CNA 10 Sep 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. Income Tax Survey of NGOs 2. Loan Apps and RBI D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials DISASTER MANAGEMENT 1. The stark reasons why Bengaluru is sinking INDIAN SOCIETY 1. Moving out of the shadows, from silence to assertion F. Prelims Facts 1. National Rural Livelihoods Mission G. Tidbits 1. Diamond League Title H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
Syllabus: Health related issues
Mains: Policies on Tuberculosis eradication
Context: Recently, the President of India Droupadi Murmu virtually launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
Introduction:
- India has the world’s highest tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease and approximately 4 lakh people dying from the disease every year.
Image Credit: The Print
- TB usually affects the most economically productive age group of society resulting in a significant loss of lives, working days and income resulting in poverty.
- The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing a National Strategic Plan with the goal to achieve SDG End TB targets by 2025.
Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:
- Objectives:
- To provide additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients.
- Augment community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025.
- Leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
- The ‘Ni-kshay Mitra initiative’ was also launched which forms a vital component of the Abhiyaan.
- The Ni-kshay Mitra portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment.
- The minimum period of commitment for providing additional support to the TB patient shall be one year.
- This program includes co-operative societies, corporates, elected representatives, individuals, institutions, non-governmental organisations, political parties who can support by adopting health facilities (for individual donors), blocks/urban wards/districts/states for accelerating response against TB.
- The State and district administration will support Ni-kshay Mitras in prioritising districts and provide guidance on critical gap analysis and district-specific needs.
- The support provided to the patient under this initiative is in addition to the free diagnostics, free drugs and Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana provided by National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to all TB patients notified from both the public and private sectors.
Expected Output of the Initiative:
- This will increase the active awareness and involvement of society in the fight against tuberculosis.
- The involvement of the community also helps in the reduction of stigma.
- Additional support to the TB patient shall also result in the reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure.
- Improved nutrition will result in better treatment outcomes.
Way Forward:
- The approach to eradicating TB requires a multi-sectoral response to address the social determinants like nutritional support, living and working conditions, and an increase in access to diagnostic and treatment services.
- Although the efforts of the government are yielding significant results, the community and the institutions in the society can play a critical role in filling gaps and addressing social determinants, thereby contributing to the national goal.
Nut Graf: This Abhiyan is in line with PM Modi’s call to end TB in the country by 2025, five years ahead of the SDG target of 2030 at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018. This is the right step towards garnering community support for a patient-centric health system.
C. GS 3 Related
Syllabus: Investment
Mains: FCRA And NGOs in India
Context: The Income-Tax (I-T) department recently conducted raids at the offices of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and Oxfam India.
Introduction:
- The raids were reportedly conducted with simultaneous searches in at least 110 locations in various states.
- It is conducted on suspicion of financial irregularities over funding of more than 20 registered but unrecognised political parties (RUPPs).
Issue:
- This survey took place on the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC), which had recently struck off at least 198 entities from its list of RUPP after they were found non-existent during physical verification.
- The EC had announced that it was taking action against more than 2,100 entities, categorised as RUPP by it, for flouting rules and election laws, including those related to the filing of monetary contributions, failing to update their addresses and names of office bearers, as some of these political parties were indulging in serious “financial impropriety”.
- The union government has revised the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) rules 2011 in 2020 to ban NGOs that were political in nature.
- Oxfam India has said that the IT survey team took all data by cloning its server and private mobile phones of the senior leadership team and this Income Tax survey was undertaken without giving a reason.
- In December 2021, the renewal of the FCRA licence was denied by the Union Home Ministry.
FCRA:
- The FCRA was first enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations.
- It sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic”.
- An amended FCRA was enacted in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on the utilisation of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to national interest”.
Read more on FCRA.
Nut Graf: The Income Tax department conducted raids and surveys in various states in separate cases related to alleged tax evasion, FCRA violations, and illicit funding of registered unrecognised political parties against some Delhi-based think tanks. One of the NGOs, Oxfam India has alleged that the IT survey team took all data by cloning its server and private mobile phones without giving any reasons.
Syllabus: Banking Sector & NBFCs
Mains: Framework on Digital lending in India
Context: The Union Finance Ministry has released certain guidelines regarding legal loan apps amid ongoing loan app scams.
Guidelines:
- The Union Finance Ministry has asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to prepare a ‘whitelist’ of legal loan apps.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has been tasked with ensuring only such applications are available on app stores.
- All agencies have been asked to ‘take all possible actions to prevent operations of such illegal loan apps’.
‘Monitor mule accounts’
- The central bank has also been asked to monitor ‘mule or rented’ accounts which can be used for money laundering.
- A mule account or money mule is generally part of the first phase of money laundering, called placement, in which illicit funds are integrated into the financial system. The account may be opened using the mule’s actual personal information or using a synthetic identity.
- It has also been asked to review and cancel dormant non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to avoid their misuse by such app operators.
- The RBI will ensure that the registration of payment aggregators is completed within a timeframe and no unregistered payment aggregator is allowed to function after that, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Concerns with Illegal loan apps:
- The Union Finance Minister expressed concern about illegal loan apps offering microcredit as they are targeting vulnerable and low-income people at exorbitantly high interest rates and resorting to blackmail and criminal intimidation to recover such loans.
- Ministry also flagged the ‘possibility of money laundering, tax evasions, breach of privacy and data, and misuse of unregulated payment aggregators, shell companies, defunct NBFCs by the app operators.
Read more on Illegal Loan apps
Nut Graf: In the wake of the rising cases of illegal lending applications offering loans or micro-credits, the Union Finance Ministry’s issuing of guidelines to regulate these apps is a welcome step to protect the borrowers from unscrupulous elements.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. The stark reasons why Bengaluru is sinking
Syllabus: Disaster and disaster management.
Mains: Urban floods.
Context: Heavy rains in Bengaluru.
Details:
- Two weeks of heavy rainfall in Bengaluru has flooded the city, not sparing even the luxury layouts.
- The politicians are blaming each other for bringing a ‘bad name’ to Bengaluru. Many debates also turned racist and parochial, blaming migrants for the situation.
- The climate experts have cited the following reasons for the floods:
- Encroachment into watersheds and lakes which were transformed into private lands.
- Destroyed wetlands.
- Deforestation.
- Concretization of land.
- Expansion of the city disbanding the village panchayats and creating 6 city municipal corporations, that were consequently merged into the Bhruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
For more information on Urban Floods, read here: Urban Flooding: Overview, Factors and Steps for Mitigation in India
Comparison with western countries:
- Various cities in the United States and Europe are examples of the ruthless destruction of the environment, and unbridled construction activities that became engines of economic growth.
- These cities also saw the nexus of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, deliberately avoiding the sustainability of the environment for short-term gains.
- These cities benefited from migration, which brought in skill and energy. However, they faced impediments in public welfare provisions similar to what India is facing at present. These challenges were:
- The issue of free riders, where people accepted the benefits of the growth and development without paying any taxes.
- The environmental depletion.
- The only point of difference between India and western countries is the time. These cities grew when climate change was not a major issue. But now when climate change is a reality, any further damage to the environment will unleash cascading disasters.
Also read: Floods in India – Causes, Economic Loss, Measures
Measures Ahead:
- Institutional Measures:
- The traditional and old institutions should be replaced by a constitutionally compliant organization with local governments at the helm of affairs.
- Multiple institutions should be merged as they increase the complexity of working. For instance, eleven independent authorities can be merged and subordinated to the Metropolitan Planning Committee.
- Community Role:
- The community should take tough decisions as climate resilience goes beyond flood control.
- They should minimize the environmental damage. Decisions like curbing car travel and improving public transport can be helpful.
- The existing green cover should be preserved and afforestation both in the city and surrounding regions must be undertaken.
- The pavements should be de-concretized and the segregation of garbage should be the priority as unsegregated garbage clogs drain and exacerbate the floods.
- The sewage treatment plants’ operational standards should be adequately enforced.
- Moreover, steps like improving ‘Rajakaluves’ that were demonstrated by building an eleven-kilometre channel should be taken up.
- Rajkaluves are channels that connect waterbodies.
- Restoring wetland and tank beds.
- Better people should be elected in authorized organizations like municipal corporations. The political choices of people can have a significant impact on efficient decision-making.
Related Links: Floods – Definition, Causes & Impact
Nut Graf: Any delay in addressing the issue of rampant and unsustainable development will result in nature reclaiming its due in the future. As the effects of global warming intensify, all the stakeholders should come together rather than blame each other. Moreover, the community should play the most important role as the disaster treats all, the rich and the poor equally.
1. Moving out of the shadows, from silence to assertion
Syllabus: Issues relating to Women.
Mains: Muslim Women’s rights.
Context: A Talaq-e-Hasan petition was filed by a woman.
Details:
- A Muslim woman has filed a petition against the recent judgment on ‘Talak-e-Hasan’, which pronounced that the divorce under it was “not so improper”.
- Talaq-e-Hasan is a practice where divorce is pronounced to the wife by the husband once a month, consecutively for three months.
- The Supreme Court Bench also brought to the counsel’s notice the possibility of exploring divorce through Khula (Muslim woman’s right to divorce) and Mubarat (mutual consent).
- The Court’s observation continues the trend of the higher judiciary taking into consideration Muslim couples’ right to dissolve an unhappy marital relationship.
- The case also highlights the increasing propensity of Muslim women to resort to judicial options for their rights. This is a clear departure from the earlier times when they were reluctant on approaching courts for redressal of marital grievances.
- There is a greater awareness of the rights of women, as many Muslim women are walking out of abusive marriages. This is evident from the fact that there are more cases of khula in Darul Qazas/shariah courts in comparison to that of instant triple talaq, post the 2017 verdict of instant triple talaq.
The recent changes:
- Many women were seen standing up for their right of wearing the Hijab. This is reflective of the newfound confidence of Muslim women.
- Many women went up a step ahead in pointing out that men should also observe limited purdah as quoted in Islam. They were seen quoting the verses of the Koran and the Constitution to assert their rights.
- Muslim women have also been demanding the right to enter mosques to pray, which was considered a men-only zone. This was initiated with a petition in the Haji Ali Dargah case in 2016.
- These changes are in contrast to earlier cases like the Babri Masjid protest and the Shah Bano case which saw limited women’s participation.
- The Muslim women took the nation by storm when they assumed the leadership for protest against the Constitutional (Amendment) Act(CAA) in December 2019. They even went against the religious leaders of the Jama Masjid and the Ajmer Dargah which were in favour of CAA.
Persisting challenges:
- Even though women have started asserting their rights through khula, many clerics/religious leaders still insist on the man’s consent for divorce, thereby defeating the purpose of khula.
- Similarly, cases against Nikah Halala are pending before the highest courts for many years and the practice still continues.
- Many Maulanas (religious leaders/clerics) are still of the view that despite being pronounced in haste divorce by man is final.
Related Links: Uniform Civil Code – Debate, Challenges, Article 44 of Constitution.
Nut Graf: The quiet churning that is happening within the Muslim community is heralding the winds of change. Indian Muslim women have found a voice of their own and clearly expressing it through constitutional means.
F. Prelims Facts
1. National Rural Livelihoods Mission
Syllabus: Role of Women and Women’s Organisation
Prelims: Government Schemes
Context: The Union Ministry of Rural Development is conducting a campaign to expand the Self Help Group footprint in India.
Key Details:
- The Union Ministry of Rural Development recently announced a nationwide campaign to expedite the inclusion of women who are left out of the umbrella of Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Rural Livelihood Mission.
- As on August 31, over 8.5 crore families have been linked with 78.33 lakh SHGs under the scheme.
- During the campaign, women’s institutions in villages would conduct a social mobilisation event where each member would bring a friend or neighbour who was not an SHG member.
- The campaign also aims to ensure that SHGs are included in higher-level federations; tier two level Village Organisations (VOs) and tier three level Cluster Level Federations (CLFs ).
- Bank accounts will be opened for all the SHGs, VOs and CLFs within seven days of being formed.
- The main objective of the campaign is to develop SHGs to lead programmes for the livelihood and social development of the poor.
Read more on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Rural Livelihood Mission.
G. Tidbits
- Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League title.
- He won the Men’s Javelin throw event at the Zurich Diamond League Final 2022.
- It was his third appearance in the Diamond League Finals.
- He was awarded a Diamond Trophy, $30,000 prize money and a wildcard for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
- He is the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s javelin throw and the first track and field athlete to win a gold medal for India at the Olympics.
- The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings.
- The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day meeting competitions.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following pairs: (Level-Difficult)
Drones Country of Origin
- MQ-9B USA
- Heron TP France
- SWITCH Russia
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Pair 01 is correctly matched, The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 “Reaper” which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile. India is in an “advanced stage” of negotiations with the U.S. to procure 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones for over $3 billion.
- Pair 02 is incorrectly matched, The IAI Eitan is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft developed in Israel in the early 21st century by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries. The aircraft is a newer version of the IAI Heron.
- Pair 03 is incorrectly matched, SWITCH UAV is an indigenous system built to cater to the most demanding surveillance operations of the Indian Forces. It is developed by Indian tech firm Idea Forge.
- It is a Fixed Wing VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) UAV that can be deployed at high altitudes and in harsh environments for day and night surveillance in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
- It is man-portable and has the highest time on target compared to any other UAV in its class.
Q2. With respect to suspension of the Internet, which of the following statements is/are incorrect? (Level-Medium)
- The Rules, issued under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, stipulate that only the Director General of Police (DGP) can pass such an order at the State Level.
- Access to the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- None
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is incorrect, In the case of the central government, the review committee comprises the Cabinet Secretary and the Secretaries of the Departments of Legal Affairs and Telecommunications.
- In the case of states, the committee comprises the Chief Secretary, Secretary, Law or Legal Remembrancer In-Charge, Legal Affairs, and a Secretary to the state government (other than the Home Secretary).
- In “unavoidable circumstances”, the order can be issued by an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary or above, authorised by the Centre or the state Home Secretary.
- Statement 02 is correct, The Supreme Court of India has declared access to the internet a fundamental right.
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- The Supreme Court ruling is also in sync with the United Nations’ recommendation that every country should make access to the Internet a fundamental right.
- In India, Kerala was the first state in 2017 to declare access to the Internet “a basic human right”.
Q3. Which of the following statements with respect to Subhash Chandra Bose is/are correct? (Level-Medium)
- He was influenced by the teachings of Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda.
- While Gandhi was anti-materialistic and hostile to modern technology, Bose saw technology and mass production as essential to survival and dignity.
- Bose wanted a decentralised society.
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, Subhash Chandra Bose considered Vivekananda as his spiritual teacher. Bose told, that under the “sacred influence” of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda his own life got awakened.
- Statement 02 is correct, Gandhi was anti-materialistic and hostile to modern technology, Bose saw technology and mass production as essential to survival and dignity.
- Statement 03 is incorrect, Gandhi wanted a decentralised society and disliked the modern state, Bose wanted a strong central government and saw the modern state as the only solution to India’s problems.
Q4. With respect to All India Forward Bloc, which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level-Difficult)
- It emerged in 1939 as a faction of the Indian National Congress (INC).
- The objective was to bring the radical-left elements of INC together.
- The initial committee of the Forward Bloc had Subhash Chandra Bose as president, Khurshed Nariman from Punjab as its vice-president.
Options:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statements 01 and 02 are correct, The All India Forward Bloc is a left-wing nationalist political party that emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhash Chandra Bose.
- Statement 03 is incorrect, In July 1939 Subhash Chandra Bose announced the Committee of the Forward Bloc. It had Subhash Chandra Bose as president, S.S. Kavishar from Punjab as its vice-president, Lal Shankarlal from Delhi, as its general secretary and Vishwambhar Dayalu Tripathi and Khurshed Nariman from Bombay as secretaries.
Q5. With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements: (Level-Difficult)(UPSC Prelims-2022)
- Wild animals are the sole property of the government.
- When a wild animal is declared protected, such an animal is entitled to equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside.
- Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2
- 2 only
- 1 and 3
- 3 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 states that every Wild Animal shall be the property of the State Government, and, where such animal is hunted in a sanctuary or National Park declared by the Central Government, such animal shall be the property of the Central Government.
- Statement 02 is correct, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, does not discriminate between animals found in protected areas and outside. It provides for equal protection for wild animals irrespective of where they are found.
- Statement 03 is incorrect, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 states that only if the wild animal becomes a danger to human life or is diseased or disabled beyond recovery can it be allowed to be captured or killed by the competent authority, the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Inflation in India is usually categorised as Cost-Push inflation and not Demand Pull. Identify the differences between the two and the reasons why India faces the former. (250 words; 15 marks) ( GS-3; Economics))
- Urban floods are becoming increasingly common in India due to various reasons. Elaborate on these reasons and the methods to curtail this problem. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-3; Disaster Management)
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 10 Sep 2022:- Download PDF Here
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