November 24, is commemorated as the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru of the Sikhs, who stood up against forcible conversions by the Mughals, and was executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in 1675.
Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He was born at Amritsar in 1621 and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind.
His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675. One hundred and fifteen of his hymns are in Guru Granth Sahib.
There are several accounts explaining the motive behind the assassination of Guru Tegh Bahadur on Aurangzeb’s orders.
He stood up for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits who approached him against religious persecution by Aurangzeb.
He was publicly executed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for himself refusing Mughal rulers and defying them.
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of his body.
Impact of his martyrdom
The execution hardened the resolve of Sikhs against religious oppression and persecution.
His martyrdom helped all Sikh Panths consolidate to make the protection of human rights central to its Sikh identity.
Inspired by him, his nine-year-old son, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, eventually organized the Sikh group into a distinct, formal, symbol-patterned community that came to be known as Khalsa (Martial) identity.
In the words of Noel King of the University of California, “Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom was the first-ever martyrdom for human rights in the world.
He is fondly remembered as ‘Hind di Chaadar’.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
Dadu Dayal
Guru Nanak
Tyagaraja
Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?
GS-1 The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
GS-2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, Indian constitution
GS-3 Indian Economy
GS-4 Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance.
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If India has to achieve the set of goals enunciated in the ‘Panchamrit’ resolution of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow 2021, it is necessary that Panchayati raj institutions, the third tier of government which are closest to the people are involved.
Major impact on rural areas: The greater variability in rainfall and temperatures, etc. experienced of late has directly affected the livelihood and well-being of millions of rural households.
PRI excluded from National action plan: India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change 2008 identifies a range of priority areas for coordinated intervention at the national and State levels. However, there would have been better results had Panchayati raj institutions been given a greater role.
Decentralization of climate efforts are necessary: Through the ongoing decentralization process which ensures people’s participation, panchayats can play a crucial and frontline role in coordinating effective responses to climate risks, enabling adaptation and building climate-change resilient communities.
The climate change discussion also focuses on the emerging and widely accepted concept of ‘carbon neutrality’ which puts forth the notion of zero carbon developments, nature conservation, food, energy and seeds sufficiency, and economic development.
As human activities are the cause of the current climate crisis, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to growing and extreme weather events are critical.
Zero carbon development which promotes sustainable living is the effective solution to reducing anthropogenic emissions and improving climate resilience.
Efforts of Panchayat raj institutes to fight climate change: Case study of Meenangadi
Carbon neutral Meenangadi: In 2016, the panchayat envisaged a project called ‘Carbon neutral Meenangadi’, the aim being to transform Meenangadi into a state of carbon neutrality. There were campaigns, classes and studies to begin with. An awareness programme was conducted initially. A greenhouse gases emission inventory was also prepared. The panchayat was found to be carbon positive.
Implementation of Multi-sectoral schemes: An action plan was prepared by organising gram Sabha meetings. Socio-economic surveys and energy-use mapping were also carried out. Several multi sector schemes were implemented to reduce emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and preserve the ecology and bio-diversity.
Tree plantation Initiative: ‘Tree banking’ was one of landmark schemes introduced to aid carbon neutral activities which encouraged the planting of more trees by extending interest-free loans. Interestingly 1,58,816 trees were planted which have also been geo-tagged to monitor their growth.
People’s participation: The entire community was involved in the process, with school students, youth, and technical and academic institutions given different assignments. Five years have passed and the changes are visible. Local economic development was another thrust area where LED bulb manufacturing and related micro-enterprises were initiated.
Government of India’s effort to support climate change: ‘Clean and Green Village’
SDG theme: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has focused its attention on localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a thematic basis.
Various activities delegated to PRI: ‘Clean and Green Village’ has been identified as the fifth theme where panchayats can take up activities on natural resource management, biodiversity protection, waste management and afforestation activities.
Documentation of best practices: According to the latest data, 1,09,135-gram panchayats have prioritised ‘Clean & Green Village’ as one of their focus areas for 2022-23. The Ministry has highlighted the need for the documentation of best practices and for wider dissemination.
Integrated panchayat development plan: The net result is that many panchayats are coming forward with their eco plans. The integrated Panchayat Development Plan prepared by all panchayats is a stepping stone towards addressing many of the environmental concerns of villages.
Conclusion
In today’s age of rapid technological advancements and digital transformation, India’s rural local bodies are silently contributing their strength to ensuring the global target of carbon neutrality, as envisaged in the UN conference on climate change.
Mains Question
Q. What role PRIs can play in a fight against climate change? What is the scheme of “Clean and Green Village” of Ministry of Panchayat Raj?
The ongoing war in Ukraine on the one hand and the confrontation between Russia and the United States and the West, on the other have increased the frequency/regularity of the question, whose side is India on, after all? Is India with Russia or with the U.S./the West in this war?
What is the issue of India taking the either side?
India doesn’t support the either camp: When great powers seek India’s support during geopolitical contestations, such as the one over Ukraine, they end up facing a stubborn India that is reluctant to toe the line.
India is not a satellite state: The inherent reason behind Indian reluctance, however, is not stubbornness but a sense of self which views itself as a pole in the international system, and not as a satellite state or a camp follower.
India has a different position than two poles: India refuses to take sides because it views itself as a side whose interests are not accounted for by other camps or poles.
India projects the multipolar world order: New Delhi’s constant exhortations of a multipolar world are also very much in tune with this thinking about itself as a pole in a multipolar world.
India’s history of not taking the side (non-alignment)
Historically different civilization: The origins of this thought can be found in the character of the country’s long struggle for independence; the pre- and post-Independence articulations of leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhiji, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak among others on international politics; the (not uncontested) primacy India inherited as the legatee state of the British empire in South Asia; India’s larger than life civilizational sense of self.
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) experiment: NAM have contributed to India’s desire for a unique foreign policy identity and a voice in the comity of nations. For much of its modern independent history, India’s foreign policy has been a unique experiment.
Independent foreign policy: Historically, India’s view of itself as a pole is evident in the manner in which it used to pursue non-alignment for several decades after Independence. Some vestiges of this continue to inform India’s foreign policy to this day.
Non-alignment is not a neutrality: It is also important to point out that India’s non-alignment is often misunderstood given that a number of foreign commentators and practitioners interpret it as neutrality. For India, however, non-alignment is not neutrality, but the ability to take a position on a given issue on a case-by-case basis.
How India asserts itself as a different pole in international affairs?
No domination in south Asia: India has a different view of itself as a pole. It has not actively sought to dominate the South Asian regional subsystem even when it could.
No alliance like NATO: Its balancing behaviour has been subpar, it has refused to build alliances in the classical sense of the term, or sought camp followers or allegiances. As a matter of fact, even its occasional balancing behaviour (for instance, the 1971 India-Soviet Treaty during the Bangladesh war) was contingent on emergencies.
South Asia is not a Strategic periphery: It does believe it has a strategic periphery in South Asia where it has a natural claim to primacy.
Doesn’t allow interference in south Asia: It discourages interference by other powers in that space.
India speaks for global south: India often tends to speak for ‘underprivileged collectives’, physical (South Asia) or otherwise (NAM, developing nations, global south, etc. in varying degrees); and it welcomes the rule of law and regional order.
India as unique player in international system: India’s recent or past statements on issues of global importance be it Ukraine or Iraq, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s aerial campaign in Serbia, or bringing climate change to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) indicate that it tends to take positions that not just suit its interests but are also informed by its sense of being a unique player on the global stage.
India as partner not cheerleader: Western powers must, therefore, treat India as a partner rather than as a cheerleader. They should mainstream India into global institutions such as the UNSC, and consult India rather than dictate to India which side to take.
Conclusion
As India becomes the chair of the G20 and the SCO in 2022, it will further seek to assert itself as a major pole in the international system, and dissuade demands to follow one camp or another. Therefore, those wishing to work with India on the global stage must learn to deal with the ‘India pole’.
Mains Question
Q. Analyse the India’s policy of not taking the position of west or Russia on global issues. How India asserts itself as a different pole in international affairs?
Background: Demand for the data surveillance reforms
The journey towards a data protection legislation began in 2011 when the department of Personnel and Training initiated discussions on the Right to Privacy Bill, 2011.
As per an Office Memorandum dated September 29, 2011, the then attorney General, Goolam Vahanvati, opined that conditions under which the government can carry out “interception of communication” should be spelt out in the Bill.
The report of the group emphasized the need to examine the impact of the increased collection of citizen information by the government on the right to privacy. Since then, civil society organizations, lawyers and politicians have consistently demanded surveillance reform, highlighting how personal data can only be protected when the government’s power to conduct surveillance of citizens is meaningfully regulated.
Eases cross-border data flows but wide-ranging powers to state agencies: The reworked version of the data protection Bill, released three months after the Govt withdrew an earlier draft, eases cross-border data flows and increases penalties for breaches. But it gives the Centre wide-ranging powers and prescribes very few safeguards.
Delicate balance on privacy and restrictions: Officials at the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) have said the new draft strikes a delicate balance and factors in learning from global approaches, while staying aligned to the Supreme Court’s ruling on privacy as a fundamental right, but within reasonable restrictions.
Seven principles of the Bill: The explanatory note accompanying the Bill elaborates on the seven principles it seeks to promote, including transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization, and preventing the unauthorized collection of personal data.
The surveillance architecture In India
Main components: The surveillance architecture in India comprises mainly of Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885; Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000; and the procedural rules promulgated under them.
No clearly defined ground: No But this architecture does not meaningfully define the grounds under which, or the manner in which, surveillance may be conducted.
No safeguards: It also does not contain safeguards such as ex-ante or ex-post facto independent review of interception directions.
Lack of accountability: The concentration of power with the executive thus creates a lack of accountability and enables abuse. Evidence for this emerges not only from instances of political surveillance, but also from the slivers of transparency that accidentally emerge from telecom companies.
Excessive surveillance: For instance, submissions by Airtel to the Telecommunications Department, as part of the public consultation process for the Indian Telecommunication Bill, reveal that excessive data collection requests are already a reality. Airtel has asked the government to share the costs it incurs to comply with the increasing demands from law enforcement agencies to carry out surveillance.
Concerns over citizen data processing: Apart from outright surveillance, unfettered collection and processing of citizen data for other purposes, such as digital governance, raise concerns.
What are the concerns over the revoked version of the bill?
No proposals for surveillance reform: All iterations of the data protection legislation since the draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, the draft Data Protection Bill, 2021 and the 2022 Bill have no proposals for surveillance reform.
Data processing without consent: Personal data can be processed even without the person’s consent. Blanket exemptions Like previous iterations, Clause 18(2) of the 2022 Bill allows the Union government to provide blanket exemptions for selected government agencies.
Permits exemption to private entities: However, this Bill is more egregious than previous iterations as it permits exemption to private sector entities that may include individual companies or a class of them, by assessing the volume and nature of personal data under Clause 18(3).
Exemptions without the purview of data protection: Under the new Bill in India, exempted state agencies and private entities will not be within the purview of the Data Protection Board, the body responsible for imposing penalties in case fiduciaries infringe privacy.
Data processing in other countries
Exemptions on case by case and the rationale behind it: While the existing or proposed legislations in the European Union and in the U.S. permit security agencies to claim exemptions on a case-by-case basis, depending on why they are collecting personal data, they do not contain blanket exemption powers to an entire government entity.
Meaningful state surveillance: Other jurisdictions exercise meaningful oversight over state surveillance. For instance, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in the U.K. is authorized to hear complaints against misuse of surveillance powers and can impose monetary penalties in case of a breach.
Conclusion
The preamble to the 2022 Bill states that the purpose is to protect the personal data of individuals and to ensure that personal data is processed only for lawful purposes. However, blanket exemptions for state agencies alongside private entities raise untold concerns, which need to be addressed on a war footing.
Mains question
Q. What do you understand by data surveillance? It is said the Data surveillance architecture in India lacks accountability and transparency. Analyze.
Special UPSC/MPSC Seminar (23rd November, Wednesday) | How to complete Current Affairs in 1.5 hrs per day? by CD’s senior mentors Pravin Garje and Rahul Vadar | Get Samachar Manthan current week’s module for FREE
How to cover current Affairs by just studying 1.5 hrs per day for civil services exam?
Be it MPSC or UPSC covering current affairs is a huge task due to almost a year worth of current affairs that has to be covered. Moreover, this comes in both prelims and mains so it has to be covered in a certain manner.
Your current affairs notes must also be prepared on a regular basis so that you can revise them at the appropriate time.
But there are many issues that you aspirants face:
From where to cover current affairs? Best sources
What all to study and what to leave?
How to make notes of daily current affairs?
How to use CA for answer writing?
How not to waste time on covering current affairs for UPSC and MPSC preparation?
Acknowledging the need to ensure removing difficulties, the students face, I will be present with Rahul Vadar (Senior Mentor) at CivilsDaily, for a webinar on:
How to cover current affairs in a holistic manner in just 1.5 hrs per day.
How to filter and read newspapers to cover UPSC/MPSC-centric current affairs for Prelims
Techniques to make notes
Write answers and solve MCQs
So, if you wish to get your name on the MPSC UPSC Prelims 2023 merit list, don’t miss out on this great chance to discuss your queries in a 1-1 session with toppers’ mentors.
Seminar Details: 23rd November, (Wednesday) at 7 PM.
Date: 23rd November 2022
Time: 7 pm Onwards
Venue: This Workshop will be held in both offline and online mode. You can attend in CivilsDaily’s Pune center in offline mode, and for Online mode, we will share a Zoom link in your email. Please register.
Points that they will be discussing in the Masterclass
How to cover current affairs holistically in 1.5 hrs/Day for Prelims, Mains, and Interviews?
Supplementing Newspapers with Magazines like Yojana, Kurukshetra, etc, and making notes from them.
How to focus on these:
Socio-economic issues like Women’s issues, Education or Health related issues, Issues or policies affecting vulnerable sections, etc.
Issues of national and international importance.
Political issues related to Indian Constitution, Legislative and Administrative processes.
Supreme Court or High Court verdicts.
Good analysis of current issues.
Parliamentary Debates.
Government policies and orders.
How to make 2 paged crisp notes for Prelims and Mains revision and answer writing?
How to collect examples, case studies, and important fodder for Mains answers?
Finishing newspaper within 40 mins max.
How to connect Current Affairs with GS?
Those who understand the exam syllabus and pattern well, have less anxiety but a beginner (due to less understanding of the syllabus and pattern) takes enough time to read and prepare.
Rahul sir is a mentor with CivilsDaily for more than 2+ years and is now mentoring more than 1500 students. His experience of writing in all 5 UPSC-CSE Prelims & MAINS exams, and attending the interview twice, makes him an appropriate guide to address this compulsory matter.
About me (Pravin Garje):
Pravin Sir is a mentor with CivilsDaily for nearly 2+ years and is now working with Sukanya Rana Ma’am in the Civilsdaily Mains Guidance Program. His experience of scoring 110+ in all 6 Prelims exams,coupled with scoring 135+ marks in ethics and essay papers and attending the interview twice, makes him an appropriate guide to address this compulsory matter
What The Hindu mentioned about Civilsdaily Mentorship
India’s decision not to vote against a proposal to re-open the international trade in ivory at the ongoing conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
What is CITES?
CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
It is as an international agreement aimed at ensuring “that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival”.
It was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
It entered into force on July 1, 1975, and now has 183 parties.
The Convention is legally binding on the Parties in the sense that they are committed to implementing it; however, it does not take the place of national laws.
India is a signatory to and has also ratified CITES convention in 1976.
CITES Appendices
CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.
All import, export, re-exports and introduction from the sea of species covered by the convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.
It has three appendices:
Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
Appendix II provides a lower level of protection.
Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade.
What is the news?
India remained absent during the CITES conference aimed to re-open the international trade in ivory.
Why such move by India?
Elephant remains one of India’s most powerful cultural and religious symbols.
A pioneer in banning even the domestic trade in ivory in 1986, India has always been at the forefront of global elephant conservation initiatives.
What is the tussle over Ivory?
The international ivory trade was globally banned in 1989 when all African elephant populations were put in CITES Appendix I.
However, the populations of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe were transferred to Appendix II in 1997, and South Africa’s in 2000 to allow two “one-off sales”.
This is because ivory stockpiled from natural elephant deaths and seizures from poachers.
Subsequently, Namibia’s proposal for allowing a regular form of controlled trade in ivory by delisting the elephant populations of the four countries from Appendix II was rejected at CoP17 (2016) and CoP18 (2019).
At the ongoing CoP19, the proposal was moved by Zimbabwe but met the same fate.
These are low income countries often battling to generate some revenue from Ivory trade.
India and ivory trade
The endangered Asian elephant was included in CITES Appendix I in 1975, which banned the export of ivory from the Asian range countries.
In 1986, India amended The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to ban even domestic sales of ivory.
After the ivory trade was globally banned, India again amended the law to ban the import of African ivory in 1991.
In 1981 when New Delhi hosted COP3, India designed the iconic CITES logo in the form of an elephant.
Over the years, India’s stand has been unequivocal on the ivory issue.
What has changed now?
After protracted negotiation, India signed an agreement in July with Namibia to fly in cheetahs.
India has agreed to promote “sustainable utilisation and management of biodiversity” by supporting advances in this area of bilateral cooperation “at international forums including meetings of” CITES.
While the word “ivory” was not mentioned, Namibia sought India’s support under this agreement.
The Tamil Nadu Government has issued a notification declaring Arittapatti in Melur block, Madurai district, a biodiversity heritage site.
About Arittapatti
Arittapatti village, rich in 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 biodiversity-rich 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 Anaikondan tank, built during the reign of Pandiyan kings in the 16th century is one among them, the government notification said.
Several megalithic structures, rock-cut temples, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds add to the historical significance of the region.
What is a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS)?
Biodiversity Heritage Sites are rich Biodiversity Areas and are important components of local ecosystems which are being conserved and managed by the society.
BHS are declared as per provision under Section 37(1) of Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The State Government may, from time to time in consultation with the local bodies, notify the areas of biodiversity importance as biodiversity heritage sites under this Act.
