09 Mar 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News

Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related

B. GS 2 Related INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Military Cooperation Group dialogue with the U.S. postponed

EDUCATION

1. ‘Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds’

C. GS 3 Related ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Though hunters lose interest in Red Panda, traps still snare endangered mammal

ECONOMY

1. RBI assures customers that their bank deposits are safe

D. GS 4 Related

E. Editorials SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Missing at birth: on sex selective abortion and infanticide

2. Having an ear to Adivasi ground

F. Prelims Facts

G. Tidbits 1. ‘We welcome private sector competition’

2. Doctors’ forum dispels beliefs on commercial cord blood banking

3. Arunachal bans entry of foreign tourists

4. After 15 hours of questioning, Rana Kapoor arrested by ED

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Military Cooperation Group dialogue with the U.S. postponed

Context:

India-U.S. Defence cooperation.

Background:

The India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group (MCG) dialogue is a forum to review the progress of

defence cooperation between India’s Integrated Defence Staff and the U.S. Indo-Pacific

Command (USINDOPACOM) at the strategic and operational levels.

o The Integrated Defence Staff was responsible for coordination among the armed forces

before the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff.

As part of the agreement reached at the 2+2 Dialogue of December 2019, with the intent to further

military liaison relationships, India has already posted a liaison officer at the U.S. Navy Central

Command in Bahrain and a U.S. liaison officer has joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion

Centre for Indian Ocean Region at Gurugram.

Details:

The India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group (MCG) dialogue scheduled to be held in the U.S., has

been cancelled given the COVID-19 outbreak.

o As part of improving defence cooperation and interoperability between India and the U.S.,

India is considering a U.S. request for posting liaison officers at the U.S. Indo-Pacific

Command (USINDOPACOM) and the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

This was to be discussed at the dialogue.

o The MCG dialogue was to follow up on the U.S. President’s India visit and fast-track the

decisions, including that on 24 MH-60R multi-role helicopters.

Category: EDUCATION

1. ‘Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds’

Context:

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development’s (HRD) report on

the 2020-2021 demand for grants for school education submitted to the Rajya Sabha.

Details:

Budget allocations and expenditure:

The Standing Committee has expressed concerns over the fact that the budgetary allocations have

observed a 27% cut over the budgetary proposals made by the School Education Department.

For the core Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the department had only spent 71% of revised estimates

by December 31, 2019.

For more information on Samagra Shiksha Scheme refer to the linked article.

Critical infrastructure gaps:

The Parliamentary panel has identified and expressed concerns over critical infrastructure gaps in

the government schools.

The Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2017-18 survey reports that

only 56% of government schools have electricity. Manipur and Madhya Pradesh have reported less

than 20% having access to power.

The latest survey has reported that less than 57% of schools have playgrounds, including less than

30% of schools in Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir.

The parliamentary panel has come down heavily on the very slow rate of progress in building

classrooms, labs and libraries to strengthen government higher secondary schools.

o The panel noted that out of 2,613 sanctioned projects for 2019-20, only three had been

completed in the first nine months of the financial year.

Concerns:

The findings of the parliamentary panel point to the lack of political will in developing this critical

sector. The lack of appropriate infrastructure at government schools may impact the learning outcome of

its students and may also alienate students from government schools.

Way forward:

The parliamentary panel has recommended that core schemes like the Samagra Shiksha Scheme get

additional funds at the revised estimates stage. The panel has recommended that the HRD Ministry collaborate with the Ministry of New and

Renewable Energy to provide solar and other energy sources so that schools have access to power.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Though hunters lose interest in Red Panda, traps still snare endangered mammal

Context:

A study by wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC.

TRAFFIC:

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint program of the World Wide Fund

for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It was

founded in 1976.

TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organization working globally on the trade of wild animals

and plants in the context of both biodiversity and sustainable development.

The organization works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the

conservation of nature. Through research, analysis, guidance and influence, it promotes sustainable

wildlife trade (the green stream work) and combats wildlife crime and trafficking (the red stream

work).

The organization’s priority is to promote international cooperation to address wildlife trade issues,

with particular emphasis on CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

Wild Fauna and Flora.

Red Panda:

The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern

China.

It is also sometimes referred to as the lesser panda, the red bear-cat, and the red cat-bear.

The reddish-brown arboreal mammal is the only living member of the genus Ailurus. It feeds

mainly on bamboo but also eats eggs, birds, and insects.

Range:

It is endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas. An estimated 14,500 animals are left in

the wild across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar.

India accounts for the second largest population of Red Pandas after China. About 5,000-6,000 red

pandas are estimated to be present in the four Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,

Sikkim and West Bengal. Red pandas have been reported from 11 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, which is presumed to hold

the largest red panda population in the country.

Threats:

The population of the Red Panda continues to decline due to habitat

loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression. The animal has been hunted for

meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade.

Conservation status:

It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is also listed in CITES Appendix I.

It is listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and has the highest legal

protection at par with other threatened species in India.

Details:

Study:

The findings of the study on wildlife trade by TRAFFIC have been compiled in the report titled

“Assessment of illegal trade-related threats to Red Panda in India and selected neighbouring range

countries”.

The study considered a ten-year period from July 2010 to June 2019 and analyzed poaching and

illegal trade of the species.

Findings:

The study has revealed that the poaching of the Red Panda has decreased in India and Bhutan.

The researchers found no incidents of poaching or illegal trade of Red Pandas in either India or

Bhutan in the study period.

The study attributes this trend to the decreasing traditional demand for animal products among

the younger generation of people across the animal’s Himalayan habitat. This might be indicative of

the success of awareness campaigns undertaken in the areas.

Though there has been a decline in interest for Red Pandas among poachers, worryingly, however,

the Red Panda is falling to traps laid for other animals, such as the musk deer and wild pigs.

Way forward:

Given the fact that the red panda’s survival is crucial for the eastern and north-eastern and the eastern

Himalayan forests, there is a need for community-based conservation and protection for the

species as its habitat stretches across remote areas.

The report recommends trans-boundary law enforcement co-operation through the use of multi-

government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network).

Additional information:

Red Panda is the state animal of Sikkim.

Category: ECONOMY

1. RBI assures customers that their bank deposits are safe

Context:

Reserve Bank of India and the Chief Economic Adviser of India reassuring customers about the

safety of their deposits.

Details:

In the wake of the moratorium on private sector lender Yes Bank, and the concerns being raised in

certain sections of media about the safety of deposits, the RBI has clarified that deposits of

customers are safe.

o The concerns were based on assessing the lender’s health based on the ratio of deposit to

m-cap (market capitalization). The RBI has claimed that the concern being expressed is

based on analysis which is flawed since internationally, the solvency of banks is based on

Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets (CRAR) and not on market cap.

Allaying concerns over the banking sector health, the Chief Economic Adviser has stated that the

Indian banks are well-capitalized. o As against the international norms for CRAR of 8%, Indian banks on an average have a

CRAR of 14.3%. This translates to Indian banks having 80% greater capital than the

international norms.

o The RBI mandates the banks to keep CRAR at 9%. The average CRAR of Indian banks is

almost 60% higher than that mandated by the RBI.

o Though the State Bank of India (SBI) has an order of magnitude of higher m-cap ratio, it

continues to be safe and is part of the top 100 banks internationally.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Missing at birth: on sex selective abortion and infanticide

Introduction

Sex-selective abortion is the practice of ending a pregnancy based upon the predicted sex of the

infant.

It is a problem in India where there is a cultural preference for sons, coupled with political and

economic influences.

Instances of sex discrimination committed via abortion and infanticide have resulted in millions of

“missing” girls in some societies.

Context

There was a case of infanticide in Tamil Nadu’s Usilampatti, which is historically notorious for its

crude methods of killing female babies.

In this region, there is an inhuman practice of feeding female infants with toxic milk.

What are the causes of sex-selective abortions in India?

Son Preference - Throughout much of India, sons are often valued to carry on the family name and

receive the inheritance.

o According to traditional Hindu customs, important religious rituals, such as the lighting of

the funeral pyre, must be performed by a son to assure that parents have a good afterlife.

o Sons also provide parents with the assurance that they will be cared for—physically,

emotionally, and financially—in sickness and old age.

Daughters, on the other hand, are often seen as a burden and a net financial loss.

o Although illegal, the practice of dowry is still common in India, and couples will often spend

a substantial amount of their savings on their daughter’s dowry.

o Moreover, marriage in India is typically patrilocal.

Upon marriage, women become part of their husband’s family and lineage and

typically care for their husband’s parents in old age, leaving sonless couples with little

support from their children in old age.

Initiatives taken by the Government

Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC-PNDT) was enacted and amended

to arm the state to wage a war against this practice.

o It is an Act of the Parliament enacted to stop female feticides and arrest the declining sex

ratio in India.

o The main purpose of enacting the Act is to ban the use of sex-selection techniques after

conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex-selective

abortions. The Centre’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child

Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource

Development.

o The campaign is aimed at preventing gender-biased sex selection and ensuring the survival

& protection of the girl child. Read more on the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign at the

linked article.

Tamil Nadu, under the leadership of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, effectively employed the

Cradle Baby Scheme to counter infanticide, along with effective awareness campaigns.

Some possible solutions for ending India’s sex-selective abortion crisis

Effective Enforcement of Laws Banning Sex-Selective Abortion - In order to reduce the number

of sex-selective abortions in India, the central, state, and union territory governments must ensure

full and effective implementation of the PC-PNDT Act, including promptly holding medical

practitioners that violate the law accountable.

o The government must ensure that all ultrasound clinics are registered, and that accurate, up-

to-date records are kept.

Promote the Equal Dignity and Status of Women - Studies have shown that men and women with

gender-equitable attitudes and husbands who display low relationship control are significantly less

likely to express a strong preference for sons.

o Promoting the equal dignity and status of women will reduce son preference and thus reduce

the motivation for couples to engage in sex selection practices.

Public and non-governmental stakeholders seeking to combat sex-selective abortions must promote

the dignity of girls through public awareness messaging.

o Such messaging should not only reinforce cultural-based reasons why Indian couples desire

daughters, but should also seek to advocate for the equal status of girls and their equal

potential to contribute to their families.

Conclusion

It is time for the government to ramp up awareness building exercises, and this time use

technology to monitor every single pregnant woman right down to taluk levels until at least one year

after birth.

o While punitive aspects might offer a measure of deterrence, true change can only be brought

about by a change in attitude.

The weapon that the government needs to use now is one that will be powerful enough to eliminate

the perversion of son preference from people’s minds.

2. Having an ear to Adivasi ground

Context

This article discusses issues faced by the Adivasi community and how we need to adopt forward-

looking policies to bring a difference in their lives.

Issues

1. The Adivasi community is assumed to be underdeveloped. With this view in policymaking, they are

recognized as ‘takers/receivers’ of governmental benefits.

Policies and practices rooted in this approach, fail, in most cases, to accommodate the question of

the participation of the Adivasis in the ongoing processes of the nation as co-citizens.

This results in a top-down approach, where there is unilateral enforcement of policies. What this

means is that, the participation which is required for socio-economic progress is denied to the

Adivasis which results in loss to them as their input is not taken, and loss to the society as well.

o The rich moral, cultural and social values, and linguistic and other practice-acquired

developments that the Adivasis have been nurturing throughout history could have added

immensely toward strengthening our democracy.

o Mutual cooperation, decision making through discussion, peaceful cohabitation with others

and with nature, age-old and time-tested practices of environmental protection, and other

such high civic qualities observed by them could have added to the country’s “democratic

curriculum”.

2. Generally, people from outside the community have no idea about the Adivasis' social, cultural and

linguistic practices. They lack information about who Adivasis are, where they live and what they

do.

This knowledge gap leads to democratic denial for the Adivasis.

The imposed superiority of the outside world has resulted in the Adivasis considering themselves

as inferior, primitive and even taking a fatalistic view of their subjugated life.

This pushes them to the margins, even making them abandon some of their socially unifying

customs and cultural practices — particularly democratic norms and human values that have

evolved through a protracted journey of collective living and struggles for existence.

o One outcome of this is the erosion of their great linguistic heritage (in some sections).

3. Even if the Adivasi community accepts the ‘imposed modern’ view, it has not guaranteed them

inclusion in the apparent mainstream. Rather, the opposite happens.

They are often reminded of their primitive roots and kept alienated.

Again, pushed to the side by exploitation and oppression, marginalization and subjugation,

Adivasis, in many cases, cling to oppressive behaviours such as witchcraft which only make the

label of them being primitive even more indelible.

The vicious cycle of political-economic deprivation and social alienation continues to keep them

subjugated to the ruling modern.

Steps to be taken

Therefore, it is important to go beyond the administrative convention of bracketing Adivasis into a

single category. Rather, policy framing requires mandatory recognition of their wide diversity so

as to address the different problems faced by different groups — by community as well as by region.

It is also important to abide by the general constitutional rules which are often violated by the

state.

o In other words, the very common instances of violations of the Forest Rights Act, the Right

to Education Act, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee

Act — which affect them — have to be eliminated.

For implementing these public programs there should be the active involvement of the

communities concerned.

o Instead of being considered as mere passive recipients, Adivasis must be respected as active

agents of change and involved in all spheres of policy, from planning to implementation.

Conclusion

The Adivasi community is seen as a source of cheap labour and they are half-fed with no

opportunities to flourish and develop their human capabilities. It is now imperative that the entire

outlook on the Adivasi question is reversed.

Instead of considering Adivasis to be a problem, the entire country can benefit a great deal by

considering them as co-citizens and sharing their historically constructed cultural values which

often manifest the best forms of democracy and uphold the notions of higher levels of justice,

fairness, and equality — better than those prevalent in seemingly mainstream societies.

By ensuring their right to live their own lives, the country can, in fact, guarantee itself a flourishing

democracy.

As Nehru once said, “We should judge results not by statistics or amount of money spent but the

quality of human character that is evolved.”

F. Prelims Facts

Nothing here for today!!!

G. Tidbits

1. ‘We welcome private sector competition’

NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL), the Department of Space’s second commercial arm after Antrix

Corporation, was formed to market products and services of the Indian Space Research Organisation

(ISRO).

NSIL’s mandate is to work with Indian industry and create a high technology manufacturing base,

especially for space activities.

o The immediate goal is to realize ISRO’s two satellite launch vehicles, the PSLV and the

new SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) through domestic industries.

o Getting small spacecraft and satellite communication services are other thrust areas. NSIL

will be focusing on ensuring technology transfer from ISRO to interested private players.

In recent years, in what is being touted as a good development, many Indian private sector

companies and start-ups have come up in the space business and are offering to innovatively make

small satellites and launch vehicles, etc. at low costs.

2. Doctors’ forum dispels beliefs on commercial cord blood banking

Cord blood banking involves taking the umbilical cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells,

and preserving it for future use.

Globally, cord blood banking is recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cell (derived

from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood) transplantation for haematological

cancers and disorders. For all other conditions, the use of cord blood as a source of stem cells is not

yet established. The stem cell use is still in experimental stages.

Despite this, a nexus of doctors and stem cell banking companies continue to thrive based on

emotional marketing tactics employed by stem cell banking companies. Companies convince

parents to bank the cells for several years promising future therapeutic use.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) does not recommend commercial stem cell

banking. Since there is no scientific basis for preservation of cord blood for future self-use, the

practice of promoting cord blood banking, therefore, raises ethical and social concerns.

3. Arunachal bans entry of foreign tourists

After Sikkim, the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to ban entry of foreign tourists to eliminate any possibility of the COVID-19 outbreak in the State.

The State government of Arunachal Pradesh has stopped issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs)

to foreigners temporarily. o Arunachal Pradesh is one of the four north-eastern States that a foreign tourist can visit only

if he or she possesses a PAP. The other three states are Manipur, Mizoram and

Nagaland. Meanwhile, the Konyak (Naga tribe) Union in Nagaland has banned the entry of foreign as well as

domestic tourists in the State’s Mon district in the light of the upcoming Konyak spring festival.

4. After 15 hours of questioning, Rana Kapoor arrested by ED

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Yes Bank founder under the Prevention of Money Laundering

Act (PMLA).

o Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to

prevent money-laundering (legalizing the income/profits from an illegal source).

o The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 enables the Government or the public

authority to confiscate the property derived from money-laundering.

o The Enforcement Directorate in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, is

responsible for investigating the offences of money laundering under the PMLA.

o The Act and Rules impose an obligation on banking companies, financial institutions and

intermediaries to verify the identity of clients, maintain records and furnish information in

the prescribed form to Financial Intelligence Unit - India (FIU-IND). o Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND), under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of

Finance, is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council

(EIC) headed by the Finance Minister. FIU-IND is the central national agency responsible

for receiving, processing, analysing, and disseminating the information relating to suspect

financial transactions.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a separate offence of cheating under the IPC,

along with accepting illegal gratification and misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. TRAFFIC is a joint program of the World Wide Fund for Nature and the United Nations

Environment Programme.

2. TRAFFIC works towards the complete elimination of global wildlife trade.

Options:

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer:

Option d

Explanation:

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint program of the World Wide Fund for

Nature (WWF) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It was founded

in 1976.

The organization works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the

conservation of nature. Through research, analysis, guidance and influence, it promotes sustainable

wildlife trade (the green stream work) and combats wildlife crime and trafficking (the red stream

work).

Q2. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Red Panda?

1. It is native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.

2. It is a herbivore arboreal mammal.

3. It is listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Options:

a. 3 only

b. 1 and 3 only

c. 1 and 2 only

d. 2 only

Answer:

Option b

Explanation:

The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern

China.

The reddish-brown arboreal mammal feeds mainly on bamboo but also eats eggs, birds, and insects.

It is listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and has the highest legal

protection at par with other threatened species in India.

Q3. The Military Cooperation Group (MCG) dialogue of India is associated with which of

the following countries/groups?

a. Russia

b. Indian Ocean Rim Association

c. United States

d. Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Answer:

Option c

Explanation:

The India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group (MCG) dialogue is a forum to review the progress of

defence cooperation between India’s Integrated Defence Staff and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

(USINDOPACOM) at the strategic and operational levels.

Q4. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

1. Lower Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) indicates that a bank is better capitalized.

2. The RBI mandates a CRAR of 8% as against the Basel III norms which stipulate a capital to risk-

weighted assets of 9%.

Options:

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer:

Option c

Explanation:

Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) is also known as Capital adequacy Ratio (CAR),

the ratio of a bank’s capital to its risk.

The Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio is arrived at by dividing the capital of the bank with

aggregated risk-weighted assets for credit risk, market risk, and operational risk.

The banking regulator tracks a bank’s CAR to ensure that the bank can absorb a reasonable amount

of loss and complies with statutory capital requirements. A higher CRAR indicates that a bank is

better capitalized.

The Basel III norms stipulated a capital to risk-weighted assets of 8%. In India, scheduled

commercial banks are required to maintain a CAR of 9% while Indian public sector banks are

emphasized to maintain a CAR of 12% as per RBI norms.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. The politics of dominance, the economics of immediate gain, and a social outlook of separateness

have charted a very different path for the Adivasis. Analyze. (15 marks, 250 words)

2. The widespread practice of sex-selective abortion has created serious demographic consequences in

India. Discuss if the legal approach is sufficient in eliminating sex-selective abortions. (15 marks,

250 words)