CNA 09 Sep 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related WORLD HISTORY 1. Queen Elizabeth II MODERN HISTORY 1. Rajpath B. GS 2 Related POLITY 1. Supreme Court on EWS Quota C. GS 3 Related D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Global Pandemic Treaty SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. Medium of Instruction in Education F. Prelims Facts 1. Human Development Index H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Syllabus: Decolonization & Redrawal of National Boundaries
Mains: Features of Constitutional Monarchy
Context: The Head of State of the UK, Queen Elizabeth II died on 08 September 2022 at the age of 96.
Introduction:
- Elizabeth II ascended the throne aged 25 in 1952, after the death of her father George VI.
- She was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and second longest-reigning monarch in history, behind 17th-century French King Louis XIV.
- The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was celebrated recently marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of the Queen in 1952.
- She became the UK’s longest-serving monarch in 2015 when she surpassed the record of Queen Victoria, who had ruled from 1837 to 1901.
Role of Monarchy:
- Monarchy is the oldest form of government in which a king or queen is the Head of State.
- The British Monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy.
- In a constitutional monarchy, although the Sovereign is the Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament.
- As Head of State, the Monarch undertakes certain constitutional and representational duties.
- The Monarch also has a less formal role as ‘Head of Nation’. The Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service.
- In all these roles the Sovereign is supported by members of his/her immediate family.
Elizabeth II as Monarch:
- The British Queen was known to have stuck to her constitutional role, and while maintaining a deep interest in politics (such as through regular audiences with her prime ministers), had a reputation for maintaining political neutrality during her reign.
- She was instrumental in the creation of the Commonwealth of 56 nations.
- Constitutionally, the British sovereign has few practical powers and is expected to be non-partisan. However, the Queen has wielded “soft” power and made the monarchy a unifying, focal point for the nation amid great societal divisions, exemplified by her broadcast to reassure the public at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth II and India:
- She was the first British monarch to accede to the throne after India’s independence from the British in 1952.
- She visited India three times over the course of her reign — in 1961, 1983 and 1997.
- In 1961, the queen and her husband, the late Prince Phillip were Guests of Honour at the Republic Day Parade at the invitation of the then President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
- In 1983, she visited India for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. During the visit, she presented Mother Teresa with an honorary Order of the Merit.
- She visited in 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary celebrations of India’s Independence. For the first time, she made a reference to “difficult episodes” of colonial history. “It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing example,” the monarch said.
- She and her husband visited the scene of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab.
Nut Graf: Elizabeth II as the longest-ever reigning British monarch presided with dignity and grace for 70 years. Modern Britain flourished under her reign while going through many ups and downs.
1. Rajpath
Syllabus: Significant events, personalities, issues
Mains: Significance of renaming politics
Context: Recently, ‘Rajpath’ in Delhi was renamed ‘Kartavya Path’ and the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose under India Gate Canopy was unveiled.
Introduction:
- The two-kilometre stretch from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan, part of the revamped Central Vista Avenue in Delhi was renamed Kartavya Path.
- Recently, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) unanimously approved the name change in a special meeting.
- Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the redeveloped road and unveiled a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose under the canopy at India Gate that during British rule had a statue of King George V.
From ‘Kingsway’ to ‘Rajpath’:
- The British named it “Kingsway” after King George V, who visited Delhi during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 and shifted the capital from Calcutta to the city.
- Post India’s independence in 1947, the Central Vista was chosen as the centre of Delhi and renamed Rajpath.
Statue of Netaji under Grand Canopy:
- A 28 feet tall granite statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at India Gate under the Grand Canopy.
- This statue replaces his hologram statue placed earlier, on Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary-January 23rd,2022.
- The Grand canopy was by Edwin Lutyens and added to the India Gate complex in 1936 as a tribute to the then recently deceased Emperor of India, King George V, and housed his 50-foot marble statue.
- After widespread opposition to King George’s statue after independence, it was moved to Coronation Park by the river Yamuna in North Delhi in 1968.
Significance of the renaming:
- The name Rajpath (meaning the path of the state) was bisected by the road named Janpath (meaning the People’s Path in the middle).
- The two avenues defined in cartographic terms the new republic’s social contract in which sovereignty now vested in its citizens.
- The renaming of Rajpath as ‘Kartavya Path’, or ‘Duty Road’, symbolises the emphasis on duties over rights.
- The renaming of Rajpath also comes in the wake of proposals to rename 40 villages and localities in Delhi which have foreign or ‘Mughal’ sounding names.
Renaming Politics:
- Renaming cities as an official exercise was first undertaken after 1947 when there was a concerted push to rename anglicised and English colonial names of cities.
- The changing of foreign names with native words, restoring old Indian names of cities, and using names of Indian freedom fighters and rulers or other personalities relevant to Indian history was seen as a way to reclaim India from the colonial shadows of the British, who had ruled over the nation for over 200 years.
- In his 2022 Independence Day address, PM Modi said that a majority of the names were changed to do away with “symbols” relating to the “colonial mindset”.
Nut Graf: The renaming of Rajpath as Kartavya Path and the replacement of King George’s statue shows the abandonment of slavery mentality which is a continuous journey of determination till the goal of freedom of mind and spirit is achieved.
B. GS 2 Related
Syllabus: Government policies and Interventions
Mains: Concerns surrounding the EWS
Context: Recently, the Supreme court of India finalised three cardinal issues for examining whether the 103rd Constitutional Amendment violates the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
Introduction:
- A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit finalised three cardinal issues for examining whether the 10% quota to economically weaker sections (EWS) of society in government jobs and educational institutions provided by the 103rd constitutional amendment violates the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
- The three issues for the court’s examination were forwarded by Attorney-General of India K.K. Venugopal.
- The case started with several NEET aspirants challenging a July 29, 2021 notification of the Centre announcing the 27% quota to OBCs and 10% reservation to EWS in the All India Quota for NEET.
- The Supreme court questioned the very basis of the income criterion of ₹ 8 lakh to determine EWS, asking whether the figure came out of “thin air” or was even an automatic adoption of the OBC criteria.
Three issues on violation of the Basic Structure:
- The Supreme Court bench will examine whether the 103rd amendment breaches the Basic Structure by letting the state make special provisions, including reservation, based on economic criteria.
- Whether it violates the Basic Structure by allowing the state to make special provisions in relation to admissions to private unaided institutions.
- Whether the Basic Structure is trampled upon by the constitutional amendment by excluding SEBC/OBC/SC/ST communities from the scope of the EWS quota.
Economically Weaker Section (EWS):
- The EWS Bill promises 10% reservation to individuals classified as economically backward.
- The individual should have an income threshold of ₹8 lakh per annum.
Read more on EWS Issue
Nut Graf: The Supreme Court ought to examine whether the EWS quota was in violation of the rule of equality and non-discrimination and if the move to grant reservation under the constitution amendment act to forward castes (EWS or otherwise) was simply impermissible.
C. GS 3 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Syllabus: Global Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests
Mains: Effective management of future Pandemics
Context: The severity and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent monkeypox outbreak have necessitated a global treaty to deal with pandemics.
Introduction:
- COVID-19 is one of the most severe pandemics the world has seen in the last 100 years.
- As per various estimates, around 18 million people may have died from COVID-19, a scale of loss not seen since the Second World War.
- The pandemic has also pushed over 120 million people into extreme poverty.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) with over 32,000 cases from over 80 countries as of August 2022; with this the world faces the risk of another health crisis.
Widespread health inequity:
- Healthcare systems across the globe have been stretched beyond their capacity and gross health inequity has been observed in the distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
- As of March 2022, only 3% of people in low-income countries had been vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to 60.18% in high-income countries.
- The international target to vaccinate 70% of the world’s population against COVID-19 by mid-2022 was missed as most countries have followed the “me-first” approach neglecting poorer countries.
- Further, the long battle with the pharma majors over vaccine patents, especially in African countries, held back the global vaccination drive.
- The socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic are irreversible in low and low-middle-income countries.
- To address these inequalities and shortcomings of global health systems, the World Health Assembly (WHA) under WHO in December 2021, agreed to start a global process to draft the pandemic treaty.
Pandemic Treaty:
- Under the WHA’s decision, the health organisation established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate the contents of the pandemic treaty in compliance with Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.
- The pandemic treaty is expected to cover aspects like data sharing and genome sequencing of emerging viruses and equitable distribution of vaccines and drugs and related research throughout the world.
- The European Union (EU) also wants a ban on wildlife markets to be included in the treaty.
- While the EU wants the treaty to be legally binding, the U.S., Brazil and India have expressed reservations about the same. The legal nature of the treaty is yet to be defined.
India’s lead role:
- India has set an exemplary example to global powers with its timely and effective response to the pandemic.
- India produces nearly 60% of the world’s vaccines and is said to account for 60%-80% of the United Nations’ annual vaccine procurement which is in line with its “vaccine diplomacy” policy with a commitment to fight health inequity.
- As of 2021, India shipped 594.35 lakh doses of ‘Made-in-India’ COVID-19 vaccines to 72 countries.
- Among these, 81.25 lakh doses were gifts, 339.67 lakh doses were commercially distributed and 173.43 lakh doses were delivered via the Covax programme under the aegis of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
- India along with South Africa in World Trade Organisation (WTO) moved a proposal in 2020 ‘to allow all countries to choose to neither grant nor enforce patents and other intellectual property related to COVID-19 drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other technologies for the duration of the pandemic, until global herd immunity is achieved’.
- This proposal was strongly objected to by several leading countries. WTO in June 2022 finally decided to water down intellectual property restrictions in manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines after rigorous efforts by India and partnering countries.
Way Forward:
- A treaty under the umbrella of WHO would build coherence and avoid fragmentation.
- Such a treaty should have provisions regarding data sharing and genome sequencing of emerging viruses.
- Treaty should formally commit governments and parliaments to implement an early warning system and a properly funded rapid response mechanism.
- It should mobilise nation-states to agree on a set of common metrics that are related to health investments that aim to reduce the public-private sector gap.
- India must take an active leadership role in evolving this treaty as a global pandemic treaty will not only reduce socioeconomic inequalities across nation states but also enhance global pandemic preparedness for future health emergencies.
Nut Graf: The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread poverty and a massive global recession and no single government or institution has been able to address this emergency singlehandedly. Widespread health inequality and failed global governance have necessitated the creation of a Global Pandemic Treaty. This will ensure strong political commitment to mitigate future challenges.
1. Medium of Instruction in Education
Syllabus: Children and Education related issues
Mains: Language policy in Education
Context: The National Education Policy’s (NEP) move to teach in the mother tongue could be a landmark decision that transforms learning in India.
Introduction:
- The NEP 2020 has advocated that “wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language” for both public and private schools.
- Over the years, educationists have emphasised the importance of learning in the mother tongue to enhance a child’s learning and overcome glaring inequities, but there has been an equally steady demand for English-medium schools in several States.
- A growing number of government schools, unable to bear the pressure from parents and to stop students from migrating to private schools, are switching to English medium.
Arguments against English as a Medium of Instruction:
- The mother tongue or the first language educationally means the language which the child is using to connect to the world and to make sense of everything that’s going on.
- This language helps the child to build, grow and develop in every way. The first language should be the language of the home, the language in which the child is communicating and interacting with the world around her.
- This encourages wholehearted engagement of students in the learning process and boosts their confidence.
- English as a medium of education has a severe impact on Indian education today as the vast majority of the Indian population are languishing because of their inability to learn in English.
- The English medium of education has excluded the vast majority from all opportunities except the lowest and the least-paying jobs.
Arguments in Favour of English as the Medium of Instruction:
- English as a global language opens up numerous career opportunities.
- As most technical and scientific books are available only in English and much of higher education is also imparted in English, this may hinder the access of students from government schools to STEM and higher education.
- In India, Basha schools (regional languages) have an extremely poor quality of education which makes it difficult to compete with their peers who have a much better education and proficiency in English.
Concerns with NEP:
- NEP’s suggestion on the medium of instruction is weak because of a lack of will to enforce it.
- It does not tackle the issue of inequity that arises out of the medium of instruction.
- NEP’s overall philosophy of the privatisation of education and marketisation with no regulatory control to the state further weakens the enforcement of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction.
Way Forward:
- English must be taught effectively as a second language in line with other non-English speaking countries. And that is the way it was taught in India till the 1980s and 1990s.
- Multilingualism gives equal status to all languages and as children come from different backgrounds, the multilingual approach is much more flexible, closer to the child, and inclusive.
- For example, in Kerala, they acknowledged that the classicised Malayalam that was being used in classrooms was not every child’s Malayalam, and the language in northern Kerala is different from that of the south. So, they changed the language curriculum, making it more inclusive for all children.
- Making special funds available for English teaching at local level schools could also help. These could be some steps in making school education somewhat more egalitarian.
Read more on National Education Policy.
Nut Graf: Instead of ad hoc decisions, the government should work on a language policy. The challenge of NEP is to implement it in letter and spirit. There is a need to create comprehensive, efficient and realistic guidelines and framework. A powerful political movement is necessary to make the language of learning a choice that is made democratically.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: Inclusive Growth & Issues Arising From It
Prelims: HDI and UNDP
Context: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently released its Human Development Report 2021-2022.
Human Development Index (HDI) 2021:
- The Index is part of the Human Development Report 2021-2022 released by the UNDP.
- The HDI measures the average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development calculated using four indicators
- A long and healthy life – calculated based on ‘life expectancy at birth’.
- Education – based on ‘mean years of schooling’ and ‘expected years of schooling’.
- A decent standard of living based on ‘Gross National Income (GNI) per capita’.
India and HDI:
- India ranks 132 out of 191 countries in the 2021 Index.
- India registered a decline in its score over two consecutive years for the first time in three decades.
- The drop is in line with the global trend since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic during which 90% of the countries have fallen backwards in human development.
- Performance in human development has declined due to various reasons such as the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine and environmental challenges.
- A large contributor to the HDI’s recent decline is a global drop in life expectancy, down from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71.4 years in 2021.
- India’s HDI score of 0.633 places it in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in 2018.
- The drop in HDI can be attributed to falling life expectancy at birth — from 70.7 years to 67.2 years.
- India’s expected years of schooling stand at 11.9 years, and the mean years of schooling are at 6.7 years.
- The GNI per capita level is $6,590.
Gender Inequality Index:
- Globally, gender inequality has worsened especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has increased 6.7% globally.
- However, India has shown a slight improvement in its Gender Inequality Index value as compared to the 2020 index (0.490 vs 0.493), after gender inequality worsened between 2019 and 2020 (0.486 vs 0.493).
- The index measures inequality in achievement between women and men in three dimensions — reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market.
G. Tidbits
Nothing here for today!!!
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. With respect to Human Development Index (HDI), which of the following statements is/are correct?(Level- Medium)
- It is released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- The HDI measures average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development — a long and healthy life, employment and a decent standard of living.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, The Human Development Index is part of the Human Development Report 2021-2022 released by the UNDP.
- Statement 02 is incorrect, The HDI measures the average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development calculated using four indicators
- A long and healthy life – calculated based on ‘life expectancy at birth’.
- Education – based on ‘mean years of schooling’ and ‘expected years of schooling’.
- A decent standard of living based on ‘Gross National Income (GNI) per capita’.
Q2. Consider the following statements: (Level-Difficult)
- The Delhi Durbar was held three times in 1897, 1903, and 1911.
- The 1911 Delhi Durbar was organised to celebrate the coronation of King George V
- George V was the only British monarch to attend the celebrations thrown in his honour in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is incorrect, The Delhi Durbar was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organised by the British to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India.
- Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911.
- Statement 02 is correct, The 1911 Delhi Durbar was organised to celebrate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in June of that year in London, Great Britain, to commemorate the historic moment.
- Statement 03 is correct, The 1911 Durbar was the only one that a sovereign, George V, attended.
Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level-Difficult)
- Bhitarkanika National Park is designated as a Ramsar site
- Bhitarkanika lies in the estuarine region of Brahmani-Baitarani rivers.
- Bhitarkanika is the second largest viable mangrove ecosystem of India.
- Bhitarkanika National Park is home to Saltwater crocodiles.
Options:
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Solution:
- Bhitarkanika National Park is a large national park in northeast Kendrapara district of Odisha in eastern India. Bhitarkanika is the second-largest Mangrove ecosystem in India.
- It is the breeding place for the endangered saltwater crocodiles.
- It obtained the status of a Ramsar site on August 19, 2002.
- It lies in the estuarial region of Brahmani-Baitarani with the Bay of Bengal lying in the East
Read more on Bhitarkanika National Park.
Q4. The Miyawaki Method is a well known technique to: (Level-Medium)
- Artificially breed prawns and shrimps
- Create dense forests
- Focus on Marine Pollution
- Produce crops through the natural process instead of using chemicals
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Miyawaki is an afforestation method based on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s.
- This unique method is used worldwide for urban afforestation by growing a forest in someone’s backyard.
Read more on the Miyawaki method.
Q5. Consider the following pairs: (Level-Difficult)
Reservoirs: States
1. Ghataprabha: Telangana
2. Gandhi Sagar: Madhya Pradesh
3. Indira Sagar: Andhra Pradesh
4. Maithon: Chhattisgarh
How many pairs given above are not correctly matched?
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- All four pairs
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Pair 01 is incorrectly matched, The Ghataprabha Reservoir is located in Belagavi, Karnataka. The Ghataprabha River is a major tributary of the River Krishna.
- Pair 02 is correctly matched, The Gandhi Sagar Dam is one of the four major dams built on the Chambal River. It is a masonry dam located in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.
- Pair 03 is incorrectly matched, The Indira Sagar Dam is the largest dam in India, in terms of volume of water stored in the reservoir. It is located on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh.
- Pair 04 is incorrectly matched, Maithon dam is located on the banks of river Barakar in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The dam with an underground power station is one of its kind in the whole of Southeast Asia.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Colonial legacy lies in colonial era laws as well and not just in colonial-era infrastructure. Elaborate. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-2; Polity)
- Assess the role played by India in ensuring a worldwide availability of the Covid-19 vaccine at affordable prices. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-2; International Relations)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 09 Sep 2022:- Download PDF Here
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