22 Oct 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 22 October 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT
1. Are critically endangered Great Indian Bustards now migrating to Pakistan?
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL JUSTICE
1. Fight against Child Sexual Abusive Material
GEOGRAPHY
1. Crisis in Coffee Industry
F. Prelims Facts
1. Agni Prime ballistic missile
G. Tidbits
1. State governments cannot enter into broadcasting on their own: I&B Ministry
2. Pakistan is out of FATF ‘grey list’ on terror funding
3. Tejas to be integrated with BrahMos-NG missile in a few years
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. Are critically endangered Great Indian Bustards now migrating to Pakistan?

Syllabus: Biodiversity and Conservation

Prelims: About Great Indian Bustard (GIBs) 

Mains: Key threat to GIBs and various conservation efforts undertaken in the country

Context

The sightings of Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert have led to speculation that these birds might be migrating from India.

Details

• GIBs have become critically endangered in Pakistan because of a lack of protection and large-scale hunting.
• However, a wildlife photographer from Pakistan recently spotted and released pictures of them from Punjab province’s Cholistan game reserve.
• Environmental activists from Jaisalmer claim that these birds might have migrated from India’s Desert National Park in Rajasthan because of the shrinking of their habitat. 

Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

Image Source: Britannica

• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) or Ardeotis nigriceps or Indian bustard is a bird species belonging to the Otididae family.
• The Great Indian Bustard is a large terrestrial bird mainly seen in dry grasslands and steppe regions. GIBs are one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
• GIB is native to the Indian subcontinent.
• The GIBs can be distinguished by their black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head. 
  • The body of GIB is brownish in colour and the wings are black, brown and grey in colour.
• GIBs are omnivores in nature and they feed on various arthropods, worms, insects, reptiles and seeds such as wheat and peanuts.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I 
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix  I 
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: GIBs are protected under Schedule I of the Act.

Read more about – Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

Great Indian Bustard in India

Image Source: IUCN

• The GIB was known to have been distributed throughout the western part of India, spanning across states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• The GIB is the “State bird of Rajasthan” and its population in Rajasthan accounts for about 95% of its total population worldwide.
• However, the GIBs are now considered India’s most critically endangered birds. As per a 2018 survey, only about 150 GIBs are known to survive as compared to 250 in 2011.

Key threats to the survival of Great Indian Bustards in the Indian subcontinent 

• Poaching and hunting
• Expanding transportation and service corridors in their natural habitat
• Widespread agricultural expansion and mechanized farming
• Destruction of their habitat due to mining and energy production
• Setting up of high-tension electric poles in these regions
• Increasing stray dog population and threats from other invasive species

Conservation efforts undertaken

• GIBs are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of India.
• The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – India issued “Guidelines for the State Action Plan for Resident Bustard Recovery Programme” which has played an important role in raising awareness about the declining populations and the importance of their conservation.
• Project Great Indian Bustard was launched by the Rajasthan government in 2013 with the objective of the conservation of the remaining population. Under this project, the State government has constructed several breeding chambers for the bird.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has come up with the “Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard” programme.
• The Supreme Court of India had issued an order to lay underground power lines in  Gujarat and Rajasthan for the protection of the species. The SC has also ordered the installation of bird diverters on all power lines.
• The captive breeding of GIBs has been undertaken in the Desert National Park which is being executed by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India and supported by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  • India had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UAE to receive technological support to implement the conservation project.
  • UAE had executed a similar plan to protect its Houbara Bustard population.
• Further, several GIBs have been tagged to undertake behavioural analysis and monitoring of their movements. 

Nut graf: Great Indian Bustards are regarded as flagship grassland species and they indicate the overall health of a grassland ecosystem. However, it is believed that these bird species have been wiped out from over 90% of their original habitat and this requires concerted efforts by the policymakers as well as environmental activists and experts to conserve the species.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Fight against Child Sexual Abusive Material

Syllabus: Issues related to Women and Children

Mains: Impact of Child Pornography on society

Context: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September 2022, cracked down against child sex abuse material, raided 56 locations across the country as part of Operation ‘Megha Chakra’.

Introduction: 

• CBI conducted operation “Megh Chakra” against the online circulation and sharing of Child Sexual Abusive Material (CSAM) using cloud-based storage based on inputs received from Interpol’s Singapore special unit, in turn, based on the information received from New Zealand. 
• In November 2021, a similar exercise code named “Operation Carbon” was launched by the CBI, with many being booked under the IT Act, 2000. 
• In a global compilation of reports of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) found online, India stands on top of the list, with 11.7% of the total reports followed by Pakistan, which contributes 6.8% of all reports. 
• Three of the top four countries were in South Asia, raising concerns about the online safety of children in the region. 

India’s efforts against the circulation of CSAM:

• The advisory committee (constituted under the IT Act) based on the Supreme Court’s order in Kamlesh Vaswani Case, issued orders to Internet Service Providers to disable several URLs for hosting contents in violation of the morality and decency clause of Article 19(2) of the Constitution. 
  • The Department of Telecommunication has banned various websites containing child pornographic material based on the Supreme Court’s order. 
• ‘Aarambh India’, a non-governmental organisation, partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation to launch India’s first online reporting portal in September 2016 for reporting images and videos of child abuse. 
  • Offending URLs are added to the blocking list based on the reports.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs launched a national cybercrime reporting portal in September 2018 for filing online complaints regarding child pornography and rape in compliance with Supreme Court directions based on a public interest litigation filed by an NGO called Prajwala.
• As not many cases of child porn and rape were reported, the portal was later extended to all types of cybercrime. 
• The National Crime Records Bureau signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children in 2019 to receive CyberTipline reports to facilitate action against those who upload or share CSAM in India. 
• The NCRB has received more than two million CyberTipline reports which have been forwarded to the States for legal action. 
• The ad hoc Committee of the Rajya Sabha, headed by Jairam Ramesh, in its report of January 2020, made various recommendations on ‘the alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effect on children and society as whole’. 
• It recommended the widening of the definition of ‘child pornography’.
• Proactive monitoring, mandatory reporting and taking down or blocking CSAM by ISPs. 
• Building partnerships with industry to develop tools using artificial intelligence for dark-web investigations, tracing the identity of users engaged in cryptocurrency transactions to purchase child pornography online and liaisoning with financial service companies to prevent online payments for purchasing child pornography.

Laws against Pornography in India:

• As per the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, it is punishable to show children any pornographic content.
  • Viewing adult pornography in private is not an offence; seeking, browsing, downloading or exchanging child pornography is an offence punishable under the IT Act. However, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are exempted from liability for any third-party data if they do not initiate the transmission. 
• As the public reporting of circulation of online CSAM is very low and there is no system of automatic electronic monitoring, India’s enforcement agencies are largely dependent on foreign agencies for the requisite information.
  • CBI has requested several countries for information sharing and collection in accordance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) on people responsible for the offence. 

Image source: India Today

Global Practices:

• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organisation in the United States, operates a programme called CyberTipline, for public and electronic service providers (ESPs) to report instances of suspected child sexual exploitation. 
  • ISPs are mandated to report the identity and the location of individuals suspected of violating the law. 
  • In 2021, the CyberTipline received more than 29.3 million reports (99% from ESPs) of U.S.-hosted and suspected CSAM. 
• In the United Kingdom, Internet Watch Foundation, a non-profit organisation disrupts the availability of CSAM and deletes such content hosted in the U.K. 
  • In the U.K. ISPs may be held responsible for third-party content if they host or cache such content on their servers.  
• INHOPE is the global network combatting online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
  • The network consists of 50 hotlines in 46 countries that provide the public with a way to anonymously report CSAM.
  • It provides secure IT infrastructure, ICCAM (I- “See” (c)-Child-Abuse-Material) hosted by Interpol, and facilitates the exchange of CSAM reports between hotlines and law enforcement agencies. 
• The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that addresses child sexual exploitation encourages state parties to establish liability of legal persons. 
• The  Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime and Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse also requires member states to address the issue of corporate liability. 

Way Forward:

• India should join INHOPE and establish its hotline to utilise Interpol’s secure IT infrastructure.
• India should collaborate with ISPs and financial companies by establishing an independent facility such as the IWF or NCMEC. 
• Recommendations of the ad hoc Committee of the Rajya Sabha must be followed up at the earliest.
• Laying the groundwork for open communication can encourage children to share any unusual online conversations or activities down the road.

Nut Graf: Child sexual abuse has a significant impact on the well-being of children worldwide. CBI along with agencies across the world are sharing information to combat child pornography by adopting new technologies and methods. India needs to explore all options and adopt an appropriate strategy to fight the production and the spread of online CSAM.

Category: GEOGRAPHY

1. Crisis in Coffee Industry

Syllabus: Cropping Patterns

Mains: Challenges faced by the coffee industry in India

Context: Heavy and erratic rain between July and September months is causing heavy damages to coffee plantations in South India.

Introduction: 

• In India, coffee is traditionally grown in the Western Ghats spread over Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Coffee cultivation is also expanding rapidly in nontraditional areas in AP and Odisha as well as in the North East states. 
• Coffee is predominantly an export-oriented commodity and 65% to 70% of the coffee produced in the country is exported while the rest is consumed within the country. 
• The Indian coffee industry earns foreign exchange to the tune of about Rs.4000 Crores.
• Coffee is an export product with low import intensity and high employment content. This is evident from the fact that more than six lakh persons are directly employed and an equal number of individuals get indirect employment from this sector.
• The two main varieties of coffee viz, Arabica and Robusta are grown in India. 
• According to the Coffee Board of India’s post-blossom estimate, production for the 2022 crop year was estimated at 3,93,400 metric tonnes. But given the extreme climatic conditions, it is anticipated to be around 30% lower. 
  • The harvest of Arabica takes place between November to January, while for Robusta it is from December to February. 

Image Source: Coffeebi.com

Coffee Board of India:

• The Coffee Board is a statutory organisation constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942 and functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. 
• The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson which mainly focuses its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external & internal promotion, and welfare measures.
• It is headquartered in Bengaluru.
• The Board has a Central Coffee Research Institute at Balehonnur (Karnataka).

Reasons behind drop in Coffee output:

• Coffee production is dropping due to excessive rainfall, plant damage, bean splitting and berry dropping.
• Continuous rainfall has amplified many diseases affecting plants, and estate infrastructure suffering long-term damage. 
• Climate change has only compounded the financial issues of growers that have been in the making for long. 
  • The volatility in market prices and the reduced influence of producers in the value chain render coffee cultivation an increasingly loss-making proposition. 
  • More than 75% of Indian coffee production is exported. This has an impact on the cost competitiveness of Indian coffee vis-à-vis the coffee that is exported from other producer regions, especially since those growers get their finances at very low interest rates.
• In India, the production of coffee is low while the cost of production is on the rise compared to other coffee countries such as Vietnam and Brazil. 
  • In Brazil, labour charges account for 25% of the entire production cost, whereas it costs about 65% in India. 
  • The cost of production per acre has gone up substantially to ₹80,000-85,000 from ₹50,000 five years ago.
• Mechanisation in coffee production is also difficult as Indian coffee has a unique positioning as it is shade-grown and grown at elevations, while other major producing countries grow coffee in flat lands. 
• Power cuts during the summer months make irrigation expensive as the cost of diesel is high.
• The increasing costs of fertilisers and labour costs are also slowing down investment in production.

Way Forward:

• Coffee growers should create additional revenue streams through intercropping of pepper and cardamom and other exotic fruits.
• Coffee has high value and high imagery potential at home and overseas markets. This should be encashed with better branding and promotion.
  • Coffee Board is working on a separate India brand and certification system for coffee growers. 
• More research needs to be done in the area of mechanisation and productivity enhancement, which can help cultivators enhance production without compromising on the distinguishing attributes that define Indian coffee.

Read more on Coffee Crop.

Nut Graf: Coffee Industry in India is facing several challenges with erratic rainfall and increased cost of production. The coffee community in India, comprising coffee planters, associations, curers and exporters, hopes to boost coffee in the domestic and international markets and counter the problems the industry faces. 

2. Pakistan is out of FATF ‘grey list’ on terror funding

Image source: The Hindu

• Pakistan has been taken off the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after being placed under it for four years.
• FATF which is an international watchdog on terror financing and money laundering agreed to remove Pakistan from the list of countries under “increased monitoring” as Pakistan completed two action plans consisting of a 34-point tasklist in the period since 2018, and said that it welcomes Pakistan’s significant progress.
• Pakistan’s removal from the list was declared after a consensus decision of all 39 members, including India, which have accepted the review of Pakistan’s efforts on strengthening its anti-money laundering and combating terror financing mechanisms.
  • India had protested against Pakistan’s lack of action on cross-border terror groups responsible for attacks on India, but it went along with the final decision.
  • FATF scrutiny of Pakistan had forced the country to undertake action against the terrorists, including those involved in the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. 
• Further, Myanmar was moved from the “grey list” to the “black list” because of the actions by the military leadership after the 2021 coup and is expected to face severe financial sanctions and an inability to procure IMF, World Bank and ADB loans.

3. Tejas to be integrated with BrahMos-NG missile in a few years

• The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be able to carry and launch the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile once the lighter version of the supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos-NG (next generation) becomes ready in a few years.
• An official said that the BrahMos-NG development is expected to make its first flight in about two years and will be ready for production in 2-3 years after that and the focus of the development as of now is on the air-launched version.
• The BrahMos-NG will weigh almost half (1.33 tonnes) as compared to the current air-launched version (2.65 tonnes) which will facilitate the possibility of being mounted on the LCA. 
• Since the development phase, the missile is being integrated with the Su-30MKI and a SU-30MKI aircraft would be able to carry up to four BrahMos-NG missiles and the LCA can carry two missiles.
• The BrahMos missile has the capability of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has been inducted by Indian armed forces.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following statements best describes ‘Mission LiFE’? (Level – Easy)

1. It is an initiative to deal with climate change through a three-pronged strategy for changing the collective approach towards sustainability.
2. It is an initiative of the government to protect biodiversity and minimize the mortality of critically endangered, endangered, and threatened animals.
3. It is an initiative aimed at the rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
4. It is an initiative of the government to provide technical or vocational training to sex workers and sexually abused women.

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

• Mission LiFE is a global initiative to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle.
• Mission LiFE aims to follow a three-pronged strategy for changing the collective approach towards sustainability.

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Sampurnanand telescope’: 
(Level – Difficult)

1. It is located in Manora Peak in Nainital.
2. It is the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope.
3. The discovery of new rings around Saturn and the rings of Uranus are some of the breakthrough science results contributed by the telescope.

How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?

1. One statement only
2. Two statements only
3. All three statements
4. None of the above

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct, The Sampurnanand Telescope is located at ARIES, Manora Peak, Nainital.
• Statement 2 is not correct, The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope. 
  • NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emissions from very hot regions of the Universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. 
• Statement 3 is correct, The discovery of new rings around Saturn and the rings of Uranus are some of the breakthrough scientific results contributed by the telescope.

Q3. ‘Pakhru tiger safari project’ is being undertaken in: (Level – Medium)

1. Pakke Tiger Reserve
2. Bandipur Tiger Reserve
3. Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve
4. Kanha Tiger Reserve

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• Pakhru tiger safari project is being undertaken in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand. 
• The project is under the scanner after a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report found that over 6000 trees were illegally cut in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve against the permission of 163 trees.

Q4. Which of the following Geneva Conventions applies to prisoners of war? 
(Level – Medium)

1. First Geneva Convention
2. Second Geneva Convention
3. Third Geneva Convention 
4. Fourth Geneva Convention

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• The Third Geneva Convention provides a wide range of protection for prisoners of war. 
• The convention defines the rights of prisoners of war and lays down detailed rules for their treatment and eventual release.

Q5. What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following cities in South-East 
Asia as one proceeds from south to north? (Level – Difficult) PYQ-2014

1. Bangkok
2. Hanoi
3. Jakarta
4. Singapore

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. 4-2-1-3
2. 3-2-4-1
3. 3-4-1-2
4. 4-3-2-1

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

Image Source: www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body, and yet under the Central government’s control. Critically analyze. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS II – Governance)
2. India’s coffee industry is going through a period of crisis. Elaborate with emphasis on the possible ways to come out of this crisis. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS III – Agriculture)

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 22 October 2022:- Download PDF Here