13 Sep 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

13 Sep 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. A counter-coalition of Eurasian powers
2. More logistics pacts on the cards
2. A spectre is haunting Brexit
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Plea to uphold right of appeal in contempt case
C. GS 3 Related
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Science behind air-breathing scramjet engine
2. NIMHANS develops new Indian Brain Templates
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Foreign funds & NGOs
F. Tidbits
1. Steep decline
G. Prelims Facts
1. Cosmos modelling
2. Singapore Convention on Mediation comes into force
3. Dhrupad Sansthan to reconsider ICC composition
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. A counter-coalition of Eurasian powers

Context:

Background:

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

  • The SCO was founded in June 2001, built on the ‘Shanghai Five’ grouping of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) and Tajikistan.
  • In 2001, the Shanghai Five inducted Uzbekistan into the group and named it the SCO.
  •  In July 2015 in Ufa, Russia, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members. Both signed the memorandum of obligations in June 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as full members. In June 2017, at a summit in Astana, India and Pakistan officially joined SCO as full members.
  • The SCO has four observer states — Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia.
  • SCO has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.
  • The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.

Significance:

Conflict resolution:

  • Conflict resolution has been an important goal of the SCO to ensure regional stability and security.
  • Though the SCO Charter doesn’t allow any bilateral dispute to be taken up, but it provides a comfortable platform for building mutual trust, expanding cooperation, finding common ground and eventually, creating conditions for dialogue between countries.
  • The platform has previously played a key role in conflict resolution between China and Russia, and among Central Asian republics.
    • The 1996 meeting of the Shanghai Five, resulted in an ‘Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas’ between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which led to an agreement on the mutual reduction of military forces on their common borders in 1997. Subsequently, it helped push the Central Asian countries to resolve some of their boundary disputes as well.

Strengthening co-operation:

  • The SCO as stated in its Charter that was adopted in St. Petersburg in 2002, seeks to promote effective cooperation between member nations in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas.

Concerns:

Militarization of SCO:

  • The SCO is viewed by the U.S. and Europe as an “Anti-NATO” organization given the proposals for military cooperation.
  • In 2005, the Astana declaration of the SCO called for SCO countries to work on a “joint SCO response to situations that threaten peace, security and stability in the region”, indicating the group’s strategic ambitions.

India’s views regarding the SCO:

  • India joined the SCO as observer in 2005, and was admitted as a full member in 2015.
  • India chose to join the SCO even when it was looking to strengthen its relationship with the west led by the U.S. and EU. Even though India has been part of the SCO, it has also strengthened its relationship with the maritime ‘Quadrilateral’ of the U.S., Japan and Australia.
  • India membership of these two seemingly oppositely aligned groups is based on India’s foreign policy principle of “strategic autonomy and multi-alignment”.

2. More logistics pacts on the cards

Context:

  • India’s logistics agreement with other countries.

Details:

  • India has signed several logistics agreements in recent years, beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA) with the U.S. in 2016.
  • In June 2020, India and Australia signed the Mutual Logistics Support (MLSA) and also announced a joint declaration on a shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information on this issue refer to: CNA 5th June 2020

  • The logistics pact with Japan, Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between armed forces was signed in September, 2020.

For more information on this issue refer to: CNA 10th September 2020

  • The agreement with Russia, the Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS), is expected to be signed during the upcoming bilateral summit.
  • India is now working on similar agreements with the U.K. and Vietnam.

Significance:

Sign of strengthening relationship:

  • The signing of these logistics pacts have been in the backdrop of strengthening bilateral relation between the two countries.
    • India and the U.S. have gone on to sign other bilateral agreements like the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), indicative of the deepening relationship between India and the U.S.
    • The Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services pact with Japan comes with an agreement for deeper cooperation between the Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
    • The Mutual Logistics Support (MLSA) with Australia comes in the backdrop of alleviating the bilateral relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership status.

Utility for the Navy:

  • The India Navy will be the biggest beneficiary of these logistics pacts as this will enable the Indian Navy to extend their area of operation without the constraints of logistic supplies.
  • Given that India now has military logistics agreements with all Quad countries, Australia, Japan and the U.S., this will significantly help improve interoperability between these countries as they also operate several common military platforms. The utility of the agreements will become evident during the upcoming Malabar naval exercise.

Agreement with Russia:

  • The Reciprocal Logistics Support agreement with Russia will give India access to Russian facilities in the Arctic region which is seeing increased global activity as new shipping routes open up and resources become available.

3. A spectre is haunting Brexit

This issue has been covered previously in the following article: CNA 8th September 2020.

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Plea to uphold Right of Appeal in contempt case

Context:

  • The contempt case verdict against civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

Background:

  • Prashant Bhushan was recently punished for contempt with a nominal fine of Rs. 1. He was found guilty of scandalising the Supreme Court with his tweets.

For more information on this issue refer to: CNA 1st September 2020.

Details:

  • Prashant Bhushan has filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court for a declaration upholding the Right of Appeal of a person found guilty of contempt.
    • A person found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court cannot file an appeal. He has to accept the verdict unquestioningly.
  • The argument made against the current practice is that it would grant unlimited and arbitrary powers to the judge of the Supreme Court.
  • The petition calls for certain safeguards to protect the liberty of the contemnor. It calls for a provision of an intra-court appeal in such cases wherein the review proceedings on a finding of guilt in a contempt case should be heard by a different Bench in open court.
  • The petition argues that such a provision would reduce the chances of arbitrary, vengeful and high-handed decisions.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Science behind air-breathing scramjet engine

Context:

  • The test flight of the hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV).

Background:

  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a flight test of the hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) off Odisha’s coast.
  • This HSTDV was able to fly at a hypersonic speed of Mach six for about 20 seconds.

For more information on this topic refer to: CNA 8th September 2020.

Technologies involved:

Propulsion system:

  • The most critical component of the HSTDV would be the propulsion system. The HSTDV’s propulsion system is the indigenously developed air-breathing scramjet engine.

Ramjet engine:

  • A ramjet operates by combustion of fuel in a stream of air compressed by the forward speed of the aircraft itself, as opposed to a normal jet engine, in which the compressor section (the fan blades) compresses the air.
  • The air flow through a ramjet engine is subsonic, or less than the speed of sound. Ramjet-propelled vehicles operate from about Mach 3 to Mach 6.

Scramjet engine:

  • A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variant of a ramjet air breathing jet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow.
  • A ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion, while the airflow in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire engine. That allows the scramjet to operate efficiently at extremely high speeds.
  • Scramjet powered vehicles are envisioned to operate at speeds up to at least Mach 15.

Heat resistant materials:

  • Given the high speeds achieved by the HSTDV, high temperatures are experienced on the leading edges of the cruiser’s wings, tail surface and nose tip due to air friction.
  • This would require the development of high heat resistant materials.
  • DRDO developed special materials to take care of the high temperatures generated in the HSDTV.

Significance:

  • India mastering the scramjet engine technology will help pave the way for developing many more critical technologies like scramjet technology and high-performance materials. This could find application in other fields (spinoff technologies).
  • Mastering the air-breathing scramjet technology holds immense significance in the following ways.
    • Air-breathing scramjet technology will lead to the development of hypersonic missiles. Hypersonic missiles are extremely difficult to track and destroy with the existing missile defence systems. This would give India a strong defence deterrent against its rivals. So far, only US, Russia and China have the hypersonic missile technology.
    • Air-breathing scramjet technology could also help make civilian air transportation faster.
    • Given that air-breathing scramjet technology is based on taking the oxidizing element (Oxygen) from the surrounding atmosphere, this technology could help satellite launch vehicles avoid the need to carry oxidizers along with the fuel. This could help drastically reduce the launch load of the launch vehicles and will thus help decrease the launch costs of satellites.

2. NIMHANS develops new Indian Brain Templates

Context:

  • Indian Brain Templates (IBT) and the brain atlas developed by neuroscientists from NIMHANS.

Background:

  • The brain size and shape differ across ages, and across regions and ethnicities, and even within a population.
  • While some countries have their own scale to measure the brain, India is still dependent on the Caucasian brain template to compare and diagnose the Indian brain scans.

Details:

  • The neuroscientists studied over 500 brain scans of Indian patients to develop five sets of templates and a brain atlas for five age groups covering late childhood to late adulthood (six to 60 years).

Significance:

  • The templates and atlas will provide more precise reference maps for Indian patients with neurological disorders like strokes, brain tumours, and dementia. The new templates and atlas will allow neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists in India to map the brain structure of their patients and make an accurate assessment.
  • The templates and atlas will also help pool useful information of the human brain and psychological functions, aiding our understanding of psychiatric illnesses like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism, substance dependence, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Foreign funds & NGOs

Context:

  • The licences of 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been suspended so far this year under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.

Background:

  • Over the last few years, the licences of 20,664 NGOs or associations registered under the FCRA have been cancelled for violations such as mis-utilisation of foreign contribution, non-submission of mandatory annual returns and diversion of foreign funds for other purposes.
  • The government has also cracked down on foreign donors such as the U.S.-based Compassion International, Ford Foundation etc and has placed them on a ‘watch list’ or in the ‘prior permission’ category.

For more information on this refer to: September 7th 2020 CNA

Details:

What is the FCRA?

  • The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act was first enacted in 1976 and it was further amended in 2010.
  • The FCRA regulates foreign donations and ensures that such contributions do not adversely affect internal security.

Ambit of the FCRA

  • The FCRA is applicable to all associations, groups and NGOs which intend to receive foreign donations.
  • It is mandatory for such organizations to register themselves under the FCRA.

Exceptions:

  • The Home Ministry has the power to exempt any association or organization, not being a political party, from provisions on receiving contributions under the FCRA.
  • Under these powers, the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and six other organisations, including the Overseas India Development Foundation and Bharat Ke Veer, have been exempted from all FCRA provisions.
  • The Central government has also exempted all such entities which are created by a Central Act or a State Act or orders or are “fully controlled and owned” by the Central or State governments and are also compulsorily audited by CAG [Comptroller &Auditor General] from all provisions of the FCRA.

Registration for the FCRA

  • The registration with FCRA is initially valid for five years and it can be renewed subsequently if they comply with all norms.

Regulations:

  • Registered associations can receive foreign contribution for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural purposes.
  • Filing of annual returns, on the lines of Income Tax, is compulsory.
  • Under the newly notified rules of 2015, NGOs are required to give an undertaking that the acceptance of foreign funds is not likely to prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India or impact friendly relations with any foreign state and does not disrupt communal harmony.
  • Foreign funding organizations would have to operate accounts in either nationalised or private banks which have core banking facilities. This would allow security agencies to assess their transactions on a real time basis.

Suspension or cancellation of registration:

  • The MHA on inspection of accounts and on receiving any adverse input against the functioning of an association can suspend the FCRA registration initially for 180 days.
  • Until a decision is taken, the association cannot receive any fresh donation and cannot utilise more than 25% of the amount available in the designated bank account without permission of the MHA.
  • The MHA can cancel the registration of an organisation which will not be eligible for registration or grant of ‘prior permission’ for three years from the date of cancellation.

Aspects related to foreign donations for political parties:

  • Under the original act, members of the legislature and political parties, government officials, judges and media persons are prohibited from receiving any foreign contribution.
  • In 2017 an amendment allowed the political parties to receive funds from the Indian subsidiary of a foreign company or a foreign company in which an Indian holds 50% or more shares.

Other methods to receive foreign funding:

  • Apart from the registration route under FCRA to receive foreign funding, another way to receive foreign contributions is by applying for prior permission.
  • Under such a route, the association should be registered under statutes such as the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, or Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
  • Prior permission is granted for receipt of a specific amount from a specific donor for carrying out specific activities or projects.

F. Tidbits

1. Steep decline

  • A report brought out by the World Wildlife Fund notes that on average, wildlife populations dropped by 68% between 1970 and 2016.
  • Latin America and the Caribbean have been the worst-hit regions with a decline of about 94%.
  • The report points to food production as the biggest driver of this wildlife loss.

G. Prelims Facts

1. Cosmos modelling

  • As the light emitted by distant galaxies passes by massive objects in the universe, the gravitational pull from these objects can distort or bend the light. This is called gravitational lensing.
  • Gravitational lensing enables observations of the distant universe.
  • A recent scientific study has revealed that even smaller concentrations of matter can show gravitational lensing

2. Singapore Convention on Mediation comes into force

  • The Singapore Convention on Mediation, also known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation has come into force.
  • This will provide a more effective way for enforcing mediated settlements of corporate disputes
  • The harmonised and simplified enforcement framework under the Convention will lead to savings in time and legal costs for the businesses. This would boost the countries ‘ease of doing business’ credentials.
  • As on September 1, the Convention has 53 signatories, including India, China and the U.S.

3. Dhrupad Sansthan to reconsider ICC composition

  • Dhrupad is the oldest surviving classical style of Hindustani vocal music.
  • Dhrupad music is of temple origin.
  • Although Dhrupad consolidated its position as a classical form of music in the 13th century, it reached its zenith during Akbar’s reign.
  • The Gundecha brothers are a well-knowm name under the Dagari Gharana of the dhrupad style.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

1. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
  1. Ramjet and Scramjet engines do not have a compressor unlike the traditional jet engines.
  2. Ramjet engines have subsonic velocity of the gases in the combustion chamber while the Scramjet engines have supersonic velocity in the combustion chamber.
  3. Ramjet engines unlike Scramjet engines are most efficient at hypersonic speeds.

Options:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1,2 and 3 only
  4. 1 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

Ramjet engine:

  • A ramjet operates by combustion of fuel in a stream of air compressed by the forward speed of the aircraft itself, as opposed to a normal jet engine, in which the compressor section (the fan blades) compresses the air.
  • The air flow through a ramjet engine is subsonic, or less than the speed of sound. Ramjets work most efficiently at supersonic speeds around Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) and can operate up to speeds of Mach 6. However, the ramjet efficiency starts to drop when the vehicle reaches hypersonic speeds.

Scramjet engine:

  • A scramjet engine is an improvement over the ramjet engine as it efficiently operates at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion. Thus it is known as Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, or Scramjet.
  • A ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion, while the airflow in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire engine. That allows the scramjet to operate efficiently at extremely high speeds.
2. Which of the following pair/s is/are correctly matched?
  1. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA): U.S.
  2. Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA): Australia
  3. Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services: Japan
  4. Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS): Russia

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 1,2 and 4 only
  3. 3 and 4 only
  4. 1,2,3 and 4
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • India has signed several logistics agreements in recent years.
  • India has signed several logistics agreements in recent years, beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA) with the U.S. in 2016.
  • In June 2020, India and Australia signed the Mutual Logistics Support (MLSA) and also announced a joint declaration on a shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
  • The logistics pact with Japan, Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between armed forces was signed in September, 2020.
  • The agreement with Russia, the Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS), is expected to be signed during the upcoming bilateral summit.
3. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
  1. India officially became a full time member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the Astana summit of the SCO in 2017.
  2. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

  • The SCO was founded in June 2001, built on the ‘Shanghai Five’ grouping of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) and Tajikistan.
  • In 2001, the Shanghai Five inducted Uzbekistan into the group and named it the SCO.
  • In July 2015 in Ufa, Russia, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members. Both signed the memorandum of obligations in June 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as full members.  June 2017, at a summit in Astana, India and Pakistan officially joined SCO as full members.
  • Currently, the SCO has four observer states — Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia.
  • SCO has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.
4. Which of the following gharana is not associated with the Dhrupad style?
  1. Dagari
  2. Kirana
  3. Bettiah
  4. Darbhanga
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • Dhrupad singing is further classified into the following four forms on the basis of vanis they use for the performance:
  • Dagari
  • Darbhanga
  • Bettiah
  • Talwandi
  • The Kirana Gharana is a form of the Khayal style of Hindustani classical music.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. Discuss the major provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the need for such legislation. (10 marks, 150 words)(GS Paper 2/Polity and Governance)
  2. The Mastering the air-breathing scramjet technology and the successful testing of the hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) holds immense significance for India. Comment. (10 marks, 150 words)(GS Paper 3/Science and Technology)

 

Read the previous CNA here.

13 Sep 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

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