Brief of newspaper articles for the day bearing
relevance to Civil Services preparation
- GS PAPER 1
- Gorbachev: Both reviled and revered in Russia {World History}
- GS PAPER 2
- Crucial meetings await Parrikar on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue {Foreign Policy}
- Colleges that don’t comply with sexual harassment norms may lose recognition {Governancet}
- Engaging Obama {Foreign Policy}
- Bridging the South China Sea divide {Foreign Policy}
- Are parties misusing symbols, asks PIL {Polity}
- India, U.S. to share data on terrorists {Foreign Policy}
- India joins The Hague Code of Conduct {Foreign Policy}
- GS PAPER 3
GS PAPER 1
[1] Gorbachev: Both reviled and revered in Russia
Issue
- Mikhail S. Gorbachev is both admired and criticized in Russia.
Who is Mikhail S. Gorbachev?
- Soviet political leader,
- General editor of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)
- President of the Soviet Union (1990–1991),
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1990).
| Admirers | Critics |
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GS PAPER 2
[1] Crucial meetings await Parrikar on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue
Context:
- There will a High level meeting On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4.
- There will be defence minister of India, France and US for the meeting.
- Our defence minister will address security summit.
Meetings:
- India and France: Minister will review the progress of negotiations for direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
- India US: Finalisation of the text of the Logistics Support Memorandum of Understanding.
On the sidelines of summit:
Our defence minister will meet his counterparts from Singapore, Canada, Japan and Switzerland.
Later after the summit defence minister will Visit Vietnam:
- Hanoi from June 5-6.
- Aim of the meet:
- To deepen the ongoing military cooperation.
[2] Colleges that don’t comply with sexual harassment norms may lose recognition
Context:
- If Universities and colleges will not comply with a new set of regulations to curb sexual harassment on college and university campuses will face action that could include withdrawal of grants given by the University Grants Commission or even de-recognition.
- UGC guidelines to be followed in all institutions of higher education.
New set of regulation:
- It defines what constitutes sexual harassment.
- It ranges from physical contact to verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.
- Give protection on the campus even from a visitor to the institution
- It lays down the procedure to file a complaint and the punishments to be meted out.
- Institutions have to set up an internal complaints committee.
- Which have at least half the women members.
- No administrative official — like Vice-Chancellor or Registrar — will be its members.
Consequences of non compliance:
- Withdrawal of declaration of fitness to receive grants under section l2 B of the UGC Act, 1956;
- Removal of its name from the list maintained by the Commission.
- Withholding of allocated grant
- Can be declared ineligible to be considered for special assistance programmes of the Commission.
Other penalties
- Informing the public that the institution lacks a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment.
- Recommending withdrawal of university affiliation to a college
- Withdrawal of the deemed university status or, in the case of a State university, asking the State government to withdraw the status.
[3] Engaging Obama
Issue
- India-US relations
Context
- PM Modi’s upcoming visit to US on June 7, 2016.
Possible positives,both for bilateral relations and, especially for India
A precedent will be set
- Summit level meeting (meetings of head of State or government) have been held in 2014, 2015 and this year’s visit will ensure that the US president and the Indian PM meet each year.
Major decisions are expected
- Generally, the US president takes major decisions in the final year of office.
- It is expected that India will press the US President to look after its concerns (South Asia, Russia and Iran).
Opportunity to meet US business leadership
- US is the primary source of FDI in India.
- Through this visit, it is expected that if American corporates are taken on board for more
- FDI, they can influence other corporates worldwide
- It will start a chain reaction, and India will benefit from such competition.
Needed a Push in technology and innovation
- US is the primary source of technology and innovation.
- We need something like Silicon Valley visit of 2015,which can leapfrog development and raise the scale of job generation.
Defence Technology
- US plays a key role as a defence technology and equipment provider for India.
- We need to engage the US president to expedite the defence cooperation agenda.
- India has to raise its military capability and defence preparedness as China is building up its military capability on our border.
Trade Policy
- India is not in TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) or APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation).
- India have to be pro-active on trade policy.
- If we will not take initiative in the trade area, then we will be left out of world markets.
- Investment and trade go together, so Make in India will not become a hit until and unless we find markets for our goods.
Addressing the Joint Houses of Congress
- Prime minister will address the joint houses of Congress.
- US Congress has huge influence on US policy.
- So, a favourable US Congress is beneficial for India.
Conclusion:-
- Rationale is set, benefits:tangible or intangible are known.
- Let us hope PM Modi once again deliver on the foreign policy front, just like he has been doing this for the past couple of years.
[4] Bridging the South China Sea divide
Issue
- South China Sea.
Context
- The article is written by Chinese ambassador to the US,who has asked for bridging the South China Sea divide, and has shown China’s readiness to work in a constructive manner in this area.
South China Sea from China’s perspective
- The issues in the South China Sea revolve around territorial and maritime jurisdiction.
- China believes it is doing nothing more than maintaining and defending legitimate territorial claims and maritime rights.
- It has done construction activity on area which is under its control, and that too for civilian purposes( navigation and rescue services, emergency relief, scientific research and environmental protection).
- There are limited defence facilities, but they do not represent a “militarization” of the area.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS), from China’s perspective
- Philippines has initiated an international arbitration and has asked China to abide by (UNCLOS).
- According to China. the convention does not cover sovereignty and territorial issues and the very subject of the arbitration is territorial sovereignty.
- So, it will therefore neither participate nor accept the arbitration, for it maintain that the tribunal has no jurisdiction in this realm.
China’s take on US with regard to UNCLOS
- US seeks to use against China a UN convention that it itself has refused to ratify.
- The US has used “freedom-of-navigation” operations to challenge the very concept as it was defined by the convention, believing treaty provisions would restrict its navy’s ability to move freely around the world.
Bridging the gap
- China has long called for peaceful and direct negotiations with relevant claimant states to manage and eventually resolve the South China Sea disputes.
- The region should not become a competing ground for China and the US.
Rather, all sides should work for cooperation in this region and beyond.
Work in a constructive manner
The recent statements and military deployments by the US have the effect of escalating tension in the region and, if not curbed, risk the very militarization the world wish to avoid.
China and US have major differences, but they also share important interests, including
- maintaining regional peace and stability,
- supporting freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, and
- resolving disputes through peaceful negotiations and diplomatic dialogue.
China is ready to work in a constructive manner and it hopes that the US will demonstrate the same spirit as well.
[5] Are parties misusing symbols, asks PIL
Issue
- A petition has been filed asking from the court refrain the recognised political parties from the use of reserved symbols as they violated the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Contention behind the Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
- A “symbol” was “reserved” for a recognised political party exclusively to be “allotted” to “contesting candidates set up by it” during a notified election and in the area where the elections are notified.
- A candidate cannot use a reserved symbol before he/she files his/her nomination papers.
- Recognised political parties have been misusing the symbols for their private purposes as their trademark.
- But the law prescribes that the symbols may be reserved in the name of parties but are allotted to the contesting candidates, only for the period of notified election, and not to any association [party]
- This discriminated against the Independent candidates, and “violates the doctrine of Free and Fair elections and Article 14 [Right to Equality].
Questions raised from this PIL
- Have recognised political parties in India been illegally using election symbols all this while?
- Are they actually authorised to use election symbols reserved for them during and beyond the period of the elections?
Response of the Election Commission (EC)
- There is no information available as to whether the symbol reserved for a political party can be used or not beyond the period of notified or contested election.
[6] India, U.S. to share data on terrorists
Context:
- India has agreed to join the Global Terror Database which is being maintained by the Terrorist Screening Centre of the U.S.
What is Global Terror Database?
- A global terror database is like a consolidated list of terrorists which will include their biometric details along with the other details of those known or reasonably suspected of being involved in a terrorist activity.
What does this agreement entail?
- By signing the agreement both the sides agree to provide each other access to terrorism screening information i.e information about known and suspected terrorists of each country subject to domestic laws and regulations.
The same proposal was rejected earlier
- In April this year, India had made a decision not to join this agreement as RAW had huge concerns over providing an unhindered access to the US to the database of terror suspects in India.
Bearing of such an agreement
- Terrorism has become a rampant evil globally, especially in the last few years. Such agreements would help keep an eye on suspects and could help in avoiding major terror attacks in the future.
[7] India joins The Hague Code of Conduct
Context:
- India joins the Hague code of conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC)
What is the Hague Code of Conduct?
- Hague code of conduct is an international, voluntary and legally non binding agreement whose aim is to regulate the access to ballistic missiles which are capable of deliver the weapons of mass destruction
- It was established on 25th November, 2002
How does HCoC work
- The code does not ask for destruction of any missiles. It is just an agreement between the countries on how they should conduct their missile trade.
Conclusion
- Agreements like HCoC are a welcome step towards stalling the proliferation of nuclear weapons which are a global security threat to peace.
GS PAPER 3
[1] ‘Target low value items in electronics policy’
News:
- NITI Aayog’s recommendation to boost manufacturing of electronic products in the country.
Recommendations:
- India should not “shun low value addition per unit. If produced on a large scale, low value addition per unit still translates in a large total value addition and large number of jobs.”
- Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) and the Department of Revenue should work to end tax uncertainty and they should simplify the tax regime.
- Clarify in writing the tax liabilities to producers of electronic products under different circumstances in full detail.
- Eliminate tax exemptions.
- Rollout GST (Goods and Services Tax).
- Exports to be subjected to zero taxes.
- Modify preferential market access policy of DeitY to allow preference in government procurement, especially in the area of defence.
- The preferential market access policy mandates all state departments, organisations and agencies to procure at least 30 per cent of their equipment from the domestic market.
Aayog’s recommendations to stimulate exports:
- Aayog suggested to substitute imports by offering a ten-year tax holiday to anyone investing about $1 billion and creating around 15,000 jobs in the electronics industry.
Objective of this substitute strategy:
- To expand the production of electronic goods in the short-term.
- This will ensure world market in electronics which is now considered as unipolar with china being at the center
- To nurture domestic industry.
[2] Reserve Bank tells lenders to expedite cyber security policy
News:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told commercial banks to ‘immediately’ put a cyber security policy.
- It should be approved by their board.
Reason behind new policy:
- Number, frequency and impact of cyber incidents/attacks had increased multifarious in the recent past.
New policy includes:
- Setting up an adaptive incident response, management and recovery framework mainly to deal with adverse incidents/disruptions, if and when they occur.
- Formulation of a Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) which should be a part of the overall board-approved strategy.
- It should address the following four aspects—Detection, Response, Recovery and Containment.
Cyber security policy should be distinct and separate from the broader IT policy/IS Security policy:
Why?
- So that it can highlight the risks and measures to address or mitigate these risks.
[3] Singapore Arbitration Centre to open India office
Context:
Singapore International Arbitration Centre has decided to set up a representative office in Gujarat International Finance Tec- City (GIFT)
What will this arbitration centre do?
- This arbitration centre would resolve the commercial disputes which emerge from various sectors (insurance, construction,shipping etc.)
- This would mean that the disputes arising would not go into courts and thus, less time would be spent on resolving them. These disputes would be settled between the aggrieved parties themselves and they would be represented by their lawyers in front of the arbitrator.
Method Followed
Method followed will be Arb-Med-Arb.
What is Arb-Med-Arb
- Arb-Med-Arb is a process where a dispute is referred to arbitration before mediation is attempted. If the parties are able to settle their dispute through mediation, their mediated settlement may be recorded as a consent award.
- If the parties are unable to settle their dispute through mediation, they may continue with the arbitration proceedings.
GIFT City
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[4] Railways to stop footing bill on passenger travel concessions
Context:
- Indian railways has decided not to pay for the various concessions it provides from its own pocket.
- It instead wants that the concerned ministry should be reimbursing the spent money to the railways.
Analysis:
- Indian railways has been providing various concession to the needy sections of the society,which come under the ambit of social service obligations.
- However, since the railways is paying for this from its own pocket, it is losing out a lot of money (Rs. 1500 crore approx.)
- Railways wants that the ministries should pay them back the amount being spent on concessions.
- For example the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment should reimburse the money spent on concessions given to senior citizens. Similarly, Ministry of Home Affairs should reimburse the concessions given to freedom fighters.
These out of pocket concessions are a huge burden on the already cash strapped Indian railways, thus, making the operation unviable.
Conclusion
The target of increasing the passenger earnings by 12.4% in the year 2016-17 can only be achieved if such out of pocket concessions by railways are minimized and the ministries pay back what they take.
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