{"id":19131,"date":"2018-04-26T13:30:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T08:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=19131"},"modified":"2018-04-26T12:47:46","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T07:17:46","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-april-25-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-april-25-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 April 25, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.1) Introducing stringent punishments such as death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12, is not the answer to address the increasing sexual violence against women and children. It is the improvement of criminal justice system which should be taken into consideration. Analyse the statements. (GS \u2013 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, an ordinance was passed to provide stringent punishment to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The significant move came amid the nationwide outrage over the series of incidents of sexual assault of minor girls, like the one in Kathua.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>\u201crarest of rare case\u201d:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Death penalty in India is given for the rarest of rare cases. The criteria for a crime being \u201crarest of rare case\u201d has not been defined. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India also opposed a UN resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, as it goes against Indian statutory law and the sovereign right of every country to determine their own legal system. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, many countries refuse to handover indian fuguites because of the presence of capital punishment in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The following are the provisions of the ordinance:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rape of a child below 12 years: death sentence, imprisonment for life or a minimum sentence of 20 years. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rape of a girl below 16 years: minimum 20 years imprisonment but extendible to life imprisonment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gang rape of a girl below 16 years: imprisonment for life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investigation of all cases of rape should be completed within two months.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishment of more fast-track courts to deal with rape cases,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appointment of more public prosecutors<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Police stations to be equipped with special forensic kits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Consequences:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Awareness about the plight of children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Might act as a deterrent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social stigma attached to death penalty<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children would be more aware and vigilant<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speedy trial and justice<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way Forward:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certainty of the punishment rather than its severity should be focused upon. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a general lack of obedience to law because of the delays and the perceived corruption in the Judiciary. There is a need for judicial reforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The authorities should focus on carrying out proper investigations and legal processes so that the criminal does not escape due to loopholes in the law or for lack of evidence. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A simultaneous effort should be taken to sensitise the future generation about gender equality.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.2) What is Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)? Critically comment on its implications and provide a way forward. \u00a0(GS \u2013 3)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) was revoked in Meghalaya and restricted in parts of Arunachal Pradesh after 27 years. The AFSPA gives power to army and central forces deployed in \u201cdisturbed areas\u201d to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without Centre\u2019s sanction. As per Section 3 of the AFSPA, it can be invoked in places \u201cwhere the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary.\u201d Tripura withdrew AFSPA in 2015 .In 2017, \u00a0Home Ministry gave up its power and asked the Assam government to take a decision on continuing AFSPA in the State. At present, AFSPA is enforced in Manipur,Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Recent Changes:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1)The Centre has revoked The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2)In Arunachal Pradesh, the impact of AFSPA has been reduced to eight police stations instead of 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and Changlang districts bordering Assam.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3)Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland has been reduced. The PAP will be valid for five years, but residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will not be allowed to visit these areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Against AFSPA:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy committee(2004-05), appointed to review AFSPA, recommended repealing of the Act.It said that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 should be modified to clearly specify the powers of the armed forces and the Central forces.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) Rights groups in the north-east and Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA as they claim the law gives &#8220;sweeping powers&#8221; to the security forces to act against civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) Irom Sharmila recently ended her 14 years fast and took to the democratic route of elections to work towards repealing AFSPA<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why insurgency in the North East?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Multiple insurgent groups with varied demands<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) Porous international borders provide arms and ammunitions and escape route<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) Connected to mainland through a narrow siliguri corridor<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4) Difficult terrain<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5) Lack of infrastructure<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Terrorism in the rest of the country:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Maoism in the red corridor<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 2) Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, similar to AFSPA is in place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3)Sporadic terrorist incidents throughout the country- for example: 26\/11 Mumbai attacks, attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, Amarnath Yatra attacks in 2017 etc<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Implications:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1)Focus on development in the areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2)Increased trust of people on the government<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3)Resources allocated to infrastructure<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4)Peace talks with insurgent groups<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5)Withdrawal in other areas if positive changes take place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Way Forward:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Experience has shown that AFSPA has only been counterproductive. Constant presence of armed forces has led to hostility and misuse of power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) A recent enquiry by the Supreme Court revealed that all the encounters were fake and carried out to achieve personal ends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) AFSPA \u00a0hinders development and alienates people. The recent act is a step in the right direction. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4) It should be supplemented by various efforts to bring about socio-economic development of the region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5) Community people should be roped in to reduce and tackle terrorism so as to bring about inclusive growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Home Ministry should timely conduct a \u201csecurity audit\u201d in the Northeast and chalk out a plan to reduce the number of Central armed police force personnel deployed there and state police must be entrusted responsibility for regular law and order and patrolling duties. This will help in gradual withdrawal of AFSPA act and ensuring peace and security in disturbed areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.3) Write short notes on:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>a) \u2018Columbian exchange\u2019 in History<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Columbian Exchange was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries, related to European colonization and trade following Christopher Columbus&#8217;s 1492 voyage. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invasive species, including communicable diseases, were a byproduct of the Exchange. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term was first used in 1972 by American historian Alfred W. Crosby in his environmental history book The Columbian Exchange. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Significance: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The changes in agriculture significantly altered and changed global populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most significant immediate impact of the Columbian Exchange was the cultural exchanges and the transfer of people between continents.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new contact between the global population circulated a wide variety of crops and livestock, which supported increases in population in both hemispheres.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traders returned to Europe with maize, potatoes, and tomatoes, which became very important crops in Europe by the 18th century.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>b) Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NITI Aayog has recently launched the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), on the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day today.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Salient features: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) aims to address the bottlenecks faced by both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs by streamlining information across government and private sector schemes and initiatives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It builds an ecosystem for women across India to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale-up innovative initiatives and chalk-out sustainable, long-term strategies for their businesses. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The platform aspires to substantially increase the number of women entrepreneurs who will create and empower a dynamic New India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These aspirations are manifest in the three pillars on which WEP is built: <\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ichha Shakti<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to start their enterprise), <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gyaan Shakti<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (providing knowledge and ecosystem support to women entrepreneurs to help them foster entrepreneurship) &amp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Karma Shakti<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs in setting-up and scaling up businesses).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WEP is to operate within a broader framework of industry collaborations and partnerships, which cut across sectors in the economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From providing unique services such as credit evaluation of women-led startups by CRISIL and potential equity investments through an INR 10 crore fund established by DICE Districts, the WEP opens up avenues of growth and opportunity for women entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives Q.1) Introducing stringent punishments such as death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12, is not the answer to address the increasing sexual violence against women and children. It is the improvement of criminal justice system which should be taken into consideration. Analyse the statements. (GS \u2013 1) Introduction:&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-april-25-2018\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 April 25, 2018<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mains-marathon-answers","category-public","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/pen-paper-laptop.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704869043},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}