UPSC Key | NEET, High Seas Treaty, Hurricane Beryl and more

The Ideas Page

Why NEET does not work

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, issues related to Education.

What’s the ongoing story- Sakthirajan Ramanathan and Sundaresan Chellamuthu write: Since its inception about a decade ago, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been a politically contentious issue in Tamil Nadu. The recent turn of events has made it a national issue.

Prerequisites:

— What is the NEET examination?

— What is the recent controversy around the NEET examination?

— What is the case of Tamil Nadu in the whole NEET fiasco?

— What is the role of the National testing Agency (NTA)?

Key takeaways: 

— “This year, more than 24 lakh candidates sat for the NEET after paying application fees ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,700. The application charges alone give a revenue of about Rs 337 crore to the testing agency…  This makes the MBBS dream virtually unattainable for students of the economically weak strata, despite scoring high marks in NEET.”

— This low entry requirement can undermine the importance of excelling in high school. This, in turn, lowers the standard of school education. The state government and their education ministries do not have any say in the selection process of future doctors in their states.

— Tamil Nadu has conducted several experiments in the entrance system to professional courses, starting from an interview system in the 1970s to the entrance examinations in 1983 along with 2/3rd weightage to marks in concerned subjects in the higher secondary education exam.

— Following recommendations from the Anandakrishnan Committee, the state abolished entrance exams and conducted admissions to medical and engineering colleges solely on the basis of higher secondary marks.

— Even after the introduction of NEET, the government ensured social equality and inclusivity, to an extent, by providing reservation to government school students as per the recommendations of P Kalaiyarasan and AK Rajan committees.

— Tamil Nadu’s experiences over five decades demonstrate that factors such as infrastructure, faculty numbers, and the extent of patient care services determine the quality of young doctors.

— NEET needs to be reevaluated. Public health is a state subject and education is part of the concurrent list. All states need to be taken into confidence, before framing the admissions processes, especially in institutions controlled by the state government. The debate on NEET touches on broader issues such as educational equity and federalism.

— If NEET is riddled with problems, what are the alternatives? Instead of a single cross-sectional assessment, a summative assessment over two to three years of performance in school education along with a general aptitude test might improve the selection process…

— The primary objective of refining the medical entrance process is to ensure that students with high average marks gain admission not only to government-run medical colleges… The goal should be to ensure that people from disadvantaged sections are adequately represented in the medical field and they can contribute to making healthcare accessible to their communities.

For Your Information:

— Tamil Nadu has always been opposed to the NEET exam as it was against their perfectly functioning state policy of linking medical college admissions to high school performance. In 2021, Tamil Nadu constituted an Expert Committee headed by Justice A K Rajan. The Rajan Committee brought out startling evidence, showing how rural students from Tamil medium schools lost out heavily in clearing the NEET — between 2017-21, from an average of 15 per cent admissions of Tamil-medium students, the number had fallen to 1.6-3.2 per cent.

— Clearly, NEET disadvantaged rural and poorer students. Tamil Nadu was particularly affected as its sound public health system rested on students from rural backgrounds willing to work in primary health centres without ambitions of migrating abroad.

READ MORE: UPSC KEY | 21ST JUNE, 2024

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, of 2024?

— How does the present NEET examination not ensure equity in education?

— What are your suggestions for improving the medical entrance examination system?

Post Read Question:

Which of the following committees has been recently constituted by the Central government to review the conduct of examinations and functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA)?

(a) K. Radhakrishnan committee

(b) Anandakrishnan Committee

(c) P Kalaiyarasan Committee

(d) AK Rajan committee

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

NEET/NET fiasco: It’s time for technology to step in where the exam system has failed

 

Explained

How climate change fuelled Hurricane Beryl’s record early intensification

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change- that do not require subject specialisation

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-III: Geography, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

What’s the ongoing story- Hurricane Beryl became the earliest storm on record during the Atlantic hurricane season to have reached the highest Category 5 classification.

Prerequisites:

— What is a hurricane?

— What is the difference between hurricanes and typhoons?

— Mapwork: Caribbean islands, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela.

Key takeaways: 

— The storm, which tore through the Caribbean islands earlier this month, killed at least 11 people after triggering intense floods and dangerous winds in Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela. On Monday, it made landfall in Texas, United States, as a Category 1 storm, flooding streets and knocking out power for more than two million people in the state.

— Hurricanes, or tropical storms, form over warm ocean waters near the equator. When the warm, moist air from the ocean surface rises upward, a lower air pressure area is formed below. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure rushes into this low pressure area, eventually rising, after it also becomes warm and moist.

— As warm, moist air rises, it cools down, and the water in the air forms clouds and thunderstorms. This whole system of clouds and winds gains strength and momentum using the ocean’s heat, and the water that evaporates from its surface. Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes.

— Hurricanes are classified using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale into five categories (Category 1 to Category 5) based on their sustained wind speeds. While Category 1 hurricanes bring winds of 119 to 153 kmph, Category 5 hurricanes, which are the strongest, have winds of 252 kmph or higher. Storms that reach Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes due to their potential to inflict significant damage.

— The hurricane season in the Atlantic begins in June and lasts until November. Generally, the first major hurricanes do not form until September. This is because till that time, the ocean is not warm enough either at the surface, or deeper down to fuel such strong hurricanes, according to NOAA.

— This is what makes Beryl so unprecedented. Although it is difficult to attribute a specific hurricane to global warming, scientists see unusually warmer oceans as the primary reason behind Beryl turning into a powerful storm this early in the season.

— Scientists are still debating over how exactly climate change impacts hurricanes. There is agreement, however, that at the very least, climate change makes hurricanes more prone to rapid intensification — where maximum wind speeds increase very quickly.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the areas affected by Hurricane Beryl?

— What causes the Hurricane?

— How does climate change impact extreme weather events?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator.

2. Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes.

3. Hurricanes are classified using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale into five categories.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Climate change is causing more frequent, intense cyclones on India’s western coast

Behind Russia’s high income

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international significance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: International Relations, Economy

What’s the ongoing story- Earlier this month, the World Bank upgraded Russia from an “upper-middle income” country to a “high-income” one, a status it last had in 2014. The ranking was boosted by growth in trade (+6.8%), the financial sector (+8.7%), and construction (+6.6%), which led to increases in both the real (3.6%) and nominal (10.9%) GDP.

Prerequisites:

— Why were Western sanctions imposed on Russia?

— What is the Gross National Income (GNI)?

— What are the exchange rate fluctuations?

Key takeaways: 

— The improvement, however, is on account of the war economy, and is unlikely to endure, according to most experts.

— The World Bank classifies economies into four groups based on per-capita gross national income (GNI) in US dollars: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. The Bank’s 2024-25 classification for high-income countries raised the threshold to $14,005 or more.

— In nominal terms, Russia ranks 72nd globally in per-capita GNI and 53rd in purchasing power parity.

— Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia’s invasion since February 2022, too has got an upgrade. Ukraine improved its status from a lower-middle-income country to an upper-middle-income one after economic growth resumed in 2023, the Bank said.

— Algeria, Iran, and Mongolia too, have moved up from the lower-middle income to the upper-middle income category.

World Bank’s income classification of countries.

— The resilience of Russia, which is now under more individual sanctions than Iran, Cuba, and North Korea combined, has come as a surprise… “Restrictions on trade and financing from the G7 countries and EU resulted in trade diversion to China, India, Türkiye, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and investment in new infrastructure and logistics,” the Bank noted.

— Why curbs haven’t worked: OIL: The sanctions on Russia’s energy sector are not as tight as the ones that were imposed on Venezuela or Iran.

— INVESTMENTS: Corporate investment has recovered since 2022, adding an estimated 4.5 percentage points to the growth in GDP in 2023. Investment is flowing to Russia’s defence and manufacturing sectors.

— CONSUMPTION: Private consumption has recovered strongly, adding 2.9 percentage points to GDP growth. This is being driven by buoyant credit and a strong labour market, with record low unemployment of just 3%, and a general rise in wages.

— Also, some sanctions had been imposed in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea, and those had already been factored in the cost.

For Your Information:

— Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, India has been buying large amounts of Russian oil at a discount to cushion the inflationary impact of rising crude prices.

— The purchase of Russian crude has pushed bilateral trade volumes beyond expectations and targets. Before the war, the bilateral trade target was set at $30 billion by 2025. However, bilateral trade reached an all-time high of $65.70 billion in FY 2023-24, according to data from the Department of Commerce.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the rationale behind the imposition of sanctions on Russia?

— What are the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of these sanctions?

— What are the areas of cooperation and conflict between India and Russia?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

India has signed an agreement for the import of S-400 Triumf mobile surface-to-air missile systems from which of the following nations?

(a) USA

(b) Germany

(c) Israel

(d) Russia

Mains

What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

5 factors behind Russia’s economic resilience amid the Ukraine war

 

Express Network 

India to sign, ratify High Seas Treaty: Minister

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment, Biodiversity

What’s the ongoing story- India has decided to sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty, a global agreement for conservation and protection of biodiversity in the oceans, that is often compared to the 2015 Paris Agreement in its reach and impact.

Prerequisites:

— Read about the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, the Geneva Convention (1958) on the High Seas, and the Paris Agreement.

— What are the high seas?

— Know about the significance of the high seas.

Key takeaways: 

— The High Seas, the oceans outside the national boundaries of countries, are international commons, open for use by all. The resources found in these areas, which constitute about 64% of the ocean surface, are open for extraction by anyone. The exact activities, and the manner in which they can be carried out, are governed by international and regional laws.

— The most notable and wide-ranging of the laws is the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, or UNCLOS, which defines the rights and duties of the country, and lays down the general principles of acceptable conduct in the oceans.

— The High Seas Treaty, once it is ratified by the requisite number of countries and becomes international law, would operate under the UNCLOS framework, and become one of its implementing instruments. There are already two similar agreements under UNCLOS, one that regulates the extraction of mineral resources from ocean beds, and the other about conservation of migratory fish stocks.

— The High Seas Treaty would define and demarcate marine protected areas in biodiversity-rich zones of the oceans that are under stress. Similar to what happens in national parks or protected wildlife areas, certain kinds of human activities in these marine protected areas, like deep sea mining, would be prohibited or regulated.

— The treaty also seeks to ensure that any benefits accruing from ocean life forms, like drug development, is considered a global common, is free of intellectual property rights and equitably shared with everyone. Besides, commercial activities in the open oceans that are likely to result in causing large-scale pollution would now require an environmental impact assessment.

For Your Information:

— The High Seas Treaty, also known as the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), would become international law 120 days after at least 60 countries submit their formal ratification documents. As of now, 91 countries have signed the treaty, but only eight of them have ratified and made the submission.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the key provisions of the High Seas Treaty?

— What are the risks of countries failing to reach an agreement?

— What are the threats to the biodiversity of high seas?

— What are the other laws and initiatives related to the marine environment?

— What measures should be taken to ensure the conservation of marine biodiversity?

Post Read Question:

With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.

2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.

3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

What is the UN High Seas Treaty, and why have countries failed to agree on it?

 

The Ideas Page

Joblessness & the skill gap

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government Policies & Interventions, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story- Pranab Bardhan Writes– “Most economists agree that a lack of good-quality jobs, particularly for India’s burgeoning young population, is one of the urgent priorities to address. It is also generally perceived that in the recent elections, joblessness was a critical issue.”

Prerequisites:

— Read about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

— Read about unemployment and its types.

— Know about the causes of unemployment in India.

Key takeaways: 

— “Those who think growth will automatically solve the job problem overlook that 50 years of national surveys on employment and unemployment have made it clear that India’s job availability has not, in general, kept pace with the rate of economic growth. If left unattended, this is a socially explosive problem.”

— “It is high time that all political parties, both at the Centre and the states, give concentrated attention to details of design, cost-effectiveness and implementation issues for different types of job-promoting policies.”

— “We now have some accumulated experience of running rural employment guarantee schemes introduced at the central level in 2005…There has been talk of having such a central programme of employment guarantee in the urban sector (beyond scattered attempts in some states). This requires serious consideration..”

— “But such rural and urban employment guarantee schemes are mainly concerned with relief or “distress” employment, however necessary, for the poor. We actually need, on a long-term basis, an array of sustainable programmes of reasonably good jobs which go beyond short-run relief. Let me suggest four such areas which may have a lot of potential.”

— “A part of our unemployment problem is really a problem of employability at the current level of low skills and training. A mass-scale vocational educational programme with links to apprenticeship in business firms needs to be started on a war footing to make up for decades of negligence.”

— “In India, there is a plethora of capital subsidies in different sectors in the name of encouraging investment. We should take stock of these capital subsidies and replace many of them with wage subsidies, particularly for large firms in the organised sectors on the condition that they create new regular jobs.”

— “We are familiar with agricultural extension services, but now we should pay equal attention to technical assistance and extension services (including management training) to non-farm household enterprises to help them in productive job-creating directions.”

— “A modest basic income supplement can be funded by drastically reducing the direct and indirect subsidies that the government currently gives to the better-off. This can be supplemented by more taxation of the rich.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the major issues related to unemployment in India?

— What are the initiatives taken by the government with regard to unemployment?

— What steps should be taken to tackle the challenge of jobless economic growth?

Post Read Question:

Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements. (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Employment rate rises 6% provisionally in FY24 from 3.2% in FY23: RBI data

 

Editorial

Trade Policy needs a reset

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth

What’s the ongoing story- Rajesh Aggarwal Writes– “India’s forward-looking approach to shaping multilateral disciplines in trade and investment matters has been demonstrated through its active participation in G20 forums and bilateral trade and investment negotiations with economically advanced nations. A similar proactive engagement strategy should also be extended to WTO negotiations.”

Prerequisites:

— Read about Foreign Trade Policy 2023.

— Grouping/ Organisation to look for: G20, World Trade Organisation (WTO)

— India and WTO- Know in detail.

Key takeaways: 

— “The rules of global economic governance are being reshaped in a world moulded by geoeconomics and emerging technologies, resilient global value chains and environmental sustainability. India, as a rising economy, has substantial stakes in this new paradigm. Achieving a new equilibrium of global rules will not be frictionless, yet India’s rising global stature demands that it plays a constructive role and projects its distinct personality in managing differences amidst changing dynamics.”

— “India’s evolving domestic policy reforms are designed to promote its global integration by aiming to foster technology-driven and environmentally sustainable economic growth. The country is a favoured choice for global investors..”

— “The desire to seize the opportunity presented by e-commerce has played a pivotal role in driving regulatory reforms in India by promoting digitisation, transparency, and operational efficiency within the business landscape. These initiatives have led to reforms in critical areas such as data protection, consumer rights, competition and taxation, fostering a more conducive ecosystem for e-commerce enterprises to thrive.”

— “In India’s evolving export-led economic growth model, the emphasis laid on maintaining unrestricted right to pursue domestic policies should yield to a pursuit of policy predictability in key destination markets like the US, the European Union, Japan, and other emerging economies, especially in high technology sectors. The country must shed its hesitancy and actively participate in negotiations concerning e-commerce, trade, climate change, and investment facilitation within the WTO.”

— “The historical context that initially shaped this strategy differs significantly from today’s landscape…In the present context, India must adeptly manage its growth trajectory, emphasising digitisation, sustainable development, and resilient value chains to bolster its manufacturing sector. Seeking international consensus on rules and disciplines related to emerging economic issues and navigating the evolving geo-economic landscape is in the country’s best interest.”

— India’s active participation in the WTO discussions is crucial, even for successful bilateral engagement subsequently with major markets. Participation in these discussions will also allow India to build a leadership position in the Global South.

For Your Information:

— The aim of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 is fourfold — to shift from an incentive to a tax remission-based regime, to improve the ease of doing business, promote exports through collaborations and focus on emerging areas. The government has now articulated a goal of achieving $2 trillion in export of goods and services by 2030, up from the $900 billion target that the previous policy had hoped to achieve by 2020.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the concerns about India’s foreign trade policy?

— What trade policy reforms and initiatives have been introduced by the government to boost India’s trade?

— What are the issues and challenges faced by India in the WTO?

— What steps should be taken to ensure the interest of India in dynamic global economic affairs?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2017)

1. India has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of WTO.

2. TFA is a part of WTO’s Bali Ministerial Package of 2013.

3. TFA came into force in January 2016.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Express View on new trade policy: The focus of the new policy on reducing points of friction across the system is unmistakable

 

Economy

Employment rate rises 6% provisionally in FY24 from 3.2% in FY23: RBI data

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-III: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- The country’s employment rate grew by 6 per cent in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 from a growth of 3.2 per cent in 2022-23, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s data.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Worker Population Ratio (WPR)?

— Know about Gross Value Added (GVA), Gross Value of Output (GVO), Labour Productivity (LP) and Total Factor Productivity (TFP).

Key takeaways: 

— Employment in the country increased by 4.67 crore to 64.33 crore (provisional) in the fiscal year 2023-24, from 59.67 crore in 2022-23, the RBI’s Measuring Productivity at the Industry Level-The India KLEMS [Capital (K), Labour (L), Energy (E), Material (M) and Services (S)] database showed.

— The database covers 27 industries comprising the entire Indian economy. The database also provides these estimates at the broad sectoral levels (agriculture, manufacturing and services) and at the all-India levels.

— It includes measures of Gross Value Added (GVA), Gross Value of Output (GVO), Labour Employment (L), Labour Quality (LQ), Capital Stock (K)…

— According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released in May, 2024 unemployment rate (UR) in urban areas decreased from 6.8 per cent during January–March 2023 to 6.7 per cent in January–March 2024 for persons of age 15 years and above.

— Female unemployment rate declined from 9.2 per cent in January–March 2023 to 8.5 per cent in January–March 2024.

— Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in urban areas has shown an increasing trend from 48.5 per cent in January – March 2023 to 50.2 per cent during January – March 2024 for persons of age 15 years and above, the PLFS data showed.

— There was an increasing trend in Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above from 45.2 per cent in January – March 2023 to 46.9 per cent in January – March 2024.

— The female Worker Population Ratio in urban areas rose from 20.6 per cent in January – March 2023 to 23.4 per cent during January – March 2024, reflecting an overall increasing trend in WPR, the data showed.

For Your Information:

— According to  the India Employment Report 2024, The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India remains among the world’s lowest. Female LFPR declined by 14.4 percentage points (compared to 8.1 percentage points for males) between 2000 and 2019.

— The trend reversed thereafter, with female LFPR rising by 8.3 percentage points (compared to 1.7 percentage points for male LFPR) between 2019 and 2022.

— There is a considerable gender gap — women’s LFPR (32.8%) in 2022 was 2.3 times lower than men’s (77.2%)

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the different types of unemployment?

— How is unemployment measured in India?

— What are the government initiatives for tackling unemployment in India?

— What is the jobless economic growth?

Post Read Question:

Disguised unemployment generally means ( UPSC CSE 2013)

(a) large number of people remain unemployed

(b) alternative employment is not available

(c) marginal productivity of labour is zero

(d) productivity of workers is low

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

State of employment in India: What a new report says about youths and women, concerns and caution

 

Govt & Politics

Tracking accused on bail violates right to privacy: SC

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity, Constitution

What’s the ongoing story- A bench of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan deleted the condition imposed by a trial court requiring a Nigerian national facing charges under the NDPS Act 1965 to “drop a PIN on the google map to ensure that” his “location is available to the Investigation Officer of the case”.

Prerequisites:

— What is the right to privacy?

— What are the constitutional provisions protecting the right to privacy?

Key takeaways: 

— The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Imposing any bail condition which enables the police/investigation agency to track every movement of the accused released on bail by using any technology or otherwise would undoubtedly violate the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21.

— The judgement said that the effect of keeping a constant vigil on the accused “by imposing drastic bail conditions will amount to keeping the accused in some kind of confinement even after he is released on bail. Such a condition cannot be a condition of bail.”

For Your Information:

— On 5th November 2023, a Special Court in Jammu granted bail to Ghulam Mohd Bhat who has been accused of terror financing under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 on the condition that Bhat wears a GPS tracker around his anklet.

— With this order, the Jammu and Kashmir police became the first in the country to deploy a GPS-enabled, wearable tracking device to monitor and record the movement of an accused released on bail.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the pros and cons of GPS-enabled wearable tracking devices for the accused?

— Is it a violation of the fundamental right to privacy and dignity of the offenders?

— How did the scope of Article 21 expanded since independence?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

‘Right to Privacy’ is protected under which Article of the Constitution of India? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) Article 15

(b) Article 19

(c) Article 21

(d) Article 29

Mains

Examine the scope of Fundamental Rights in the light of the latest judgement of the Supreme Court on Right to Privacy. (UPSC CSE 2017)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

GPS ankle monitors for UAPA-accused on bail: Too many issues to ignore

 

Front Page

Modi Moscow message: Deepen ties, no solution on battlefield

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

What’s the ongoing story- In the inaugural bilateral visit of his third term and his first to Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Moscow Monday with a clear message that New Delhi sought to “play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region” and both sides were committed to deepening their “special and privileged strategic partnership” in “futuristic areas” of co-operation.

Prerequisites:

— Read about the Ukraine-Russia war and the Bucha massacre.

— History of India-Russia bilateral relations.

Key takeaways: 

— Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Monday night at the latter’s dacha in the Moscow suburbs of Novo-Ogaryovo and will hold talks at the 22nd India-Russia annual summit Tuesday.

— Sources said that the focus of the visit is the economic agenda — energy, trade, manufacturing, fertilizers. While defence and energy are the important drivers of the relationship taking the bilateral trade volume to an all-time high of about $65 billion — an irritant in ties has been the presence of Indians on the frontlines of the war.

—- In the area of nuclear energy, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant units 1 and 2 have already become operational and work is progressing on two more units. The two sides will also take stock of civilian nuclear cooperation.

— In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in September 2022, Modi had told Putin that “this is not the era of war” — a line that was later used in the G20’s Bali declaration that November, and by Western leaders and interlocutors to press Russia to end the war.

— The Ukraine war has put India in a delicate diplomatic position with its Western allies. New Delhi has walked the tightrope, not explicitly condemning the Russian invasion but calling for an international probe into the Bucha massacre in the early weeks of the war, and expressing concern over threats of nuclear war issued by Russian leaders.

For Your Information:

— Choosing Russia for his first bilateral visit, Modi has broken with the tradition of India’s new PM travelling first to a neighbouring country. Delhi’s engagement will be guided by the imperative of Moscow-Beijing warmth not affecting Delhi-Moscow ties.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of  Russia for India?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia?

— What are the emerging challenges and issues in India-Russia relations?

— What is India’s stand on the Ukraine-Russia war?

Post Read Question:

Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries? (UPSC CSE 2019)

(a) Japan

(b) Russia

(c) The United Kingdom

(d) The United States of America

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

PM Modi’s first bilateral visit this term: Russia’s importance for India

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