UPSC Daily Current Affairs- September 21, 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Parts of the world are expected to experience severe weather for the rest of the year and into 2023, as part of a rare “triple dip La Nina” event, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

About El Nino and La Nina

• While El Niño (Spanish for ‘little boy’), the more common expression, is the abnormal surface warming observed along the eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean (the region between Peru and Papua New Guinea).
• The La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of these surface waters.
• Together, the El Niño (Warm Phase) and La Niña (Cool Phase) phenomena are termed as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
• These are large-scale ocean phenomena which influence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.
• Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.
• Meteorologists record the sea surface temperatures for four different regions, known as Niño regions, along this equatorial belt.
• Depending on the temperatures, they forecast either as an El Niño, an ENSO neutral phase, or a La Niña.

What is the “Triple-Dip” La Nina?

• A “triple-dip” La Nina is a multiyear cooling of the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can cause droughts, fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
• According to WMO, the current La Nina is projected to span three consecutive northern hemisphere winters. It began in September 2020.
• If it continues for the next six months, it will be the first “triple-dip” La Nina event of the 21st century, WMO says.

How rare is this triple-dip?

• It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a la Nina event.
• Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures – but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend.
• La Nina’s are usually preceded by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms the surface of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
• However, an El Nino event did not occur before the current La Nina.

Has it happened before? Will it happen again?

• La Nina’s occurred several times between 1903 to 2010 and 2010 to 2012.
• This would be the first “triple-dip” La Nina this century.
• However, it is not unprecedented for the weather pattern to last more than nine months to a year, which is typical for a La Nina.

Evaluating the likely impact

• In the Indian context, La Nina is associated with good rainfall during the monsoon season.
• This is the opposite of El Nino which is known to suppress monsoon rainfall.
• Thus, a continued spell of La Nina could lead to expectation of another year of good, or normal, rainfall during the monsoon.
• Until now, the monsoon season this year has produced 7% more rain compared to normal. Last year, the seasonal rainfall was almost 100%.
• But, even though powerful, ENSO condition is only one of the several factors affecting monsoon rainfall in India.

Differential impacts of this triple-dip event

• The continuance of La Nina further into 2023 is not bad news from the Indian standpoint. But it is not the same for many other regions where La Nina has very different impacts.
• In most parts of the United States, for example, La Nina is associated with very dry winters.
• In Australia and Indonesia, and generally in the tropical region, La Nina is expected to bring more rainfall.
• The excessive rainfall in Pakistan, which is experiencing its worst flooding disaster, can also be blamed in part on La Nina.
• It said that the persistence of La Nina was most likely to result in a worsening of the drought in Africa.

What is its climate change link?

• Every unusual weather event these days is attributed to climate change, but science is not conclusive right now.
• The occurrences of El Nino or La Nina are not very regular.
• Sometimes they emerge every two years, at other times there has been a gap of even seven years.
• Historical records do not go very far in the past.
• As a result, the natural variability of ENSO is not understood very clearly.
• And when the natural variability itself is not clear, the influence of global warming is difficult to quantify.
• But there is clearer evidence of another kind of linkage with global warming.
• During La Nina years, the colder surfaces allow the oceans to absorb more heat from the atmosphere.
• Consequently, the air temperatures tend to go down, producing a cooling effect.

Context

The southwest monsoon rainfall, 7% more than normal, has started to withdraw.

About Monsoon Withdrawal/Retreat

• In India, retreating monsoon is the withdrawal of south-west monsoon winds from North India.
• The withdrawal is gradual and takes about three months.
• With the retreat of the monsoons, the clouds disappear and the sky becomes clear. The day temperature starts falling steeply.
• Monsoon rains weaken all over India except a few southeastern states.
• It is helpful in Rabi crop cultivation.

Factors affecting the retreat

• Land topography
  • First, the low mountain range in each region runs from north to south, shielding it from west-bound winds that trigger summer monsoon.
  • After summer, the range aids in the ‘orographic lift’ or rising of east-bound air mass from a lower to higher elevation, forming clouds and resulting in rain.
• Atmospheric convection
  • The second factor is atmospheric convection or vertical movement of air.
  • As the earth is heated by the sun, different surfaces absorb different amounts of energy and convection may occur where the surface heats up very rapidly.
  • As the surface warms, it heats the overlying air, which gradually becomes less dense than the surrounding air and begins to rise.
  • This condition is more favorable from September to February because of the role played by sea surface temperature or water temperature.

Immediate factors influencing withdrawal

The withdrawal of the monsoon is based on meteorological conditions such as:

• Anti-cyclonic circulation (dry air that is the opposite of a cyclone)
• Absence of rain in the past five days and
• Dry weather conditions over the region

When does it occur?

• The monsoon withdrawal is a long-drawn process and extends into mid-October, though the IMD considers September 30 to be the final day of the season over India.
• The rain after that is categorised as “post-monsoon” rainfall.

Context

Recently, the Delhi government announced that it would spray Pusa bio-decomposer free of cost over 5,000 acres of paddy fields in the city as this would help in controlling stubble burning and air pollution during winter.

What is Stubble Burning?

• About
  • Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November, coinciding with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.
  • Stubble burning is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble, left after the harvesting of grains, like paddy, wheat, etc. It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind.
  • It is a common practice in October and November across North West India, but primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Effects of Stubble Burning
  • Pollution
    • Emits large amounts of toxic pollutants in the atmosphere which contain harmful gases like methane (CH₄), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
    • These pollutants disperse in the surroundings, may undergo a physical and chemical transformation and eventually adversely affect human health by causing a thick blanket of smog.
  • Soil Fertility: Burning husk on the ground destroys the nutrients in the soil, making it less fertile.
  • Heat Penetration: The heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of moisture and useful microbes.
• Alternatives to Stubble Burning
  • In-Situ Treatment of Stubble: For example, crop residue management by zero-tiller machine and Use of bio-decomposers.
  • Ex-Situ (off-site) Treatment: For example, Use of rice straw as cattle fodder.
  • Use of Technology- For example Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine, which can uproot the stubble and also sow seeds in the area cleared. The stubble can then be used as mulch for the field.

What is Other Related Initiative?
The State Governments of Punjab, National Capital Region (NCR) States and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) have developed detailed monitorable action plans based on the framework by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to tackle the problem of air pollution.

Way Forward
As we know, burning stubble destroys a helpful raw material, pollutes the air, causes respiratory diseases and worsens greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the need of the hour is to make constructive use of stubble as animal feed and further utilise technology by enabling various alternatives like Turbo-Happy Seeder Machine and Bio-Decomposer etc.

GS-II

Context

Gun violence is an issue that is hotly debated in different countries.

• Anti-gun activists have often pointed to the killing of innocents in mass shootings in public places and called for a ban on the purchase of guns by civilians in US also raise concerns over increasing gun culture in India.

What are the Arguments in favor of Access to Guns?

• Some people believe that guns can actually make crime less likely by raising the cost of committing a crime. They have particularly pointed out that it is hard to quantify the number of lives that have potentially been saved by civilians who held guns, leave alone the number of crimes that never happened because the potential victims held a gun.
• Some researchers have found that there is a strong negative relationship between access to firearms among blacks in the US and incidents of lynching. The finding implies that access to firearms helped blacks better protect themselves against incidents of lynching.

What is the State of Gun Ownership in India?

• The Small Arms Survey of 2018 claimed that civilian gun ownership in India stands at an astounding 70 million, second only to the US.
  • The figure seems bizarre, given that gun licenses in India number just 3.4 million, over a third of them in Uttar Pradesh.
• In 2016, India ranked 3^rd in terms of gun-related homicides, and over 90 % of the cases involved the use of unlicensed weapons. This indicates that the seizure of illegal guns is just a small part of a larger problem.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau report of 2020, some 75,000 firearms were seized in that year, about half of them from UP, which is widely known to be the hub of illegal arms manufacture.

What are the Gun Control Laws in India?

• Arms Act of 1959
  • About: It aims to be as extensive as possible to cover all aspects relating to the acquisition, possession, manufacture, sale, import, export, and transport of arms and ammunition in India.
  • Requirements for Acquiring Gun License
    • The minimum age requirement for acquiring a gun license in India is 21 years.
    • The applicant must not have been convicted of any offence involving violence or moral turpitude five years prior to commencing the application, not of an ‘unsound mind’ and not a threat to public safety and peace.
    • Property qualification is not a criterion for acquiring a gun license.
    • Upon receiving an application, the licensing authority (i.e., the Home Ministry), asks the officer in-charge of the nearest police station to submit a report about the applicant after thorough vetting within a prescribed time.
  • Other Features
    • It defines ‘prohibited arms’ as those that either discharge any noxious liquid or gas, or weapons that seek pressure to be applied on a trigger for discharge.
    • It allows the use of smooth bore gun with a barrel of not less than 20 inches for crop protection or sport.
    • No entity is permitted to sell or transfer any firearm which does not bear the name of the maker, manufacturer’s number or any other visible or stamped identification mark.
• Arms Amendment Act 2019
  • The Arms Act amended in 2019 reduces the number of firearms that an individual can procure from 3 to 2.
  • The validity of the license has been increased from the present 3 years to 5 years.
  • It also enlists specific provisions on curtailing the use of licensed weapons to ensure social harmony.
  • The punishment of imprisonment is increased between 7 and 14 years, along with a fine for the offense of acquisition, possession or carrying of prohibited ammunition without a license.
  • It prohibits the conversion of one category of firearms to another without a license.
    • Unlawful manufacture, sale and transfer are liable for an imprisonment term not less than seven years which could be extended to life, with a fine.

Way Forward

• One way is to impose severe gun controls and severely restrict who can buy or own a weapon. American laws are too loose and too lenient in this regard.
• India too needs to review and tighten laws relating to the acquisition and possession of firearms.

Context

India may give up its strategic balancing of China and West if the Ukraine war weakens Russia. Because for major defence supplies India is dependent on Russia.

What is SCO?

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and security organization.
• Global share: In terms of geographic scope and population, it is the world’s largest regional organization, covering approximately 60% of the area of Eurasia, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of global GDP.
• Members: The SCO currently comprises eight Member States. They are- China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Headquarters: Beijing, China.

What is QUAD?

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), commonly known as the Quad.
• It is a strategic security dialogue.
• Members: Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
• Origin: The dialogue was initiated in 2007.

Which factors forced India to have more engagements with QUAD?

• The Chinese threat has been largely responsible in shaping New Delhi’s Indo Pacific Policy.
• The China’s Belt and Road initiative and the growing China’s presence in India’s neighborhood- as evident from China’s investment not only in Pakistan and Myanmar, but also in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Because of such activities India felt encircled.
• The very launch of the QUAD initiative was the reaction to China’s assertiveness in the Indo Pacific region.
• India agreed to upgrade the quad meeting at the ministerial level only after the gunmen attack of 2020.

How India is maintaining balance between the West and China-Russia Alliance?

• Plurilateralism: India continued to believe in plurilateralism, a doctrine elucidated by external affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his book ‘The Indian Way’.
• Member of both QUAD and SCO: Along with QUAD, India also took membership of SCO. It means India dealing with the USA and Japan on one side and Russia and China on the other.
• Simultaneously dealing with many powers: India is engaging with competing powers like the USA, China, the EU or Russia at the same time.
• Multipolar world: India stands in favor of a multipolar world where the plurality of power centers would allow her to play one pole against the other. In this context, New Delhi wants Russia to remain an important player.

What are the steps taken by India to deal with the West-created world order and institutions?

• India’s engagement with the other regional organizations like BRICS, SCO, etc.
• Doctrine of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: India’s foreign policy has been based on the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
• UN Reforms: Efforts towards bringing reforms in the UNs.
• Shift from Non-Alignment to Multi-Alignment: Multi-alignment is the very essence of India’s foreign policy and the economic policy of India today. Promotion of multilateralism by engaging with many poles simultaneously.
• Various Multilateral initiatives: India has taken the lead in promoting various multilateral initiatives like International Solar Alliance, proposing CCIT for combating terrorism, Asia-Africa Growth corridor.
• Collaborating with Like-minded Countries: India could work closely with the Alliance for Multilateralism (an initiative launched by Germany and France) to shape both the alliance itself and the reform agenda at large.

Why is Russia important for India?

• Military supplies: India is heavily dependent on Russia for its military supplies with more than two-third of its weapons coming from Russia. For example: S-400 is the recent supply to India by Russia.
• Balancing China: Russia is important for India to balance China. More isolation of Russia may push Russia closer to China.
• To promote multilateralism: To maintain multilateral world order Russia is a major player or partner for India.

Conclusion

• A multilateral world order with power decentralized between all the regions and all the economic strata is critical for any sustainable model of peace and prosperity to be gained. 
• The UN and similar bodies must recognize the need of the hour and must reform or else they will perish in yet another set of protectionism, distrust, and possible large-scale military conflicts like Russia- Ukraine.

GS-III

Context

Recently, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amended its regulations to boost the value of stressed companies.

• The amendments in IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016 have been done to maximise value in resolution.
• It will allow the sale of one or more assets of an entity undergoing insolvency resolution process besides other changes.

What are the Amended Regulations?

• The Committee of Creditors (CoC) can now examine whether a compromise or an arrangement can be explored for a Corporate Debtor (CD) during the liquidation period.
  • As many as 1,703 Corporate Insolvency Resolution Processes (CIRPs) ended up in liquidation till June 2022.
• The regulator has permitted a resolution professional and the CoC to look for sale of one or more assets of the CD concerned in cases where there are no resolution plans for the whole business.
• A resolution plan to include sale of one or more assets of CD will be enabled to one or more successful resolution applicants providing for appropriate treatment of the remaining assets.
• A Resolution Professional (RP) will have to actively seek claims from known (based on the books of accounts) creditors of the company concerned that will help in making available a clearer picture of the debt.
  • RPs will be required to provide an opinion on whether the company has been subject to avoidance transactions within 75 days of the start of CIRP.
  • RPs will now be required to assess and report whether the company has completed any transactions to siphon off funds prior to insolvency proceedings.
  • The regulations mandate that any appointments made by RPs should follow a transparent process.
• Details of any applications filed for avoidance of transactions will be made available to resolution applicants before submission of resolutions plans and can be addressed by the applicants in their plans.
• The information memorandum is required to contain material information which will help in assessing its position as a going concern, and not only information about its assets, thereby addressing a critical need of the market.

Why is the Significance of Amended Regulations?

• The provisions would allow stakeholders to claw back lost value and would disincentivise stakeholders from entering into such transactions.
• The amendments enable a longer time for the asset in the market.
• The amendments will provide an impetus for better market-led solutions for insolvency resolution.
• This will ensure that better quality information about the insolvent company and its assets is available to the market, including prospective resolution applicants, in a timely manner.

Context

India’s Presidency of the prestigious Asia-pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD) has been extended for one more year.

• This was unanimously decided by the AIBD member countries at the two-day General Conference of the Institute held in New Delhi.

What is Asia-pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD)?

• About
  • The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was established in 1977 under the aegis of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • It is a unique regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development.
  • Its secretariat is situated in Kuala Lumpur and is hosted by the Government of Malaysia.
• Objective: The AIBD is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.
• Founding Members: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) are founding organizations of the Institute and they are non-voting members of the General Conference.
• Members: Broadcasters from 26 countries in the Asia Pacific region including India are full members of the organisation.
• The 47^th AIBD Annual Gathering
  • The 47^th AIBD Annual Gathering/20^th AIBD General Conference and Associated Meetings was held in New Delhi.
  • It witnessed a range of discussions, presentations and idea exchange sessions especially focusing on the topic of “Building a Stronger Future of Broadcasting in post pandemic era”.
  • A five-year plan for co-operative activities and exchange programmes was also finalised.
  • All the participating countries and member broadcasters pledged to work together for a sustainable broadcasting environment, latest technology know-how, finest content.

How has AIBD Proved Significant in the Covid-19 Pandemic Era?

• AIBD leadership kept the member countries connected online during the Covid-19 pandemic and also maintained a constant dialogue on how media can mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
• Member countries were immensely benefitted through sharing of information on the latest developments in the medical field, positive stories of Covid warriors and more importantly in countering fake news which was spreading faster than the pandemic.
• AIBD continued its training and capacity building programmes even during lockdowns. 34 training programmes were conducted in 2021 alone and were focused on tradition as well as emerging issues like climate change, green technologies, sustainable development, faster reporting, programming for children etc.
• With increase in the use of internet in broadcasting, training of journalists in cyber security journalism has become imperative.
  • AIBD is the first set up to take this up as part of its training programmes.
• It is the media which brought the world on one platform during the difficult phase and reinforced the spirit of one global family.

Context

Since the advent of the Modi government, the ED – Enforcement Directorate has gone after politicians/celebrities suspected of corruption with far greater prowess than other central law enforcement agencies.

What is Enforcement Directorate (ED)?

• It goes back to May 1, 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs.
• It then aimed for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
• The ED today is a multi-dimensional organisation investigating economic offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act and FERA.

From where does the ED get its powers?

• When proceeds of crime (property/money) are generated, the best way to save that money is by parking it somewhere, so one is not answerable to anyone in the country.
• Therefore, there was a need to control and prevent the laundering of money.
• The PMLA was brought in for this exact reason in 2002, but was enacted only in 2005.
• The objective was to prevent parking of the money outside India and to trace out the layering and the trail of money.
• So as per the Act, the ED got its power to investigate under Sections 48 (authorities under act) and 49 (appointment and powers of authorities and other officers).

Roles and functions of the ED

• Summon, Search and seizure: The ED carries out search (property) and seizure (money/documents) after it has decided that the money has been laundered, under Section 16 (power of survey) and Section 17 (search and seizure) of the PMLA.
• Arrest and detentions: On the basis of that, the authorities will decide if an arrest is needed as per Section 19 (power of arrest).
• Attachment of property: Under Section 50, the ED can also directly carry out search and seizure without calling the person for questioning. It is not necessary to summon the person first and then start with the search and seizure.
• Filing of chargesheet: If the person is arrested, the ED gets 60 days to file the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) as the punishment under PMLA doesn’t go beyond seven years.

At what stage does the ED step in when a crime is committed?

• Whenever any offence is registered by a local police station, which has generated proceeds of crime over and above ₹1 crore, the investigating police officer forwards the details to the ED.
• Alternately, if the offence comes under the knowledge of the Central agency, they can then call for the First Information Report (FIR) or the chargesheet if it has been filed directly by police officials.
• This will be done to find out if any laundering has taken place.

How is PMLA going increasingly stringent?

The PMLA’s ambit was widened through amendments in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2019, giving the ED the teeth it now has.

• Broader jurisdiction for investigation: In 2009, ‘criminal conspiracy’ under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code was added to the PMLA’s schedule among various other offences. This has, over the years, allowed the ED to enter any case where a conspiracy is alleged — even if the principal offence is not part of the PMLA schedule. In 2009, the ED also got international jurisdiction as far as tracking laundered money was concerned.
• Immediate attachment of property: Following amendments in 2015 and 2018, the ED was allowed to attach properties in India equivalent to properties acquired abroad through laundered money. Through certain “explanations” inserted into the PMLA in 2019, the government allowed the ED to attach properties earned directly or indirectly through alleged criminal activity that was even “relatable” to a scheduled offence.

Why ED mostly grips Politicians?

• Exposing rampant corruption: It is not always ironic to say that most politicians are never corrupt. We have a very inglorious past of political corruption.
• Selective witch-hunt: The ED has often been attacked for initiating investigations, raiding and questioning leaders of opposition parties, be it under the current regime or under past governments.

Issues with PMLA

• Misuse of central agencies: PMLA is being pulled into the investigation of even ordinary crimes by the Enforcement Directorate.
• Seizing of assets: Assets of genuine victims have been attached. The ED could just walk into anybody’s house.
• Politically motivated raids: In all this, the fundamental purpose of PMLA to investigate the conversion of “illegitimate money into legitimate money” was lost.
• Opacity of charges: Petitioners pointed out that even the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) – an equivalent of the FIR – is considered an “internal document” and not given to the accused.
• Vagueness over evidence: The accused is called upon to make statements that are treated as admissible in evidence.
• Harassment: The ED begins to summon accused persons and seeks details of all their financial transactions and of their family members.
• Against individual liberty: The initiation of an investigation by the ED has consequences that have the potential of curtailing the liberty of an individual.

Allegations against ED

• Huge discretions: The ED is the only Central agency in the country that does not require permission from the government to summon or prosecute politicians or government functionaries for committing economic offences like money laundering.
• Used for petty crimes: PMLA is pulled into the investigation of even “ordinary” crimes and assets of genuine victims have been attached.
• Actual purpose denigrated: PMLA was a comprehensive penal statute to counter the threat of money laundering, specifically stemming from the trade in narcotics.
• Violations of Rights: PMLA was enacted in response to India’s global commitment to combat the menace of money laundering. Instead, rights have been “cribbed, cabined and confined”.
• Functional opacity: There is also a lack of clarity about ED’s selection of cases to investigate. We often see ED raiding houses of opposition parties suddenly.
• Poor rate of conviction: We have hardly read the conclusion of cases by ED. Meantime media-trial tears off the accused person’s credibility which is the most desired intent.
• Under-trials and slower prosecution: ED has been focusing on keeping the accused in custody rather than actually proving the charges against them.

Challenges to ED

• ED being dragged to court: The petitions against the ED had the effect of slowing down the investigations, as officers have to defend themselves in court.
• Foul crying politicians: There are attempts to cover up unexplained, high-value transactions that fall within the PMLA’s ambit
• Investigation of foreign transactions: Getting information on accounts and money stashed abroad to establish a trail is the biggest challenge they face.