Russian President Mr Putin has proposed a one-year extension without conditions of the last major nuclear arms reduction accord, the New START Treaty between Russia and the U.S.
The New START, INF and the Open Skies …. Be clear about the differences of these treaties. For example- to check if their inception was during cold war era etc.
New START Treaty
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) pact limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and is due to expire in 2021 unless renewed.
The treaty limits the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, well below Cold War caps.
It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
It is one of the key controls on superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.
If it falls, it will be the second nuclear weapons treaty to collapse under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.
In February, US withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), accusing Moscow of violating the agreement.
Russian Navy along with CSTO members has begun military exercises in the central waters of the Caspian Sea north of the Azerbaijani capital Baku.
Try this MCQ:
Q.The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) sometimes seen in news is an alliance led by:
(a) Russia (b) USA (c) India (d) European Union
Collective Security Treaty Organization
CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed on 15 May 1992.
In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States—Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—signed the Collective Security Treaty
This is also referred to as the “Tashkent Pact” or “Tashkent Treaty”.
Three other post-Soviet states—Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia—signed the next year and the treaty took effect in 1994.
Five years later, six of the nine—all but Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—agreed to renew the treaty for five more years, and in 2002 those six agreed to create the CSTO as a military alliance.
India joins the UK in drive known as ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations, as a seventh member against encrypted social media messages.
Map the countries in ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations.
‘Five Eyes’ group of nations
The Five Eyes (FVEY) is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The origins of the Five Eyes alliance can be traced back to the Atlantic Charter, which was issued in August 1941 to lay out the Allied goals for the post-war world.
These countries are parties to the multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.
India is among seven countries to back a UK-led campaign against end-to-end encryption of messages by social media giants such as Facebook, which they say hinder law enforcement by blocking all access to them.
A formal expansion
The UK and India joined this group to ensure they do not blind themselves to illegal activity on their platforms, including child abuse images.
This marks an expansion of the so-called “Five Eyes” group of nations, a global alliance on intelligence issues, to include India and Japan.
For a common cause
All members claim that end-to-end encryption policies such as those employed by the social media giant erode the public’s safety online.
They have made it clear that when end-to-end encryption is applied with no access to content, it severely undermines the ability of companies to take action against illegal activity on their own platforms.
It also prevents law enforcement investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes being committed on these services such as online child sexual abuse, grooming and terrorist content.
Back2Basics: End-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of communication where only communicating users can read the messages.
It is regarded as the most secure way to communicate privately and securely online.
By encrypting messages at both ends of a conversation, end-to-end encryption prevents anyone in the middle from reading private communications.
In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers – including telecom providers, Internet providers, and even the provider of the communication service – from being able to access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation.
The Mumbai police last week began “chapter proceedings” against the Editor-in-Chief of a news channel.
Can you relate the philosophy behind chapter proceedings and preventive detention?
What exactly are “chapter proceedings”?
Chapter proceedings are preventive actions taken by the police if they fear that a particular person is likely to create trouble and disrupt the peace in society.
These proceedings are unlike punitive action taken in case of an FIR with an intention to punish.
Here, the police can issue notices under sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure to ensure that the person is aware that creating nuisance could result in action against him.
What are the sections using which these notices are served?
Generally, a notice is issued to a person under section 111 of the CrPC whereby he is asked to present himself before the Executive Magistrate – an ACP-rank officer in a Commissionerate of a Dy. the collector in rural areas – who has issued the notice.
The person has to explain why he should not be made to sign a bond of good behaviour.
If the Executive Magistrate is not satisfied with the answer, the person is asked to sign a bond of good behaviour and produce sureties vouching for his/her good behaviour.
A fine amount is also decided – in accordance with the crime and the person’s financial capability – which the person would have to pay if he violates the conditions set in the bond.
Legal immunities against such proceedings
On receiving the notice under section 111, a person can appeal the notice before the courts.
In fact, in the past, courts have come down strongly against chapter proceedings in some cases.
The Central government has notified the Director-General of Shipping as the national authority for recycling of ships under the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019.
The ‘Hong Kong Convention’ is the odd man out here. Read more about the convention at:
The national authority of ship recycling will be set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The location of the office will benefit the ship recycling yard owners situated in Alang, Gujarat which is home to the largest ship recycling industry in the world.
DG Shipping is authorized to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling in the country.
DG Shipping will oversee the sustainable development of the ship recycling industry, monitoring the compliance to environment-friendly norms and safety and health measures for the stakeholders.
DG Shipping will be the final authority for the various approvals required by the ship-recycling yard owners and state governments.
Recycling of Ships Act, 2019
Under the Ship Recycling Act, 2019, India has acceded to the ‘Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships’.
This was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
DG Shipping is a representative of India in the IMO and all the conventions of IMO are being enforced by DG Shipping.
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionized genetic manipulations and made gene editing simpler, faster and easily accessible to most laboratories.
To its recognition, this year, the French-American duo Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have been awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for chemistry for CRISPR.
Gene editing using CRISPR technology
The CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, developed in the year 2012
CRISPR has made gene editing very easy and simple, and at the same time extremely efficient.
The technology works in a simple way — it locates the specific area in the genetic sequence which has been diagnosed to be the cause of the problem, cuts it out, and replaces it with a new and correct sequence that no longer causes the problem.
The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in some bacteria that use a similar method to protect it from virus attacks.
Working of CRISPR
An RNA molecule is programmed to locate the particular problematic sequence on the DNA strand.
A special protein called Cas9, often described in popular literature as ‘genetic scissor’, is used to break and remove the problematic sequence.
A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself. But the auto-repair mechanism can lead to the re-growth of a problematic sequence.
Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process by supplying the desired sequence of genetic codes, which replaces the original sequence.
It is like cutting a portion of a long zipper somewhere in between and replacing that portion with a fresh segment.
Because the entire process is programmable, it has remarkable efficiency and has already brought almost miraculous results.
A promising technology for the future: With many Applications
The gene-editing technology has opened up a vast window of opportunity.
Human health: In the last six years, the tool has enabled scientists to edit human DNA in a dish and early-stage clinical trials are being attempted to use the tool to treat a few diseases, including inherited disorders/diseases and some types of cancer.
Agricultural productivity: The tool is being extensively used in agriculture. It is being tried out in agriculture primarily to increase plant yield, quality, disease resistance, herbicide resistance and domestication of wild species.
How safe is CRISPR?
Last year, a study by Stanford University, U.S., found that the CRISPR-Cas9 system introduces unexpected off-target (outside of the intended editing sites) effects in mice.
There is a growing fear that the CRISPR system is being prematurely rushed for clinical use lingers.
Some researchers have highlighted that CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells might trigger cancer.
Another study found that both the mouse and the human gene-edited cells suffered from large DNA deletions far from the intended editing sites.
Issues with CRISPR
The many potential applications of CRISPR technology raise questions about the ethical merits and consequences of tampering with genomes.
1) Ecological dis-equilibrium: An introduced trait could spread beyond the target population to other organisms through crossbreeding. Gene drives could also reduce the genetic diversity of the target population. There is a danger that CRISPR’s affordability and efficiency could run roughshod over long‐standing and valid concerns about the generation and release of GMOs.
2)Threats to species: There is another, potentially much more dangerous and controversial, application of CRISPR, namely to potentially eradicate disease by eradicating disease vectors and invasive species. Such methods could effectively destroy an entire species and could have significant environmental consequences.
3) Germline editing concerns: Making genetic modifications to human embryos and reproductive cells such as sperm and eggs is known as germline editing. Since changes to these cells can be passed on to subsequent generations, using CRISPR technology to make germline edits has raised a number of ethical concerns.
4)Biosafety concerns: It is not unreasonable to think that, in the wrong hands, CRISPR could be used to make dangerous pathogens even more potent. There exist some concerns about the accidental or deliberate release of GE microorganisms or viruses into the environment.
5) Regulatory bypass: Editing the genomes of crops and trees is not new, and debates over the pros and cons of genetically modified (GM) plants have gone on for decades. What makes CRISPR different from other methods of agricultural genetic engineering is that it no longer requires the insertion of foreign DNA into the plant. Hence traditional GM crops/organisms would no longer classify as transgenic.
Ethical concerns
In November 2018, a Chinese researcher in Shenzen created an international sensation with his claim that he had altered the genes of a human embryo that eventually resulted in the birth of twin baby girls.
This was the first documented case of a ‘designer babies’ being produced using the new gene-editing tools like CRISPR.
1) Safety
Due to the possibility of off-target effects (edits in the wrong place) and mosaicism (when some cells carry the edit but others do not), safety is of primary concern.
2) Informed Consent
Some people worry that it is impossible to obtain informed consent for germline therapy because the patients affected by the edits are the embryo and future generations. Bioethicists also worry about the possibility of obtaining truly informed consent from prospective parents as long as the risks of germline therapy are unknown.
3) Justice and Equity
As with many new technologies, there is concern that genome editing will only be accessible to the wealthy and will increase existing disparities in access to health care and other interventions. Some worry that taken to its extreme, germline editing could create classes of individuals defined by the quality of their engineered genome.
Regulation in India
In India, several rules, guidelines, and policies are notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 to regulate genetically modified organisms.
The above Act and the National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research involving human participants, 2017, by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Biomedical and Health Research Regulation Bill implies regulation of the gene-editing process.
This is especially so in the usage of its language “modification, deletion or removal of parts of heritable material”.
However, there is no explicit mention of the term gene editing.
Way forward
CRISPR technology continues to mature, and existing systems are being engineered to contain innovative capabilities.
The potential benefits of such revolutionary tools are endless. Currently, this is difficult because many international laws discourage or ban such research and/or inhibit its funding for certain types of investigation.
Thus, wide spread and reliable data about benefits and risks are unavailable.
Going forward, many support establishing an organization that will decide how best to address the aforementioned ethical complexities.
Many countries have advocated for the development of an international and interdisciplinary “global observatory for gene editing.”
However we must not forget that the risk cannot be justified by the potential benefit.
Conclusion
Genetic ‘determinism’ holds that the DNA sequence is the prime cause of all human traits, normal and abnormal (health and disease). We should do away with this idea, very first.
It will take years before the CRISPR system is ready for prime time and clinical use.
An important issue in its research is that benefits must be greater than risks. Here greater attention needs to be placed on risks, since they may damage living beings or the environment.
Concerning its regulation, it is time for our policymakers to come up with a specific law or put out guidelines for conducting gene-editing research giving rise to modified organisms.
The principle of solidarity and consideration of the public good deserve far greater consideration in making sure that these rapid advances become shared benefits for all. This should be our ultimate goal.
The lack of formalisation has several implications for MSMEs. Registering them could help them in various ways. The article deals with the issue of formalisation.
Please read the link shared below for issues related to MSME
UAM: In 2015, the government notified the Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM), an online filing system for MSMEs.
As of January, 86 lakh MSMEs had registered on the UAM portal.
In 2016, the government notified rules under which MSMEs had to furnish information relating to their enterprises, online, in an MSME databank.
As of January, only 1.6 lakh units registered on it.
A new process of classification and registration for small businesses took off on July 1 called as “Udyam”.
As of October 1, the MSME ministry has confirmed that only 7 lakh registrations have taken place using the new system.Nudge by the government
In an attempt to nudge more enterprises to become lifetime Udyam, the government has integrated the system with the Trade Receivables Electronic Discounting System (TReDS) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
In its updated Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines, the RBI has established that for the purposes of PSL, MSMEs will be identified as per the gazette notification laying down the new process of classification and registration.
Addressing the concerns
While the Udyam initiative holds more promise, it is important to assess if this will be detrimental to accessing formal finance.
To this end, the government and RBI should consider whether the registration requirement can be exempted for units with investment and turnover that falls in the lower end of the criteria.
In 2018, the International Finance Corporation estimated that the overall supply of finance from formal sources met only one-third of the credit demand of the MSME sector.
Enabling strategies such as PSL could provide a fillip to priority sectors including MSMEs which require increased formal financing.
Conclusion
The costs of formalisation and compliance are high and onerous in many states in India. In such an ecosystem, there are perverse incentives to remaining small and informal. Governments’ efforts towards formalisation should be directed towards addressing these issues.
Multilateralism faces several challenges at the time when it is needed the most. The article highlights the need for more of it in the face of global challenges.
Lack of international collaboration to deal with Covid
As COVID-19 recognises no boundaries, one would have expected that countries with technological and financial capabilities, would agree to pool their resources together to work on an effective and affordable anti-virus vaccine.
Instead, there are several parallel national efforts underway even as the World Health Organization (WHO) has put together a Covax alliance for the same purpose.
Active collaboration would have enhanced our collective ability to overcome what has become a public health-cum-economic crisis.
But we live in an era when nationalist urges, fuelled by a political opportunism, diminish the appeal of international cooperation.
The post-pandemic world will have the awful dilemma of global integration without solidarity.
Trends in the global order that suggests the need for multilateralims
1) Global food crisis
The World Food Program has been awarded this year’s Noble Peace Prize.
The award is sending a message to the world — that we need multilateralism as an expression of international solidarity.
According to the WFP, 132 million more people could become malnourished as a consequence of the pandemic.
To the 690 million people who go to bed each night on an empty stomach, perhaps another 100 million or more will be added.
The Nobel Prize to the WFP will hopefully nudge our collective conscience to come together and relieve this looming humanitarian crisis.
2) Despite issues, U.N. is still important
The United Nations is at the centre of multilateral institutions and processes and kept alive the notion of international solidarity and cooperation.
But it suffers from several disabilities due to the fault of its most powerful member countries.
They have deprived the UN of resources.
They have resisted efforts to institute long-overdue reforms.
Its structure no longer reflects the changes in power equations that have taken place and country such as India continues to be denied permanent membership of the Security Council.
And yet, the UN is now an essential part of the fabric of international relations for two reasons:
1) The salience of global issues has expanded.
2) The need for multilateral approaches in finding solutions has greatly increased.
3) Multilateral institutions have become platform for contestation
In the network of multilateral institutions, several belong to the UN system, others are inter-governmental, still others may be non-governmental of a hybrid character.
This network performs two important tasks:
1) Enable governance in areas which require coordination among nation-states.
2)Set norms to regulate the behaviour of states so as to avoid conflict and to ensure both equitable burden-sharing and, equally, a fair distribution of benefits.
While there are multilateral institutions they have become platforms for contestations among their member states.
There is recognition of the need to cooperate but this is seen as a compulsion rather than desirable.
4) Globalisation driven by technology will remain here
Globalisation may have stalled, but as we become increasingly digitised, there will be more, not less, globalisation.
The pandemic has triggered galloping globalisation in the digital economy.
Globalisation is driven by technology and as long as the technology remains the key driver of economic growth, there is no escape from globalisation.
In the contemporary world, the line separating the domestic from the external has become increasingly blurred.
In tackling domestic challenges deeper external engagement is often indispensable. This is certainly true of climate change.
The pandemic originated in a third country but soon raged across national borders.
If there had been a robust and truly global early warning system, perhaps it could have been contained.
5) Interconnectedness of challenges
We must also take into account the inter-connectedness among various challenges, for example, food, energy and water security are inter-linked with strong feedback loops.
Enhancing food security may lead to diminished water and energy security.
It may also have collateral impact on health security.
It is in recognition of these inter-connections that the international community agreed on a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs are cross-domain but also cross-national in character, and hence demand greater multilateral cooperation in order to succeed.
6) Need for more democratic world
The lack of cooperation from even a single state may frustrate success in tackling a global challenge.
A fresh pandemic may erupt in any remote corner of the world and spread throughout the globe.
Prevention cannot be achieved through coercion, only through cooperation. It is only multilateralism that makes this possible.
Conclusion
It is a paradox that precisely at a time when the salience of cross-national and global challenges has significantly increased, nation-states are less willing to cooperate and collaborate in tackling them. So, there is a need for more of multilateralism to deal with the issues of global level.
UPSC has released the marksheet for UPSC 2019 CSE exams for both written qualified candidates and for those who couldn’t qualify. Marksheet of UPSC 2019 prelims exam has also been released.
Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.
*In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.
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