Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 27, 2023. If you missed the June 26, 2023 UPSC key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE We don’t need to do much to take back PoK, says Rajnath Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Monday asked Pakistan to focus on problems back home, saying that India does not need to work much to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He was referring to Pakistan’s reaction to the joint US-India statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. The statement read: “They (Biden and Modi) strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks.” • Map Work-Pakistan occupied Kashmir • How much of Kashmir is occupied by Pakistan? • When did Pakistan occupy Kashmir? • What is Gilgit Baltistan? • What is the administrative status in Pakistan occupied Kashmir? • Instrument of Accession and Jammu & Kashmir-Connect the dots • Why is PoK important for India? • What is Line of Control (LOC)? • What is Line of Actual Control (LAC)? • If Line of Actual Control is a boundary between China and India, then what is McMahon Line? • Map Work- Line of Control and Line of Actual Control • India-Pakistan Relations-Know the Historical Background • “A strong, stable and peaceful Pakistan is in India’s interest”-Elucidate • The current unrest in Pakistan could present a new challenges to the already strained relationship between India-Pakistan? • The current unrest in Pakistan can put a damper on hopes for effective regional cooperation and commerce in South Asia-Discuss • “The unrestrained powers and insatiable avarice of Pakistan’s ‘deep state’ are to blame for the majority of the country’s internal problems and subsequent instability”-How far you agree? • “Pakistan is undeniably under the grip of escalating domestic insecurity and massive economic woes”-What is happening in Pakistan? • “Geoeconomics” rather than geostrategy between India and Pakistan-Comment • What makes peace elusive between India-Pakistan in present scenario? • Current events shaping India-Pakistan Relations-What are they? • Major ‘changes’ in Indian diplomacy in the last eight years of New Delhi’s towards Pakistan-What is that ‘Change’? • How diplomacy worked under former prime minister of India’s like PV Narasimha Rao, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh’s in the context of Pakistan? • Do You Know-Ties between India and Pakistan have nosedived over the past eight years. In August 2015, India had extended an invitation to Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz. But the visit was called off after the then External Affairs Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj, asked Aziz to desist from meeting the Hurriyat in India. The last External Affairs Minister to visit Pakistan was Swaraj in December 2015 for the Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad. Subsequently, bilateral ties deteriorated with the terrorist attacks in Pathankot (January 2016), Uri (September 2016) and Pulwama (February 2019). And they hit a nadir with the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, which led to downgrading of diplomatic ties, suspension of trade and review of arrangements, and a halt on all cross-border bus and train services. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, parts of J&K under Pak occupation 📍US Senate resolution for underlining backing India on McMahon Line: What is the McMahon Line? 📍Chaos in Pakistan, caution in India Centre directs opening of supply lines in Manipur, PM chairs meet Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. • General Studies III: Linkages between development and spread of extremism and Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security • General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned home after visiting the United States and Egypt, chaired a high-level meeting Monday in which the Centre decided to ensure distribution of essential resources including petrol and cooking gas in Manipur as part of measures to return normalcy in the state roiled by ethnic violence. • Sources said a decision to expedite the process of ensuring regular supply of fuel and LPG cylinders was taken at the meeting-How this step will ensure normalcy in Manipur? • “The changing nature of violence in the state”-What sort of changing nature of Violence is pointed out here? • Manipur Violence-What is the story so far? • Which are the major communities residing in Manipur? • There are many immediate triggers for the ongoing clashes-What are they? • “Ethnic conflict is caused by the fear of the future, lived through the past.”-Decode the quote • What do you understand by the term ‘ethnic violence’? • What is the cause of ethnic violence in Manipur? • What was the triggering factor that escalated to so much violence in Manipur? • Collective fears of an ethnic group about their future, based on past memories, incite mobilisation and violence. This is the situation that is playing out in Manipur-How far you agree with the same? • Regrettably, on the ground, the emphasis has been on short-term conflict management practices-What sort of short-term conflict management practices? • Long-term conflict management practices and short-term conflict management practices for Manipur-what is the way ahead? • For Your Information-According to the D.S. Hooda (retired General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian army’s Northern Command), the immediate need is to control the violence. It may take some time, but the security forces will ultimately prevail through their coercive power, and when people see that the destruction being caused will eventually hurt them. But whenever calm returns, the state must not pat itself on the back for managing the situation but revitalise efforts towards long-term conflict resolution. The state must re-establish its authority and become the leading arbitrator in resolving differences between ethnic groups. This will require a credible political leadership perceived as neutral by all communities. Politicians cannot ignore their individual identities but should avoid acting like ethnic activists and stoking polarisation. The leadership must also be conscious that statements that appear to target minority communities increase fear and could provide incentives for violence. An honest attempt must be made to find answers to identity — social, economic, aspirational — and resource-sharing issues troubling different communities. In the sharply divided atmosphere in the state, the Centre will have to take the lead in assuaging the local communities. The failure of the peace committee formed in the state indicates that reconciliation could work better through external intervention by New Delhi. The all-party meeting held on June 24 is a positive step. It should be taken forward in an endeavour to get a bipartisan political approach to resolving the Manipur crisis. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Manipur Violence Explained: Kuki vs Meitei Conflict, Biren Singh Govt’s Role, Army Action 📍P Chidambaram writes: Incompetence, Injury & Insult 📍The big picture in Manipur 📍In 10 yrs of Meitei ST demand, repeated pleas to state, Centre EXPRESS NETWORK Madras HC: Caste to play no role in appointment of temple priests Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Main Examination: General Studies I: Salient features of Indian Society Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- The Madras High Court on Monday said in an order that “pedigree based on caste” will have no role to play in the appointment of temple priests, and that the only criteria for such appointments would be how well-versed a person is in religious texts and rituals. • What exactly Madras High Court said? • For Your Information-The apex court differentiated between the religious portion and the secular portion, and held that the religious service by an Archaka is the secular part of the religion and the performance of the religious service is an integral part of the religion. Therefore, the prescription provided by the Agamas gains significance only when it comes to the performance of the religious service. Ex consequenti, any person belonging to any caste or creed can be appointed as an Archaka provided he is well-versed and an accomplished person in the Agamas and rituals necessary to be performed in a temple,” the order said. • But, what’s the case? • For Your Information-One Muthu Subramania Gurukal had filed a writ petition in 2018, challenging a job announcement for the post of Archagar/Sthanigar (temple priest, also known as Archaka) in Sri Sugavaneswarar Swamy Temple, Salem. He argued that appointments must follow the specific Agama (scriptures governing temple rituals) principles adhered to by the temple, and that the job advertisement infringed upon the hereditary right of the petitioner and others, who, according to the petition, have been rendering their services at the temple under a line of succession from time immemorial. • What is Caste? • How Caste is different from ‘Jana’ and ‘Jati’? • What is Varna? • How Varna is different from Caste? • What are the evils of the caste system in India? • How did Caste System originate in India? • What are the occupation based on caste in India? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Sabarimala still an elusive dream for Kerala’s OBC and Dalit priests THE IDEAS PAGE Transforming the bank Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-N K Singh Writes: Multilateralism, as the most transparent and preferred mode of international cooperation, has been undergoing constant evolution in scope, dimension, and outcomes. Depending on the context, the term evokes mixed responses. The current debate on the reforms of multilateral development banks (MDBs) is a subset of the wider debate on the value, content and scope of multilateralism. In recent years, the restructuring of MDBs has received increasing attention. In his address to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the relevance of MDBs and the need to reform them. • What is a multilateral development bank? • What are the examples of multilateral development banks? • What is the role of multilateral development banks in financing? • How a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Works? • What is IMF? • What is World Bank Group? • What is the difference between IMF and World Bank Group? • Do You Know-At the end of WWII, delegates from 44 countries met in Bretton Woods to agree upon a series of new rules for international cooperation and reconstruction. This led to the creation of the IMF and World Bank Group (WBG). The latter was responsible for providing financial assistance for the post-war reconstruction and economic development of the less developed countries. The role evolved over the years and as of date, the WBG comprises the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) which lends to low-and middle-income (LICs and MICs) countries, the International Development Association (IDA) that lends to LICs, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that lends to the private sector, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) that encourages private companies to invest in foreign countries and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for dispute settlement. While the WBG is the oldest and the largest MDB, over the years, several other MDBs and regional development banks (RDBs) have emerged. Today, there are about 15-16 prominent MDBs and RDBs. • “Over the years, notwithstanding far-reaching geopolitical changes, economic crises and uncertainties, MDBs have remained relevant as credible institutions to support the development of both MICs and LICs”-Elaborate • “The new challenge is to broaden the mandate and vision to address the challenges of transboundary issues and the opportunities connected with climate change”-Discuss Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Multilateral Development Bank (MDB): Types And Examples A friendship in the making Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-Navdeep Suri writes: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Egypt on June 24-25 is the culmination of a series of carefully calibrated initiatives taken by India over the last year or so. These include the decision to invite Egypt, along with UAE and Oman, as India’s special guests to the summit and to the scores of other events being organised during our G20 presidency. • India and Egypt-Know the historical background • “This kind of sustained engagement is vital because our bilateral ties over the last four decades have meandered without a clear sense of direction despite sporadic and well-meaning attempts by either side to inject some energy and purpose”-Why Egypt is important for India? • For Your Information-Egypt’s population of 110 million makes it the largest country in the Arab world, its importance enhanced by a geopolitical location astride Asia and Africa and by the presence of the Suez Canal as a crucial artery of global commerce. It has the largest standing army in the region, hosts the headquarters of the League of Arab States and has an extensive diplomatic footprint that enables it to punch above its weight. It may not share India’s position on UNSC reform but there is a strong convergence on fighting religious extremism and terrorism. For Egypt, India is both an old friend and a new rising power, a potential source of both technology and investment and a desirable partner in a multipolar world. The decision to confer PM Modi with the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest award, should also inject an intangible feel-good factor into the political calculus. • What is Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE)? • Egypt occupies a very special place in the Muslim world-Elaborate • Do You Know-Egypt occupies a very special place in the Muslim world and Cairo’s Al Azhar University, founded during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th century is widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious institution for Islamic learning. It is the leading centre for Islamic jurisprudence and many of its alumni go on to become ulema in countries across Asia and Africa. Over the last decade and especially after the demise of the short-lived Muslim Brotherhood government in 2013, Al Azhar has played a key role in countering the half-baked theological doctrines spouted by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. But Al Azhar also has students in regular faculties like commerce, engineering, medicine, etc., and India has done well to establish a Centre for Excellence in IT at the hallowed campus as part of an MoU that was signed during my time in Egypt in 2013. • “Dawoodi Bohra community traces its heritage the 11th-century mosque of Al Hakim in old Cairo”- Who are the Dawoodi Bohras? • What are the similarities of Egypt and India? • ‘Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals’-What common goals? • Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jawaharlal Nehru and Non-Aligned Movement-Connect the dots • ‘Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent’-Know the data and figures regarding the same • India, Egypt and Global South- Connect the dots Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India, Egypt sign pact on strategic partnership as Modi, El-Sisi hold talks EXPRESS NETWORK Himachal landslides: over 300 roads closed, thousands stuck Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-At least nine people were killed since Saturday and thousands of people were stranded near Mandi as heavy rain threw life out of gear in Himachal Pradesh. About 4,000-5,000 vehicles remained stuck on the Kiratpur to Manali four-lane highway near Mandi in Himachal Pradesh owing to landslides since Sunday evening. • What according to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are the causes of landslides in Himachal Pradesh? • What is Landslide? • What causes Landslides? • What are the types of landslides? • Know the Landslide-Prone Areas in India and mark them on Map • The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and national landslide susceptibility mapping-connect the dots Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Dealing with deluge EXPLAINED RANI DURGAVATI GAURAVYA TRAIN MP: WHO WAS THIS GOND QUEEN Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: History of India Main Examination: General Studies I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh launched the six-day Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra on Thursday (June 22) and marked June 24 – when the queen is believed to have died while fighting the Mughals in the mid-16th century – as a day of sacrifice. • Who was Rani Durgavati? • For Your Information-Rani Durgavati is said to have been born in 1524, in Mahoba’s Chandela dynasty. The region comes under present-day Uttar Pradesh, near the southern border with MP. Her father was Raja Salbahan of Ratha and Mahoba, and the Chandelas were known for building the famous Khajuraho temples in the 11th century. She was later married to Dalpat Shah, the son of the Gond King Sangram Shah of the kingdom of Garha-Katanga. This kingdom included the Narmada Valley and parts of northern MP. It was first welded together by Sangram Shah and is noted as one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Gond tribe. Durgavati, however, was widowed in 1550, a few years after her marriage. Her young son Bir Narayan presided over the throne in name and she then “ruled the country with great vigour and courage.” Historian Satish Chandra, in his book Medieval India, describes her as a good marksman, skilled at using guns, bows, and arrows. It was noted at the time that she was so intent on hunting tigers that “whenever she heard that a tiger had appeared she did not drink water until she shot it.” • Which Mughal emperor attacked on Garha-Katanga? • Legacy and present-day politics-Know in detail • What is the history of Gonds of Madhya Pradesh? • Who was the founder of Gond dynasty in Madhya Pradesh? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Who are the icons Madhya Pradesh is honouring as part of its tribal outreach programme? Assam delimitation draft: What it proposes, why it has led to protests Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Last week, the Election Commission (EC) released a draft delimitation document for Assam, proposing a change in boundaries of several Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies of the state. The proposal has run into controversy in Assam. While the ruling BJP has welcomed it for “protecting indigenous interests”, Opposition parties like the AIUDF, which represents the state’s Bengali-origin Muslims, are unhappy, alleging that the draft divides voters on religious lines. The proposed boundaries also threaten the electoral futures of some sitting legislators and parliamentarians, who now may lose their constituencies. • What is delimitation, why is it being done in Assam? • What are the highlights of the proposal? • How was the process carried out? • Why has it run into controversy? • Will it affect anything else? • Who conducts delimitation and how is it done? • What is Article 170 of Indian Constitution? • Delimitation Commission of India and Delimitation Commission Act-Know in detail • Delimitation Commission-Members, Power and Independence • Delimitation commissions in the past (1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002)-Know in brief • Present Status-The delimitation will be done on the basis of the 2001 Census, as mandated by Article 170 of the Constitution. The delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam was last conducted in 1976. While the last round of delimitation was done for the country starting in 2002, the exercise was suspended for Assam due to security concerns and demands that it should not be done till the National Register of Citizens was finalised. In March 2020, the Centre notified a Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. A year later, the Centre extended the term of the Delimitation Commission by a year, but excluded the Northeastern states from its mandate. • Do You Know-Delimitation Commissions have been established exactly four times in India’s history: in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002. The delineation was absent following the 1981, 1991, and 2001 Censuses. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍EC releases draft delimitation proposal for Assam, reserved seats increased ECONOMY Centre approves `56,415 crore to 16 states for capital investment Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Main Examination: General Studies III: Government Budgeting Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-The Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry has approved capital investment proposals of Rs 56,415 crore for 16 states in the current financial year 2023-24, a finance ministry statement said Monday. With an intent to tap into a higher multiplier effect of capital expenditure by frontloading the spending by states, the amount has been approved for 16 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal. • What is ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’ Scheme? • The continued push for capital expenditure or capex by Centre, especially for states, is significant-Why? • What is capital expenditure or Capex? • What are the types of capital expenditures? • What is the difference between capital and revenue expenditure? • How does capital spending help the government produce more revenue if it is related with investment or development spending? • What role does capital spending have in the Indian economy? • “Experts said better certainty for states’ revenue flow in terms of growth in tax collections and devolution from the central pool has worked in favour of higher capital expenditure by states”-What do you make of this statement? • Do You Know-The approval has been given under the scheme titled ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’. The scheme, which was announced in the Budget for 2023-24 in continuation of a similar push for capex from the last three years, special assistance is being provided to the state governments in the form of 50-year interest free loan up to an overall sum of Rs 1.3 lakh crore during the financial year 2023-24. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Budget signal from states for FM: Capital spending gets boost For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com The Indian Express UPSC Hub is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates.
