IS INDIA’S PALESTINE POLICY EVOLVING?

THE CONTEXT: In May 2021 India’s as a member of the UNSC made a carefully crafted statement at the UN Security Council “open debate” on the escalated Israel-Palestine violence, striving to maintain a balance between India’s historic ties with Palestine and its blossoming relations with Israel. India’s statement at UNSC seeks a balance between its old ties with Palestine and growing relations with Israel. This article traces India’s journey through the world’s oldest conflict, from Nehru years to the Modi regime.

RECENT ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

  • The conflict erupted on May 10, when weeks of simmering tensions in Jerusalem among Palestinian protesters, the police and right-wing Israelis escalated, against the backdrop of a long-standing battle for control of a city sacred to Jews, Arabs and Christians.
  • The root of the latest violence is an intense dispute over East Jerusalem, which is predominantly Palestinian.
  • Protests had gone on for days before a Supreme Court ruling, originally expected on May 10 but then postponed, on the eviction of several Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. Israeli officials described it as a dispute over real estate.
  • Many Arabs called it part of a wider Israeli campaign to force Palestinians out of the city, describing it as ethnic cleansing.
  • The ceasefire came after 11 days of fighting, which left at least 255 people dead. Most of those killed were Palestinians in the territory of Gaza.

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE CONFLICT

  • In May 2021 United Nations Security Council held an emergency open meeting on the escalated violence in Gaza.
  • India, as a non-permanent UNSC member, also made a statement over the conflict and appealed for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Although India’s statement was about the peaceful solution there was a major shift in India’s statement.

SHIFT IN INDIA’S STATEMENT

INDIA STAND ON RECENT CONFLICT INDIA’S STAND-IN PAST

·         Strong support for the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-state solution. 

·         Condemnation of the rocket attacks from Gaza but no direct reference to the disproportionate bombing over Israel has been on the impoverished Gaza Strip.

·         Until 2017, the Indian position was that it supported the creation of an independent, sovereign Palestine state based on the 1967 border and with East Jerusalem as its capital that lives alongside Israel.

 AN ANALYSIS OF THE INDIA’S STATEMENT

  • The statement is seeing major shift in India’s policy toward the conflict and it was clear that in council India was careful not to upset Israel’s sensitivities.
  • The crux of the Indian argument of a two-state solution, that East Jerusalem should be the capital of future Palestine state, was missing in India’s statement.
  • This is the first time when India tried to create a balance in UNSC meetings and in past India’s always supported the two-state theory with East Jerusalem as Palestine capital.
  • India dropped referring to East Jerusalem after Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Israel by former President of America, Donald Trump, in 2017. A similar practice was followed in Modi’s statement during the visit of Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas in 2017 and during Modi’s visit to Ramallah in 2018.
  • A closer look at the syntax of the statement delivered by India reveals the underlying nuances in India’s evolving Israel-Palestine policy.
  • This is a subtle way of saying that India doesn’t stand with the Palestinian narrative.
  • India’s carefully drafted statement backs Israel’s right to self-defence against indiscriminate attacks from a terrorist outfit that targets Israeli civilians

A balancing act:

  • India went to support “the just Palestinian cause,” and an “unwavering commitment to the two-state solution”. But in essence, this was a balancing act, because even as India recognized this “just” cause for Palestinians, it also “condemned” the “indiscriminate” rockets coming from Gaza and targeting Israeli citizens.

However, the balancing did not appear to have gone down well with the Israeli side. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has a good rapport with Narendra Modi, thanked 25 countries that he said stood with Israel, there was no reference to India.

WHY DOES INDIA TRIED TO CREATE A BALANCING ACT?

RECENT RELATION DEVELOPMENT WITH ISRAEL?

·         For two-and-a-half decades from 1992, the India-Israel relationship continued to grow, mostly through defence deals, and in sectors such as science and technology and agriculture. But India never acknowledged the relationship fully.

·         In 2000, L K Advani became the first Indian minister to visit Israel and in that year, the two countries set up a joint anti-terror commission.

·         In 2017, Mr. Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Israel and Mr. Netanyahu travelled to India in 2018.

·         It was during NDA-2 that the current government decided to take full ownership of the relationship with Israel.

·         The first indication of the new phase came with an abstention by India at the UN Human Rights Council on a resolution welcoming a report by the HRC High Commissioner that had evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces and Hamas during the 2014 airstrikes against Gaza that killed over 2000.
PALESTINE IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR LOOK WEST POLICY

·         While Israel ties are on a strong footing, India cannot ignore the Palestinians for historic, moral, legal and realist reasons.

·         Historically, India, which went through the horrors of 1947, opposed the partition of Palestine.

·         Throughout the Cold War, it remained a strong supporter of Palestinian freedom, taking a moral and legal position against the Israeli occupation, in line with international laws and norms.

·         It established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992, in the context of improving Israel-Palestine ties but never abandoned the Palestinians.

·         India’s stand on conflict is also important for its middle=east policy. India’s Palestine policy had realist underpinnings too. India has been energy dependent on the Arab world. It cannot alienate the Arab voices or be isolated in the General Assembly, where most member countries oppose the occupation.

HOW DID INDIA’S PALESTINE POLICY EVOLVE?

FROM NEHRU TO RAO: COMPLETELY PRO PALESTINE

 

·         In 1948, India was the only non-Arab-state among 13 countries that voted against the UN partition plan of Palestine in the General Assembly that led to the creation of Israel.

·         India’s energy dependence on the Arab countries also became a factor, as did the sentiments of India’s own Muslim citizens.

·         In 1975, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people and invited it to open an office in Delhi, which was accorded diplomatic status five years later.

·         In 1988, when the PLO declared an independent state of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem, India granted recognition immediately.

·         Arafat was received as head of state whenever he visited India.
MAJOR SHIFT IN 1992

·         With the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the USSR and the domestic economic crisis forced India to respond to new challenges and dilute its hard adherence.

·         Pragmatists received an upper hand in policy in the post-liberalisation of India, which gradually began gravitating towards the United States, and strategic alliances became pre-eminent over ideological coalitions with the aim of pursuing national interest.

·         It has been a tightrope walk for India between Palestine and Israel, ever since, in asserting its independent foreign policy.

·         As a result, in 1992, India established a diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv and recognized Israel as a country.

·         India also opened a Representative Office in Gaza, which later moved to Ramallah as the Palestinian movement split between the Hamas (which gained control of Gaza) and the PLO.
BALANCING ACT SINCE 1992

·         After normalisation of relations with Israel under the two countries received a strong impetus under the BJP-led government in the late 1990s and again under the current government.

·         Economic ties, investment, defence collaborations and technological and cultural exchanges with Israel have significantly increased in the years.

But India always tries to create a balanced and supported Palestine right for example:

  • Voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution in October 2003 against Israel’s construction of a separation wall.
  • Voted for Palestine to become a full member of UNESCO in 2011, and a year later, co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that enabled Palestine to become a “non-member” observer state at the UN without voting rights.
  • Supported the installation of the Palestinian flag on the UN premises in September 2015.
  • In December 2017 voted against the United States’ decision in the UN to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
DURING CURRENT GOVERNMENT: LEANING TOWARD ISRAEL WITH CAUTION

·         Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian President to visit Israel in 2015. However, he had during his visit reiterated India’s position on Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestine.

·         In February 2018, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. His itinerary did not include Ramallah.

·         But in February 2021 the International Criminal Court claimed jurisdiction to investigate human rights abuses in Palestinian territory including West Bank and Gaza and named both Israeli security forces and Hamas as perpetrators.

·         That is because India’s own balancing act is a constant work of progress. The latest statement is no different. Though it was not pro Palestine, it hardly pleased Israel.

 

ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

A 100-year-old issue

  • Britain took control of the area known as Palestine after the ruler of that part of the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, was defeated in World War One.
  • The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority.
  • Tensions between the two peoples grew when the international community gave Britain the task of establishing a “national home” in Palestine for Jewish people.
  • For Jews it was their ancestral home, but Palestinian Arabs also claimed the land and opposed the move.
  • Between the 1920s and 1940s, the number of Jews arriving there grew, with many fleeing from persecution in Europe and seeking a homeland after the Holocaust of World War Two.
  • Violence between Jews and Arabs, and against British rule, also grew.
  • In 1947, the UN voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city.
  • That plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented.

The creation of Israel and the ‘Catastrophe’

  • In 1948, unable to solve the problem, British rulers left and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel.
  • Many Palestinians objected and a war followed. Troops from neighbouring Arab countries invaded.
  • Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their homes in what they call Al-Nakba, or the “Catastrophe”.
  • By the time the fighting ended in a ceasefire the following year, Israel controlled most of the territory.
  • Jordan occupied land which became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza.
  • Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces in the West and Jordanian forces in the East.
  • Because there was never a peace agreement – with each side blaming the other – there were more wars and fighting in the following decades.

The map today

  • In another war in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as most of the Syrian Golan Heights, Gaza and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula.
  • Most Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
  • Neither they nor their descendants have been allowed by Israel to return to their homes – Israel says this would overwhelm the country and threaten its existence as a Jewish state.
  • image caption Israeli military commanders arrive in East Jerusalem, after Israeli forces seized East Jerusalem, during the Six-Day War in 1967
  • Israel still occupies the West Bank, and although it pulled out of Gaza the UN still regards that piece of land as occupied territory.
  • Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The US is one of only a handful of countries to recognise the city as Israel’s capital.
  • In the past 50 years Israel has built settlements in these areas, where more than 600,000 Jews now live.
  • Palestinians say these are illegal under international law and are obstacles to peace, but Israel denies this.

WAY FORWARD

One State Solution

The two-state solution has failed and it is time that the counties accept it and move towards the only practical solution of a single nation having equal rights for both Palestinians and Israelis. Even US President Donald Trump has suggested the one-state solution for resolving conflict.

India as mediator

India can act as a mediator instead of the US due to its neutral stand and can help in the negotiations and thus the final resolution of the conflict.
Ending Occupation

As declared by the UN, ending the occupation of Israel from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and making them a separate Palestine nation can be the only long-lasting solution to the Israel Palestine conflict.
Confederation

Israel and Palestine can form a confederation based on territories as per the two-nation formula. In the confederation, they can work jointly on resources, security and economic issues while enjoying free movement between the two states. However, citizens can vote only in their own elections.

CONCLUSION: India, which historically has been an ally to the Palestine cause, has resorted to a balancing act on issues concerning Israel and Palestine. But this act is a repudiation of India’s historical worldview and it disregards the harsh realities which are skewed against Palestine. By compromising on India’s longstanding policy by not acknowledging Eastern Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, which is the crux of the ‘two-state solution, India blemishes the geographical validity of the solution itself. India, with its history pulling through the partition, which essentially was a political issue with a religious dimension, to build an inclusive, secular democracy, can act as the viable model for the peaceful coexistence of formerly antagonistic groups. For this to materialize, India must relinquish its balancing act and call a spade a spade.



DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (NOVEMBER 18, 2021)

ART AND CULTURE

SABZ BURJ

THE CONTEXT: One of Delhi’s earliest Mughal-era monuments— Sabz Burj has been conserved and restored over the last four years using traditional materials and building-craft techniques favoured by 16th Century craftsmen.

ABOUT SABZ BURJ

  • The tomb, which was built in 1530, does not have any markings pointing to the identity of those buried under it.
  • It is of immense significance due to the ceiling on its double-dome structure painted in pure gold and lapiz and revealed after conservation efforts began.
  • Conservationists believe that the painting on the ceiling that has floral motifs predates similar work that was seen in miniature paintings and textiles from the Mughal era and was covered with plaster sometime in the 20th Century when the structure was used as a police station.
  • The monument stands at the entrance to Humayun’s Tomb and would have originally stood within an enclosed garden.

SOURCE: TH

THE PURI HERITAGE CORRIDOR

THE CONTEXT: Odisha Chief Minister is expected to soon lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited Puri heritage corridor, which is being developed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.

ABOUT THE PURI HERITAGE CORRIDOR PROJECT

  • Conceived in 2016, the Puri Heritage Corridor Project was unveiled in December 2019 to transform the holy town of Puri into an international place of heritage.
  • The project includes redeveloping major portions of the holy town and in the vicinity of the temple for visitors and tourists. A resolution for the project was passed in the state assembly unanimously by all the parties in February 2020 to begin the first phase of work estimated at a cost of Rs 800 crore.
  • Following this, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) approved the architectural design plan of the project at an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore.
  • A total of 22 different projects will be executed in a phased manner. After the initial funds of Rs 800 crore from the state government’s Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture at Puri (ABADHA) scheme, another Rs 265 crore will be provided in the first phase.
  • The project will include Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) building redevelopment, a 600-capacity Srimandir reception centre, Jagannath cultural centre including Raghunandan library, integrated command, and control centre, Badadanda heritage streetscape, Srimandir amenities improvement, Sri Setu, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, multilevel car parking, municipal market development, Swargadwar development, Pramod Udyan, Gurukulam, Mahodadhi market, beachfront development, Puri lake, Musa river revival plan, Atharnala and housing for sevayats.

SOURCE: IE

 

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

COVID’S IMPACT ON LEARNING

THE CONTEXT: 16th annual report of Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey, which is facilitated by Pratham Education Foundation, is the oldest survey of its kind in the country and is well regarded for the range of insights it provides on levels of foundational learning at the elementary level. In the context of the pandemic, the ASER Centre switched its focus to access to learning opportunities in 2020.
  • The 16th edition of the report is based on a phone survey, conducted in September and October, of 75,234 children ages 5-16 across 581 rural districts in 25 states and three Union Territories. The surveyors also contacted teachers or headteachers from 7,299 government schools offering primary grades.

KEY FINDINGS

  • Headline numbers: The report shows a “clear shift” from private to government schools — from 64.3 per cent in 2018 to 65.8 per cent in 2020, to 70.3 per cent in 2021; and a fall in private school enrolment from 28.8 per cent in 2020 to 24.4 per cent in 2021.
  • Tuition-dependent: Students, especially those from poor families, are dependent more than ever on private tuition.
  • Digital divide: From having no experience of pre-primary class to the lack of access to digital devices, the pandemic has left the youngest entrants in India’s formal education system particularly vulnerable, and not addressing their specific needs can have grave consequences. While the percentage of enrolled children having at least one smartphone at home has risen from 36.5 to 67.6 between 2018 and 2021, only 19.9 per cent of children in Classes I-II have access to the devices whenever they require. The access to smartphones increases with age, with 35.4 per cent of students in Classes IX and above having constant access.
  • Falling behind:65.4 per cent of teachers flagged the problem of children being “unable to catch up” as one of their biggest challenges. During the recent National Achievement Survey (NAS) of the central government, teachers and field investigators across the country reported that primary grade kids struggled to make sense of questions to test basic comprehension and numerical skills.
  • Silver lining: The report captured a decline in the proportion of children not currently enrolled in the 15-16 age group. The survey also found that 91.9 per cent of enrolled children have textbooks for their current grade. But only about a third (33.5 per cent) of children in grades I-II of yet-to-reopen schools reported having received learning materials.

SOURCE: IE        

 

CABINET APPROVED USOF SCHEME FOR UNCOVERED VILLAGES

THE CONTEXT:    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the provisioning of mobile services in Uncovered Villages of Aspirational Districts across five States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra & Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The Project envisages providing 4G based mobile services in the 7,287 uncovered villages of 44 Aspirational Districts across five States at an estimated cost of implementation of about Rs 6,466 crore including operational expenses for 5 years.
  • The project would be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The project will be completed within 18 months after the signing of the Agreement and is likely to be completed by November 23.
  • The work related to the provision of 4G mobile services in identified uncovered villages will be awarded through an open competitive bidding process as per extant USOF procedures.
  • It will enhance digital connectivity useful for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill up-gradation and development, disaster management, e-Governance initiatives, the establishment of enterprises & e-commerce facilities, provision of adequate support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing & availability of job opportunity and fulfilling the vision of Digital India promoting domestic manufacturing and fulfilling the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat etc.

SOURCE: PIB

 

GLOBAL BRIBERY RISK RANKINGS

THE CONTEXT: India has slipped to 82nd position in 2021, five places down from 77th rank last year, in a global list that measures business bribery risks.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The list by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard-setting organisation, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.
  • According to this year’s data, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Eritrea pose the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.
  • This score is based on four factors — business interactions with the government, anti-bribery deterrence and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity for civil society oversight which includes the role of the media.
  • India fared better than its neighbours – Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bhutan, meanwhile, secured 62nd rank.

SOURCE:  IE 

 

INDIAN ECONOMY

CABINET APPROVED CONTINUATION OF PMGSY

THE CONTEXT: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to the proposals of the Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development for the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-I and II up to September 2022 for completion of balance road and bridge works. The CCEA also approved the continuation of the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) up to March 2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The interventions/verticals for which extension of time have been solicited are already under implementation under PMGSY. All the projects under PMGSY-I and II are already sanctioned.
  • The Ministry would constantly follow up the progress with the states to ensure completion of the balance projects with the extended timeline.
  • A total of Rs. 1,12,419 crore, including state share, is likely to be incurred from 2021-22 to 2024-25 for completion of all the ongoing interventions of PMGSY

ABOUT PMGSY-I

  • PMGSY-I was launched in the year 2000 to provide connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations of 500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-East and Himalayan states as per census, 2001.
  • The Scheme also included the component of up-gradation of existing rural roads for those districts where all the eligible habitations had been saturated.
  • In the year 2013, it was decided to also cover habitations of population size 100-249 as per census, 2001 in the Left-wing Extremism Affected blocks identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Out of 1,78,184 habitations of 250+ and 500+ population size identified for coverage under the scheme, 1,71,494 habitations have already been connected and 1,968 habitations are balanced as of 15thNovember, 2021.
  • A total of 6,45,627 Km road length and 7,523 bridges have been sanctioned under PMGSY-I, of which only 20,950 Km road length and 1,974 bridges are balanced as of 15thNovember, 2021.
  • The majority of the pending projects are in North-East & Himalayan states/UTs.
  • All the balance habitations are targeted for connectivity within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to September 2022 by constructing 20,950 Km road length and 1,974 bridges.

ABOUT PMGSY-II

  • PMGSY-II, which was approved by the Cabinet in May 2013, envisaged the consolidation of 50,000 Km of the existing rural road network.
  • All the proposals of states/UTs have been sanctioned.
  • Out of a total of 49,885 Km and 765 bridges sanctioned under the scheme, only 4,240 Km road length and 254 bridges are balanced.
  • The majority of the pending projects are in North-East & Himalayan states/UTs as also in the State of Bihar.
  • All pending projects are targeted for completion within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to September 2022.

ABOUT ROAD CONNECTIVITY PROJECT FOR LEFT-WING EXTREMISM AFFECTED AREAS (RCPLWEA)

  • Launched in 2016 for construction/up-gradation of 5,412 Km road length and 126 bridges of strategic importance in 44 districts in 9 states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, with an outlay of Rs. 11,725 crore.
  • Implementation period: 2016-17 to 2019-20
  • Road and bridgework to be taken up under the scheme have been identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with states and security forces.
  • 10,231 Km road length and bridges sanctioned under the scheme so far with an outlay of Rs. 9,822 crore, including the additional proposals recommended by MHA subsequently.
  • 4,490 Km road length and 105 bridges have already been completed.
  • Balance projects and additional projects of around 1,887 Km, which are yet to be sanctioned, are targeted for completion within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to March 2023.

 SOURCE: PIB                       

 

INTERNAL SECURITY

INDIA PLACED ORDERS FOR FRENCH HAMMER MISSILES

THE CONTEXT:   To strengthen the capabilities of the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft, the Indian Air Force has placed orders for HAMMER missiles from France which would allow it to take out any hardened bunkers or ground targets at stand-off ranges of more than 70 kilometres.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The capability enhancement of the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft is being done in the middle of a military stand-off with China using the emergency procurement power granted by the government to the defence forces.
  • The Indian Air Force had acquired the first lot of these HAMMERs for the Rafale fighters at the time when the aircraft had started coming to the IAF from France to further enhance the air to ground targeting capabilities of its most advanced plane.
  • Due to the urgency at that time in view of the Chinese aggression, the French authorities had agreed to supply them at a short notice for our Rafale combat aircraft.
  • HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a medium-range air-to-ground weapon designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy initially.
  • The HAMMERs would give India the capability to take out any bunkers or hardened shelters in any type of terrain including mountainous locations such as Eastern Ladakh, the sources said.
  • Indian armed forces have extensively utilised the emergency procurement powers granted to them in different phases by the government to equip themselves with necessary weaponry to handle any conflict or aggression by enemies on both sides.
  • The Indian Air Force is strongly supporting the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft programme by adding more and more capabilities of the aircraft.
  • The IAF has already operationalised two of its squadrons in the initial operational clearance and final operational clearance versions while a contract has been signed for the 83 Mark1As set to be delivered a couple of years from now.

SOURCE: ThePrint

 

 

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. To strengthen the capabilities of the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft, the Indian Air Force has placed orders for HAMMER missiles from which country?

a) Russia

b) The USA

c) France

d) Germany

 

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 17th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1 Answer: C

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: UNWTO was formed in 1975 as a UN specialised agency.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: Its headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain.
  • Statement 3 is correct: The Tourism Villages is a global initiative of UNWTO to highlight villages where tourism preserves cultures and traditions, celebrates diversity, provides opportunities and safeguards biodiversity. Statement 4 is correct: Pochampally village in Telangana is set to be named as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).


Ethics Through Current Developments (18-11-2021)

  1. Tolerance; the Root of Humanity READ MORE
  2. The Punishment of Criminals READ MORE
  3. Bureaucracy does not want to take any decisions, wants the court to do everything, SC says READ MORE


Today’s Important Articles for Geography (18-11-2021)

  1. End the blame game: Concerted efforts are needed for a long-term solution to Delhi’s pollution crisis READ MORE
  2. COP26: A Step Forward or a COP-Out? READ MORE


Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (18-11-2021)

  1. School enrolment fell during pandemic: Annual Status of Education Report READ MORE
  2. Digital divide in education can’t be bridged by laptops and smartphones alone READ MORE
  3. Lessons in the pandemic: Addressing school learning losses should be a priority READ MORE
  4. Standing tall, and apart READ MORE


Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (18-11-2021)

  1. Transfer as punishment: The judiciary’s flawed collegium system bares its inherent weaknesses yet again READ MORE
  2. Civil society is not the enemy READ MORE
  3. A global shortage of health workers looms READ MORE


WSDP Bulletin (18-11-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-I, PMGSY-II and Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) READ MORE
  2. Wide fault lines within the Global Climate Risk Index READ MORE
  3. Grants, non-philanthropic donations received by charitable trusts to attract 18% GST: AAR READ MORE
  4. Explained: What is the Puri heritage corridor, whose foundation will be laid soon in Odisha? READ MORE
  5. National Workshop on Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme held READ MORE
  6. India launches e-Amrit portal on EVs at COP26 READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

  1. How the Pallavas administered land READ MORE
  2. Standing tall, and apart READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Transfer as punishment: The judiciary’s flawed collegium system bares its inherent weaknesses yet again READ MORE
  2. Civil society is not the enemy READ MORE
  3. A global shortage of health workers looms READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

  1. School enrolment fell during pandemic: Annual Status of Education Report READ MORE
  2. Digital divide in education can’t be bridged by laptops and smartphones alone READ MORE
  3. Lessons in the pandemic: Addressing school learning losses should be a priority READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Neighbour at it again: Onus of easing tensions lies with Pakistan READ MORE
  2. India, Russia Look To Hold ‘2+2’ Dialogue Alongside PM Modi-Putin Summit READ MORE  

GS Paper- 1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Cryptocurrency fears: The govt needs to tread cautiously READ MORE
  2. Understanding why the informal sector really shrank during the pandemic READ MORE
  3. PM Gati Shakti: Logistics for the people READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

  1. End the blame game: Concerted efforts are needed for a long-term solution to Delhi’s pollution crisis READ MORE
  2. COP26: A Step Forward or a COP-Out? READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Tolerance; the Root of Humanity READ MORE
  2. The Punishment of Criminals READ MORE
  3. Bureaucracy does not want to take any decisions, wants the court to do everything, SC says READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. How far do you agree with the view that frequent transfers of High Courts’ Judges are showing too much control of the Supreme Court on the High Court, which makes their decision-making ability doubtful?
  2. Whether the five-year tenure to ED and CBI chiefs will lead to fairer and more transparent functioning of these bodies? Analyse your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • Authority does not come from the loudest voice, but the wisest.
  • The development of society causes changes on the social, cultural, and economic fronts. A more efficient administration policy could be framed considering these lessons from history.
  • Formalisation is indeed a desirable process both for enterprises and workers in the Indian economy.
  • The final objective of formalisation is to improve the working and living conditions of those in the informal economy but Celebrating formalisation based on the misery and devastation of poor informal workers is not just misplaced but also callous.
  • Road dust is the dominant source of particulate matter and the most significant impediment to clean air, and unfortunately the least amenable to an easy fix. The emphasis must be on concerted and consistent efforts, and not annual blame games.
  • Digital Divide roots lie in socio-economic inequalities, which can only be addressed through systemic changes.
  • Lack of transparency in the evolving crypto industry makes foolproof regulation or prohibition an onerous task.
  • The pandemic highlighted like nothing else the criticality of distance learning and access, a fact that made unicorns out of e-education players.
  • In an era where one of the most progressive legislation has been passed, transparency and accountability to the people are called for on the part of all democratic institutions.

50- WORD TALK

  • The decision to restrict street food vendors by four municipal corporations in Gujarat followed the usual routine of provocative statements and cautious corrections. Even if it isn’t targeted at non-vegetarian hawkers, it will still hurt informal, self-employed workers. In a pandemic economy, the so-called ‘pakora’ sellers must be actively protected.

Things to Remember:

  • For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
  • Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
  • For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
  • For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the main point of view will be covered in ED.
  • Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.


Day-85 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

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