9 PM Daily Brief – 19 February 2016

Brief of newspaper articles for the day bearing
relevance to Civil Services preparation

What is 9 PM brief?

• GS PAPER 1
  1. Gay rights are human rights – {Human Rights}
  2. Neanderthals, humans interbred earlier than thought – {Human evolutiom}
• GS PAPER 2
  1. Supreme Court vacates status quo in Arunachal – {President’s Rule}
  2. Belgium keen on joining ‘Clean Ganga’ drive – {Bilateral Collaboration in Government Schemes}
  3. ‘Strengthen peacekeeping under U.N. to counter new threats’ – {International Organisations}
  4. Ministry moots National Social Security Authority – {Social Security}
  5. Turkey’s Syria Challenge – {International Affairs}
• GS PAPER 3
  1. CCI orders probe against Monsanto joint venture – {Science & Technology}
  2. India must try to profit from ‘Industry 4.0’– {Niche Manufacturing}
  3. Cabinet approval for trade facilitation pact ratification– {Trade Pact – WTO}
  4. Not just bad debts – {NPA – Banking}
  5. India’s failed diplomacy at the WTO– {Trade Pact – WTO}
  6. Make in India and Renewable energy – {Renewable Energy}
  7. ‘WhatsApp came in handy during Hudhud relief work’ – {Science & Technology and Disaster Management}
  8. Iphone access: tech companies bat for privacy– {Science & Technology}
  9. LED bulb could connect you to internet– {Science & Technology}
• Prelims Facts

---

GS PAPER 1

---

[1]. Gay rights are human rights

The Hindu

Context:-

Curative petitions regarding the Supreme court Judgement on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer)have been referred to a Constitution Bench with observations by Chief Justice of India (CJI) .

Significance:-

The issues sought to be raised are of considerable importance and public interest.

Chronology:-

Naz Foundation case:-

• Delhi High Court delivered its judgment on July 2, 2009 (Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar) decriminalising Section 377 in the case of consensual adult sex in private in the Naz Foundation
• It was held that Section 377 violated Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
• It brought human rights of LGBTQ people in line with international legal norms applied in Europe, the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Fiji among others.
• It opened up a new world of dignity, privacy and equality for them.

Koushal case:-

• Supreme Court judgment inSuresh Kumar Koushal(Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya) reversed the Naz Foundation
• It diminished the high standing of Indian human rights jurisprudence.
• It ignored a long line of the ECHR( European convention on Human Rights) judgments.
• It exhibited a total disconnect with the expanding horizon of human rights.

National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India :-

• Judgment delivered by the Supreme Court (Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and A.K. Sikri) on April 15, 2014  recognised a third gender status for transgender people and their fundamental rights as human beings.
• The underlying reasoning of this judgment is wholly inconsistent with the Koushaljudgment
• A Constitution Bench is essential for resolving this conflict.

The curative jurisdiction

Curative jurisdiction of the Indian Supreme Court can be invoked

• when there is a denial of natural justice
• a person who is not a party is adversely affected
• a person who is a party is not served
• the judge is biased
• to prevent abuse of its process
• to cure a gross miscarriage of justice

It is neither advisable nor possible to enumerate all the grounds on which such a petition may be entertained.

Conclusion:-

The reference of the curative petitions to a Constitution Bench is the first step in the right direction.

Quote:-

“I see no reason why I should be consciously wrong today because I was unconsciously wrong yesterday”

Other facts:-

December 10^th Human Rights day.

[2]. Neanderthals, humans interbred earlier than thought

The Hindu

Context:-

Neanderthals may have been mating with modern humans 100,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought

Significance:-

It shows human DNA in a Neanderthal genome, rather than Neanderthal DNA in human genomes

Other findings:-

People of European, Eurasian and Asian descent have well-identified Neanderthal-derived segments in their genome.

Contemporary Africans, however, do not have detectable traces of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes.

This indicates that whatever sexual contact occurred between modern humans and Neanderthals occurred among humans who left the African continent.

---

GS PAPER 2

---

[1]. Supreme Court vacates status quo in Arunachal

The Hindu

The Supreme Court withdrew its order to maintain status quo in crisis-ridden Arunachal Pradesh.

This may pave the way for government formation by rebel Congress MLAs with the support of BJP lawmakers.

[2]. Belgium keen on joining ‘Clean Ganga’ drive

The Hindu

Context:-

Belgium is keen on taking part in the “Clean Ganga” campaign.

Technology:-

They have a technology not only to clean sewage water but also to produce electricity out of it.

Challenges:-

• cleaning up the actual pollution
• preventing pollution

Other talks:-

Require a business-friendly climate with good regulations and a good legal system.

A predictable tax regime for investors

To diversify its trade with India in the diamond business, which contributes to a large part of the bilateral trade

[3]. ‘Strengthen peacekeeping under U.N. to counter new threats’

The Hindu

Context:-

India’s Defence Minister earlier spoke about sending troops to fight the IS in Syria.

India has said in UN that it recognises the need for “flexibility” on international anti-terror operations if they are backed by U.N. authorisation.

UN Panel:-

HIPPO (High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations) report is aimed at countering international terror groups.

Recommendations:-

“Ad hoc coalitions authorised by the U.N. Security Council” can undertake counter-terror operations with the intention of peacekeeping and peace-enforcement.

This has expanded the scope of counter-terror operations.

Ad hoc coalitions authorised by the U.N. Security Council”, has opened up possibilities of India’s participation in foreign anti-terror operations to safeguard “Indian interests.”

India’s stand:-

Recommendations will be implemented after “cost-benefit analysis” for India.

India is one of the largest troop-contributors to the U.N. peace missions.

Needs a flexible agenda.

No intention of sending troops to Syria now.

It cannot ignore the crisis due to the presence of more than six million remittances-generating Indian citizens in various Arab countries.

Any action in that direction will have to factor in the fate of the 39 Indians who are missing in Iraq since June 2014.

[4]. Ministry moots National Social Security Authority

The Hindu

Whose idea: The Labour Ministry

What idea:  National Social Security Authority

Chairperson: Prime Minister

What else: A separate Social Security Department within the ministry

Why: To provide social security to the entire population.

Role of the authority:-

• To formulate the National Policy on Social Security
• To co-ordinate the central and state level programmes
• To ensure that the objectives of the policy are achieved within the time frame prescribed

Role of the department:-

It will provide to the body

• policy inputs
• secretarial services

Trigger:-

Trade unions have announced fresh nationwide protests on March 10 against the government’s anti-labour policies.

Four tire system:-

• covers the entire population of the country
• both formal and informal sector workers
• a common Social Security Code.
• Current social security programmes and schemes can be “strengthened” and universalised.

First tier– destitute and people below the poverty line, social assistance programmes for the first tier shall be based on tax revenue.

Second tier-Workers in the unorganised sector who may be covered under a subsidised scheme and the

Third tier – workers who can, with the help of employer, can make contribution to the schemes.

Fourth tier -People who are comparatively affluent and can make their own provisions for meeting contingencies or risks as and when arise.

What is social security?

• It provides retirement and insurance benefits to employees working in factories or other establishments.
• The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a statutory body established by the government of India, administers the social security regulations in India.

[5]. Turkey’s Syria Challenge

The Indian Express

Ankara(Turkey’s Capital) can’t win against Moscow. It should instead focus on helping refugees.

The Syrian conflict is entering its sixth year.

1. The destruction, displacement and violence have reached a new level since the Syrian regime, with Russian airpower, began advancing north towards the Turkish border.
2. This advance has cut aid routes to opposition groups and civilians

Ever-growing list of challenges for Turkey:

1. managing the rising number of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
2. The war has already displaced more than half of Syria’s population and 4.5 million refugees are registered in neighbouring countries.
3. Their numbers in Turkey have surpassed 2.5 million and the government  had spent more than $10 billion caring for them while getting less than half a billion dollars from the international community.
4. Government has finally authorised work permits for refugees.
5. It created considerable resentment among locals .
6. Turkey is also under pressure from the EU to stop the flow of refugees to Europe.
7. More people are trying to make it to Greece across Aegean Sea.
8. Anti-immigrant and Anti-Muslim feelings are strengthening the political right in Europe, complicating Turkey’s relations with the EU.
9. Turkey criticised Washington for failing to take a stand against Russian attacks on civilians while cooperating with the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) that it considers a terrorist organisation closely associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
10. The US working closely with PYD as the only reliable ally against the Islamic State (IS) and accuses Ankara of not doing enough to defeat the IS.
11. Turkey faces a Russia seeking retribution for the downing of its warplane last November.
12. Moscow has imposed costly economic sanctions and banned Russian tourism to Turkey.
13. Turkey lost its export markets in the neighbourhood, aggravating Ankara’s economic difficulties.

Suggested Action:

1. Ankara’s priority should be to prevent itself from being sucked into a military adventure.
2. Ankara should continue to prioritise alleviating the suffering in Syria and helping refugees. Such an endeavour would earn Turkey international goodwill and influence.

---

GS PAPER 3

---

[1]. CCI orders probe against Monsanto joint venture

The Hindu

Context:- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought a probe into a joint venture of Monsanto.

Who – Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Ltd (or MMBL)

Why?

• A prima facie case of abuse of dominant position against the firm regarding supply of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds exists.
• Charged unreasonably high trait fees for Bt cotton seeds even higher than what is determined by state governments.
• Sub-licensing agreements with the Indian seed manufacturing companies arealso anti-competitive under the Competition Act.

What is trait fee?

Value for the trait of insect resistance conferred by the Bt gene technology.

Royalty or trait fee is supposed to be based on the R & D investment.

[2].India must try to profit from ‘Industry 4.0’

The Hindu

Context:-

India has to be ready to approach a fourth industrial revolution, ‘Industry 4.0.’

Industry 4.0:-

• Age of advanced manufacturing, composite materials, quantum engineering, 3D printing and.
• New face of industries globally.
• This will disrupt established sectors, from transport to construction.

Concerns:-

India’s manufacturing companies could easily fall behind their global counterparts.

• Patents from the U.S. and the UK outnumber new Indian technologies over ten to one.
• India does not have the scale of higher education and vocational training that the U.S. and Britain enjoy

Fix:-

• Open up its higher education sector and allow foreign universities to open campuses.
• Develop the skills to support manufacturing growth.
• Encourage universities and industry to work together in the area of research and development

[3]. Cabinet approval for trade facilitation pact ratification

The Hindu

Context:-

Cabinet has approved a proposal for ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of World Trade Organization (WTO).

Cleared the proposal to set up a National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF).

Objective:-

• Eases customs rules for expediting global trade flow of goods.
• Enhance Ease of Doing Business

 What is TFA?

Contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.

Sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.

Contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.

The WTO member-countries in November 2014 adopted a “protocol of amendment” to incorporate the TFA on goods in the overall WTO Agreement.

Dissent:-

Ratifying the agreement so early could lead to India losing a bargaining chip to secure its interests.

That includes finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes and a mechanism to safeguard poor farmers from sudden import surge of farm products

[4]. Not just bad debts

The Indian Express

For public sector banks, a comprehensive reform of structures and processes can no longer be delayed.

Supreme Court  directed the RBI to share with it the names of defaulters who owe more than Rs 500 crore and continue to lead a “lavish lifestyle”

RBI mandated to declare NPAs in PSBs balance sheet. This sharply reduced profits in the latest round of quarterly earnings.

In the absence of long-pending structural reforms, the PSBs have more to contend with than mounting NPAs.

Challenges faced by PSB currently:

1. Rapid technological changes are sweeping the financial services sector.This is represented by new applications such as Paytm, which has become the largest mobile wallet in the country within a few years, and handles greater transaction volumes than any other bank.
2. Greater competition induced by the RBI in the shape of more banks and a more differentiated pattern of banking.
3. Historically, India has been conservative in introducing new banks. But in the past one year with the introduction of 23 new banks, including universal, payments, and small banks.

Do the PSBs have the staff, the top- and middle-rung managers, to devise a counter-strategy?

1. This is the most important threat looming over the PSBs.An estimated 87 per cent of general managers (GMs), 65 per cent of deputy GMs and 50 per cent of assistant GMs would retire in the current financial year.

Why Fresh recruitment is a challenge?

1. Reduced profitability of the PSBs
2. Inability to hire laterally
3.  Comparatively poorer remuneration

Without a structural overhaul, the ongoing clean-up may lead to disaster.

[5]. India’s failed diplomacy at the WTO

The Livemint

India has repeatedly failed to protect the domestic food security agenda.

Cabinet approved the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) two days back.

Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)

1. The agreement is to reduce administrative barriers at ports and customs,
2. Reducing transactional costs of international trade
3. Increasing global gross domestic product by $1 trillion.
4. TFA empowers members to impose trade sanctions if 10 percent cap is breached;

This has found greater consensus between developed and developing economies than most WTO issues manage.

India’s concern:

But India has played spoiler—until now. The link between the TFA and India’s food security that led to New Delhi using the former as a bargaining chip may have been broken, but the underlying issue remains

1. The core issue is India’s public stockholding programme for food security.
2.  The price support mechanism this entails falls into the WTO’s so-called ‘amber’ box
3. 10 percent cap is calculated based on 1986-88 prices when the prices of food grains were much lower.
4. US’ massive agricultural subsidies, implemented via direct payments to farmers, fall into the WTO’s permissible green box but places India’s domestic and international commitments at amber box(US give $4500 as subsidy against india which gives $ 200)
5. India managed to win an indefinite extension of the peace clause; however, that is not a long-term option.
6. The conditions attached to the clause have not been dropped and it bars the expansion of the food security programme to new areas.

Signing TFA now has reduced our bargaining power in WTO.

[6]. Make in India and Renewable energy

The Livemint 

Renewable energy’s job-creation potential is significant. But what is needed is skilling.

India’s Target :

Renewable energy target of installing 175 gigawatts (GW) capacity by 2022 .

1. 100 GW of this would come from solar power
2. 60 GW from wind energy
3. 10 GW from small hydro power
4. 5 GW from biomass-based power projects.

India’s Action:

1. The renewable energy seminar held during the Make in India Week on 15 February .
2. International Solar Alliance.

Present Status:

India’s total installed renewable energy capacity stands at close to 28GW, nearly 22% of the colossal target.

What is needed ?

1. need for a skilled workforce
2. India needs to create 10 million new jobs every year to meet employment demand

Estimation :

1. Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimate that more than 1 million jobs would be created by the solar deployment industry by 2022.
2. The wind sector would create 183,500 jobs by 2022

Suggestions:

1. Skilling for research and product development would be essential for scaling up the manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines.
2. There is a synergy between the Start-up India initiative and the country’s renewable s energy targets.
3. ISA can bring more innovation in this field. (SDG 17^th goal is International Cooperation)

[7]. ‘WhatsApp came in handy during Hudhud relief work’

The Hindu

Context:-

A group of engineers used Whatsapp as for taking up restoration works after a Hudhud cyclone.

It was a category 4 cyclone, which devastated Visakhapatnam and other north coastal districts in October 2014

What was done?

A group post Hudhud created

Became functional three days after the calamity struck

It acted as main tool of communication for information sharing between the officials concerned, including the District Collector.

How was it done?

• Location of road breach and a short explanation of the problem was shared.
• The person responsible for the area responded with a message stating how long it would take to clear the block.
• Requests for tools and JCBs were also posted
• Once the problem was redressed along it was shared with a photograph of the restored site.
• most of the roads were functional within three to four days
• Whole department worked to provide its services through messaging system without any meetings and formal orders.

Idea:-

Social media and pre-designed apps are effective when written reports and formal meetings are not required.

[8]. Iphone access: tech companies bat for privacy

The Hindu

Context:-

Federal court in US ordered Apple to help unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a December mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Response from tech companies:-

Apple’s chief executive, Timothy D. Cook warned of far-reaching implications beyond the case.

Law enforcement demands to hack customer devices and data “could be a troubling precedent.

Technology companies should not be required to put “back doors” — the equivalent of a tech entryway (place for entering something) — into their products.

[9]. LED bulb could connect you to internet

The Hindu

Context:-

• LED bulb -access point for connecting to the Internet
• Ordinary light – medium to carry data.
• It is called Li-Fi (or Light-Fidelity)
• Li-Flame, described as the world’s first true Li-Fi system,
• Disruptive technology

Advantages:-

Larger spectrum:-

RF (radio frequency) spectrum would not be enough considering the rate of growth of wireless data communication.The visible light spectrum was much larger.

Interference:-

Overcomes network disruption because of interference.

Easy access:-

Access to internet with access light.

Allows users to move from one light source to another without losing their network connection.

Limits leakage:-

Light being restricted by walls provides more security to the network and eliminates the risk of the signal leakage to eavesdropping.

Shortcomings:-

Inability of light rays to pass through walls and similar structures

Light needs to be on at night for accessing internet.

---

PrelimsFacts

---

[1]. Five new ‘hot Jupiters’ discovered

They orbit very close to their host stars.
Planets are designated WASP- 119 b, 124 b, 126 b, 129 b and 133 b

[2]. Pilot testing of bedaquiline drug on TB patients to start soon – Bedaquiline drug -for combating multidrug- resistant TB
[3]. Microsoft testing Skype integration with Aadhaar – Microsoft is trying to integrate Aadhaar as a factor of authentication with its video-calling service Skype.

[4]. Now, a novel propeller for Mars expeditions – Plasma — an energetic state of matter in which electrons and charged atoms called ions coexist

[5]. 2,000 turtle eggs find their way to hatcheries

Sea turtle conservation project -under Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park has collected about 2,000 turtle eggs and shifted them to two hatcheries.

How?
By deploying watchers and ‘special turtle walkers’ to identify and protect the nests along the coastline.

Why?
Project was launched in 2014
To protect turtle nests from predators such as stray dogs and crabs and the hatcheries were set up last year.

Species:-
Five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mannar region

• Olive Ridley-Vulnerable
• Green- most common in gulf of mannar- Endangered
• Loggerheads- vulnerable
• Leatherheads- vulnerable
• Hawksbill – critically endangered

Who are turtle walkers?

Volunteers go to beaches in early morning to find crawl markings that indicate a new nest has been laid  and report stranding (dead or injured turtles).

[6]. Creating space for tigers a long-drawn-out process

Context:-

Villages are relocated to create sanctuary space for tigers in Amrabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.

Compensation:-

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has said that each family may choose either Rs. 10 lakh as monetary compensation, or five acres of land, a house and cash incentive for moving out of the sanctuary’s core area.

Obstacles:-

Scarcity of Revenue lands matching the size.

Alternative:-

• Purchasing land at market price
• Diversion of forest land which could be occupied after being de-notified

Kawal tiger reserve:-

• Adilabad district
• Telengana
• Declared Kawal wildlife sanctuary as tiger reserve in 2012
• from the sahyadri hillranges to the Tadoba forest in Maharashtra
• one of the richest Teak forests in the State
• River Kadam flows through .
• Dry Deciduous Teak Forests mixed with Bamboo
• Teak trees in the forest have come under Termite attack.

Amrabad tiger reserve:-

• Largest tiger reserve in the country
• Earlier part of Nagarjunasagar – Srisailam Tiger Reserve

---

By: ForumIAS Editorial Team

---