INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. WHAT IS A POLYGRAPH TEST?
THE CONTEXT: Days after a Delhi court agreed to a narco test, the Delhi Police approached a court to conduct a polygraph test on Aaftab Poonawala, suspected of killing his partner Shraddha Walkar, to help investigators find the missing weapon and other evidence in the murder case.
THE EXPLANATION:
How Polygraph tests work?
- A polygraph test is based on the assumption that physiological responses (heartbeat, changes in breathing, sweating, etc.) triggered when a person is lying are different from what they would be otherwise.
- Instruments like cardio-cuffs or sensitive electrodes are attached to the person, and variables such as blood pressure, pulse, blood flow, etc., are measured as questions are put to them. A numerical value is assigned to each response to conclude whether the person is telling the truth, is deceiving, or is uncertain.
- A test such as this is said to have been first done in the 19th century by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who used a machine to measure changes in the blood pressure of criminal suspects during interrogation. Similar devices were subsequently created by the American psychologist William Marston in 1914, and by the California police officer John Larson in 1921.
Are such tests accurate?
- Neither polygraph tests nor narco tests have been proven scientifically to have a 100% success rate, and remain contentious in the medical field as well.
- However, recently, investigating agencies have sought to employ these tests in investigation, and they are sometimes seen as being a “softer alternative” to torture or ‘third degree’ to extract the truth from suspects.
So, are the results of these tests admissible as evidence?
- The results of the tests cannot be considered to be “confessions”. However, any information or material subsequently discovered with the help of such a voluntarily-taken test can be admitted as evidence, the Supreme Court said, in ‘Selvi&Ors vs State of Karnataka &Anr’ (2010).
- Thus, if an accused reveals the location of a murder weapon in the course of the test, and police later find the weapon at that location, the statement of the accused will not be evidence, but the weapon will be.
- The Bench took into consideration international norms on human rights, the right to a fair trial, and the right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution, as it is feared that a false confession could be obtained at times when a case needs to be solved quickly.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
2. WHAT IS A LOAN WRITE-OFF
THE CONTEXT: According to RBI data obtained by the under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Banks wrote off more than Rs 10 lakh crore in loans over the last five years.
THE EXPLANATION:
According to the RBI reply, while public sector banks reported the lion’s share of write-offs at Rs 734,738 crore, private sector banks were not far behind in bringing down their non-performing assets (NPAs). Private banks accounted for 27.28 per cent of the total banking sector write-offs over the last five years.
What is a loan write-off?
Writing off a loan essentially means it will no longer be counted as an asset. By writing off loans, a bank can reduce the level of non-performing assets (NPAs) on its books. An additional benefit is that the amount so written off reduces the bank’s tax liability.
Why do banks resort to write-offs?
- The bank writes off a loan after the borrower has defaulted on the loan repayment and there is a very low chance of recovery. The lender then moves the defaulted loan, or NPA, out of the assets side and reports the amount as a loss.
- After the write-off, banks are supposed to continue their efforts to recover the loan using various options. They have to make provisioning as well. The tax liability will also come down as the written-off amount is reduced from the profit.
- However, the chances of recovery from written-off loans are very low — as the RTI reply shows — which raises questions about the assets or collateral against which the banks lent funds to these defaulters.
What is the amount written off by private banks?
- Private banks wrote off loans worth Rs 2,74,772 crore in the last five years in their effort to bring down NPAs and whitewash their balance sheets. This works out to 27.28 per cent of the total write-off of Rs 10,09,510 crore of the banking sector.
- Private banks wrote off Rs 53,000 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 58,293 crore in 2019-20 when the entire banking sector witnessed the maximum loan write-offs.
Who is at the forefront of write-offs?
- Among private banks, ICICI Bank’s reduction in NPAs due to write-offs was Rs 50,514 crore in the last five years. Axis Bank wrote off Rs 49,715 crore and HDFC Bank Rs 34,782 crore during the period, according to the RBI. The loans written off by the banks are the depositors’ money.
How much did PSU banks write off?
- Public sector banks reported the lion’s share of write-offs at Rs 734,738 crore accounting for 72.78 per cent of the exercise. Among individual public sector banks, reduction in NPAs due to write-offs in the case of State Bank of India Rs 204,486 crore in the last five years, Punjab National Bank Rs 67,214 crore and Bank of Baroda Rs 66,711 crore.
ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
3. TAMIL NADU GETS ITS FIRST BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE
THE CONTEXT: The Tamil Nadu Government issued a notification declaring Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district the first biodiversity heritage site in the State.
THE EXPLANATION:
- According to the notification, the site comprising 139.63 hectares in Arittapatti village (Melur block) and 53.8 hectares in Meenakshipuram village (Madurai East taluk) will be known as the Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage site.
- Arittapatti village, known for its ecological and historical significance, houses around 250 species of birds including three important raptors – birds of prey, namely the Laggar Falcon, the Shaheen Falcon and Bonelli’s Eagle.
- It is also home to wildlife such as the Indian Pangolin, Slender Loris and pythons.
- The area is surrounded by a chain of seven hillocks or inselbergs that serve as a watershed, charging “72 lakes, 200 natural springs and three check dams,” the notification said. The Anaikondan tank, built during the reign of Pandiyan kings in the 16th century is one among them.
- Several megalithic structures, rock-cut temples, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds add to the historical significance of the region.
Conserving biodiversity and preserving heritage
- To prevent the loss of biodiversity and to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of bygone times, the State government, upon the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board has declared Arittapatti a biodiversity heritage site.
SECURITY AFFAIRS
4. INDO-PACIFIC REGIONAL DIALOGUE (IPRD) 2022
THE CONTEXT: Recently, the fourth edition of Indo Pacific Regional Dialogue will be held in Delhi. IPRD is an apex level international annual conference of Indian Navy.
THE EXPLANATION:
- The National Maritime Foundation is Navy’s knowledge partner and chief organizer of each edition of the event. The theme of IPRD-2022 is “Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative”. It will have six professional sessions spread over the three-day period.
- As part of the event, globally renowned speakers and eminent panellists will explore how the areas of maritime cooperation could be optimally and inclusively operationalized.
About IPRD 2022
- The IPRD 2022 will be held in New Delhi based on the theme ‘Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)’. The concept of IPOI seeks to promote regional, inclusive cooperation based on seven inter-connected pillars – maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime transport, capacity building and resource sharing, and science, technology and academic cooperation.
VALUE ADDITION:
What is National Maritime Foundation (NMF)?
- The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) is India’s first maritime think-tank established in 2005 to conduct independent and policy-relevant research on all topics related to the maritime sector. Its main mandate is to create maritime awareness amongst India’s policymakers, academia, and civil society. It provides a common platform for advocacy, discourse, and debate between maritime-related national and international institutions, organizations, academic establishments, and experts.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
5. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIP PLATFORM
THE CONTEXT: An Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was set up on November 18 this year to mark the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW).
THE EXPLANATION:
What is Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform?
The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was launched jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health.
The purpose of this newly established platform is to:
- Promote multidimensional action to combat antimicrobial resistance at the international, regional and national levels through action groups and formation of action plans.
- Create global momentum and high-level advocacy to combat antimicrobial resistance.
- Push for a global commitment to use antimicrobials in a responsible and prudent manner to ensure their effective utilization.
- The platform was recommended by the Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) in its 2019 report. The IACG recommended coordination between different stakeholders representing human, animal, plant and environmental health as well as agriculture, food and feed production to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
What is antimicrobial resistance?
- Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern that was responsible for almost 5 million deaths across the world in 2019. This includes 1.27 million deaths associated with the bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- The AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and do not respond to medicines. This makes infections difficult to treat, increasing the risk of the disease spreading, becoming more severe and deadly. It causes deaths, morbidity, increases the cost of treatment, prolongs hospitalization, and reduces productivity of animals. This causes a major challenge for global food security and efforts seeking to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
- Some of the major drivers of AMR are misuse or overuse of antibiotics in food animal production, and wastes from factories, households, hospitals and farms.
About World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)
- WAAW is a global campaign that is observed each year from November 18 to 24 to raise global awareness about AMR and promote best practices to address it. The theme for 2022 WAAW is ‘Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together’.
THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE
6. WHAT IS ‘FRIENDSHORING’?
THE CONTEXT: US treasury secretary who was in New Delhi recently, said the US will pursue the ‘friend-shoring’ approach with trusted allies like India.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is the term meant by?
The term, a cousin of “reshoring” and “onshoring” and a sibling to “nearshoring,” is shorthand for the practice of relocating supply chains to countries where the risk of disruption from political chaos is low.
- Friendshoring is a strategy where a country sources the raw materials, components and even manufactured goods from countries that share its values. The dependence on the countries considered a “threat” to the stability of the supply chains is slowly reduced.
- It is also called “allyshoring”.
- For the US, Russia has long presented itself as a reliable energy partner, but in the Ukraine war, it has weaponized the gas against the people of Europe.
- It’s an example of how malicious actors can use their market positions to try to gain geopolitical leverage or disrupt trade for their own gain.
- Friend-shoring or ally-shoring has become a means for the US to influence firms to move their sourcing and manufacturing sites to friendly shores—often back to the same shores in the case of the US.
- The purpose of Frienshoring is to insulate countries’ supply chains from less like-minded nations, such as China in case of the US.
THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Q. Consider the following statements about Election Commission:
1. Indian Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission as multi-member body.
2. CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a High Court.
3. Constitution has debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by government after their retirement.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) All of them
Answer: D
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect: Indian Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission with composition of Chief Election Commissioner and as many Election Commissioners as President may fix from time to time. It is not necessarily a multi-member body.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a Supreme Court.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: Constitution has not debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by government after their retirement
