09 Sep 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

Sept 9th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India, Australia to hold 2+2 meet
2. India, Russia review Afghanistan situation
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Amid protests, Centre hikes MSP for rabi crops
2. Cabinet approves incentive scheme for textile sector
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Green hydrogen, a new ally for a zero carbon future
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. A questionable quota policy
F. Prelims Facts
1. ‘Take up ring road under Bharatmala project’
2. Sea and sand, on an expressway
G. Tidbits
1. Panel set up to draft Bill on drugs, cosmetics and medical devices
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

2. India, Russia review Afghanistan situation

Context:

• Meeting between Russia’s Security Council Secretary-General and India’s National Security Adviser in Delhi.

Details:

• As part of the meeting, India and Russia conducted their first detailed and extensive review of the situation in Afghanistan.
• India and Russia have agreed to coordinate their positions on the Afghanistan issue.
  • The two sides have stressed the need to hold the Taliban to their promises of ensuring that they won’t allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorist organizations and also take measures to curtail the increase in opium production and drug trafficking under the new Taliban regime.
  • India and Russia also agreed to undertake joint efforts aimed at creating conditions for launching a peaceful settlement process in Afghanistan on the basis of an intra-Afghan dialogue.
• The talks followed a day after CIA Director flew into Delhi to meet India’s National Security Advisor.

For more related information on this issue, refer to the following article:

UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 25th Aug 2021

2. Cabinet approves incentive scheme for textile sector

Context:

• The Union Cabinet has cleared an outlay of Rs. 10,683 crore on a production linked incentive scheme in the man-made fibre apparel, fabrics, and technical textiles sectors.

Background:

• The textile industry plays a significant role in the Indian economy by providing direct employment to an estimated 35 million people, by contributing 4 per cent of GDP and accounting for 35 per cent of gross export earnings. The textile sector contributes 14 per cent of the value-addition in the manufacturing sector.

Significance:

Aid in new investment:

• The new scheme could help draw new investment of more than Rs. 19,000 crore.

Leverage multiplier effect of the textile sector to employment generation:

• The PLI scheme would provide a big boost to the textile sector.
• The textile sector is an employment intensive sector and the investment in the textile sector would have a multiplier effect on the Indian economy especially in job creation.
• The scheme could aid in the creation of 7.5 lakh direct jobs.

Align India’s capacity with world textile market trends:

• Two-thirds of India’s textile exports now are cotton-based whereas 66-70% of world trade in textiles and apparel is MMF-based and technical textiles.
• The PLI incentives aim to boost investment in new capacities in man-made fibre (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics, and 10 segments or products of technical textiles.
• India’s focus on the manufacture of textiles in the MMF sector is expected to help boost its ability to compete globally in the textiles market.

Targeting balanced development:

• Given that priority would be given for investment in aspirational districts, tier-three, tier-four towns and rural areas, the new scheme would promote balanced regional development.

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A questionable quota policy

Context:

• Odisha state government proposed a 15% reservation for government school students in medical and engineering colleges.

Background:

• About 62% of students attend government and government-aided schools in India. The other 38% go to private institutions.
• Considering the state of Odisha, a much higher percentage of students go to government schools.

Significance of the quota policy:

• The quota would help some sections of the society which have long been deprived of good education and decent jobs.
• The move will help reduce inequity arising from the lack of physical and economic access to coaching institutions suffered by poor students enrolled in government schools.
• The move will also help compensate for the poor condition of government schools which are plagued by issues such as poor quality of teachers and infrastructure.

Concerns:

Lack of political will in improving government schools:

• By reserving seats in higher technical institutions for government school students rather than focusing on improving the quality of education in the government schools, the government seems to be admitting the sorry state of affairs in government-run schools.
• The proposal indicates a lack of political will in improving government schools.
• The state seems to be running away from its responsibility of improving education in government schools where an overwhelming majority of the children study. This does not augur well for the learning outcome of children studying in government schools.

Benefits to few:

• It is very likely that the benefits of quota would be cornered by the creamy layer of students with better access to coaching and additional technology-enabled resources.
• There might also be an urban bias in the benefit-sharing.

Mere populism:

• The author argues that the current policy rather than being an attempt at social engineering, seems to be more of competitive populism as observed in recent instances of caste-based reservations.

May give rise to inferiority complex:

• If the current proposal is given effect, it is going to have a negative impact on the morale of teachers and students who are likely to grow up with an inferiority complex as compared to those in private schools.
• This will only deepen the mindset that government schools are typically backward and inferior to private schools.

Way forward:

• The government should focus its attention on improving the quality of education in government schools.
• This could involve taking some of the following measures.
  • Capacity building of teachers to implement new pedagogic practices
  • Filling up vacant teaching posts
  • Improving the availability of necessary infrastructure in government schools
  • Use of technology to improve learning outcomes
  • Outlay of sufficient funds to the public education system

For more related information on the topic of government schools, refer to the following article:

UPSC Comprehensive News Analysis of 6th Aug 2021

2. Sea and sand, on an expressway

Therukoothu:

• Koothu or Therukoothu is an ancient folk art that originated from the early Tamil country.
  • There is mention of therukoothu in Silappatikaram.
• It is an informal dance structure, in which performances generally depict scenes from ancient epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Tamil classical epics. There is traditionally no spoken dialogue, only songs.

Q1. With reference to Minimum Support Price (MSP), which of the following statements is/are 
correct?

Q2. Therukoothu, a street theatre form, is practised in the State of

Q3. Which of the following pollutants is/are emitted from cement industries?

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to PMGDISHA Scheme:

Q5. With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to (2014)

Read the previous CNA here.

Sept 9th, 2021, CNA:- Download PDF Here