12 Dec 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
GEOGRAPHY
1. Not all Indian droughts are caused by El Nino

B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Israel-Morocco pact follows a history of secret dealings
2. PM, Uzbek President discuss Afghan projects
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. N.K. Singh calls for a fresh look at the Seventh Schedule

C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. ‘India is on track to reduce emissions’

D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Love on the razor’s edge
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Pointing the finger at parliamentary scrutiny
ECONOMY
1. Connecting more people

F. Tidbits
1. New cross-sector initiative for universal health coverage

G. Prelims Facts
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related
Category: GEOGRAPHY
1. Not all Indian droughts are caused by El Nino
Context:
The researchers at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bengaluru have suggested culprits other than the El Nino which are the causes for
droughts.
Details:

 Droughts in India have historically been associated with El Nino.

 El Nino is an anomalous warming of the equatorial Pacific.
 The study says that nearly six out of 10 droughts, in non-El Nino years, that occurred during the Indian
summer-monsoon season in the past century may have been driven by atmospheric disturbances from the
North Atlantic region.
 In an El Niño year, abnormally warm equatorial Pacific waters pull moisture-laden clouds away from the
subcontinent, but the IISc study shows that in non-El Nino years, these droughts are a consequence of a
sudden and steep drop in rainfall in late August.
 The study states that beyond looking at the Pacific Ocean it is important to consider other influences on
the Indian monsoon from outside the tropics.
 It seems that winds in the upper atmosphere are interacting with a deep cyclonic circulation above
the abnormally cold North Atlantic waters.
 The resulting wave of air currents, called a Rossby wave, curved down from the North Atlantic
squeezed in by the Tibetan plateau and hit the subcontinent around mid-August, suppressing
rainfall. (The wave’s usual course is to go from west to east, but not towards the equator).
 The sheer size of the Pacific means that it influences global climate much more than the Atlantic or other
oceans.
Note:

 In 2014, India saw a 14% rainfall deficit that wasn’t linked to El Nino and before that in 1986 and 1985.

B. GS 2 Related
Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. N.K. Singh calls for a fresh look at the Seventh Schedule
Context:
Fifteenth Finance Commission chairman N.K. Singh has called for a fresh look at the Constitution’s
Seventh Schedule.
Read more about the 15th finance Commission covered in 31st October 2020 Comprehensive News
Analysis.

The Seventh Schedule

 The seventh Schedule forms the basis for allocating subjects to the Centre and States.
 The 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the division of powers between the Union
government and State governments.
 The division of powers between Union and State is notified through three kinds of the list mentioned in
the seventh schedule: Union List – List I, State List – List II, Concurrent List – List III.
 Article 246 deals with the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution that mentions the three lists.
Read more on the 7th Schedule of Indian Constitution.
Suggestions:
Need for a consultative forum:

 He hinted at the need to fill an ‘institutional vacuum’ created by the abolition of the Planning
Commission.
 With the abolition of the Planning Commission, many economists and policymakers have argued
about an institutional vacuum.
 There is a need for serious consideration for a consultative forum for credible policy dialogue
between the Centre and the States.
Co-ordination between Finance Commission and GST Council:

 Stress was laid upon the need for co-ordination mechanism between the Finance Commission and the
GST Council as both were constitutional bodies dealing with revenue and struggling with unsettled
questions.
 The Finance Commissions look at projections of expenditure and revenue.
 But issues of GST rates exemptions, changes, and implementation of the indirect taxes are
entirely within the domain of the GST Council.
 This leads to unsettled questions on the ways to monitor, scrutinise and optimise revenue
outcomes.
Reinforcing trust in Fiscal Federalism:

 He highlighted that there is a need for urgent consideration to reinforce trust in fiscal federalism.
 He urged for a review of both the Seventh Schedule and Article 282 of the Constitution so as to
give more flexibility to States in implementing centrally sponsored schemes.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Israel-Morocco pact follows a history of secret dealings
Context:
Despite Morocco and Israel official acknowledging each other, there existed a six decades of close,
secret cooperation on intelligence and military matters between the two nations.
Background:
Both the countries recently announced the establishment of their first formal diplomatic ties.

This topic has been covered in 11th December 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis.
Details:

 The Moroccan-Israeli ties stemmed in part from a large number of Jews in Morocco before the birth of
Israel in 1948, many of whom would migrate there, making up one of the largest parts of Israel’s
population.
 about 1 million Israelis are from Morocco, or descended from those who were from Morocco.
 Israel provided weapons and trained Moroccans in using them; it supplied surveillance technology and
helped organise the Moroccan intelligence service, and the two shared information gathered by their
spies.
 Israel has helped Morocco obtain weapons and intelligence-gathering gear and learn how to use them, and
helped it assassinate an opposition leader.
 Morocco has helped Israel take in Moroccan Jews, mount an operation against Osama bin Laden, and
even spy on other Arab countries.
 The collaboration reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of building covert ties with Arab regimes where
common interests and enemies could be found.
 For years, Hassan II’s successor, King Muhammad VI, has sought Israel’s help in winning American
acquiescence to Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara, which has finally come to fruition in the recent
announcement.
2. PM, Uzbek President discuss Afghan projects
Context:
India and Uzbekistan virtual summit.
Details:

 India and Uzbekistan plan to cooperate on connectivity projects in Afghanistan.

 They will participate in a trilateral dialogue with Iran.
  Both addressed the need to fight terrorism and shared the same vision on the future of the Afghanistan
peace process.
 The two sides signed a Dollar Credit Line Agreement between the Export-Import Bank of India and the
Uzbekistan Government and several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including in the areas of
renewable energy and information technology on the sidelines of the meeting.
 India also confirmed the approval of a $448- million Line of Credit for four developmental projects in
Uzbekistan in the areas of “road construction, sewerage treatment and information technology”.
 Specific projects under the Line of Credit are being identified at present.
Note:

 The first joint military exercise between the armed forces of India and Uzbekistan took place in 2019.

C. GS 3 Related
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. ‘India is on track to reduce emissions’
Context:
Environment Minister said that India was the only major G20 country that was on track towards keeping
to its nationally determined commitments to halt runaway global warming.
Details:

 In 2015, ahead of the United Nations’ significant climate conference in Paris, India announced three
major voluntary commitments called the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC):
 Improving the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33–35% by 2030 over 2005 levels.
 Increasing the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40% by 2030.
 Enhancing its forest cover, thereby absorbing 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.
 He said that India has achieved 21% of its emissions intensity reduction target as a proportion of its GDP
in line with its pledge to a 33-35% reduction by 2030.
Note:

 The comments came ahead of the international Climate Ambition Summit to be jointly hosted by
the United Nations Organization, the United Kingdom and France, in partnership with Chile and Italy to
mark the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement.
 According to the International Institute of Sustainable Development, the summit is positioned as a “sprint
to Glasgow”.
 The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to take place from November 1–12, 2021 in Glasgow.
Paris Agreement

 The Paris Agreement, adopted at COP 21 in Paris, on December 12, 2015.

 It constitutes a landmark agreement on climate change that seeks to limit global average temperature rise
to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and endeavour to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
 The agreement, which came into force on November 4, 2016, currently has 188 parties.
 All parties to it are expected to undertake ambitious efforts to support the agreement’s goals and
communicate their related intentions every five years in the form of NDCs.

D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials
Category: SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Love on the razor’s edge
Context:
Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government promulgated an ordinance seeking the prohibition of unlawful
religious conversions.
Issues:

 Ever since the promulgation of the ordinance, complaints have been raised about U.P. polices’ display of
uncanny expediency in invoking it in cases involving Muslim men and Hindu women.
 There have been complaints that the ordinance is being used to harass inter-faith couples and expose them
to vigilantism.
 It is argued that the ordinance criminalizes inter-faith love and marriage and places the burden of proof on
the accused.
This topic has been covered in 27th November 2020 and 4th December 2020 Comprehensive News
Analysis.

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Pointing the finger at parliamentary scrutiny
Context:

 The Farm Bills passed by Parliament in the monsoon session have evoked a scale of unforeseen protests.
  Negotiations between the government and the farmers have produced no result, with the farmers
determined to scale up their agitation.
 A noteworthy aspect of the negotiations is that many of the proposals put forward at present by
the government for the consideration of the farmers are issues which were rejected by the
government when those Bills were debated in Parliament.
 While the government is willing to amend these Acts in order to meet the demands of the farmers, the
farmers want the laws repealed.
 The developments could lead to a serious confrontation between the government and the agitating
farmers.
A process of refinement – parliamentary scrutiny:

 The demand for the repeal of the laws passed by Parliament recently points to a serious lapse in the
management of the legislative work in Parliament.
 Parliament is the supreme law-making body which has put in place a large machinery of committees to
scrutinise the Bills.
 Rules of the Houses give the discretion to the Speaker or the Chairman to refer the Bills to the Standing
Committees for detailed scrutiny.
 While undertaking such scrutiny, the committees invite various stakeholders to place their views
before them.
 Only after elaborate consultation do the committees formulate their views and recommendations.
 Members of Parliament who know the ground realities better apply their mind and put them in a
better shape.
 Under any circumstances, the Bills which come back to the Houses after the scrutiny by the
committees will be in a much better shape in terms of their content.
 After such scrutiny is completed, the committees send their reports containing their recommendations on
improvements to be made in the Bills to the Houses.
 However, every Bill which comes before the Houses need not be sent to the committees.
Issues:

 Data shows that, at present, very few Bills are referred to the Parliamentary Committees.
 Ministers often request the Presiding Officers not to refer their Bills to the committees.
 But the Presiding Officers are required to exercise their independent judgment in the matter and decide
the issue.
The need for scrutiny:

 Improving the pieces of legislation through detailed scrutiny by Parliament through its committees is
historically an ancient practice.
 Even the colonial Parliament recognised the need and usefulness of parliamentary scrutiny of
Bills brought to the House by the government.
  The Indian experience of legislative scrutiny of Bills goes back to the post-Montagu–Chelmsford
Reforms.
 The Central Legislative Assembly which was the Parliament of British India, had set up three
committees: Committee on Petitions relating to Bills, Select Committee of Amendments of
standing orders and Select Committee on Bills.
 Free India’s Parliament established a vast network of committees to undertake scrutiny of various aspects
of governance including the Bills.
 Earlier, there existed a healthy tradition of consensus making in Parliament between the government and
the Opposition on the formation of such committees.
Conclusion:

 The Farm Bills that seek to alter the well-established system of the grain trade in major grain-growing
States were not sent to the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture for a detailed study.
 The Committee is sure to have consulted the farmers apart from other stakeholders and suggested
improvements which, perhaps, could have averted the current agitation.
 Parliamentary Committees have a tradition of working in a non-party manner. The reports of these
Committees are based on consensus.
 To make these systems gradually non-functional and irrelevant is to invite disaster.
Click here to know more about the Functions of the Parliament.

Category: ECONOMY
1. Connecting more people
Context:
The Union Cabinet recently approved the setting up of public Wi-Fi networks across India that would be
provided through public data offices (PDOs) under the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface
(PM WANI) scheme.
This topic has been covered in 9th December 2020 PIB Summary and Analysis.
Details:

 Bringing broadband internet to remote locations at minimum investment, and giving subscribers the
option of making small, need-based payments to use it has remained a challenge thus far.
 PM WANI scheme aims to bridge that divide using wireless technologies.
 Earlier when TRAI initiated the first pilot of a public wi-fi system on the WANI architecture, it noted that
a 10% rise in net penetration led to a 1.4% increase in GDP.
 Public wi-fi suffered neglect because it was seen as a competitor to data services sold by mobile telecom
firms, rather than as a complementary technology.
Significance:
  Similar to the expansion of long-distance telephony through STD public call offices, this move can get
many more people connected.
 Internet access would connect a new wave of users to commercial options, entertainment, education, tele-
health, agriculture extension etc.
 It would bring greater accountability to government by boosting transparency and interactivity.
 By cutting through layers of bureaucracy and eliminating licences and fees, it can make online
registrations easier, opening up new income avenues.
 A rapid scale-up of Internet in rural India will be transformative, given the low level of penetration.
 The WANI system offers a great way forward to connect low revenue consumers.
 It opens up opportunities for community organisations, libraries, educational institutions, panchayats and
small entrepreneurs to tap into a whole new ecosystem, purchasing bandwidth from a public data office
aggregator to serve local consumers.
Conclusion:

 What the citizen expects is robust service, protection of data integrity, transparency on commercial use of
data, and security against cyberattacks.
 The government must also ensure true unbundling of hardware, software, apps and payment gateways in
the WANI system to prevent monopolies.
 Existing public wi-fi options run on a limited scale by some entities compel consumers to pay through a
single gateway app, underscoring the need for reform.
 Executed properly, the public data offices (PDOs) of PM WANI can do what the PCOs did for phone
calls, genuinely empowering citizens.

F. Tidbits
1. New cross-sector initiative for universal health coverage
What’s in News?
The Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System, a cross-sector initiative to
develop a citizens’ roadmap to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in India over a period of ten
years.

 The Lancet Citizens’ Commission was launched to develop a roadmap to achieve universal health
coverage and to submit it to the government of India by 15 August 2022.
 The initiative is the result of a collaboration with the world’s leading international medical journal,
The Lancet, and Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University.
 The Commission will be guided by four principles:
 UHC covers all health concerns.
 Prevention and long-term care are key.
 The concern is financial protection for all health costs.
 Aspiring for a health system that can be accessed by all who enjoy the same quality.
 G. Prelims Facts
Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Arrange the following from North to South:

1. North Sea
2. Barents Sea
3. Mediterranean Sea
4. Black Sea

Choose the correct option:

a. 1, 2, 4, 3
b. 2, 1, 4, 3
c. 3, 4, 1, 2
d. 2, 4, 1, 3

Answer: b
Explanation:
Q2. Which of the given pairs are correctly matched?

No. Schedule Subject Matter

1 1st Schedule Name of States and UTs and Territorial Jurisdiction of states

2 4th Schedule Forms of oath and affirmation

3 7th Schedule Official languages

4 9th Schedule The state acts and regulations that deal with land reforms

5 10th Schedule Anti-Defection Laws

Options:

a. 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
b. 2, 3 and 5 only
c. 1, 4 and 5 only
d. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: c
Explanation:

 1st Schedule: Name of States and UTs and Territorial Jurisdiction of state.
 4th Schedule: Allocation of seats for States and Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha.
 7th Schedule: This schedule deals with the three legislative lists: Union, State and concurrent.
 9th Schedule: The state acts and regulations that deal with land reforms.
 10th Schedule: Anti Defection Laws.
Read more on the Schedules in the Indian Constitution.

Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to Rossby Waves:

1. They are a type of inertial wave naturally occurring in rotating fluids.

2. It is the meandering or the whirl movement of the Jet Stream.
3. Oceanic Rossby waves move along the thermocline.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a. 1 only
 b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1, 2 and 3
d. None of the above

Answer: c
Explanation:

 Rossby waves, also known as planetary waves, are a type of inertial wave naturally occurring in rotating
fluids.
 These waves are associated with pressure systems and the jet stream. The meandering or the whirl
movement of the Jet Stream is called ‘Rossby Wave’.
 Rossby waves are a natural phenomenon in the atmosphere and oceans due to rotation of the earth. In
planetary atmospheres, they are due to the variation in the Coriolis effect (When temperature contrast is
low, speed of the jet stream is low, and Coriolis force is weak leading to meandering) with latitude.
 The meandering jet streams are called Rossby Waves.
 Oceanic Rossby waves move along the thermocline: the boundary between the warm upper layer and the
cold deeper part of the ocean.

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. The Soviet Union’s uncrewed Luna 1 and 2 became the first rover to visit the Moon.
2. The US, Japan, China and India have sent missions to explore the Moon.
3. Chang’e 4 spacecraft made the first landing on the far side of the Moon.

Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. 2 and 3 only
d. None of the above

Answer: d
Explanation:

 In 1959, the Soviet Union’s uncrewed Luna 1 and 2 became the first rover to visit the Moon. Since then,
seven nations have followed suit.
 The US, the European Space Agency, Japan, China, and India have sent missions to explore the Moon.
 All manned and unmanned soft landings had taken place on the near side of the Moon, until 3 January
2019 when the Chang’e 4 spacecraft made the first landing on the far side.
1. “Parliamentary committees examine the ground realities and put the bills in a better shape. Making these systems
non-functional and irrelevant is sure to invite disaster.” Elucidate the statement in the backdrop of the ongoing agitations
and demands demand for repeal of farm bills recently passed by Parliament. (15 Marks, 250 Words) (GS 2 Polity and
Governance).

2. PM-WANI Scheme has the potential to genuinely empower citizens going well beyond ‘Ease of Doing Business’. Examine
the statement and discuss the challenges. (15 Marks, 250 Words) (GS 3 Economy
 11 Dec 2020:PIB Summary & Analysis
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. e-Courts Project
2. Indigenous mRNA vaccine candidate supported by DBT gets Drug Controller nod
3. International Bharathi Festival
4. PM SVANidhi
5. Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians
6. The draft Indian Ports Bill, 2020

1. e-Courts Project

Context:

 It is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and
Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.
 The eCourts Project was conceptualized on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan for
Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005”
submitted by eCommittee, Supreme Court of India with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by
ICT enablement of Courts.
 The objective of the e-Courts project is to provide designated services to litigants, lawyers and the
judiciary by universal computerization of district and subordinate courts in the country by leveraging
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for improved justice delivery.
Overall objectives

 To provide efficient & time-bound citizen centric services delivery as detailed in eCourt Project
Litigant’s Charter.
 To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts.
 To automate the processes to provide transparency in accessibility of information to its stakeholders.
 To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice delivery
system affordable, accessible, cost effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.

2. Indigenous mRNA vaccine candidate supported by DBT gets Drug Controller nod

Context

 India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine candidate has received approval from Indian Drug regulators
to initiate Phase I/II human clinical trial.
  The novel mRNA vaccine candidate, HGCO19 has been developed by Gennova, Pune and
supported with seed grant under the Ind-CEPI mission of Department of Biotechnology of M/o
Science & Technology.

3. International Bharathi Festival

Context

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed International Bharathi Festival 2020 through video
conferencing which was organised by Vanavil Cultural Centre to celebrate the 138th birth
anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi.
 Scholar Shri Seeni Viswanathan received the Bharathi Award for the year 2020.
Subramanya Bharathi

 Popularly known as “Mahakavi Bharathi”, he was a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian
independence activist, social reformer and polyglot.
 He fought for the emancipation of women, against child marriage, stood for reforming Brahminism
and religion.
His work as a Journalist

 Bharati, as a young man began his career as a journalist and as a sub-editor in “Swadesamitran” in
1904.
 He brought out a weekly, “India” in May 1906. It declared as its motto the three slogans of the
French Revolution: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
 “India” was the first paper in Tamil Nadu to publish political cartoons
Strong willed social reformer

 Bharati was against casteism. He undertook several revolutionary measures challenging orthodoxy,
by adorning many Dalits in Tamil Nadu with the upanayana (sacred thread).
 Bharati advocated and ensured entry of Dalits into temples.
Champion of gender justice

 He visualised ‘woman’ as Shakti or Power. Bharati also brought out a front cover for the magazine,
“Chakravarthini”, in 1906, which focussed mainly on the empowerment of Indian women.
 He also advocated and campaigned for women to participate in politics, their rights and education.
Bharathi Award

 It was instituted in 1994 by Vanavil Cultural Centre.

 Every year it is being conferred on eminent persons who have done laudable service in any field of
social relevance and thus worked towards the fulfilment of Bharathi’s dreams.
4. PM SVANidhi

Context

 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a programme of Socio-Economic Profiling of PM

SVANidhi beneficiaries and their families
Details

 Under this, a complete profile of each PM SVANidhi beneficiary and their family members will be
prepared.
 Based on the profiled data, benefits of the various eligible Central Schemes would be extended to
them for their holistic socio-economic upliftment.
Background

 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is implementing Prime Minister Street Vendors
AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, with an objective to provide affordable working capital
loan up to ₹10,000 to Street Vendors for facilitating resumption of their livelihoods adversely affected
by the COVID-19 pandemi

5. Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians

 The Ramanujan Prize is given every year to young mathematicians less than 45 years of age who
have conducted outstanding research in a developing country.
 The Prize has been instituted by Department of Science and Technology (DST) in the memory of
Srinivasa Ramanujan, a genius in pure mathematics who was essentially self-taught and made
spectacular contributions to elliptic functions, continued fractions, infinite series, and analytical
theory of numbers.
 Researchers working in any branch of the mathematical sciences are eligible.
 The Prize carries a $15,000 cash award.
Context

 The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 has been awarded to Carolina Araujo,
Mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
a virtual ceremony
 Her work area focuses on birational geometry, which aims to classify and describe the structure of
algebraic varieties.
6. The draft Indian Ports Bill, 2020

Context

 Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways circulated the draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020 for public
consultation which will repeal and replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908.
Key Features

 It seeks to enable the structured growth and sustainable development of ports to attract investments
in the Port sector
 The proposed Bill will provide measures to facilitate conservation of ports, taking into account the
prevalent situation with respect to the high number of non-operational ports.
 It shall ensure greater investment in the Indian maritime and ports sector through the creation of
improved, comprehensive regulatory frameworks for the creation of new ports and management of
existing ports.
Significance

 The proposed Bill would ensure safety, security, pollution control, performance standards and
sustainability of Ports.
 The Bill ensures that all up-to-date conventions /protocols to which India is a party, are also suitably
incorporated.
 This will promote marine safety and security in the true sense.
 The Bill will fill up the gaps for achieving scientific development of Ports and Port Network.
 Enhancing “Ease of Doing Business’, it will provide greater impetus to a self-reliant domestic
investment climate in the maritime sector, towards Atamanirbhar Bharat initiatives of the
Government.