UPSC Key-August 23, 2022: Why you should read ‘Collective Conscience of Society’ or ‘CRISP-M’ or ‘Asian Century’ for UPSC CSE

SC dissolves football CoA, paves way for FIFA to lift suspension

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– In a verdict that paves the way for Indian football’s return to the international fold after a brief period of isolation, the Supreme Court on Monday dissolved the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) it had appointed in May to look after the daily affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

• The Supreme Court dissolved the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), but why did the Supreme Court appoint the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA)?

• What is All-India Football Federation (AIFF)?

• All-India Football Federation (AIFF) was founded in which year?

• What is Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)?

• The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) was banned by FIFA; why?

• For Your Information-FIFA will take a final call on lifting the sanction against Indian football. It has conveyed to the Sports Ministry that it will recommend to the Bureau of FIFA Council, its decision-making body on the issue, that the suspension be lifted — if the world body is satisfied with the court verdict.

• Do you Know-The football saga began five years ago following a logjam in finalising the AIFF’s constitution, which led to a delay in holding the federation’s elections. In May 2022, the Supreme Court appointed the CoA to run daily affairs of the AIFF, thus ending the 12-year stint of its then chief, Praful Patel. Following weeks of negotiations between the CoA, Government, state federations as well as the world and continental football bodies, the Bureau of FIFA Council comprising FIFA president Gianni Infantino and heads of the six confederations suspended AIFF on August 14.

• What will be the immediate impact of the ban?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Why FIFA has banned India, what happens to Indian football now

📍Indian football has a deep-rooted governance problem. It won’t be solved by a FIFA suspension

Scientists track cause of mystery paddy dwarfing

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Agriculture scientists have narrowed down the cause of a mystery disease causing “dwarfing” of rice plants in Punjab and Haryana –to either grassy stunt virus or phytoplasma bacteria. The vector responsible for their transmission is the brown plant hopper, an insect pest that sucks sap from the stems and leaves of rice plants.

• What Scientists have said for this disease in Plants?

• For Your Information-Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), who had collected samples of plants from farmers’ fields which showed symptoms of stunting and yellowing have undertaken their electron microscopy analysis and DNA isolation through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique.

• What is “dwarfing” disease of paddy?

• What is a Phytoreovirus?

• What is Rice grassy stunt virus?

• Why and where does the Rice grassy stunt virus occurs?

• The Virus is transmitted by which insect?

• Is phytoplasma a virus?

• What is the difference between bacteria and phytoplasma?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Phytoplasmas 

EXPRESS NETWORK

Sonowal focusses on bilateral ties, trade via Chabahar port

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interest

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– The government on Monday said India Ports & Global Company (IPGL) will open offices in Tehran and Chabahar to promote trade and transit through the strategically important Chabahar port in Iran.

• India-Iran Bilateral Relations-Know the background

• India and Iran-What are the areas of Cooperation?

• India and Iran-What are the issues and diplomatic tussles between the two nations in the recent time?

• Know in detail about Infrastructure projects like Chahbahar Port, International North South Transport Corridor

• Know the significance of Chahbahar Port for India

• Map Work-Location of Chabahar Port

• Why there is Geopolitical Competition Over Chabahar Port?

• India-Iran Bilateral Relations-Know the Challenges

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Chabahar Port and Iran’s Strategic Balancing with China and India

📍Indo-Iran relations down the ages: Blow hot, blow cold

Nepal silent, Gorkha hiring in Indian Army uncertain

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– The recruitment of Gorkhas in the Indian Army, first time after the launch of Agniveer scheme, has become uncertain as the Nepal government has not yet responded to request from India.

• Who are Gorkhas?

• Who, then, are the Indian Gorkhas?

• Which States in India have the highest number of Nepali-speaking citizens?

• Know the origin of India’s military ties with Nepal

• Can Nepali citizens join the Indian Army?

• Do the soldiers from Nepal enjoy the same rights as the Indian troops?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Who are the Gurkhas of the British Army?

📍Explained: The origin and evolution of India’s military ties with Nepal

British High Commissioner listening, Jharkhand village shares its problems

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies II: Important aspects of Governance and Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-At Goilkera, a remote village in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, villagers flocked around British High Commissioner to India Alexander Ellis, and flooded him with complaints ranging from lack of electricity, few teachers in schools to poor implementation of the job-guarantee scheme. He is in Jharkhand to ‘gain insights’ on how climate change is impacting the lives and livelihoods of villagers and tribal communities, and how schemes such as MGNREGA can help alleviate distress migration.

• How climate change is impacting the lives and livelihoods of villagers and tribal communities?

• What is Climate Resilience Information System and Planning (CRISP-M)?

• How CRISP-M tool will help embed climate information in the GIS based planning and implementation of MNREGS?

• What is Geographic Information System (GIS)?

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)-Mandate, Goals

• What are the core objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)?

• When was Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act passed by the Indian Parliament?

• What is the relationship between the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS)?

• In what way paradigm shift has taken place with the implementation of MGNREGA?

• Who are the key stakeholders of MGNREGS?

• What is the role of Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat in MGNREGS?

• How is Household defined in MGNREGA?

• Issues with MGNREGA?

• What are the eligibility criteria for receiving the benefits under MGNREGA scheme?

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)-Nodal Ministry

• COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on MGNREGA?

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Social Audit

• After a dip in demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MG-NREGS) the demand for work has again seen a rise-Know the reasons

• How schemes such as MGNREGA can help alleviate distress migration?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Climate Resilience Information System and Planning (CRISP-M) tool for Mahatma Gandhi NREG Scheme launched

📍NREGS wages revised, less than 5 per cent hike in 21 states, Union Territories

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Our Bilkis moment

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Social empowerment, communalism

• General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

• General Studies IV: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Mahua Moitra writes: Just as the woman gang-raped in Delhi 2012 even in death strengthened our moral fibre, Bilkis’s shocked silence will spur us to action.

• What is collective conscience of society?

• Why is collective conscience important?

• Bilkis Bano case and collective conscience of society-connect the dots

• What do you understand by pardon, suspension, respite, remission and commute?

• What are the laws on remission?

• Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution-Know in detail

• What are the grounds for remission?

• Laws on remission and the Bilkis case convict-Know in detail

• States set up a Sentence Review Board to exercise the powers under Section 432 of the CrPC-Who presides the Sentence Review Board?

• According to the author, “The remission of a sentence is an exclusively executive prerogative. The Supreme Court as far back as in State of Madhya Pradesh v. Ratan Singh (1976), settled this debate by clarifying that pardon, remission and commutation are within the exclusive domain of executive decision-making”- What do you understand by “exclusively executive prerogative”?

• What is the role of Civil Servants in Sentence Review Board to exercise the powers under Section 432 of the CrPC?

• What you know about Gujarat’s remission policy?

• How Gujarat’s remission policy applied to Bilkis case?

• For Your Information-Established case law in D Krishna Kumar vs State of Telangana had the high court lay down that the appropriate authority deciding a remission should consider the opinion of the presiding judge of the court before or by which the conviction was had or confirmed.

• According to the author, “Half of the panel that decided on the remission was directly linked to the BJP. Two were BJP legislators. One was a BJP office-bearer, and one a former office-bearer of the local BJP. The others were the district collector, superintendent of police and jail superintendent — report directly to the state government”-Know the role of Public Servants and Human Values while deciding the remission of sentence?

• Case Study– Suppose, if you, as a district collector, superintendent of police, or jail superintendent, were there on the panel, what course of action would you have taken?

• What are the legal remedy available to Bilkis now

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The Bilkis case remissions

📍Explained: Who is Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped during the 2002 Gujarat riots?

📍Tavleen Singh writes: Why I felt ashamed as an Indian last week

📍‘Is this how justice ends?’: Bilkis Bano’s question should haunt the Indian republic

THE IDEAS PAGE

A tale of Putin and Xi

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains 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-C. Raja Mohan writes: ‘Strategic play’ must guide India in the coming years — reducing the power gap with China, building the capacity to deter Beijing’s aggressive actions on its land and maritime frontiers, and rebalancing the Indo-Pacific.

• “India wishes to sit on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight.”-Decode the quote

• According to some Chinese experts “India will be a major beneficiary if the US can contain China in East Asia and the Western Pacific”- How?

• What is known as Asian Century?

• The expression “Asian Century” was first used by whom and why?

• How did India support China in the 1950s and 1960s?

• “The Galwan clash two years ago, which followed China tearing apart three decades of peace and tranquillity on the disputed frontier, appears to have made Delhi wiser”-How? Know India’s Diplomatic stand after Galwan clash?

• India-China and Relations after Galwan Clash-Connect the dot

• According to some Chinese experts “China’s preoccupation with the East China Sea, the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea”, will reduce Beijing’s “attention toward the Indian Ocean. That China’s problems on its eastern frontier would open up strategic opportunities for India”-How far you agree with the same?

• Why C. Raja Mohan called the above statement by some Chinese experts a myth?

• “The discourse on India’s current diplomacy focuses on Delhi’s “positional play” among the great powers”- What is Delhi’s “positional play” among the great powers?

• India-China Border Dispute-Background

• What is Line of Actual Control?

• China’s aggressive attitude towards Indo-China Border and What impact can it have on India-China relations?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Two years after Galwan clash, where India-China relations stand today

EXPLAINED

Terror charge on Imran and the new political flashpoint in Pak

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Political tensions in Pakistan escalated on Monday as police announced they had filed terrorism charges against ousted premier Imran Khan for allegedly threatening public officials in a speech during a rally on Saturday.

• What led to this flashpoint?

• What does Imran Khan want?

• What position has the Pak army taken?

• Where is Pakistan headed next?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Imran Khan has done what no civilian leader in Pakistan has done before

Pandurang Khankhoje: Indian revolutionary and agricultural scientist revered in Mexico

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement

Mains 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– Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is currently in Canada for the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, will travel to Mexico where he will unveil statues of Swami Vivekananda and Maharashtra-born freedom fighter and agriculturalist Pandurang Khankhoje (1883-1967). Khankhoje had a close connection with Mexico, the country in which he sought refuge due to his association with the radical pro-Indian independence Ghadar Party.

• Who was Pandurang Khankhoje?

• What was his association with the Indian independence movement?

• How did Khankhoje reach Mexico?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍100th anniversary of Ghadar movement: In holiday tribute to martyr, Punjab forgets 6 of his ilk

Ways to privatise PSBs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Last month, ExplainSpeaking marked the 53rd anniversary of bank nationalisation with the piece titled “Bank Nationalisation: Blunder or Masterstroke”. This piece provided two ways to debate the issue. In the Union Budget 2021-22, the government announced its decision to privatise two public sector banks. bank nationalisation has already happened in the past. What matters now is to assess if it needs to be addressed by a summary reversal overnight turning over all PSBs to the private sector or some other alternative.

• Bank Nationalization in India- How it started?

• India’s public sector banks have struggled with high levels of non-performing assets (NPAs)- What are the Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)?

• What are the impacts of High level of non-performing assets (NPAs) on India’s Economy?

• What is Prompt Corrective Action (or PCA)?

• A recent paper by Poonam Gupta of NCAER and Arvind Panagariya of Columbia University, titled “Privatization of Public Sector Banks in India Why, How and How Far?”, argues that all PSBs should be privatised and the government should move as rapidly as politically feasible-do you think that all PSBs should be privatised?

• Market capitalisation of the PSB and PVBs¬- Why there is a stark difference?

• Who between PSB and PVBs is socially more relevant in India?

• Who is more efficient- PSB and PVBs

• Who is more relevant to the economy?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍RBI: Bank NPA ratio at 6-year low, but fintechs expose system to new risks

📍New RBI report says asset quality, capital position of banking system continues to improve. That’s something to build on

 

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
The UPSC KEY Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates.