Brief of newspaper articles for the day bearing
relevance to Civil Services preparation
- GS PAPER 2
- India, Kenya to deepen security ties {Foreign Policy}
- 300 Indians stranded in Juba as civil war reignites {Foreign Policy}
- Ceasefire declared after fierce fighting in Juba {International}
- A law unto itself {Polity}
- GS PAPER 3
- Committee to consider increasing MSP for pulses {Economy}
- Calming the Valley {Security}
- Organizing for urban governance {Infrastructure}
GS PAPER 2
[1]India, Kenya to deepen security ties
Context
India and Kenya have signed 7 pacts in wide ranging areas thus strengthening their co-operation.
News
- The pacts signed cover a range of areas including defense and security and avoidance of double taxation.
- India has also offered $44.95 million line of credit (LoC) to Kenya for development of small and medium enterprises and textiles.
- On the front of terrorism both sides have agreed that it is a common challenge. Both have agreed to deepen their cooperation in cyber security, combating drugs and narcotics and human trafficking.
- Maritime security assumes special significance as in the field of security cooperation, both sides have agreed closes ties in maritime security.
- India has also agreed to open a cancer hospital in Kenya.
- In the field of trade India is Kenya’s largest trading partner and second largest investor. But there is still a lot of scope for broaden this engagement.
[2]300 Indians stranded in Juba as civil war reignites
Issue
- Indians stranded in South Sudan because of civil war.
Why there are tensions in South Sudan?
- South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011 after years of fighting. The new nation’s independence was championed by the U.S. — its success seen as an exercise in democracy.
- However, tensions quickly emerged between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar. The country descended into chaos in 2013 after Kiir accused Machar of attempting a coup.
- Both sides have since been accused of committing atrocities in the ensuing conflict, which has killed thousands.
- The U.N. and international organizations have warned of an impending humanitarian crisis, with the threat of starvation looming as fighting has blocked the delivery of aid to many parts of the country.
How serious is the fighting?
- Pretty bad. The army has split and there have been clashes around the country.
- The current fighting between soldiers loyal to Mr. Kiir, a member of the Dinka tribe, and former rebels backing Mr. Machar, a Nuer, was triggered by a deadly altercation at a checkpoint on Thursday night.
- That was followed by hours of violent confrontations on Friday evening that left “over 300 soldiers” dead.
- There have also been mass killings along ethnic lines, even though both Mr Kiir and Mr Machar have prominent supporters from the other’s community. Forces backing Mr Machar have seized the key town of Bentiu, capital of the oil-producing Unity State.
- The country is awash with guns after the decades of conflict and there is a history of ethnic tension, which politicians could whip up if they believe that could help them gain, or remain in, power.
What is being done?
- Under international pressure, the two sides signed a peace deal in May in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The deal paves the way for a permanent ceasefire followed by the formation of a transitional government, the drafting of a new constitution and, eventually, fresh elections.
- A previous truce, agreed in January, collapsed in acrimony, with a swift resumption of hostilities.
- The latest accord is also fragile, but increasingly urgent. Aid agencies have warned that the country faces severe food shortages and potential famine if relief supplies remain blocked and if displaced farmers are prevented from returning home.
- There are also fears that a reduction in oil production could have repercussions on world markets. Many foreign nationals have been evacuated.
- The UN, which has more than 7,500 troops on the ground and has requested reinforcements, has promised it will not abandon civilians. However, experts say its forces will not be able to prevent violence across such a vast territory.
Conditions of Indians
- Fleeing the fight between the heavily armed rival factions divided on ethnic lines, Indians have taken refuge at various locations, including the Embassy of India.
[3]Ceasefire declared after fierce fighting in Juba
Issue
- South Sudan civil war
Ceasefire ordered by South Sudan’s President
- President Salva Kiir’s ceasefire order has raised hopes of an end to four days of deadly fighting between the army and ex-rebels.
- Riek Machar, the country’s Vice-President and a former rebel, also called on troops loyal to him to stop fighting.
UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)
- The United Nations, meanwhile, expressed deep alarm over days of violence between the army and ex-rebels, which has left several hundred people dead and threatens the young nation’s shaky peace.
- UNMISS said “more than 7,000 people” had sought shelter at two compounds in Juba while fighting.
- UNMISS compounds are caught directly between the fighting and continue to sustain impacts from small arms and heavy weapons fire.
[4]A law unto itself
Issue
- Case for repeal for AFSPA.
- Already discussed, refer to earlier article, Ending impunity under AFSPA
Additional Points:-
Immunity under AFSPA
- The court also holds that in such cases, where the use of force is excessive or the encounter itself not genuine, there is nothing which precludes a criminal investigation and inquiry under ordinary criminal law.
- Both the Army Act, and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), allow for an inquiry to be conducted before a judicial magistrate for crimes committed by the personnel of the force while on duty.
- The general nature of the CrPC is that it applies to all crimes under the Indian Penal Code unless otherwise excluded.
- In the present case, it is Section 6 of the AFSPA which precludes any prosecution, suit or legal proceeding against personnel of the security forces.
- The court holds that if the deaths of civilians are unjustified, there is no question of blanket immunity as under Section 6 and that there cannot be impunity where loss of human life is concerned
Conclusion
- The scheme, then, seems to be that in case of killings carried out in disturbed areas by the security forces, an inquiry must be conducted into all cases to determine whether the killing was justified or not.
- If it is held not to be, then the personnel involved do not enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution.
GS PAPER 3
[1]Committee to consider increasing MSP for pulses
Context
To control the rising prices of pulses, centre is thinking to increase the Minimum Support price for pulses so as to encourage more production by farmers.
Analysis
- A committee headed by Chief Economic Advisor, Arvind Subramanian would suggest the increase in MSP for Pulses so that it acts as a boost for farmers for growing the crop,
- The govt has also decided to boost the buffer stock of Pulses from 8 lakh tonnes to 20 lakh tonnes.
- The government has is also looking to have agreements with major pulse producing nations so that imports become easy in case of shortage.
- The production of pulses this year is likely to touch 20 million tonnes as agains 17 million tonnes of last year. This increase in production will pull the prices down.
[2]Calming the Valley
Context
The recent killing of Burhan Wani- 22 years old commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has sparked a protest in the Kashmir valley. Young men and women have come out on the street to fight against the security forces and the entire valley is fraught with tension.
Analysis
- The protest ensuing the killing of Burhan wani has lead to many casualties in Kashmir. Such violence is a threat not only for the people but also for the security forces as it is targeted against them.
- These protests in Kashmir are nothing new and have happened many a times in the past also. Time has come that the government must do something more rather than just persuading the separatist leaders and opposition to dissuade the youngsters from violence.
- Instead of having a dialogue with the leaders the govt. must initiate a dialogue with such youngsters.
- Efforts must be made to listen to their arguments and then finding the way out to deal with them. Instead of dissipating them with tear gas and pellets which is a temporary calm anyways, efforts to engage them must be found as a large term solution.
[3]Organizing for urban governance
Issue
- Suggestions by the author for better urban governance.
Combining portfolios
- Both the housing and the urban development ministries should be headed by a single minister.
- The government that will be elected in 2019 should combine the two ministries at the centre with one secretary in charge of both the housing and the urban development portfolios.
- Further, an officer of the rank of additional secretary should be given charge of metropolitan areas, given the scale of complexity in such cities is different from that of non-metros.
Include experts from the academia
- Most often, policies crafted by bureaucrats are riddled with paradoxes because of their limited understanding of urban issues.
- Joint secretaries with separate charge of housing, civic services, land and development office, capacity building and reforms, and poverty alleviation, should be supported with a series of expert advisers from the private sector, the academia, and the government, who understand the vexing political economy of urban reforms and can help guide policymaking.
- It’s essential to bring in qualified talent—both laterally and through the ranks—to help address issues and to draft policies while understanding the trade-offs being made, and actively involving citizens and civil society in the process.
Entrech mayors in the political hierarchy
- Rarely have mayors risen to high ranks within political parties in India.
- While the mayor is the leader of the political executive of the municipal corporation, this is largely a ceremonial position.
- The powers are vested in the municipal commissioner who runs this administrative body and, in most instances, is an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer.
- Mayors are often subjected to rotation by political parties, and only occasionally is a mayor allowed to complete a full term.
- Campaigning for city elections is most often led by the state unit leader of political parties that lack strong democratic processes to choose and nominate local leaders who fight from the front.
- Moreover, rarely do entrants aspire for the mayoral job as a way to rise within the party ranks.
- On the other hand, in China, succeeding in a mayoral job is the route to climb within the party ranks.
- As India urbanizes rapidly, the political parties will be well served by according importance to this job, allowing mayors to complete a full term, and using this position as a training ground for leaders to ascend to state- and national-level politics.
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