20 Oct 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Australia to take part in Malabar naval exercise

Context:

• The Ministry of Defence of India has announced that Australia will participate in the Malabar 2020 naval exercise, consisting of India, Japan and the U.S.

Background:

• Australia had first requested to join the Malabar naval exercises more than three years ago but India had been reluctant over possible concerns that such a move would antagonize China.
• However, the on-going stand-off with China along the LAC seems to have convinced India of the strategic significance of including Australia in the Malabar naval exercise.

For related information, refer to:

CNA dated July 20, 2020: Make the right call on Malabar going ‘Quad’

Details:

• The move to include Australia comes in the backdrop of India seeking to increase cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain and in the light of increased defence cooperation with Australia.
• In June 2020, India and Australia signed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) and also announced a joint declaration on a shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
• The move to include Australia will formally bring together the militaries of the four countries in the Quad group – India, Australia, Japan and the United States. This showcases the increasing relevance of cooperation between the four major Indo-Pacific democracies and their shared will to work together on common security interests.
• High-end military exercises like Malabar would play a key role in enhancing the participant nations’ maritime capabilities, building interoperability with each other.
• The exercise is scheduled to be held in November-end. This year, the exercise has been planned on a ‘non-contact – at sea’ format.

 

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Dormant but waiting to strike

Context:

• The article authored by R.K. Raghavan, former CBI director analyzes the threat posed by terror outfits to India.

Background:

• During the pandemic, open terror attacks have been reducing, mostly because the terror outfits have been lacking adequate resources and because of temporary loss of support.

Details:

• The author warns that the temporary lull in terrorist activities should not lead to complacency given the resilience exhibited by the terrorist organizations in the past.
• The terror outfits like al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to pose threats to modern society, especially to India and its neighbourhood.
  • Al-Qaeda and Islamic State have a global reach backed by global ambitions and continue to be the two most organised and motivated groups. The other outfits — JeM, LeT, etc. — are confined to the Afghanistan-Pakistan area.
• The terror outfits are still relevant to India’s security calculus.

Concerns:

Continued operation:

• The underground dormant terrorist cells are probably engaged in the quiet process of garnering resources for future lethal assaults against India and other countries in the neighbourhood. Once the pandemic eases, we may see a resurgence of terror.
• There have been reports of outfits like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State reorganising and rebuilding during the pandemic with unabated recruitment.

Impact of the pandemic:

• The aggravation of poverty in developing nations due to COVID-19 could offer a fertile ground for recruitment and intensified religious indoctrination.

Implications of Doha Accord for India:

• The Doha Accord between the Taliban and the U.S. could have some adverse implications for India.
  • Under the accord, the U.S. has agreed to a near-total withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban’s promise to preserve peace in Afghanistan, while also keeping the al-Qaeda under check.
• Given that the Taliban and the al-Qaeda need each other in many areas and the fact that both are friendly towards Pakistan, this could pose serious security problems for India in the near future.

Presence in India:

• The terrorist organizations have been successful in alluring misguided youth in India.
• The recent raids by the National Investigation Agency point to an al-Qaeda network in India. In one such raid, nine activists belonging to Kerala and West Bengal were arrested for conspiring to attack various targets, including the National Capital Region.

State-sponsored terrorism:

• Terrorist organizations like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to receive aid and support from the Pakistani establishment. There have also been reports of these terror outfits receiving training support from the Pakistani Army.
• There is always the threat of al-Qaeda along with other terror outfits in and around Pakistan, escalating the offensive against India.

Use of technology:

• The increasing sophistication of technology has allowed the terror organizations to continue to communicate and also amass financial resources and recruit people remotely.
• The prospect of individuals being indoctrinated by terror ideologies and carrying out lone-wolf terror activities has increased over time.

Steps to be taken:

• To deal with the menace of terrorism there is the need for a comprehensive strategy.

Funding:

• The main sources of funding for these terror outfits constitute donations from supportive countries, earnings from drug and arms trafficking, issuing of fake Indian currency notes and other kinds of organized crime.
• India’s move against Pakistan at the FATF would force Pakistan to implement measures to tackle terror financing in and through Pakistan. Preventive measures to tackle organized crime across the border would help cut a major source of funding for terrorist organizations operating within India.

Institutional framework:

• The changes made after 26/11 should be followed up with measures that will further strengthen and make more effective the functioning of institutions like the National Investigation Agency (NIA), NATGRID.
• The Proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre should be established at the earliest.
• There should be uninterrupted intelligence gathering and their dissemination among the institutions dealing with terrorism in India.

For related information, refer to:

CNA dated Nov 20, 2019: Network for intel agencies to share info will go live next year

• The state police force, which constitutes the first response to any terror attack should be adequately trained and armed to deal with terror attacks.

Legal framework:

• There is the need for a stringent comprehensive special act that deals with all aspects of terrorism. Well-defined laws will allow for swift prosecution.
• There is a need for regular revision and tightening of laws to ensure that the existing loopholes and gaps in legal mechanisms are not exploited to continue with the propagation of radical ideologies.

De-radicalization:

• The government and the security agencies need to adopt a multi-pronged approach towards radicalisation. The state agencies need to work with civil society groups as well as community leaders and have deradicalisation programmes.
  • Example: ‘Prevent’ programme in the U.K.
• There is a need to focus attention on potential target groups through monitoring and infiltration of social media sites that are the principal source of radical propaganda.
• Big data analytics must be used to discern the level of radicalization of potential recruits, their networks and sources of information, funding and leadership in order to help unravel the roots of radicalization.

International efforts:

• India should continue to pursue its efforts at establishing the Global Terror Convention or Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
  • CCIT is a proposed treaty which intends to outlaw all forms of terrorism (international) and restrict terrorists, their financiers the access to all form of supports like funds, arms, and safe havens.

Category: HEALTH

1. Many gains in fighting HIV

Context:

• The recently released 2019 HIV estimates by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the technical support of UNAIDS.

Details:

• The 2019 HIV estimates note that there has been a 66.1% reduction in new HIV infections among children and a 65.3% reduction in AIDS-related deaths in India over a nine-year period. This indicates India’s progress in reducing the HIV impact on children through the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
• Also, the number of pregnant women living with HIV has reduced and treatment coverage has also expanded.

Steps taken:

• The ‘Fast-Tracking of EMTCT (elimination of mother-to-child transmission) strategy-cum-action plan’ of NACO, aiming to achieve EMTCT, has been instrumental in mobilising all national, State and partners’ collective efforts.
• The progress can be mainly attributed to education and communication programmes; increased access to HIV services with innovative delivery mechanisms for HIV testing; counselling and care; and treatment and follow-ups.
  • India made HIV testing for all pregnant women free and HIV treatment is offered the same way nationwide without cost to pregnant mothers living with HIV through the national ‘treat all’ policy.

Way forward:

• Despite the impressive progress made thus far, there remains a need for increased treatment saturation coverage and for early HIV testing and treatment initiation to become the normal.
• Using data-driven and decision-making approaches can help in this regard.

Additional information:

90-90-90 strategy:

• 90-90-90 marks the treatment target to help end the AIDS epidemic.
• Although many strategies will be needed to halt the AIDS epidemic, it will be impossible to end the epidemic without bringing HIV treatment to all who need it.
  • There are the envisaged goals of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
• The main targets under the 90-90-90 strategy include the following:
  • By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status.
  • By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.
  • By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

For related information, refer to:

CNA dated Dec 3, 2019: Taking stock of the anti-AIDS fight

Q1. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct?

Q2. The ‘Mutual Logistics Support Agreement’ was signed by India with which of the 
following countries?

Q3. Who among the following became the first Indian and the first elected president of the 
Central Legislative Assembly?

Q4. The 90-90-90 strategy is associated with which of the following?

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. The temporary lull in terrorist activities should not lead to complacency given the threats posed by the terror outfits to India and its neighbourhood. Comment. Also suggest the measures to be taken by India to counter the threat posed by terrorism. (15 marks, 250 words)(GS Paper 3/Internal Security)
2. Evaluate India’s performance in controlling the HIV-AIDS epidemic and suggest what additional measures are required in this direction. (10 marks, 150 words)(GS Paper 2/Health)

Read the previous CNA here.