Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for November 3, 2023. If you missed the November 2, 2023 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Difficult to accept voter has no right to know source of funding: SC to Govt Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance Main Examination: General Studies II: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- Reserving its judgment on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Electoral Bond Scheme-2018, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court said Thursday it is “slightly difficult to accept” the government’s contention that voters do not have the right to know the source of funding of political parties. • What Supreme Court exactly said? • “slightly difficult to accept”-In what context Court said this? • What are the rights for Voters in India? • Voters Rights In India and Voting Rights in India-Draw the comparison between the two • “Government’s contention that voters do not have the right to know the source of funding of political parties”-Do you agree with the same? • Why Electoral Bonds are necessary? • What Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) data says about Electoral Bonds? • Do you think that the Electoral Bond Scheme is arbitrary, unconstitutional and problematic? • What determinations need to be made about the constitutional legitimacy of the electoral bond scheme implemented by the Centre? • For Your Information-Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, presiding over a 5-judge Constitution Bench hearing petitions challenging the validity of the scheme, said, “The problem with the scheme is that it provides for selective anonymity It’s not completely anonymous. It’s not confidential qua the SBI (the bonds can be purchased only from SBI). It’s not confidential qua the law enforcement agency. So, a large donor would never take the risk of buying the electoral bonds for the purpose of tendering it to a political party.” “All that the large donor has to do is to disaggregate the donation, get people who will purchase electoral bonds with small amounts which will be then purchased by official banking channels, not through cash,” he said. • What are electoral bonds? • Why were electoral bonds introduced? • What has the court ruled previously? • What remains to be decided now? • What has the ECI’s stance been? • What has the Centre’s stance been? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Can’t disclose identity of electoral bond donors to protect citizen’s right to privacy, Solicitor General tells SC 📍What are electoral bonds, how has govt defended them, what Supreme Court has to decide THE CITY WHAT’S IN CAPITAL’S AIR? SMOKE, DUST AND A DOSE OF FUMES Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- For the first time this season, Delhi’s air quality plummeted to hit the ‘severe’ category on Thursday. A cocktail of factors — low wind speed and intrusion of smoke from stubble burning — added to the impact of local emissions. This resulted in the air quality consistently worsening through the day from an average of 351 at 10 am to touch 402 at 5 pm. By 9 pm, it had deteriorated further to 418. Pollutants suspended in the air gave the city a sepia tint, keeping visibility poor all day. • Delhi’s air quality plummeted to hit the ‘severe’ category-What happened exactly? • What is the AQI and how does it calculate pollution? • Do You Know-AQI is a number, which is a measure of air quality. The higher the AQI, the worse the air. On Friday at 9 am, the AQI in Delhi was at an average of 471. A day before, the air quality plummeted to hit the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season with the AQI breaching the 400 mark. The colour-coded AQI index was launched in India in 2014, and it helps the public and the government understand the condition of the air and what subsequent measures are to be taken to combat the situation, based on its severity. There are six categories of AQI, namely ‘Good’ (0-50), ‘Satisfactory’ (50-100), ‘Moderately polluted’ (100-200), ‘Poor’ (200-300), ‘Very Poor’ (300-400), and ‘Severe’ (400-500). Launched by the central government in 2014 as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign, the AQI was to help simplify the common understanding of pollution. An expert group comprising medical professionals, air quality experts, academia, advocacy groups, and others was constituted and a technical study was awarded to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur and the Expert Group recommended an AQI scheme. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, part of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the AQI transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour. The pollutants measured include PM 10, PM 2.5, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon, etc. There is a calculation that goes behind the index. There are six or eight pollutants in the affected air and each of these pollutants is given a weight based on a formula. That weight depends on the kind of impact it has on human health. The worst of these weights is given as composite air quality, so instead of giving you six different numbers, and six different colours, it throws up one single colour, one single number to denote the overall impact. Monitoring stations across the country assess these levels. • What is the impact of these pollutants? • Invoking Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) also banned non-essential construction activities and imposed restrictions on certain categories of vehicles-What is Stage III of the graded response action plan (GRAP)? • Why Delhi pollution is in news this time? • What are the factors and other reasons for Air pollution in Delhi? • Geographical location of Delhi is also one of reason for air pollution-comment • What are the different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories under Graded Response Action Plan? • What are the different stages under Graded Response Action Plan? • Has GRAP helped? • What was the Supreme court’s verdict in M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India (2016) regarding air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi? • Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)-Know in brief • Is Commission for air quality Management statutory body? • System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) Project-Know in brief • What is the framework developed by SAFAR to forecast air quality in Delhi? • How does the AQI influence government policy? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Delhi chokes on pollution: What is AQI — and how is it measured? GOVT & POLITICS iPhone snooping alert to Opposition leaders: Apple joins CERT-In probe Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-Apple on Thursday joined the CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) — the government’s nodal agency on cyber security — in connection with the probe into allegations of attempts to hack the iPhones of some Opposition leaders. The controversy erupted after some of the leaders who use Apple phones received warnings of “state-sponsored attacks” on their devices from the company. • What exactly Apple threat notification said? • Who are these “state-sponsored attackers” that Apple refers to? • Pegasus spyware scandal and recent Apple threat notification-Connect the dots • What was the Pegasus spyware case? • What was this expert committee, and what was it tasked to do? • Did the committee find Pegasus in the phones it examined? • So what exactly did the committee’s report say? • Snooping scandals in India-What you know so far? • “Over the years, snooping scandals in India have emerged through the outing of a variety of material”-What you think? • Snooping and Surveillance-how both are different from each other? • Do You Know-Communication surveillance in India takes place primarily under two laws — the Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. While the Telegraph Act deals with interception of calls, the IT Act was enacted to deal with surveillance of all electronic communication, following the Supreme Court’s intervention in 1996. A comprehensive data protection law to address the gaps in existing frameworks for surveillance is yet to enacted. Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act, 1885 reads: “On the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government may, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence, for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct that any message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph, shall not be transmitted, or shall be intercepted or detained, or shall be disclosed to the Government making the order or an officer thereof mentioned in the order…” Under this law, the government can intercept calls only in certain situations — the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order, or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence. These are the same restrictions imposed on free speech under Article 19(2) of the Constitution. Significantly, even these restrictions can be imposed only when there is a condition precedent — the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of public safety. Additionally, a proviso in Section 5(2) states that even this lawful interception cannot take place against journalists. “Provided that press messages intended to be published in India of correspondents accredited to the Central Government or a State Government shall not be intercepted or detained, unless their transmission has been prohibited under this sub-section.” Section 69 of the Information Technology Act and the Information Technology (Procedure for Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009 were enacted to further the legal framework for electronic surveillance. Under the IT Act, all electronic transmission of data can be intercepted. So, for a Pegasus-like spyware to be used lawfully, the government would have to invoke both the IT Act and the Telegraph Act. Apart from the restrictions provided in Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act and Article 19(2) of the Constitution, Section 69 the IT Act adds another aspect that makes it broader — interception, monitoring and decryption of digital information “for the investigation of an offence”. • What does the CERT-In stand for? • What is the role of the CERT-In? • What are the Mandates of the CERT-In? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: The politics of snooping 📍What is Apple’s ‘state-sponsored attackers’ alert, received by multiple Opposition leaders? 📍Recalling Pegasus, the last time phones of Oppn leaders were allegedly targeted by spyware Blinken and Austin to visit India next week for 2+2 meet 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-FOR THE first time since the Israel-Hamas war began, US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin will be visiting India next week for the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will host the two visiting US Cabinet ministers on November 9-10. Announcing the visit on Thursday, the US State Department said Blinken will travel to Tel Aviv, Amman, Tokyo, Seoul and New Delhi from November 2-10. • What is the 2+2 ministerial dialogue? • Do You Know-The 2+2 dialogue is a format of meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of India and its allies on strategic and security issues. A 2+2 ministerial dialogue enables the partners to better understand and appreciate each other’s strategic concerns and sensitivities taking into account political factors on both sides, in order to build a stronger, more integrated strategic relationship in a rapidly changing global environment. India has 2+2 dialogues with four key strategic partners: the US, Australia, Japan, and Russia. Besides Russia, the other three countries are also India’s partners in the Quad. India held its first 2+2 dialogue with Russia in December last year, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited India. The first India-Japan talks in the 2+2 format were held between Jaishankar and Singh and their Japanese counterparts Foreign Affairs Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Minister of Defense Kono Taro on November 30, 2019 in New Delhi. The US is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner. The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the Trump Administration, when then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and then Secretary of Defence James Mattis met the late Sushma Swaraj and then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi in September 2018. The launch of the dialogue was seen as a “reflection of the shared commitment” by India and the US to provide “a positive, forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership and to promote synergy in their diplomatic and security efforts”. The second and third editions of the 2+2 dialogues were held in Washington DC and New Delhi in 2019 and 2020 respectively. • “Over the years, the strategic bilateral relationship with its partners, including the dialogues held in the 2+2 format, have produced tangible and far-reaching results for India”-Analyse Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: What is the ‘2+2’ format of dialogue between India and US? EXPRESS NETWORK Developing countries need at least 10 times more funds for climate adaptation: UN report Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story-Despite rapidly increasing climate risks which necessitate greater efforts to adapt, the money being made available to developing countries for adaptation measures has been declining, and nowhere close to the scale of requirement, a new report by the United Nations has revealed. • What is adaptation gap report? • Who publishes adaptation gap report? • What are the key takeaways from the latest edition of Adaptation Gap Report? • For Your Information-The Adaptation Gap Report assessed the current need for adaptation finance in two ways. It put together all the requirements put forward by the developing countries and that came to USD 387 billion every year this decade. Separately, it did a modelling exercise of the kind of adaptation that was required and the money needed for it. That exercise yielded a sum of USD 215 billion every year in this decade. The Adaptation Gap Report assessed the current need for adaptation finance in two ways. It put together all the requirements put forward by the countries in their NDCs, and that came to about USD 387 billion every year this decade. Separately, it did a modelling exercise of the kind of adaptation that was required across the world, and the money needed to support those efforts. That exercise yielded a sum of USD 215 billion every year in this decade. The numbers are expected to go up sharply beyond this decade as the risks from climate change increase rapidly. “The adaptation finance gap – that is the difference between estimated adaptation financing needs and costs (USD 215 billion to USD 387 billion) and (existing) finance flows (USD 21.3 billion) – has grown. The adaptation gap is likely 10-18 times as great as current international adaptation finance flows — at least 50 per cent higher than previous range estimates,” the report says. Efforts are being made to increase the finance flows, not just for adaptation, but for all other kinds of climate needs, together called climate finance. Developed countries had promised, way back in 2009, to mobilise at least USD 100 billion in climate finance every year from 2020 but even three years after the deadline, that amount has not been realised. In the meanwhile, the need for climate finance has skyrocketed and is now assessed to be in trillions of dollars every year. At the Glasgow climate conference in 2021, the developed countries had committed themselves to double the money for adaptation. Separately, there is also an agreement that a new climate financing goal, over and above USD 100 billion every year, would be set by 2025. But the Adaptation Gap Report suggests that the current ambition on raising climate finance would just not be enough. “While the doubling of adaptation finance by 2025 and the new collective quantified goal for 2030 that is under deliberation will be instrumental in helping to close this finance gap, the increase in international public finance alone is unlikely to close it. For example, achieving the goal of doubling adaptation finance (by 2025) would only reduce the gap by between 5 per cent and 10 per cent,” the report says. It says countries would have to increasingly depend on their own resources, and on private finance, to fund their adaptation efforts. • What do you understand by the term ‘adaptation gap’? • Do You Know-The Adaptation Gap Report is an annual publication from UNEP, released just ahead of the year-ending climate change conference, and presents the global situation of adaptation to climate change. This year’s report focuses on adaptation finance, or the availability of money to carry out the adaptation projects. Since there is no way to stop the unfolding impacts of climate change in the short run, adaptation is crucial to saving lives, livelihoods and ecosystems, especially in developing and most vulnerable countries with low resilience. Depending on their specific needs, countries have been taking a range of adaptation measures. These can be in the form of strengthening of coastlines, or building of sea-walls especially in island countries, experiments with newer temperature-resistant food crops, creation of climate-resilient infrastructure, securing sources of water, or a whole lot of other similar efforts that help the local populations cope better with rising temperatures and its impacts. All these efforts require money. Under the international climate change architecture, developed countries are mandated to provide money, and technology, to help the developing countries adapt to climate change. Developing countries can do whatever they can with their own resources, but are entitled to seek international help for financing their projects. • “Most of the developing countries have listed their adaptation requirements in their climate action plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs”-What is the concept of nationally determined contributions? • What is the Nationally determined contribution of India? • What is the difference between nationally determined contribution (NDC) and intended nationally determined contribution (INDC)? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why the Emissions Gap Report 2022 has raised alarm on climate action THE WORLD Putin withdraws Russia’s ratification of CTBT, sparking fears of nuke test 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: • What’s the ongoing story-President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a law withdrawing Russia's ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, a step condemned by the organisation which promotes adherence to the landmark arms control pact. The move, though expected, is evidence of the deep chill between the United States and Russia, whose ties are at their lowest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis over the war in Ukraine and what Moscow casts as Washington's attempts to stymie the emergence of a new multipolar world order. • Why has Russia withdrawn from the CTBT? • But why this move by Russia now? • What exactly Russia said regarding the CTBT? • For Your Information-The bill to de-ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing. Putin had requested the change to “mirror” the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it. Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo – no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century. • What is Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty? • What is the purpose of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty? • How did CTBT come into being? • For Your Information-The United States conducted the world’s first successful nuclear weapons test in July 1945. Four years later, the Soviet Union tested their first nuclear weapon. These tests triggered a decades-long arms race between the two superpowers. Between 1945 and 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out — 1,032 of them by the United States and 715 of them by the Soviet Union, according to the UN. Britain carried out 45 tests, France 210 and China 45. “The radioactive fallout from those tests drew criticism from around the globe. The international community’s concern about the effects on health and the environment continued to grow,” the US Department of State’s article, ‘History of CTBT’, said. As a result, several attempts to curb the explosive tests were made. The 1963 Limited Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (LTBT) was one of the first such attempts. It prohibited nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater, but underground tests were still permitted. To tackle the limitations of LTBT, a comprehensive test ban was discussed during the negotiation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1968. However, no agreement was reached on the issue. Six years later, the US and Soviet Union agreed to sign the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), which established a nuclear “threshold” by banning the two countries from conducting tests that would produce a yield exceeding 150 kilotons (equivalent to 150,000 tons of TNT). “The mutual restraint imposed by the Treaty reduced the explosive force of new nuclear warheads and bombs, which could otherwise be tested for weapons systems. The TTBT was not intended as a substitute for a comprehensive test ban,” the article added. A major breakthrough only came after the Cold War ended around 1990 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. As the geopolitical tensions simmered down, the UN took advantage of the situation and adopted the CTBT, which put a blanket ban on the explosive testing of nuclear weapons, on September 10, 1996, and it opened for signature on September 24, 1996. • Which key countries haven’t ratified CTBT? • Did US ratify CTBT? • India, USA, NPT and CTBT-Issues and India’s Apprehension • Did the CTBT stop nuclear testing? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Russia may pull out of CTBT: How the treaty tried — and failed — to stop nuclear testing EXPLAINED Why global pact on AI matters 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’s the ongoing story-Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire near London was once the top-secret base of the codebreakers who cracked the German ‘Enigma Code’ that hastened the end of World War II. This symbolism was evidently a reason why it was chosen to host the world’s first ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit. The two-day November 1-2 summit that has drawn in global leaders, computer scientists, and tech executives began with a bang, with a pioneering agreement wrapped up on the first day, which resolved to establish “a shared understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by frontier AI”. Twenty-eight major countries including the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and India, and the European Union agreed to sign on a declaration saying global action is needed to tackle the potential risks of AI. • The Bletchley Park Declaration-What are the key takeaways? • Do You Know-“Frontier AI” is defined as highly capable foundation generative AI models that could possess dangerous capabilities that can pose severe risks to public safety. The declaration, which was also endorsed by Brazil, Ireland, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates, incorporates an acknowledgment of the substantial risks from potential intentional misuse or unintended issues of control of frontier AI — especially cybersecurity, biotechnology, and disinformation risks, according to the UK government, the summit host. The declaration noted the “potential for serious, even catastrophic, harm, either deliberate or unintentional, stemming from the most significant capabilities of these AI models”, as well as risks beyond frontier AI, including those of bias and privacy. These risks are “best addressed through international cooperation”, the Bletchley Park Declaration said. As part of the agreement on international collaboration on frontier AI safety, South Korea will co-host a mini virtual AI summit in the next six months, and France will host the next in-person summit within a year from now. • What is artificial intelligence (AI)? • How is artificial intelligence (AI) currently governed? • Why AI regulation is needed? • If Regulated then what should be the limit? • If regulated, then what are the risks associated with regulating AI? • What has been India’s Response to demands for AI Regulation? Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Where Alan Turing started it 📍Bletchley Park: Where ‘computers’ helped the Allies win WWII, now hosting the world’s first AI summit UNESCO NAMES KOZHIKODE ‘CITYOF LITERATURE’: WHAT THIS TAG MEANS Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- The city of Kozhikode in Kerala was added in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) on Wednesday. Gwalior from Madhya Pradesh was also among the 55 new cities to join the network. These cities have been handpicked to represent seven creative fields — crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music. Kozhikode was included in the category of literature and Gwalior in the category of music. • Map Work-Kozhikode • What is UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)? • Do You Know-The UCCN was created in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. It now includes 350 cities in over a hundred countries. The network is aimed at leveraging the creative, social, and economic potential of cultural industries. It was launched to promote UNESCO’s goals of cultural diversity and strengthen resilience to threats such as climate change, rising inequality, and rapid urbanisation. It encourages a culture of creativity in urban planning and solutions to urban problems. Apart from Kozhikode and Gwalior, Varanasi (music), Srinagar (crafts and folk arts) and Chennai (music) are part of the network. • Kozhikode’s literary tradition-Know in detail Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Gwalior, Kozhikode join UNESCO Creative Cities Network Navy veterans sentenced to death in Qatar: options before India 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: • What’s the ongoing story- In June 2018, a court in Qatar sentenced a Nepalese worker, Anil Chaudhary, to death by a firing squad for murdering a Qatari citizen. Chaudhary, who worked in a car washing firm, was convicted of killing a Qatari national with a khukri. This was Qatar’s first execution in 17 years, the last coming in 2003. Last week, a Qatar court sentenced eight Indians — all former personnel of the Navy — on charges of espionage. • Who are these Indians, and what were they doing in Qatar? • When were the men arrested by the Qatari authorities, and why? • What is the nature of the relationship between India and Qatar? • What are the challenges, if any, in the relationship? • What are the three options available with India? • For Your Information-First, the legal process: The case is in what is called ‘The Court of First Instance’. Four hearings have taken place. The Indian government is going to help the Indians challenge the death sentence in higher courts, and seek reprieve from the death penalty. In contesting the case, Delhi is following the playbook adopted in the Enrica Lexie- Italian Marine case. On February 15, 2012, two Indian fishermen were killed off the coast of Kerala, India, aboard St. Antony. India alleged that two Italian marines aboard the Italian-flagged commercial oil tanker MB Enrica Lexie killed the fishermen. Sources said in that case, the Indian government had maintained a stance as per international laws, Maritime Zones Act, 1976, the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and provisions of UNCLOS 1982. Second, the mercy petition: The families have filed a mercy plea with the Emir of Qatar, who is known to give out pardons during Ramadan and Eid. This is also being pursued by the Indian government’s help. Third, the political and diplomatic options: The matter has been taken up by the Indian government at various official and political levels. India’s diplomatic efforts will be a test of its multifaceted ties with the tiny but powerful Gulf state, with whom it has worked to build friendly relations. The then Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. [now the Father Emir] had visited India in 1999, 2005 and 2012.In November 2008, the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Qatar was the first by an Indian Prime Minister. In March 2015, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, paid a State Visit to India. Continuing the momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Qatar in June 2016. In October last year, Modi had spoken with the Emir, accepting his Diwali greetings and had conveyed India’s good wishes for a successful FIFA World Cup tournament scheduled to be held in Qatar. When they spoke on October 29, 2022 and discussed bilateral relations, they agreed to jointly celebrate the 50 years of India-Qatar Diplomatic relations. Considering Qatar’s newfound heft in international diplomacy developing in the last decade or so – from hosting the Taliban’s global mission in Doha to its current role in securing the release of US hostages from the captivity of Hamas – Delhi will reach out to Doha since both sides have high stakes in strong ties. The two countries have strong economic ties – LNG imports from Qatar is an important feature of these ties – and the investments by Qatar Investment Authority is substantial in India’s economy. India’s bilateral trade with Qatar in 2022-23 was US$ 18.77 billion. India’s export to Qatar during 2022-23 was US$ 1.96 billion and India’s import from Qatar was US$ 16.8 billion. Defence ties with Qatar are also quite strong and defence cooperation is an important pillar of the bilateral agenda. Sources said that Indian immigrants have a fair amount of goodwill in Qatar. “They are seen as law-abiding, so we will also use the help of influential Indian community members to work the levers in the Qatar establishment,” the sources said. In this, one of the workarounds could be the transfer of prisoners agreement that was signed in 2015 between India and Qatar. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Who are the 8 Indian Navy veterans sentenced to death by a court in Qatar, and what is the case against them? ECONOMY ‘Violent extremist organisation’ in India collected funds through well-structured networks: FATF Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. • General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. • General Studies III: Money-laundering and its prevention. Key Points to Ponder: • What’s the ongoing story- A “violent extremist organisation under investigation” in India collected funds through “well-structured networks” including offline and online fundraising mechanisms such as circulating QR codes and account details, a latest report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has stated. Without naming the organisation, the FATF report makes a reference to the Popular Front of India (PFI) as having resorted to solicitation for funds at mosques and public places, which were ultimately used to procure arms and ammunition and for training the cadres. • What is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? • How many lists are there under Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? • The FATF report on ‘Crowdfunding for Terrorism Financing’-What are key takeaways? • For Your Information-The FATF is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. India’s onsite assessment by FATF is slated for November, while the assessment is likely to come up for discussion in the plenary discussion in June 2024. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pause in the FATF’s assessment process, the mutual evaluation of India, which was last carried out in 2010, had been postponed to 2023. The FATF report on ‘Crowdfunding for Terrorism Financing‘ said the accounts (of PFI) involved both domestic and foreign transactions, making this case extremely difficult to investigate. “Funds were ultimately used to procure arms and ammunition and for training the cadres of the violent extremist organisation, among other purposes. A portion of the funds raised through crowdfunding was also invested and parked in businesses and real estate projects to generate regular income for terrorism activities,” it said. The report further mentioned that “eight individuals in leadership roles within the violent organisation have been arrested” on terrorist financing (TF) charges and prosecution complaints have been filed. As a result of the investigation, Rs 3.5 crore in assets are being sought for confiscation, it said. The FATF report notes four main ways in which crowdfunding platforms can be abused for terrorist financing purposes — abuse of humanitarian, charitable or non-profit causes; use of dedicated crowdfunding platforms or websites; use of social media platforms and messaging apps; and interaction of crowdfunding with virtual assets. Terrorists and violent extremists may rely on multiple methods to raise funds, for example, a terrorist may establish a fundraising campaign on a dedicated crowdfunding platform, share the campaign on social media, and request payment in virtual assets, it said. Some estimates have valued the global crowdfunding market at $17.2 billion in 2020 and note that it is expected to reach $34.6 billion by 2026, the report said adding that in 2022, there were over 6 million crowdfunding campaigns around the world. The FATF also said although the majority of crowdfunding activity is legitimate, its research has shown that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaeda and ethnically or racially motivated terrorist (EoRMT) individuals and groups have exploited it to raise money for terrorist financing purposes. “The possibility of quickly and easily reaching a global audience can make crowdfunding an attractive method of fundraising for TF,” it said. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Pakistan’s exit from FATF Grey List and India’s challenge 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. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.
