22 Aug 2019: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS1 Related

Context:

A team of Indian and French researchers has found that the hot arid desert of Kutch was once a humid subtropical forest.

The Discovery:

• The conclusion is based on the discovery of a tranche of vertebrate fossils from nearly 14 million years ago in a geological period known as the Miocene.
• The fossils, consisting mostly of ribs, and parts of teeth and bones, were unearthed from Palasava village of Rapar taluk in Kutch, Gujarat.
• After the discovery, the research team took nearly 12 years for analysis.

Details of the ‘Forest’:

• The fossil finds suggest that a rich diversity of fauna and flora sustained in warm, humid/wet, tropical to subtropical environmental conditions.
• The forest may have supported a variety of birds, freshwater fish and possibly giraffes and rhinos.
• The bulk of fossils unearthed in Kutch have so far been mainly marine organisms, due to their proximity to the Arabian Sea.
• Geological changes eventually closed off the salt-flats’ connection to the sea and the region turned into a large lake, eventually becoming salty wetlands.

Importance of the Discovery:

• The findings point to clues on how mammals dispersed between Africa and the Indian subcontinent when a part of India was in the Gondwanaland supercontinent that existed nearly 300 million years ago.
• The findings also showed Kutch to be a potential treasure trove of mammal fossils with possible continuity to vertebrate fossils in the Siwalik, spanning Pakistan to Nepal.

Context:

• The Central Bureau of Investigation took former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram into custody on charges against him in the INX Media case.

Details:

• Chidambaram had held a press conference immediately before the arrest, refuting all the charges against him.
• A CBI team along with a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) entered his residence to take him into custody.
• His plea for anticipatory bail was denied by the Delhi High Court and was not entertained by the Supreme Court.

Illegal FIPB Nod?

• The main offence revolves around certain ‘illegal’ approvals by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) during his tenure as former Finance Minister and alleged kickbacks received by his son through shell companies
• The agencies allege that in several cases, including Aircel-Maxis and INX Media, ‘illegal’ approvals were granted.

Erstwhile FIPB:

• Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) was operated under the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
• It used to provide for a time bound and transparent mechanism for considering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals requiring Government approval.
• In 2017, the Union Cabinet has approved the abolition of the FIPB.

Shell Companies:

• A shell company is described as a non-trading organization that does not engage in any activity but exists only as a medium for another organization’s business activity.
• Shell companies are usually listed on the stock exchange and are not illegal inherently.
• However, a large number of them are used as a vehicle for illegal activities like tax avoidance or for trying to cover up a trail of money.
• These companies exist only on paper and have no physical presence.

Allegations based on Shell Companies:

• In one Shell Company, deposits of more than ₹300 Cr. were made.
• One firm received payments from a British Virgin Islands-based company, which had figured in the Panama Papers.
• The ED is pursuing money-laundering charges and investments in movable/immovable assets in India and countries such as the U.K., Spain and Malaysia.
• It claims to have identified more than two dozen foreign bank accounts.
• The shareholders and directors of a main shell company had made a Will transferring the entire shareholding to Chidambaram’s granddaughter, according to the ED.

To know more about the CBI and the FIPB, click on the links in the table below:

Context:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that India should be wary of a possible U.S.-Pakistan deal on Afghanistan.

Details:

• Karzai, who was in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, said that he had conveyed the fear and concern associated with the possibility of a deal that involved Pakistan.
• He added that the Afghans have suffered massively the consequences of American-Pakistani deals.
• He also rejected Pakistan’s threat that India’s move on Article 370 would have consequences for the Afghan peace process.
• According to him, Pakistan’s desire to link the two indicates that it still sees Afghanistan as a place for ‘strategic depth’.

Background:

• U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was set to begin another round of talks in Doha to try and reach a deal with the Taliban.
• Afghanistan has made it clear with Ambassador Khalilzad that they will fully back negotiations for peace.

Context:

U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a visit to Denmark after his idea to buy Greenland was refused.

Details:

• Denmark is a NATO ally of the U.S.
• Greenland is the world’s largest island and an autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources.
• In Greenland, the U.S. has a military presence at the Thule Air Base under a U.S.-Danish treaty dating to 1951.
• Greenland has been gaining attention from China, Russia and the U.S., due to its strategic location and mineral wealth.
• It is underdeveloped and relies on Denmark for economic support.

Consequences:

• Trump’s proposal at first drew amazement and humour from politicians in Denmark.
• Trump called off the visit after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called his idea ‘absurd’.
• Danes voiced shock and disbelief after the cancellation of the visit, although Prime Minister Frederiksen said that she believed relations would not be affected.

Context:

Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department launched an academic programme for young tribal students aspiring to be doctors and engineers.

Details:

• The programme was launched in association with the Pace Educational Trust.
• It is inspired by the work of Patna’s Anand Kumar and his Super 30, which prepares smart but underprivileged students to sit for IIT entrance exams.
• The Super 50 programme will mentor 50 most meritorious tribal students from the State and prepare them for engineering and medical exams.
• 34 students were selected for the engineering course and 16 for the medical course training programme.
• It will be a two-year residential programme, where the students will be provided hostel and mess facilities, a tablet, NCERT books, and career counselling.
• All selected students are from government-run Adivasi ashram schools, Eklavya Nivasi ashram schools, and English medium ashram schools.

Public Private Participation:

• The Pace Academy took the initiative to propose the project for tribal students who have passed their Class X examinations.
• The Tribal Development Department then formed a working committee for its evaluation, and submitted a proposal to the Union government.
• After seeking approvals, the department held two rounds of entrance test to the programme.

Context:

A study conducted by an NGO across five States found that children who leave shelter homes after turning 18 are unable to complete schooling, find paid work and are unaware of their after-care entitlements under the law.

The Study:

• The study was conducted in Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan by the NGO Udayan Care and was supported by the TATA Trusts and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
• The study is based on the testimonies of 435 “care leavers” and 100 other key stakeholders such as functionaries working on the ground for child protection.
• The age of the care leavers was between 17 years and 30 years.

The Findings:

• It was found that out of the children who leave shelter homes after turning 18
  • Nearly 40% are unable to complete schooling.
  • 34% dropped out during transitioning from home to independent living.
  • 48% did not have an independent source of earning, and those who earned had an average monthly salary of between ₹7,500 and ₹8,500.
  • Almost 70% are unaware of their after-care entitlements under the law.
• While 48% of these young adults were from government-run institutions, 52% were from NGO-run institutions.
• Out of the total care leavers, 55% were male and the rest were female.

After-Care Provisions:

• The survey highlights the poor implementation of after-care provisions prescribed under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), 2015, for those who leave child care institutions on turning 18.
  • 27% of children did not receive any form of after-care support such as housing, medical facilities, legal awareness, or emotional support after they left their shelter home.
  • 78% of them did not have health insurance.
  • 67% were not aware of these services and other schemes designed for them.
  • 44% of them had never been consulted over their care and rehabilitation planning during their stay at a home, as is required under JJ Act.

Need For Family:

• The findings emphasise the importance of shifting away from institutionalisation of children.
  • Every child has the right to grow up in a family environment.
  • Placing children in an institution is the last resort.
  • Unfortunately, the trend is the opposite.
  • Globally, evidence shows negative consequences of institutionalisation.
  • When children can’t be reunited with their families, they must be placed in alternate family-like environments such as through sponsorship or foster-care.

C. GS3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. Dairy Co-Operatives Asked to Halve Plastic Use

Context:

Defence Minister has approved certain decisions on reorganisation of the Army Headquarters (AHQ).

Details:

• These measures are part of the four studies being undertaken by the Army for force restructuring and transformation.
• It will initiate the biggest transformation exercise in the Army since Independence.
• The measures approved include:
  • A separate Vigilance Cell under the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) with tri-service representation. It would be the nodal point to examine any HR violation reports.
  • An umbrella organisation under the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) for enhanced focus on human rights (HR) issues. A police officer of SSP/SP rank would be taken on deputation to enhance transparency and ensure the best of investigative expertise.
  • Relocation of 206 Army officers from the AHQ to formations/units in the field.

Reasons behind the Move:

• At present, the vigilance function of the COAS is through multiple agencies and there is no single-point interface.
• There is a need to give high priority to rights convention and values related to human rights.

Context:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has simplified the compliance and operational requirements for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), to make the regulatory framework more investor-friendly.

Background:

• The move coincides with a period when foreign investors are selling Indian shares in huge quantum.
• FPIs have cumulatively sold shares worth over ₹22,000 Cr. in July and August.
• SEBI has expressed concerns over the recent proposal of the government to increase the minimum threshold of public holding in listed companies from the current 25% to 35%.

Details:

• The SEBI board decided to do away with the requirement that every FPI should have at least 20 investors.
• It has also simplified the KYC (Know-Your-Customer) document requirement for overseas investors.
• It has also allowed central banks of countries that are not members of Bank for International Settlement (BIS) to register as FPIs in India.
  • As per SEBI, such entities are “relatively long term, low risk investors directly/indirectly managed by the government”.

Protection of Whistle Blowers:

• The regulator has also amended the Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations to include a clause to reward whistle-blowers up to ₹1 Cr. if the information leads to a disgorgement order of at least ₹1 Cr.
• It has also brought in clauses to protect the informant from victimisation in the form of termination, suspension or demotion, among other things.

Objectives:

• The key focus of the proposed regulations is to ease the operational constraints and compliance requirements.
• It will impart a much-needed boost to the FPI route, which had been languishing on account of multiple issues in the past few months.

Challenge:

• A significant number of listed public sector undertakings are yet to comply with the 25% public holding norm and have been given time till August 2020 to comply.

Context:

The Centre is planning to scrap the need for State governments to take approval from the Centre prior to granting a mining lease to companies.

Details:

• Union Coal Secretary expressed the plan while kicking off a stakeholder consultation process on coal sector issues.
• It is required to be effected through an amendment in Parliament.

Background:

• Currently, before granting a mining lease, the State Governments are required to put the proposed project, through a process called ‘prior approval’.
• Under the process, the State Governments had to file an application with the Centre seeking its nod for a project for which clearances had been already granted.
• Among the several measures being taken to hasten coal projects in the pipeline was allowing the sale of 25% of coal in case of allocation of specific end-use

Reasons behind the Move:

• State-level clearances are necessary but ‘prior approval’ amounts to duplication and time wastage.
• Although since 2014, about 80 allocations were auctioned or nominated for coal mining, the conversion to production has not been great.
• There was reluctance on the part of the allotted entities to go the extra mile to operationalize mines as they continue to have coal linkages.
• As steps are taken for import-substitution and correction of structural issues in power sector, the coal sector needs to gear up for meeting an additional demand of 400 to 425 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) beyond the usual growth.

Objectives:

• It would be among the government’s initiatives to speed up operationalization of coal mines.
• The move will reduce the entire process by around a year.
• The government is pursuing a carrot-and-stick policy by promoting an ease-of-doing business on the one-hand and strict implementation of existing rules, on the other.
• This would boost the profitability of the firms implementing the projects.
• The move will also bring in more players in coal exploration.

D. GS4 Related

E. Editorials

Context:

On behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, a submission has been presented in the Supreme Court to support linking social media profiles of registered users with their Aadhaar numbers.

Cybercrimes:

• The State government is batting for better assistance from intermediaries and social media companies to trace offending messages.

Petitions in the Madras High Court:

• At the same time, petitioners had approached the High Court on the ground that many people got away with inflammatory posts on social media because of the lack of traceability.
• However, the Bench has expanded the scope of the writ petitions to examine the adequacy of the legal framework on cybercrimes and the responsibilities of intermediaries who provide telecommunication and online services.

Madras High Court’s Stand:

• The Court observed that, following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Aadhaar case, the unique 12-digit-number can be used only for subsidies and welfare benefits.
• It also pointed out that Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act has been struck down to the extent that it authorised body corporate and individuals to use the number to establish someone’s identity.

Too Many Petitions?

• Two other High Courts are also hearing similar matters.
• Hence, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter have sought a transfer of all these cases to the apex court so that there are no conflicting judgments.
• While the Supreme Court will decide the question of transferring these cases to itself, the Madras High Court will continue its hearing.

New Draft Rules:

• The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified new draft rules for intermediaries last year and called for public comments.
• The proposed rules envisaged a new obligation for service providers that they should help identify originators of offensive content.

Challenges

• The draft rule has created some opposition at a time when there is widespread suspicion about online surveillance.
  • Technology companies that use end-to-end encryption have pleaded inability to open a back door for identifying originators.
  • The issue concerns the global policy of these companies as well as the wider public interest of millions of registered users.

Right to Privacy:

• After the S. Puttaswamy judgement (2017), any state intervention in the regulation of online content has to pass the test of proportionality laid down by the court.
• It will be desirable if courts stay away from expressing needless urgency to the process of introducing a balanced regulatory regime to curb content that promotes undesirable activities such as child pornography, sectarian conflict and mob violence, without affecting individual privacy.

Conclusion:

A balance must be struck between protecting the privacy of individuals and allowing the state to curb cyber crimes.

2. Sacrificing Liberty for National Security

Q1. What is the importance of NISHTHA programme in India’s education sector?

Q2. Consider the following statements with reference to Guru Ravidas:

Q3. With reference to Greenland, consider the following statements:

Q4. Consider the following statements about Kutch region in Gujarat:

1. Special status given to some states have helped in the reduction of secessionist demands of ethnic groups. Critically Analyse. (250 words, 15 marks)
2. What are the likelihoods of India gaining a permanent seat in the UNSC? Suggest measures to expedite the UNSC reforms in favour of India. (250 words, 15 marks)

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