CNA 2 Oct 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. India abstains from UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s s ‘referenda’ GOVERNANCE 1. Swachh Survekshan 2022 C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. How has the SC expanded abortion rights? ENVIRONMENT 1. How can India reduce its impact on global warming F. Prelims Facts 1. Medicinal fungi 2. Induction of artillery guns into the Army G. Tidbits 1. Zhurong rover H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
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B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India abstains from UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s s ‘referenda’
Syllabus: Bilateral Relations With Russia
Mains: India in United Nations
Context: India abstained on a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, which would have condemned Moscow’s “illegal referenda” and declared its annexation of four Ukrainian territories as invalid.
Background:
- Vladimir Putin recently signed “accession treaties” formalising Russia’s annexation of four occupied regions in Ukraine namely Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
- These annexation treaties were signed based on the results of Russian-organised referenda in these regions.
- These four regions are inside Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.
UN Resolution:
- The UN Security Council voted on the draft resolution tabled by the US and Albania on “Illegal So-Called Referenda in Ukraine”, after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed these annexation treaties.
- The resolution condemns the referendum, calls on the international community not to recognise any alterations to Ukraine’s territory and calls for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
- The resolution failed to pass in UNSC, despite winning 10 supporting votes, after Russia used a veto to block it.
- India along with other UNSC members – China, Brazil and Gabon abstained on the resolution.
Why did India abstained on the resolution:
- India abstained on the resolution, stating that “intensification of rhetoric or tensions is in no one’s interest” and that “it is imperative that routes are identified for a return to the negotiating table.”
- External Affairs minister S.Jaishankar recently described the trajectory of the Ukraine war as “very concerning” and the risk of a nuclear escalation as of “particular anxiety”.
- India needs to maintain a positive relationship with Russia because it needs its support in resolving its territorial conflicts with its neighbours, especially China.
- Russia has repeatedly supported India at the UN on issues like Kashmir.
- In terms of diplomacy, India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence. India encouraged talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their Presidents from the beginning.
Global Standpoint:
- Russia accused the proposers of the draft resolution of intentionally pushing Russia to exercise its veto. It accused the U.S of double standards over Taiwan, making a reference to its readiness to use force to protect Taiwan.
- Ukraine questioned the legitimacy of allowing Russia to avail itself of the right of the Soviet Union to veto decisions of the Security Council which effectively prevents the UN from exercising its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security under the UN Charter.
- The U.S questioned the legitimacy of referendum held in the occupied areas by Russia
- A similar resolution is likely to be introduced in the U.N. General Assembly — where Russia does not have a veto — in the near future.
- China urged a diplomatic solution and political settlement to the conflict.
Nut Graf: Global order was based on the U.N. Charter, international law and the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Political isolation, pressurisation, block confrontation and sanctions do not promote peace but rather exacerbate the issue. An early resumption of peace talks should be the focus to bring immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict.
Syllabus: Government Policies
Mains: Government initiatives to achieve the vision of a ‘Clean India’.
Context: The President of India announced the results of Swachh Survekshan 2022 recently.
2022 Survey:
- The President of India formally released the Swachh Survekshan 2022 dashboard and the awards were given away as part of the Azadi@75 Swachh Survekshan 2022 hosted as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
- In the “greater than 1 lakh people” category, Indore won the title of Cleanest City for the sixth year in a row, while Surat came second and Navi Mumbai took third place.
- Indore also emerged as India’s first 7-star Garbage Free city, while Surat, Bhopal, Mysuru, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati earned 5-star Garbage Free certifications.
- The revised Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free Cities was launched in 2021 to holistically evaluate cities across solid waste management parameters.
- In the population category of less than one lakh, Panchgani and Karad from Maharashtra bagged the first and third positions respectively, while Patan from Chhattisgarh bagged the second position.
- Tirupati received the best city award in Safai Mitra Suraksha category.
- Haridwar in Uttarakhand received the award for the best Ganga town in more than one lakh population cities.
- Shivamogga in Karnataka received the fast mover city award.
- Madhya Pradesh emerged as the Cleanest State in the category of “more than 100 Urban Local Bodies”, pushing Chhattisgarh, the cleanest State of the previous three years, to second place while Maharashtra emerged as the third cleanest State.
- Tripura got the cleanest state award in the “less than 100 urban local bodies category”, while Jharkhand and Uttarakhand received the second and third spots respectively.
- This year’s Survekshan, which took place in 4,355 cities, also saw an unprecedented number of citizens’ feedback – over 9 crores, compared to 5 cores last year.
Image Source: The Hindu
Swachh Survekshan:
- It has been conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs since 2016.
- It is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey.
- It has been instrumental in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens and towards creating cleaner cities.
- The primary goal of Swachh Survekshans is to encourage large scale citizen participation and create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities better places to reside in.
- Conducted under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the annual survey has managed to mobilise people, resources and authorities in an effort to prove that their city, of all cities in India, is the cleanest and that sustainable practices, both by citizens and ULBs, are being encouraged and promulgated.
Read more on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in the linked article.
Nut Graf: Over the years, Swachh Survekshan has emerged as an effective tool for transforming the urban landscape. The Award ceremony was a platform for reaffirmation of commitment from cities and citizens to move forward with renewed vigour towards the vision of Garbage Free cities.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. How has the SC expanded abortion rights?
Syllabus: Issues related to Women.
Mains: Abortion laws in India.
Prelims: Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.
Context: Recent Supreme Court ruling on the abortion issue.
Background Details:
- The Supreme Court while interpreting Rules of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, directed that single/unmarried women with pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks can access legal and safe abortion care similar to married women.
- The bench observed that “the rights of reproductive autonomy, privacy, and dignity give right of choice to unmarried regarding whether to bear a child or not on a similar to a married woman.”
- The court also adjudicated (in another judicial discussion) that marital rape(sexual assault by a husband on his wife) can take the form of rape. Presently Indian Penal Code does not recognize marital rape as an offence.
- The MTP Act has set exceptions to the criminalization of abortion in sections 312 to 318 of IPC.
- Earlier the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 2003, did not allow the termination of pregnancy before the completion of 24 weeks for unmarried women.
- Taking a “purposive” view of a “beneficial legislation”, while hearing the plea of a 25-year-old woman, whose request to terminate the pregnancy before the completion of 24 weeks was rejected by the Delhi High Court like the MTP Act, the apex court declared that unmarried women should be included within the ambit of Rule 3B of the MTP Rules.
- The MTP (Amendment) Act, 2021, made a key change in Section 3. It extended the upper limit for termination of pregnancy from 20 to 24 weeks. Particularly, Explanation II which said that— anguish caused by a pregnancy resulting from a failure of any device or method used by any “married woman or her husband” was replaced with the clause “any woman or her partner”. It thus brings pregnancies outside the institution of marriage within the “umbrella of the law”.
For more information on MTP reforms, read here: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis. June 27th, 2022 CNA. Download PDF
Rationale behind the Supreme Court Decision:
- The constitutional values that led to the reinterpretation of the MTP Act and Rules:
- Right to reproductive autonomy
- Right to live a dignified life
- Right to equality
- Right to privacy
- The court is of the view that -“In the context of abortion, the right to dignity entails recognizing the competence and authority of every woman to take reproductive decisions, including the decision to terminate the pregnancy”.
Present Scenario:
- Unmarried and single women in India face huge challenges while exercising their rights thus leading to greater risks and complications. This can be attributed to patriarchal mindsets and social stigma persisting in the country.
- Many women have to resort to quacks in case of unwanted pregnancy.
- According to the National Family Health Survey 5 of 2019, spousal violence (both sexual and physical) in the age group 18-49 years is faced by 29.3% of women.
- The courts have noted that unsafe abortions are the major cause of maternal mortality in India.
- However, abortion laws are moving in a positive direction in India, especially at times when countries like the USA have overturned their right to abortion.
- Presently marital relationships are out of the ambit of the Criminal law Amendment Act, of 2013.
Court’s Ruling in Marital Rape:
- The Court has ruled that the meaning of the words “rape” or “sexual assault” in Rule 3B(a) should incorporate rape or sexual assault committed by a husband on his wife. Thus implying that the meaning of rape should also entail marital rape, only for the purposes of the MTP Act.
- Various Human rights experts have pointed out that if autonomy, dignity, and equality are guaranteed to individuals under Articles 14 and 21, then marital rape should be referred a criminal offence.
- Similarly, Justice Verma Committee had recommended that the law should clearly specify that marital relationships cannot be an excuse for sexual violence. The committee has rightly concluded that “A rapist remains a rapist regardless of his relationship with the victim”.
Related Links: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis. April 8th, 2021 CNA. Download PDF
Nut Graf: As evident from the current ruling, India is moving in the right direction when it comes to the dignity and autonomy of Women. However, a lot needs to be done when it comes to marital rape.
1. How can India reduce its impact on global warming
Syllabus: Global Warming.
Mains: Carbon Dioxide emissions and role of agriculture.
Details:
- According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the industrial revolution (post-1800) and human activities are responsible for the release of huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide and greenhouse gases, which have changed the earth’s climate.
- Greenhouse gases include nitrous oxide, methane, and compounds of phosphorous, sulphur, etc.
Increasing Trends:
- The levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have surged by more than 40%. It has reached 414 ppm in 2020 as against 280 ppm in the 18th century.
- India’s population has risen from 170 million in 1800 to 1.4 billion people in 2020. Moreover, the industrial revolution that began post-Independence reduced poverty, but it increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases manifold.
- As per Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), seventy percent of India’s population lives in rural areas with agriculture as the main occupation. The total food grain production in India is 275 million tonnes. Therefore, there is a great scope for reducing carbon footprint in the farming sector.
For more information on Global Warming, read here: What is global warming? Get the Answer at BYJU’S UPSC Preparation
Way Ahead:
- Some admirable steps of farmers like using solar panels in their fields instead of diesel-driven groundwater pumps can be emulated by others.
- As per the journal Carbon Management, Climate-friendly agriculture has the potential to reduce India’s overall carbon emissions by approximately 45-62 million tonnes annually. It thus provides new income sources and is also sustainable in long term.
- According to another journal, fishes help in minimizing the carbon footprint apart from providing nutritional security. This can be beneficial for India as
- India has seventy percent of the population that consumes non-vegetarian food.
- India also has many rivers and a vast coastline further giving impetus to fish consumption.
- Indian population should also add more millets to their diet, as it is not only good for health aspects but is also beneficial in reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
Related Link: What is climate change and its causes? Answer at BYJU’S IAS
Nut Graf: India’s agriculture has a large role in carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Thus Indian farmers, fishermen, government, and professional groups should collaborate to reduce the carbon footprint and increase environmental sustainability.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: GS03-Science and Technology
Prelims:
Context: An analytical study of medicinal fungi carried out by researchers from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai (IMSc), shows that some chemicals they secrete may find use as novel drugs.
Key Details:
- The researchers analysed the structure of 1,830 secondary metabolites of medicinal fungi using a database, MeFSAT (Medicinal Fungi Secondary Metabolites And Therapeutics), which compiles information on 184 medicinal fungi, including mushrooms.
- Secondary metabolites are chemical compounds that fungi produce when they are stressed. They enhance the fungus’ ability to survive.
- Several secondary metabolites are known to be beneficial for humans in terms of both therapy and health.
- For Example: Cordycepin, a secondary metabolite produced by Cordyceps species of fungus, is known to have antitumor properties.
- Research found that the secondary metabolites were structurally distant from existing drugs.
- About 94% of the chemical scaffolds (Molecular scaffold is defined as the core structure of a molecule with preferable bioactive properties) identified in secondary metabolites of medicinal fungi were not present in approved drugs.
- As for the complete chemical structure, the secondary metabolites were quite dissimilar to the approved drugs.
- However, the secondary metabolites of medicinal fungi have molecular properties, which are important for drug likeness, similar to approved drugs which makes the secondary metabolites of the medicinal fungi suitable for identifying novel drugs with hitherto unknown chemical scaffolds.
Medicinal fungi:
- Medicinal fungi belong to two taxonomic divisions namely, basidiomycota and ascomycota.
- Mushrooms belong to the basidiomycota division. An example is Agaricus bisporus, the button mushroom, which can be consumed.
- Fungi belonging to the ascomycota division are generally not mushrooms. Among these are Isaria cicadae and Shiraia bambusicola which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
2. Induction of artillery guns into the Army
Syllabus: GS03-Various Security Forces & Agencies & Their Mandate
Prelims: Indigenous weapon systems
Context: With the introduction of multiple weapons, including indigenous ones, the Army’s Regiment of Artillery will experience significant force accretion in the next five years.
Key Details:
- Induction of guns includes the Dhanush, Sharang, M777 Ultra Light Howitzer (ULH), additional K9-Vajra howitzers and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS).
M777 Ultra Light Howitzer (ULH):
- Operationalisation of the seventh regiment of the M777 is under way, and the induction of all 145 guns, contracted from U.S based BAE Systems, should be completed in the next few years.
- The guns are part of a $750 million deal signed by India in 2016 with the U.S. government for 145 M777 guns.
- The M777 guns procured by India will fire Indian ammunition and be able to strike targets anywhere between 24-40 km.
- The gun weighs around 4.2 ton, which is roughly a third of what a normal 155mm howitzer weighs. This explains the ultra light tag.
K9-Vajra self-propelled howitzer:
- The K9-Vajra self-propelled howitzer weighs 50 tonnes and can strike enemy targets 50 kilometres away.
- These howitzers can also turn around at zero radius, basically at the same place where they are standing.
- These guns are being made at the Armoured Systems Complex of Larsen and Toubro (L&T) in Gujarat under the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
- L&T had in 2017 won the ₹4,500-crore contract from the defence ministry to supply 100 units of K9-Vajra.
- The Indian Army has deployed the first K9-Vajra self-propelled howitzer regiment in the forward areas in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in 2021.
Dhanush artillery systems:
- The Dhanush Howitzer is an upgraded version of the 155mm/39 calibre Field Howitzer(FH) 77B, manufactured by Bofors, Sweden, developed under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) established in 2021 , with technological collaboration from DRDO, Bharat Electronics Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited and other private firms.
- One regiment of the indigenous Dhanush artillery systems has been inducted and operationalised in a high-altitude area along the northern borders after extensive validation.
- By March 2023, the Army is expected to receive 18 guns to form the second Dhanush regiment.
Sharang Guns:
- The 155 mm Sharang is an upgraded version of the 130 mm M-46 field guns.
- The gun is 100% indigenous Artillery Gun which is designed and produced by the OFB. The SHARANG artillery gun has a range of 39 kms.
- The first indigenous SHARANG modified artillery gun system was handed over to the Indian Army in February 2020.
- Three regiments have been operationalised so far with the fourth regiment in process.
- The order for up-gunning 300 guns is being executed by three different DPSUs.
G. Tidbits
- China’s Zhurong rover has peered under the surface of Mars and has found evidence of two huge floods that shaped the landscape.
- Images from the rover’s ground-penetrating radar found layered patterns under the surface, which are made of sedimentary rocks carried in by two major floods around 1.6 billion years ago.
- Zhurong is an active Mars rover that is China’s first rover to land on another planet (having previously landed two rovers on the Moon).
- It is part of the Tianwen-1 mission to Mars conducted by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
- Since May 2021, Zhurong has been exploring Utopia Planitia, in Mars’s northern hemisphere.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Which of the following are part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage? (Level-Difficult)
- Bharatanatyam
- Durga Puja
- Mohiniyattam
- Ramlila
- Yoga
Options:
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2, 4 and 5 only
- 1, 3 and 5 only
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- UNESCO put “Durga Puja in Kolkata” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. It is the most recent addition to the list from India.
- Other Indian cultural heritages in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.
Q2. Humanoid Robot Optimus is being developed by which amongst the following companies? (Level-Difficult)
- Amazon
- Tesla
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- ‘Optimus’ is a humanoid robot created by Tesla.
- The prototype robot was introduced during an annual Tesla AI [artificial intelligence] Day presentation.
Q3. With respect to Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level-Difficult)
- It is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife
- It is located in Hyderabad and is part of CCMB (centre for cellular and molecular biology)
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, LaCONES is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and cryopreservation of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing endangered blackbuck, spotted deer and Nicobar pigeons.
- Statement 02 is correct, It is a dedicated facility of CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad which uses modern biotechnologies for conservation of endangered wildlife.
Q4. Consider the following pairs: (Level-Difficult)
Tiger Reserve State
- Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand
- Kalagarh Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh
- Palamau Tiger Reserve Chhattisgarh
- Valmiki Tiger Reserve Uttar Pradesh
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- All four pairs
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Pair 01 is correct, Corbett tiger reserve is a part of Jim Corbett National Park which is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named Hailey National Park after William Malcolm Hailey, a governor of the United Provinces.
- Pair 02 is incorrect, Kalagarh Tiger Reserve is located in Uttarakhand and it is a part of Jim Corbett national park.
- Pair 03 is incorrect, The Palamau Tiger Reserve is located in Jharkhand. It forms part of Betla National Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Pair 04 is incorrect, Valmiki Tiger Reserve is a part of Valmiki National Park in the West Champaran District of Bihar.
Q5. With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements: (Level-Difficult) (CSE-PYQ-2022)
- The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by Gajapati rulers.
- Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
- The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is incorrect, The Gajapati rulers ruled over Kalinga, large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand from 1435 to 1541 CE.
- Whereas the Dutch East India Company established factories in India at Masulipatnam in 1605 AD, Pulicat (1610 AD), Surat (1616 AD), Bimlipatam (1641 AD), Karaikal (1645 AD).
- Statement 02 is correct, Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur, Ismail Adil Shah in 1510 AD.
- Statement 03 is correct, English East India Company established a factory in Madras in 1639 on land leased from representatives of the Vijayanagara Empire called the Nayakas.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Write a note on abortion law in India and explain the significance of Supreme Court’s recent interpretation. (15 Marks; 250 Words) (GS-1; Social Issues)
- Climate resilient agriculture practices can help reduce hunger and poverty in the face of climate change. Discuss. (10 Marks; 150 Words) (Gs-3; Environment and Ecology)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 2 Oct 2022:- Download PDF Here
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