4 Oct 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related GEOGRAPHY 1. Earthquake swarms B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. French Pacific outpost decides on independence 2. U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft refuels at Port Blair 3. Battle for the black mountains C. GS 3 Related SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. Century-old data help measure the Sun’s magnetic field ECONOMY 1. India, S. Africa move WTO on COVID-19 prevention, care D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials HEALTH 1. The revised guidelines on ‘ideal’ weight and diet SECURITY 1. WhatsApp & leaks DEFENCE 1. DAP 2020: Offset clause and Rafale-like deals F. Tidbits 1. India backs n-weapons abolition G. Prelims Facts 1. Atal Tunnel 2. Extinct tree found after 180 years in Kollam grove H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Context:
Hundreds of earthquakes ranging from 2.5 to 4.9 magnitude have been rattling California.
What are Earthquake swarms?
- Earthquake swarms are a sequence of mostly small earthquakes with no identifiable mainshock.
- Swarms are usually short-lived, but they can continue for days, weeks, or sometimes even months.
- They are many times too subtle for people to notice. However, it is important to note that they are not aftershocks, which happen after a large mainshock.
Study of Earthquake Swarms:
- Modelling of earthquakes earlier had focussed on the role of friction in unlocking faults.
- The new work studies the interactions between fluid and pressure in the fault zone.
- While, fluid under pressure can push the walls of the fault away from each other making it easier for the fault to slide, a decrease in pressure creates a suction that pulls the walls together and inhibits sliding.
- The model was able to predict how quickly a pulse migrates along the fault, causing the fault to slip and triggering these clusters of small earthquakes.
- They found that each of the small earthquakes in a swarm has its own aftershock event.
B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. French Pacific outpost decides on independence
Context:
The French South Pacific territory of New Caledonia is set to vote in an independence referendum. The voters will choose whether or not to break away from France.
New Caledonia:
- New Caledonia is situated between Australia and Fiji. It is a French South Pacific territory.
- It is called “The Pebble” and was seized by France in 1853.
- The economy largely depends on the production of metals, especially nickel of which New Caledonia is a major global producer.
- It gets tourism and financial support from mainland France.
Background:
- The referendum is part of a carefully negotiated de-colonisation plan agreed in 1998, known as the Noumea Accord.
- The agreement ended a deadly conflict between the mostly pro-independence indigenous Kanak population and the descendants of European settlers known as “Caldoches” in the 1980s.
- The 2020 referendum is the second one. The first referendum in 2018 resulted in the maintenance of the status quo with 56.7% of the vote.
- If independence is rejected, there is the option of another referendum by 2022 so long as the poll is requested by at least a third of the local legislature.
What happens if New Caledonia votes for independence?
- France would, after a transition period, hand over control.
- Choosing independence would lead to full devolution of powers to the territory.
- It would also end of generous subsidies from France, which provides $1.5bn in financial support annually.
Note:
- The last former colonies to be given independence by France were Djibouti in 1977 and Vanuatu in 1980.
2. U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft refuels at Port Blair
Context:
A U.S. Navy P-8A long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) landed at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for refuelling under Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) the bilateral logistics support agreement.
Details:
- This is the first time a U.S. P-8 has got access to the islands for operational turnaround.
- Several countries have expressed interest in getting access to the strategically located A&N islands which are close to the Strait of Malacca and global sea lanes of communication.
India and Quad:
- There has been a sharp increase in India’s maritime interactions with the Quad countries on a bilateral basis.
- It is centred around information sharing for improved Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific.
- India has logistics agreements with all three Quad countries — Australia, Japan and the U.S.
- India has also signed maritime information sharing agreements with Australia and Japan and a similar agreement is in the works with the U.S.
PASSEX:
- Another Passage Exercise (PASSEX) between Indian Navy ships and a U.S. aircraft carrier is expected to take place.
- In July 2020, the frontline warships of the Indian Navy conducted a PASSEX with the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) islands as it was transiting the Indian Ocean.
3. Battle for the black mountains
Context:
Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked mountainous territory has been at the centre of the clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Details:
- It is located between the southern part of the Lesser Caucasus range and the eastern edge of the Armenian Highlands, and largely populated by ethnic Armenians.
- Once a part of the Armenian Kingdom, Nagorno-Karabakh has seen all empires — the Romans, the Persians, the Ottomans, the Russians and the Soviets — that came to Transcaucasia establishing their rule over itself.
- When empires retreated or collapsed, Nagorno-Karabakh, was left within the borders of Azerbaijan.
This topic has been covered in 30th September 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.
C. GS 3 Related
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Century-old data help measure the Sun’s magnetic field
Context:
Regular observations of the Sun’s magnetic field began in 1967, and data is available for the solar cycles 20-24. An Indo-Russian collaboration has recorded the solar magnetic field for solar cycles 15-19 by calibrating and calculating the field using data from the archives of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
Details:
- The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory was established in 1899.
- The observations of the Sun from this observatory run over a hundred years.
- It provides what is among the longest series of solar data. An important feature of these data is the multi-wavelength observations.
- The data consist of full disc spectral images of the Sun using the Ca II K and H-alpha lines.
- Both these lines image the atmospheric layer of the Sun known as the chromosphere.
- The magnetic field of the Sun is unique. Unlike many other celestial bodies, Sun’s magnetic field reverses its polarity roughly every 11 years.
Extracting the information:
- From the full-disc images of Ca II K features, bright patches above magnetic field regions, known as plages are identified.
- Underneath these, sunspots can be found.
- Therefore, plages provide information about magnetic field locations and strength.
- On the other hand, the H-alpha images show filaments, which are formed along magnetic neutral lines.
- Their presence also represents the magnetic field distribution beneath.
- They help in the study of evolution of magnetic field with time.
- These images provide information on the magnetic polarity.
- Combining the two sets, the full magnetic field data was reconstructed.
Significance:
- The study talks about the timing of the polarity reversal.
- Solar variations, both of long scale and short, depend on the magnetic field, and these can affect both the climate and space weather. Knowing the magnetic field variations on the Sun can contribute to the understanding of climate and space weather.
1. India, S. Africa move WTO on COVID-19 prevention, care
Context
India and South Africa, in a formal submission to the World Trade Organization (WTO), have sought a waiver on certain provisions of the international agreements that regulate intellectual property rights to speed up efforts to prevent, treat and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerns:
- It was highlighted that there were several reports about intellectual property rights hindering or potentially hindering timely provisioning of affordable medical products to COVID-19 patients.
- A particular concern for countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacity were the requirements of a cumbersome and lengthy process of the import and export of pharmaceutical products.
- Many countries, especially the developing ones, could face institutional and legal difficulties when using flexibilities available in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).
- Beyond patents, other intellectual property rights may also pose a barrier, with limited options to overcome those barriers.
- The medical products companies especially medicine and vaccine manufacturers want to profit from pandemic by keeping the monopoly rights through intellectual protection.
Way forward:
- Given this present context of global emergency, it is important for WTO to ensure that intellectual property rights do not create barriers to timely access to affordable medical products, or to scaling up research, development, manufacturing and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19.
- The waiver of TRIPS Obligation is a major initiative to ensure availability and affordability of medical products.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. The revised guidelines on ‘ideal’ weight and diet
This topic has been covered in 1st October 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.
Context:
Television news channels have shared leaked WhatsApp chats of film actors. This has led to concerns whether communication over platforms such as WhatsApp is secure or not. Also, these events have prompted Facebook-owned WhatsApp to come out with a statement on its use of end-to-end encryption to secure user messages.
Does WhatsApp have access to chats?
- Since the year 2016, WhatsApp has installed an end-to-end encryption system.
- It claims that it ensures nobody apart from those communicating with each other over the platform can read what is sent, not even WhatsApp.
- Governments across the world see end-to-end encryption as a huge issue when it comes to law enforcement.
- While WhatsApp says it responds to requests from law enforcement agencies “based on applicable law and policy,” it is not clear what kind of data it would have to share.
- News reports have mentioned that these could be in the nature of metadata such as mobile number, IP address, location, and so on.
How is WhatsApp designed to ensure such secure communication?
- WhatsApp uses the encryption protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems (a project known best for its Signal app) which also uses the same open-source framework to ensure privacy.
- Many closed messaging applications now use the Signal protocol.
- Each and every WhatsApp chat has a security code used to verify that calls and the messages that are sent to that chat are end-to-end encrypted.
What is the technology behind this?
- The technology that forms the basis for this is called the ‘Diffie-Hellman key exchange’.
- In a 1976 Whitfield Diffie and Martin E. Hellman saw the futility of the old ways of sharing a key securely in the emerging digital world. They proposed a way for secure communication via a method of a shared secret key, and that too when the communication is over a not-so-secure channel.
- It is all about math and is designed in a way that a third party eavesdropping on an exchange finds it computationally infeasible to arrive at the secret key from the information overheard.
Can’t those who have access to the server read messages?
- End-to-end encryption removes this vulnerability.
- WhatsApp also says it does not store messages on its servers once they are delivered.
Can leaks still happen?
- End-to-end encryption cannot prevent leaks from happening if a third party has access to a device which contains these messages.
- Encryption also does not help in cases wherein the sender or the receiver of a message shares it with others, a member of a group shares it with others, or messages are stored in a different format on a different application or platform open to others.
- Through mobile phone cloning technique, data and cellular identity of a device can be copied into a new phone. This can be done with the help of an app and without access to the phone that needs to be cloned. In the process, the transfer of the International Mobile Equipment Identity can also happen.
What are the other vulnerabilities?
- Bugs that lead others to control a user’s phone are an example of such vulnerabilities.
- For instance, last year, WhatsApp revealed that surveillance technology developed by Israel’s NSO Group had been used to spy on about 1,400 people across the world, including civil rights activists and journalists in India.
1. DAP 2020: Offset clause and Rafale-like deals
Context:
The new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has been released.
This topic has been covered in 29th September 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.
What is the current status?
- Among the other changes in the DAP 2020, the Defence Ministry has removed the offset clause requirement in Inter-Governmental Agreements (IGA).
- From now on, there will be no offset clause in government-to-government, single vendor and IGAs.
- However, all other international deals that are competitive, and have multiple vendors vying for it, will continue to have a 30% offset clause.
- Also, a new category for leasing of military equipment has been introduced.
- Defence procurement policy will not be retrospective and ongoing deals will not be impacted.
What is “off-set clause”?
- Offset is an obligation by an international player to boost India’s domestic defence industry if India decides to buy defence equipment from it.
- Since defence contracts are costly, the government wants part of that money either to benefit the Indian industry, or to enable India to gain in terms of technology. It is meant to improve the domestic defence manufacturing.
- Under the offset clause, foreign companies are required to invest part of their deal value in the country.
- An offset provision in a contract makes it obligatory on the supplier to either “reverse purchase, execute export orders or invest in local industry or in research and development” in the buyer’s domestic industry.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) defined offsets as a “mechanism generally established with the triple objectives of:
(a) Partially compensating for a significant outflow of a buyer country’s resources in a large purchase of foreign goods.
(b) Facilitating induction of technology.
(c) Adding capacities and capabilities of domestic industry.
When was the policy introduced?
- The concept of off-set clause in defence deals was adopted on the recommendations of the Vijay Kelkar Committee in 2005.
- The Sixth Standing Committee on Defence (2005-06) had recommended in its report that modalities for implementation of offset contracts should be worked out.
- The first offset contract was signed in 2007.
- The government stated the “objective for defence offsets” for the first time in 2012.
Why was the clause removed?
- It has been removed in order to bring down the additional costs in the defence contracts.
- Vendors would load extra cost in the contract to balance the costs, and doing away with the offsets could bring down the costs in such contracts.
- Also, there are administrative costs involved in discharging offset obligations, which the vendors pay.
What are the concerns raised by CAG?
- The CAG has been critical of the entire policy.
- Auditing the offset deals till March 2018, the CAG said that 46 offset contracts were signed for ₹66,427 crore, and till December 2018, ₹19,223 crore worth of offsets should have been discharged.
- However, vendors have claimed discharge of only 59% of the offsets.
- The Ministry has accepted only 48% of these offset claims, while the rest are pending or have been rejected due to various deficiencies.
- The remaining offset commitments of about ₹55,000 crore would be due for completion by 2024, the fulfilment of which remains a major challenge.
- As in the case of Rafale deal, according to CAG, in many cases, it was found that the foreign vendors made various offset commitments to qualify for the main supply contract, but later were not earnest about fulfilling these commitments.
F. Tidbits
1. India backs n-weapons abolition
What’s in News?
India has reiterated that nuclear weapons should be abolished in a step-by-step non-discriminatory process.
- Addressing the High-level Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Foreign Secretary said that India remains committed to “No First Use” against nuclear weapon states and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states.
- Earlier, Defence Minister had hinted at a possibility of changing the No First Use (NFU) principle by declaring that circumstances will determine the No First Use stance.
- The comments indicate that India has not revised its key principles regarding the weapons in its arsenal.
- India is a key partner in global efforts towards disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order.
G. Prelims Facts
1. Atal Tunnel
What’s in News?
World’s longest highway tunnel Atal Tunnel, inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh.
Details:
- Atal Tunnel connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti Valley.
- The tunnel is built at Rohtang at an altitude of above 3,000 metre through the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas and is 9.02 km-long.
- It is built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and is the world’s longest highway tunnel.
- It is a single tube, double lane tunnel.
Significance:
- It provides all-weather and round-the-year road connectivity to the landlocked valley.
- The valley otherwise remains cut-off for nearly six months in a year (Rohtang Pass is snow-bound between November and April).
- The tunnel reduces the distance between Manali and Leh and thereby, the travel time by about 4 to 5 hours.
- It is expected to boost tourism and winter sports in the region.
- It is also expected to foster development in the valley due to the connectivity.
- The tunnel is significant for the military logistics as well.
2. Extinct tree found after 180 years in Kollam grove
What’s in News?
The tree “Madhuca Diplostemon” which was long believed to be extinct has been rediscovered after a gap of more than 180 years from a sacred grove in Kerala.
Madhuca Diplostemon:
- The tree Madhuca Diplostemon belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
- It is a threatened species of the Western Ghats whose specimen was first collected in 1835.
- The specimens were never collected again and botanical explorations in the Eastern and Western Ghats failed to locate the species.
Significance of rediscovery:
- The rediscovery is valuable from a scientific, environmental and conservation point of view.
- Since the species is represented only by one specimen in a single locality, it is eligible to be categorised ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
1.Consider the following statements with respect to Earthquake swarms:
- It is a series of multiple low magnitude earthquakes.
- They are the aftershocks of a high magnitude earthquake.
- Rampur in Himachal Pradesh and Koyna in Maharashtra have experienced Earthquake swarms.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Earthquake swarms are a series of multiple low magnitude earthquakes without a discernible main shock.
- They are different from the aftershocks of a high magnitude earthquake.
- Swarms are observed in volcanic environments, hydrothermal systems, and other active geothermal areas, according to geophysicists.
- Rampur in Himachal Pradesh and Koyna and lathur in Maharashtra have experienced Earthquake swarms.
2. Arrange the following from North to South:
- Marshall Island
- Soloman Island
- New Caledonia
- Vanuatu
Choose the correct option:
- 1, 2, 4, 3
- 2, 1, 3, 4
- 1, 4, 2, 3
- 1, 3, 2, 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
North to south: Marshall Island, Soloman Island, Vanuatu, New Caledonia.
3. “Madhuca Diplostemon” recently in news is:
- A species of plant commonly known as mangrove apple, an indicator of environmental changes in mangrove ecosystem.
- A threatened species of tree in the Western Ghats rediscovered after a gap of about 180 years.
- A bacteria that causes peptic ulcer.
- A is a semi-aquatic frog indigenous to Western Ghats that actively breeds in the monsoon.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The tree “Madhuca Diplostemon” which was long believed to be extinct has been rediscovered after a gap of more than 180 years from a sacred grove in Kerala.
- The tree Madhuca Diplostemon belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
- It is a threatened species of the Western Ghats whose specimen was first collected in 1835.
- The specimens were never collected again and botanical explorations in the Eastern and Western Ghats failed to locate the species.
4. Consider the following statements:
- Sun’s magnetic field reverses its polarity roughly every 11 years.
- A plage is a bright region in the chromosphere of the Sun typically found in regions of the chromosphere near sunspots.
- Solar filaments are large regions of very dense, cool gas, held in place by magnetic fields.
Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 only
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- The magnetic field of the Sun is unique. Unlike many other celestial bodies Sun’s magnetic field reverses its polarity roughly every 11 years.
- A plage is a bright region in the chromosphere of the Sun typically found in regions of the chromosphere near sunspots.
- Plages provide information about magnetic field locations and strength.
- Solar filaments are large regions of very dense, cool gas, held in place by magnetic fields.
- They are formed along magnetic neutral lines. Their presence represents the magnetic field distribution beneath.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- What are Earthquake Swarms? Which regions of India have experienced it? Discuss the reasons. (10 Marks, 150 Words) (GS 1 Geography).
- What do you understand by “offset clause” in defence deals? How does the recent change in the offset clause requirement unveiled in the new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 affect future defence deals? Critically comment. (15 marks, 250 Words) (GS 3 Defence).
Read the previous CNA here.
4 Oct 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
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