UPSC Key-September 12, 2022: Why you should read ‘Look West Policy’ or ‘Soft Policing’ or ‘The Great Retirement’ for UPSC CSE

New paradigm: FTAs, multilateral exposure limited to supply chains, governance

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- INDIA’S DECISION to stay away from the trade pillar of the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ties in with an evolving consensus in New Delhi’s approach to global partnerships. This new consensus has some deepening gridlines: staying off multilateral trade pacts, sticking to bilateral deals that progressively build on an early harvest scheme; actively integrating into specialised global supply chain arrangements such as for rare earths or pharmaceutical ingredients; and restricting multilateral exposure to focused agreements such as tackling black money or cryptocurrency rules.

• What is the concept of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

• What is ‘Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)’?

• Know the objectives of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)

• What are the four pillars identified under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

• Fundamentally, the ‘Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) complements the “Quad Plus” process-How far you agree with this statement?

• How many countries are there in Indo-Pacific economic framework?

• Why USA is promoting Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

• What is India’s stand on Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

• Why India decided to stay away from the trade pillar of the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: What is the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework?

📍India accepts three out of four pillars of US-led IPEF, so why has it stopped short of a total agreement?

India-Saudi ties promise shared growth, security, stability, says Jaishankar

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- Emphasising the importance of strategic economic ties between India and Saudi Arabia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that the collaboration holds the “promise of shared growth, prosperity, stability, security and development”. Jaishankar, who reached Riyadh on Saturday, is on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia – his first as External Affairs Minister.

• Why is Saudi Arabia significant to India-Know the bilateral relations between both the countries

• For Your Information-Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trading partner. More than 18 per cent of India’s crude oil imports are sourced from Saudi Arabia. During FY22 (April-December), bilateral trade was valued at $29.28 billion. During this period, India’s imports from Saudi Arabia were valued at $22.65 billion and exports to Saudi Arabia were worth $6.63 billion. The 2.2-million-strong Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, according to the Indian embassy.

• What was the recent controversy between India and Saudi bilateral relations?

• What are the areas of cooperation between the two nations?

• What is India’s Look West policy?

• What is the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement between India and Saudi Arabia?

• 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)?

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

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

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

📍Why the Gulf matters for India

Gyanvapi: Varanasi court to rule today on maintainability of suits

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance and History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Varanasi District and Sessions Court will deliver its verdict Monday on the maintainability of civil suits challenging the title of the Gyanvapi mosque and the land surrounding it. Five Hindu women had filed petitions seeking the right to worship Maa Shringar Gauri on the outer wall of the mosque complex located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. On May 20, the Supreme Court, underlining the “complexity of the issues involved in the civil suit”, transferred the Gyanvapi dispute that was pending before the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi, to the District Judge, Varanasi.

• Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque controversy- What is the issue thus far?

• What are the historical claims made by petitioner with respect to Gyanvapi mosque?

• What are the Historical debates associated with Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque?

• Why the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 is in News?

• Under what circumstances was the Places of Worship Act, 1991 law enacted, and how did the government justify it?

• The Places of Worship Act, 1991-Know the Key Provisions

• What Section 3 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991 is all about?

• Section 4(1) and Section 4(2) of the Places of worship act, 1991-Know the provisions

• Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Verdict and Section 5 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991-Connect the Dot

• What did the Supreme Court say about the Places of Worship Act, 1991 in its Ayodhya judgment?

• Gyanvapi Mosque-Know the Style and Architecture

• Kashi Vishwanath Temple Architecture-Know in detail

• Ahilyabai Holkar and Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Connect the dots

• Know about Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the dispute around the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple complex in Varanasi?

📍The Places of Worship Act

📍Court order on Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque site in Varanasi: history and context

How an IPS officer used soft policing to crack down on illegal hooch distilleries in Solapur

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies IV: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration and Case Studies

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- When Tejaswi Satpute, a 2012-batch IPS officer was posted in Solapur (Rural) as Superintendent of Police in October 2020, she knew exactly where to start. On September 2, Satpute was awarded the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) Smart Policing Special Jury Award for Operation Parivartan.

• Why Tejaswi Satpute, a 2012-batch IPS officer received award?

• What were the challenges Tejaswi Satpute, a 2012-batch IPS officer faced while posted in Solapur?

• What is illicit alcohol?

• Why illicit alcohol is dangerous for health?

• Why illicit alcohol is flourishing business?

• How Tejaswi Satpute, a 2012-batch IPS officer curbed illegal alcohol in Solapur area?

• What was the ‘Operation Parivartan’?

• What do you understand by ‘soft policing methods’?

• Why ‘Soft’ policing is hard?

• Do you think that soft policing can actually reduce crime?

• Tejaswi Satpute, a 2012-batch IPS officer, could have used force to curb the menace of illegal alcohol, but she chose to use soft policing. What would you do if you faced a similar situation?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why ‘Soft’ policing is hard: On the curious development of reassurance policing, how it became neighbourhood policing and what this signifies about the politics of police reform

EXPLAINED

SC to take up CAA challenge: where does the case stand?

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit will hear the challenge to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Monday.

• What is the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019?

• What is the current status of Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019?

• What are the concerns associated with Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019?

• What were the Indian ideas and rules of citizenship in the Constitution before the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019?

• Based on the experience in Assam, how much might a nationwide NRC exercise cost?

• What does NRC mean to you?

• Why Muslims are particularly worried about CAA combined with nationwide NRC?

• What has the government said to address such fears of Muslims?

• Who are ‘Citizens’?

• Citizens and Aliens-compare and contrast in terms of civil and political rights

• What are those rights and privileges that the Constitution of India confers on the citizens of India and denies the same to aliens?

• For Your Information-The Constitution deals with the citizenship from Articles 5 to 11 under Part II.

• The Citizenship Act of 1955 prescribes five ways of acquiring citizenship-Know them in detail

• The Citizenship Act, 1955, prescribes three ways of losing citizenship-What are they?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Citizenship Amendment Act: ‘Principle of discrimination based on faith will be difficult to limit’

📍Explained: What NRC+CAA means to you

The curbs on India’s rice exports

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment, Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Narendra Modi government, barely four months ago, banned exports of wheat from the country, following an unexpected crop failure resulting in low procurement and depletion of public stocks. Concerns over a similar situation arising have now led it to impose curbs, albeit not outright ban, on rice shipments as well.

• What are the restrictions that have been put on rice exports?

• How much would all this impact the country’s overall rice exports?

• Why have these restrictions been placed?

• How important is India to the global rice trade?

• Where does India export rice to?

• Now, what exactly are parboiled and broken rice?

• Will India’s rice exports take a massive hit?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍In sharp slide in global oil prices, hope for easing of inflation in India

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Tokyo-Delhi compact

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- Sujan R Chinoy writes: The spurt in ties is also attributable to the long-term vision shared by the leaders on both sides. India’s emergence as the fifth-largest as well as the fastest-growing economy in the world will definitely ensure a further quantum leap in strategic ties with Japan.

• India-Japan Relations-Background

• India & Japan-Areas of Cooperation

• Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership

• What is 2+2 Japan and India dialogue?

• What is Dharma Guardian” (ground forces), “JIMEX” and “Malabar” (navies)?

• India’s Policy of ‘minimum deterrence’ and a ‘doctrine of no-first-use of nuclear weapons’-Discuss

• The “INFRUS” agreement and the “AUKUS” agreement-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India and Japan: A special partnership

📍C. Raja Mohan writes: It’s time India and Japan rethink their nuclear policy

THE WORLD

Year after US’ Great Resignation, Canada’s own battle: The Great Retirement

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- More than a year after the Great Resignation took hold in the United States, Canada is grappling with its own greyer version: The Great Retirement.

• What is the Great Resignation?

• What is the Great Retirement?

• Great Resignation and Great Retirement-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: What is the Great Resignation and what can be done to arrest it

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