25 Oct 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Bhutan-China Border Talks Progress
POLITY & GOVERNANCE
1. Politicising the Bureaucracy
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. An India-Canada bonding that is in danger of snapping
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
1. Mitigating tragedies in the Himalayan region
F. Prelims Facts
1. Centre to introduce DNA, face matching systems at police stations across country
G. Tidbits
1. Food labels to have QR Codes: FSSAI
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Category: POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1. Politicising the Bureaucracy

Syllabus: Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions; Role of the bureaucracy in the governance and integrity of institutions.

Mains: Analysis of the impact of politicisation of the bureaucracy and military on the constitutional scheme of governance; The need for maintaining bureaucratic impartiality in a democracy

Context

The Indian government’s plan for a nationwide roadshow and ‘selfie points’ to showcase achievements has stirred controversy, viewed as partisan and detrimental to democratic norms.

Introduction

• The Indian government intends to initiate a roadshow called “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra” running from November 20 to January 25, 2024, with the aim of displaying its accomplishments.
• This outreach focuses on the accomplishments of the ruling party in the last nine years starting from 2014.
• The timing aligns with the expected Lok Sabha election in April-May 2024.

Roles of Bureaucracy and Military

• Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries will assume the role of Rath Prabharis (leaders of the chariots) during the roadshow.
• The Ministry of Defence is setting up 822 ‘selfie points’ for citizens to take pictures with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Concerns Raised

• Opposition parties have criticised the government for politicising the bureaucracy and military.
• India’s governance structure mandates a separation of powers between the executive, judiciary, and legislature, as well as insulation of the bureaucracy and military from partisan politics.
• Bureaucracy and the military are expected to remain impartial, loyal to the elected government, and free from personal ideological inclinations.

Damage to Institutions

• Critics argue that the ruling party’s strategy may undermine established norms for electoral gains.
• This approach could potentially harm institutions and erode their credibility.
• It is very important to preserve the impartiality and integrity of bureaucratic and military institutions to safeguard India’s democratic process.

Nut Graf: The Indian government’s pre-election roadshow and ‘selfie points’ to highlight its achievements are criticised for politicising the bureaucracy and military, potentially undermining democratic institutions’ impartiality.

Category: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

1. Mitigating tragedies in the Himalayan region

Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

Prelims: Glacial lake outburst flood, Moraine, South Lhonak and Shako Cho glacial lakes, National Remote Sensing Centre’s (NRSC) Glacial Lake Atlas

Mains: Risks and mitigation of glacial lake outburst floods in India

Context

• The recent glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Sikkim caused significant damage along the Teesta River, highlighting the risk of climate change-induced GLOF in the Indian Himalayan Region.

What are glacial lake outburst floods? 

• In simple terms, a glacial lake outburst flood refers to the flooding that occurs when the water dammed by a glacier or a moraine is released suddenly.
• This flooding occurs because when glaciers melt, they accumulate behind moraine dams or glacial dams. When such natural dams break upon pressure from accumulating water, the water gushes down in a powerful flow due to the build-up.
• Moraine dams can break because they are generally weak structures and the pressure build-up can cause this rupture. They can also fail due to landslides, earthquakes or avalanches. Environmental pollution can also trigger GLOFs because of the rise in temperatures due to anthropogenic activities that cause quicker melting of glaciers.
• Failure of moraine dams can release millions of cubic metres of water in a short period.
• When the water flows downstream suddenly and with such force, any human or natural structure in its wake is destroyed, including villages, power plants, etc.

Glacial lake outburst flood –  a global threat

• According to a study published in Nature, 90 million people across 30 countries reside in 1,089 basins with glacial lakes.
• One-sixth of these individuals live within 50 km of a glacial lake and 1 km of potential GLOF runout channels.
• Hazards in mountainous regions often occur in a cascading manner, for example, heavy rainfall triggers landslides, which can lead to glacial lake outbursts and further landslides downstream, creating conditions for flash floods.
• Predicting this chain of events is difficult.

Risks and Challenges

• ​​The magnitude of the South Lhonak glacial lake disaster is still unfolding.
• NDMA led a preparatory mission in September and installed monitoring equipment at the South Lhonak and Shako Cho glacial lakes. 
• Higher-than-normal temperatures were recorded in the four days leading up to the event, suggesting that global warming may have played a role.
• Scientists believe the key trigger in the process chain of the disaster was the collapse of a huge mass of rock/moraine from the northwestern bank of the lake.
• The Himalayan region is prone to various natural and human-induced hazards, including those related to water, weather, earthquakes, climate change, and human activities. 
• To address these risks, a comprehensive approach is necessary, involving both monitoring and mitigation strategies, as well as early warning systems. 
• While scientists have made progress in understanding the process of glacial melting, the sheer number of glaciers and the dynamic nature of their retreat pose significant challenges for accurate monitoring and risk assessment.
• The National Remote Sensing Centre’s (NRSC) Glacial Lake Atlas of 2023 shows that there are 28,000 glacial lakes greater than 0.25 hectares in area in three major river basins: Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra, across five countries. Of these, 27% are in India.
• Many geotechnical solutions for the mitigation of GLOFs have been tried globally, but conditions above 5,000 meters above mean sea level create formidable challenges. 
• Lack of accessibility, difficulties in transporting and maintaining excavation machinery, powerful winds, struggles to obtain power and connectivity, and intentional damage caused by individuals are some of these challenges.
• The most significant risk of such a disaster is to downstream hill communities and authorities who get a very short lead time to respond.
• Interviews show that people downstream are mostly unaware of the risks posed by sudden glacier melt and associated cascading hazards.

Mitigation Efforts

• GLOFs pose a significant threat in the Himalayas and require a coordinated approach across organizations to tackle them.
• The National Remote Sensing Centre’s (NRSC) atlases offer high-resolution data for tracking spatial changes and identifying lakes prone to GLOFs.
• The Central Water Commission performs hydro-dynamic evaluations on lakes susceptible to GLOFs to chart water flow, elevation, and drainage patterns.
• The NDMA’s national recommendations (2020) give states a scientific introduction to the danger and risk zoning and propose methods for surveillance, risk reduction, and alleviation measures.
  • The NDMA has suggested the use of Synthetic-Aperture Radar imagery to automatically detect changes in water bodies, including new lake formations, during the monsoon months. 
  • It has also suggested that methods could be developed to permit remote monitoring of lakes from space.
  • To manage lakes structurally, the NDMA recommends decreasing the volume of water with methods like controlled breaching, pumping or siphoning out water, and making a tunnel through the moraine barrier or under an ice dam.
  • The guidelines also recommend restricting construction in GLOF-prone areas as an easy low-cost manner to mitigate the disastrous impact of such events.
• A comprehensive GLOF risk mitigation plan is currently in the final stages of approval.
• The plan includes the installation of monitoring and end-to-end early warning systems at high-risk glacial lakes.
• All governments and scientific institutions must collaborate and integrate their resources and capacities in disaster risk reduction efforts.

Conclusion: 

• Risks from glacial melting, landslides, intense precipitation, and heat waves, among other hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards, are rising.
• As synergies among different aspects of governance are created, an increased focus on prevention and mitigation will reduce loss and damage and bring stability into the lives of hill communities.
• While meeting the development needs of hill communities, disaster and climate resilience principles need to be assimilated into government policy as well as private investment.

Nut Graf: Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are a major climate change-induced hazard in the Indian Himalayan Region, posing significant risks to downstream communities and infrastructure. Despite advances in monitoring and mitigation efforts, challenges such as inaccessibility, extreme weather conditions, and lack of awareness among people downstream remain formidable. A comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders is essential to reduce GLOF risks and build resilience in the region.

1. Centre to introduce DNA, face matching systems at police stations across country

Syllabus: GS 2- Polity and GS 3- Security

Prelims: DNA, Facial Recognition under Criminal Procedure Identification Act

Delayed Implementation of Criminal Procedure Identification Act

• More than a year after the Criminal Procedure Identification Act was passed by Parliament, the provisions of the Act have not been entirely implemented on the ground.
• There have been logistical and connectivity issues delaying its implementation, according to officials.

Features of the Act

• The legislation permits law enforcement and central investigative bodies to gather, retain, and scrutinise physical and biological specimens, encompassing retina and iris scans, from individuals who have been detained.
• It was passed by Parliament in April 2022, and the rules were notified in September of the same year.

DNA and Face-Matching Systems to be Rolled Out

• Although the Act and its accompanying rules do not expressly address the gathering of DNA samples and face-matching procedures, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has communicated to State law enforcement officials that these measures are scheduled for implementation at approximately 1,300 sites, encompassing police districts, commissionerates, and specialised investigation units located at State headquarters.

Steps Towards Implementation

• The Union Home Ministry has constituted a Domain Committee for the successful implementation of the Act, comprising representatives from state police, central law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders.
• A technical sub-committee is tasked with preparing standard operating procedures for capturing DNA as a measurement.
• States have been asked to identify suitable locations for the measurement collection unit (MCU) proposed by the NCRB.
• The central body under the Home Ministry will be the national repository of the database.

The NCRB’s Role

• The NCRB has emphasised the need for safeguards against misuse of the databases, ensuring that only designated officials have real-time access.
• The Act replaced the 100-year-old Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, which had limited scope.

Challenges in Implementation

• Challenges include training and resource constraints, with some police departments facing budget shortages.
• While the Home Ministry covers the cost of hardware, States must bear expenses for a secure Internet line and other operating costs.
• The NCRB has underscored the importance of ensuring that the tools and systems employed by the police are technologically, legally, and forensically reliable and officially accredited.

G. Tidbits

1. Food labels to have QR Codes: FSSAI

Introduction

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended the use of Quick Response (QR) codes on food products to enhance accessibility for persons with visual disabilities.
• The FSSAI believes this will ensure access to safe food for all consumers, including those with special needs.

Fundamental Right of Inclusive Access

• In a recent advisory, the FSSAI emphasised that ensuring inclusive access to information is a fundamental right of citizens.
• Food products must be labelled in a way that ensures accessibility for all consumers, including those with visual impairments.

Existing Regulations and Information on Labels

• The FSSAI’s Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, comprehensively outline the information that should be included on food product labels.
• This data encompasses details such as the product’s name, its shelf life, nutritional information, labels indicating whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, lists of ingredients, allergen alerts, and any other specific labelling criteria for the product.
• The aim is to empower consumers to make informed choices when selecting food products.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, recognizes the rights and needs of individuals with disabilities, with a focus on accessibility and promoting health for persons with disabilities.
• The FSSAI promotes the integration of measures that make it simple for visually impaired individuals to access nutritional information in food products.

Use of QR Codes for Enhanced Accessibility

• To enhance accessibility, the FSSAI suggests incorporating QR codes on product labels.
• The QR codes should encompass extensive information about the product, covering elements such as ingredients, nutritional facts, allergens, production date, recommended consumption period, allergen alerts, and contact details for customer queries.

QR Codes Complement Mandatory Information

• The incorporation of QR codes for accessibility should not be interpreted as a substitution or annulment of the obligation to furnish compulsory information on the product label, as stipulated by pertinent regulations.

Q1. With reference to the FSSAI's recommendation on QR codes for food products, 
which of the following statements is/are correct?

Q2. Consider the following statements, with reference to sea cucumbers:

Q3. Which place holds the record as the lowest elevation in North America?

Q4. With reference to the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, which of the following statements 
is/are incorrect?

Q5. With reference to the Criminal Procedure Identification Act, which of 
the following statements is/are correct?