UPSC CSE Key – February 22, 2022: What you need to read today

Pegasus: Panel to probe spying charges submits its report to SC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures

• General Studies III: Basics of Cyber Security

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Pegasus Software? How does it work?

• How is Pegasus different from another spyware?

• What kind of devices are vulnerable and What information can be compromised?

• Types of Cyber Attacks

• Pegasus in India-What is the Controversy?

• Surveillance laws in India- Section 5(2) of The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, Section 69 of the Information
Technology Act, 2000, and Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and
Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009.

• Cyber Security in India- Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-IN), Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative, National Cyber Security Coordination Centre (NCCC), Cyber Swachhta Kendra, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Cyberdome (Kerala)

• Snooping and Surveillance in the name of National Security-Where to draw the line?

• Supreme Court of India on snooping and surveillance-People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) vs Union of India
case in 1996, Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951

• Justice Raveendran Committee Report

• Personal Data Protection Bill 2019-key Highlights

• Know about Parliamentary Privileges and Privilege Motion

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Proof of Pegasus use on phones, Cyber experts tell SC panel

📍 Explained: How Pegasus spyware infects a device; what data may be compromised

📍 NSO says criticisms ’hypocritical, denies violation charges

THE CITY

Under Delhi’s deshbhakti push, new school to prepare students for NDA

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Key Points to Ponder:

• ‘Deshbhakti’ project by Delhi Government-know about ‘Deshbhakti initiative’

• Sainik Schools and Sainik Schools Society under Ministry of Defence (MoD)-Know about them

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Lukewarm response from 13 states, UTs on Sainik School affiliation: Defence Ministry

DECISION 2022

The bicycle tale: how Mulayam, Akhilesh identified with it

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Electoral or Election symbol-why it matters?

• Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968-Key Highlights

• How Election Commission decides on party symbols?

• How many types of symbols are there?

• Powers of Election Commission to decide electoral symbol

• What are the Election Commission’s powers in a dispute over the election symbol when a party split?

• Election Commission of India-Powers, Functions, Vision and Mission

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: When parties split, how does EC decide who gets the symbol?

GOVT & POLITICS

Lalu gets 5-yr jail term, fined Rs 60L in fodder scam case

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Fodder Scam or chara ghotala case?

• Fodder scam: How it started

• What is the order by special Judge?

• What are the four other cases?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: Lalu Prasad Yadav’s conviction in 5th fodder scam case

📍 What is the fodder scam: A look at what all has happened since 1996

EXPRESS NETWORK

HC rejects Centre’s request for time, reserves verdict

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies General Studies I: Salient features of Indian Society, Social empowerment, Role of women and women’s organization

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Institution of Marriage-What is the Rationality behind the use of the word “Institution” with Marriage?

• Delhi High Court and Constitutional validity of the ‘marital rape immunity’-Background of the Case

• What is Marital rape immunity?

• Criminalisation And Non-Criminalisation Of Marital Rape-For and Against

• IPC Section 375 of Indian Penal Code and Exception 2 to Section 375 of Indian Penal Code

• Status of Marital Rape in India-Latest Data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

• “Doctrine of Coverture”, Article 14 and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and Exception 2 to Section 375 of
Indian Penal Code

• Justice Verma Committee Report and Pam Rajput committee’s report ‘Status of Women in India’ on Marital Rape

• United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on Violence against Women in India

• Government of India’s Stand on Marital Rape?

• Criminalization of Marital Rape-Does the law exists in other Countries?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 A history of the movement to criminalise marital rape across the world

📍 Explained: The debate over marital rape

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The Ukraine dilemma

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points to Ponder:

• India, Central Europe and Ukraine Crisis

• Map Work-Central European Countries

• Russia’s recognition of two Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine-Why this is a matter of deep concern?

• Six key takeaways from India’s statement on ongoing Ukraine Crisis

• Russia and Ukraine-Historic relations

• Know about 1991 Crimean sovereignty referendum

• 2014 protest in Ukraine and removal of Viktor Yanukovych -why?

• Minsk Agreements in 2015-key Highlights

• What Is Russia’s Demand? Why is Putin threatening war with Ukraine?

• Ukraine’s Strategic Position-Locate on Map

• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-About, Member Countries, Mandate and Headquarters

• Strategic Location of Crimea-why it matters to Russia?

• Ukraine, NATO, USA and Russia- where is this Heading?

• Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty (Collective Security)

• India’s stand in Current Ukraine Crisis

• India, Ukraine and Russia

• How India can help US and Russia to maintain ‘Peace’ in this Conflict?

• Understand the quote- “war (or the threat of war) is a continuation of politics (by other means)”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Kremlin: Russia will recognise 2 separatist regions in Ukraine

📍 Reading India on Ukraine crisis: 6 takeaways from New Delhi’s statement at the UN

EXPLAINED

Pandemic and endemic

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Understand the words-Pandemic and Endemic

• What Are the Differences Between Pandemics and Epidemics?

• What does endemic stage mean, and are we there yet?

• Does it mean India and world are safe now?

• How will control measures change if the disease becomes endemic?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Epidemic, Endemic, Pandemic: What are the Differences?

Apple, Google privacy moves: boost to user agency, data concentration

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What have Apple and Google done?

• What is the Privacy Sandbox?

• How do cookies work, in plain terms?

• How has Meta been hurt?

• How could these developments lead to further concentration of data?

• What is the Metaverse and Where Did the Concept Come From?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Explained: Why is Texas suing Facebook’s parent company Meta?

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