UPSC Key- December 20, 2022: Why you should read ‘Green Steel’ or ‘Sportswashing’ or ‘30-by-30’ for UPSC CSE

Haryana notifies rules to implement anti-conversion law

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- EIGHT MONTHS after the Haryana Assembly passed the Bill, the state government Monday notified rules to implement a law that prevents forcible religious conversions — and places the burden of proof of innocence on the accused.

• Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Rules, 2022-Know the highlights

• Why is the government bringing this Bill?

• What is the government’s reasoning for enacting such a legislation?

• For Your Information-As per the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Rules, 2022, “the burden of proving innocence that the conversion was not affected through misrepresentation, use of force, under threat, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or for marriage for the purpose of carrying out conversion shall be on the accused”.

• What is the progress on the proposed law so far, and what happens now?

• How the state government plans to enact this legislation?

• What is the Opposition’s objection?

• What is the reasoning that the Bill mentions?

• What is the legal position on such a Bill or such incidents of forceful conversions?

• Do You Know-Haryana is among six BJP-ruled states to have passed stringent anti-religious conversion laws that mainly target conversions for marriage. These laws primarily shift the burden of proof of innocence from the person who has converted to his/her partner.

• How will a wilful conversion take place?

• What is forced religious conversions?

• What is religious conversion in India?

• Forced conversion in religion and religious conversion-what is the difference?

• Force vs Will (Choice)-How forced conversion in religion is defined in India?

• Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees what?

• Is religious conversion part of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution?

• What is the procedure in India for religious conversion?

• What is the Union or State Government’s policy on religious conversion?

• What are the societal repercussions of religious conversion?

• What the Supreme Court had said in the 1977 ruling in the Rev Stainislaus versus State of Madhya Pradesh case?

• Anti-conversion law in other States-Know in detail

• Why many states are introducing Anti-Conversion Laws?

• Know the Landmark Judgements of Supreme Court and High Courts on Conversion

• What Supreme Court of India, said in the Lily Thomas and Sarla Mudgal cases regarding religious conversion?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Anatomy of anti-conversion legislation in India: A comparative look at state laws

IN PARLIAMENT

Emissions dip, Govt may make ‘green steel’ mandatory: Scindia

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Union Minister of Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday told Rajya Sabha that the government was considering mandating the use of “green steel” in government projects. He said emissions from the steel industry have been brought down by 15% between 2005 and 2022 and Centre targets an additional 10% reduction in emissions by 2030. Energy consumption per tonne of steel produced has also come down as well as emission intensity in terms of CO2, he added.

• What green steel?

• How Green Steel is produced?

• What is green steel used for?

• Why can’t all steel be green?

• What is the significance of Green Steel?

• Why is green steel the need of the hour?

• What are the issues and challenges for green steel production?

• Production and consumption of Steel in India-Know the Facts

• What are the Government Initiatives for Steel Industry?

• Issues and Challenges associated with Steel Industry-Know in detail?

• Map Work-Locate Steel Industries in India

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍From crisis to boom to crisis all over again: The journey of Steel

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The day after the World Cup

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main 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-Mihir Vasavda Writes: When the dust settles and romance subsides, sport — especially football — will be confronted by complex issues

• What is sports washing?

• “The power of sport to provide this kind of drama is the reason why countries and regimes pour billions of dollars to host it and indulge in what’s been dubbed as “sports washing”-Analyse the statement

• What is an example of sports washing?

• Is Qatar engaging in sports washing?

• Has sport ever strengthened democracy?

• Can sportswashing damage democracy?

• “The sports industry smacks of a Eurocentric attitude in terms of the way it is played, where it is played and when. The first World Cup to be played on Arab soil has broken some shackles”-Comment

• FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar-what it costed?

• “FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has demonstrated that major events can be held in nations where the weather is hot, during winter months instead of the European summer, if all parties are willing to make some sacrifices”-What India can learn from this?

• What is the relationship between sports and politics?

• Know certain facts and figures of FIFA World cup Winner

• FIFA World Cup-Know in Brief

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Cup lifts Argentina

EXPLAINED

The messy economy of Lionel Messi’s Argentina

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main 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-Lionel Messi has finally won the World Cup. One can only hope that it is the last instalment of whatever debt his genius seemed to have owed to his fans (and detractors) all over the world. Before the final match, many were of the view that it was going to be Messi against the defending champions. But before moving on, it matters to put on record what Messi and his team’s achievement means, especially for the Argentine people.

• “To understand the burning desire for Messi’s win one needs to know the inflation rate in Argentina”-What the inflation rate in Argentina?

• “If an economy grows fast, it provides some consolation for high inflation. But in Argentina’s case, high inflation is happening even when the economy’s GDP (read total output measured in $ terms) has contracted for three straight years — 2018, 2019, and 2020”-Decode the given statement

• How did Argentina get here?

• What needs to be done?

• What’s all this got to do with Messi (and his team) winning the World Cup?

• Why does this happen?

• Argentina is experiencing unprecedented inflation, which has had a disastrous impact on the economy of the nation. What impact will the World Cup have on Argentina’s economy?

• Argentina Vs France or Global South Vs Global North-Analyse the background of both the nations (Historical and Economical Background)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Cup lifts Argentina

Trends in organ donation

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-After a fall during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, organ donation numbers bounced back in 2021. However, the number of deceased donations — organs donated by the kin of those who suffered brain death or cardiac death — has remained lower than the number of donations from living persons, data presented by the government in Parliament show.

• What do the numbers show?

• Do You Know-Of the 12,387 organs kidney, liver, heart, lungs, and pancreas among others harvested in 2021, only 1,743 a little more than 14% were from deceased donors. The numbers harvested in 2021 were close to the highest in the last five years (12,746, in 2019), the data show. The numbers are skewed in favour of living donations organs like kidney and liver donated by living family members. A total 10,644 organs were harvested from living donors, which was more than the 10,608 living donations of 2019. Only 14.07% of the total organs harvested in 2021 were from deceased donors, much less than the 16.77% of 2019.

• Why is there a need to increase deceased donations?

• How can deceased donations be increased?

• How can an individual become a donor?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Organ donations rise after 2020 dip, close to pre-pandemic high

THE WORLD

Historic biodiversity pact reached at UN

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-A United Nations nature summit culminated on Monday with a global deal to protect the ecosystems that prop up half the world economy, and prevent the further loss of already ravaged plant and animal populations. Despite an objection from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is home to lush tracts of rainforest, the Chinese presidency and Canadian host government declared the deal approved.

• What are the key areas agreed on?

• What is ‘30-by-30’?

• For Your Information-Delegates committed to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, fulfilling the deal’s highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-30. Indigenous and traditional territories will also count toward this goal, as many countries and campaigners pushed for during the talks. The deal also aspires to restore 30% of degraded lands and waters throughout the decade, up from an earlier aim of 20%. And the world will strive to prevent destroying intact landscapes and areas with a lot of species, bringing those losses “close to zero by 2030”.

• What will be the financial mechanism for this deal?

• What will be the role of Big companies?

• What is the most significant part of the agreement?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Historic biodiversity agreement reached at UN conference

From Zero Covid to no. plan: Behind China’s U-turn as deaths rise

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The very success of China’s zero-Covid policy is now turning out to be a weakness, with reports of a surge in cases. The vast majority of its population has not been infected by the virus and hence has no immunity.

• What is the official picture?

• So what’s the problem then?

• What exactly is zero-Covid?

• With this “zero-COVID” policy, have China’s COVID cases slowed down?

• How China defends its zero-Covid policy?

• Why is the current large-scale public protest in China unusual?

• What about vaccinations?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:    

📍Payback time for zero-Covid: Why China’s problems with the virus could be due to its hard approach to the pandemic

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