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  • How Pakistan Plays the world

    The article explains evolution of Pakistan’s approach towards forming alliances and maintaining strategic autonomy against the backdrop of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    New dynamic Pakistan has to face

    • As the US withdraws its troops from Afghanistan, Pakistan is eager to build a relationship with Washington that is not tied to US stakes in Afghanistan.
    • Pakistan does not want to be totally alienated from U.S. in the new geopolitical jousting between the US and China.
    • How Pakistan copes with the new dynamic between the US and China as well as manages the deepening crisis in Afghanistan would be of great interest to India.

    Striking the balance between autonomy and alliance

    • Autonomy is about the basic impulse for enhancing the degree of one’s freedom.
    • Alliances are about coping with real or perceived threats to one’s security.
    • Both are natural trends in international politics.
    • Joining an alliance does not mean ceding one’s sovereignty.
    • Within every alliance, there is a perennial tension between seeking more commitments from the partner in return for limiting one’s own.

    Explaining Pakistan’s approach to alliances

    • Pakistan’s insecurities in relation to India meant it was eager for alliances.
    •  And as the Anglo-Americans scouted for partners in the crusade against global communism, Pakistan signed a bilateral security treaty with the US and joined the South East Asia Treaty Organisation and Central Treaty Organisation in the mid-1950s.
    • Rather than target Pakistan’s alliance with a West that was intensely hostile to Beijing in the 1950s, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai saw room to exploit Pakistan’s insecurities on India.
    • While Pakistan’s ties with the US went up and down, its relationship with China has seen steady expansion.
    • Pakistan’s relations with the US flourished  after the Soviet Union sent its troops into Afghanistan at the end of 1979.
    • The US and Pakistan reconnected in 2001 as Washington sought physical access and intelligence support to sustain its intervention in Afghanistan following the attacks on September 11.
    • Now the US wants Pakistan to persuade the Taliban to accept a peaceful transition to a new political order in Afghanistan.

    Pakistan’s ability to adapt to shifting geopolitical trends

    • Pakistan worries that its leverage in U.S. will diminish once the US turns its back on Afghanistan and towards the Indo-Pacific.
    • Pakistan does not want to get in the Indo-Pacific crossfire between the US and China.
    • It would also like to dent India’s growing importance in America’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
    • India should not underestimate Pakistan’s agency in adapting to the shifting global currents.
    • Pakistan has been good at using its great power alliances to its own benefit.

    Three problems that complicates Pakistan’s strategic autonomy

    • 1) Relative economic decline: Pakistan’s expected aggregate GDP at around $300 billion in 2021 is 10 times smaller than India’s.
    • 2) Obsession with Kashmir: Pakistan’s enduring obsessions with separating Kashmir from India, and extending its political sway over Afghanistan; both look elusive despite massive political investments by the Pakistan army.
    • Unsurprisingly, there is a recognition that Pakistan needs reorientation — from geopolitics to geoeconomics and permanent war with neighbours to peace of some sorts.
    • 3) Using religion as political instrument: Turning Islam into a political instrument and empowering religious extremism seemed clever a few decades ago.
    • However, today those forces have acquired a life of their own and severely constrain the capacity of the Pakistani state to build internal coherence and widen international options.

    Conclusion

    It will be unwise to rule out Pakistan’s positive reinvention; no country has a bigger stake in it than India. For now, though, Pakistan offers a cautionary tale on the dangers of squandering a nation’s strategic advantages — including a critical geopolitical location that it had inherited and the powerful partnerships that came its way.

  • New IT Rules is not the way forward

    The article deals with the issues involved in the traceability requirement of the originator of information on social media platform as per new IT Rules.

    Traceability clause and issues involved

    • Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 imposes certain obligation on significant social media intermediaries.
    • Rule 4(2) puts an obligations to ensure traceability of the originator of information on their platforms.
    • Consequently, WhatsApp has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court.
    • WhatsApp contends that the mandate for traceability violates the privacy rights of Indian citizens, by rendering WhatsApp unable to provide encrypted services.

    Government’s response

    • The Government primarily relies on the argument that: privacy is not an absolute right, and that the traceability obligation is proportionate, and sufficiently restricted.
    • Notably, the new Rules mandate traceability only in the case of significant social media intermediaries i.e. those that meet a user threshold of 50 lakh users, which WhatsApp does.
    • Traceability is also subject to an order being passed by a court or government agency and only in the absence of any alternatives.
    • While it is indeed true that privacy is not an absolute right, the Supreme Court of India in the two K.S. Puttaswamy decisions of 2017 and 2018 has laid conditions for restricting this right.
    • In Puttaswamy cases, the Supreme Court clarified that any restriction on this right must be necessary, proportionate and include safeguards against abuse.

    Issues with traceability

    • Not proportionate: A general obligation to enable traceability as a systemic feature across certain types of digital services is neither suitable nor proportionate.
    • No safeguard against abuse: The Rules lack effective safeguards in that they fail to provide any system of independent oversight over tracing requests made by the executive.
    • This allows government agencies the ability to seek any messaging user’s identity, virtually at will.
    • Presumption of criminality:  Weakening encryption — which a traceability mandate would do — would compromise the privacy and security of all individuals at all times, despite no illegal activity on their part, and would create a presumption of criminality.

    Way forward

    • Explore the alternatives: The Government already has numerous alternative means of securing relevant information to investigate online offences including by accessing unencrypted data such as metadata, and other digital trails from intermediaries.
    • Already has ability to access encrypted data: The surveillance powers of the Government are in any case vast and overreaching, recognised even by the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee report of 2018.
    • Importantly, the Government already has the ability to access encrypted data under the IT Act.
    • Notably, Section 69(3) of the Information Technology Act and Rules 17 and 13 of the Information Technology Rules, 2009 require intermediaries to assist with decryption where they have the technical ability to do so, and where law enforcement has no alternatives.
    • Judicial scrutiny of Section 79 of IT Act: The ability of the government to issue obligations under the guise of “due diligence” requirements under Section 79 of the IT Act must be subject to judicial scrutiny.
    • Legislative changes needed: The long-term solution would be for legislative change along multiple avenues, including in the form of revising and reforming the now antiquated IT Act, 2000.

    Consider the question “What are the issues involved in the traceability of the originator of the information on social media platforms as mandated by the new IT Rules 2021? Suggest the way forward.”

    Conclusion

    While, undoubtedly, there are numerous problems in the digital ecosystem that are often exacerbated or indeed created by the way intermediaries function, ill-considered regulation of the sort represented by the new intermediary rules is not the way forward.

  • 1st June 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1  Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture.

    GS-2 India and Its neighbouthood-relations

    GS-3 Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology

    GS-4 Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships.

    Following are the questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q. 1) Paintings in India has been an ever evolving art form depicting not just political scenario of India but also reflecting socio-cultural life of the period. Comment. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2) ‘As Nepal passes through another political turmoil, India needs to engage Nepal without intervening.’ In light of this, examine the factors that India should consider in dealing with Nepal. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3) India was a late adopter in all the previous phases of the digital revolution be it the semiconductors, the internet or smartphones. Do you think the same is happening again in India’s adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q. 4) Action based on ethics essential for the establishment of peaceful society. Justify your views with suitable examples (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

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    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

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    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. Swatantra Sir’s tag is available, tag him.

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    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT (AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you. (Click here for Daily Questions)
    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.
    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
    4. Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 1st June is uploaded on 1st June then your answer will be checked within 72 hours.

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 1st June is uploaded on 3rd June, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. Also, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor-like @Swatantra so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

  • [pib] Research Design & Standards Organization

    RDSO (Research Design & Standards Organization) of Indian Railways has become the FIRST Institution to be declared SDO under the “One Nation One Standard ” mission of BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards).

    About RDSO

    • Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow, \ is the sole R&D Wing of the Ministry of Railways.
    • It is one of India’s leading Standard formulating Body undertaking standardization work for the railway sector.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
    2. AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    What is One Nation One Standard mission?

    • The purpose of setting standards and enforcing them is not to bring back “inspection raj” but to ensure that quality products are made available to consumers.
    • The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the only national body that frames standards, has come out with more than 20,000 standards for various products and services so far.
    • Besides this, there are about 50-odd agencies that have framed about 400 standards in the country.
    • There are multiple standards in the country for a single product/service. The new mission is to converge such standards with the BIS.

    Objectives of the mission:

    • No one should feel the need to go abroad to get a quality certification.
    • Lab testing in India should be of world standards. Modern equipment and the latest technologies would be used there.

    Why such a move?

    • Having uniform national standards will help in making it mandatory for more products.
    • The government proposes to set Indian standards in line with the global benchmarks, just like other countries enforce their standards on imported products.
    • The Centre, through this move, wants foreign goods coming into India to comply with Indian standards.

    Back2Basics: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

    • BIS is the National Standards Body of India working under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
    • It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
    • The organization was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies in September 1946.
    • The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
    • A new Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Act 2016 has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017.
    • The Act establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.

  • Why people are Protesting in Lakshadweep

    The article highlights the issues with development model sought to be pursued in Lakshadweep.

    Background of Island Development Authority’

    • A specially constituted Island Development Authority (IDA) for the island territories of India, chaired by no less than the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
    • IDA had in 1988, approved a framework for the development of India’s island territories.
    • IDA sought an environmentally sound strategy for both island groups hinges on better exploitation of marine resources coupled with much greater care in the use of land resources.
    • Deliberations of the IDA wanted that Lakshadweep, with its land ownership constitutionally protected, be opened to international tourism.

    Issues with following Maldives model for development of Lakshadweep

    •  Recently, the Administrator, Lakshadweep, introduced a slew of draft legislation that will have a wide-ranging impact on the islands.
    • One such legislation is the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 with intentions to develop Lakshadweep like neighbouring Maldives, “a renowned international tourist destination”.
    • Rejecting the Maldives model, the plan for Lakshadweep required that the industry had to be people-centric and enrich the fragile coral ecology.
    • Today, long lines and refrigeration have aided the expansion of the fishing sector but income disparities have grown.
    • Indiscriminate trawling endangers the coral, as experienced in the Maldives and now banned there.
    • The Government recognises the need to develop policies for enhancing employment opportunities, environment-friendly management of fisheries, sanitation, waste disposal and widening access to drinking water, with the youth, having acquired a modern education, preferring salaried jobs over pursuing traditional occupations.

    Conclusion

    What Lakshadweep needs is a clear policy must include conservation and natural resource management arrived at after wide consultation, eminently possible within the existing infrastructure of the Union Territory, and also taking into account climatic compulsions.

  • Resource crunch in states after Covid second wave

    The article gives the overview of the impact of second Covid wave on the fiscal health of the States.

    Impact of first Covid wave on fiscal health of states

    • The analysis of the fiscal data for all states with the exception of Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim reveal a grim picture.
    • The aggregate revenue deficit for 24 state governments soared to Rs 4 trillion as per the revised estimates (RE) for 2020-21, up from a modest budgeted amount of Rs 353 billion.
    • And, despite a 16 per cent cut in capital spending, the fiscal deficit of these states deteriorated to Rs 8.7 trillion in 2020-21 (RE), up from the budgeted estimate of Rs 6.0 trillion.

    How states had projected ambitious decline in revenue deficit

    • The budgets for the ongoing fiscal year,  had projected an ambitious, decline in the aggregate revenue deficit to Rs 1.2 trillion, lower than the pre-Covid-19 level of Rs 1.3 trillion in 2019-20.
    • This has benefitted from the considerable expansion in their revenue receipts this year, forecasted at 24.7 per cent, compared to a moderate 12.4 per cent increase in their aggregate revenue expenditure.
    • This anticipated shrinking of the revenue deficit has allowed states to plan for a substantial expansion in their capital expenditure and net lending pegged at 34.1 per cent.
    • This anticipated shrinking also allowed the States to attempt a modest correction in their budgeted fiscal deficit, bringing it down to Rs 7.6 trillion in 2021-22 from Rs 8.7 trillion in 2020-21 (RE).

    Fiscal concerns over second Covid wave

    • The second wave of Covid-19 infections and its spread to rural areas has fanned fiscal concerns.
    •  The curtailed consumption of discretionary items and contact-intensive services will dampen the growth of states’ own tax revenues this year.
    • Moreover, lower mobility during the regional lockdowns will constrain tax revenues that states earn on fuels.
    • The data for the generation of GST e-way bills confirms that the staggered imposition of the localised lockdowns has had an adverse impact on economic activity since April.
    • This will result in a sequential slowdown in GST collections that will be reported in the subsequent two months.
    • Nevertheless, the GST collections is likely to nearly double to Rs 1.7 trillion in the first quarter of this year, up from Rs 0.9 trillion over the same period last year, boosted by the record-high collections in April,
    • That reflected healthy economic activity in March.

    The shortfall and way forward

    •  States’ own tax collections is estimated to trail their budget estimates as they were drawn up before the second wave.
    • For this year,  state GST collections would be at Rs 6.1 trillion, falling below their projected revenues of Rs 8.7 trillion.
    • This indicates a GST compensation requirement of Rs 2.65 trillion — only 38 per cent of which may be met through the expected GST compensation cess collections.
    • Following the meeting of the GST Council, the Finance Minister has indicated that a back-to-back loan of Rs 1.58 trillion will be provided to the states.
    • If the tranches of this loan start flowing to the states soon, it will alleviate their anticipated revenue crunch over the next two months.
    • Already, there has been a sharp rise in the size of the upcoming State Development Loan auction to Rs. 19,550 crore, relative to the modest average size of around Rs. 7,400 crore seen so far in the first eight auctions held in FY2022.

    Conclusion

    In any case, the capital spending budgeted by certain state governments this year appears to be optimistic. Moreover, localised restrictions imposed during the last two months are expected to have constrained activity.

  • Cryptocurrency & India

    The article highlights the need for coherent cryptocurrency policy and avoid missing the benefits offered by the technology.

    Growing dominance of cryptocurrencies

    • Created by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008, Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency.
    • It is a fully decentralised, peer-to-peer electronic cash system that didn’t need the purview of any third-party financial institution.
    • The Bitcoin, which traded at just $ 0.0008 in 2010, commanded a market price of just under $65,000 this April.
    • Many newer coins were introduced since Bitcoin’s launch, and their cumulative market value touched $ 2.5 trillion this May.
    • Within a span of just over a decade, their value has surpassed the size of economies of most modern nations.
    •  The “cryptomarket” grew by over 500 per cent, even while the pandemic unleashed global economic carnage not seen since the Great Depression.
    • China’s recent crackdown on cryptocurrency had far-reaching consequences.
    • An astounding trillion US dollars were wiped out from the global cryptomarket within a span of 24 hours.
    • This kind of  volatility mentioned above has always been a concern for regulators and investors alike.

    India’s approach

    • Law enforcement and taxation agencies have called for a ban, expressing concerns over cryptocurrencies being used as instruments for illicit activities, including money laundering and terror funding.
    • In 2018, the Reserve Bank barred our financial institutions from supporting crypto transactions — but the Supreme Court overturned it in 2020.
    • Yet, Indian banks still block these transactions, and the government has circulated a draft bill outlawing all cryptocurrency activities, which has been under discussion since 2019.
    • The Reserve Bank has announced the launch of a private blockchain-supported official digital currency, similar to the digital Yuan.
    • India is increasingly mimicking China’s paradoxical attempt to centralise a decentralised ecosystem.
    • India is trying to decouple cryptocurrencies from their underlying blockchain technology, and still derive benefit.
    • Unfortunately, this is impractical, and shows a lack of understanding of this disruptive innovation.
    • The funds that have gone into the Indian blockchain start-ups are less than 0.2 per cent of the amount the sector raised globally.
    • The current central government approach makes it near-impossible for entrepreneurs and investors to acquire much economic benefit.

    Need for regulation

    • Regulation is definitely needed to prevent serious problems, to ensure that cryptocurrencies are not misused, and to protect unsuspecting investors from excessive market volatility and possible scams.
    •  However, regulation needs to be clear, transparent, coherent and animated by a vision of what it seeks to achieve.
    • India has not been able to tick these boxes, and we’re in danger of missing out in the global race altogether.

    Way forward

    • Any new regulations made in this sector should prevent the misuse of these digital assets without hindering innovation and investments.
    • Provisions have to be made to route the value extracted from these networks transparently into our financial system.
    • Regulatory uncertainties over India’s position on cryptocurrency highlights the need for clear-headed policy-making.

    Consider the question “India was a late adopter in all the previous phases of the digital revolution be it the semiconductors, the internet or smartphones. Do you think the same is happening again in India’s adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology?”

    Conclusion

    We are currently on the cusp of the next phase, which would be led by technologies like blockchain. We have the potential to channel our human capital, expertise and resources into this revolution, and emerge as one of the winners of this wave. All we need to do is to get our policymaking right.

     

  • Important Sessions of Indian National Congress

     
    31st May 2021

    Leaders of the session

    • Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the president of the first session of the Indian National Congress.
    • Annie Beasant was the first female President of the Indian National Congress.
    • Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president of the Indian National Congress.
    • Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of the Indian National
      Congress.
    • Rahimtulla Sayani was the second Muslim President of the Indian National
      Congress.
    • George Yule was the first European President of the Indian National Congress.
    • Dadhabhai Naoroji was the first Parsi President of the Indian National Congress.
    • Sankaran Narayan was the first & the only Keralite President of the Indian National Congress Session.
    • Hakim Ajmal Khan was the only person to be appointed as the President of INC, All India Muslim League & All India Khilafat Committee.

    Year and Place

    President

    Details

    Bombay, 1885

    W C Bonnerjee

    This was the first session. 72 delegates attended it.

    Calcutta, 1886

    Dadabhai Naoroji

    National Congress and National Conference were merged. 

    Madras, 1887

    Syed Badruddin Tyabji

    607 delegates attended this.

    An appeal made to Muslims to join hands with other national leaders

    Calcutta, 1896

    Rahimtullah M. Sayani

    National song ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung for the first time

    Benares, 1905

    Gopal Krishna Gokhale

    Resentment was shown against the partition of Bengal

    Calcutta, 1906

    Dadabhai Naoroji

    The word ‘swaraj’ was mentioned for the first time.

    Surat, 1907

    Rash Behari Ghosh

    The ‘Surat Split’- Party splits into extremists and moderates

    Lahore, 1909

    Madan Mohan Malaviya

    Disapproval was expressed over the separate electorates on basis of religion as given in Indian Councils Act, 1909.

    Calcutta, 1911

    Bishan Narayan Dar

    National anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was sung for the first time

    Lucknow, 1916

    Ambica Charan Mazumdar

    Lucknow Pact was signed.

    The extremists and moderates reunited.

    Calcutta, 1917

    Annie Besant

    She was the first woman president of the INC

    Amritsar, 1919

    Motilal Nehru

    The Jallianwalla Bagh massacre was condemned.

    Khilafat Movement was boosted

    Belgaum, 1924

    M K Gandhi

    –

    Kanpur, 1925

    Sarojini Naidu

    –

    Lahore, 1929

    Jawaharlal Nehru

    This was an iconic session. 

    Resolution for ‘Poorna Swaraj’ was passed.

     Civil Disobedience movement was launched.

    Gandhi- Irwin pact was endorsed.

    Karachi, 1931

    Vallabhbhai Patel

    The Congress adopted a resolution on Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy

    Haripura, 1938

    Subhas Chandra Bose

    National Planning Committed set-up under J.L Nehru

    Tripuri, 1939

    Subhas Chandra Bose

    Bose had to resign due to differences with Gandhi

    Meerut, 1946

    Acharya Kripalani

    Last session before independence

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  • 1 June 2021 | Nikaalo Prelims Quiz- TS 22- Polity Test 3:Constitution- Special provisions; Constitutional, Statutory and quasi-judicial bodies; Important Judgements; Schedules of Constitution

    [WpProQuiz 648]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 648]

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