25-08-2021

25-AUGUST-2021

The Hindu News Analysis – 25th August 2021 – Shankar IAS Academy
S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T

1 Past Year Questions Discussions @ beginning of the video

2 Climate change, a catalyst for Arctic cooperation (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

3 The ugly face of a crime-fighting move (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

4 Caste counts (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

5 T.N. launches ₹100 cr. urban employment scheme 1 1 1 1 1

6 Rethinking a perk for players (OPED) 7 7 7 7 7

7 Mains Practice Questions

*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

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Prelims - 2016
Q. In the cities of our country, which among the following
atmospheric gases are normally considered in
calculating the value of Air Quality Index?
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 4 and 5 only
d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

CO
Pb PM10

NH3 AQI PM2.5

O3 NO2
SO2

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Prelims - 2016
Q. In the cities of our country, which among the following
atmospheric gases are normally considered in
calculating the value of Air Quality Index?
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 4 and 5 only
d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Prelims - 2016
Q. The Parliament of India acquires the power to
legislate on any item in the State List in the
national interest if a resolution to that effect is
passed by the
(a) Lok Sabha by a simple majority of its total
membership
(b) Lok Sabha by a majority of not less than two-
thirds of its total membership
(c) Rajya Sabha by a simple majority of its total
membership
(d) Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than
two-thirds of its members present and voting

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Prelims - 2016
Q. India’s ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business
Index’ is sometimes seen in the news. Which of
the following has declared that ranking
(a) Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD)
(b) World Economic Forum
(c) World Bank
(d) World Trade Organization (WTO)

Prelims - 2016
Q. A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity
is based on the biography of
(a) S. Ramanujan
(b) S. Chandrasekhar
(c) S. N. Bose
(d) C. V. Raman

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Pg: 6 – C, B, D, T, H;

Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international
importance.
 General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-
diversity and Climate Change - that do not
require subject specialization.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Source: Britannica
Development, Bio diversity, Environment,
Security and Disaster Management. Climate issues of Arctic
 Conservation, environmental pollution and
• World Climate and Security Report 20 20 - the Arctic is
degradation, environmental impact assessment.
warming nearly twice as fast as the rest of the planet.

• Arctic might see ice-free summers within next decade.

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Political issues of Arctic

• During cold war - vied to assert control

• Russia believes that through Barents Sea West
over the Arctic.
may threaten the security of Russia.
• In October 1987, Soviet Communist Party -
agreed to promote a ‘zone of peace’ in the
Arctic.

• Peace was broken in 2007 - Russian Arctic Council

explorers planted their flag near the North • Formally established in 1996.
Pole to assert Russian claims.
• Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
• Russia is trying to re-establish its Northern Sweden, the Russian Federation, and the United
fleet, creating security concerns - reflected States (8 Arctic states)
in the Norwegian foreign policy.
• Hq - Tromsø, Norway

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Why is Arctic popular?

• The region is believed to be rich in resources (oil, gas, rare earth and precious metals).

• Arctic presents a strategic alternative route for trade.

• Transport routes from Asia to Europe

through the Arctic are much shorter.

“Countries should shelf their parochial

interests and look beyond to save the
planet”

Pg: 6 – C, B, D, T, H;

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes,
limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management.
 Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal
security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
 Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

 Facilitates investigation of crime &

detection of criminals in a quick and

National Automated Recognition System (NAFRS) timely manner.

 Empower - Indian police with

• Helps in automatic identification and verification
information technology.
of a person.
 System - function as a national-level
• System compares - image source with selected
search platform.
facial feature of the image (existing crime and
criminal databases).  Identify a person of interest -
regardless of the person wearing face
 Used to identify missing children/persons, mask, makeup, plastic surgery, beard
unidentified dead bodies and unknown traced or hair extension.
children/persons.
• Cons of National Automated Recognition
System (NAFRS) -

 Technology - absolutely intrusive.

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Working of NAFRS
 System identifies or verifies only in
possibilities.
Computer algorithm maps shape of the
cheekbones, contours of the lips, distance from ⮚ For example, the system may identify a
forehead to chin (unique facial-landmarks) person as a criminal - looks 70% similar
to the person in the watch list.

 The risk of error and bias still exists -

Converted into a numerical code - faceprints due to modern machine-learning algorithms.

 Possibility of producing - ‘false positives’

- result in a wrongful arrest.
Purpose of verification and identification - the
 Profiling of some overrepresented groups
system compares faceprint generated with a
(such as Dalits and minorities) - in the
large existing database of faceprints.
criminal justice system.

 NAFRS lacks legitimacy (approved by ⮚ Right to privacy - the state may impose
the Cabinet Committee on Economic reasonable restrictions on the grounds of
Affairs in 2009). national integrity, security of the state, public
order, etc.
 System tracks on a mass scale -
everyone becomes a subject of  The judgment provided a three-fold requirement to
surveillance. safeguard against any arbitrary state action.

• K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India  First requirement - any breach on the right to
(2017) judgement. privacy requires the existence of ‘law’.

 Constitution of India does not  Second requirement - there must exist a ‘need’,
explicitly mention the right to privacy in terms of a ‘legitimate state interest’.

 Case recognised right to privacy as a  Third requirement - the measure adopted must be
precious fundamental right. ‘proportionate’ and it should be ‘least intrusive’.

⮚ No fundamental right is absolute.  NAFRS fails each one of these tests.

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Way forward

• Interest of civil liberties - impose a

moratorium on the use of facial recognition
technology.

• Statutory authorisation of NAFRS.

• Proper guidelines for deployment.

• Privacy laws can be made strong.

• Government should ensure Accountability.

Pg: 6 – C, B, D, T, H;

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
 Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-II
General Studies-I : Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
 Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
 Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes;
mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

New demand

• Castes to be enumerated as part of Census 2021 -

 No proper estimate for the
especially counting OBCs. population of OBCs, groups within it,
• Benefits: and others.

 Data on the governed important for drafting  Exact deprivation levels and
welfare policies and for effective governance. inequities suffered - not known.

 For substantiating claims such as  Existing reservation for OBCs -

Mandal commission’s 52%
 Status improved - Dalits, tribal communities and
population estimation - quite
other backward sections.
obsolete.
 Rise in their political representation and
participation in government jobs.

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• Drawbacks:

 Caste will become a fundamental

marker of identity of an
individual like in the colonial
period.

 Widening of social rifts.

 Will encourage Partisan politics

and vote bank politics.

Image source: https://ncert.nic.in/

Pg: 1 – C, B, D, T, H;

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News • Tamil Nadu’s urban population is

• Tamil Nadu has launched an urban wage employment 53% - more number of urban

scheme on a pilot basis. unemployed.

• Standing Committee report of

Need for the scheme
August 3, 2021 - imperative need
• CMIE survey: Nearly 20 million jobs were lost between
for putting in place an Employment
January-March 2020 and January-March 2021. Guarantee Programme for the urban

• Urban unemployment had hit workforce in line with MGNREGA.

around 18 percentage • TN gov committee headed by C

at the end of May 30 Rangarajan to assess the state’s
in India. economy - recommended an urban
employment scheme similar to
MGNREGA.

Source : Business line

TN Urban Wage Employment Scheme Advantages

• At a cost of ₹100 crore to improve the • Will reduce urban poverty.

livelihood of urban poor.
• Will improve the livelihood of the urban people
• Aims at providing employment to the urban who have been hit by the pandemic.
poor.
• Will supply human resources to the government
• To engage them in the creation and that is looking to expand the urban
maintenance of public assets like parks, play infrastructure.
fields, storm water drains, roads, buildings
• Will boost the urban economy.
and rejuvenation of water bodies.

• On pilot basis.

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Pg: 7 – C, B, D, T, H;

• Misfits.

• Government Jobs - only channel of entry -

Cons in appointments of athletes in competitive examinations.

government jobs • Needy should get into government services on

merit.
• Causes a bad impact on organisation and on
the sportspersons.
Alternatives
• Don’t have exposure to their professional
• Sportsperson can venture into business
requirements.
• Employ more sportsperson
• Lack training, exposure or experience.
• Set up academies to train sportspersons in
their field of specialisation & promote their
sport.

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• The Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority

of India could recruit them & utilise their
experience in centre and state level.

• Can become a good coach.

• Universities, colleges and schools could also

utilise their services better.

Practice Question – Mains

Practice Question – Prelims
GS – II
Q. “After independence, Union of India
decided as a matter of policy, not to
enumerate caste wise population other
than SCs and STs”. In light of the above
statement enumerate the pros and cons
of Caste-based Census.
(250 words, 15 marks)
GS – III
Q. Arctic has grown to occupy a special place
in the global strategic game. Discuss
(150 Words, 10 Marks)
Practice Question – Mains
GS-III
Q. Discuss different types of cybercrimes and
measures required to be taken to fight the
menace.
(250 Words, 10 Marks)

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