UPSC Key- May 25, 2023: Know about Sendai Framework, Interstate Border Disputes, GANHRI, Sengol, President and Parliament

Attention Please:

Dear Readers,
Preparation for the UPSC Examination requires studying multiple newspaper articles on a single topic, while at the same time we experience a paucity of time. Covering all the articles on our own is quite tedious. Thus, we are coming up with a new initiative called the Indian Express 360° UPSC Debate.
The Indian Express 360° Upsc Debate will cover a topic from all angles after sifting through multiple articles. It will be done in For, Against, and Neutral formats so as to cover the maximum dimensions. This initiative will immensely help students in enhancing their in-depth knowledge as well as their answer writing for the upcoming civil service main examination.

FRONT PAGE

Since 2017 when Yogi took charge, over one killed every fortnight in police encounters

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies IV: Ethics and Human Interface

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has always underlined his crackdown on crime as a key imperative of his governance. To that effect, police encounters and bulldozing of properties of alleged criminals have become the visible symbols of a tough government bent on making Uttar Pradesh “apradh mukt” or crime-free.

• What is encounter killing?

• Does the police has the right to commit encounter as per law?

• What is retributive justice?

• Encounter killing-Ethical or unethical?

• Encounter Killings and due process of law-connect the dots

• If you remember, the Uttar Pradesh police also killed 56-year-old gangster Vikas Dubey, in an encounter quite similar to a case that took place in Hyderabad (Telangana) in December 2019. In both instances, public sentiment was in favour of these extrajudicial executions-How Public sentiments drives encounter killings?

• On encounters killings, the Supreme Court of India ensures proper guidelines and procedures-what are those guidelines?

• What National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says on Encounter Killings or Extrajudicial Killings?

• Do You Know-On September 23, 2014, a bench of then CJI RM Lodha and Rohinton Fali Nariman issued detailed guidelines enumerating 16 points to be followed “in the matters of investigating police encounters in the cases of death as the standard procedure for thorough, effective and independent investigation.” The guidelines came in the case “People’s Union for Civil Liberties v State of Maharashtra”, and included the registration of a first information report (FIR) as mandatory along with provisions for magisterial inquiry, keeping written records of intelligence inputs and independent investigation by bodies such as the CID.

• What is collective conscience of society?

• Why is collective conscience important?

• “Murder-for-murder frames disturbing questions”-Comment

• An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind-Decode the quote in this context

• What Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 says?

• ‘The lengthening list of the UP Police’s encounter killings is a stain on its record. It gives the lie to the most fundamental of promises in a constitutional democracy, the assurance of due process, for all, in a system governed by the law’-Analyse

• Why does the questionable methods of “bumping off” in private and “encounters” in uniform have thus gained public approval and approbation as the last resort?

• “These days, encounters are predicted by criminals themselves and eagerly anticipated by citizens”-Analyse

• “Politicians play a very powerful role at police stations, compromising both integrity and impartiality of field staff”-Comment

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍LICENCE TO KILL

20 Opp parties announce boycott of new House inauguration by PM

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.

• 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- In another show of unity, 19 Opposition parties-and the AIMIM separately-announced their “collective decision” Wednesday to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to inaugurate it himself, “completely side-lining” President Droupadi Murmu, insults the high office of the President and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

• Why have 20 opposition parties announced they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28?

• Why Prime Minister is inaugurating and not the President?

• “Prime Minister Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response”-How far you agree?

• President and Parliament-Connect the dots

• For Your Information-Article 79 of the Constitution of India states that: “There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People.” “The President is not only the Head of State in India, but also an integral part of the Parliament. She summons, prorogues, and addresses the Parliament. She must assent for an Act of Parliament to take effect.

• Why New Parliament Building?

• How New Parliament Building is different from old Parliament Building?

• India’s present Parliament House is a colonial-era building designed by whom?

• New Parliament Building-what are its features

• What is Central Vista Redevelopment Project?

• Total expenditure on Central Vista Redevelopment Project?

• New Parliament and Central Vista Redevelopment Project-Know the key features

• How Central Vista Redevelopment Project will draw the line between creating new heritage and taking care of existing heritage?

• Do You Know-Being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore, the building is part of the Central Vista Project, which also includes a joint Central Secretariat, revamp of the Rajpath, a new Prime Minister’s residence, a new Prime Minister’s Office, and a new Vice-President’s enclave.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍5,000 works of art for new Parliament building, highlighting 5,000 years of Indian civilisation

📍MINUS OPPOSITION

Previous Year UPSC Prelims Questions covering the same theme:

📍Consider the following statements: (GS1, 2022)
1. A bill amending the Constitution requires a prior recommendation of the President of India.
2. When a Constitution Amendment Bill is presented to the President of India, it is obligatory for the President of India to give his/her assent.
3. A Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by a special majority and there is no provision for joint sitting.
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

📍Who/Which of the following is the Custodian of the Constitution of India? (GS1, 2015)
(a) The President of India
(b) The Prime Minister of India
(c) The Lok Sabha Secretariat
(d) The Supreme Court of India

THE IDEAS PAGE

How to meet a disaster

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Disaster and disaster management

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- P K Mishra writes: The G20 nations, with a population of 4.7 billion, have large exposure, risk from asset concentration, and vulnerability to natural disasters. In the current World Risk Index, four out of the top 10 vulnerable countries are G20 nations. The combined estimated annual average loss in the G20 countries alone is $218 billion, equivalent to 9 per cent of the average annual investment in infrastructure made by them.

• What is Disaster?

• What is Disaster Management?

• How the G20 plays a crucial role in supporting countries to strengthen their financial risk management capabilities?

• “Reducing risk can be achieved mainly by reducing vulnerability and exposure to risk through measures such as better economic and urban development choices and practices, protection of the environment, reduction of poverty and inequality”-Comment

• How risk reduction is an important strategy if a country’s economic ambitions are to be realised?

• India has highlighted the importance of disaster risk reduction by initiating a new workstream in G20-Know how?

• First Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) -Know more

• How the G20 plays a crucial role in supporting countries to strengthen their financial risk management capabilities?

• The Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) will offer an extensive overview of disaster risk assessment and financing practices across a wide range of economies-How?

• What are the five priorities outlined in the first meeting of the G20 working group?

• “We need to re-imagine financing disaster risk reduction”-Elaborate

• The financial management of disaster risks has been approached in a variety of ways across different economies, reflective of both varying levels of disaster risk and economic development. However, there are still a number of common challenges that remain pervasive-What are those Challenges?

• Some aspects of the Sendai Framework — for example, priority access to early warning — are achievable-How?

• What is the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction?

• Sendai Framework and Hyogo framework-compare

• What is priority of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction?

• What are the main targets of Sendai Framework?

• What are the types of hazard as per Sendai Framework?

• What are the steps taken by India for disaster management?

• What are the pre disaster measures taken in India for any disaster?

• What is post-disaster management?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍For safety’s sake

GOVT & POLITICS

Assam, Meghalaya resume border talks after firing incident

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Inter-States disputes and 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 Talks aimed at the resolution of border disputes between Assam and Meghalaya resumed on Wednesday with a chief minister-level meeting — a first since the firing incident at the border village of Mukroh in November last year in which six people had died. Wednesday’s meeting was led by the two chief ministers, Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam and Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya, and was also attended by other top ministers and officials.
Both chief ministers touted the meeting as the “beginning” of the process of resolving the issues over the six remaining disputed areas between the two states.

• What is the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya?

• Assam and Meghalaya border Dispute- Historical Background and What is the present status?

• For Your Information-Assam and Meghalaya share an 884 km-long border which has frequently seen flare-ups. The two chief ministers have been in talks to resolve the dispute since July 2021. Last March, they signed an MoU to settle the disputes in a 36.7-sq-km area comprising six out of the twelve disputed areas. The second phase of talks, tackling the remaining six areas, was supposed to have begun last August. However, the Mukroh incident took place three months later.

• Map Work-Langpih, Kamrup and Garo Hills

• Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971 and Meghalaya State Day (on 21 January 1972 Meghalaya was declared as a State)-Know in brief

• Interstate border disputes in India-Know in detail

• What Article 263 of the Constitution of India says on Interstate Border Disputes?

• What else can be done to resolve the dispute between the two states?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute, how the recent killing of six people impacts it

📍Explained: Assam-Mizoram border dispute, and its roots in two notifications dating to 1875 and 1933

📍Assam-Mizoram border dispute: Fault line from history flares up in the present

EXPRESS NETWORK

Global agency defers accreditation to NHRC

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-For the second time in a row, an organisation affiliated to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and representing more than a hundred national human rights institutions, has deferred re-accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India for a year, The Indian Express has learnt. The Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA) to the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) had granted ‘A’ status of accreditation to NHRC in 2017, after deferring it the year before — the first such instance since NHRC was established in 1993. Without the accreditation, NHRC will be unable to represent India at the UN Human Rights Council.

• What is the Global Alliance on National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)?

• What does GANHRI do?

• Why GANHRI has deferred re-accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India for a year

• What are the Paris Principles of human rights institutions?

• For Your Information- Adopted in 1991, the Paris Principles are a crucial step in development of standards for national human rights institutions across the world. The six principles require a country‘s human rights agency to be independent from the government in its structure, composition, decision-making and method of operation. In 2016, the GANHRI had cited appointment of political representatives, failure in ensuring gender balance and pluralism in NHRC staff among its reasons for the deferment. The NHRC got ‘A’ status of accreditation for the first time in 1999, which it retained in 2006, 2011, and in 2017 after it was deferred for a year. The NHRC is headed by Justice Arun Mishra, former judge of the Supreme Court.

• National Human Rights Commission of India-Know in detail

• The National Human Rights Commission is a statutory (and not a constitutional) body-Agree or Disagree?

• Why the National Human Rights Commission was established?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Institutional mechanism in India to address rights violations, says NHRC chief

EXPLAINED

Chola Sengol tradition, seen with Nehru, now in new Parliament

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement.

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-In a symbolic move, a sacred sceptre that was handed to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence to mark the transfer of power from the British will be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at a press conference on Wednesday that the sacred “sengol” was a symbol of just and fair rule and had been used to mark the transfer of power from one king to the another in the Chola dynasty. He said the Prime Minister would receive it in a ceremony at the new Parliament, where it would be displayed from then on. Made of silver and plated in gold, the sceptre had been preserved at Allahabad Museum till now, Shah said.

• What is the Sengol?

• How sacred sengol symbolizes “virtual and ethical rule”?

• Why was the Sengol given to Nehru?

• How was the Sengol made?

• How was the Sengol handed over to Nehru?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍‘Sengol’ to be installed in the new parliament: Significance of the sceptre, first given to Nehru

FIPIC

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- A video of the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape bending down to touch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet last Sunday has drawn a lot of interest. This happened right after the Indian PM landed in the capital city of Port Moresby for his first visit to the country, the first by any Indian prime minister, for the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit, 2023.

• What is Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation?

• For Your Information-The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during PM Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014. FIPIC includes 14 island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu – that are located in the Pacific Ocean, to the northeast of Australia.

• Who are the members of the FIPIC?

• Map Work- members of the FIPIC

• What was the idea behind FIPIC?

• And what is the FIPIC summit?

• What happened at the FIPIC summit 2023?

• What is Oceania?

• Significance of India-Papua New Guinea relations-Know in detail

• Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ and Tok Pisin-Connect the dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM in Papua New Guinea, to host key summit with 14 Pacific nations

Doing Business rank and the state of an economy: a curious relationship

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The year was 2018 when India had shot up among the top 50 in the World Bank’s (Ease of) Doing Business (EoDB) rankings. On paper this was a great achievement for a country that had always been a laggard in these rankings. The sharp rise also burnished the reform credentials of the incumbent government. Yet, this was also the year when India was in the middle of a massive growth deceleration. The economy, especially the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs), were struggling to grow.

• What is Ease of Doing Business?

• What is the controversy around the Doing Business rankings?

• Why the World Bank discontinued the practice of issuing Doing Business report?

• Why Ease of Doing Business rankings matter?

• Do You Know-The EoDB rankings were started in 2002 to rank countries on a number of parameters to indicate how easy or difficult it is for anyone to do business in a country. Each year, the EoDB rankings mapped whether, and by how much, a country had improved on a number of big and small parameters, such as how long it takes to start a business, or how costly it is to get a construction permit, or how many procedures one has to go through to enforce a contract etc.

• How reliable were the rankings?

• Is this the first time the head of the IMF and/or World Bank has been in a controversy?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍World Bank to stop ‘ease of doing business’ report as probe finds ‘data juggling’

📍Explained: The Ease of Doing Business rankings controversy

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