UPSC Key | World Craft City, Enemy Agents Ordinance and more

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Srinagar gets tag of ‘World Craft City’, fourth from country

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-II: Indian Heritage and Culture, Important International Institutions.

What’s the ongoing story- Srinagar has become the fourth Indian city to be recognised as a ‘World Craft City’ by the World Craft Council (WCC), three years after it was designated as part of the UNESCO Creative City Network (UCCN) for crafts and folk arts.

Prerequisites:

—What is the UNESCO Creative City Network (UCCN)?

— Read about the UNESCO and World Crafts Council International.

— What other Indian cities are part of the UCCN?

Key takeaways: 

— Jaipur, Malappuram, and Mysore are the other Indian cities that have previously been recognised as World Craft Cities.

— The J&K administration had applied for the recognition of Srinagar as World Craft City in 2021 together with recognition as UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

— As of now, at least 10 different forms of craftsmanship survive in Srinagar and its suburbs, including papier-mâché, walnut wood carving, carpets, Sozni embroidery and Pashmina and Kani shawls.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the major arts and crafts of Srinagar? What are the GI products of J&K?

— What is the World Craft City Programme?

— What are the criteria to grant cities WCC status?

— What are the benefits of being recognised as a world-class craft city?

Post Read Question:

Which among the following cities has been recognised as World Craft Cities?

1. Mysore

2. Malappuram

3. Jaipur

4. Srinagar

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1,2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

 

Govt & Politics 

Indus Water Treaty: Teams inspect hydel projects in Kishtwar

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: GS-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

What’s the ongoing story- Delegations from India and Pakistan on Monday flew to Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district with neutral experts and began inspection of two power projects under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), officials said.

Prerequisites: 

— What is the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)?

— What is the history of the dispute over the hydroelectric projects between India and Pakistan?

— Read about the Ratle Hydroelectric Project. 

Key takeaways: 

— This is the first visit by a Pakistani delegation to Jammu and Kashmir in more than five years under the dispute settlement mechanism of the 1960 treaty. It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchanges on the use of waters of a number of cross-border rivers. 

— The delegation visited the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) headquarters, the officials said, adding they left for the 85 MW Ratle hydroelectric power project site at Drabshalla for dam inspection.

— They will also visit the 1000 MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project on river Marusudar, a tributary of river Chenab, the officials said.

For Your Information: 

— The components of the Indus Water Treaty were fairly simple. The three western rivers (Jhelum, Chenab and Indus) were allocated to Pakistan while India was given control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej). While India could use the western rivers for consumption purpose, restrictions were placed on building of storage systems. The treaty states that aside of certain specific cases, no storage and irrigation systems can be built by India on the western rivers.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the dispute redressal mechanism laid down under the IWT?

— What are the implementation issues associated with the IWT?

— What are the areas of cooperation and conflict between India and Pakistan?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) Chenab

(b) Jhelum

(c) Ravi

(d) Sutlej

Mains

Present an account of the Indus Water Treaty and examine its ecological, economic and political implications in the context of changing bilateral relations. (UPSC CSE 2016)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

What is Indus Water Treaty: All you need to know about India, Pakistan water dispute

 

The Editorial Page 

A tax less taxing

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Economy

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Indian Economy, Growth & Development, Government Policies & Interventions, Constitutional bodies.

What’s the ongoing story- On Saturday, the GST council, which met for the first time since the formation of the new Union government, tweaked tax rates on some items, and took a series of steps to bring down litigation and ease compliance for taxpayers. 

Prerequisites: 

— What is Goods and Services Tax (GST) and how does it work?

— 101st Amendment Act, 2016 and GST Council-Know in detail

— What are the different types of GST?

Key takeaways: 

— The Council has recommended waiving the interest and penalties on demand notices under Section 73 for three financial years if tax is fully paid by March 2025, bringing down the amounts of pre-deposit required to file an appeal, and introducing monetary limits for the tax department to file appeals. While these are steps in the right direction, other equally pressing issues warrant urgent attention.

— One is the issue of rate rationalisation. One proposal has been to merge two tax slabs. But, the Council would also need to keep in mind the issue of revenue neutrality. 

— The Council also needs to deliberate on the issue of getting items which are currently not under the GST framework, such as petroleum products, into its ambit. This will be challenging as both the Centre and the states get a sizeable portion of their revenues from petroleum taxes, and states levy their own taxes, exercising a degree of control.

— Then there is the issue of the compensation cess. While originally the cess was levied for a five-year period ending on June 30, 2022, it was subsequently extended to March 31, 2026 to help repay the loans taken by the central government to compensate states for the loss in revenues during the pandemic.

— The Council would thus need to decide whether or not the cess should be discontinued thereafter. Considering the criticality of these issues, they need to be deliberated extensively in the GST council.

— The Centre must ensure that in these deliberations the concerns of state governments, especially their revenue-related anxieties are addressed, and a consensus is evolved on the measures that need to be taken.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the GST?

— What products are exempt from GST?

— What are the benefits of GST?

— What are the issues and challenges related to GST?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following items: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. Cereal grains hulled

2. Chicken eggs cooked

3. Fish processed and canned

4. Newspapers containing advertising material

Which of the above items is/are exempted under GST (Good and Services Tax)?

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only 

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What is the GST Council, and what does it do?

Blame and Stigma

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Issues related to Health, Government policies and interventions.

What’s the ongoing story- The death of 57 people and hospitalisation of dozens following the consumption of illicit liquor in the village of Karunapuram in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district is a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Prerequisites: 

— What is a hooch?

— Intoxicating liquors is the subject of which list under the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution?

— Which article of the Indian Constitution is related to the prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs that are harmful to health?

Key takeaways: 

— The latest tragedy, which began unfolding on Thursday, is a case of methanol poisoning. It points to the urgent need to address larger lapses. 

— A key question is how methanol, a highly controlled substance used to manufacture a range of products from fabrics to paints and which can lead to liver failure, blindness and death if ingested, makes its way into the hands of those brewing and selling illicit liquor. 

— Clearly, stricter regulation and enforcement of the law are called for, if further tragedies are to be prevented.

— Even as the toll from Kallakuruchi mounted, prominent voices criticised the Tamil Nadu government’s failure to act against liquor consumption and called for total prohibition. While such a step may seem an obvious solution, it would only drive the illegal liquor trade further underground and put more lives at risk. 

— What is needed is greater outreach to raise awareness about the dangers of consuming spurious liquor, as well as de-addiction programmes that are accessible to the poorest and most vulnerable. These cannot be left to voluntary organisations alone, and require the active involvement of the government. Even as liquor regulations are enforced, the deeper social problem of alcohol dependence framed by the Kallakurichi deaths calls for a compassionate approach that does not stigmatise the victims.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is methanol and what are its uses? In India, how is it regulated?

— Why is methanol added to liquor and what are the adverse effects of it on human health?

— What measures should be taken by the government to avoid hooch incidents?

— What are the advantages and disadvantages of the alcohol ban?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. The boiling point of methanol is 64.7 ° C which is lower than that of ethanol 78.37 °C.

2. The consumption of Methanol can cause impaired vision, high toxicity and metabolic acidosis.

Which of the following statements are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy: Why spurious liquor can be deadly

Who dies in a heatwave

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination:  GS-I, GS-II, GS-III: Important Geophysical Phenomena, Climate Change Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Government Policies & Interventions.

What’s the ongoing story- Rajib Dasgupta Writes- “Heat is both an environmental and occupational health hazard. The National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCC-HH) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported 46 heat-related deaths and over 19,000 cases of suspected heat stroke across the country in May 2024. The two key statistics that make heat-related news are maximum temperature and deaths.”

Prerequisites: 

— What are heatwaves and the IMD criteria for declaring them?

— What are some heat-related illnesses (HRIs)?

— What is NPCC-HH?

Key takeaways: 

— “ The National Heat-Related Illness (HRI) and Death Surveillance under the NPCC-HH defines “heat-related death” as a death in which exposure to high ambient temperature either caused the death or significantly contributed to it.”

— “In theory, heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, albeit with specific public health and multi-sectoral policies and interventions.”

— “It is critical to understand that all instances of heat-related morbidity and mortality are not merely cases of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, or heat stroke. As a medical emergency, heat stroke has a high case fatality rate (the proportion of people who die from a specified condition among all individuals diagnosed with the condition over a certain period, a marker of severity).

—  “Equally or more important in terms of numbers is the fact that heat conditions exacerbate underlying illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, and asthma; transmission of some infectious diseases is facilitated too. Heat conditions can also increase the risk of accidents.”

— “HAPs in India — at national, state or city levels — cannot be faulted for not addressing vulnerability factors. The ‘local’ elements are limited to a few heat maps based on composite indices.”

— “There is an urgent need for HAPs to graduate to the next level — conduct within-city analyses and use available methodologies to create local vulnerability maps that incorporate urban microclimate patterns.”

— “Notwithstanding its multisectoral nature, the conceptual boundaries and interventions of the current HAPs are limited by what Critical Heat Study experts term the privileging by “hazard bureaucracies” of “objective” meteorological and thermometric measures over “subjective” sensory and lived experiences of heat events and obscuring political dimensions of heat inequity.

— Addressing these inequities will entail engaging with more complex issues such as mitigating the processes through which heat-producing and heat-exacerbating outdoor built environments interact with socio-segregation patterns, putting those in weaker socio-economic positions at greater risks of heat illness and premature death.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are Heat Action Plans (HAPs)?

— What are the impacts of heatwaves on human health?

— What measures should be taken to mitigate the impacts of heatwaves and control heat-related illnesses?

Post Read Question:

In theory, all or most heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable while in practice, gauging the public health impact of extreme temperatures is difficult. So, in a heatwave, how do we protect our most vulnerable?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Heatwave and the death of a worker: What heat action plan must focus on

 

Explained 

What is Enemy Agents Ordinance, tough law applicable in J&K?

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Polity and Security

What’s the ongoing story- Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain on Sunday said those found assisting militants in J&K should be tried by investigating agencies under the Enemy Agents Ordinance, 2005. The law is more stringent than the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and has the punishment of either a life term or a death sentence.

Prerequisites: 

— What is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)?

Key takeaways: 

— The J&K Enemy Agents Ordinance was first issued in 1917 by the then Dogra Maharaja of J&K. It is referred to as an ‘ordinance’ since laws made during the Dogra rule were called ordinances.

— According to the ordinance, “whosoever is an enemy agent or, with an intent to aid the enemy, conspires with any other person to any act which is designed or likely to give assistance to the enemy or to impede the military or air operations of Indian forces or to endanger life or is guilty of incendiarism shall be punishable with death or rigorous imprisonment for life or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine”.

— After Partition in 1947, the ordinance was incorporated as a law in the erstwhile state and was also amended.

— In 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was repealed, J&K’s legal framework also underwent several changes. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed, which listed out state laws that were to continue while several others were repealed and replaced with Indian laws.

— While the security laws such as Enemy Agents Ordinance and Public Safety Act remained; the Ranbir Penal Code was replaced with the Indian Penal Code. Other laws including The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or Forest Act, and The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 were extended to J&K as well.

— The trial under the Enemy Agents Ordinance is conducted by a special judge who is appointed by the “government in consultation with the High Court”. Under the ordinance, the accused cannot engage a lawyer to defend herself unless permitted by the court.

— There is no provision for appeal against the verdict, and the decision of the special judge can only be reviewed “by a person chosen by the Government from the judges of the High Court and the decision of that person shall be final”.

— The ordinance also bars any disclosure or publication of the case tried under it.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the key provisions of the Enemy Agents Ordinance?

— What are the concerns regarding the UAPA?

— What are the national security-related laws in India?

Post Read Question:

Indian Government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 and the NIA act. Analyze the changes in the context of prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organizations. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Those helping terrorists should be tried under Enemy Agents law: J&K DGP

Law against cheating

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, issues related to Education.

What’s the ongoing story- The Centre on Monday (June 24) notified the Rules required to operationalise The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the anti-cheating law passed by Parliament in February. The law itself came into force on June 21, after it was notified in the official gazette.

Prerequisites: 

— What is the objective of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024?

— What are the challenges in the path of conducting fair exams?

Key takeaways: 

— The Rules notified by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, provide a framework of actions to prevent the use of unfair means in public examinations, including appointing Centre Coordinators, venue in-charges, and Regional Officers.

— The Rules lay down full parameters of Computer Based Tests (CBT) from the registration of candidates, allocation of centres, and issue of admit cards to the opening and distribution of question papers, evaluation of answers, and the final recommendations.

— The Rules provide for the appointment of a Centre Coordinator for Public Examinations, who may be “serving or retired employees of the Central Government, State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Public Sector Banks, Government Universities, autonomous bodies and other Government Organisations”. The Rules also lay down the definition of “service provider” for the purposes of the Act.

— Section 2(k) of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 defines a “public examination” as “any examination conducted by the public examination authority” listed in the Schedule of the Act, or any “such other authority as may be notified by the Central Government”.

For Your Information:

— Suresh Prabhu and Shobhit Mathur in “Cleaning up the exams” writes- “ Despite the best efforts of testing agencies, errors occur, with the result that the people of India are losing trust in the testing process. There is public outcry and litigation every year and, ironically, the coaching industry becomes the saviour of the students. It is time that we reimagine the design of competitive exams in India. We need to look at the established models globally and apply them to the Indian context. The need of the hour is a two-phase, on-demand computer-based admission test. ”

To know more about the NEET-NET crisis read: UPSC Key | 21st June, 2024:  NEET-NET crisis and more

Points to Ponder: 

— Which exams are covered by the Public Examinations Act, 2024?

— What constitutes the use of unfair means for the purposes of the Act?

— What are the implications of the paper leak on the student’s mental health?

— What measures should be taken to overcome the challenges in conducting the exam?

Post Read Question:

What are the key provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024? How can it contribute to making the examination system fair in India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

The big test

Keralam

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II:  Constitution and Polity

What’s the ongoing story- The Kerala Assembly on Monday (June 24) unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to rename the state as “Keralam’’ in the Constitution. This is the second time in the past year that such a resolution has been passed.

Prerequisites: 

— First schedule and eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

— Key provisions under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution.

Key takeaways: 

— The resolution, moved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan states: “The name of our state in Malayalam is Keralam… However, the name of our state in the first Schedule of the Constitution has been written as Kerala. This Assembly is unanimously requesting the Union Government to take immediate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the name of the state to Keralam.”

— Kerala is the English word for the Malyali Keralam. There are several theories regarding its etymological roots. The earliest mention of the word can be found in Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II, dated to 257 BCE. The edict reads: “Everywhere in the dominions of King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, as well as those of his frontier sovereigns, such as the Chodas [Cholas], Pandyas, Satiyaputra, Ketalaputra [Keralaputra]…” (translated by epigraphist D R Bhandarkar).

— Keralaputra, literally “son of Kerala” in Sanskrit, refers to the dynasty of the Cheras, one of the three main kingdoms of southern India. 

— The demand for a united Malayalam-speaking state first gathered momentum in the 1920s, and aimed to integrate the princely states of Travancore and Cochin, and the Malabar district of the Madras Presidency.

— After independence, on July 1, 1949 the two Malayalam-speaking princely states were integrated to form the state of Travancore-Cochin. The state of Kerala was finally created after the State Reorganisation Commission’s recommendation creating states on linguistic-bases. The state of Kerala came into being on November 1, 1956.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the procedure for renaming the state?

— State Reorganisation Commission’s recommendation.

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. The state of Kerala came into being in 1946.

2. The State Reorganisation Commission recommended creating states on linguistic-bases.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

 

The Ideas Page

One Election, One Phase

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity

What’s the ongoing story- S Y Quraishi Writes– “The logic of multi-phase elections has increasingly come under question in the last decade. I have been asked this question umpteen number of times and have always defended it, mentioning that the only reason for it is the protection of lives — of voters and the polling staff. People have accepted this reply as reasonable, but not anymore.”

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the Election Commission of India. 

— Provisions of Indian Constitution related to the elections. 

— Key electoral reforms in India. 

Key takeaways: 

— “It is increasingly clear that the problems arising out of multi-phase elections far outweigh the benefits. The recent seven-phase election was held in 45-50 degrees temperatures, leading to several deaths. The prolonged election was questioned by almost all political parties, the media, not to mention the voters. Even the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, admitted that the one lesson the Election Commission (EC) learnt from the latest election was that it should have been shorter.”

— At the time multi-phase elections were introduced, the situation was radically different. The use of muscle power was rampant. Violence, including murders, on polling day or during the campaign was common. In the mid-1990s, T N Seshan introduced the deployment of central armed police forces. There was never enough personnel to cover all the sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths, so they had to be rotated from one phase to the next. This led to the introduction of multiple phases.”

— “While this measure definitely made elections peaceful, with acrimonious electoral competition and social media explosion in recent years, it has created more problems than it had solved…Rumours, fake news and hate speech spread in seconds, which, in multiple phases, have disastrous consequences. ”

— “This year’s Lok Sabha elections took place over two-and-half months, with the longest ever gaps between phases, and high levels of communal rhetoric. Social media widely disseminated fake news, disinformation and hate speech.”

— “A general election can easily be completed in a single phase. All that is needed is about 4,000-5,000 companies, now easily available with the raising of a large number of battalions of different paramilitary forces and restoration of peace in most trouble-prone areas. The RP Act provides 26 days from the notification of the election to the last day of poll. We can add about seven days for political activity such as selection of candidates. Thus, 33-35 days is all we need to conduct a general election.”

— “ It will reduce the duration of the paramilitary forces being pulled out, save crores of rupees spent on prolonged campaigns and spare our top leaders the trouble of addressing hundreds of election meetings disrupting normal work.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues associated with the multi-phase elections? 

— What are the emerging challenges in conducting free and fair elections in India?

— What measures should be taken to ensure fair elections?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.

2. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

UPSC Ethics and Essay Snippet

‘Wordly Wise’ from The Editorial Page

“The enemy of the art is the absence of limitations.”

— Orson Welles

(Thought Process: Is this quote counter-intuitive? Art should have no limits; that is what we generally know. But do you think art should have boundaries? How do you define art? Aren’t the limitations helpful in creating good art, or is art without limitations reflective of true society? Elaborate.)

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