UPSC Key: No-detention policy, Parallel Cinema and National Human Rights Commission

Bangladesh tells India to send back Sheikh Hasina for ‘judicial process’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: OVER FOUR months after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following massive protests that brought down her 16-year-old regime, Dhaka has sent a diplomatic note asking New Delhi to send her back.

Key Points to Ponder:

• How this recent development can impact bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh?

• What is note verbale?

• What India-Bangladesh extradition treaty says?

• “The extradition of political leaders often raises questions of international law and sovereignty”-Discuss

• What are the legal and diplomatic challenges associated with extradition requests?

• How should India navigate such situations to maintain regional stability?

• How internal political turmoil in Bangladesh can influence India’s strategic and diplomatic priorities in the region.

• “The stability of South Asia depends significantly on the internal politics of its nations.”-Do you agree?

Key Takeaways:

• The development has the potential to impact bilateral ties — already under strain since Hasina’s arrival on August 5 — and will need some deft diplomacy.

• “We have sent a note verbale (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that Bangladesh wants her back here for the judicial process,” Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Advisor in Bangladesh’s interim government, said.

• The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several of her former ministers, advisers, military and civil officials for “crimes against humanity and genocide”.

• Delhi confirmed receipt of the extradition request. “We confirm that we have received a note verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request. At this time, we have no comment to offer on this matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Do You Know:

• The India-Bangladesh extradition treaty has provisions for refusing requests, including if the offence is of “political nature”, or an accusation has not been “made in good faith in the interests of justice”, or military offences which are not “an offence under the general criminal law”.

• Hasina’s presence in India and her public statements have strained India-Bangladesh ties over the last four months. Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Advisor Prof Muhammad Yunus had flagged this concern during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dhaka on December 9.

• A note verbale is written on the sending entity’s letterhead, and stamped with that entity’s seal, but not signed. It is written in the third person. A note from the Indian government has a set diplomatic beginning: “The Ministry of External Affairs of India/Embassy/High Commission of India presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of …” The ending too follows a fixed template: “The Ministry of External Affairs of India/Embassy/High Commission of India takes the opportunity to assure the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of… of its highest considerations.”

• Notes verbale are the commonest method of formal diplomatic communication. They are used to convey information or requests of all kinds. However, there are more formal types of diplomatic communication.

• A demarche is a more formal type of communication of one government’s official position, views, or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another government. According to the US Department of State, “demarches generally seek to persuade, inform, or gather information from a foreign government. Governments may also use a demarche to protest or object to actions by a foreign government”.

• A note verbale is also much less formal than a demi official (DO), for instance, which is a first person communication that begins with a “Dear…” and is signed by the writer, usually a high representative of the sending entity. DOs are used only when the addressee and the representative know each other extremely well and occupy high office.

• There are less formal kinds of communication between governments, such as non-papers and aide-memoires, which are summaries of discussions between two countries. A non-paper is written on a blank sheet of paper with no signatures and is addressed to no one, giving those party to the discussions deniability; an aide-memoire has to have an addressee, and indicates the sender’s identity, usually with an initial.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Bangladesh crisis dents sluggish recovery in India’s tourist arrival

📍Explained: What Bangladesh looks like four months post Sheikh Hasina

UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. With reference to the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty, consider the following statements:
1. The treaty allows refusal of extradition requests for offences of a political nature.
2. Military offences that do not fall under general criminal law are excluded from the scope of extradition.
3. Extradition requests can only be processed if they serve the interests of justice and are made in good faith.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2, and 3
(d) 2 and 3 only

‘No-detention policy’ ends for Classes 5 & 8 in central schools

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Centre has scrapped the no-detention policy in schools governed by it, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, allowing students of Classes 5 and 8 to be held back from the ongoing academic session.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is ‘no-detention policy’?

• Why Centre has scrapped the no-detention policy in schools?

• How scrapping no-detention policy will impact elementary education in India?

• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020-Know its key highlights

• What is the role of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in influencing the decision to scrap the no-detention policy?

• “The no-detention policy was introduced to ensure every child has access to basic education, but it led to unintended consequences.”-Analyse the given statement

• What measures can schools adopt to ensure that children detained under the amended RTE rules receive adequate support to address their learning gaps and continue their education?

• What will be the impact of scrapping the no-detention policy on marginalized communities?

• How can competency-based assessments contribute to achieving the objectives of the Right to Education Act?

Key Takeaways:

• The decision will impact around 3,000 Central schools, including Sainik Schools, which function under the Ministry of Defence, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

• It comes five years after the Right to Education Act, 2009, was amended in 2019 to include a clause that allowed the “appropriate government” to decide on holding back children in Classes 5 and 8. Since then, 18 States and Union Territories (UTs) have already scrapped the no-detention policy.

• In a notification issued last week, the Ministry of Education amended the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, to insert a section on detaining students in Classes 5 and 8.

• The rules now state that if a Class 5 or Class 8 student does not fulfil the promotion criteria in the regular examination at the end of the academic year, he/she shall be “given additional instruction and opportunity for re-examination within a period of two months” after the results are declared. If the student still does not fulfil the promotion criteria after the re-exam, he/she can be held back.

• The rules now state that if a Class 5 or Class 8 student does not fulfil the promotion criteria in the regular examination at the end of the academic year, he/she shall be “given additional instruction and opportunity for re-examination within a period of two months” after the results are declared. If the student still does not fulfil the promotion criteria after the re-exam, he/she can be held back.

• In case a student is detained, “the class teacher shall guide the child as well as the parents of the child, if necessary, and provide specialised inputs after identifying the learning gaps at various stages of assessment”.

• The rules also add that “the head of the school shall maintain a list of children who are held back and personally monitor the provisions provided for specialised inputs to such children and their progress with respect to the identified learning gaps”.

• The exam and re-exam are to be “competency-based examinations to achieve the holistic development of the child” and “not based on memorisation and procedural skills.” The rules specify that no child shall be expelled till the completion of elementary education.

Do You Know:

• Under Section 16 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, schools were prohibited from detaining students up to Class 8. With the possibility of students dropping out if they were detained, the no-detention policy was meant to ensure children received a minimum level of education at least. In the years since then, several States called for scrapping the no-detention policy.

• In 2016, the Central Advisory Board of Education passed a resolution calling for scrapping the policy on the grounds that students were no longer serious about their studies.

• The Act was then amended in 2019, allowing “appropriate government… to hold back a child in the fifth class or in the eighth class or in both classes” if the child fails in the re-examination. This left it to the States to decide on scrapping the no-detention policy.

• When the Bill for amending the RTE Act to scrap the no-detention policy was moved in Lok Sabha, then HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had said that “it is a very important legislation and a majority of state governments supported this proposal. It brings accountability in our elementary education.” He had added that “schools have become only schools for mid-day meal, as education and learning are missing.”

• Since the amendment, 18 States and UTs have done away with the no-detention policy — Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
According to the Ministry of Education, Haryana and Puducherry are yet to take a final decision.

• The remaining States and UTs — Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands — continue to implement the no-detention policy.

• Asked why the Centre waited to scrap the no-detention policy, a senior official said the National Education Policy was out in 2020 and the Centre decided to wait till the National Curriculum Framework for School Education was also out in 2023, in order “to be able to take a holistic view” on the matter.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍In schools, the no-fail policy may have failed. What now?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. Which of the following provisions of the Constitution does India have a bearing on Education? (2012)
1. Directive Principles of State Policy
2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies
3. Fifth Schedule
4. Sixth Schedule
5. Seventh Schedule
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3, 4 and 5 only
(c) 1, 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍How have digital initiatives in India contributed to the functioning of the education system in the country? Elaborate on your answer. (2020)

Parallel cinema pioneer, took us to places where cinema rarely went

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

What’s the ongoing story: Shyam Benegal, filmmaker, raconteur, bon vivant, has passed away. He was 90.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the concept of Parallel Cinema?

• Who is the father of Parallel Cinema?

• What is the difference between Parallel Cinema and commercial cinema?

• Discuss the role of Shyam Benegal in the evolution of Parallel Cinema in India. How did his films reflect the socio-economic realities of their time?

• Shyam Benegal’s films often explored themes of rural India, social hierarchies, and women’s issues. Examine how these themes have shaped the narrative style of Indian Parallel Cinema.

• Examine the portrayal of women in Shyam Benegal’s films such as Bhumika and Ankur. How did his cinema contribute to the discourse on gender issues in India?

• Parallel Cinema is often seen as the antithesis of commercial Bollywood. Discuss how filmmakers like Shyam Benegal navigated this divide while achieving critical and popular acclaim.

Key Takeaways:

Shubhra Gupta writes:

• It is an irreparable loss. We have lost a rare voice who said it like he saw it, through his 50 years of active filmmaking, full of passion and erudition.

• He was also one of the very few filmmakers who wore their fame so lightly, with such elegance. It was a quality that marked all our conversations through the years, the last of which was an exchange this May when his Manthan, India’s first crowdfunded film, was showcased at the Cannes film festival.

• The essence of Benegal’s final film reminded one of the brilliant nation-building exercise he pulled off with his Bharat Ek Khoj, the 1988 Doordarshan series he wrote and directed, based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s opus The Discovery Of India. It is an origin story which covers a staggering 5,000 years, from the birth of a subcontinent to the creation of an Independent India. Calling it a work of seminal importance has always felt right.

• Similarly, calling Ankur a game-changer, an overused phrase glibly trotted out for anything and everything, has never felt like an exaggeration, because that is exactly what it did. At a time when formulaic lost-and-found multi-starrers were ruling (Nasir Hussain’s 1973 Yaadon Ki Baraat), and Amitabh Bachchan was beginning his Angry Young Man journey (his Zanjeer, also out in 1973, exploded off the screens), Ankur was the seedling that Hindi cinema desperately needed.

Do You Know:

• Parallel Cinema, also known as the New Wave Cinema, emerged in India during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a counterpoint to the glamour and melodrama of mainstream Bollywood. It was characterized by its emphasis on realism, socio-political issues, and artistic storytelling. Drawing inspiration from global movements like Italian Neorealism and the works of Satyajit Ray, the movement sought to create films that reflected the struggles, aspirations, and complexities of Indian society.

• Shyam Benegal, a stalwart of Indian cinema, is one of the most celebrated figures associated with the Parallel Cinema movement. Born in 1934 in Hyderabad, Benegal began his career in advertising but later transitioned into filmmaking. His work is known for its powerful depiction of social realities, human struggles, and the nuances of rural and urban India.

• Key Themes in Shyam Benegal’s Films: Benegal’s films are marked by their exploration of themes such as:
—Social Hierarchies and Exploitation: Films like Ankur (1974) and Nishant (1975) delve into the feudal system and the exploitation of the underprivileged, particularly women and marginalized communities.
—Empowerment and Resistance: His films often showcase characters resisting oppression. For instance, Manthan (1976), based on the White Revolution, highlights the power of cooperative movements in empowering rural communities.
—Women’s Issues and Gender Dynamics: Movies like Bhumika (1977) explore the complex lives of women, their struggles for independence, and the challenges they face within patriarchal structures.
—Realism and Rural Life: Benegal’s films often focus on rural India, portraying its struggles with authenticity, as seen in Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992).
—Political Commentary: Films like Kalyug (1981) adapt Mahabharata’s themes to modern industrial conflicts, reflecting on power dynamics and human greed.

• Landmark Films by Shyam Benegal:
—Ankur (1974): His debut film, Ankur, set the tone for his career. It explored feudal oppression, caste-based discrimination, and the exploitation of women in rural India.
—Nishant (1975): Highlighted patriarchal dominance and the helplessness of women against entrenched systems of power.
—Manthan (1976): Funded by farmers, this film depicted the cooperative dairy movement during India’s White Revolution, emphasizing collective empowerment.
—Bhumika (1977): A biographical drama exploring a woman’s journey to find autonomy in her life amidst societal and personal challenges.
—Kalyug (1981): A modern take on the Mahabharata, it critically examined corporate greed and familial conflicts.

• Shyam Benegal’s success in Parallel Cinema was facilitated by institutional backing. The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), established to promote meaningful cinema, played a crucial role in funding his films. His ability to secure such support allowed him to focus on artistic and socially relevant narratives without the pressures of commercial filmmaking.

• The Shyam Benegal committee was set up on January 1, 2016 to lay down rules and regulations for film certification taking note of best practices in various parts of the world and giving sufficient and adequate space for artistic and creative expression.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍When PM Rajiv Gandhi asked Shyam Benegal to create India’s third epic, following Ramayana and Mahabharata, which eventually became Bharat Ek Khoj

UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3. Shyam Benegal’s film Manthan is associated with which of the following historical or cultural movements in India?
(a) Green Revolution
(b) White Revolution
(c) Chipko Movement
(d) Swadeshi Movement

GOVT & POLITICS

Ex-SC judge V Ramasubramanian appointed new NHRC chairperson

Syllabus:

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

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

What’s the ongoing story: Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian has been appointed as the 9th Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a tenure of three years until December 2027.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?

• What factors contributed to the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India?

• What is the definition of human rights?

• How human rights are different from fundamental rights?

• What is the structure of NHRC?

• What are the responsibilities and main functions of the NHRC?

• “The NHRC has a pivotal role in safeguarding human rights, but its powers are recommendatory in nature.”-Do you agree?

• Analyse the significance of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, in establishing the NHRC.

• State Human Rights Commissions (SHRCs) complement the work of the NHRC. Discuss the coordination between these bodies and the challenges
they face in addressing human rights violations at the grassroots level.

• How does the NHRC contribute to India’s compliance with international human rights standards?

• The NHRC has often been criticized for being a “toothless tiger.”-Discuss

• What are the constitutional and statutory safeguards for human rights in India. How does the NHRC ensure the implementation of these safeguards?

Key Takeaways:

• Justice Ramasubramanian was informed about the appointment through a letter signed by Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Niraj Kumar Bansod.

• Justice Ramasubramanian retired on June 29, 2023, after serving for over three years as a Supreme Court judge. During his tenure, he was part of several benches in important cases, including the five-judge bench that upheld the Centre’s demonetisation scheme in 2023 and the decision to set aside an RBI circular that stated it would not provide services to individuals and businesses dealing with cryptocurrency.

• His legal career began after he completed his LLB from Madras Law College in 1983. He practised at the Madras High Court for 23 years before he was appointed as a judge of the same court on July 31, 2006.

• At his own request, he was transferred to the High Court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in April 2016 and remained in Hyderabad after the court was bifurcated and served as a judge of the Telangana High Court until he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on June 22, 2019. Three months later, on September 23, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India.

• The previous NHRC chairman, Justice Arun Mishra, completed his term on June 1, 2024. It has since been functioning under the aegis of Acting Chairperson Vijaya Bharati Sayani.

• Previous chairpersons also include former Chief Justices of India Ranganath Mishra (the first NHRC Chairperson), M N Venkatachaliah, J S Verma, A S Anand, S Rajendra Babu, K G Balakrishnan and H L Dattu.

• Until 2019 only former Chief Justices of India could be appointed as NHRC chairperson. However, in July 2019, the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, was amended to also allow former SC judges for the post.

• Following Justice Mishra, Justice Ramasubramanian will now be the second NHRC chairperson to have never served as Chief Justice of India.

Do You Know:

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established on 12 October, 1993. The statute under which it is established is the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.

• It is in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted at the first international workshop on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights held in Paris in October 1991, and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations by its Regulations 48/134 of 20 December, 1993.

• The NHRC is an embodiment of India’s concern for the promotion and protection of human rights. Section 2(1)(d) of the PHRA defines Human Rights as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

• The NHRC is empowered to investigate allegations of human rights violations, either of its own accord or after receiving a petition from a victim (or someone on their behalf). It may also intervene as a party in ongoing cases concerning human rights violations, make recommendations aimed at protecting human rights, and conduct or promote research in related fields.

• The Commission consists of a Chairperson, five full-time Members and seven deemed Members. The statute lays down qualifications for the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission.

• Human Rights are Universal rights inherent to all individuals by virtue of being human, irrespective of nationality, race, gender, religion, or any other status. They are recognized at the international level through declarations and treaties (e.g., Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).

• Fundamental Rights are Specific rights guaranteed by a country’s constitution to its citizens and sometimes non-citizens. They are enforceable by law and aim to ensure freedom, equality, and dignity.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Human Rights And Wrongs

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4. Other than the Fundamental Rights, which of the following parts of the Constitution of India reflect/reflects the principles and provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)? (UPSC CSE 2020)
1. Preamble
2. Directive Principles of State Policy
3. Fundamental Duties
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

PM tells ministers to attend property card distribution events on Dec 27

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Land reforms in India.

What’s the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all Union ministers to attend the public events to be held to distribute 57 lakh property cards among a dozen states and UTs on December 27, under SVAMITVA, a central sector scheme, The Indian Express has learnt.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme?

• Discuss the objectives and significance of the SVAMITVA Scheme in addressing rural land ownership issues in India.

• “The SVAMITVA Scheme is a step towards rural empowerment and digital transformation.”-Analyse

• Evaluate the role of technology, particularly drone-based mapping, in the implementation of the SVAMITVA Scheme.

• Land ownership and property disputes are major challenges in rural India. How does the SVAMITVA Scheme address these issues?

• Discuss the role of the SVAMITVA Scheme in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

• What are the socio-economic benefits of implementing the SVAMITVA Scheme in rural India?

Key Takeaways:

• The move is being seen as a big push to the implementation of the scheme that aims to provide ‘Record of Rights’ to owners possessing houses in inhabited areas in villages, and issue legal ownership rights through property cards or title deeds.

• It is learnt that the Prime Minister has asked ministers to attend the events, at a meeting of the Cabinet on December 20.

• According to sources, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has planned to hold physical events across 12 states and UTs—Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Ladakh.

• The chief ministers of these states and the L-G of Ladakh will also participate in the event in their respective states, the sources said. The Prime Minister will participate virtually. In all, 57 lakh property cards will be distributed across 240 districts in these states, the sources said.

Do You Know:

• SVAMITVA, a Central Sector Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj was nation-wide launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th April 2021 after successful completion of pilot phase of scheme ( 2020-2021) in 9 states.

• So far, 2 crore property cards have been issued, said an official, adding that all households have been covered in several states like Haryana and Uttarakhand. The scheme aims to cover the entire country by the end of financial year 2025-26.

• The scheme is being implemented with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Survey of India (SoI), State Revenue Department, State Panchayati Raj Department and National Informatics Centre. States need to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SoI for implementation of the scheme.

• According to the Panchayati Raj Ministry, the scheme will benefit rural people in many ways.
—It will enable rural households to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.
—It will help in determination of property tax, which would accrue to the Gram Panchayats directly in States where they are empowered to collect such taxes.
—It will increase liquidity of land parcels in the market and increase the financial credit availability to the village.
—The scheme will pave a way for creation of accurate land records for rural planning.
—All the property records and maps will be available at gram panchayats, which will help in taxation of villages, construction permits, elimination of encroachment, etc.
—It will help in reduction in property-related disputes. Eighth, as the property maps will be made using the GIS technique, the same can be used for better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: What is SVAMITVA, the property card for rural households?

UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5. With reference to the SVAMITVA Scheme, consider the following statements:
1. It aims to provide rural property owners with legal ownership records by mapping village properties using drone technology.
2. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
3. It is a centrally sponsored scheme with funding shared between the Centre and States
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

EXPRESS NETWORK

ISRO to launch its key Spadex mission on December 30

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Just as it had started the year, the Indian Space Research Organisation will end it with its key Spadex mission — the launch of two small satellites to demonstrate docking in space — at 9:58 pm on December 30 from the first launch pad at the country’s only spaceport at Sriharikota.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the objectives and significance of ISRO’s Spadex Mission.

• What is Docking?

• “The Spadex Mission is a critical step towards India’s goal of self-reliance in advanced space technologies.”-Comment

• Examine the role of ISRO in fostering cutting-edge innovations in space technology.

• How does the Spadex Mission contribute to achieving India’s aspirations in the global space industry?

• Highlight the implications of the Spadex Mission on India’s future space station projects.

• “The Spadex Mission can pave the way for sustainable and cost-effective space operations.”-Critically evaluate this statement

• India’s space program has transitioned from basic satellite launches to advanced missions like Spadex. Discuss how this transition reflects the evolution of ISRO’s capabilities and vision.

• What are the potential applications of on-orbit satellite servicing demonstrated by the Spadex Mission?

Key Takeaways:

• The Spadex mission will see two satellites — SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target — align in the same orbit, reduce distance between each other, join and transfer electrical power between them, and then separate. After they separate, payloads on board both the satellites will continue to function for two years.

• India’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C60 will launch the two 220 kg satellites in a 470 km circular orbit, with the launch vehicle providing a small relative velocity between the two. Within a day, the two satellites will build-up a distance of around 10 to 20 km between themselves.
Then the propulsion system on the Target satellite will be used to prevent the satellites from drifting further apart. Meaning both the satellites will continue moving with the same velocity at a separation of 20 km — this step is known as the ‘far rendezvous’.

• The Chaser satellite will then continue to approach the Target satellite, progressively reducing the distance between them to 5km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m, 3m, and then docking together.

• Once the satellites have docked, electrical power transfer between the two will be demonstrated. They will also demonstrate the control of both the spacecraft together. Then the satellites will separate and start operating their payloads.

• The Chaser or SDX01 satellite has a high resolution camera on board — a miniature version of a surveillance camera. The Target or SDX02 satellite will carry a multispectral payload that will be used for monitoring natural resources and vegetation along with a radiation monitor that will study space radiation and create a database. Due to the small size and mass of the satellites, docking is more challenging, requiring finer precision as compared to larger spacecraft.

• The last stage of the rocket will also be utilised to demonstrate 24 payloads, including a robotic arm to capture space debris and an experiment to demonstrate seed germination and plant growth up to two leaves in space.

Do You Know:

• SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. This technology is essential for India’s space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc. In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. Through this mission, India is marching towards becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.

• The year-ender will be a mission of many firsts. The satellites will use several new technologies such as the docking mechanism, a suite of sensors that will allow the satellites to come closer and dock instead of crashing together, and a novel navigation constellation-based relative orbit determination and propagation processor.

• Docking is a process where two satellites are aligned and then joined in space — a necessity for missions that the space agency hoped to achieve in the future such as Chandrayaan-4 or setting up the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India should build its own observation capability to prevent collision with satellites in crowded orbit, says ISRO Chief

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6. In the context of space technology, what is “Bhuvan”, recently in the news? (2010)
(a) A mini satellite launched by ISRO for promoting the distance education in India
(b) The name given to the next Moon Impact Probe, for Chandrayan-II
(c) A geoportal of ISRO with 3D imaging capabilities of India
(d) A space telescope developed by India

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

BRIDGING A GULF

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 and Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: PM Modi said, ‘It takes four hours to reach Kuwait from India but it took four decades for the Prime Minister [of India]’ But it only takes one misstep to undo its strategic presence in the region – India must ensure that the budding relationships with moderate Arab states translate into concrete national gains.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the strategic and economic dimensions of India’s engagement with Kuwait.

• Examine the historical and geopolitical factors that influenced India’s ambivalence towards Kuwait

• Discuss the significance of the Abraham Accords for India’s Gulf diplomacy.

• “India’s Gulf policy has shifted from being Pakistan-centric to prioritizing direct bilateral relations.” Analyse this shift with
reference to India’s recent engagements with GCC countries.

• Discuss the role of diaspora diplomacy in strengthening India-Kuwait relations.

• What measures can India take to operationalize security agreements and attract investments from Kuwait and other GCC countries?

• Evaluate the role of Indian expatriates in Kuwait in fostering economic and cultural ties between the two nations.

• Discuss how India’s deepening ties with Kuwait and other GCC nations align with its broader strategic interests in the Middle East.

Key Takeaways:

• India’s engagement with West Asia and the Persian Gulf, particularly the moderate Arab states, has recovered and deepened considerably over the last decade. The challenge for Delhi now is to ensure that the warmth is translated into concrete national gains.

• PM Modi held several meetings, including with Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

• Both countries’ agreed to elevate the relationship to a strategic partnership. They signed agreements that institutionalise defence cooperation, as well as on other areas such as renewables. For India, Kuwait is also a key source of investment — singly as well as the current president of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

• Approximately 89 per cent of the total FDI from the GCC has been received in the last decade and bilateral trade between India and Kuwait in the last fiscal year was over $10 billion. Indians also form the largest expatriate group in the country.

• One of India’s great diplomatic successes of the last decade or so has been with moderate Arab states. PM Modi has visited the region several times and India had a role and has a stake in the success of the Abraham Accords.

• The current violence in Israel-Palestine and the instability post the fall of the Assad regime in Syria augur a strategic reorganising in the Gulf. In this context, shoring up ties with GCC countries like Kuwait is essential.

Do You Know:

• Modi arrived in Kuwait on Saturday for a two-day visit — the first by an Indian PM in 43 years. The last Indian PM to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981. Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

• Besides the Amir, Modi also met Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, who hosted a banquet in his honour, and held delegation-level talks with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

• The two sides institutionalised defence cooperation through an overarching agreement that includes training, exchange of personnel and experts, joint exercises, supply of defence equipment, and collaboration in research and development, among others.

• With a “strategic partnership”, India and Kuwait have given new momentum to bilateral ties. Kuwait is among India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at US$ 10.47 billion in 2023-24. The Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in Kuwait.

• Modi invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities, including in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India, Kuwait boost ties: Strategic partnership, key pact on defence

EXPLAINED

Some positives, some concerns

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.

What’s the ongoing story: A pronounced dip in economic output in the first three quarters of 2024 notwithstanding, India’s long-term growth story is believed to be intact. A growth rate of 6.5% is projected over the next half decade, which would help the country remain the fastest-growing big economy in the world.

Key Points to Ponder:

• India’s economic growth outlook for 2025-Discuss the key factors contributing to this outlook

• Evaluate the role of initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and Atmanirbhar Bharat in shaping India’s economic growth trajectory by 2025.

• What are the emerging concerns for India’s economy as it approaches 2025? How can policymakers address these challenges to ensure
balanced and sustainable growth?

• Discuss how factors like geopolitical tensions and monetary policy shifts could impact India’s economic growth in 2025.

• Analyse the contribution of the service and manufacturing sectors to India’s GDP growth by 2025.

• How can India balance sectoral growth to create jobs and enhance productivity?

• Discuss the role of renewable energy and green technology in driving India’s economic growth by 2025.

• How is India’s demographic advantage likely to influence its economic prospects by 2025?

Key Takeaways:

• There is a view that the decline in growth rate simply brings it back to trend after data aberrations triggered by the pandemic and the subsequent buoyancy on an abnormally low statistical base.

• Economist Neelkanth Mishra and his team at Axis Bank have described the loss in momentum for the Indian economy in the first half of the current fiscal as “cyclical”, due to “unintended fiscal and monetary tightening”.

• In October, Japanese brokerage Nomura had said the Indian economy was in a phase of “cyclical growth slowdown”, and described the Reserve Bank of India’s estimate of 7.2% GDP expansion as “overly optimistic”. Weeks later, RBI was forced to pare its forecast by more than half a percentage point.

• Fiscal spending is already seen as rising after the dust of the elections has settled. The recent cut in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) has freed up money kept by banks with the RBI.

• The capex cycle seems to have restarted in some sectors, boosting capital formation, says Mishra, adding that this growth will be investment-led. Also, monetary easing is expected to support growth in the coming financial year. But the government will likely have to continue to do the heavy lifting.

Do You Know:

• Growth in credit has been falling — households, which mostly borrow to finance home purchases, have not been doing so since 2021. For a while, industry had offset this, but this has tapered off since the beginning of 2023. Excess capacity and lack of appetite for new projects is seen as limiting industry’s capacity to absorb new credit.

• At the Centre, fiscal consolidation has been a consistent theme. A projected decline in fiscal deficit from 6.4% to 5.9% of GDP in FY24 will stabilise public debt at around 83% of GDP — a promising indicator of sustainability, given India’s growth outlook, according to the IMF.

• Axis Bank’s India Outlook report said that by 2025, 14 states would have some version of “handout” schemes aimed at about 134 million women, which is almost 20% of all women in India. These programmes cost the government almost Rs 1.9 lakh crore every year, or about 0.6% of the country’s GDP.

• Performance is tapering off for many corporates, and investments are struggling. Executives at Tata Consumer Products Ltd have flagged concerns over “softness” in urban demand; those at Nestle India have said big cities are pressure points and blamed the “muted demand” partly on high food inflation. Carmakers are pointing to worries on demand, blaming it on heavy rain and the election-induced slowdown. All of this could have repercussions for growth and job creation.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍In 2025, where growth will come from

UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
7. With reference to India’s economic outlook for 2025, consider the following statements:
1. India is expected to remain one of the fastest-growing major economies globally.
2. The manufacturing sector is projected to play a pivotal role in driving economic growth.
3. Rising inflation and geopolitical tensions are identified as major concerns for the economy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2, and 3
(d) 2 and 3 only

Why the growth of India’s overall green cover is not all good news

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance and General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Main 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: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: The 18th biennial State of Forest Report (ISFR-2023) by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) found a marginal gain of 156 sq km in forest cover, and a sizable increase of 1,289 sq km in tree cover since 2021.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the India State of Forest Report?

• What is latest forest report in India 2023 says?

• What are the key findings of the ISFR-2023?

• Maximum overall gain in forest cover-Top five States

• Significant losses of dense forests Cover-Bottom five States

• India’s national forest policy-What is the forest cover target set by India?

• Forest Survey of India-About, Role and Under which Ministry?

• Compare both Report (Major Findings)-India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2021 and India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2023

• Highlight the reasons behind the increase or decline in forest cover as reported in ISFR-2023

• Discuss the role of the ISFR-2023 findings in assessing India’s progress towards its climate goals under the Paris Agreement.

• How does the report contribute to understanding the biodiversity hotspots in India?

• Suggest policy interventions to address the challenges identified in the report regarding afforestation and forest conservation.

• Discuss the significance of north-eastern states in India’s overall forest cover and the challenges they face, as highlighted in ISFR-2023.

• Explain the role of geospatial technology and remote sensing in the preparation of the ISFR-2023.

Key Takeaways:

• For the first time, India’s green cover has exceeded the 25% threshold with 8,27,357 sq km (25.17%) of the country now under forest (21.76%) and tree (3.41%) cover. Of this, 4,10,175 sq km is classified as dense forests.

• Tree patches smaller than 1 hectare do not count as forests, and have been measured separately by FSI as tree cover since 2001. The latest biennial cycle registered the sharpest growth in tree cover.

• From 3.04% in 2003, it had fallen to 2.76% in 2011, before rising to 2.91% in 2021. IFSR-2023 recorded a 0.5 percentage point jump in two years, with tree cover rising to 3.41%.

• In comparison, India’s forest cover has increased by only 0.05 percentage points since 2021. This is consistent with the trend of diminishing growth since India’s forest cover crossed the 20% threshold at the turn of the millennium. Between 2003 and 2013, forest cover increased by 0.61 percentage points, from 20.62% to 21.23%. In the next 10 years, it grew by only 0.53 percentage points to 21.76%.

• ISFR-2023 shows that 3,913 sq km of dense forests — an area larger than Goa — have disappeared in India in just two years since 2021. This is consistent with the worsening trend over the past two decades: 17,500 sq km of dense forests were wiped out between 2013 and 2023, while 7,151 sq km disappeared between 2003 and 2013.

Source: ISFR 2003-23

Do You Know:

• Irrespective of land use or ownership, tree patches measuring 1 hectare or more with a minimum canopy cover of 10% are counted as forests in India. Areas with a canopy density of 40% and above are considered dense forests, and those with canopy density of 10-40% are open forests (OF). Since 2003, areas with at least 70% canopy density have been classified as very dense forests (VDF).

• Depending on factors such as climate and biotic pressure, a forest can improve or degrade to the next density category — a VDF patch may thin to become a moderately dense forest (MDF) or an OF may get upgraded as an MDF — during a 2-year IFSR cycle. When a previously forested area is recorded as non-forest (NF) or shrub (below 10% canopy), it means that the forest has been wiped clean.

• Overall, India has witnessed the complete destruction of 24,651 sq km — more than 6.3% — of its dense forests in the two decades since 2003. As a single forest unit, that would be nearly half the size of Punjab.

• ISFR-2023 accounts for 1,420 sq km of plantations becoming dense forests since 2021. This again shows a downhill trend: areas under plantations-as-dense-forests are expanding as the disappearance of dense forests becomes routine.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India lost dense forests, gained tree cover, says Govt report

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
8. Consider the following States: (2019)
1. Chhattisgarh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Maharashtra
4. Odisha
With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?
(a) 2-3-1-4
(b) 2-3-4-1
(c) 3-2-4-1
(d) 3-2-1-4

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (c)  2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (c) 8. (c)

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.