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

GS-I

Context

Prime Minister of India inaugurated the month-long Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

• This programme is an initiative by Government of India as a part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” and to uphold the Spirit of Ek Bharat Sreshtha Bharat .

What is Kashi Tamil Sangamam?

• About:
  • Kashi Tamil Sangamam celebrates many aspects of the historical and civilisational connection between India’s North and South.
  • The broader objective is to bring the two knowledge and cultural traditions (of the North and South) closer, create an understanding of our shared heritage and deepen the people-to-people bond between the regions.
  • It is being organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with other ministries like Culture, Textiles, Railways, Tourism, Food Processing, Information & Broadcasting etc. and the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
  • The endeavour is in sync with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020’s emphasis on integrating the wealth of Indian Knowledge Systems with modern systems of knowledge.
  • IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are the two implementing agencies for the programme.
• Cultural Significance:
  • King Parakrama Pandya, who ruled over the region around Madurai in the 15^th century, wanted to build a temple to Lord Shiva, and he travelled to Kashi (Uttar Pradesh) to bring back a lingam.
  • While returning, he stopped to rest under a tree — but when he tried to continue his journey, the cow carrying the lingam refused to move.
  • Parakrama Pandya understood this to be the Lord’s wish, and installed the lingam there, a place that came to be known as Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu.
  • For devotees who could not visit Kashi, the Pandyas had built the Kasi Viswanathar Temple in what is today Tenkasi in southwestern Tamil Nadu, close to the state’s border with Kerala.

Source: PIB

Context

Recently, the Prime Minister of India visited Jhansi on the eve of Rani Lakshmibai’s birth anniversary.

Who was Rani Lakshmibai?

• About:
  • Rani Lakshmibai is also known as Jhansi Ki Rani.
  • She was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi.
  • She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Revolt of 1857.
  • She’s seen as a symbol of resistance to British rule in India.
• Early Life:
  • She was born on 19^th November 1828 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
  • She was originally named Manikarnika.
  • While pursuing studies, she also took formal training in martial arts, which included horse riding, shooting and fencing.
  • Manu’s companions included Nana Sahib (the adopted son of the Peshwa) and Tatya Tope.

Manu as Jhansi Ki Rani:

• At the age of 14, Manu got married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, whose first wife had passed away before having a child and who was trying to have an heir to succeed him at the throne.
  • Hence, Manikarnika became Laxmibai, Rani of Jhansi.
• Rani Lakshmibai gave birth to a son in who died after just three months of birth. The couple later adopted a son, Damodar Rao, from Gangadhar Rao’s extended family.

Role in Struggle for Independence:

• Rani Lakshmibai was one of the brave warriors of India's struggle for Independence.
• In 1853, when the Maharaja of Jhansi died, Lord Dalhousie refused to acknowledge the (adopted) child and applied the Doctrine of Lapse, and annexed the state.
• Rani Lakshmibai fought bravely against the British so as to save her empire from annexation.
• She died fighting on the battlefield on 17th June 1858.
• When the Indian National Army started its first female unit (in 1943), it was named after the valiant queen of Jhansi.

What was the Doctrine of Lapse?

• It was an annexation policy followed widely by Lord Dalhousie when he was India's Governor-General from 1848 to 1856.
• According to this, any princely state that was under the direct or indirect control of the East India Company where the ruler did not have a legal male heir would be annexed by the company.
• As per this, any adopted son of the Indian ruler could not be proclaimed as heir to the kingdom.
• By applying the doctrine of lapse, Dalhousie annexed the States of:
• Satara (1848 A.D.),
• Jaitpur, and Sambalpur (1849 A.D.),
• Baghat (1850 A.D.),
• Udaipur (1852 A.D.),
• Jhansi (1853 A.D.), and
• Nagpur (1854 A.D.)

Source: PIB

GS-II

Context

There is a class of quasi-judicial agencies that are not discussed in conversations on the pendency of cases. Their failure to administer speedy justice leads to harassment of citizens, besides abetting criminal activity by unscrupulous elements.

What are the quasi-judicial bodies?

• Role of adjudicating the law: A quasi-judicial body is “an organ of Government other than a Court or Legislature, which affects the rights of private parties either through adjudication or rulemaking”.
• Not a court of law: It is not mandatory that a Quasi-Judicial Body has to necessarily be an organization resembling a Court of Law. For example, the Election Commission of India is also a Quasi-Judicial Body but does not have its core functions as a Court of Law.
• Some examples of Quasi-Judicial Bodies: Election Commission of India, National Green Tribunal, Central Information Commission (CIC), Lok Adalat etc.

Functioning of quasi-judicial bodies

• Supervise the administrative disputes: They primarily oversee the administrative zones. The courts have the power to supervise over all types of disputes but the quasi-judicial bodies are the ones with the powers of imposing laws on administrative agencies.
• Lessen the burden on courts: These bodies support to lessen the burden of the courts. Quasi-judicial activity is restricted to the issues that concern the particular administrative agency. Quasi-judicial action may be appealed to a court of law.
• Limited role of adjudication: Their powers are usually limited to a particular area of expertise, such as financial markets, employment laws, public standards, immigration, or regulation.
• Rules of justice are pre-determined: Awards and judgements of quasi-judicial bodies often depend on a pre-determined set of rules or punishment depending on the nature and gravity of the offence committed.
• Its award can be challenged in court: Such punishment may be legally enforceable under the law of a country it can be challenged in a court of law which is the final vital authority.

Problems faced by quasi-judicial authorities

• Understaffing of bodies: The maladies that these agencies suffer from are far graver than judicial set-ups, as they are staffed by revenue authorities who have several other functions. Usually, many of these offices are understaffed.
• More administrative and less judicial work: Their engagement with duties such as law and order, protocol, coordination and other administrative functions leaves them with much less time for court work.
• Limited access to records: Their access to court clerks and record keepers is limited. Computers and video recorders are not available in many of these courts. Only a few states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have electronic platforms for supporting activities such as the filing of cases, publication of cause lists and sending summons.
• Lack of knowledge about procedures: Several of the presiding officers lack proper knowledge of law and procedures which has landed many a civil servant in deep trouble in sensitive matters such as those related to arms licences.
• Data is unavailable: Data on the level of pendency or the speed of disposal is not compiled in many states. This is why there is scarcely any attempt to increase staff strength. There is hardly any public scrutiny say by the press or legislature.

How to improve the functioning of Quasi-judicial bodies?

• Priority of the government: The government should make the efficient functioning of these agencies a priority and clearly articulate its position on the issue.
• Collection of data is must: Detailed data on the functioning of these agencies must be collected and published from time to time at least annually.
• Digitization of judicial data: An electronic platform should be established to handle all ancillary work related to the administration of justice, such as filing of complaints, issue of summons, movement of case records between courts, issuing copies of the judgments and so on.
• Mandatory annual inspection: annual inspections of the subordinate courts should be made mandatory. This should be an important indicator for assessment by the superior authority.
• Study on functioning of this bodies: Interdisciplinary research on the functioning of these courts should be encouraged. This would identify the areas of improvement such as legal reforms or issue of clear guidelines.
• Time to time training of authorities: Regular training and orientation of the adjudicating authorities should be taken up from time to time.
• State performance index should be published: The state index of performance of these quasi-judicial courts be made and published.
• Online publication of awards by authorities: Important decisions, guidelines and directions could be compiled and published on the portal of the apex adjudicating forum such as the Board of Revenue.
• Rigorous induction training: More rigorous induction training of officials handling judicial work would help. The importance of judicial work should be instilled among the trainees and the skill and confidence in handling them should be developed.
• Procedural reforms: Procedural reforms such as minimizing adjournments, mandatory filing of written arguments and other such reforms proposed by bodies like the Law Commission for reform of the Civil Procedure Code should be adopted by these adjudicating bodies.

Conclusion

Quasi-judicial bodies form the substantial institutions of judicial system. It is regularly side-lined when we talk about the judicial reforms. If we could make our quasi-judicial bodies function properly and efficiently, it will reduce the burden on High courts and Supreme court.

Source: Indian Express

Context

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers plus Meeting (ADMM plus) and the India-ASEAN defence ministers meeting at Siem Reap, Cambodia.

ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM)

• It is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
• It was established in 2006 and includes the 10 members of ASEAN.
• It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defence and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.

ADMM-Plus

• The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners.
• Dialogue Partners are - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and United States.
• The aim of ADMM-Plus is to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
• It currently focuses on seven areas of practical cooperation, namely:
  • Maritime security,
  • Counter-terrorism,
  • Humanitarian assistance and disaster management,
  • Peacekeeping operations,
  • Military medicine,
  • Humanitarian mine action, and
  • Cyber security.
• The Inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Vietnam, in October 2010.

Key Highlights:

• Maiden India-ASEAN defence ministers meeting
  • During this visit, India and Cambodia will also co-chair the maiden India-ASEAN defence ministers meeting.
  • This is being hosted to commemorate 30 years of India-ASEAN relations.
  • Various initiatives to boost the India-ASEAN partnership are planned to be announced during meeting.
• India’s expectations during this visit
  • India wants to increase defence cooperation and ways to further strengthen the mutually beneficial engagements with ASEAN countries.
  • With an eye on China, India has been steadily ranking up military relations with ASEAN countries through combat exercises, exchanges, training programmes and now increasingly weapon supplies over the years.
    • India conducted the SIMBEX naval exercise with Singapore in the Bay of Bengal earlier this month.
    • In the November-December time-frame, the Indian Army is also conducting:
      • The ‘Agni Warrior’ exercise with Singapore,
      • The ‘Harimau Shakti’ with Malaysia and
      • The ‘Garud Shakti’ with Indonesia.
  • India inked the $375 million contract to export the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines in January 2022.
  • It is now looking for more such deals with other ASEAN countries like Indonesia and Vietnam.
  • India also plans to sell the indigenous Akash missile systems to countries like Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, among other countries.
    • Akash missile systems can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km.
• Key milestones in India – ASEAN relationship
  • India has been a partner of ASEAN since 1992 and the first ADMM plus meet was held in Hanoi, Vietnam in October , 2010. 
  • Since 2017 ASEAN defence ministers have been meeting annually to discuss cooperation between ASEAN Plus countries.
  • India and ASEAN elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2022, during 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

• Historic deal has been agreed upon at the conclusion of the Conference of Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt.
• The member countries have agreed to establish a fund for assisting developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.\

News Summary:

• From 6^th Nov to 18^th Nov, 27^th Conference of Parties was held in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt.
• On the final day of the event, a decision was taken to establish a fund for what negotiators call ‘loss and damage’.
• This fund will be used for compensating poor nations that are victims of extreme weather worsened by rich countries' carbon pollution.
• It is a big win for poorer nations which have long called for funds sometimes viewed as reparations because they are often the victims of climate worsened floods, droughts, heat waves, famines and storms despite having contributed little to the pollution that heats up the globe.

About the Fund:

• The fund would be largely aimed at the most vulnerable nations, though there would be room for middle-income countries that are severely battered by climate disasters to get aid.
• According to the agreement, the fund would initially draw on contributions from developed countries and other private and public sources such as international financial institutions.
• While major emerging economies such as China would not initially be required to contribute, that option remains on the table and will be negotiated over the coming years.
  • This is a key demand by the European Union and the United States, who argue that China and other large polluters currently classified as developing countries have the financial clout and responsibility to pay their way.

Will India be a donor or a beneficiary of the fund?

• The rich nations had been asking to expand the donor base of the loss and damage fund by including big economies like India and China as contributors to the fund.
• However, India during the discussions made its stand clear that though the country has voluntarily been doing its bit to help vulnerable countries through different mechanism, it will not be mandatorily contributing to the proposed fund.
• On the question whether India would be one of the beneficiaries of the fund as it’s primarily meant for most vulnerable countries, India argued that the country too has many vulnerable areas.

Conclusion:

• The decision on donor base and beneficiaries will be clarified by 2023.
• At the COP27, the parties have also agreed to retain the COP26 points on mitigation – “phase down” of unabated coal power and “phase out” of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
  • COP26 was held in Glasgow, UK in 2021.
• The COP27 also set up a four-year work programme on climate action in agriculture and food security, and on a just transition for energy use.

Source: The Hindu

Context

India recently communicated strong objections to discussions under a special UN Framework Convention on Climate Change effort known as the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, which has sought to expand efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouses gases to the agriculture sector.

About:

• It aims to recognise the unique potential of agriculture in tackling climate change.
• It was established at the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP) in Fiji in 2017 as a new process to advance discussions on agriculture in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• The joint work will address six topics related to soils, nutrient use, water, livestock, methods for assessing adaptation, and the socio-economic and food security dimensions of climate change across the agricultural sectors.

Source: Hindustan Times

Context

According to a working research paper published in the Bank for International Settlements, over 73% crypto currency users lost money.

About:

• After the U.S. and Turkey, India has the third highest number of registered downloads of crypto exchange apps.
• As of June 2022, there were over 30 million crypto exchange app downloads in India.
• But in terms of downloads per capita, India features among the countries with the lowest number of downloads.
• This is because of its vast population and crypto awareness being mostly limited to urban pockets.
• Countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. rank much higher in terms of per capita downloads.
• India also features among those countries with the lowest average monthly app usage per 1 lakh people.
• According to the study 73%-81% of the users would have lost money. A median investor would have lost $431, corresponding to 48% of the total $900 invested.

Cryptocurrency:

• Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of their units and verify the transfer of funds.
• These currencies operate independently of a central bank.
• The economic transactions underlying cryptocurrency are decentralized, distributed and disbursed.
• The first and most famous cryptocurrency, bitcoin was introduced in 2009.

Technology:

• Most cryptocurrencies of the world are built on blockchain technology.
• Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed database on a peer-peer network which works on the basis of a consensus mechanism involving every node (computer) on the network.
• Blockchain is a peer-to-peer distributed network that records a public history of transactions without actually recording identities of the parties or the transaction details.

Source: The Hindu

Context

• At least two judicial pronouncements have taken a dim view of the finance ministry’s decisions against imposing anti-dumping and safeguard duties.
• Recently, in many cases, the Centre chose not to impose anti-dumping duty.
• This was despite the findings and recommendations of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) establishing adverse impact of cheap or subsidised imports on domestic industry.

• Binding tariffs, and applying them equally to all trading partners (most-favoured-nation treatment, or MFN) are key to the smooth flow of trade in goods.
• The WTO agreements uphold the principles, but they also allow exceptions — in some circumstances. Three of these issues are:
  • Actions taken against dumping (selling at an unfairly low price) – by imposing anti-dumping duties.
  • Special “countervailing” duties to offset the subsidies made to producers of these goods in the exporting country.
  • Emergency measures to limit imports temporarily, designed to “safeguard” domestic industries.
    • A WTO member may restrict imports of a product temporarily (take safeguard actions) if its domestic industry is injured or threatened with injury caused by a surge in imports.
• These duties are extra import duties imposed on goods in addition to the normal duties that apply in the country.
• Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)
  • Earlier known as DGAD (Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties), it was renamed in May 2018.
  • It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • It was formed as a single national entity dealing with all kinds of Trade Remedial measures (anti-dumping, countervailing, safeguard).
  • The DGTR provides a level playing field to the domestic industry against the unfair trade practices like dumping, subsidization and surge in imports.
• News Summary
• Background:
  • Recently, the revenue department opted to be selective in imposing anti-dumping or safeguard duties to protect domestic industry.
    • E.g., the revenue department decided to unilaterally suspend countervailing duty on certain varieties of stainless steel from China, which was quashed and set aside by the Gujarat high court.
  • Many a times, it chose to do so against the recommendations of the designated authority such as DGTR.
  • Several Indian companies and industry bodies have gone to court against the revenue department’s these decisions.
  • Hearing a set of cases, the Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal asked the Centre to reconsider its decisions in a bunch of cases where it decided against accepting the designated authority’s recommendations.
    • It asked the Centre to give tentative reasons for not accepting the recommendations so as to give the domestic industry an opportunity to submit a representation.
  • In several cases, where the revenue department in the finance ministry did not bother to communicate its final decision, the tribunal has taken the same view.
    • The law governing anti-dumping cases requires the revenue department to decide on a matter within three months of the DGTR’s recommendations.
• Imposition of anti-dumping duty: difference in opinion
  • The finance ministry and NITI Aayog are of the view that imposing anti-dumping duty impact other producers in the chain adversely.
  • On the other hand, the commerce ministry believes the DGTR recommendations come after establishing adverse impact on domestic producers and are in line with World Trade Organization rules.
    • The commerce department is of the opinion that unless such an action is taken, domestic industry will be wiped out.

Source: The Hindu