6 Sep 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. The transnational arm of the law C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. Auto parts makers urged to cut imports 2. A.P. tops in ease of doing business D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. The 13th Amendment ECONOMY 1. What is the GST compensation due to States? F. Tidbits 1. How African Sahara amplified a drought in Asia 2. ‘India shares a robust defence system with both U.S., Russia’ G. Prelims Facts 1. Many hands ensure green fields for tribal villages in Odisha 2. N. Korean officials in the dock over typhoon H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The transnational arm of the law
Context:
- The U.S. administration has announced sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans against two officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Background:
War crimes case of Afghanistan:
- The officials were involved in an investigation into alleged war crimes, extra-judicial killings, torture and targeting of civilian populations by U.S. forces and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan since 2003.
U.S. sanctions:
- The U.S. has been arguing that since it never ratified the “Rome Statute”, which created the ICC in 1998, it was not subject to its rulings and has also accused the ICC probe of having the dubious objective of maligning the U.S.
- The Rome Statute has been signed by 139 countries and of these only 123 have ratified it through their Parliaments and internal process. Similarly, Russia too withdrew from the statute after having signed it. The U.S. though had signed the statute has not ratified it. China and India have not even signed the Rome Statute.
- The latest sanction follows the earlier sanctions imposed by the U.S. on the ICC.
For more information on this issue refer to: CNA 12th June 2020 & CNA 25th June 2020.
Concerns:
- The U.S. decision has been criticised by the global community and has called for the sanctions to be reversed.
Blow to global order:
- The U.S.’s action would mark a setback to the international rules-based multilateral order.
- In the last few years, the U.S. administration has walked out of several UN agencies and international agreements, including the Human Rights Council, UNESCO, the Paris climate change agreement and the Iran nuclear accord.
- The U.S.’s unilateral sanctions would encourage other regimes accused of war crimes to flout the ICC’s rulings.
- This could also encourage countries like China to disregard international norms in the South China Sea and other areas.
Effect on victims:
- The decision to sanction officials assisting the ICC will deter victims of violence in Afghanistan from speaking out.
India’s take on the ICC:
- India’s decision to not sign the Rome statute is based on the following arguments.
Sovereign jurisdiction:
- India believes in the concept of sovereign jurisdiction within the national territory and fears the ratification could undermine this.
Independence of ICC:
- The Rome Statute provides the UN Security Council with the power to refer cases to the ICC, the power to block such references. This provision would make the ICC subordinate to the UN Security Council.
- This calls into question the independence of the ICC and this could as well lead to big power politics in ICC’s functioning.
Violative of existing international laws:
- The ICC arrogates to itself the right to prosecute matters against countries that aren’t even signatories.
- The Rome Statute also provides power to the UN Security Council to bind non-States Parties to the ICC; this violates a fundamental principle of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties that no state can be forced to accede to a treaty or be bound by the provisions of a treaty it has not accepted.
Non-inclusion of critical aspects:
- India objects to the omission of cross-border terror, use of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction from the areas the ICC would institute its investigations.
Possible misuse of provisions:
- Beyond the above mentioned positions of principle, another aspect of India not wanting to submit to ICC jurisdiction was to avoid a scenario wherein allegations of human rights violations could be used as a pressure point against Indian security and armed forces engaged in combating insurgency and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the North East and earlier Punjab.
C. GS 3 Related
1. Auto parts makers urged to cut imports
Context:
- The Road Transport and Highways Minister speaking at the annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) have asked domestic automobile component makers to develop products locally and reduce dependence on imports.
Read more about the Crisis in the Automobile Industry here.
Details:
- The article discusses the need to reduce dependence on imports in the automobile sector.
Covering geopolitical risks:
- The trade war between the U.S. and China and the increasing tensions along the LAC between India and China threatens to disrupt the automobile supply chains.
- Many companies in China were either relocating or adding plants in other countries to cover the geopolitical risks.
- India’s attempt to cut its dependence on China for automotive parts could help India cover the possible geopolitical risks.
Boost to ‘Make in India’:
- The efforts to reduce imports would be supplemented by domestic manufacturing efforts. This could provide a boost to the Make in India programme and lead to the benefits of increased economic activity and employment opportunities.
Key sector for economic revival:
- The auto industry has been reviving faster than expected, mostly due to pent-up demand and people now preferring personal mobility over public transportation.
- This provides an avenue for economic revival in the midst of the current economic slowdown. Self-reliance in the sector would ensure its unimpeded growth.
Global automobile manufacturing hub:
- The presence of an integrated auto sector supply chain within India could help make India a top global automobile manufacturing hub. This would attract higher FDI into the sector and could also aid the export of automobiles from India.
Governmental efforts:
- A production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for auto and component makers is under consideration and this would promote and incentivize domestic production and help reduce imports.
- The scrappage policy is at an advanced stage of inter-ministerial discussions. This would help create a demand base for the automobile sector and incentivize investments into the sector
Way forward:
- Given that India relied on even imports of low-tech components like gearboxes, tubes and steering wheels, and given that there are no technological impediments for localisation of these components, such components should be identified and efforts should be made to localize production of such entities in the beginning. Subsequently, other categories of components where imports could be converted to local should be identified and promoted.
- While trying to increase domestic production all safety precautions need to be taken to ensure that there is no compromise on quality and safety.
- Apart from domestic efforts, there is also the need to explore a partnership with manufacturers from Japan, Europe, Korea and the U.S. to set up their manufacturing units within India.
2. A.P. tops in ease of doing business
Context:
- The release of the States’ ease of doing business rankings.
Background:
- Ease of Doing Business (EODB) is a joint initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade and the World Bank to improve the overall business environment in the States.
- These rankings represent the ease of doing business in terms of increased transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the government regulatory functions vis-a-vis the business enterprises.
Details:
- Andhra Pradesh has topped in the latest ease of doing business rankings.
- The State rankings are based on the implementation of State Business Reform Action Plan 2019.
- Andhra Pradesh is followed by U.P. and Telangana at the second and third spots, respectively.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Context:
- Several Cabinet ministers and state ministers in the current Sri Lankan government have called for the abolition of provincial councils after the new government took charge.
The 13th amendment:
- The 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution is an outcome of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, which was signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayawardene.
- The 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution was part of an attempt to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamilians. It had resulted in a civil war between the armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The LTTE was seeking the right to self-determination and a separate state.
- The 13th Amendment mandates a measure of power devolution to the provincial councils established to govern the island’s nine provinces. This entailed providing a form of self-government. Subjects such as education, health, agriculture, housing, land and police were to be devolved to the provincial administrations to provide them with more autonomy.
Click on the link to read more about The Sri Lankan Civil War.
Significance of the 13th amendment:
Resolving the ethnic conflict:
- It sought to conclusively resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The autonomy within the constitutional framework of Sri Lanka was expected to meet the demands of the tamilian minority without disturbing the unity of the island nation.
- The 13th Amendment represents the only constitutional provision on the settlement of the long-pending Tamil question.
Development of the backward regions:
- The northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka which had to bear the wrath of the civil war lag in socio economic development. The autonomy was expected to lead to a faster development process in the region.
Political decentralization:
- The provincial councils were expected to lead to a higher grassroots presence and participation in Sri Lankan democracy.
Concerns:
- There continues to be some concerns with respect to the 13th
Ineffectiveness:
- Despite the well-intended provisions of devolution of power to the provincial councils, the restrictions on financial powers and overriding powers given to the President, the provincial administrations have not been effective in ensuring better lives for their citizens.
Non-implementation:
- The provisions relating to police and land have never been implemented.
Politicization:
- Notably, the 13th amendment had been opposed vociferously by both Sinhala nationalist parties and the LTTE. The Sinhala nationalist parties thought it was too much power to share and the Tamil polity have deemed the provisions of 13th amendment as too little.
- The Sinhala nationalist parties see the accord and the consequent legislation as an Indian intervention into Sri Lankan domestic issues. The election season often witnesses the leaders from the Sinhala nationalist parties making wielded attacks on India for political mileage.
- After the Rajapaksas’ emphatic win in the November 2019 presidential polls and the August 2020 general election, there are calls for the abolition of provincial councils as against the provisions of the 13th amendment.
Arguments made against the provincial councils:
- The people in favour of abolition of the provincial councils argue that the working of the councils entails huge costs and there seems to be very little improvement in governance despite this.
- They argue that in a small country the provinces could be effectively controlled by the Centre and there is no need for decentralization in such a scenario.
- The 13th Amendment issue has been politicized and this spells trouble for comprehensively addressing the long pending ethnic issue in the island nation.
Conclusion:
- There is the need to adhere to the spirit espoused by the 13th However, it is worth noting that the 13th amendment is only an important starting point, something to build upon.
2. What is the GST compensation due to States?
This issue has been covered comprehensively in the following articles:
F. Tidbits
1. How African Sahara amplified a drought in Asia
- About 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, a severe drought crippled countries of Southeast Asia forcing a shift in human settlement patterns of the area and also induced many lifestyle changes in the mainland Southeast Asian countries of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- Recent scientific studies point to a connection between the end of the Green Sahara and this mega-drought.
- As the Sahara started losing its vegetation, the reduced plant growth led to increased airborne dust which cooled the Indian Ocean and shifted the atmospheric circulation patterns and caused a condition similar to today’s El Niño events.
- This ultimately led to a large reduction in monsoon moisture across Southeast Asia that lasted more than 1,000 years.
- Previous studies have shown the link between the end of the Green Sahara and the collapse of the Akkadian Empire of Mesopotamia and the de-urbanisation of the Indus Valley Civilization.
2. ‘India shares a robust defence system with both U.S., Russia’
- In the light of indications of India seeming to be aligning with the U.S., The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat has clarified that while India values its emerging relationship with the U.S. it also cherishes its traditional relationship with Russia.
- The CDS reiterated that India shares a mature and robust defence and security framework with both U.S. and Russia.
- The CDS has argued that the drastic changes being witnessed in geopolitics were being shaped by the nation first approach and the prevailing geo-economic situation.
- In the emerging security paradigm, the CDS has emphasized the need to look beyond India’s border security and the need to also focus on the strategic space of the “extended neighbourhood” and the “strategic frontier”.
- This seems to point to the possibility of India taking a more active stand in the South China Sea dispute, Hong Kong pro-democracy protests and Taiwan issue.
G. Prelims Facts
1. Many hands ensure green fields for tribal villages in Odisha
- The Dongria Kondh is a particularly vulnerable tribal group inhabiting Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hill range.
- They are known to practice at least 10 types of cooperative labour sharing within the community.
- The concept of labour cooperatives is still in practice in almost all tribal communities, including the Dongria Kondh, Juanga, Lanjia Saura, Saura, Didayi, Paudi Bhuyan and Kandh in Odisha.
2. N. Korean officials in the dock over typhoon
- Typhoon Maysak had made landfall in North Korea and is said to have caused large scale destruction and fatalities.
- A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops in the North-western Pacific Basin. The North-western Pacific Basin is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world’s annual tropical cyclones.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
1. Which of the following countries have signed and ratified the Rome Statute?
- India
- China
- Russia
- U.S.
- Japan
Options:
- 3 and 5 only
- 1,2 and 3 only
- 5 only
- 3,4 and 5 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. Currently, 123 states are party to the statute.
- The Rome Statute has been signed by 139 countries and of these only 123 have ratified it through their Parliaments and internal process. The U.S. though had signed the statute has not ratified it. Similarly Russia too withdrew from the statute after having signed it. China and India have not even signed the Rome Statute.
- Japan is party to the Rome Statute.
2. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to the functioning of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
- The Rome Statute provides the UN Security Council the power to refer cases to the ICC and also the power to block such references.
- The ICC arrogates to itself the right to prosecute matters against countries that aren’t even signatories.
- The issue of cross-border terrorism and the use of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction are not part of the ICC’s mandate.
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1,2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- All the statements are correct and India’s reluctance to be part of the ICC is based on these lacunae’s.
3. What are the possible benefits of the vehicle scrappage policy?
- Help mitigate vehicular pollution
- Reduce import dependency
- Helps save forex reserves
- Enhance government revenue
- Enhance economic growth
- Increase employment opportunities
Options:
- 5 and 6 only
- 1,2,3,4,5 and 6
- 1,4,5 and 6 only
- 1,5 and 6 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
The vehicle scrappage policy:
- The vehicle scrappage policy is expected to entail scrapping of old vehicles in exchange for some incentives for consumers while setting up vehicle recycling clusters to boost use of recycled materials, thereby cutting cost of raw materials.
- Under the draft scheme, the government has stated that a part of the scrap value from the old vehicle may be given as a payback. Also, incentives in the form of lower tax could be offered if a person is buying a new vehicle in place of the scrapped one. The government is hoping that higher pollution checks, re-registration charges and fines may also deter usage of old vehicles.
Possible benefits:
- The recycling of metals like steel, copper and aluminium from the scrapped vehicles will help reduce their imports.
- Getting the roads rid of old vehicles would also help lower pollution and the government’s oil bill, as the new vehicles replacing the old ones would be more fuel-efficient.
- The government could save forex because of lower imports of the raw materials as well as get tax revenue from new vehicle sales.
- The proposed policy is seen as a growth driver in boosting demand for new vehicles.
4. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
- The Ease of Doing Business (EODB) state ranking is a joint initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade of the Finance ministry and the World Bank.
- The Ease of Doing Business (EODB) state rankings are based on the implementation of State Business Reform Action Plan 2019.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Ease of Doing Business (EODB) is a joint initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade and the World Bank to improve the overall business environment in the States.
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- The State rankings are based on the implementation of State Business Reform Action Plan 2019.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- What is the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution? Discuss the significance of the 13th What are some of the concerns associated with it? (15 marks, 250 words) (GS Paper 2/International relations)
- The move to produce automobile components domestically and reducing the dependence on imports is a significant step forward. Comment. Enumerate the government policies and schemes to incentivize and promote domestic production. (15 marks, 250 words) (GS paper 3/Economy)
Read the previous CNA here.
6 Sep 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
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