DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (FEBRUARY 28, 2022)

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1.THE EXCLUSION OF RUSSIA FROM SWIFT

THE CONTEXT: The U.S., Europe and several other western nations are moving to exclude Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), an international network for banks to facilitate smooth money transactions globally. This could be the strongest economic sanction against Russia over its military moves in Ukraine, as it will potentially cut off the country from receiving international payments.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is SWIFT?

SWIFT is a messaging network used by banks and financial institutions globally for quick and faultless exchange of information pertaining to financial transactions. The Belgium-headquartered SWIFT connects more than 11,000 banking and securities organizations in over 200 countries and territories.

Each participant on the platform is assigned a unique eight-digit SWIFT code or a bank identification code (BIC).

EXAMPLE:

If a person,in New York with a Citibank account, wants to send money to someone with an HSBC account in London, the payee would have to submit to his bank, the London-based beneficiary’s account number along with the eight-digit SWIFT code of the latter’s bank. Citi would then send a SWIFT message to HSBC. Once that is received and approved, the money would be credited to the required account.

SWIFT is merely a platform that sends messages and does not hold any securities or money. It provides standardised and reliable communication to facilitate the transaction.

What happens if one is excluded from SWIFT?

If a country is excluded from the most participatory financial facilitating platform, its foreign funding would take a hit, making it entirely reliant on domestic investors. This is particularly troublesome when institutional investors are constantly seeking new markets in newer territories.

An alternative system would be cumbersome to build and even more difficult to integrate with an already expansive system. SWIFT, first used in 1973, went live in 1977 with 518 institutions from 22 countries.

Are any countries excluded from SWIFT?

Certain Iranian banks were ousted from the system in 2018 despite resistance from several countries in Europe.

How is the organization governed?

  • SWIFT claims to be neutral. Its shareholders, consisting of 3,500 firms across the globe, elect the 25-member board, which is responsible for oversight and management of the company.
  • It is regulated by G-10 central banks of Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, and Sweden, alongside the European Central Bank. Its lead overseer is the National Bank of Belgium.
  • The SWIFT oversight forum was established in 2012. The G-10 participants were joined by the central banks of India, Australia, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the Republic of Turkey, and the People’s Republic of China.

2. EXERCISE EASTERN BRIDGE -VI

THE CONTEXT: The Indo-Oman exercise, Eastern Bridge-VI (2022) was successfully conducted at Air Force Station Jodhpur. Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) participated with Indian Air Force (lAF) in the exercise which was aimed at providing operational exposure and undertaking mutual exchange of best practices, towards enhancing operational capabilities of both the Air Forces.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • It was aimed at providing operational exposure and undertaking mutual exchange of best practices, towards enhancing operational capabilities of both the Air Forces.
  • According to the Defense Ministry stated that both sides discussed further prospects of mutual co-operation. The exercise provided an opportunity for fruitful interaction between IAF and RAFO elements through mutual exchange of experience and operational knowledge. It also provided avenues of cultural exchanges between the personnel of both countries.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE INSTITUTIONS?

THE CONTEXT: The National Stock Exchange (NSE), the country’s largest equities and derivatives exchange, was fined for laxity in governance pertaining to actions taken during the tenure of its former MD and CEO Chitra Ramakrishna.

THE EXPLANATION:

What are MIIs?

  • Stock exchanges, depositories and clearing houses are all Market Infrastructure Institutions and constitute a key part of the nation’s vital economic infrastructure.
  • A panel set up under the chairmanship of former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan — to examine issues arising from the ownership and governance of MIIs — in its 2010 report said: “The term ‘infrastructure’ would mean the basic, underlying framework or features of a system; and the term ‘market infrastructure’ denotes such fundamental facilities and systems serving this market. The primary purpose of securities /capital market is to enable allocation/reallocation of capital/financial resources.”
  • Such movement, it pointed out, helped optimal use of money in the economy and fostered economic development. Well-functioning MIIs, constitute “the nucleus of (the) capital allocation system”, are indispensable for economic growth and have a net positive effect on society like any other infrastructure institution, the panel noted.

Why are they considered to be systemically important?

  • According to the Jalan committee, MIIs are systemically important in India is clear from the phenomenal growth of these institutions in terms of market capitalisation of listed companies, capital raised and the number of investor accounts with brokers and depositories and the value of assets held in the depositories’ account.
  • Unlike typical financial institutions, the number of stock exchanges, depositories and clearing corporations in an economy is limited due to the nature of its business, although they cater to the entire marketplace.
  • “Any failure of such an MII could lead to even bigger cataclysmic collapses that may result in an overall economic downfall that could potentially extend beyond the boundaries of the securities market and the country.”

What are the specific institutions in India that qualify as MIIs?

Among stock exchanges, the SEBI lists seven, including the BSE, the NSE, the Multi Commodity Exchange of India and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India. There are two depositories — charged with the safekeeping of securities and enabling their trading and transfer — that are tagged MIIs: the Central Depository Services Ltd. and the National Securities Depository Ltd.

4. RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT HITS SUNFLOWER OIL IMPORTS

THE CONTEXT: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jolted the crude oil market around the world and that is poised to raise petrol and diesel prices in India as well. However, that is not the only issue India has to face because of this geopolitical conflict.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • India, which heavily depends on edible oil imports to fulfil its requirement. Nearly 93 per cent of India’s sunflower seeds oil imports are sourced only from Ukraine and Russia.Indian traders have contracted 5.5 lakh tonnes sunflower oil from Ukraine, Russia, most of which is stuck.
  • Traders of India, the largest importer of sunflower oil at 60 per cent of its total needs, have contracted around 5.5 lakh tonnes of sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia in February and March,of this, 1.8 lakh tonnes have left but the fate of the rest of the shipments remains uncertain.
  • India’s total imports of edible oils surged to a record ₹1.17 lakh crore in 2020-21 marketing year (November to October) from almost ₹72,000 crore in the previous year due to a sharp rise in global prices.
  • According to the Department of Food and Public Distribution,the total quantity of oils imported, palm oils constitute around 54 per cent and are imported mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia. Soybean oil constitutes around 25 per cent and is imported from Argentina and Brazil.
  • It is to be noted that the effective rate of duty on crude palm oil is 35.75 per cent while that on soybean and sunflower oil is 38.5 per cent.
  • Consumer food prices had risen the fastest in January (2022) in the past over a year, which has affected the household budgets. This has happened despite the government cutting taxes and imposing limits on the stocking of cooking oil.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. THE LARGEST BACTERIUM EVER DISCOVERED

THE CONTEXT: Scientists discovered an absolutely massive bacterium that can be seen without the aid of a microscope and lurks among the mangroves of Grande-Terre in the Caribbean.

THE EXPLANATION:

Most species of bacteria measure between one and five micrometers long, but the biggest previously known was Thiomargarita namibiensis, which tops out at 750 micrometers or 0.75 mm. But this newly identified species blows everything else out of the water – its average length is a whopping 9,000 micrometers (0.9 cm/0.4 in), with the largest recorded specimen reaching 2 cm. This single cell is longer than your everyday housefly.

The organism was actually first discovered about a decade ago, as bundles of white filaments growing on decaying mangrove leaves in a Caribbean swamp. But at the time, its discoverer, marine biologist Olivier Gros, didn’t realize they were bacteria, let alone single cells. That identification only came more recently, with detailed analysis.

Its physical size isn’t the only giant thing about this bacterium. Genetic analysis revealed that its genome is also massive, containing 11 million bases and around 11,000 genes, which is almost three times larger than most bacterial genomes. On closer inspection, the team found that the genome is quite repetitive, with more than half a million copies of certain sequences.

Value Addition:

Few Important Facts about Bacteria.

  • Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms that exist in their millions, in every environment, both inside and outside other organisms.
  • Some bacteria are harmful, but most serve a useful purpose. They support many forms of life, both plant and animal, and they are used in industrial and medicinal processes.

Types of Bacteria:

Spherical: Bacteria shaped like a ball are called cocci, and a single bacterium is a coccus. Examples include the streptococcus group, responsible for “strep throat.”

Rod-shaped: These are known as bacilli (singular bacillus). Some rod-shaped bacteria are curved. These are known as vibrio. Examples of rod-shaped bacteria include Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis), or anthrax.

Spiral: These are known as spirilla (singular spirillus). If their coil is very tight they are known as spirochetes. Leptospirosis, Lyme disease, and syphilis are caused by bacteria of this shape.

Where do they live?

  • Bacteria can be found in soil, water, plants, animals, radioactive waste, deep in the earth’s crust, arctic ice and glaciers, and hot springs. There are bacteria in the stratosphere, between 6 and 30 miles up in the atmosphere, and in the ocean depths, down to 32,800 feet or 10,000 meters deep.
  • Aerobes, or aerobic bacteria, can only grow where there is oxygen. Some types can cause problems for the human environment, such as corrosion, fouling, problems with water clarity, and bad smells.
  • Anaerobes, or anaerobic bacteria, can only grow where there is no oxygen. In humans, this is mostly in the gastrointestinal tract. They can also cause gas, gangrene, tetanus, botulism, and most dental infections.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. THE OMBUDSPERSON APP FOR MGNREGS

THE CONTEXT: TheUnion Ministry for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, launched Ombudsperson App for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.According to the Ombudsperson App is a step towards e-governance, this will be helpful in ensuring transparency and accountability.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The Ministry has developed an Ombudsperson App for smooth reporting and categorization of grievances by Ombudsperson based on complaints he received from various sources viz. physical, digital and mass media, related to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Scheme in the States/UTs.
  • At present, the reporting of complaints, passing awards and disposal of complaints are in physical form. This will strengthen Ombudsperson in the discharge of her/his duty in a hassle-free manner. After joining of Ombudsperson, the Registration of Ombudsperson is done by the State. On registration, Ombudsperson will use the Username and password to use this App.
  • Also, it will enable easy tracking and timely passing of awards by Ombudsperson on each case as per the guidelines. Ombudsperson can also easily upload the quarterly and annual reports on the website through the app.
  • The app will help the ombudsperson to a greater extent in discharging her/his duty towards transparency and accountability. Also, smooth disposal of the grievances in a time-bound manner with minimal support of further human resources will be possible through the app.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2022

Q. Consider the following statements with reference to SWIFT:

  1. It is a messaging network used by banks and financial institutions globally.
  2. It headquarter is in Paris.
  3. It is merely a platform that sends messages and does not hold any securities or money.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 26TH FEB 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1875. A few years later the headquarters of the Arya Samaj were established at Lahore.

Main principles and objectives of the Arya Samaj are as follows:

  1. Believes in infallibility of Vedas and takes them as only truth and source of all source all knowledge. Believed that post-vedic texts such as Puranas were responsible for pollution of Vedic religion.
  2. Opposes the idol-worship and reincarnation theory of God but accepts the doctrine of ‘Karma’ and transmigration of soul. Dayanand also rejected the theory of destiny / fate (Niyati).
  3. Believes in one God who has no physical existence.
  4. Rejects Brahmanical dominance of spiritual and social life of Hindus. Denounces claim of Brahmins as intermediaries between man and God.
  5. Supported Four Varna System but the Varna system should be based on merit not birth. Hindu religion gives everyone an equal place in the spiritual and social life.
  6. Advocated equal status for women in the society. There is no room for any kind of discrimination against women on the basis of gender.
  7. Advocated widow remarriage, female education and opposed polygamy, child marriage, Sati, etc.
  8. Backed propagation of Hindi and Sanskrit. Considered good education as base of a goodNand solid social system. It did phenomenal work in the field of education even for women.
  9. Denounces socio-religious evils such as animal sacrifices, religious pilgrimages, feeding the dead through sraddhas, magic and charms etc. According to Swami Dayanand, these evils exist in the society due to ignorance of the teaching of the Vedas.



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (28-02-2022)

  1. Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation READ MORE
  2. Mental health needs more than medicine READ MORE  



Ethics Through Current Developments (28-02-2022)

  1. Save the world from war, spread meditativeness READ MORE
  2. Leo Tolstoy’s Law of Love READ MORE
  3. Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (28-02-2022)

  1. Tackling the plastic problem: The UN Environment Assembly meet could finalise a way forward for global cooperation in reducing plastic consumption READ MORE
  2. India: We May Have Overestimated How Much Carbon Our Forests Can Hold READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (28-02-2022)

  1. No quick fix: India must not allow mushrooming of medical colleges without trained faculty, infrastructure READ MORE
  2. Liberalise, do not bureaucratise READ MORE
  3. Too many IAS chief secretaries, not enough posts — Indian states have a problem READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (28-02-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. EXERCISE EASTERN BRIDGE -VI READ MORE
  2. Exclusion from SWIFT: what it entails READ MORE
  3. Russia-Ukraine conflict hits sunflower oil imports; industry weighs options in other countries READ MORE
  4. Explained | What are market infrastructure institutions? READ MORE
  5. SC quashes Bihar notification to declare Lohar caste ST READ MORE
  6. India abstains from UNSC procedural vote for emergency General Assembly session on Ukraine READ MORE
  7. Cabinet approves supply of coal through common e-auction window READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

  1. Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. No quick fix: India must not allow mushrooming of medical colleges without trained faculty, infrastructure READ MORE
  2. Liberalise, do not bureaucratise READ MORE
  3. Too many IAS chief secretaries, not enough posts — Indian states have a problem READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

  1. Mental health needs more than medicine READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. A testing vote: India had good reasons to abstain, but might have to revisit its stance if the conflict worsens READ MORE
  2. Russia-West conflict of interest over Ukraine READ MORE
  3. A tightrope: India’s abstention at the UNSC resolution against Russia sends out conflicting signals READ MORE
  4. UN Security Council Remains as Powerless as Ever READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. With Russia-Ukraine conflict, comes inflation challenge READ MORE
  2. Our forex cushion READ MORE
  3. Food for thought READ MORE
  4. It’s time to simplify the direct tax laws READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

  1. Tackling the plastic problem: The UN Environment Assembly meet could finalise a way forward for global cooperation in reducing plastic consumption READ MORE
  2. India: We May Have Overestimated How Much Carbon Our Forests Can Hold READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

  1. India’s journey at CERN has been remarkable READ MORE
  2. Science needs bigger investment for better results READ MORE 

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Save the world from war, spread meditativeness READ MORE
  2. Leo Tolstoy’s Law of Love READ MORE
  3. Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘The recent Ukraine invades by Russia shows that United Nations Security Council is remains as powerless as ever’. In the light of the statement discuss the need for the reform in UNSC.
  2. ‘India’s record procurement levels should not be viewed as an achievement, but instead as pointers to deep flaws in the agriculture marketing system’. In the light of the statement discuss how India can address this cropping imbalance?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • There never was a good war or a bad peace.
  • India had good reasons to abstain from UNSC, but might have to revisit its stance if the conflict worsens.
  • India must not allow mushrooming of medical colleges without trained faculty, infrastructure.
  • Merely having private establishments start medical schools, without a long-term commitment to offer necessary training and post-graduate education, could lead to a repeat of the engineering fiasco after the dotcom boom.
  • The UN Environment Assembly meet could finalise a way forward for global cooperation in reducing plastic consumption.
  • Prices must be prevented from surging upwards. This calls for reforming India’s grain management and food subsidy system.
  • It is important to reform the grain-management-cum-food-subsidy system to release precious resources for growth of agriculture.
  • We’ll soon confront a moment of truth over how the country plans to get its high debt pile-up back under a level that would allow for a sustainable fiscal approach in the years to come.
  • India’s record procurement levels should not be viewed as an achievement, but instead as pointers to deep flaws in the agriculture marketing system.
  • A self-reliant India needs to at least double its investment in S&T. Nobel prizes will follow and the long drought could end sooner than later.
  • The government might be working on simplifying the capital gains tax rules, bringing a more uniform definition for long-term capital gains and the tax rate on them.
  • Punitive measures like sanctions, severing diplomatic ties, or delinking trade might just be symbolic when it comes to powerful nations, and these steps might not deter them.
  • The entire spotlight is on how Russia has violated territorial integrity, but no one is asking as to why the current system of collective security has failed to maintain international peace and security in the game of great power politics.
  • Russia should not fall into the trap of China to share the financial burden of keeping a terrorist country like Pakistan functional.

50-WORD TALK

  • Owing to the collective failure of the West to check the economic juggernaut of the CPC, the US and its allies are now desperate to cobble up an economic coalition. Moscow too has been making its way into the European heartland through one of the most lucrative exports — natural gas. Russia alone was enough to meet the energy needs of the politico-economic geography of the European Union and NATO nations.
  • India’s journey from being food-deficient to becoming food-surplus helped the country achieve independence in food production. But today, the Green Revolution of yesteryear needs to turn into an ‘ever-Green Revolution’ to find solutions to air pollution caused by stubble burning in northern India. Again, national science will have to come to the rescue.

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 mains 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-153 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | POLITY

[WpProQuiz 168]




DOES INDIA’S NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY NEED REWORKING?

THE CONTEXT: Recent visits by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to countries in the region appear to show new energy in India’s neighbourhood policy. This article discusses the need for the reworking of neighbourhood policy.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF INDIA’S REGIONAL POLICY

  • The notion of regional primacy certainly persisted in the Nehruvian era —seen in the three security treaties that the first prime minister signed with Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal during 1949-50.
  • The post-colonial phase, which broadly began in the late 1940s, again, has had a complementariness that helped India and its neighbours to propel ideas such as non-alignment in the international arena, which was inspired by a macro-level “third worldism”, “South-South cooperation” and so on.
  • As India got involved in border conflicts with Pakistan & China and also due to persisting poor economic policies, its influence in the neighbourhood got marginalised.
  • Though multilateralism prevailed in India’s foreign policy at the international level, there has been a tremendous focus on bilateralism in India’s approach to its immediate neighbourhood.
  • India’s economic reorientation since 1991 and the rediscovery of regionalism did open possibilities for reconnecting with its neighbors.

In that context, to a large extent, India’s foreign policy approach towards its neighbours was shaped by the “principle of balancing”.

KEY FOREIGN POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

NEED FOR POLICY REWORK

It is extremely important that our engagement with our neighbouring countries should not be event-oriented; it should be process-oriented. And we should have a plan for a continuous engagement at various levels.

  • Recently, there have been many strains in ties with neighbours. For instance, With Nepal over its Constitution in 2015 and now over the map, and With Bangladesh over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
  • Need clarity regarding China. It is very easy to accuse any of India’s neighbouring countries of being too close to China. But it’s very difficult to set out the exact terms of what they should or shouldn’t do with China.
  • South-East Asia is one of the largest regions in the world by population. It is one of the least integrated regions with tremendous deficits in terms of infrastructure, connectivity, and interdependence. It is a region that is now being exposed to various geopolitical competition dynamics.
  • We should focus on creating interdependence in this region that will give India strategic leverage.

There should be an awareness that there is a price to be paid if we try to always prioritize domestic factors over foreign policy issues. Generosity and firmness must go hand in hand. If you have determined what your key interests are, then it is better to make it known what the red lines are.

CHALLENGES

Structural Challenges: India has historical legacies of border conflict, ethnic and social tensions and India’s are the dominant structural handicaps working against the success of India’s policy in South Asia.

  • The challenges of settling boundaries, sharing river waters, protecting the rights of minorities, and easing the flow of goods and people, affects regional diplomacy.
  • For example, the issues related to Madhesis in Nepal, Tamils in Sri Lanka, border and river water disputes with Bangladesh are accorded to various structural handicaps of India.

Lack of Consensus on Security and Development:

  • South Asia is one of the only regions without any regional security architecture.
  • India’s big brotherly stature has been seen as more of a threat by other countries of the region rather than an enabling factor to cooperate for the security and development of the region.

Chinese influence:  Beyond the bilateral territorial dispute between India and China, the emergence of a powerful state on India’s frontiers affected India’s relationship with its neighboring countries.

  • China has made foray into India’s neighbourhood of alternative trade and connectivity options after the 2015 India-Nepal border blockade (e.g. highway to Lhasa, cross-border railway lines to the development of dry port).
  • In Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan, China holds strategic real estate and has a stake in their domestic policies.
  • China is undertaking political mediations such as stepping in to negotiate a Rohingya refugee return agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, hosting a meeting of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s foreign ministers to bring both on board with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is also mediating between Maldivian government and opposition.

India’s Hard Power Tactics:

  • India has a central location in South Asia and being the largest geographically and economically, India should be expected to hold greater sway over each of its neighbours but many of its hard power tactics do not seem to work.
  • The 2015 Nepal blockade and a subsequent cut in Indian aid did not force the Nepali government to amend its constitution as intended and may have led to the reversal of India’s influence there.

Political loggerheads:

  • For various reasons other governments in the SAARC region are either not on ideal terms with India or facing political headwinds.
  • In the Maldives, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has challenged India through its crackdown on the opposition, invitations to China and breaking with India’s effort to isolate Pakistan at SAARC.
  • In Nepal, the K.P. Sharma Oli government is not India’s first choice, and both countries have disagreements over the Nepalese constitution, Treaty of Peace and Friendship 1950 etc.
  • In Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, where relations have been comparatively better for the past few years, upcoming elections could pose a challenge for India.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

Many of these factors mentioned are hard to reverse but the fundamental facts of geography and shared cultures in South Asia are also undeniable, and India must focus its efforts on “Making the Neighbourhood First Again”

1. Soft Power:

  • Despite the apparent benefits of hard power and realpolitik, India’s most potent tool is its soft power.
  • Its successes in Bhutan and Afghanistan, for example, have primarily been due to its development assistance than its defence assistance.
  • Considering this India’s allocations for South Asia have also increased by 6% in 2018 after two years of decline.

2. Approach towards China: Instead of opposing every project by China in the region, India must attempt a three-pronged approach:

  • First, where possible, India should collaborate with China in the manner it has over the Bangladesh China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic corridor.
  • Second, when it feels a project is a threat to its interests, India should make a counter-offer to the project, if necessary, in collaboration with its Quadrilateral partners, Japan, the U.S. and Australia. Third, India should coexist with projects that do not necessitate intervention, while formulating a set of South Asian principles for sustainable development assistance that can be used across the region.

3. Learn from ASEAN: 

  • Like ASEAN, SAARC countries must meet more often informally, interfere less in the internal workings of each other’s governments, and that there be more interaction at every level of government.
  • Further, some experts have argued that like Indonesia India too must take a back seat in decision-making, enabling others to build a more harmonious SAARC process.

4. Multi-vector foreign policy:

  • Promotion of a multi-vector foreign policy by diversifying its foreign policy attention on multiple powers (not only the US; but also Russia, the European Union, Africa and so on) in the global arena while developing a stronger matrix of multilateralism and employing stronger diplomatic communications strategies.

5. Understand limitations of the neighbourhood first:

  • India needs investments, access to technology, fulfilment of its defence and energy needs and defends of its interests in international trade negotiations, besides seeking reform of the international financial and political institutions to obtain its rightful say in global governance which may not be fulfilled by its neighbours.

Proximity is one of the greatest assets which we have with respect to all our neighbors. But this connectivity has to be linked with the ‘software of connectivity’.

WAY FORWARD:

A new neighborhood policy needs to be imaginatively crafted in tune with the emerging realities in order to maintain its regional power status and to realize status transformation to the next level in the near future. Such re-strategizing can enable India to strengthen its position in the region/neighborhood.

  • India’s neighborhood policy can go a long way if these initiatives are properly backed up by sufficient innovative hard power resources (defense and economy) and the use of soft power strategies.
  • Soft power strategies can be operationalized only by way of creatively propelling India’s democratic values and ideas, which can further improve its civilizational ties with regional states. This in turn can lead to a recalibration of India’s neighbourhood policy.
  • India’s neighborhood policy should be based on the principles of the Gujral Doctrine. This would ensure India’s stature and strength cannot be isolated from the quality of its relations with its neighbors and there can be regional growth as well.

The China factor, the changing global power architecture, and the existing conflicts with neighbours will play a significant role in India’s foreign policy, of which its neighbourhood policy is a crucial one.

CONCLUSION:

There is no doubt that the challenges which India must deal with in its neighborhood will become more complex and even threatening compared to two decades ago. But neighborhood first policy must be anchored in the sustained engagement at all levels of the political and people to people levels, building upon the deep cultural affinities which are unique to India’s relations with its neighbors.




DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (FEBRUARY 26, 2022)

THE INDIAN HISTORY

1.THE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SWAMI DAYANAND SARASWATI

THE CONTEXT: Every year, this special day is celebrated in all vedic institutions and religious establishments across the country with great pomp and fervour.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • He was born on 12 February, 1824, in Gujarat, Saraswati’s original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. The name Mool was given to him as he was born when the Mool Nakshatra conquered the sky.
  • But according to the traditional Hindu calendar, the great Indian philosopher was born on the Dashami tithi of Phalguna Krishna Paksha. This year, Dayanand Saraswati’s birth anniversary is celebrated on 26 February, 2022.

His journey:

Dayanand Saraswati was one of India’s greatest social reformers, leaders and philosophers during the pre-independence era. Dayanand Saraswati was the one who first gave the call for Swaraj in 1876 as ‘India for Indians’. It was a call that was later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.

Snippets from Dayanand Saraswati’s life: 

  • More than a religious leader, who left a deep impression on the minds of countrymen. His ideas were more against following empty rituals, denouncing caste system, encouraging education and giving equal rights to men and women.
  • He was the one who promoted Vedic philosophy with principles of karma and reincarnation.Saraswati’s mission in life was universal brotherhood. He founded the Arya Samaj that opposed caste system based on birth rather than merit, child marriage, idol worship, untouchability and temple offerings. Factors concerning social reform and education were Swami Dayanand Saraswati’smain focus.
  • To understand and realise the vision that Dayanand Saraswati had, the Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) schools came into existence in 1886. In the country, the first DAV School was founded at Lahore and Mahatma Hansraj was appointed as its first Headmaster.

Main principles and objectives of the Arya Samaj are as follows:

  • Believes in infallibility of Vedas and takes them as only truth and source of all source all knowledge. Believed that post-vedic texts such as Puranas were responsible for pollution of Vedic religion.
  • Opposes the idol-worship and reincarnation theory of God but accepts the doctrine of ‘Karma’ and transmigration of soul. Dayanand also rejected the theory of destiny / fate (Niyati).
  • Believes in one God who has no physical existence.
  • Rejects Brahmanical dominance of spiritual and social life of Hindus. Denounces claim of Brahmins as intermediaries between man and God.
  • Supported Four Varna System but the Varna system should be based on merit not birth. Hindu religion gives everyone an equal place in the spiritual and social life.
  • Advocated equal status for women in the society. There is no room for any kind of discrimination against women on the basis of gender.
  • Advocated widow remarriage, female education and opposed polygamy, child marriage, Sati, etc.
  • Backed propagation of Hindi and Sanskrit. Considered good education as base of a good and solid social system. It did phenomenal work in the field of education even for women.
  • Denounces socio-religious evils such as animal sacrifices, religious pilgrimages, feeding the dead through sraddhas, magic and charms etc. According to Swami Dayanand, these evils exist in the society due to ignorance of the teaching of the Vedas.
  • Shuddhi Movement: Shuddhi provided for the reconversion of such persons to Hinduism. This movement was primarily directed against the Christian missionaries, who had converted a large number of Hindus, particularly from the depressed classes to Christianity.
  • Protection of the cow: In 1882 the Arya Samaj formed a ‘Cow Protection Association’. However, this antagonized the Muslim theologists and resulted in serious Hindu Muslim riots.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA’S ABSTENTION ON UNSC

THE CONTEXT: Amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, India abstained on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution that “deplores in the strongest terms” Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine.

THE EXPLANATION:

India’s decision to abstain from the UNSC resolution on Ukraine strikes a balance between national interest and its core belief. The tough resolution was expectedly vetoed by Russia, 11 countries supported it with India, UAE and China choosing to abstain from the vote.

Who moved the resolution?

  • The UN Security Council voted on the draft resolution presented by the US and Albania, and co-sponsored by several other nations, including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.

What was the resolution about?

  • The Council’s resolution reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
  • The resolution “deplores in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” and decides that Russia “shall immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine and shall refrain from any further unlawful threat or use of force against any UN member state”.

Why did India abstain?

India did not endorse the harsh language used in the resolution condemning Russia’s actions. It wants to maintain a balance between the Western bloc led by the US, and Russia, since it has strategic partners on both sides.

NOTE:

·         India took over from France to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the month of August.

·         This is the first presidency for India during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

·         India is organising three high-level meetings focusing on its priority areas–maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.

·         India will work as a voice of moderation, an advocate of dialogue and a proponent of international law.

THE PT PERSPECTIVE

3. TWO NEW PREHISTORIC BIRD SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN CHINA

THE CONTEXT: Paleontologists at the Changma locality in China’s Gansu province have found six specimens from three species of ornithuromorph birds — two of which are new to science.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • It’s the second-richest Mesozoic fossil bird site in the world, but more than half of the fossils found there belong to Gansusyumenensis, a species of aquatic bird that lived approximately 120 million years ago (Early Cretaceous epoch).
  • “Gansusyumenensis is the first known true Mesozoic bird in the world, as Archaeopteryx is more dinosaur-like, and now we know what its skull looks like after about four decades”.
  • The new six specimens from the Changma site are primarily just skulls and necks, parts not preserved in known specimens of Gansusyumenensis.
  • The fossils were also somewhat smashed by their time deep in the Earth, which made analyzing them difficult.
  • According to the paleontologist, these fossils come from a site in China that has produced fossils of birds that are pretty darned close to modern birds, but all the bird fossils described thus far haven’t had skulls preserved with the bodies.”
  • “These new skull specimens help fill in that gap in our knowledge of the birds from this site and of bird evolution as a whole.”
  • The two other specimens are considered new species: Meemannavisductrix and Brevidentaviszhangi.
  • Like Gansusyumenensis, both Meemannavisductrix and Brevidentaviszhangi are ornithuromorph birds — the group that contains modern birds.

4. NEW SPECIES OF LARGE-SIZED PTEROSAUR UNEARTHED IN SCOTLAND

THE CONTEXT: A fossil of a huge flying reptile known as pterosaur from the Jurassic period has been discovered on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the University of Edinburgh, the giant winged creature with an estimated wingspan of more than 2.5 metres lived around 170 million years ago.

The creature has been named Dearcsgiathanach, meaning ‘winged reptile’ in Scottish Gaelic.

The spectacular fossil was discovered by scientist, spotted its jaw protruding from the limestone layer on a tidal platform. It was extracted after strenuous efforts and later investigated. CT scan of the skull showed that Dearc had large optic lobes suggesting good eyesight.

Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to gain flying ability, even 50 million years before birds. The discovery of Dearc has confirmed that pterosaurs grew to the size of fighter jets, just before the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Meanwhile, they were earlier believed to be smaller during the Jurassic period.

What are a Pterosaurs?

Neither birds nor bats, pterosaurs were reptiles, close cousins of dinosaurs who evolved on a separate branch of the reptile family tree. They were also the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight—not just leaping or gliding, but flapping their wings to generate lift and travel through the air. They evolved into dozens of species.

5. RAILWAYS’ SOLAR POWER PLANT IN MP SHORTLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Railways’ solar power plant set up near Bina station in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh has been shortlisted for an international award.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has successfully commissioned a 1.7-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant at Bina in Madhya Pradesh for the Indian Railways. The plant directly feed power to traction systems of Indian Railways.
  • The move to create a solar plant was taken after Indian Railways decided to be self-reliant for its energy needs and solarise railway stations by utilizing its vacant lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects. The Ministry of Railways has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on mega scale.
  • On this light, the International Union of Railways recently shortlisted this green initiative of the Indian Railways for an award in ‘Best Use of Zero-Carbon Technology Category’, adding that the other two which are in the race to win this award are railways of east Japan and South America.
  • “The solar power plant having an installed capacity of 1.7 megawatt has been operating since the last one-and-a-half years, supplying electricity directly to the traction system used to run trains”.
  • Indian Railways present demand would be fulfilled by the solar projects being deployed, making it the first transport organisation to be energy self-sufficient. This would help in making Indian Railways green as well as ‘AtmaNirbhar’.
  • It has started energy procurement from various solar projects like 3 MWp solar plant set up at MCF Raebareilly (UP). About 100 MWp rooftop solar systems have already been commissioned on various stations and buildings of Indian Railways.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

6. 12TH ANNUAL AEGIS GRAHAM BELL AWARDS

THE CONTEXT: Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Government of India has bagged three awards at 12th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards in a virtual ceremony on 25th Feb 2022 for its indigenously designed & developed innovative Telecom solutions in various categories.

THE EXPLANATION:

CDOT is declared TOP WINNER in three categories as below

  1. Indigenous Early Warning Platform for Disaster Management & Preparedness based on ITU’s Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) in the “Tech for Social Good” category.
  2. 2. C-DOT SAMVAD – A Unified Platform for Secure Messaging and Calling Solution.
  3. C-DOT Quarantine Alert System (CQAS) has won the first prize in the category of “Preventive measures to combat Covid 19”.

About Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)

  • It was established in 1984 as an autonomous Telecom R&D centre under the Department of telecommunication (DoT), Government of India.
  • Also,it is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act,1860.
  • It is a registered public-funded research institution with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.
  • Currently, C-DOT is working towards realising the objective of various flagship programmes of Govt. of India which include Digital India, BharatNet, Smart Cities etc.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 26th FEBRUARY 2022

Q. Which of the following statements is incorrect about Arya Samaj?

a) It opposes the idol-worship and reincarnation theory of God.

b) It rejects the doctrine of ‘Karma’ and transmigration of soul.

c) It rejects Brahmanical dominance of spiritual and social life of Hindus.

d) It advocated widow remarriage and female education.

 ANSWER FOR 25th FEBRUARY 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

Chhau Dance:

  • The word ‘Chhau’ probably comes from chhauni (camp), and the art form was arguablyinvented to keep foot soldiers war-ready.
  • The martial movements and mock fights subsequently took the shape of dance, becomingpopular in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.
  • Apart from Purulia Chhau, there are two other variants, Mayurbhanj and SeraikellaChhau,which are practised in Odisha and Jharkhand respectively.
  • The mask is the defining feature of Purulia Chhau, differentiating it from its two otherbranches. Though SeraikellaChhau does use masks, they are simpler, with none of the pomp of these.
  • With stories taken from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas, the dance dramascelebrate the triumph of good over evil. In these pandemic times, Chhau has even beenused to spread awareness about COVID-19.
  • These days, Chhau festivals are held throughout the year and dancers are called to perform on national and international stages.



Ethics Through Current Developments (26-02-2022)

  1. A state of quiet READ MORE
  2. New ACM Tech-Brief spotlights privacy, ethics problems with facial recognition technology READ MORE
  3. Artificial intelligence technologies have a climate cost READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (26-02-2022)

  1. On the Brink of Collapse: Decoding a UN-Backed Climate Fund READ MORE
  2. Assessing Marine Plastic Pollution in India READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (26-02-2022)

  1. Caste politics does not undermine development READ MORE
  2. Education should be priority, not banning of hijab READ MORE
  3. The case for early teaching in mother tongue READ MORE  
  4. Drivers of Child Nutritional Change in India READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (26-02-2022)

  1. What does Artificial Intelligence spell for policy-makers? READ MORE
  2. Parties pitch law and order as poll issue in UP READ MORE
  3. Inter-Faith Marriage: One High Court, 2 Similar Cases, Different Verdicts READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (26-02-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22– Issue price Series-X READ MORE
  2. C-DOT bags 3 awards for its indigenously designed & developed innovative Telecom solutions at 12th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards READ MORE
  3. Explained: What India’s abstention on UNSC vote over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means READ MORE
  4. 40 nations taking part, Navy’s Exercise Milan begins today READ MORE
  5. Railways’ solar power plant in MP shortlisted for international award READ MORE
  6. Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti: Know all about the founder of Arya Samaj READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

  1. Caste politics does not undermine development READ MORE
  2. Education should be priority, not banning of hijab READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. What does Artificial Intelligence spell for policy-makers? READ MORE
  2. Parties pitch law and order as poll issue in UP READ MORE
  3. Inter-Faith Marriage: One High Court, 2 Similar Cases, Different Verdicts READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

  1. The case for early teaching in mother tongue READ MORE  
  2. Drivers of Child Nutritional Change in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Troubled waters: India and Sri Lanka should find a lasting solution to the issues facing their fisherfolk READ MORE
  2. The world must do more to put pressure on Russia READ MORE
  3. Russia: India is in a tough spot READ MORE
  4. India must think of reconfiguring its ties with Russia READ MORE
  5. India Needs to Make Some Tough Foreign Policy Choices READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Green or Grey? The Uncertain Quality of India’s New Hydrogen Policy READ MORE
  2. Free Trade Agreements Are Back in Vogue READ MORE
  3. Inflation, Debt Sustainability, and Government Borrowing in the Time of the Pandemic READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

  1. On the Brink of Collapse: Decoding a UN-Backed Climate Fund READ MORE
  2. Assessing Marine Plastic Pollution in India READ MORE

SECURITY

  1. Defence upgrade needs touch of realism READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. A state of quiet READ MORE
  2. New ACM Tech-Brief spotlights privacy, ethics problems with facial recognition technology READ MORE
  3. Artificial intelligence technologies have a climate cost READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘High food inflation and the adoption of inflation targeting will impose severe constraints on the ability to expand borrowing and maintain low levels of debt-to-GDP’. In the light of the statement, do you think that governments must either rethink monetary policy or allow for debt ratios to rise? Analyse the case.
  2. Does the India’s trade pact with the United Arab Emirates indicate a policy shift towards a more liberal trade regime? Argue your case.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
  • The AI-climate change link is understudied, not least because the largest companies working in this space are neither transparent nor meaningfully committed to understanding it.
  • The rampant use of plastics in India and inefficient waste management practices have led to plastic waste being either piled up on dumpsites or finding their way into the open sea, contributing to the global problem of marine plastic pollution.
  • High food inflation and the adoption of inflation targeting will impose severe constraints on the ability to expand borrowing and maintain low levels of debt-to-GDP. In such a situation, governments must either rethink monetary policy and/or allow for debt ratios to rise.
  • Majoritarian forces are threatened by the attempt of Muslim women to gain economic independence and assert their identity while enjoying their civil liberties.
  • The civic bodies are major defaulters, but the power department cannot summarily shut down power supply to the street lights managed by the municipalities owing to law and order as well as public convenience factors. This leads to a perennial built up of arrears for the discoms.
  • If the Union Government can make it compulsory for all the primary schools run by Government or private sector to teach only in mother tongue till Grade 5, there will be a level playing field.
  • Through its actions in Ukraine, Russia has challenged the global order in fundamental ways and India’s foreign policy won’t be immune from its reverberations.
  • It is time for us to focus on empowering all women, including Muslim women, by ensuring their access to education, employment, and public safety.

50-WORD TALK

  • Western sanctions against Russia have confronted New Delhi with tough choices. Russian equipment, especially missile and nuclear technologies, are the bedrock of India’s defence. But economic partnership with the West, and its support against China, are key to India’s future. Focussed, pragmatic pursuit of national interest must guide Indian diplomacy.
  • A Delhi municipal school’s order to forbid its students from wearing religious attire is premature, needlessly political and inflammable. Everybody should take a deep breath and wait for the Karnataka court’s decision. India cannot afford to go down on this slippery slope in which there can be no clear winners.

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 mains 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.



NEED FOR THE HOLDING OF BIG TECH FIRMS ACCOUNTABLE

THE CONTEXT: With the Internet playing a central role in determining how humans live and work, a few big technology companies have gathered remarkable clout. The clout is a result of the fact that users depend heavily on a few companies for most of their needs. Efforts by competition regulators in the European Union, the United States, and India have not conclusively settled issues that have emerged as a direct result of the dominance of big tech players. This article discusses why accountability is needed.

PERSPECTIVE FOR INDIAN MARKET

India’s digital age has brought with it tremendous opportunities. Indian SMEs now have access to a global market, leveling the playing field for these businesses.

  • With a population of over a billion, there are about 500 million active web users and India’s online market is second only to China.
  • According to the World Investment Report by UNCTAD, the FDI inflow into India rose 13 percent on year in FY20 to a record $49.97 billion compared to $44.36 billion in 2018-19, mostly in the digital sector.
  • Credit Suisse recently revealed that the digital transactions in India are expected to rise fourfold, to $1 trillion, by 2023.
  • Google generates $1 billion in ad revenues in India and Facebook is accessed by 217 million people every month.
  • Currently only half of India’s population is online, which leaves these companies a fairly chunky market segment to expand into. And just so we don’t lose sight of scale here – that’s a market size of 650 million.
  • The global pandemic has supercharged digital adoption in India, noting that the digitization of MSMEs is a particularly exciting trend to keep track of.

With a handful of internet companies projected to control 30% of the world’s gross economic output by 2030, the essential question before many regulators across the world is, how to fix accountability?

NEED TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE

Access and availability aren’t the only things that have changed. Big tech firms are now some of the most powerful groups in the world because they, in many ways, shape and control the content that social media users see and consume online.

Content moderation: The common people deserve to know how their information is being used, censored, and potentially exploited online. These companies have an obligation to explain it. As social media platforms continue to evolve, so too must the laws that govern them.

Antitrust: Google’s rise now has implications not only for business but also politics and society — which makes the antitrust conversation relevant for all countries, including India. This conversation also needs to extend to other digital companies, such as Facebook, the other gatekeeper of information online.

Anti-competitive behavior: New-age internet companies often exhibit anticompetitive behavior not by cartelizing and hiking prices, but by keeping consumer prices low, or even free, and using it to achieve dominance across multiple businesses verticals.

Privacy concerns: Lack of transparency in the way tech companies process user data; this has raised serious and pressing privacy concerns.

Acting as a referee: They’ve developed high-powered, opaque algorithms that learn online behavior and deliver customized results based on what we search, see, and share online. Some platforms have gone a step further – beyond delivering customized results and content – and have appeared to act as the arbiters of truth by moderating and censoring user-generated political content – political speech, essentially. How they do it is largely unknown, which is one of the reasons why they need to testify and hold accountable. Whether or not these companies believe they’re acting as a referee, suppression of people’s political speech is occurring.

Other issues: Other issues that need consideration include intellectual property rights and licensing, international taxation, and a user-centric data security regime.

The gap between the tech giants and their closest competitors is wide and has naturally given rise to a slew of complaints of abuse of dominance, illegal mergers, and acquisitions, and anti-competitive business practices such as bundling, predatory pricing, and deep discounting, exclusive arrangements, and cartelization and others.

MEASURES TAKEN AT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

Governments across the world have introduced stringent laws to ensure users’ right to privacy by requiring tech companies (and any other entity that utilizes user data) to adhere to certain basic and essential data security and privacy measures.

  • The E.U. introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to function as a consolidated set of data protection laws for Europe and Europeans, with a focus on certain basic principles of privacy which all entities handling user data must adhere to.
  • In India, social media companies are able to absolve themselves of any liability by citing the Information Technology (IT) Act’s provisions protecting intermediaries from any legal action for user-generated content.
  • India is also working on a Personal data protection bill.
  • The U.S. has now set its sights on big tech. After the announcement of anti-trust litigation against Google, a major overhaul of how these companies operate in nearly every possible arena is likely.
  • There is also a bipartisan effort to investigate censorship policies on Facebook and Twitter and also, relatedly, into the issues of ethical journalism and fake news.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

Big Tech Companies shape how you live, think, consume, vote, read, work and holiday. Forcing them to be accountable is essential.

  • Sites would also be required to provide an easily digestible disclosure of their content moderation practices for users. And, importantly, they would be required to explain their decisions to remove material to consumers. They would need to create an appeals process for users, too.
  • There’s a growing bipartisan consensus that it’s time to shed greater light on these secretive processes. People deserve to know how their information is being treated by big tech.
  • India needs to draw on the work that led to the American lawsuit, and take into account conversations in the European Union, where courts and policymakers have dealt some of the strongest blows to big tech’s propensity to cartelize.
  • If these proposals (for Potential Avenue for invasion of privacy, choices one key new yardstick, antitrust investigation) turn into law, they could offer a whole new set of tools to regulators and alter the face of the digital landscape for a generation.
  • Anti-competitive behavior should be punished with record-setting fines and ordering changes in business models and structuring.

Whether this is sufficient in terms of regulation remains to be seen.

WAY FORWARD:

Digital tech giants such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Walmart are all eagerly participating in writing the next chapter to the great Indian tech odyssey. This is just the beginning. So how can India use tech to supercharge its economy?

  • If the role played by digital tech to counter the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is anything to go by, then digital is definitely the way forward.
  • India has two possible paths ahead: adopt progressive new antitrust approaches which may emerge from the ongoing global churn that could help create more innovation-friendly markets or adopt a narrow nationalistic plank and characterize the problem as merely a “foreign” monopoly concern.
  • The changing landscape of the tech sector and markets in general and the fact that these entities have unimaginable wealth and power has meant that traditional methods will be insufficient to arrive at any long-term, concrete solutions.

CONCLUSION:

Given the size and impact of the Indian market, all regulatory action in India is bound to be closely monitored and can have a far-reaching impact elsewhere in the world. There is a good chance that the close scrutiny of major tech players by Indian regulators will lead to reform in the other regions and provide some heft to the growing concerns around their dominance. Given the importance of the Indian market, companies themselves will be inclined to ensure that the local regulators are satisfied.

JUST TO ADD IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL:  The Bill seeks to provide for the protection of the personal data of individuals. The Bill governs the processing of personal data by:

  • Government
  • Companies incorporated in India
  • Foreign companies dealing with the personal data of individuals in India

Obligations of data fiduciary: Personal data can be processed only for a specific, clear, and lawful purpose. Additionally, all data fiduciaries must undertake certain transparency and accountability measures such as:

  • Implementing security safeguards (such as data encryption and preventing misuse of data), and
  • Instituting Grievance Redressal Mechanisms to address complaints of individuals. They must also institute mechanisms for age verification and parental consent when processing sensitive personal data of children.

Rights of the individual:

  • Seek correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal data.
  • Have personal data transferred to any other data fiduciary in certain circumstances.
  • Restrict continuing disclosure of their personal data by a fiduciary, if it is no longer necessary or consent is withdrawn.

Grounds for processing personal data: The Bill allows the processing of data by fiduciaries only if consent is provided by the individual. However, in certain circumstances, personal data can be processed without consent. These include:

  • If required by the State for providing benefits to the individual,
  • Legal proceedings,
  • To respond to a medical emergency.

Exemptions- The central government can exempt any of its agencies from the provisions of the Act:

  • In the interest of the security of the state, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India and friendly relations with foreign states, and
  • For preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offense (i.e. arrest without warrant).

Offenses:

  • Processing or transferring personal data in violation of the Bill is punishable with a fine of Rs 15 crore or 4% of the annual turnover of the fiduciary, whichever is higher, and
  • Failure to conduct a data audit is punishable with a fine of five crore rupees or 2% of the annual turnover of the fiduciary, whichever is higher.



DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (FEBRUARY 25, 2022)

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. THE RUSSIAN INVASION ON UKRAINE

THE CONTEXT: The Russian President approves ‘special military operation’ as Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea. Also, the Russian actions have been widely condemned and raise several questions concerning violation of international law.

THE EXPLANATION:

Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine. Missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders into the eastern Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, and landing by sea at the cities of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Russian troops attacked Ukraine from Belarus as well as Russia with Belarusian support, and an attack was also being launched from annexed Crimea, Ukraine’s border.

How is Russia violating the UN Charter?

The principle of non-intervention is enshrined in article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It requires states to refrain from using force or threat of using force against territorial integrity or political independence of any state. The Russian attack on Ukraine is violative of this principle, and amounts to aggression under international law. Russia’s desire to keep Ukraine out of NATO is a prime reason for its use of force against Ukraine.

  • Russia has claimed it is acting in self-defence as Ukraine could acquire nuclear weapons with the help of its western allies. However, the International Court of Justice in the Legality of Threat of Nuclear Weapons case held that mere possession of nuclear weapons does not constitute a threat. Further, mere membership in a defence alliance like NATO can also not be considered a threat of aggression.
  • The UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974) defines aggression as the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state. Additionally, allowing one’s territory to be used by another state for aggression against a third state, also qualifies as an act of aggression.
  • Accordingly, Belarus can also be held responsible for aggression as it has allowed its territory to be used by Russia for attacking Ukraine. Aggression is also considered an international crime under customary international law and the Rome statute establishing the International Criminal Court.

Russia’s and the West’s interests in Ukraine:

  • Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic and familial links. As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the second-most powerful Soviet republic after Russia, and was crucial strategically, economically and culturally. Ever since Ukraine split from the Soviet Union, both Russia and the West have vied for greater influence in the country in order to keep the balance of power in the region in their favour.
  • For the United States and the European Union, Ukraine is a crucial buffer between Russia and the West. As tensions with Russia rise, the US and the EU are increasingly determined to keep Ukraine away from Russian control.
  • Efforts to induct Ukraine into NATO have been ongoing for many years and seems to have picked up pace recently. Russia has declared such a move a “red line”, with Moscow worried about the consequences of the US-led military alliances expanding right up to its doorstep.

What about the principle of self-defence?

In face of the use of force by Russia, Ukraine has the right to self-defence under international law. The UN Charter under article 51 authorisesa state to resort to individual or collective self-defence, until the Security Council take steps to ensure international peace and security. In this case, it seems implausible for the UNSC to arrive at a decision as Russia is a permanent member and has veto power. However, Ukraine has a right under international law to request assistance from other states in form of military assistance, supply of weapons etc.

On the other hand, Russia has also claimed that it is acting in self-defence. This claim is questionable, as there has been no use of force, or such threats against Russia by Ukraine. It has been claimed by Russia that Ukraine may acquire nuclear weapons with the help of western allies. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Legality of Threat of Nuclear Weapons case held that mere possession of nuclear weapons does not necessarily constitute a threat.

Thus, even if Ukraine has, or were to acquire nuclear weapons in the future, it does not become a ground for invoking self-defence by Russia. Further, mere membership in a defence alliance such as NATO cannot necessarily be considered as a threat of aggression against Russia. Thus, here too Russia cannot invoke self-defence.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. PLEA AGAINST KERALA IN ENDOSULFAN CASE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court issued notice on a petition seeking contempt action against Kerala for not disbursing ₹5 lakh each as compensation to the victims of endosulfan pesticide exposure.

THE EXPLANATION:

The bench stated that the State had not acted despite orders from the apex court in January 2017 and July 2019. The counsel for the petitioner said the State had taken “no steps for compliance”.

In January 2019, Kerala government had claimed that it had earmarked over ₹180 crore for payment of compensation to victims, some of whom were terminally-ill from the effects of the pesticide which was being aerially sprayed on cashew plantations adjoining habitats where the victims lived.

BACKGROUND:THE ENDOSULFAN TRAGEDY IN KERALA

What is Endosulfan?

  • It is an organochlorine insecticide- a Persistent Organic Pollutant.
  • It is used in Cashewnut, Coconut, Rubber Plantation (Bioaccumulant).

Endosulfan is a pesticide developed in 1954. People extensively used it in farming with high consumption in the 1980s and 1990s. Later, it was highly toxic to human health and the environment. It poisoned entire populations of useful and necessary insects. The Endosulfan tragedy also caused many ailments. These ailments included skin irritations, destruction of nerve tissues and reproductive and developmental damage in human beings and animals.

For over 20 years, cashew plantations in Kasargod district in Kerala used Endosulfan as a pesticide. Tea plantations, paddy and fruit orchards in other areas of Kerala also used this pesticide administered via aerial spraying or manual pumps. Prone to long-range atmospheric transport, Endosulfan linked to serious health disorders in the citizens residing in these areas.

The Ban of Endosulfan

The Kerala Government banned the use of Endosulfan in 2005. However, neighboring States still used them. In 2011, the seventh meeting of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) placed a global ban on the manufacture and use of Endosulfan. In the same year, the Supreme Court of India banned the use, manufacture and distribution of the pesticide. A Supreme Court-appointed panel recommended phasing out the use of Endosulfan across a period of two years to avoid the high cost of incinerating.

Relief and Remediation Program

Furthermore, in 2017, the Supreme Court of India directed the Kerala Government to pay Rupees 500 Crores to over 5,000 victims of the Endosulfan tragedy. It also directed it to set up a medical facility to treat ailments resulting from exposure to Endosulfan. Relief and remediation plans focus on health, socio-economic welfare, rehabilitation and empowerment as well as a periodic assessment of environmental effects.

3. CLIMATE CHANGE FAVOUR SOIL-BORNE PLANT PATHOGENS

THE CONTEXT: Indian Scientists have identified that high-temperature drought conditions and low soil moisture content are favourable conditions for dry root rot (DRR), a disease that damages the roots or girdles the trunk in chickpea. This work will be useful for the development of resistant lines and better management strategies.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The team which closely monitored the disease identified that high temperatures ranging between 30 to 35 degrees, drought conditions, and less than 60% soil moisture content are favorable conditions for dry root rot (DRR).
  • The scientists explained that Macrophomina (soil-borne fungus) survives in a wide range of environmental conditions, even at extremes of temperature, soil pH, and moistures. In chickpea, DRR is highly prevalent during the flowering and podding stages coinciding with high temperature and drought conditions. They scientists are exploring ways to use the study for development of resistant lines and better management strategies.
  • The team is also trying to address the disease favourable conditions identified from a molecular perspective. In a recent breakthrough in gene expression studies, scientists have identified a few promising chickpea genes encoding for enzymes like chitinase and endochitinase, which can provide some degree of defense against DRR infection.
  • The team at ICRISAT, in collaboration with ICAR research institutes, has also adopted several multi-pronged approaches, including continuous surveillance, better detection techniques, development of forecast models, screening assays, etc., to fight against such deadly plant diseases.
Value Addition:

The Dry root rot disease (DRR) causes reduced vigour, dull green leaf colour, poor new growth, and twig dieback. If extensive root damage occurs, the leaves suddenly wilt and dry on the tree.

The increasing global average temperature is leading to appearance of many new plant disease-causing pathogens at a rate hitherto unheard of, one of them being Macrophominaphaseolina, a soil-borne necrotrophic that causes root rot in chickpea. Currently, the central and southern states of India have been identified as the prime chickpea DRR hotspots with an overall 5 – 35% disease incidence.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. PM KISAN SAMMAN NIDHI YOJANA: CELEBRATION OF 3RD ANNIVERSARY

THE CONTEXT: PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme launched on 24thFebruary, 2019 to supplement financial needs of land holding farmers. Financial benefit of Rs 6000/- per year in three equal installments, every four month is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers’ families across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

THE EXPLANATION:

The scheme was initially meant for small and marginal farmers (SMFs) having landholding upto 2 hectares but scope of the scheme was extended to cover all landholding farmers.

As of now, the benefits under PM Kisan scheme have been provided to about 11.78 Crore farmers and funds amounting to Rs1.82 lakh crore in various instalments have been released to the eligible beneficiaries of this scheme across India. Out of which Rs. 1.29 lakh crore has been released during the current Covid 19 pandemic period.

VALUE ADDITION:

ABOUT PM-KISAN SCHEME

  • PM Kisan is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from Government of India.
  • Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments will be provided to all land holding farmer families.
  • State Government and UT administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
  • The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
  • There are various Exclusion Categories for the scheme.

Scheme Exclusion

The following categories of beneificiaries of higher economic status shall not be ligible for benefit under the scheme.

  1. All Institutional Land holders.
  2. Farmer families which belong to one or more of the following categories:
  • Former and present holders of constitutional posts.
  • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils,former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
  • All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees).
  • All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of above category.
  • All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment year.
  • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practices.

5. ASI’S UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS IN FOUR STATES

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Culture,the underwater wing of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is being revived for explorations in four states with a significant coastline.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the officials, Over the next few months, several projects will be readied for excavations in0020Dwarka (Gujarat), several mythological sites in the Cauvery delta (Tamil Nadu), and sites along the coast in Maharashtra and Odisha.

Even as the ASI had established its underwater wing in 2001, it has remained defunct for more than a decade, mostly owing to lack of experts at the helm. In fact, several underwater excavations had to be abandoned in the past, including an offshore exploration in Tamil Nadu’s Poompuhar between 1981 and early 2000s to unravel the 2000-year-old port of Kaveripattinam. According to officials further surveys could reveal more facts about the ancient port city, which reportedly had trade links with the Roman empire and China.

Value Addition:

About Archaeological Survey of India

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an attached office in the Ministry of Culture. It was set up in 1861 with the primary object of surveying antiquarian remains in this country and their study. ASI’s function is to “explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance.”

Its main functions are:

  • preservation, conservation and environmental development of centrally protected monuments and sites, including World Heritage Monuments and antiquities
  • maintenance of gardens & development of new gardens surrounding centrally protected monuments and sites
  • exploration and excavation of ancient sites
  • specialized study of inscription and various phases of Indian architecture
  • maintenance of Archaeological site Museums
  • Operation of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act
  • Research and Training in different areas of Archaeology
QUICK FACTS:

·         ASI is the successor of The Asiatic Society of India. It was founded in its current form in 1861 by Sir Alexander Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy Canning.

·         It regulates all the archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

·         According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, there is a ban on construction within 100 metres of a centrally protected monument and regulated construction within 100-200 metres.

THE PT PERSPECTIVE

6.EXERCISE MILAN 2022”

THE CONTEXT: The Navy’s Milan 2022 will begin in Vishakhapatnam, the largest-ever edition of the exercise that will see the participation of 40 countries, including all major navies of the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • This year theme is ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion – Collaboration’ which “aims to project India as a responsible maritime power to the world at large”.
  • The aim of the exercise is to hone operational skills, imbibe best practices and procedures, and enable doctrinal learning in the maritime domain, through professional interaction between friendly navies. The exercise would be larger in “scope and complexity” with a focus on “exercises at sea including exercises in surface, sub-surface and air domains and weapon firing.
  • The biennial exercise, being conducted after four years, will last nine days with the harbour phase starting and the sea phase on March 1, 2022.The 2020 edition of the exercise had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background:

A multilateral exercise, Milan began in 1995 with the participation of only four countries – Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Until now, it was held at the Andaman and Nicobar Command, but given the large number of participants this time, it was shifted to the Eastern Naval Command, which offers larger sea room.

7. MAYURBHANJ CHHAU DANCE: ODISHA

  • There are three recognized styles of Chhau: Seraikella from the state of Jharkhand, Purulia from West Bengal, and Mayurbhanj from Odisha. It is a semi-classical Indian dance with martial, tribal, and folk traditions, with origins in one belt of eastern India.
  • The one stark difference being that Mayurbhanj does not use the elaborate masks adorned by dances from Seraikella and Purulia. The dance ranges from celebrating martial arts, acrobatics, and athletics performed in festive themes of folk dance, to a structured dance with religious themes found in Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism such as the characters portrayed in the dance are of Gods and Goddesses and sometimes animals.
  • The dance technique is based on chaalis and topkas—stylised walks choreographed after a keen observation of nature, e.g.baaghchaali (tiger walk), mayoorchaali (peacock walk), khel—variations of swordplay, and ufli—thirty-six movements describing everyday activities.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 25th FEBRUARY 2022

Q. Consider the following statements about Chhau dance form:

  1. It is popular in Chota Nagpur Plateau region.
  2. Mask is defining feature of Chhau dance.
  3. Only male members participate in Chhau dance.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2

c) 2 and 3

d) All of them

 ANSWER FOR 24th FEBRUARY 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

Please refer to the given map-




WSDP Bulletin (25-02-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. SC issues notice on plea against Kerala in endosulfan case READ MORE
  2. Mayurbhanj Chhau’s fight to stay alive READ MORE
  3. Explained: What are MSPs, and how are they decided? READ MORE
  4. Oil at $100 threatens world economy inflation shock, Ukraine crisis may fuel inflation READ MORE
  5. RBI amends payments systems rules READ MORE
  6. Two New Prehistoric Bird Species Identified in China READ MORE
  7. New Species of Large-Sized Pterosaur Unearthed in Scotland READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

  1. India’s married women are still far from bodily agency READ MORE
  2. Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill: A positive move READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Why forced recusals of judges harm the independence of the judiciary READ MORE
  2. Humane law: A Delhi district judge has shown sensitivity that needs to be emulated while handling rape cases READ MORE
  3. The real cost of data: India needs a privacy law before data use policy READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

  1. Hungry Indian READ MORE
  2. Hunger Watch Survey: With Income Loss and Food Insecurity, India’s Poor Struggle to Cope READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Russia’s NATO problem: Putin seems unwilling to engage to address Russian security concerns READ MORE
  2. Understanding the Indus Waters Treaty READ MORE
  3. Need to Connect with neighbours READ MORE
  4. 50 yrs ago Nixon’s visit to China changed geopolitics. Now Russia is in the building READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Ploughing a new channel for India’s food systems: The siloed approach of ‘agriculture’ serving ‘food security’ needs to give way to a science-society-policy interface READ MORE
  2. Explained: Economy in time of war READ MORE
  3. Education must match needs of the economy READ MORE
  4. Does the move to tax virtual digital assets signal the advent of cryptocurrency regulation in India? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

  1. Ganga erosion READ MORE
  2. Rethinking the wildlife protection strategy READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. India’s Investments in Early Warning Systems Have Unintended Benefits for Women READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Speak lovingly, think lovingly, act lovingly READ MORE
  2. Rebalancing ecology, economics & ethics READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘It is imperative that to achieve sustainable development, the broken harmony between economy, ecology and ethics be restored’. Comment.
  2. The absence of regulations for virtual digital assets has hampered the growth of the sector and India needs to regulate them. Analyse the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • It is better to deserve honours and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.
  • The siloed approach of ‘agriculture’ serving ‘food security’ needs to give way to a science-society-policy interface.
  • An agro-climatic approach to agricultural development is important for sustainability and better nutrition.
  • Strengthening and shortening food supply chains, reinforcing regional food systems, food processing, agricultural resilience and sustainability in a climate-changing world will require prioritising research and investments along these lines.
  • There is a massive rise in allocation for infrastructure projects, with huge environmental implications, and little set aside for sustainable development.
  • Our new policy is expected to reduce costs and aid exports but further measures could put us on an accelerated path to success.
  • If judges step aside on apprehensions of a possible backlash on account of their verdicts, it may start a disturbing trend of forced and unconscionable recusals, which is detrimental to a democracy.
  • The aim for India is to truly start engaging with its neighborhood to reinstate its position as a close trustworthy partner as opposed to dominance by stealth and compromising schemes such as the loans for building critical infrastructure coming from China.
  • The five pillars of advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, building connections with the region and beyond, driving regional prosperity, enhancing the security shield in and for the region and building a regional resilience to threats are all achievable.
  • We need policy instruments and intervention strategies for behavioural change such as educational programmes and incentives for conservation.
  • It is imperative that to achieve sustainable development, the broken harmony between economy, ecology and ethics be restored.
  • Due to the unplanned growth of higher education, there is a shortage of qualified people in the frontier areas of knowledge and technology.

50-WORD TALK

  • Europeans complaining that New Delhi hasn’t condemned Russia over Ukraine forget their countries didn’t line up against China after Galwan, nor backed India on Kashmir. Long coddled by American security guarantees, Europe’s entitled nations — bar France — contribute little to global order. Europe needs to learn to fight its own battles.
  • The principle President Vladimir Putin asserts in Ukraine is this: Great Powers are entitled to subservience from weaker ones, and to use force at will. It’s an idea China has eagerly embraced. In its own interest, India ought stop equivocating, and support the global effort to punish Russia’s military aggression.

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.



Ethics Through Current Developments (24-02-2022)

  1. Speak lovingly, think lovingly, act lovingly READ MORE
  2. Rebalancing ecology, economics & ethics READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (24-02-2022)

  1. Ganga erosion READ MORE
  2. Rethinking the wildlife protection strategy READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (24-02-2022)

  1. India’s married women are still far from bodily agency READ MORE
  2. Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill: A positive move READ MORE
  3. Hungry Indian READ MORE
  4. Hunger Watch Survey: With Income Loss and Food Insecurity, India’s Poor Struggle to Cope READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (25-02-2022)

  1. Why forced recusals of judges harm the independence of the judiciary READ MORE
  2. Humane law: A Delhi district judge has shown sensitivity that needs to be emulated while handling rape cases READ MORE
  3. The real cost of data: India needs a privacy law before data use policy READ MORE



Day-152 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | POLITY

[WpProQuiz 167]




EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING- CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

THE CONTEXT: The new currency driving governance today is data. Whether it is the debate on the hunger index or the arguments regarding the caste census, data is at the centre of these controversies: how it is coll­ected, interpreted, and constructed into an index is being vociferously debated by everyone, including those who have only a rudimentary understanding of data. The pandemic management that relies heavily on numbers in terms of testing, vaccinating or tracking recoveries and deaths has only heightened this fascination with data.

EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY

  • The reason for this obsession with data is because evidence-based policy (EBP) making or data-based governance has been touted as a rational form of governance that bases its decisions not on populist pressures but on objective data.
  • This requires evidence-based data at all stages of policymaking. EBP is viewed as especially important for deve­loping countries where public resources are often scarce or limited. It requires both data and the process of data collection to be scientific, rigorous and validated both in the process of the collection as well as analysis. However, the entire process of data collection and its interpretation often tends to be imbued with political economy issues in deve­loping countries.

DATA TO DATA POLITICS

  • Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had a defining impact on how data is currently viewed as “it rec­onfigures relationships between states, subjects, and citizens”.
  • Today, big data, machine learning and algorithms are the frameworks within which citizens operate—oblivious to the manner in which this digital interface is converting them into data to be used by unknown entities.
  • In this age of data politics, new players like transnational corporations that control ICTs and social media domains are becoming more important forces than the state.
  • This is alarming as, unlike the checks and bala­nces that limit the state’s influence, these large, transnational corporations are not constrained or held accountable by any such mechanisms. This merits a deeper inquiry.

DATA-BASED GOVERNANCE

  • Amassing large, granular data about the citizens by the state through census, periodic surveys, etc. Now through digital convergence has continued unabated and gained further traction in the context of EBP.
  • Data-based governance aims to facilitate the use of research and evidence to inform programmatic funding decisions.
  • The goal is to further ­invest in what works to improve outcomes for citizens based on prior evidence. In general, data-based governance assumes the existence of a system of reliable, rigorous and validated data with associated infrastructure.
  • However, in reality, the governance process is often messy and riddled with political compulsions as governance involves both formal and informal dom­ains, rules and actors.
  • This makes governance outcomes even more challenging to measure.
  • This is especially because governance outcomes combine tangible outputs and intangible processes.
  • Measuring only tangible outputs without capturing the intangible processes is likely to provide misleading inferences. For example, if one is trying to assess women’s participation in a gram sabha, the number of women participants (outcome) needs to be captured and the nature of participation (process) should be documented.
  • Often, quantitative data collections focus only on quantifiable measures, thus omitting qualitative processes that give mea­ning to those numbers.

WHY DATA CENTRIC GOVERNANCE (EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING) IS IMPERATIVE FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS

Evidence from randomised evaluations can yield insights and conclusions into questions at the heart of controversial policy debates. Since the past decade or so, evidence-based policy-making has gained traction, with some governments and NGOs having institutionalised processes for rigorously evaluating innovations and incorporating evidence into decision-making.

CASE STUDY

  • The seminal and pioneering work of Noble Prize winner of Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer in development economics using randomised evaluations to test the effectiveness of social programmes and policies with the objective of reducing poverty marks a definite shift in discerning development from an entirely theoretical perspective.
  • The path-breaking approach that they follow is popularly known as randomised control trial (RCT), which is used to test the effect of small interventions on individual behaviour. The lab has transformed the field of development economics from being mainly theoretical to empirical with high-quality evidence that has influenced piloting, testing, and scaling of effective policies around the globe. For example, with support from Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), the Ministry of Education in Peru formed a dedicated unit to identify, test and scale low-cost interventions to improve educational outcomes.
  • J-PAL is promoting the scale-up and replication of effective programmes. Randomised evaluations allow researchers to learn not only about the impact of a particular programme but also to draw out the mechanisms behind its success to help derive general lessons that can be applied in the same context.

IMPACT OF THE STUDY

  • From randomised evaluations in India, Ghana and Kenya, researchers learnt why children are behind in school and thereby built a range of cost-effective strategies based on the insight of regrouping students by their current learning level rather than by their age group.
  • On the other hand, the Government of Zambia has been able to apply the general idea of “Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL, an approach developed by Indian NGO Pratham) to inform the design of its own remedial programs. This has significantly improved the learning opportunities in both India and Africa.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Cases that highlight the value of EBP in developing nations: one where evidence-based policies transformed lives and the other where the lack of an evidence-based response has caused widespread death.

  • First, the Government of Tanzania has implemented various health service reforms informed by the results of household disease surveys. This EBP contributed to over 40% reductions in infant mortality in two pilot districts.
  • Second, the AIDS/HIV crisis has aggravated in some countries because respective governments have ignored the evidence of what causes the disease and how to prevent it from spreading further.

EXAMPLES OF EVIDENCE POLICYMAKING IN INDIA

  • CENSUS BY MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
  • SWACHCH SARVEKSHAD BY MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
  • NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY BY MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
  • MULTI-DYNAMIC POVERTY INDEX BY NITI AAYOG
  • SDG RANING OF STATES BY NITI AAYOG
  • ASER REPORT BY PRATHAM NGO

CHALLENGES OF POLICYMAKING

  • States routinely gather vast quantities of administrative data. However, large proportions of these data remain unutilised or are unusable as ­often these administrative data are not validated or updated.
  • At times, the same data is collected by different agencies with different identifiers making integration or consolidation of data difficult. To avert duplication of data, which is costly both in terms of human as well as financial resources, it is essential to standardise data collection across departments.
  • Data starts to become scarce and variable at lower tiers of governance, for instance, the devolution of funds at the sub-block level is often opaque and self-reported without external validation. This makes matching of funds, particularly untied grants with specific functions at the sub-block level challenging as funds are often fungible.
  • Administrative data is generally inaccessible to the public and researchers for scrutiny or analysis. Citing the example of Denmark, where opening up of administrative data on tax collection gave significant insights that led to key tax reforms, advocate encouraging and incentivising governments to share the administrative data, especially in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Measuring governance is a challenging proposition. This is particularly true in the domain of law and order, which is an essential aspect of governance. Two studies aiming to measure governance across states in India by developing a composite governance index lay bare the challenges of choosing appropriate indicators and their measurement and interpretations.

WHY DATA-CENTRIC GOVERNANCE IS THE RIGHT STEP TO CHOOSE AND HOW INDIA CAN ACHIEVE IT?

  • India is mired in a data-driven world. Governance is increasingly being pushed to become data-centric.
  • Data-centric governance or policymaking is a step in the right direction. However, the paradox of data-centric governance in India right now is that it is caught between two countervailing forces—a rel­entless churning of digital and other forms of data that are often unreliable and/or prone to errors on the one hand and a steady erosion of credible, scientific sources of data on the other.
  • If governance decisions are to be data-centric, there is a need to ensure a good, robust and reliable database system. With several national statistical bases, such as the National Sample Surveys, that provide an interim glimpse into the trajectory of the economy in between the decadal census counts, getting eroded either through delays or data suppression, the danger of a “statistical vacuum” has been raised by some scholars (like Drèze) and others who have advocated a decentralised system of data collection process where states take the lead in building their own bottom-up databases.
  • This requires individual states to invest heavily in both human and technical infrastructure with built-in quality control measures to ensure those policy decisions are based on robust and rigorous data.
  • Finally, it is equally essential to ack­nowledge that policymaking is a contested space that is interactive, discursive and, therefore, a negotiated process.
  • In the global South, the rigorous, constant implementation of data-based governance or policymaking is likely to be challenging. The government often discretionary policy decisions need to be taken by the government by prioritising one group over the other to redress historical inequalities.
  • Thus, data-based governance req­uires not just validated and scientific data but also requires the policymakers to use it wisely by contextualising it to ensure equality and equity.

THE WAY FORWARD:

  • Data-driven governance is being touted globally as a new approach to governance, one where data is used to drive policy decisions, set goals, measure performance, and increase government transparency.
  • Evidence-based policymaking (EBP) assists in making decisions about projects, programmes and policies by placing the best available evidence from research conducted at the heart of policy development and implementation. It also makes explicit what is known through scientific evidence.
  • In contrast to opinion-based policymaking, evidence-based policymaking needs an evidence base at all stages in the policy cycle to define issues, shape agendas, make active choices, identify options, deliver them, and monitor their impact and outcomes. Basically, it is a set of methods that informs the policy process, rather than aiming to directly affect the eventual objectives of the policy directly. Thereby, EBP advocates a more systematic, rational and rigorous approach to produce better outcomes.
  • The pre-requisite for evidence-based policy is that the data must be trustworthy, and it depends upon the quality of the data and the quality of the professional statisticians.
  • Credible statistics is important for good governance and decision-making in all sectors of society. Therefore, policy-makers are more likely to use evidence in decision-making if that evidence is unbiased, rigorous, substantive, relevant, timely, actionable, easy to understand, cumulative and easy to explain to constituents. EBP approaches can dramatically help reduce poverty and improve economic performance in developing nations.
  • Impact evaluations of social programmes have emerged as an important tool to guide social policy in developing polities as they allow for accurate measurement and attribution of impact can help policy-makers identify programmes that work and those that do not work so that effective and performing programmes can be promoted and ineffective ones can be discontinued.

THE CONCLUSION: The EBP has the potential for high impact change that India shouldn’t ignore. Thereby, systemic institutionalisation of EBP is the way forward in eradicating poverty and improving economic performance, education, health care, and social assistance for millions of people. But, if governance decisions are to be data-centric, there is a need to ensure a decentralised, robust, reliable database system. Data-based governance requires not just validated and scientific data but also requires the policymakers to use it wisely by contextualising it to ensure equality and equity.