11 Feb 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

February 11th, 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Supreme Court upholds changes to SC/ST atrocities law
2. ‘Review court can refer questions to larger Bench’
HEALTH
1. Draft policy on rare diseases notified
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. U.S. State dept. nod for sale of air defence system to India
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. India moves to include elephant, bustard in global conservation list
ECONOMY
1. CRR exemption for retail, MSME loans for 5 years
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Reservation as right
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Safeguarding the delta
Health
1. A mix Indian health care can do without
2. Prepared for the coronavirus
F. Tidbits
1. Four Indian pilots begin astronaut training in Russia
2. No shortage of funds for Siachen, say Army sources 
3. U.S. to monitor air quality in N. India
4. Blowing hot and cold
G. Prelims Facts
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Supreme Court upholds changes to SC/ST atrocities law

Context:

The Supreme Court has upheld a 2018 amendment which barred persons accused of committing atrocities against those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from getting anticipatory bail.

Background:

Details:

• All three judges on the Bench have upheld the constitutionality of Section 18A of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018.
• The sole purpose of Section 18A was to nullify a controversial March 20, 2018, judgment of the Supreme Court diluting the stringent anti-bail provisions of the original Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989.
  • A two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in 2018, held that there was no “absolute bar” on an accused person obtaining anticipatory bail under Section 438 of CrPC, “if no prima facie is made out or if judicial scrutiny reveals the complaint to be prima facie malafide”.
  • The verdict had led to widespread violence. Consequently, Parliament amended the 1989 law and inserted Section 18A into it. Section 18A re-affirmed the original legislative bar on pre-arrest bail.
• But two of the judges on the Bench, held in their joint opinion that a High Court would also have an “inherent power” to grant anticipatory bail in cases in which prima facie (based on the first impression) an offence under the anti-atrocities law is not made out.
• It was stressed that the courts should take care to use this power to grant anticipatory bail only sparingly and in very exceptional cases.

2. ‘Review court can refer questions to larger Bench’

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the five-judge Sabarimala Review Bench to refer to a larger Bench, questions on the ambit and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths across the country.

Details:

• The nine-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI), said that a Bench engaged in the review of a particular judgment could indeed refer other questions of law to a larger Bench.

This issue has been comprehensively covered in 13^th January 2020 CNA and 15^th November 2019 CNA.

Category: HEALTH

1. Draft policy on rare diseases notified

Context:

After being directed by the Madras High Court to consider the issue of providing medical care to those suffering from the rare Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) as a “national emergency”, the Centre has informed the court of having notified a draft national policy on rare diseases.

Details:

• The draft policy has categorised rare disorders amenable to one-time curative treatment such as Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and disorders that were amenable to organ transplantation into one group, and states that they could be provided with financial support.
• It further added that a maximum of Rs.15 lakh could be provided to each patient under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi and that the beneficiaries would not be limited to families below the poverty line.

This issue has been covered in the 7^th February 2020 PIB Summary and Analysis and 7^th January Comprehensive News Analysis.

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. U.S. State dept. nod for sale of air defence system to India

Context:

The U.S. Department of State has approved the potential sale of a $1.867 billion Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) to India.

 Integrated Air Defence Weapon System:

• The Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, also known as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), provides integrated air missile defence and is currently deployed around Washington, DC.
• The IADWS system includes radar, launchers, targeting, and guidance systems, advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) and Stinger missiles, and related equipment and support.

Details:

• The potential sale, which is being processed via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, is now before the U.S. Congress for consideration, with a 30-day window for Congress to raise any objections to the sale.
• The government had asked to buy an IADWS comprised of:
  • Five AN/MPQ-64Fl Sentinel radar systems
  • 118 AMRAAM AIM-120C-7/C-8 missiles
  • Three AMRAAM Guidance Sections
  • Four AMRAAM Control Sections
  • 134 Stinger FIM-92L missiles
• Also included are 32 M4A1 rifles; 40,320 M855 5.56mm cartridges; Fire Distribution Centres (FDC); Handheld Remote Terminals; Electrical Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Systems; AMRAAM Non-Developmental Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units (NDI-AIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML); Dual Mount Stinger (DMS) Air Defence Systems; Vehicle Mounted Stinger Rapid Ranger Air Defence Systems.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. India moves to include elephant, bustard in global conservation list

Context:

India will be moving to include the Asian Elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the global conservation list.

Details:

• The list will be debated at the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environment treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  • There are 130 parties to the convention and India has been a member since 1983.
  • The global conservation list is the list of species that merit heightened conservation measures.
• The government of India has been taking necessary actions to protect and conserve migratory marine species.
  • Seven species that include Dugong, Whale Shark, Marine Turtle (two species), have been identified for the preparation of the Conservation and Recovery Action Plan.

Protection for Elephants in India:

• The Union Environment Ministry reports India as having 29,964 elephants according to the Project Elephant Census in 2017.
• It merits the highest level of protection, or Schedule 1, under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Significance:

• India is home to several migratory species of wildlife, including the snow leopard, Amur falcons, bar-headed geese, black-necked cranes, marine turtles, dugongs and hump-backed whales.
• Having the elephant and the Great Indian Bustard in the list — more formally known as Appendix 1 — would coax countries neighbouring India, where wild animals such as tigers and elephant foray into, to direct more resources and attention to protecting them. There are now 173 species in Appendix 1.

Read more from 10^th February PIB Summary and Analysis.

Category:ECONOMY

1. CRR exemption for retail, MSME loans for 5 years

Context:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has exempted banks from maintaining cash reserve ratio (CRR) for loans to retail and micro, small and medium enterprises for five years, if these loans are extended between January 31 and July 31, 2020.
• An amount equivalent to the incremental credit outstanding from the fortnight beginning January 31, 2020 and up to the fortnight ending July 31, 2020 will be eligible for deduction from NDTL (net demand and time liabilities) for the purpose of computing the CRR for a period of five years from the date of origination of the loan or the tenure of the loan, whichever is earlier.
• This exemption was available for incremental credit disbursed as retail loans to automobiles, residential housing, and loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• At present, CRR is 4% of net demand and time liabilities.
  • CRR is the proportion of deposits that a bank has to park with RBI in cash.
  • Banks do not earn any interest for maintaining CRR with the RBI.

Significance:

• The Reserve Bank is actively engaged in revitalising the flow of bank credit to productive sectors having multiplier effects to support growth impulses.
• The move is expected to make loans cheaper to these particular segments.

This issue has been covered on the 7^th February 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.
Click here to read.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Reservation as right

Context:

Supreme Court judgment on Reservation.

Background:

• In September 2012, the Uttarakhand Government decided to fill up all posts in public services in the state without providing reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• The government’s decision was challenged in the Uttarakhand High Court, which struck it down in April 2019.
  • The Uttarakhand High Court had stated in its observations that the State Government should first collect data regarding the adequacy or inadequacy of representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government services.
  • The High Court had held that based on the collected data the State Government should make a decision whether or not to provide reservations.
• The High court’s judgment in the Uttarakhand reservation case was challenged in the Supreme Court.
  • In arguments before the Apex Court, the main argument by the reserved category employees was that the State can decide not to provide reservations only after the State is satisfied that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are adequately represented in public posts on the basis of quantifiable data.
  • Therefore, the issue considered by the Court was whether the State Government is bound to make reservations in public posts and whether the decision by the State Government not to provide reservations can be only on the basis of quantifiable data relating to the adequacy of representation of persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Details:

Highlights of the judgment:

• The Supreme Court refused to issue a direction to the Uttarakhand state government to provide reservation to SC/ST candidates in fulfilling vacancies.
• The Supreme Court has observed that the State Government is not required to justify its decision to not give reservation in promotion on the basis of quantifiable data, showing that there is an adequate representation of members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in State services.
• The SC bench observed that no mandamus can be issued by the Court to the State to collect quantifiable data relating to the adequacy of representation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in public services.
• The Supreme Court has now upheld the Uttarakhand state government’s decision of 2012.

Court’s Observation:

• The SC has held that reservation in promotion in public posts cannot be claimed as a fundamental right.
• The court has stated that the affirmative provisions of the Constitution do not confer individuals with a fundamental right to claim reservation in promotion. It only empowers the State to make such a reservation in matters of appointment and promotion in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes.
• The bench has held that since the inadequacy of representation is a matter of subjective satisfaction of the state, State governments are not bound to make a reservation and have discretion in providing reservations. The judgment also noted that even the courts could not issue a mandamus directing the States to provide reservation.

The reasoning for the judgment:

• The Supreme Court referred to Article 16 and its clauses 4 and 4A while delivering its judgment in the matter. Article 16 in the Constitution of India refers to equality of opportunity in government jobs.
  • Article 16 (4) states that in spite of Article 16 which refers to equality of opportunity in government jobs, the state is still empowered to make any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens if, in the opinion of the State, that class is not adequately represented in the services under the State.
  • Article 16 (4A), introduced in 1995, extends a similar exemption to reservations in matters of promotion to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
• The SC has interpreted the above provisions as meaning that the Constitution of India grants state government the power to reserve vacancies for backward sections, and even grant reservation in matters of promotion, but it does not qualify as a fundamental right.
• Affirmative action allowed in the Constitution flow from “enabling provisions” and are not rights.
• Reservation can be extended based on quantifiable data that shows that the reserved categories are inadequately represented in public services under it. This constitutes the constitutional requirements for providing reservations.

Consequences

• The Supreme Court ruling that the state governments are not bound to fill vacancies in accordance with the rules of reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) may have large consequences.
• The Supreme Court through the above judgment has made reservations optional in a sense that, it is the states’ discretion to make or not make reservations. If the state decides to make reservations, the state has to collect quantifiable data showing the inadequacy of representation of that class in public services.
• This may be interpreted as a departure from the understanding with regard to reservation in jobs. The earlier ruling of the Supreme Court fixing the limit of reservation at 50 percent of the total vacancies has been interpreted as a mandatory rule for the government to provide reservation for SC/ST and OBC candidates in all fresh appointments.

Concerns:

• The Supreme Court judgment, that there is no fundamental right to claim reservation in promotions, has caused some concerns.
• Reservation cannot be viewed as an exception to the equality rule but should be considered rather as an enabler of equality itself.
• The terms “proportionate equality” and “substantive equality” could be fully realized only when the marginalized sections are given a legal leg-up.
• Judgment seems to overlook the government’s obligation to implement affirmative actions. Affirmative actions remain relevant given that some sections still remain backward and are at the receiving end of discrimination. The absence of reservation provisions may render the entire system unequal by leading to an imbalance in social representation in public services.

For more information on this topic: Check CNA dated Feb 9, 2020

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Safeguarding the delta

Context:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s announcement to declare the Cauvery Delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone.

Background:

• There have been multiple protests for a decade over methane, hydrocarbon, and oil and natural gas projects in the region, which required the acquisition of fertile lands and well drilling, fuelling fears of groundwater contamination.
• In July 2013, in response to sustained protests, the state government ordered the suspension on coal bed methane exploration and production in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur and followed it up with a ban in 2015.
• In 2017, the Central government signed contracts for hydrocarbon extraction from 31 areas of discovered small fields in the delta region. Vedanta Limited has also been granted rights to conduct tests for 274 hydrocarbon wells in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
• The Recent Environment Ministry’s notification, amending the EIA rules has led to protests from environmentalists and farmers in the region. The new rules grant an exemption to oil and gas firms involved in exploratory drilling, from seeking environmental clearance.

Significance:

• The main intention behind the announcement is according recognition to farmer concerns about hydrocarbon exploration and according primacy to food security, given the fact that the Cauvery delta region produces 33 lakh tonnes of grains in 28 lakh acres.
• Agricultural scientists such as M.S. Swaminathan have for long mooted the idea of protected special agricultural zones. Uttarakhand and Kerala states have similar mechanisms in place.
• Kerala, as part of its agricultural development policy, introduced the concept of Special Agricultural Development Zones (SAZ) in 2017-18.
  • It envisages better convergence of governmental efforts and result oriented scheme preparation and implementation in identified potential zones.
  • Contiguous areas based on the minimum area under the selected crop, the potential for production, soil and climatic conditions, etc. are the criteria for the selection of zones.
  • Production, marketing, processing, value addition, storage, irrigation facilities would be provided in each zone.
  • The facilities in the SAZ would also involve Agro Service Centres including soil testing labs, plant health clinics, weather stations, planting materials production units, processing and value addition units, irrigation support, credit interventions, extension services including ICT based initiatives, community Radio and farmers markets.

Challenges:

• In 2017, a state government notification delineated 45 villages covering about 23,000 hectares in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts in the delta, as a Petroleum, Chemical, and Petrochemical Investment Region. This was directed at attracting investments worth ₹90,000 crores into the region.
• The proposed PSAZ appears as a reversal from the previous stand of the government. This can lead to litigation from companies which have pumped in money for exploration activity in the region.
• Given the recent episode of the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant, the present decision may reduce the attractiveness of TN as an investment-friendly state. This might have implications for the State’s investment climate.

For more information on this issue: CNA dated Feb 10, 2020

Category: Health

1. A mix Indian health care can do without

Context:

The article offers a critique of India’s present approach to the public health care system in India, which has lately adopted the insurance model for achieving universal health coverage.

Background:

The U.S. Model:

• The United States spends heavily on its health care system. Despite the high per capita health expenditure, the U.S. has a poor track record with respect to health indicators.
• The U.S. has a very complicated health system in place which has undergone extensive changes over the years.
• The U.S. administration’s attempts to reconcile its health care with traditional American values of individual freedom and consumerism have not rendered well for the ideals of equity and social justice.

The Indian Scenario:

• Multiple policy pronouncements in India in the recent past, show the present administration’s intent to emulate certain features of the U.S. health system.
  • Enhancing private initiative and participation in the healthcare system with a reduced role for the state.
  • Reliance on the insurance mode to ensure universal health coverage. The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS), aims to provide insurance cover to nearly 50 crores poor Indians.

The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme:

• The AB-NHPS replaced a similar but smaller-scale Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).
• The AB-NHPS also envisages strong mechanisms to check insurance fraud and fraudulent practices which were commonplace in RSBY.
  • National and state anti-fraud units have been established and partnerships with fraud control companies have been conceived under the new scheme.
  • Recently, 171 hospitals were reported to have been de-empanelled from the AB-NHPS on charges of fraud – the issuance of fake e-cards and the manipulation of claims.
  • A first information report was lodged against errant hospitals and multiple show cause notices were issued.

Concerns:

Increased complexity:

• Though the AB-NHPS has commendable provisions for checking fraudulent practices, it is envisaged to be achieved through an unprecedented bolstering of administratively-heavy and technology-driven mechanisms.
• The multiple layers of complex arrangements and complex regulatory provisions would lead to an administratively and technologically intensive system.

Lack of focus on important areas:

• Embracing the complexities associated with robust regulation of the insurance programme and making the requisite technological and administrative investments entail high costs. The administratively and technologically intensive system would lead to higher expenditure on technology and personnel.
• This would entail diverting highly limited resources towards wasteful and dispensable high-end areas, which could have been set aside for much more pressing and productive domains, such as public hospitals and health centres. It would result in very little expenditure towards improving basic health facilities which can actually help improve health outcomes.

Ethical concerns:

• The dispensable and unnecessary expenditure raises significant ethical concerns when basic health needs remain unmet for large sections of the population who have to face a shortage of fundamental health resources and infrastructure.

Monetary concerns:

• The public health spending is less than even 1% in India.
• For 2020-21 fiscal, there has been a negligible increase in health-care sector allocation, while the allocation for the AB-NHPS remained unchanged.
• Studies have noted that the allocation for the AB-NHPS for 2019-20 would have covered less than a quarter of the targeted beneficiaries.
• It is very possible that the AB-NHPS continues to remain insufficiently funded and incapable of extending considerable financial risk protection to the poor.

Limitations of the proposed model:

• The envisaged insurance scheme would only cover less than half the population of India.

Limitations of India’s regulatory architecture:

• The present model envisages a larger role for the private sector in the health care system. This is a concern given India’s feeble regulatory architecture.

Way forward:

• There is a need for a detailed evaluation of the suitability of the proposed model to the Indian scenario and its effectiveness.

For more information on this topic: Check PIB dated Nov 22, 2019

2. Prepared for the coronavirus

Context:

The novel coronavirus epidemic.

Background:

• The novel coronavirus (nCoV) has infected more than 43,000 people and killed more than 1000 primarily in China. Cases have also been reported from other parts of the world.
• The outbreak has been declared by the World Health Organization as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Indian Response:

Evacuations of Indians from China:

• The Wuhan airlift of Indians was a reflection of India’s swift diplomacy.
• The External Affairs Ministry obtained permission and ground support from its Chinese counterparts and coordinated with Air India through the Civil Aviation Ministry.
• The Health and Family Welfare Ministry provided the team of medical personnel to accompany the students home and arranged for their health check-ups and quarantine at special camps organized by the Armed Forces Medical Services in Manesar and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police facility in Delhi.

Travel restrictions:

• Temporary visa restrictions have been put in place in India.
• India issued its first travel advisory on January 17.

Screening:

• Thermal entry screening of passengers from China has been mandated in 21 airports. Universal screening at earmarked aerobridges for all flights from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand is being carried out.
• Hospitals with isolation facilities have been set up near all international airports to meet any emergency requirements.
• Screening at international seaports is being done by the Shipping Ministry, while at the border crossings, it is being carried out by the Home Ministry.

Health system response:

• The Emergency Medical Response Unit in the Health Ministry was activated and the National Centre for Disease Control has opened a 24X7 helpline.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) worked to quickly put in place a testing facility at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
• A Joint Monitoring Group was activated to continuously assess the risk and review the preparedness of India.

Kerala’s response:

• Kerala has quarantined the three people with nCoV.
• Kerala has traced and notified the cases of contact of the infected people to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme for monitoring.
• It has also adopted unique community-based isolation methods, innovated while dealing with the Nipah virus outbreaks.
• Kerala’s model of monitoring, with the District Collector as the administrative unit, has been shared as a best practice with all States.

Treatment:

• Indian scientists at ICMR and NIV have shown their eagerness to attain world-class skills by rapidly developing diagnostics and treatment protocols.
• Scientists at NIV are also carrying out genomic sequencing of nCoV and attempting to isolate the virus in order to replicate it for further research.

Offering help to other countries:

• India has offered help to other countries in the South Asia region as part of its Neighbourhood First policy.
  • India helped evacuate seven Maldivian nationals from Wuhan.
  • India has extended technical assistance to several countries to set up testing laboratories.
  • India has offered technical and material help to China.

For more information on the Wuhan Coronavirus, click here.

F. Tidbits

1. Four Indian pilots begin astronaut training in Russia

• The four Indian pilots chosen as candidate-astronauts have begun their 12-month training at the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) in Moscow.
• The full programme includes basic or generic astronaut training followed by activities specific to the first Indian human space mission, Gaganyaan.
• At the end of all training modules in India and Russia, one or two of the four will be finally named to circle the earth in the first crewed Gaganyaan, which is planned around 2022.
• In June 2019, the Human Space Flight Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Russian government-owned Glavkosmos signed a contract for the training, which includes Russian support in the selection of candidates, their medical examination, and space training.
• The 12-month training programme includes comprehensive and biomedical training of the Indian candidates, combined with regular physical practices. They will study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship, as well as be trained in short-term weightlessness mode aboard the Il-76MDK aircraft.
  • The Il-76MDK is an Ilyushin-78 military transport plane specially re-designed for parabolic flights of trainee astronauts and space tourists.

2. No shortage of funds for Siachen, say Army sources

What’s in News?

Referring to a recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which flagged deficiencies in clothing, equipment and rations to soldiers on the world’s highest battlefield – Siachen glacier, the Army sources clarified that special areas such as the Siachen glacier do not suffer from any shortage of funds, and whenever required, funds are made available to cater to all requirements and exigencies.

Issue:

• The CAG, in a report tabled in the Parliament, had pulled up the Army for deficiencies in provisioning of special clothing, rations and housing for troops on the Siachen glacier for the audit period 2015-16 to 2017-18.
• On the special rations authorised for troops in high altitude areas to meet their daily energy requirements, the central auditor had observed that substitutes in lieu of scaled items were authorised on a “cost to cost” basis, which resulted in the supply of a reduced quantity of substitutes that “compromised the calorie intake of the troops by as high as 82%”.

Details:

• Presently, each soldier, prior to his induction to the Siachen glacier, is kitted with special clothing equipment worth over ₹1 lakh, along with auxiliary, medical and mountaineering equipment worth an additional ₹5 lakh.
• It was stated that the government has authorised a special scale of rations to all troops who are deployed above 12,000 ft. And that the government has also authorised procurement substitutes in accordance with the preference of the troops on a cost-to-cost basis.
• It was highlighted that multiple factors like calorific, nutritional and medicinal requirements, and the taste and palate preference of troops of various ethnicities and regional composition, were kept in mind to overcome “anorexia syndrome”, a condition in which personnel were unable to consume food due to loss of appetite.

3. U.S. to monitor air quality in N. India

• The United States will monitor air quality in multiple locations across North India to help control pollution levels.
• The initiative will cover both urban locations and rural areas and is aimed at helping local communities take remedial measures to deal with the issue of increasing air pollution.
• The move came months after the U.S. mission distributed 58 low-cost air-quality monitors and 14 weather stations to the Society for Indoor Environment, an Indian NGO which will be a partner in this project.
• The low-cost monitoring is expected to help understand the reasons behind the recent smog-related pollution in North India that was partly blamed on stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

4. Blowing hot and cold

• The year 2019 was the second warmest year ever, with 2016 being the warmest, which had experienced a strong El Nino. The global average surface temperature in 2019 was nearly 1.71 degree Fahrenheit higher than the average temperature between 1951 and 1980.

• The heat content in the world’s oceans has reached a peak. 2019 was the hottest year on record for the world’s oceans. This is worrying given the fact that according to NASA, ocean temperature is a better indicator of the climate emergency than surface temperature.

• Interestingly, not all parts of the earth are heating uniformly. In fact, some places (central Canada and northern plains of the United States) are colder than they were previously. Notably, in India, southern India was warmer than northern India in 2019 compared to the average.

G. Prelims Facts

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. “Chindu Bhagavatam” is widely performed in which of these states?

a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Odisha
c. Karnataka
d. Telangana

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to the Great Indian Bustard:

1. The great Indian bustard is omnivorous.
2. These birds are often found associated in the same habitat as the blackbuck.
3. It is included in the “Schedule I” of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
4. It is classified as “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1, 2 and 3 only
b. 1, 2 and 4 only
c. 2, 3 and 4 only
d. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to Convention on the Conservation of 
Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS):

1. CMS is the only global, and United Nations-based, intergovernmental organization established exclusively for the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species.
2. The Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention.
3. India, in 2019, became a Party to the CMS.

Which of the given statement/s is/are incorrect?

a. 1 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 3 only
d. 1 and 3 only

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR):

1. CRR is the proportion of deposits that a bank has to park with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in cash.
2. Banks do not earn any interest for maintaining CRR with the RBI.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. In the context of Tamil Nadu state government’s decision to declare the Cauvery delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone, discuss the significance of the proposal and the likely challenges to such a move. (10 marks, 150 words)
2. In the backdrop of the novel coronavirus epidemic, analyze India’s response to the global outbreak. With increasing frequency and intensity of global epidemics suggest suitable policy measures and interventions for India. (15 marks, 250 words)

February 11th, 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here

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