Defence and security

CURRENT AFFAIRS 8 feb

Vaccine card selfie

Issue
Experts are warning that the information on the celebratory photo might
make us vulnerable to identity theft or scams.

Background
Individuals have been displayed a photo of their vaccine card on social
media to celebrate vaccination process.

Details
 Scammers can sometimes figure out most digits of individual’s Social
Security number by knowing date and place of birth, and can open new
accounts in their name, claim tax refund for themselves and engage in other
identity theft.
 Scammers and identity thieves often collect information gradually,
going through social media posts to collect a file on a person’s life,
including education, employment and vacation spots.
 While a name and date of birth is not all an identity thief would need
in most cases to steal identity, putting those details in plain sight makes it
easier.
 A scammer could exploit the anxiety over vaccine shortages or a slow
distribution process by masquerading as a government official claiming to
need a credit card number to reserve another dose or booster.
 One concern is that the cards could be forged or replicated if
vaccinated status starts to function as a commodity that gives people access
to jobs, restaurants or events.

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Defence and security
CURRENT AFFAIRS 8 feb

 A vaccination card that has been made public could also be the used
for elaborate social engineering or phishing ideas.

NOTES

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Defence & Security
CURRENT AFFAIRS 15 feb

Ladakh disengagement deal

Issue
Indian and Chinese military have reached a consensus on disengagement in
northern shores of Pangong Tso in Ladakh.

Background
Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a standoff in Ladakh since
the past ten months.

Details
 As of now, the disengagement process seems restricted to the north
and south banks of Pangong Tso.
 The process has started with the pulling back of certain columns of
tanks from the south bank region by both sides.
 At the moment, there is no pullback of troops from the friction points
and the heights they are positioned on. That will happen in a phased and
verified manner.
 China will pull its troops on the north bank towards the east of Finger
8. Similarly, India will also position its forces at its permanent base at the
Dhan Singh Thapa post near Finger 3.
 Both sides have also agreed that the area between Finger 3 and Finger
8 will become a no-patrolling zone temporarily, till both sides reach an
agreement to restore patrolling.

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Defence & Security
CURRENT AFFAIRS 15 feb

 All the construction done by both sides on the north and south banks of
the lake since April 2020 will be removed.

Strategic importance
 It is in the south bank of the lake that Indian forces in an action in late
August had gained strategic advantage by occupying certain peaks
 It is one of the areas where the Chinese troops had come around 8 km
deep west of India’s perception of the Line of Actual Control.
 Indian troops had positioned themselves on heights of Magar Hill,
Mukhpari, Gurung Hill, Rezang La and Rechin La, which were unoccupied by
either side earlier.
 The Chinese side had been worrying as these positions allowed India to
not only dominate Spanggur Gap, which is a valley that can be used to
launch an offensive, as China had done in 1962. It also allows India a direct
view of China’s Moldo Garrison.
 After this action India had also re-positioned its troops on the north
bank to occupy heights overlooking Chinese positions on the north bank as
well.

Hurdles for permanent solution

Neither side had been willing to take the first step to reduce their troop or
military strength, as it does not trust the other side.

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Defence and Security
CURRENT AFFAIRS 25 feb

Karbi insurgency

Issue
Militants belonging to five groups of Karbi Anglong district ceremonially laid
down arms in Assam.

Background
The surrendered militants comprised cadres from five outfits — Karbi People’s
Liberation Tiger (KPLT), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK),
Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and
United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA).

Details
 Karbi insurgency has a long history in Assam. They have been involved in
killings, ethnic violence, abductions and taxation since the late 1980s.
 These outfits originated from a core demand of forming a separate state.
Today, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous
district council, protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

History
 The Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People’s Force (KPF)
came together to form the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) in
late 1990s.
 In November 2011, UPDS gave up arms and signed a tripartite
memorandum of settlement with the Centre and the government of Assam,
settling for enhanced autonomy and special packages for the KAAC.

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Defence and Security 25 feb
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Significance of surrender
 This means that all insurgent outfits of Karbi Anglong district have now
been brought into the mainstream.
 It also means a decline in influence of Naga militant outfits in Assam.
With this surrender a huge number of weapons have come overground.
 The developments come a year after a peace and development
agreement was signed with multiple Bodo militant outfits.

Karbi tribe
 The Karbis were mentioned as the Mikir in the Constitution Order of the
Government of India and Assam till 1976.
 The Karbis linguistically belong to the Tibeto-Burman group. The Karbis,
along with other similar tribes others, entered Assam from Central Asia.
 Most of the Karbis still practices Animism with their cultural and
traditional influences. There are also Karbi Christians.
 The Karbis celebrate many festivals. Among them, Hacha-Kekan,
Chojun, Rongker, Peng Karkli, Thoi Asor Rit Asor and Botor Kekur are some
such festivals.
 Botor Kekur is celebrated to request God to grace the earth with rain so
that the crops could be sown.

NOTES

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