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8 June 2021 | Nikaalo Prelims Quiz- TS 25- History Test 3: British Administrative, Educational, Legislative Measures; Governor Generals.
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8th June 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)
Topics for Today’s questions:
GS-1 The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
GS-2 India and its neighborhood- relations.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interestsGS-3 Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
GS-4 Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Following are the questions:
Question 1)
Q.1) Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyze their role in the Indian struggle for freedom. (10 marks)
Question 2)
Q.2) The idea of a global democratic coalition that is based more broadly than the geographic West has gained ground in recent years. This offers India an opportunity to expand the global dimension of India’s growing partnerships with the US and Europe. Comment (10 marks)
Question 3)
Q.3) What are the different types of vaccines developed for the Covid-19 in the world? Explain the working of mRNA vaccines. (10 marks)
Question 4)
Q4.) “When life has commitment towards human values such as Compassion and non violence, then life flows in proper direction”. Illustrate the importance of human values in the light of the above statement. (10 Marks)
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
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Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
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[RSTV Archive] Multilateral Institutions – Need for reforms
Context
- Recently BRICS Foreign Ministers summit was organized.
- During the conclusion, they acknowledged that the current international challenges should be addressed through reinvigorated and reformed multilateral systems.
Multilateralism: The spirit of global governance/cooperation
- In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal.
- Multilateralism, in the form of membership in international institutions, serves to bind powerful nations, discourage unilateralism and give small powers a voice and influence that they could not otherwise exercise.
- Similarly, multilateralism may allow one great power to influence another great power.
- For a great power to seek control through bilateral ties could be costly; it may require bargaining and compromise with the other great power.
What are Multilateral Organizations?
- These are organizations formed between three or more nations to work on issues that relate to all of the countries in the organization.
- They include the UN, and other institutions such as IMF, World Bank, WTO, and WHO.
- These institutions are the major reflective of a larger power reality in the international structure.
Failure of multilateralism
- Across the system, multilateralism is severely eroding as nations become more inward-focused, directing their attention and strategies towards improving domestic capacities and reducing dependence on foreign imports.
- Protectionist tendencies are on the rise in addition to the pressures of constrained mobility and fear of a reduction in financial resources essential for tackling climate change and achieving SDGs.
- It seems that a tussle between unilateralism and multilateralism is going to shape much of the discourse on international cooperation.
Why are they under question?
- The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the nature of international cooperation and bringing out the inherent fault lines and weaknesses embedded in global institutions to sharp focus.
- The western, or so-called ‘Atlantic system’, comprising of the USA and developed European countries ostensibly considered champions of multilateralism has failed to cope with the pandemic.
- They have failed to provide any meaningful leadership during this unprecedented crisis.
Recent shocks to multilateralism
(1) Trade disputes
- Most state-state disputes are handled by the WTO system, the primary body governing international trade.
- Since last year, we have seen many times WTO panel ruling against India in a trade dispute over its subsidies to exporters under various schemes.
- The US still has veto power over an array of major decisions in the World Bank.
(2) Lack of transparency
- Multilateral organizations were more intergovernmental during their inception. These institutions were undoubtedly western dominated.
- The lack of transparency of the WHO and its handling of the covid pandemic has exposed the limitations of global cooperation.
(3) Losing consensus
- Major institutions are functioning in stagnancy since no new agreement has been reached in decades.
- Be it WTO for its Agreement on Agriculture or the UNFCCC for the climate change negotiations for phasing out fossil fuels.
(4) Rise of regional superpowers
- The rise of China and is strategic might has been a bone of contention for the global community due to its clear defiance of the rule based global community over South China Sea.
- The proxy trade wars between the US and China as well as the India and China are reaching new lows.
(5) Rise of Mini-laterals
- The contemporary global problems are sought to be better solved at the regional rather than the bilateral or global level.
- This has led to the decline in global cooperation over range of issues. For example, RCEP to counterbalance the US dominated Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- These are called issue-based coalitions.
(6) Security challenges
- There is inherent irony over the expansion of the membership global security blocs as such NATO, UNSC etc.
- For example, Africa where most of the UN Peacekeeping forces operate, has no permanent member in the UNSC.
- The UNSC veto powers possessed by permanent members are used as an instrument to shore up their geopolitical interests.
Way forward
- Multilateralism should promote international law, democracy, equity and justice, mutual respect, right to development and non-interference in internal affairs of any country without double standards.
Reforming the multilateral system should encompass the following steps:
- It should make instruments of global governance more inclusive, representative, and participatory to facilitate greater and more meaningful participation of developing and least developed countries.
- It should be based on inclusive consultation and collaboration for the benefit of all, while respecting sovereign independence, equality, mutual legitimate interests and concerns.
- It should strengthen the capacities of individual states and international organizations to better respond to new and emerging, traditional and non-traditional challenges.
Indian approach to multilateralism: NORMS
- NORMS stands for New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
- India will work constructively with partners to bring innovative and inclusive solutions to foster development and for greater involvement of women and youth to shape a new paradigm.
- A first and vital step is the reform of the United Nations Security Council. It must reflect contemporary realities to be more effective.
Conclusion
- There is no easy way out for immediate consensus-building among nations over the limitations of these multilateral institutions.
- For this, non-alignment or ad-hoc coalitions could never be the answer.
- Issues-based coalitions are the best answer and Health is the easiest framework to work upon.
- Lastly, there are many mini-laterals that should unite for a global commonality.
Source:
RSTV: The Big Picture : Multilateral Institutions – Need for reforms
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[pib] Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)
On the occasion of World Environment Day, a new product category of Green Room Air Conditioners was launched on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) under the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) program.
What is Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)?
- SPP is a process by which public authorities seek to achieve the appropriate balance between the three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental – when procuring goods, services or works at all stages of the project.
- These three pillars are called Triple Bottom Line.
- The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been active in the promotion of Sustainable Public Procurement at national, regional and global levels since 2005.
Why need SPP?
- Public procurement spend in India is nearly 15-20% of its GDP.
- Introducing SPP to this huge quantum of government procurement will further complement the country’s climate policy objectives.
- This innovation can provide financial savings for government buyers and will meet evolving environmental challenges by moving towards a circular economy.
Back2Basics: Government E-Marketplace
- The GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs.
- It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and efficiency in the government buying process.
- GEM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
- It is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-marketplace that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.
- It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users to achieve the best value for their money.
- The purchases through GeM by Government users have been authorized and made mandatory by the Ministry of Finance by adding a new Rule No. 149 in the General Financial Rules, 2017.
- It has been developed by Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) with technical support of National e-governance Division (MEITy).
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Supersonic flying: benefits and concerns
The United Airlines of USA has announced it was ordering 15 Overture planes with the ability to travel at Mach 1.7, faster than the speed of sound, from the Denver-based startup Boom.
What is a Supersonic Plane?
- Supersonic aircraft are planes that can fly faster than the speed of sound.
- The technology for supersonic flights is actually over 70 years old, but only recently has been used for commercial flying.
- Before 1976, when the first commercial supersonic flight took off, the planes were used entirely for military purposes.
- Usually, supersonic planes can travel at the speed of around 900 kmph, twice the speed of normal aircraft.
What about the Overture supersonic plane?
- The Overture aircraft would travel at the speed of Mach 1.7 or 1,805 kmph with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. In a single flight, it could carry 65 to 88 passengers and reach an altitude of 60,000 ft.
- The company has expressed confidence in getting an “experimental” jet ready by 2022, start rolling out aircraft by 2025 and eventually open them for passengers by 2029.
- It claims to build on Concorde’s legacy through faster, more efficient and sustainable technology.
Challenges with supersonic planes
Flying passengers at a supersonic speed is accompanied by a whole set of challenges.
- Firstly, the costs of making “sustainable” supersonic planes are extremely high.
- The very nature of its flying — using excessive amounts of fuel and energy — is likely to have high environmental costs.
- Despite the use of sustainable fuels, greenhouse gas emissions are not nullified.
- Secondly, the very speed of the planes results in producing excessive amounts of noise pollution in the environment.
- The “Sonic Boom” created by these planes feels like an explosion to the human ear.
- This, thus, limits where and when the supersonic planes can fly. They can only reach their actual speed until they are far enough from people and completely over the ocean.
- Lastly, it would not be economically feasible for everyone. Only the very rich can afford supersonic planes, as a ticket is likely to be way costlier than a first-class ticket of a regular plane.
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New geometrical lines discovered in Thar Desert
Using satellite observations and field visits, two independent researchers from France have identified eight sites around Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert, that show linear features resembling geoglyphs.
What are geoglyphs?
- Geoglyphs are large, un-explained geometrical patterns on land usually proposed to be man-made features.
- The largest concentration of geoglyphs is reported from southern Peru, covering an area of about 1,000 square km.
- A new paper published notes that the identified geoglyphs in the Thar Desert cover an area of about 6 square km.
Boha Geoglyphs in Thar
- The authors’ main area of interest was Boha, a small village 40 km to the north of Jaisalmer where they noticed a series of concentric and linear features.
- They named these features Boha geoglyphs and suggested that the features could be at least 150 years old.
- It is however conceivable that they were built at the beginning of the British colonial period, in the middle of the 19th century.
How are they patterned?
- The Boha geoglyphs are clearly manmade as the main unit is a giant spiral, but they have been eroded due to the cars running over the lines lately.
- So, they are clearly not formed by weathering or another natural phenomenon.”
- The observed features might have been formed naturally, but degraded over time due to both natural and human-related causes.
Degraded over time
- The rocky terrain is home to a typical weathering feature, especially over the iron-rich sandstone and shale beds.
- Here, extreme aridity and high temperature lead to slow geochemical translocation of minerals for centuries, such that the heavier minerals like iron and manganese move away from the lighter minerals.
- This lead to the gradual formation of alternate bands of harder and softer mineral concentrations.
- With time the areas with softer materials get slowly eroded, while the harder ones stand out, producing the typical concentric or box-like geometric features.
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Kinnaur Hydroelectric Project
The people of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh have been protesting against the proposed 804-megawatt Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectricity project (JTP HEP) over the Satluj since April 2021.
Kinnaur Hydroelectric Project
- The run-of-the-river (ROR) project envisages the construction of a concrete gravity dam of ±88 metres high above the deepest foundation level across river Satluj near Jangi village.
- The diversion of water will involve the construction of a 12-km-long tunnel.
- The tentative land requirement for the project is 295.93 hectares, out of which 270.43 ha is forest land and 25.5 ha is private.
- Construction of the dam will result in the submergence of about 156.2917 ha of land, out of which 143.2093 ha is forest land and 13.0824 ha is private.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati? (CSP 2017)
(a) Recently discovered uranium deposits
(b) Tropical rain forests
(c) Underground cave systems
(d) Water reservoirs
Why are people protesting?
- Kinnaur district is mainly marked by its cold desert, tribal population, fragile topography, rich and diverse culture, apple orchards, off-season vegetables and the Satluj river.
- The river has been dammed at multiple places along the valley to create an additional feature to Kinnaur’s identity as Himachal’s hydropower hub, which locals believe is a malediction.
- An integral part of the old Hindustan-Tibetan Route, Jangram Valley, lies on the right bank of the Satluj river in the district.
- This is not the first time that the cold desert has witnessed such a contestation.
Sutlej is oveloaded
- The Satluj has taken the biggest load of state hydropower ambition since the early 90s. Out of the total installed capacity, 56 per cent (5720MW) is done in the Satluj basin.
- According to the State of the Rivers of Himachal Pradesh Report 2017:
- In other words, 92 per cent of the river will either be flowing through tunnels or will be part of reservoirs.
- Such a cumulative scale of disturbance with the river’s natural state drastically impacted the life, livelihood and ecology in the Satluj basin.
Why need hydroelectric projects?
- Hydropower is a necessary choice for the nation’s clean energy transition.
- In purely technological terms, hydropower projects are an engineering marvel and generate clean, reliable electricity.
- HEPs are not viable just from the local livelihood and environmental point of view but they have also failed on the financial viability side.
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7 Years of UPA Government vs 7 Years of NDA Government
The article compares the performance of the present government under Prime Minister Modi with the first seven years of the Manmohan Singh government on various fronts.
Context
The current government completed seven years at the Centre recently. It is time to reflect and look back at its performance on basic economic parameters over the last seven years. It may also be interesting to compare and see how it fared vis-à-vis the first seven years of UPA government (2004-05 to 2010-11) under Manmohan Singh.
Analysing the progress by studying key economic indicator
1) GDP growth
- One of the key economic parameters is GDP growth.
- It is not the most perfect one, as it does not capture specifically the impact on the poor, or on inequality.
- But higher GDP growth is considered central to economic performance as it enlarges the size of the economic pie.
- The average annual rate of growth of GDP under the Modi government so far has been just 4.8 per cent compared to 8.4 per cent during the first seven years of the Manmohan Singh government.
- If this continues as business as usual, the dream of a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25 is not likely to be achieved.
2) Inflation
- The Modi government scores much better on the inflation front with CPI (rural and urban combined) rising at 4.8 per cent per annum.
- It is well within the tolerance limits of RBI’s targeted inflation band and also much lower than 7.8 per cent during the first seven years of the Manmohan Singh government.
3) Forex reserves
- Also, at macro level, foreign exchange reserves provide resilience to the economy against any external shocks.
- On this score too, the Modi government fares quite well with forex reserves rising from $313 billion on May 23, 2014 to $593 billion on May 21, 2021.
4) Food and agriculture
- It engages the largest share of the workforce in the economy and matters most to poorer segments.
- On the agri-front, both governments recorded an annual average growth of 3.5 per cent during their respective first seven years.
- However, on the food and fertiliser subsidy front, the Modi government broke all records in FY21, by spending Rs 6.52 lakh crore and accumulating grain stocks exceeding 100 million tonnes in May end, 2021.
- One area in which the Modi government performed very poorly is agri-exports.
- In 2013-14 agri-exports had crossed $43 billion while during all the seven years of the Modi government agri-exports remained below this mark of $43 billion.
- Sluggish agri-exports with rising output put downward pressure on food prices.
- It helped contain CPI inflation, but subdued farmers’ incomes.
5) Infrastructure development
- The Modi government has done better in power generation by increasing it from 720 billion units per annum to 1,280 billion units per annum.
- Similarly, road construction too has been at least 30 per cent faster under the Modi government.
6) Social sector
- Based on an international definition of extreme poverty (2011 PPP of $ 1.9 per capita per day), the World Bank estimated India’s extreme poverty in 2015 to be about 13.4 per cent, down from 21.6 per cent in FY 2011-12.
- Even the incidence of multidimensional poverty hovered around 28 per cent in 2015-16.
- Three key indicators can be used to assess performance on this front:
- One, average annual person days generated under MGNREGA in the first five years since this programme started under the UPA in 2006-07 to 2010-11, which was 200 crore, and under Modi government it improved to 230 crore.
- Two, average annual number of houses completed under the Indira Awaas Yojana and PM Awaas Yojana-Gramin, which improved from 21 lakhs to 30 lakhs per annum.
- Three, open defecation free (ODF) which was only 38.7 per cent on October 2, 2014 and shot up to 100 per cent by October 2, 2019, as per government records.
Conclusion
The current government has turned out to be more welfare-oriented than reformist in revving up GDP growth. How long this welfare approach is sustainable without enlarging the size of GDP pie is an open question.