UPSC Key- May 5, 2023: Know about Caste Census, India-UAE Bilateral Relations, Kuki and Meitei

Shoot-at-sight orders as violence rages in Manipur, CM says ‘precious lives lost’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains 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- From the hill district of Churachandpur to the capital Imphal, violence between Manipur’s Kuki tribe and the majority Meitei community continued to rage for the second day in several parts of the state, after the Army and Assam Rifles were deployed to quell the situation on Wednesday night. As the situation worsened on Thursday, the state’s Home Department issued “shoot-at-sight” orders “in extreme cases”

• Why people are protesting?

• ‘The participants were protesting the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive’-What precisely was the Manipur High Court’s order to the State administration on April 19, 2023?

• Do You Know-The court observed that “the petitioners and other Unions are fighting long years for inclusion of Meetei/Meitei community in the tribe list of Manipur”, and directed the government to submit its recommendation after considering the case of the petitioners, “preferably within a period of four weeks” of receipt of the order.

• ‘The development has reopened an old ethnic Faultline in the state between the plain-dwelling majority Meitei community and the hill tribes’-what old ethnic Faultline?

• What exactly triggered the violence in the state?

• Who are Kuki and Meitei?

• Which are the major communities residing in Manipur?

• For Your Information-The Meiteis are the largest community in Manipur. There are 34 recognized tribes, which are broadly classified as ‘Any Kuki Tribes’ and ‘Any Naga Tribes’.
The central valley in the state accounts for about 10% of the landmass of Manipur, and is home primarily to the Meitei and Meitei Pangals who constitute roughly 64.6% of the state’s population. The remaining 90% of the state’s geographical area comprises hills surrounding the valley, which are home to the recognized tribes, making up about 35.4% of the state’s population.

• Why does the Meitei community want ST status?

• Why are tribal groups opposing this order?

• Is this demand the only reason for the conflict rocking the state currently?

• What steps have the union and state governments taken to stop the violence?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Shah on line with Biren, other CMs as more security forces rushed in

📍Why Kuki-Paitei tribes are opposed to CM Biren Singh

📍Behind Manipur flare-up, tribal anger, HC order

📍Manipur violence: From Army deployment to ‘shoot at sight’ order — top 10 points

Chartered accountants now under ambit of money laundering law

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: 

• 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- NOTIFYING changes to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Finance Ministry has brought in practicing chartered accountants, company secretaries, and cost and works accountants carrying out financial transactions on behalf of their clients into the ambit of the money laundering law. Lawyers and legal professionals, however, seem to have been kept out in the new definition of entities covered under the PMLA.

• What exactly the Union Finance Ministry said?

• What is the rationality behind this decision?

• The change in PMLA law assumes significance in what sense?

• What does a chartered accountant do?

• How have chartered accountants (CAs), company secretaries (CSs), and cost and management accountants (CMAs) reacted?

• Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)-Key Points

• Prevention of Money-Laundering (Amendment) Act, 2012-Key Highlights

• What Is Money Laundering?

• How Money Laundering works? What do you understand by placement, layering and integration?

• What is the offence of money-laundering?

• What is the punishment for money-laundering?

• Money Laundering and its impact? What influence does money laundering have on economic development?

• How does fighting money laundering help fight crime?

• Steps Taken by Government of India to Prevent Money Laundering

• What is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?

• How many lists are there under Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Amendments to PMLA rules and its impact on ‘politically exposed persons’, NGOs

Patna HC halts caste survey, says issue beyond state power

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- In a setback to the Nitish Kumar government, the Patna High Court Thursday stayed the ongoing caste-based survey in Bihar with immediate effect, saying the state government had “no power” to conduct the same as it would “infringe on the legislative powers” of Parliament. The interim order came days before the census was to be completed by May 15. The Mahagathbandhan government has invested much political stock in the caste census, with most of the Opposition parties putting pressure on the BJP-led Modi government to hold the same across the country.

• What exactly Patna High Court said?

• “The state government had “no power” to conduct the same as it would “infringe on the legislative powers” of Parliament”-Discuss

• Why Bihar is conducting a caste census?

• What is meant by caste census?

• What is the purpose of caste census?

• What is the importance of caste census?

• Has a caste census ever been conducted?

• What data are the enumerators collecting?

• On the difference between “census” and “survey”, What exactly the Patna HC said?

• For Your Information-On the difference between “census” and “survey”, the HC said Black’s Law Dictionary “defines ‘census’ as an official count of people, made for the purpose of compiling social and economic data of the political subdivision to which the people belong”. ‘Census’ as defined by Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary is the count of a population and a property evaluation in early Rome, which is almost a complete enumeration of the population, made by the Government. The Concise Law Dictionary by P Ramanatha Aiyar defines it as an official enumeration of the inhabitants of the state or country with details of sex, age, family, occupation, possession etc”. A “survey”, the court said, is defined in the Oxford Advanced Dictionary as “an investigation of the opinions and behaviour of a particular group of people”, determined by asking them pre-framed questions. Black’s Law Dictionary defines it as an appraisal and a general consideration of something and also includes the measuring of a tract of land. It has also been defined as a poll or questionnaire, especially one examining popular opinions, the HC said.

• What is the Socio Economic and Caste Census?

• Caste Census and Socio Economic and Caste Census-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Bihar set to start caste census exercise from Jan 7

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Bridging the Gulf

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

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- Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri writes: Shaped by millennia-old journeys of cultural and economic engagement on the Indian Ocean’s network of exchange, the India-UAE relationship is today more than an economic partnership. It speaks to the Emirates’s deep, fraternal, and strategically important relationship with India, and reinforces the UAE’s position as an economic hub for India to undertake sustainable and diversified growth through our strategic location at the intersection of global trade.

• What is Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)?

• What is CEPA agreement with UAE?

• India-UAE Economic Relations-Key Points

• What is the Economic Significance of the UAE for India?

• India and the UAE diplomatic relations established when?

• For Your Information-The India-UAE partnership was forged first on the trade of traditional items, and then strengthened with oil. It found a formal dimension after the creation of the UAE Federation in 1971, and then accelerated in the 1990s, when a liberalised India embraced the opportunity to export to the UAE and markets beyond. The emergence of the UAE as India’s third-largest trading partner has only underlined the positive outlook the two countries share towards economic cooperation.

• What is Definition of trade given by WTO?

• Know the data and statistics on India’s economic ties with the UAE?

• What is an Interim Trade Agreement (ITA)?

• What is Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

• Know about other types of trade agreements like Bilateral investment treaty (BIT), Preferential Trade Area, Single market, Customs Union etc.

• What is Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?

• Trade Relations and Balance of Power theory

• Map Work-UAE (Seven Emirates)

• Gulf Cooperation Council and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)-compare and contrast

• Gulf Cooperation Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and India-Connect the dot

• Is India Member of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation?

• What is the Status of India’s relationship with Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)?

• What does the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) do?

• Which countries include in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)?

• Why is the Gulf and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) important for India?

• How much trade does India do with Gulf countries?

• How much oil does India import?

• How many Indians work in the Gulf, and how much remittance do they send?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Trans-Pacific Partnership versus Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership: Control of Membership and Agenda Setting

📍Joint Press Statement on the Launch of Negotiations for the India – United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

📍Explained: What is OIC and why did India slam the group?

📍Why the Gulf matters for India

EXPLAINED

The SCO opportunity for India

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-The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will meet Friday in Goa. The SCO is a multilateral grouping comprising eight member states of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; four Observer States; and six “Dialogue Partners”. This year, of the four observers, Iran and Belarus are set to be admitted as full members. Afghanistan and Mongolia are the two other observers. The dialogue partners are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

• Central Asia, the heart of SCO-what is Eurasia?

• Do You Know-Eurasia, which in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition includes 13 countries (Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan), is at the centre of this flux in the world order. Excluding Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Turkmenistan, all others are either members, observers or dialogue partners of the SCO.

• What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

• What kind of a grouping is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

• Know the members and observer countries in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

• Map Work-Mark Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries with their capital

• Is India a part of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

• When did India become permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

• What is the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for India?

• Under what circumstances did India enter the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

• How does membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation help India?

• How does global geopolitics play out for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and India?

• How does it play out in the India-Pakistan or India-China relationship?

• ‘In the first visit by a Pakistan Foreign Minister after a six-year hiatus, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Goa’-Why this is significant?

• “If the Quad is India’s diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, the SCO represents its diplomacy in the Eurasian landmass”-Discuss

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍First in over six years, Pak foreign minister in Goa for SCO meeting

📍Jaishankar talks LAC standoff with China’s Qin, multilateral ties with Russia’s Lavrov

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