military strategy allows high-level commanders to launch a retaliatory nuclear-weapons strike against an opponent as soon as satellites and other warning sensors detect an incoming enemy missile.
- This marks a higher alert posture. The Launch on warning nuclear posture not only risks reducing the threshold for nuclear use in the form of pre-emption but it could also sow the seeds of miscalculation and unintended nuclear use.
Security implications for India:
- China’s nuclear competition with the United States will have a cascading effect for the Indo-Pacific region and also India which happens to share an increasingly frosty relationship with China amid the border tensions along the LAC.
- The increasing size of Chinese nuclear weapons and the development of potent missile defences like the HQ-19 interceptors, specifically designed and developed to execute mid-course interception of medium-range ballistic missiles, threatens the survivability of the Indian nuclear arsenal in case of a nuclear war between India and China.
- China’s adoption of a Launch on Warning (LoW) nuclear posture reduces the decision time for any Indian retaliatory nuclear strike in the heat of a war or crisis and places pressure on India to pursue its own LoW instead of the present No First Use (NFU) policy. Also the adoption of a reversible No First Use (NFU) policy by China risks degrading an Indian retaliatory strike if China chooses to resort to First Use (FU) of nuclear weapons. China with its large and tactical low yield nuclear weapon systems could decapitate India’s nuclear forces.
- China has been slowly but surely developing SSBNs/nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines and increasingly deploying them in the Indian Ocean region. These SSBNs are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and this could leave India exposed to a Chinese atomic pincer from the maritime domain in addition to the continental domain.
Recommendations:
- Given the rising threat posed by Chinese nuclear weapons, Indian will have to re-evaluate the quantitative nuclear balance and India’s nuclear posture vis-à-vis China.
F. Prelims Facts
1. Pratham gets Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
- The civil society organisation, Pratham has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2021.
- The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, is accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
- Pratham has been dedicated to improving the quality of education among underprivileged children in India and across the world.
- It has been involved in the innovative use of digital technology to deliver education thus enabling children to learn during the COVID-19 related school closures.
- Its Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) involves regular evaluation of the quality of education. The ASER model has been used to assess education outcomes and learning deficiencies in 14 countries over three continents.
2. Some nations stalling maritime order: Rajnath
- INS Visakhapatnam is the first of four Project-15B class stealth guided missile destroyers designed by the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., Mumbai.
- The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section and is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as BrahMos surface-to-surface and Barak-8 surface-to-Air missiles.
G. Tidbits
1. Social audit being extended to more Govt. schemes in Rajasthan
- The concept of social audit is being extended to more departments and the Government schemes in Rajasthan. The first social audit dialogue was held under the aegis of the State Government’s Society for Social Audit, Accountability and Transparency (SSAAT) to help identify the difficulties in social audit and recommend solutions.
- Involving various stakeholders in the social audit of government schemes and programmes is a laudable initiative. This will help ensure better transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds. It will also act as an effective check on the executive action.
- There is the need to make social audit process an integral part of governance.
2. Prolonged school closures pose threat to gender equality: study
- A new study by UNESCO, titled “When schools shut: Gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures”, notes that girls and boys, young women and men were affected differently by school closures.
- The study notes that the general disruption caused due to prolonged closure of schools causing learning loss in students, it more likely to be more severe on the girls thus posing a threat to gender equality
- The report notes that gender norms and expectations affect the ability of girl students to participate in and benefit from remote learning.
- In poorer households girls’ time to learn are constrained by increased household work.
- Also the limited access to Internet-enabled devices, lack of digital skills (digital gender divide) and cultural norms restricting the girl’s use of technological devices also adversely impacts the girls’ access to remote learning.
3. Life expectancy lower for urban poor, says study
- The report, “Healthcare equity in urban India”, released recently by Azim Premji University, notes the health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India.
- The report points to the disproportionate disease burden on the poor and the resultant higher financial burden on the poor, chaotic urban health governance and less investment in healthcare by urban local bodies.
- The report calls for strengthening community participation and governance; building a comprehensive and dynamic database on the health and nutrition status; strengthening healthcare provisioning through the National Urban Health Mission, especially for primary healthcare services; and putting in place policy measures to reduce the financial burden of the poor. It also advocates for a better governed private healthcare institutions.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. With respect to Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is a prestigious award given by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
- It is awarded to individuals or organizations to honour their efforts in promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order.
- The recipients can be national and international nominees.
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The Indira Gandhi Prize (alternatively known as Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development) is a prestigious award given by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
- The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million rupees and a citation.
- The Indira Gandhi Prize is awarded to individuals or organisations to honour their efforts in promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order. Additional endeavors include scientific discoveries used for the benefit of humanity and enlarging the scope of freedom
- The recipients are chosen from a pool of national and international nominees.
Q2. Which of the following are the surface-to-surface missiles?
- Prahaar
- Prithvi
- Shaurya
- Spyder
- Trishul
Options:
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 3, 4 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- A surface-to-surface missile is a missile that is launched from the ground to strike land or sea targets. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicles, from a ship or ground installations.
- There are different surface to surface missiles developed by India.
- Prithvi series of missiles
- Agni series of missiles
- Nirbhay
- Brahmos
- Prahar
- Spyder and Trishul are surface- to- air missiles
Q3. Which of the following exercises is/are correctly matched?
- Shakti: India- France
- Dharma Guardian: India- Indonesia
- Surya Kiran: India- Nepal
- Sampriti: India –Bangladesh
Options:
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
Q4. With reference to the use of nano-technology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Nanoparticles can be used for drug delivery to the brain for therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders
- NanoFlares can used for detection of cancer cells in the bloodstream
- Nanochips can be used to check plaque in arteries
Options:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Nanotech detectors for heart attack
- Nanochips to check plaque in arteries
- Nanocarriers for eye surgery, chemotherapy, etc.
- Diabetic pads for regulating blood sugar levels
- Nanoparticles for drug delivery to the brain – for therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders
- Nanosponges – are polymer nanoparticles coated with a red blood cell membrane, can be used for absorbing toxins and removing them from the bloodstream
- NanoFlares – used for detection of cancer cells in the bloodstream
- Nanopores – use in making DNA sequencing more efficient.
Q5. Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences?
- Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected.
- There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants.
- It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Like bees, butterflies are plant pollinators
- They also eat plenty of weedy plants and also act as a food source for other animals like spiders and birds.
- However, second statement is wrong as there is no conclusive evidence to show that there could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants. It seems a extreme statement without adequate evidence to back it.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- In the Indian context, bring out the correlation between health and poverty with suitable arguments. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-1, Society]
- An important parliamentary reform, often overlooked, is empowering the parliamentary committees, enabling them to keep a check on executives’ powers. Suggest measures to revive the fortunes of these committees. (250 words; 15 marks)[GS-2, Polity]
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CNA 22 Nov 2021:- Download PDF Here
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