UPSC Key | Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, COP29, Patent Laws and more

Explained

Nature of J&K Assembly

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: GS-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.

What’s the ongoing story-  The first phase of polling for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will take place on Wednesday. Given that this is the first election since 2019 when the constitutional compact of Jammu and Kashmir was altered by the abrogation of Article 370, the new Legislative Assembly will be substantially different from earlier Assemblies.

Prerequisites:

— What is Article 3 of the Constitution of India?

— What is the process of creation of a new state in India?

— How are the Union Territories administered?

Key takeaways: 

— The constitutional changes of August 2019 took away the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir – thus, the new Assembly will be for a Union Territory (UT), not a state.

— The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 created two UTs — the UT of Ladakh without a legislature, and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature.

— Article 239, which deals with the administration of Union Territories, states that “every union territory shall be administered by the President, acting, to such extent as he thinks fit, though an administrator…”.

— Section 13 of the 2019 Act states that Article 239A of the Constitution (“Creation of local Legislatures or Council of Ministers or both for certain Union territories”), which provides for the administration of the UT of Puducherry, shall also apply to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

— Delhi, the only other Union Territory with a legislature, is dealt with separately in the Constitution — under Article 239AA. As the national capital, Delhi has a unique constitutional status, which has been the subject of much litigation before the Supreme Court.

— In Delhi’s case, three subjects — land, public order, and police — are reserved for the LG.

— The Reorganisation Act of 2019 created a vastly different structure, in which the LG has a much bigger role compared with the state Assembly. (J&K)

— The 2019 Act also specifies the powers of the J&K LG…This means that apart from public order and police, the bureaucracy and the anti-corruption bureau will also be under the LG’s control.

— In the run up to the elections, a series of administrative changes have extended the powers of the LG, granting him the power to also appoint the Advocate General and law officers, and to give him a say in decisions regarding prosecutions and sanctions.

For Your Information:

— On August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the abrogation of Article 370 and end of “special status” for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and subsequently, Parliament used its powers under Article 3 of the Constitution, for the first time, to withdraw statehood and create two Union Territories.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the provisions of the Reorganisation Act of 2019?

— How is the state administration different from the Union Territories?

— How is Delhi’s administration different from Puducherry’s?

Post Read Question:

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. Article 239AA which provides for the administration of Delhi applies to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. According to the Reorganisation Act of 2019, the Lieutenant Governor of J&K has control over public order, police, the bureaucracy, and the anti-corruption bureau.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Decode Politics: How have powers of J&K LG ‘changed’, and why are parties objecting

August 5, 2024: Five years on, did ending special status for Jammu & Kashmir achieve its ends?

Waiting for Fed rate cut, the key question is how much

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment

What’s the ongoing story- The highly anticipated two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the United States Federal Reserve that begins on Tuesday (September 17) is expected to end with the announcement of a rate cut, the first by the American central bank since March 2020.

Prerequisites:

— What are the various tools used by the Bank to control inflation?

— What is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)?

Key takeaways: 

— On Wednesday, the Fed is expected to somewhat belatedly join other central banks around the world in kicking off its own rate-cutting cycle after a gap of more than four years.

— It needs to be noted that the US has seen a recession — or a significant cooling of economic activity — after almost every time the Fed has hiked interest rates in a sustained manner to control inflation. This time could be different: a soft landing — sustained high levels of inflation being brought down without setting off a recession — looks highly possible.

— Like other central banks such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the US Fed influences employment and inflation primarily by using monetary policy tools to control the availability and cost of credit in the economy.

— The Fed’s primary tool of monetary policy is the federal funds rate, changes in which influence other interest rates — which in turn influence borrowing costs for households and businesses, as well as broader financial conditions.

— When interest rates go down in an economy, it becomes cheaper to borrow; so households are more inclined to buy more goods and services, and businesses have an incentive to borrow funds to expand operations, buy equipment, or to invest in new projects.

— Even though the linkages of monetary policy to inflation and employment are not direct or immediate, monetary policy is a key factor in curbing runaway prices or stoking the growth impetus.

— When the Fed cuts its policy rates, the difference between the interest rates of the US and the other country could widen — thus making countries such as India more attractive for the currency carry trade.

— A lower rate signal by the Fed would also mean a higher impetus to growth in the US, which could be positive news for global growth…

For Your Information:

— For the RBI, like other central banks, the likelihood of a future rate cut is somewhat predicated on the US Fed’s decision to cut rates. The RBI last cut the repo rate by 40 basis points to 4% in May 2020.

— Since then, the RBI has hiked the repo rate by 250 points to 6.5% in order to tackle runaway inflation. The Indian central bank has a mandate to keep inflation at 4%, with a cushion of 2% on either side.

— The next meeting of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled for October 7-9.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the role of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)?

— Impact of Fed’s rate cut on the Indian economy.

— What is the impact of a rate cut in the interest rate on the overall economy?

— What is inflation targeting in the context of the Indian economy?

Post Read Question:

(2) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities. 2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market.

2. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

US Fed will keep rates steady amid high inflation: Why this matters for the global economy

Express Network

COP29 in Azerbaijan: Focus to be on climate finance agreement

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- While countries are still struggling to come to an agreement over the quantum of finance that developed nations must mobilise in the coming years to fight climate change, Azerbaijan, the host of this year’s climate conference, has decided to launch a new fund to finance climate action in the developing world.

Prerequisites:

— What is climate finance?

— What is the role of the United Nations Climate Change Conference?

— What was the Paris Agreement?

Key takeaways: 

— The Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF) would seek “voluntary” contributions from fossil-fuel producing countries and companies, with Azerbaijan, itself a petroleum economy, making the initial contribution. It is not clear how much money this new fund is hoping to raise.

— The CFAF is part of a large package of proposals that Azerbaijan has prepared for inclusion in the final outcome of COP29 (29th edition of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), which is to be held in the country’s capital, Baku, from November 11 to 22.

— The main agenda of COP29 is to finalise an agreement on climate finance, including the amount of money that developed countries must raise in the post-2025 period to help the developing world fight climate change.

— The CFAF would be the latest addition to the long list of existing climate funds, almost all of which are short on money. Azerbaijan has proposed that fossil-fuel producing countries and companies can choose to make annual contributions that can be a fixed sum or based on volumes of production.

For Your Information:

— The world has to close the inequality gap between countries on the issue of technology and finance to achieve the joint goal of tackling climate change and an exact definition of climate finance is needed, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said.

— Climate finance refers to the investments that are needed to tackle climate change by way of either preventive steps to reduce emissions, known as mitigation or preparatory steps to tackle its impacts, known as adaptation. This funding can be local, national or transnational, drawn from public, private or alternative sources, as per the United Nations.

— Currently, developed nations are obliged to raise $100 billion annually to support developing nations. However, as per the Paris Agreement, this ceiling has to be revised after 2025, hence the negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the various existing climate funds?

— What is the Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capability?

— What are the challenges of climate financing?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(3) With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2016)

1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.

2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one meter by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Exact definition of climate finance needed, inequality gap on tech has to be closed: Bhupender Yadav

HIV drugs: Indian Patent Office to hear plea against US firm

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story- The Indian Patent Office is set to hear the objections of Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust against the patent claims filed by US-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences on HIV drug lenacapavir.

Prerequisites:

— What is a patent?

— What is the evergreening of patents?

Key takeaways: 

— Sankalp, a civil society organisation working with people vulnerable to HIV, opposed the patent applications in 2021 on grounds that the drug consists of a previously known compound and should not be considered an invention under Indian Patents Act.

— Sankalp contends that two of Gilead’s patent applications on the salt forms of lenacapavir are not innovative. Indian patent law prohibits “evergreening”, a practice by which pharmaceutical corporations seek patents on routine modifications to extend their drug monopolies beyond the standard 20-year period.

For Your Information:

— The IPR ecosystem in this country has witnessed both structural and legislative changes. For instance, the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) was dissolved in April 2021 as part of tribunal reforms, and its jurisdiction was re-transferred to high courts.

— This was followed by the establishment of dedicated IP benches (“the IP Division”) by the Delhi High Court, arguably the country’s leading court on the IPR front, for speedier disposal of IPR disputes.

— These steps have gone hand in hand with a conscious effort to improve the infrastructure and strength of the Indian Patent Office.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the Supreme Court verdicts on the evergreening of patents?

— What is India’s Patent Act?

— What are the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?

— What is the National IPR policy?

Post Read Question:

(4) Who releases the International Intellectual Property Index?

(a) World Intellectual Property Organisation

(b) World Economic Forum

(c) World Trade Organisation

(d) US Chamber of Commerce

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India ranks 42 out of 55 in International Intellectual Property Index

J Sai Deepak writes: Enforcing the Patent Bargain

 

The Ideas Page

Joe Biden’s India Story

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: India and its neighbourhood- relations, Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- C. Raja Mohan writes: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings on Saturday with President Joe Biden at Wilmington — a two-hour drive south from New York — will celebrate the significant gains in the India-US partnership over the last four years.

Prerequisites:

— What is the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET)?

Key takeaways: 

— For India, Biden’s legacy is about supporting Delhi’s plans to deepen the techno-industrial base of India’s economy and security.

— The Trump Administration’s China strategy led to the reimagining of Asian geography as the “Indo-Pacific”. Putting “Indo” into the “Pacific” marked a decisive break from Washington’s tradition of seeing Delhi through the South Asian prism.

— This was accompanied by lending an institutional dimension to the new Indo-Pacific strategy by reviving the Quadrilateral forum (Australia, India, Japan, and the US) that went into a coma after a brief flicker in 2007.

— Biden brought greater coherence to the operationalisation of the strategy to build a new Asian balance of power amid the growing challenges from China. On the economic front, Biden refused to withdraw the Trump tariffs on Chinese imports.

— Biden sought a more comprehensive effort to de-risk the economic relationship with China and put in place tighter controls on the transfer of advanced technologies.

— Reinforcing the economic pressure, Biden undertook several political and institutional steps in Asia… These included the elevation of the Quad to the summit level barely two months after Biden was sworn in; expanding the ambit of the strategic partnership with India…

— The most consequential development of the Biden years is undoubtedly the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET) that was unveiled in January 2023…

— Biden chose to go along with the Indian view that the Quad should not be developed as a military alliance but as a provider of public goods in the Indo-Pacific.

— The new resilience in bilateral ties has allowed Delhi and Washington to withstand unexpected turbulence from different directions — including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the alleged Indian involvement in the attempted killing of a US citizen, and the divergence over political change in Bangladesh.

For Your Information:

— India and the US have signed a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) and Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers, the latest in a series of bilateral military agreements that have enhanced defence and security cooperation between the two countries over the past decade. (August, 2024)

—  In 2002, India and the US had signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) to facilitate sharing of military information. Between 2016 and 2020, the two sides signed four more agreements.

Points to Ponder: 

— How the India-USA relationship has evolved over the years?

— What are the important agreements signed between India and the USA?

— What are the areas of conflict in the India-USA relationship?

Post Read Question:

How will I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE and USA) grouping transform India’s position in global politics? (UPSC CSE 2022)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: The two new US-India agreements, signed as part of growing defence ties

Editorial

Reaping the silver dividend

UPSC Syllabus:

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

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

What’s the ongoing story-  Srinivas Goli, Kaustav Chakraborty and Jhumki Kundu write: The Centre’s decision, last week, to extend the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with a Rs 5 lakh top-up for all older adults aged above 70 years, not covered by other public health insurance schemes, is a step in the right direction. However, it’s not a game-changer.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)?

— What is out-of-pocket expenditure?

— What is outpatient care?

— What is palliative care?

— What are primary and tertiary health care?

Key takeaways: 

— India is not only the world’s most populous country but also among the fastest ageing. Although the country’s life expectancy is 70 years, the healthy life years are only 63.5. Surveys and studies have provided evidence of increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, disabilities and a bedridden older population, especially in the 70-80 and 80-plus age age group. — High-risk pooling mechanisms and heavy premiums in private health insurance companies, especially for the older population, are major hindrances in healthcare coverage.

— In India, only one in five persons above 60 years is covered by health insurance. With nearly 92 per cent of the workforce engaged in informal labour, the financial burden caused by poor health is often devastating.

— Out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare spending for inpatient care is twice as high for the elderly compared to the younger population. However, the country’s social security system for older adults is inadequate.

— The government has allocated an additional budget of Rs 3,437 crore for AB-PMJAY to cover the proposed extension… the amount allocated for the scheme is more than four times less than what is required to implement it effectively.

— Protecting vulnerable older adults through public insurance should be complementary to, but not a substitute for, government hospital care…

— The AB-PMJAY, like most other private insurance schemes, covers only secondary and tertiary care conditions, when outpatient services account for 46 per cent of the total health expenditure.

— The exclusion of outpatient care from the scheme will not help in preventive care, critical for healthy ageing. In its current form, the scheme also does not help with palliative care, a common requirement for the 80 plus group or the bid-ridden amongst the relatively younger group of the elderly who suffer from chronic diseases.

— Extending the beneficiary base of the AB-PMJAY will not be enough to achieve the public health goals of the country without a substantial rise in public health spending. Public healthcare spending has been stagnant at around 0.9 to 1.35 per cent of the GDP for more than seven decades.

— The expansion of insurance coverage needs to be supplemented with expansion of public health infrastructure and hospital coverage and increase in healthcare human resources and medicine supply.

For Your Information:

— Since 2018, the AB-PMJAY has covered 7.37 crore hospital admissions. This is a significant achievement in a country where out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on health is often a reason for crushing poverty.

— At the time of the 2011 census, only 8.6% of India’s population was over the age of 60 years. This is expected to increase to 19.5% by 2050, according to the government’s Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI).

— An analysis of Ayushman Bharat data by The Indian Express earlier had shown that almost 12% of all admissions and 14% of the money reimbursed under the scheme was for those who were of age 70 years or older.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the problems of the healthcare sector in India?

— What is the significance of increasing the coverage for the elderly in the AB PM-JAY?

— What are the challenges faced by the elderly in India?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(5) With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.

2. As it aims to achieve universal, health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.

3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c)  3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Extending the beneficiary base of the AB-PMJAY will not be enough to achieve the public health goals of the country without a substantial rise in public health spending. Examine.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

All about AB PM-JAY, the universal health cover for Indians aged over 70

Govt & Politics

Govt plans to develop fishing infra in A&N, Lakshadweep: Minister

UPSC Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story- The Centre is planning to develop infrastructure for fishing in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, said on Tuesday.

Prerequisites:

— What is the status of India’s livestock sector?

Key takeaways: 

— India is the 2nd largest fish-producing country; therefore, its seafood exports should also be increased, he said.

— Besides, the government has also approved three smart fishing harbours with a cost of Rs 369.80 crore and these will be established in three states, Daman & Diu, Gujarat, and Puducherry, he said.

— Singh said that the government has also approved 5 integrated aqua parks—one each in five states—Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, and Arunachal Pradesh, with a cost of Rs 179.81 crore.

— Highlighting the “important” contribution of the livestock sector in the economy, Singh said that India is the top producer of milk in the world. The livestock activities contribute 25 per cent of the agriculture sector, he said.

— Observing that the biggest challenge in the animal husbandry sector is that milk production is largely in the unorganised sector, Singh said the National Dairy Development Board has entered into MoUs with several states for this.

For Your Information:

— The Centre has decided to deploy National Level Monitors (NLM) to oversee the implementation of its livestock schemes including National Livestock Mission and Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

— Apart from the National Livestock Mission and Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the Department of Animal Husbandry also implements the National Programme for Dairy Development and Livestock Health and Disease Control programme. These programmes will also be monitored by the NLMs.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the importance of the livestock sector?

— What are the challenges of the livestock sector?

— What are the government schemes related to the livestock sector?

Post Read Question:

Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss suggesting suitable measures to promote this sector in India. (UPSC CSE 2015)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Centre to depute national level monitors to oversee livestock schemes

Front

Steady growth in west, south states; decline in Bengal: EAC-PM report

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment

What’s the ongoing story- While western and southern states “performed notably better” than the rest of the country in over six decades from 1960-61 to 2023-24, with Maharashtra and Gujarat consistently showing strong economic performance, West Bengal recorded a “continuous decline”, a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) released Tuesday showed.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Net National Product (NNP)?

— What is the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)?

— What is the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP)?

Key takeaways: 

— Five southern states — Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu — accounted for over 30 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023-24, but West Bengal saw its share shrink from the third-largest of 10.5 per cent in 1960-61 to only 5.6 per cent in 2023-24, the paper titled ‘Relative Economic Performance of Indian States: 1960-61 to 2023-24’ stated.

— Relative per capita income remained the highest in Delhi, Telangana, Karnataka and Haryana, and the lowest in Bihar…

— For the analysis, the share in national GDP has been taken as the ratio of a state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to the sum of GSDP of all states. Relative per capita income has been calculated as the percentage of per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of the state to the all-India per capita Net National Product (NNP) or per capita Net National Income (NNI).

— The paper said the eastern states remain a concern. “West Bengal has experienced a continuous decline in its relative economic performance over several decades…

Points to Ponder: 

— How GDP is calculated in India?

— What is the role of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) ?

— Is GDP an adequate measure of development?

— What are the reasons for the increased contribution by the Southern states to India’s GDP?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(6) A decrease in tax to GDP ratio of a country indicates which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2015)

1. Slowing economic growth rate

2. Less equitable distribution of national income

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains

Define potential GDP and explain its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP? (2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Karnataka tops states in GDP share growth over past 5 decades, says central report

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