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  • What is the Arctic Heatwave warming up Siberia?

    The Arctic Circle has recorded temperatures reaching over 38 degrees Celsius in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk, likely an all-time high. The temperatures seem to have been 18 degree Celsius higher than normal in June a/c to the BBC.

    Try this question from CS Mains 2017:

    Q.How does the Cryosphere affect global climate?

    What is happening in the Arctic?

    • Since the past month, the most above-average temperatures were recorded in Siberia, where they were about 10 degrees Celsius above normal.
    • Siberia has been recording higher-than-average surface air temperatures since January.

    Are Arctic heatwaves common?

    • This is not the first time that rising temperatures in the Arctic have created alarm.
    • The rising temperatures are attributed to large-scale wind patterns that blasted the Arctic with heat, the absence of sea ice, and human-induced climate change, among other reasons.
    • There has been an increase of heatwave occurrences over the terrestrial Arctic. These frequent occurrences have already started to threaten local vegetation, ecology, human health and economy.

    A cause of worry for all

    • Warming in the Arctic is leading to the thawing of once permanently frozen permafrost below ground.
    • This is alarming scientists because as permafrost thaws, carbon dioxide and methane previously locked up below ground is released.
    • These greenhouse gases can cause further warming, and further thawing of the permafrost, in a vicious cycle known as positive feedback.
    • The higher temperatures also cause land ice in the Arctic to melt at a faster rate, leading to greater run-off into the ocean where it contributes to sea-level rise.

  • 100 Years of Malabar Rebellion

    With the 1921 Malabar Rebellion turning 100 next year, several movies have been announced back-to-back.

    Try this question from CSP 2015:

    Q. Which amongst the following provided a common factor for tribal insurrection in India in the 19th century?

    (a.) Introduction of a new system of land revenue and taxation- of tribal products

    (b.) Influence of foreign religious missionaries in tribal areas

    (c.) Rise of a large number of money lenders, traders and revenue farmers as middlemen in tribal areas

    (d.) The complete disruption of the old agrarian order of the tribal communities

    What is the Malabar Rebellion?

    • The Malabar Rebellion in 1921 started as resistance against the British colonial rule and the feudal system in southern Malabar but ended in communal violence between Hindus and Muslims.
    • There were a series of clashes between Mappila peasantry and their landlords, supported by the British, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
    • It began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown on the Khilafat Movement, a campaign in defence of the Ottoman Caliphate by the British authorities in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar.
    • The Mappilas attacked and took control of police stations, British government offices, courts and government treasuries.

    Also in news:

    Variyankunna Kunjahammed Haji

    • He was one of the leaders of the Malabar Rebellion of 1921.
    • He raised 75000 natives, seized control of large territory from the British rule and set up a parallel government.
    • In January 1922, under the guise of a treaty, the British betrayed Haji through his close friend Unyan Musaliyar, arresting him from his hideout and producing him before a British judge.
    • He was sentenced to death along with his compatriots.

  • Why high-altitude warfare is challenging, how soldiers are trained

    The violent standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of Ladakh region has thrown the spotlight on high-altitude warfare and the challenges that troops face, particularly when advantageous positions on the heights are occupied by the other side.

    In the clouds of war, one may recall the huge amount of casualties faced by the Indian Army compared to the Pakistani side (being at advantageous positions) during the Kargil War.

    Try this question for mains:

    Q. Discuss why high-altitude warfare is challenging. Also discuss about India’s preparedness for a long-term war.

    How is high-altitude warfare fought?

    • High-altitude warfare is fought keeping the terrain and weather in mind.
    • The kind of infrastructure and training that the troops require for high-altitude warfare are key factors.
    • The evolution of such warfare goes back a long way: European countries had mountain brigades in view of the kind of terrain prevalent in those countries.
    • The harshness of the terrain calls for a specialised kind of training to prepare soldiers in terms of mindset and acclimatization.

    How is India equipped in such warfare?

    • Generally, India is considered a hub of mountain warfare skills since most of the country’s north and northeast requires such skills.
    • Ladakh Scouts are considered the best in this kind of warfare.
    • Mountain chop, a tactic involved in such warfare, evolved in India where the mountainous terrain is very difficult to scale.
    • To begin with, the troops are imparted training in basic and advance training in mountaineering to make them equipped for mountain warfare.

    Actual tactics involved

    • The mindsets of the enemy sitting above are assessed. Taking stock of the entire situation, one needs to find out the easiest approaches.
    • Especially when there are vertical cliffs, it is generally perceived that the enemy that has taken defensive positions will be less guarded from the side of difficult approaches.
    • Basically, the most difficult approaches where the enemy is likely to give the least resistance need to be used efficiently.

    What are the challenges involved in warfare in a high-altitude place like Galwan Valley?

    • A big factor is who has taken defensive positions and who is sitting on higher ground.
    • Once troops are sitting on high ground, it becomes very difficult to dislodge them from there.
    • In a place like Galwan Valley, which is absolutely barren, there is not much hiding place.
    • The soldier on high ground is absolutely stationary, which makes those on lower terrain easy targets; the enemy can pick them up one by one.
    • Normally in mountain warfare, troops on lower ground use a combat ratio of 1:6, but in circumstances as in Galwan, it may go up to 1:10.

    How to approach such situations?

    • Generally, mountain warfare is fought using the period of darkness to reach the opposing army, engage and overpower them before the first light of day.
    • In case troops do not have the capabilities, fitness or strategies to do so before dawn, then it is a lost cause.
    • But without adequate trained troops who are well-versed with the terrain and are properly acclimatized, it is not an easy game.

    What are the other challenges faced by soldiers in high altitudes?

    • The first major factor is acclimatization since the oxygen supply reduces drastically.
    • Next, the load-carrying capacity of individuals reduces drastically.
    • Things move very slowly in the mountains and mobilization of troops consumes time.
    • Thus, time and place need to be kept on top priority when deciding where the troops have to be stationed and how they have to be mobilized.

    What are the logistical challenges in this kind of warfare?

    • One major challenge is that weapons jam, particularly in high-altitude areas.
    • When a soldier is at a height of 17,000 ft or above, it is very cold, and he needs to grease the weapons and clean the barrels at least once a week to ensure they function efficiently.
    • But at the time of combat, this becomes difficult.
    • Vehicles do not start when fuel jams. If the fuel is diesel, it won’t ignite unless it is mixed with thinners or other chemicals to make them thin enough to fire the engine.

    Ensuring proper reinforcement

    • In Galwan, which is an extremely tactical area and strategically important, reinforcement plays a vital role, particularly when the Indian troops are not in a position of advantage.
    • For communication equipment, troops need to carry more batteries because they drain very quickly at high altitude.
    • While a battery tends to last for 24 hours in the plains, it will drain in 1-2 hours in these severely cold areas.
    • Transport animals such as mules need to be used to maintain adequate supplies, which is not an easy task. Weather constraints play a major factor.

  • Initial Public Offer (IPO) of LIC

    The government has started the process to launch the initial public offer (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) within this year.

    Read the complete thread here at:

    [Burning Issue] Divestment of LIC

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Q.In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.?

    1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament
    2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees
    3. Finance Commission
    4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
    5. NITI Aayog

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 1, 3 and 4

    (c) 3, 4 and 5

    (d) 2 and 5

    About LIC

    • LIC is an state-owned insurance group and investment corporation owned by the Government of India.
    • It was founded in 1956 when the Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance of India Act that nationalized the insurance industry in India.
    • Over 245 insurance companies and provident societies were merged to create the state-owned LIC.

    Why LIC IPO?

    • LIC is the largest investor in government securities and stock markets every year.
    • On an average, LIC invests Rs 55,000 crore to Rs 65,000 crore in stock markets every year and emerges as the largest investor in Indian stocks.
    • LIC also has huge investments in debentures and bonds besides providing funding for many infrastructure projects according to its Annual Report for 2017-18.

    Biggest IPO in Indian markets

    • The finance ministry has invited bids from transaction advisors, including consulting firms, investment bankers, and financial institutions, for assisting the government in the preparatory processes leading to the IPO.
    • The IPO is expected to be the biggest in the Indian capital markets given the size and scale of LIC, the country’s oldest and largest life insurer.

    What is the size and position of LIC in the insurance market?

    • Even if the government decides to sell 5-10 per cent of its equity in LIC through an IPO, the share sale of LIC, which was set up in 1956, is expected to be the largest.
    • The insurer’s total assets had touched an all-time high of Rs 31.11 lakh crore in 2018-19, an increase of 9.4 per cent.
    • The Corporation realized a profit of Rs 23,621 crore from its equity investment during 2018-19, down 7.89 per cent from Rs 25,646 crore in the previous year.
    • LIC would have at least one transaction of IPO of a size of at least Rs 5,000 crore, or a capital market transaction of at least Rs 15,000 crore.

    How does LIC fit into the overall disinvestment roadmap?

    • In the Budget 2020-21, the finance ministry had announced plans for IPO of LIC and a proposal to sell the government’s equity in the stressed IDBI Bank.
    • The government expects to raise Rs 90,000 crore through stake sale in LIC and IDBI Bank, and another Rs 1.2 lakh crore through other disinvestments.
    • LIC is also a majority shareholder in IDBI Bank.
    • The government had earlier listed the shares of General Insurance Corporation and New India Assurance through IPOs three years ago.

    What benefits can be expected through the IPO?

    • An IPO will certainly bring in transparency into affairs of LIC since it will be required to inform financial numbers and other market-related developments on time to the stock exchanges.
    • Investors can benefit from picking up equity in the insurer, which has been making underwriting profit as well as profits on its investments.
    • LIC’s investment in various equity and bond instruments will come under greater scrutiny after its lists on the exchanges.

    Back2Basics: IPO

    • IPO means Initial Public Offering. It is a process by which a privately held company becomes a publicly-traded company by offering its shares to the public for the first time.
    • Offering an IPO is a money-making exercise. Every company needs money, it may be to expand, to improve their business, to better the infrastructure, to repay loans, etc.
    • A private company, that has a handful of shareholders, shares the ownership by going public by trading its shares.
    • Through the IPO, the company gets its name listed on the stock exchange.

    Also read:

    Disinvestment Policy in India.

  • UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

    China will join a global pact to regulate arms sales that has been rejected by the United States.

    The New START, INF, Open Skies and now the ATT …. Be clear about the differences of these treaties. For example- to check if their inception was during cold war era etc.

    What is the Arms Trade Treaty?

    • The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons. It entered into force on 4th December 2014.
    • The ATT is an attempt to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons for the purpose of contributing to international and regional peace; reducing human suffering; and promoting co-operation, transparency, and responsible action by and among states.
    • 105 states have ratified the treaty, and a further 32 states have signed but not ratified it.
    • India has abstained from voting for this Treaty

    Highlights of the treaty

    ATT requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians. The treaty would ensure that no transfer is permitted if there is a substantial risk that it is likely to:

    • be used in serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law, or acts of genocide or crimes against humanity;
    • facilitate terrorist attacks, a pattern of gender-based violence, violent crime, or organized crime;
    • violate UN Charter obligations, including UN arms embargoes;
    • be diverted from its stated recipient;
    • adversely affect regional security; or
    • seriously impair poverty reduction or socioeconomic development.

    China’s agenda at ATT

    • Beijing saying it is committed to efforts to “enhance peace and stability” in the world.
    • It comes after the US announced plans last year to pull the United States out of the agreement which entered into force in 2014.
    • The US Senate never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty after former president Barack Obama endorsed it, and Trump has said he would revoke his predecessor’s signature.

    Why has India abstained?

    • From the beginning of the ATT process, India has maintained that such a treaty should make a real impact on illicit trafficking in conventional arms and their illicit use especially by terrorists and other unauthorized and unlawful non-state actors.
    • India has also stressed consistently that the ATT should ensure a balance of obligations between exporting and importing states.
    • However, the ATT is weak on terrorism and non-state actors (undoubtedly Pakistan) and these concerns find no mention in the specific prohibitions of the Treaty.
    • Further, India cannot accept that the Treaty is used as an instrument in the hands of exporting states to take unilateral force majeure measures against importing states parties without consequences.

    Also read:

    U.S. set to exit the ‘Open Skies Treaty’ Copy

  • ‘Decarbonizing Transport in India (DTI)’ Project

    http://www.newsonair.com/writereaddata/News_Pictures/NAT/2020/Jun/NPIC-2020622172010.jpg

    NITI Aayog in collaboration with International Transport Forum (ITF) is set to launch the “Decarbonising Transport in India” project with the intention to develop a pathway towards a low-carbon transport system for India.

    Note the following things about ‘Decarbonising Transport in India (DTI)’ Project:

    1. Associated international institution

    2. Whether the institution is a UN body or not

    3. If India is a member of that body

    The DTI Project

    • The India project is carried out in the wider context of the International Transport Forum’s “Decarbonising Transport” initiative.
    • It is part of the “Decarbonising Transport in Emerging Economies” (DTEE) family of projects, which supports transport decarbonisation across different world regions.
    • India, Argentina, Azerbaijan, and Morocco are current participants.
    • The DTEE is a collaboration between the ITF and the Wuppertal Institute, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.

    Objectives of the project

    • The project will design a tailor-made transport emissions assessment framework for India.
    • It will provide the government with a detailed understanding of current and future transport activity and the related CO2 emissions as a basis for their decision-making.

    About International Transport Forum (ITF)

    • The ITF is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) system.
    • It is the only global body with a mandate for all modes of transport.
    • It acts as a think tank for transport policy issues and organises the annual global summit of transport ministers.
    • The ITF’s motto is “Global dialogue for better transport”.
    • India has been a member of ITF since 2008.

    Back2Basics: OCED

    • The OECD is an international, intergovernmental economic organization of 36 countries.
    • OECD was founded in the year 1961 to stimulate world trade and economic progress.
    • OECD originated in 1948, as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC).
    • The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) was founded to govern the predominantly US-funded Marshall Plan for post-war reconstruction on the continent.
    • The OEEC was instrumental in helping the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC has evolved into the European Union (EU) to establish a European Free Trade Area.
    • India is NOT a member of OECD.

  • Secrecy of ballot is the cornerstone of free and fair elections, says Supreme Court

    • Secrecy of ballot is the cornerstone of free and fair elections. The choice of a voter should be free and the secret ballot system in a democracy ensures it, the Supreme Court has held in judgment.
    • The judgment came on an appeal against the Allahabad High Court decision setting aside the voting of a no-confidence motion in a Zila panchayat in Uttar Pradesh in 2018.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss how Secrecy of Ballot is the cornerstone of free and fair elections in India.

    What is the Secret Ballot?

    • The secret ballot, also known as Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter’s choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous.
    • It aims for forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote-buying.
    • The system is one means of achieving the goal of political privacy.

    What did the Supreme Court rule?

    • The principle of secrecy of ballots is an important postulate of constitutional democracy, the court said.
    • Justice Khanna, who wrote the judgment, referred to Section 94 of the Representation of People Act, which upholds the privilege of the voter to maintain confidentiality about her choice of vote.
    • It is the policy of the law to protect the right of voters to the secrecy of the ballot.
    • Even a remote or distinct possibility that a voter can be forced to disclose for whom she has voted would act as a positive constraint and a check on the freedom to exercise of the franchise.

    Voter’s discretion is allowed

    • A voter can also voluntarily waive the privilege of non-disclosure.
    • The privilege ends when the voter decides to waive the privilege and instead volunteers to disclose as to whom she had voted.
    • No one can prevent a voter from doing. Nor can a complaint be entertained from any, including the person who wants to keep the voter’s mouth sealed as to why she disclosed for whom she voted said the court.

    Try this question from our AWE initiaitive:

    On what grounds a people’s representative can be disqualified under the representation of people act, 1951? Also, mention the remedies available to such person against his disqualification. (15 marks)

  • Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    PM Modi has launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, an employment scheme for migrant workers.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss the silent success of MGNREGA in COVID-19 times.

    Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    • It is a skill-based employment scheme aimed primarily at migrant workers who have returned to their villages to escape the COVID lockdown distress.
    • With a 125-workday mandate to create public infrastructure, with the involvement of 11 central departments, the Rs 50,000-crore initiative will focus on job creation.
    • It will be implemented in 116 districts in six states — UP, MP, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan and Bihar — that saw the maximum number of migrant workers returning over the last three months.

    Works under the scheme

    • The government has identified 25 work areas for employment in villages, for the development of various works.
    • These 25 works or projects are related to meet the needs of the villages like rural housing for the poor, Plantations, provision of drinking water through Jal Jeevan mission,  Panchayat Bhavans, community toilets, rural mandis, rural roads, other infrastructure like Cattle Sheds, Anganwadi Bhavans etc.

    Must read:

    [Burning Issue] Reorienting MGNREGA in times of COVID

  • Sukapha: The founder of Ahom kingdom

    Recently, Assam CM ordered the arrest of a political commentator who had described Chaolung Sukapha as a “Chinese invader”.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Who are the Ahoms? Describe the role of Ahom Kingdom in cultural assimilation of modern-day Assam.

    Who was Chaolung Sukapha?

    • Sukapha was a 13th-century ruler who founded the Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for six centuries. Contemporary scholars trace his roots to Burma.
    • He reached Brahmaputra valley in Assam from upper Burma in the 13th century with around 9,000 followers.
    • Sukapha is said to have left a place called Maulung ( in Yunnan, China ) in AD 1215 with eight nobles and 9,000 men, women and children — mostly men.
    • In 1235, Sukapha and his people settled in Charaideo in upper Assam after wandering about for years, defeating those who protested his advance and temporarily staying at different locations.
    • It was in Charaideo (in Assam) that Sukapha established his first small principality, sowing the seeds of further expansion of the Ahom kingdom.

    Who are the Ahoms today?

    • The founders of the Ahom kingdom had their own language and followed their own religion.
    • Over the centuries, the Ahoms accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese language, scholars say.
    • The Ahoms embraced the language, religion and rituals of the communities living here — they did not impose theirs on those living here.
    • Today, the Ahom community is estimated to number between 4 million and 5 million.

    Why is Sukapha important in Assamese culture?

    • Sukapha’s significance — especially in today’s Assam — lies in his successful efforts towards the assimilation of different communities and tribes.
    • He developed very amicable relationships with the tribal communities living here — especially the Sutias, the Morans and the Kacharis.
    • Intermarriage also increased assimilation processes. He is widely referred to as the architect of “Bor Asom” or “greater Assam”.

  • Paying attention to condition of migrant workers

    Issue of migrant workers caught attention of the nation amid lockdown. This issue has wider implications for the economy. This article highlights need for formulating a program to deal with the migrant labourers’ issue in its entirety.

    Issue with many implications: Migrant labour

    • Out of the total labour force of 465 million workers, around 91 per cent (422 million) were informal workers in 2017-18.
    • The Economic Survey (2017) estimated 139 million seasonal or circular migrants.
    • Circular urban migrants perform essential labour and provide services.
    • Hence, this issue has implications for livelihoods, agriculture, food security, and safety net policy as well as programme responses.

    Existing and proposed legal provision

    • There exists The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979.
    • Despite this act, there is no central registry of migrant workers.
    • The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code of 2019 has been introduced in Parliament.
    • This code seeks to promote the welfare of migrant workers and legal protection for their rights.
    • The code seeks to merge 13 labour laws, including the Inter-state Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 into a single law.

    One nation, one ration card

    • “One nation one ration card” addresses the problem of ration-card portability.
    • The move would benefit nearly 670 million people and will be completed by March 2021.

    Provisions in the package for migrant workers, small farmers, street vendors

    • There is a provision of Rs 30,000 crore through NABARD, in addition to the already existing Rs 90,000 crore allocation, for the rabi harvest and post-harvest rabi-related work for small and marginal farmers.
    • Further, Rs 2 lakh crore concessional credit will be provided to two crore farmers across the country.
    • About Rs 11,000 crore was allocated for the urban poor, which includes the migrant workers, for building shelter homes for the homeless.
    • Several government-funded housing projects in major cities would be developed into affordable rental housing complexes on a PPP mode.

    Free grains for two months

    • The Centre will transfer 8 lakh metric tonnes of grain and 50,000 metric tonnes of chana to state governments.
    • Form this stave will provide 5 kg of grain (wheat or rice) per labourer and 1kg of chana per family per month for two months free.
    • This is expected to benefit up to eight crore migrant workers.

    Program for growth and structural transformation

    • Devicing such a program requires a review of national legal, regulatory and institutional concerns in resettlement and rehabilitation of migrant labourers.
    • There is a need to adopt a human rights approach to address the socio-legal issues.
    • The resolution of contradictions in trade, fiscal, monetary and other policies would also require.
    • Following 3 policy changes are urgently required.
    • 1)The implementation of the report of the task force on migration (2017).
    • 2)Expansion of the outreach of the Integrated Child Development Services– to include migrant women and children.
    • 3) Inclusion of migrant children in the annual work plans of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
    • Given the environment of uncertain livelihoods it is necessary to strengthen the resilience of the financial system and skill workers.
    • The issues and challenges of migrant workers require leveraging information and communication technologies and the JAM trinity.

    Consider the question “Migrant workers issue is an issue with many implications. This issue needs to be considered in its entirety to formulate a speedy and effective response. In light of this suggest the required policy changes.”

    Conclusion

    The debilitating physical effects of the coronavirus necessitate coordinated and concerted efforts by all stakeholders to meet the challenges of the present and the expectations of the future. We shall overcome.