30 Oct 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

Oct 30th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. No money left in MGNREGA coffers; 21 States in the red
2. UIDAI seeks indemnity from Data Bill
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Ensure Afghan soil is not used for terror, U.S., India tell Taliban
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Descent into chaos
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. In India, the Steady Subversion of Equality
F. Prelims Facts
1. Core sector growth decelerated to 7­ month low of 4.4% in September
2. Air quality in city drops to ‘poor’ category
3. Nationwide PCV drive launched
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

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2. UIDAI seeks indemnity from Data Bill

Context:

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked for exemption from the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law.

Background:

• The Committee of Experts on a Data Protection Framework for India was constituted in August 2017 to examine issues related to data protection and recommend methods to address them, and draft a data protection Bill. It was chaired by Justice B. N. Srikrishna.
• The committee was constituted in line with the Supreme Court’s judgement in the right to privacy case (Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India).

Details:

• In an inte­raction with the Joint Parlia­mentary Committee on Data Protection Bill 2019, UIDAI said the authority is already being governed by the Aad­haar Act and there cannot be duplicity of laws.
• Section 35 of the Personal Data Protec­tion (PDP) Bill 2019 creates the scope for the government to exempt any of its agencies from any or all provisions of the Act, for processing of personal data in certain cases. These include: (i) in the interest of security of state, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India and friendly relations with foreign states, and (ii) for preventing incitement to commission of any cognisable offence relating to the above matters.
  • UIDAI is seeking an exemption under this section.

Concerns:

• It might create two systems of regulation. One with the go­vernment agencies who will be out of the am­bit of the law, giving them complete freedom to deal with the personal data. And the second will be private da­ta fiduciaries who will have to deal with every letter in the law.

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Ensure Afghan soil is not used for terror, U.S., India tell Taliban

Context:

• Officials from India and USA concluded their joint dialogue on Coun­ter ­Terrorism as part of the eighteenth meeting of the U.S-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and the fourth session of the U.S-India Designations Dialogue.

Details:

• The two countries have called on the Taliban to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a safe haven for terrorists.
  • Further, in line with UNSC Reso­lution 2593 (2021), both sides called on the Taliban to ensure Afghan territory is not used to threaten or attack any country or plan or finance terrorist at­tacks.
• As part of the Joint Statement on Vision and Principles of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, India and USA had supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process that results in sustainable peace; cessation of violence; elimination of terrorist safe havens; and preservation of the gains of the last 18 years.
• They also communicated views on countering narco-terror networks and trans­national il­legal weapons smuggling networks.
• India and USA called for coordinated action against all terror groups including those proscribed by the UNSC such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed under UNSC resolution 1267.
• Both countries reaffirmed that counter-terror cooperation is an important pillar under the U.S.­ India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
  • Prime Minister Modi and President Trump had vowed to strengthen an India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, anchored in mutual trust, shared interests, goodwill, and robust engagement of their citizens in 2020.
• They also decided to further the cooperation on law enforcement, information sharing, exchange of best practices, and increase strategic convergence on counter-terrorism challenges.
• In the joint U.S-India statement, the two countries denounced the use of terro­rist proxies and cross­ border terrorism and called for the perpetra­tors of the 26/11 Mumbai attack to be brought to justice.

Also read: India – US relations

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. In India, the Steady Subversion of Equality

Context:

The article analyzes the current status of India as a democratic country.

Background:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously embracing the democracy and diversity of India globally and comparing India with the Western Countries on democratic values. 
• The central idea of democracy lies in equality that means providing equal status to each and every person of the country. But the ‘E’ word is fading up. 
• The pledge to assure equality to all, however, not fully achieved in reality, has provided India with power and sheen in the past. 
• Now, India has become an example of composite nationalism. Considering the current situation it becomes necessary to measure the distance between present-day India and democratic values.

The vision of the Constitution and the new laws:

• The Constitution was written with the promise of equality to all and if any kind of benefit was provided to smaller groups or religious or linguistic minorities or Dalits, it was in order to attain equality. 
• This goes beyond all the parameters of identity – colour, race, language, faith, caste, region or food. But, faith has increasingly emerged as a differentiator between citizens, as per the article. 
• It must be taken into account that laws in India are undergoing the process of rewriting. Some examples are discussed below:

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019:

Read more about CAA, 2019 in the link.

Marital Choices:

• Inter-faith marriages are now seen as crimes unless proven otherwise. In Gujarat, the law criminalizing inter-faith marriage was called out by Gujarat High Court. 
• In Uttar Pradesh, an ordinance named Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 was introduced that is now a law. Till July, 63 FIRs have been filed against it and 162 were booked out of which 80 people were arrested, a majority of them belong to the Muslim community.
• Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, there is a law that has differential impacts on Muslims. According to the author, this implies that the E word is slowly losing its essence. 

Lynching:

• There have been reports of people being lynched on account of the consumption of beef.
• State governments and the Central government have not followed the recommendations of the Supreme Court of setting up the fast track courts and advice to ban hate messages on social media, compensation to victims, or bringing in an anti-mob lynching law.

Disturbed Areas Act:

• The Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act in Gujarat defines where one can reside.
• This separates the communities by forcing them to buy property in their own areas. This move was taken to prohibit riots.

Hostile Environment:

• The informal sector employs most of the minorities and the environment there is not very good.
• Those in power actively support and reward those who head mobs, raise slogans or demonstrate hate enough to shut down cities and regular life. This is done for better political prospects.
• The top leaders being silent on mob violence spread more communal violence in the country.

Way Forward:

• Indian nationalism talks about shared and participatory kinship and differentiates it from the faith practised at home.
• Prioritising any one identity will have disastrous consequences and history provides enough evidence of this. Rwanda, South Africa or Germany are reminders that the E-word is as much a pragmatic consideration as it is a normative ideal.
• If the leaders remain silent on these topics then the idea of equality will be lost and India will deviate from the path of democracy.

2. Air quality in city drops to ‘poor’ category

Air Quality Index

• Air quality in Delhi deteriorated to the “poor” category primarily due to the increase in stubble burning.
• AQI keeps a tab on 8 major air pollutants in the atmosphere namely, Particulate Matter (PM10), Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Ammonia (NH3), Lead (Pb).
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had developed this Air Quality Index in consultation with IIT-Kanpur and air quality professionals and experts.

3. Nationwide PCV drive launched

PCV

• Union Health Minister launched a nationwide ex­pansion of Pneumococcal 13-­valent Conjugate Vac­cine (PCV) under the Un­iversal Immunisation Pro­gramme (UIP).
• It has been initiated as a part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• Pneumonia is a leading cause of under-five mortality.
  • Around 16% of deaths in children occur due to pneumonia in India. The nationwide roll­out of PCV will reduce child mortality by around 60%.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

• Universal Immunization Programme was launched in 1985.
• Twelve vaccine-preventable diseases are covered against which free immunization is provided:
  • Diphtheria
  • Pertussis
  • Tetanus
  • Polio
  • Measles
  • Rubella, a severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis
  • Hepatitis B
  • Meningitis
  • Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B
  • Rotavirus diarrhoea
  • Pneumococcal Pneumonia and
  • Japanese Encephalitis
• Elimination of Polio in 2014 and maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination in 2015 were the two major milestones covered under Universal Immunization Programme.

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Habeas Corpus:

Q2. With respect to Defamation in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

Q4. With respect to the Governor of RBI, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Q5. Consider the following statements:

Read the previous CNA here.

Oct 30th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here