WEBINAR HANDOUT

Weekly Current A�airs

JANUARY 2021 (2nd WEEK)

Note: Please open the recorded link using Google Chrome.

S. No. Topics Page No.

CATEGORY: POLITY & GOVERNANCE

01. Assam’s Doubtful Citizens get a Centre

to Learn Their Rights 2-3

02. Beyond the Central Vista Verdict, Key

Questions 4-7

03. Maximum Governor 8-10

CATEGORY: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

04. The Brexit 11-12

05. Gulf Leaders Sign Deal to end Years-

Long Dispute 13-14

06. Changing Contours of India-U.K. Ties 15-16

07. Boosting India with Maritime Domain

Awareness 17-19

08. Fruits of Incitement 20-21

09. China Holds Third Edition of South Asia

Multilateral Meet 22-23

10. Objective Type Question 24-26

11. Subjective Type Question 27-27

CONTENT

CATEGORY: POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1. ASSAM’S DOUBTFUL CITIZENS GET A CENTRE TO LEARN THEIR RIGHTS

Context ● 100 volunteers have teamed up with lawyers to arm the people with knowledge

about the Constitution Details ● The Constitution centre in Barpeta district of Assam was inaugurated recently. ● Teaching of the Constitution of India to “doubtful” Indians in a village named

Aditpur by local activists and youth is a truly commendable job. Doubtful voters ● Those persons whose citizenship was doubtful or was under dispute were

categorized as ‘D- Voters’ during the preparation of National Register of Citizens in Assam. What is the National Register of Citizens? ○ Maintained by the Government of India, the National Register of Citizens

(NRC) holds all the important information of the Indian citizens of Assam required for their identification.

○ It was during a parliamentary session on 20th November 2019 when Home Minister Amit Shah declared an extension of NRC to the entire country.

○ NRC was first introduced after the 1951 Census of India and Assam was the first in updating this NRC for including the names of the persons along with their descendants whose name was successfully registered in the NRC of 1951, or was found in any of the electoral rolls till the midnight of 24th March 1971.

○ The main purpose for the introduction and updating of the NRC in Assam was the identification of the illegal immigrants in Assam who had migrated to Assam from Bangladesh during the 1971 war with Pakistan.

● Doubtful voters are not eligible to cast their vote in elections as their Indian citizenship is not confirmed. They are also barred from contesting elections in the country. The marking as a doubtful voter is a temporary measure and cannot be prolonged. A decision in a definite period of time must be taken.

● D- Voters also have the option to apply and get their names included in NRC. They will be included only after they get clearance from the Foreigners Tribunals and their names are removed from electoral rolls under the ‘D’ category.

● The large majority of D-voters belong to vulnerable sections and are not aware of the nitty-gritty of the NRC process and are largely unaware of their rights and privileges.

Significance of Sambidhan Kendra ● Local activists and youth opened a Sambidhan Kendra (Constitution Centre) at

Aditpur. ● The Sambidhan Kendra is a pioneering initiative to make people aware of their

citizenship rights. ● Simplifying the Constitution for the mostly poor and illiterate or barely literate

people struggling to prove their citizenship, is not the only objective of the centre run by about 100 sevaks (volunteers).

● The centre organises an assembly of advocates and aspiring lawyers to update on cases of D-voters and suspected foreigners being handled, and motivate each other to help “victims of the system” get justice.

● Advocates associated with the centre offer free legal service, the sevaks assist them in making documents ready and running other errands.

Conclusion ● The initiative by youth and the local activists deserve applause, this initiative can

be a template to be followed in other parts of the country where there is a significant number of people that are not aware of the rights guaranteed to them by the constitution.

● It is very important that these organisations are encouraged via policy and financial support to create legal awareness in the country.

2. BEYOND THE CENTRAL VISTA VERDICT, KEY QUESTIONS Context ● The Supreme Court cleared the Central Vista Redevelopment Project that

included the construction of a new Parliament Building and a common Central Secretariat.

● A three-judge bench held that the grant of environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project were valid.

● It allowed the project to go on but with several riders like clearances from the Heritage Conservation Committee.

What is the Central Vista redevelopment project? ● The Central Vista redevelopment project aims to renovate and redevelop 86 acres

of land in Lutyens’s Delhi. ● It envisages a common central secretariat, a new triangular Parliament building

(with a seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August 2022, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new Vice President Enclave, a new residence of PM as well as PMO.

● The Prime Minister’s Office, defence ministry, external affairs ministry and finance ministry, among others, will be shifted to a new “symmetrical, interconnected” complex of towers that will be built in the stead of the offices.

Why was there a need for the Project? ● The existing Parliament building lacks several safety features such as earthquake-

proofing, a standard fireproofing system and also has inadequate office space. ● Article 81 of the Indian Constitution provides for the delimitation of

parliamentary constituencies. ● Last delimitation exercise was based on the 1971 census, the ongoing freeze on

increasing the state-wise distribution of seats will end in 2026. Subsequently, the number of MPs will undoubtedly increase, which poses an urgent demand for appropriate arrangements. ○ In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for

888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for the upper house members.

○ This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses.

● According to the Central Government, the project saves a lot of money – up to Rs 1,000 crore worth annual rent expenditure.

What happens to the existing Parliament House? ● The existing Parliament building will be conserved as it is an archaeological asset

of the country. ● It will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for

parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.

Background - History of Lutyens’s Delhi ● At his coronation as Emperor of India on December 12, 1911, Britain’s King

George V decided to transfer the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient Capital of Delhi.”

● Thereafter, a 20-year-long project to build modern New Delhi was spearheaded by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Litigation over the project ● A petition was filed in the Supreme Court in April 2020, challenging the Centre’s

change-of-land-use notification of March 2020 with regard to the 86 acres of land. ● The petitioner submitted that the order violated the citizen’s Right to Life

guaranteed under Article 21 by depriving people of open and green spaces. ● The petition also argued that the notification violated the Master Plan of Delhi

2021 and that the Centre’s notification sought to override an earlier (December 2019) notice issued by the Delhi Development Authority inviting objections against the proposed changes in land use, which was itself under challenge in the top court at the time.

Subsequently, the court heard the challenge on three main grounds: ● change of land use; ● violations of municipal law; and ● violations of environmental law. Supreme Court gives green light ● Limiting itself strictly to ‘the procedures sanctioned by law’, the majority

judgment concluded that the government had followed all processes as stipulated by the regulations and could go ahead with the construction.

Concerns 1. Unanswered Questions

● With this judgment, the litigation might have come to an end but similar disputes and situations are bound to reoccur.

● The critical questions on ensuring public commitment in civic projects, improving participatory processes in city-building, and effective procurement of professional services remain unanswered.

2. Similar examples elsewhere ● The imprudent planning and reckless abandonment of Amaravati, the

proposed capital for Andhra Pradesh, is but an example. In this project, plans were erratically changed, the chosen architect was dropped when the project moved towards construction and a new one appointed.

● The project was abandoned after acquiring vast areas of land through a controversial method, leaving farmers and others agitated and in difficulty.

● Failure to effectively address such instances has cumulatively eroded the possibilities of course correction.

Way forward 1. Governments have to be Accountable

● Accountability means ensuring that officials in public, private and voluntary sector organisations are answerable for their actions and that there is redress when duties and commitments are not met.

Types of Accountability ● Horizontal accountability consists of formal relationships within the state

itself, whereby one state actor has the formal authority to demand explanations or impose penalties on another. o Its focus is on internal checks and oversight processes. o For example, executive agencies must explain their decisions to

legislatures, and can in some cases be overruled or sanctioned for procedural violations.

● Vertical accountability is that in which citizens and their associations play direct roles in holding the powerful to account. o Elections are the formal institutional channel of vertical accountability. o But there are also informal processes through which citizens organize

themselves into associations capable of lobbying governments and private service providers, demanding explanations and threatening less formal sanctions like negative publicity.

Issues ● The provisions for consultation though present, its processes are vague. ● The government often argues that horizontal accountability is in place and

works well but citizens are unconvinced given the poor track record.

Future Course ● Vertical accountability should be expanded as it will enable improved

participatory process. ● Clear benchmarks such as the number of meetings, diversity of participants

and response time have to determine whether a consultation is inclusive and effective.

● Regulations have to unambiguously state what prior disclosures are needed when meetings have to be held and insist on publicly listing reasons for accepting and declining suggestions.

2. Choosing the designer ● Design is a complex service that requires a high level of creativity to meet

functional, performative and aesthetic needs. ● It has a significant bearing on creating public assets and judicious use of

taxpayer’s money. ● Poor choices disastrously impact downstream construction activities, building

use, city functioning, and value for money.

The processes of procuring designs services could be improved. ● Barring a few instances of open competition, which is an ideal way to choose

from a larger pool of solutions, the state can also follow an alternative method.

● Quality- and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) ○ The method allows for stipulating prerequisites for consultants, placing

higher weightage on their technical competency and relatively lower weightage on financial proposals.

○ This is meant to prioritise quality and not low price.

3. Reducing the entry barrier ● Many public projects insist on steep turnover conditions for architecture firms

to qualify. ○ The assumption is that the more considerable the turnover, the better it is

in terms of expertise. ● Steep entry requirements eliminate medium and small size firms and enable

only a handful of large firms to qualify. ● This detrimentally reduces the pool of choice.

Going forward, where open competitions are not possible, the next best alternative is to mandate a method that reduces the entry barrier. In this regard, one could take cues from the suggestions made by the Architects’ Council of Europe.

● It advocated dropping turnover requirements and laid an emphasis on qualitative selection criteria.

● Second, professional services could be disaggregated into design services and project development and management, thereby enabling better design focus.

● Third, weightage placed on design value has to be unambiguously clear and fixed.

● Given that more than 65% of the registered architects in India are below 35 years and many firms are medium-sized, such procurement changes are all the more necessary.

3. MAXIMUM GOVERNOR Context ● Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s frequent use of his powerful oratory to

defend the Centre and question the State on sensitive topics. Details: ● The Governor is the chief executive head of the state, holding a constitutional

position. ● The recent incidents of the Kerala Governor using his office to criticize the state

government and defend the central government on certain issues have called into question the role of the governor in a federal setup such as India.

Controversial circumstances ● Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s selective usage of issues to defend and

criticize governments has become a recurrent feature in his tenure. ● The Governor under his legislative powers can summon or prorogue the state

legislature, however, the Kerala Governor refused to convene a special session of the Kerala Assembly, after the Kerala Government submitted a request to do so.

● He further went on to question the urgency of the special session, and also said that the Assembly lacked “the jurisdiction to offer a solution” to the farmers’ protest, an issue which the Assembly wanted to take up for discussion.

● The Governor’s refusal to convene a session is tantamount to an infringement upon the powers of the legislature and the elected government and an abuse of his authority as a nominal head under the Constitution.

● This deadlock between the two was thankfully resolved upon the state government submitting an amended request which was accepted by the Governor.

Current Situation : Position of Governor ● Governors today are being pejoratively called the “agents of the Centre”. Some Powers and Provisions that have come under scrutiny: ● The power to withhold assent appears to be wide and unguided power. ● The Governor is an appointee of the President (Central Government). ● He is not elected by the people of the State or by their representatives. ● In such a situation, the legitimacy of this power, which empowers him to undo

the will of the Legislature by just declaring that he is withholding his assent, is open to question.

● If, on the other hand, for any reason, the power to withhold assent is treated as a matter within the discretion of the Governor, the position would be a totally unedifying one.

● In the absence of any guidance provided by the Constitution in which cases this power can be exercised and in view of the further fact that no court is entitled to go into the justification of such withholding, conferment of such power is bound to be inherently arbitrary and discriminatory.

Nabam Rebia versus Deputy Speaker, 2016 ● In the Nabam Rebia versus Deputy Speaker case of 2016, a Constitution Bench of

the Supreme Court had held that a Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test on the recommendation of the Cabinet. It held that the Governor cannot employ his/her discretion in this matter and should strictly abide by the aid and advice of the Cabinet.

Important remarks made on the office of the Governor: ● It is important to note that the Sarkaria Commission described the Governor as

“a Constitutional sentinel and a vital link between the Union and the State.” ● In S.R. Bommai (1994), the Supreme Court said, “The office of the Governor is

intended to ensure protection and sustenance of the constitutional process of the working of the Constitution by the elected executive.”

● K. Gandhi said about the Governor’s office: “He would be an arbiter when there was a constitutional deadlock in the State and he would be able to play an impartial role.”

● Given the vagueness surrounding the process of appointing and removing the Governor, doubts have been raised about the ‘legal nature’ of his office.

● According to B.R. Ambedkar, “He is the representative not of a party; he is the representative of the people as a whole of the State. It is in the name of the people that he carries on the administration.”

● In Hargovind Pant v. Raghukul Tilak (1979), the Supreme Court affirmed that the “office of the Governor was not subordinate or subservient to the Government of India”.

● In the contemporary constitutional landscape, the Governor is expected to advance the cause of ‘federalism’ and ‘democracy’, which form a part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

● In the Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India (2018), then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, clarified that democracy and federalism are firmly imbibed in India’s constitutional ethos, while reiterating that democracy requires the constant affirmation of constitutional morality.

Some specific issues concerning the office of the Governor: ● Despite his unique constitutional positioning, the Governor is sometimes not

seen as willing or able to discharge his functions as judiciously, impartially and efficiently as envisaged by the first Administrative Reforms Commission.

● A perusal of the reports of the Sarkaria, Punchhi and Venkatachaliah Commissions reveals that ○ The independence and dignity of the gubernatorial office is invariably

undermined by: ○ The appointment of persons not suited to the post, ○ The lack of security of tenure, ○ The lack of an appropriate removal mechanism, with no reasonable post-

retirement benefits and limitations on post-retirement political ingratiation. ● Consequently, the promise of the institution remains as underwhelming as ever

while the perils continue to multiply.

Conclusion India has a parliamentary democracy with a responsible form of government. In such a form of government, the Governor functions only as a Constitutional or formal head of the State and his/her powers cannot be enlarged at the cost of the Council of Ministers, who are the real executive.

CATEGORY: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 4. THE BREXIT

Context ● Britain and the European Union have agreed upon a trade deal that is going to

govern the trade ties between the two in the future ● The deal sets out the terms for Britain’s relationship with the EU after it left the

trading bloc on January 31, 2020. About BREXIT Reasons for Britain to seek BREXIT are ● Sovereignty: Although the British Government influences some form in selecting

the members to the European Commission, the members are neither under the influence nor accountable to the British Parliament and some of the policy decisions such as competition policy, agriculture, copyright, and patent law go against the interests of Britain (these laws override the domestic laws).

● Regulations are becoming a Burden: Some of the regulations such as –limits on the power of vacuum cleaners, non-recycling of tea bags, etc have often been seen as a burden on some of the conservatives in Britain. As per Michel Gove, these regulations have cost Britain to the tune of £3 billion per year.

● Euro the Disaster : ○ Although the Euro is the common currency for the EU, Britain still uses the

pound as its currency. ○ If the euro had to be successful then it would have required greater fiscal and

monetary integration and this cannot be achieved unless all the member states have the same currency.

○ The problem with the euro as a common currency has also been exposed wherein on one side countries such as Greece and Spain are suffering from high debt, high unemployment, whereas other countries such as Germany are enjoying higher growth.

● Immigration: Britain is not a signatory of the Schengen Border free zone (allows easy travel across Europe), over the last ten years, which has had its effects on wages and public services.

The main features of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement ● It retained the ‘zero tariffs’ and quotas trade regime of the past on all imports of

goods. ● It prevents any potential catastrophic consequences for Britain of leaving the bloc

in the absence of any deal. ● A hard exit (no deal) would have led to levies of 50% and higher and duties on

dairy and food products, besides tariffs on manufactured goods, according to World Trade Organization rates.

● Current arrangement could limit the potential economic impact from Brexit to a loss of 4% of the Gross Domestic Product over the medium term, compared to a possible 6% reduction had there been no agreement.

● Northern Ireland will continue to remain within EU jurisdiction, avoiding a hardening of its border with the Republic of Ireland.

Hurdles to be faced by U.K after BREXIT ● Britain exiting the EU’s single market and customs union would not entirely be

without having to bear any costs. ● The major casualty of the exit is frictionless trade flows, something that was

witnessed for almost half a century. ● An exit from the customs union would see the return of customs controls at the

U.K. borders and checks on rules of origin to prevent abuse of the zero-tariffs regime.

● The custom checks invite bureaucratic delays, red-tapism, which could hurt businesses. The millions of customs declarations U.K. businesses will have to complete from now onwards are estimated to cost around £7 billion annually, according to HM Revenue & Customs.

How does the European Union plan to enforce a level playing field? ● The U.K. will be independent in forming its own standards on labour laws and

environmental protection. ● Access to EU markets could, however, be restricted and tariffs imposed wherever

arbitrators rule that businesses have been granted unfair advantage.

Exclusion of services from the agreement ● The services sector accounts for the bulk of the U.K economy, i.e, about 80%. The

fallout from leaving it outside the ambit of the new accord will be hard. ● The agreement encompasses data flow in some areas of policing and law

enforcement, while decisions on personal data transmissions are to be dealt with independently.

● Both sides have reached an understanding that the terms of access to each other’s markets would be subject to a unilateral declaration by one party that the regulatory framework of the other was equivalent to its own.

What does the future hold for relations between Britain and the EU? ● Post the referendum to exit the EU in 2016, the European leaders have been

steadfast in their opinion that Britain must not be given any concessions and must be dealt strictly as a non-member and not as a former-member.

● The EU leaders are trying to use the BREXIT as an example to deter any such future exit from the union.

● Conversely, Britain may also have to undertake compromises to protect sovereignty and national self-interest.

● This deal lays the foundation for a future partnership between Brussels and London, based on the stringent terms imposed on Britain under the 2019 U.K. withdrawal agreement.

5. GULF LEADERS SIGN DEAL TO END YEARS-LONG DISPUTE Context: Gulf leaders signed a “solidarity and stability” deal after leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar publicly embraced, bringing Qatar back into the regional fold after a three-year-long rift. Background: ● Since June 2017, Qatar, a tiny Gulf country with rich gas reserves, has faced a

tight blockade from its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, which are backed by Egypt.

● Saudi Arabia had led a coalition of countries in the Gulf and beyond to cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, charging that it was too close to Iran and backed radical Islamist groups.

● In that year, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE had officially cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

Details: ● A breakthrough has been reached in Qatar’s three-year-old dispute with Saudi

Arabia and three other Arab countries and an agreement to end their rift has been signed.

● Riyadh overnight re-opened its land, sea and air borders to Doha. ● The Saudi crown prince said that there was a desperate need to unite efforts to

promote the region and to confront challenges that surrounded them, specifically, the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Background & Origins The GCC was formed in 1981 by an agreement among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that was concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ● It is an economic and political union comprising all the Arab countries of the

Persian Gulf except Iraq. ● Although its current official name is Cooperation Council for the Arab States of

the Gulf, it is still popularly and unofficialy known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, its former official name.

● The grouping was formed in view of the similar political establishments in the countries based on Islamic principles, their geographical proximity, joint destiny and common objectives.

GCC Members The six members of the GCC are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. There are also discussions for possible future memberships for Yemen, Jordan and Morocco.

The members comprise: 1. 2 absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia,

Oman) 2. 3 constitutional monarchies (Qatar,

Bahrain, Kuwait) 3. 1 federal monarchy (UAE)

● The GCC is a regional grouping of six

countries surrounding the Persian Gulf i.e, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

● Its headquarters is located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

● It is a political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq.

GCC and India

For India, the GCC countries are significant because of many reasons.

GCC countries, with large hydrocarbon reserves, are crucial for India’s energy requirements while the region has been a good market for Indian products.

There is also a huge presence of Indians in the GCC countries particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE, in the form of skilled and unskilled workers.

For the past four decades, energy and manpower have been the two major drivers of India’s relationship with the region.

Negotiations for the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are in a crucial phase of talks.

Recently, after the revocation of Article 370 and the CAA, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia had not taken hostile positions against India on the issues.

India and GCC members are members of the FATF.

India has multilateral and bilateral military exercises with most of the GCC countries.

6. CHANGING CONTOURS OF INDIA-U.K. TIES Context: ● The polite decline of the invitation to be at India’s Republic Day as a chief guest

by the British Prime Minister due to the new strain of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom.

Details: ● India and the United Kingdom have a shared past and need to chart a different

shared future. ● India’s relationship with the European Union bloc was dour, failing to reach a

trade agreement since 2007, prompting an international relations expert refer to the relationship as a “loveless arranged marriage”.

● BREXIT allows both the parties to infuse the much-needed dynamism into the relationship.

India –UK relations in the recent past ● The year 2015 saw the Indian Prime Minister visit the U.K, the visit was

accompanied by six major agreements being signed. ● The agreements ranged from nuclear energy collaboration to cooperation in

railways to set up a mechanism for fast-tracking investment. ● Apart from this, the two countries set out a bold vision for the UK-India Strategic

Partnership. ● The UK is supporting the Skill India Mission through a Centre for Excellence for

the automobile sector in Pune. The U.K announced a commitment of up to £12m to support India’s Skill India Mission. Technology transfer from the UK will facilitate international training standards in up to 5 sectors including apprenticeships and certification.

● More recently, India’s extension of an invitation to the U.K Prime Minister for being the chief guest at the Republic Day parade has been politely turned down owing to heightened fears of COVID-19 mutations in the U.K.

Close relations 1. Diaspora

● India-U.K. links are significant. Close to one and a half million persons of Indian origin reside in Britain. The diaspora has a substantial political representation, having 15 Members of Parliament, three in Cabinet and two holding high office as Finance and Home Ministers.

2. Tourism ● In the pre-COVID era, Britain consistently received streams of Indians as

tourists. Britain was one of the popular tourist destinations for Indians with half a million tourists from India visiting Britain annually and twice that figure in the reverse direction.

3. Education ● Around 30,000 Indians study in Britain despite restrictive opportunities for

post-graduation employment, making it a hub for higher education among Indians.

4. Investments ● Britain is among the top investors in India and India is the second-biggest

investor and a major job creator in Britain. ● India has a credit balance in total trade of $16 billion, but on the flip side, it is

below India’s trade with Switzerland, Germany or Belgium, therefore, the room for improvement is huge.

Conclusion: ● India has a shared past with Britain and needs to chart a different shared future,

now that Britain has left the European Union (EU). ● The UN Security Council, where Britain has permanent status and India holds a

non-permanent seat this year and the next, will offer a platform for both countries to work together on global affairs.

● 2021 will see the United Kingdom hosting India as an invitee to the G-7, and the UN Climate Change Conference.

● Thus India and the U.K will have to cross each other’s path on multiple platforms and issues. Hence, it is very important for both of them to have a well-established and structured relationship.

7. BOOSTING INDIA WITH MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS Context: ● India’s confrontation with China over territorial disputes on the border is

pressing India to look at other possible avenues to respond. ● The naval arena is one such theatre where India can proactively look to counter

China’s threat. Sun Tzu’s piece of advice on warfare ● Sun Tzu, a well known military strategist, observed that the most important

element in warfare would be foreknowledge, and that could be attained only through specialized tools and by having personnel who had studied the enemy well.

● A detailed homework about the enemy, nature of the battle ahead could be key in deciding which way the battle will swing. Prior reading of the adversary and the theatre of battle, the master tactician asserted, could decisively shift the balance of fortune in war.

Nature of the enemy at sea ● The modern era has seen warfare evolve and become more complex. ● The maritime domain has become a theatre for seeking dominance, this can be

seen in the case of the Indian Ocean, where the world’s largest navies are deployed. Vital shipping routes pass through the Indian Ocean and are central to connecting markets in Europe.

● The maritime domain is not a theatre for only state actors, it is increasingly witnessing the presence of non-state actors like a terrorist, a pirate, a criminal or a sea-robber — an invisible presence that lurks behind regular actors such as fishermen and port workers.

● Law enforcement agencies find it difficult to protect the mainland from threats emanating from maritime areas, therefore there is a case for the law enforcement authorities to be more vigilant, depending on high-grade sensors and communication networks that will help in real-time tracking of doubtful and mistrustful movements.

● Maritime domain awareness is defined by several security experts as having alertness and awareness to identify the threat and nullify before it can threaten national security.

Recent endeavours ● Recent times have seen the Indian Navy embarking on the strengthening of its

domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. ● The Indian Navy hitherto has installed radar stations in the littoral states of the

Indian Ocean such as Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka and this integration into the wider coastal radar chain network is now being extended to other countries like Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

● The strengthening of maritime domain awareness has been largely directed towards keeping an eye on Chinese activity in the Eastern Indian Ocean, in the seas around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

● The clashes with China’s People’s Liberation Army during the month of June last year has alerted India’s security experts about the possibility of a greater Chinese presence in the eastern littorals.

● India has been proactive post the Galwan valley skirmishes to carry out deep surveillance of the ocean’s waters for any presence of Chinese submarines. India’s P-8I aircraft has been deployed along with the Indian naval ships to patrol the Andaman Seas and eastern chokepoints to nip any Beijing threat in its bud.

Neighbourhood synergies ● The maritime domain awareness is not just an exclusive domain of one country,

thus attempts at improving maritime domain awareness have been contributing towards cooperative synergies in the neighbourhood.

● Seven Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles —have expressed their willingness to deploy Liaison Officers at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram.

● There has been active interest taken by the western powers, such as France, who have already posted an officer at the IFC, and the four other Indo-Pacific navies namely Australia, Japan, the U.K and the U.S. have also agreed to position officers at the centre.

● India has taken active steps towards raising its engagement in the Western Indian Ocean by positioning a Liaison Officer at the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) at Madagascar.

● The Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) was established under the auspices of the Indian Ocean Commission that India joined recently as an ‘observer’.

● India has also posted an officer at the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) in Abu Dhabi to assist in the monitoring of maritime activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The French connection ● France, a permanent member at the United Nations Security Council has aided

and supported Delhi’s moves in the Western and South-Western littorals, indicative of France’s interests in the Indian Ocean, and that it is a critical partner for India in the region.

● India and France are both committed to the logistics agreement signed in 2019; Paris is keen for a stronger partnership in the maritime commons.

● France had been instrumental in pushing for India’s candidature for the observer status at the Indian Ocean Commission and is nudging India for enhanced participation in security initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean.

China watch ● A cause for concern for the Indian security establishment has been the future

technological sophistication of China’s submarines that will make it difficult to detect them in the Indian backyard.

● The Chinese achieved a breakthrough in submarine propulsion by successfully testing shaftless rim-driven pump-jets; analysts fear that the next generation of PLAN nuclear submarines could be stealthier than ever, capable of beating adversary surveillance.

● The recent discovery of a Chinese unmanned underwater vehicle close to a southern Indonesian island is indicative of Chinese attempts to map the undersea terrain of the Indian Ocean region.

India’s navy arsenal ● India has chosen to be on its toes and has moved to expand its underwater

detection capabilities in the Eastern chokepoints. ● India went ahead to acquire two Sea Guardian drones on lease from the United

States for better surveillance. ● Indian navy capabilities are bolstered by an additional nine operational P-8I

aircraft to be inducted. Currently, the Navy’s coverage of the Bay of Bengal littoral is adequate.

● Speculation abounds that New Delhi might also partner Japan in installing an array of undersea sensors near the Andaman Islands to help detect Chinese submarines.

Way forward ● India has White shipping agreements with 21 countries in the Indian Ocean

enabling a comprehensive picture of maritime traffic, even as efforts are underway to help smaller island states build capacity to combat regional threats.

● The launching of India’s military satellite (GSAT-7A) will soon pave way for a real-time sharing of data on maritime areas with partners.

● India’s maritime initiative vis-à-vis the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region is guided by Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), it seeks to put forth the idea of India as a ‘security provider’ and ‘preferred partner’ in the Indo-Pacific region.

● Cooperation, collaboration in information sharing will allow for collective action in dealing with threats in the region.

● To bring real change, India must ensure seamless information flow, generating operational synergy with partners, and aim to expand collaborative endeavours in shared spaces. That would be the real test of the maritime domain awareness ‘game-changing’ potential.

8. FRUITS OF INCITEMENT Context ● The USA witnessed an ugly attempted coup led by a mob bearing slogans of

support for outgoing President Donald Trump. Details ● The Capitol witnessed scenes that were inappropriate for any country, let alone

the United States. Incident ● Scenes of hundreds of supporters stormed the Capitol building, as police were

outnumbered and members of Congress, who were to gather to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, had to take evasive actions.

● The mob was slowly displaced, subsequently, the lawmakers went on to reconvene and formally certify the results, and Mr Trump finally resigned to his fate and called for an “orderly transition”.

● Major social media platforms locked his accounts for violating their civic integrity policies, namely inciting violence with months of contentious posts that made baseless allegations about electoral fraud.

Immediate cause ● The immediate trigger for the mob is believed to have been the victory of two

Democratic candidates in the run-off election in Georgia. ● The attack was methodically planned well in advance using the social media

platform. ● That election was necessitated as no candidate secured 50% of the popular vote in

the general election. ● Their win gives Democrats 50 seats in the Senate, handing over the control of the

Senate, because the incoming Vice-President, Kamala Harris, will cast a deciding vote in a tie.

Political System in USA There are two major political parties here. They are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. ● The Head of State is the President. ● Citizens cast their ballot in every state to elect members of the electoral college

(popular vote) who in turn cast electoral votes to determine the President. ● The President holds office for a four-year term. ● The President is not dependent on the strength of his party in Congress

(legislative body). ● He remains in power for the four years of his term unless he is impeached or

incapacitated. ● Congress is the legislature of the USA. ● The Senate and the House of Representatives are the two chambers of the

Congress

● The House of Representatives (commonly referred to as the House) is the Lower House while the Senate is the Upper House.

Responsibility of the incoming President ● The violent mob attack would mean the task of building bipartisan consensus is

that much harder. ● Political America is deeply polarised, divided, filled with anger and

disenchanted at the ground realities. ● The “unprecedented assault” has been brewing for more than four years, the

excessive nationalistic agenda portrayed during the election campaign by the outgoing president seemed to tap into the frustration that grips middle America, including the white middle class and blue-collar workers, over the inevitable changes to the U.S. economy and society.

● There is an argument that the forces of immigration and globalisation have fueled racial prejudice and economic insecurity.

Conclusion ● A nuanced and balanced approach is required not just at the societal level but

also at the political level, with bipartisanship a key tool in tackling the contentious issues of comprehensive immigration reform, and redressing the ills of runaway free-market liberalisation and forging a post-COVID-19 economic vision that can truly deliver on the American dream.

9. CHINA HOLDS THIRD EDITION OF SOUTH ASIA MULTILATERAL MEET Context ● China held its third multilateral dialogue with countries from South Asia to take

forward closer cooperation on fighting COVID-19 and coordinating their economic agendas, reflecting a new approach in Beijing’s outreach to the region.

Details ● India, Bhutan and the Maldives gave the virtual event a skip ● The virtual meet focused on anti-epidemic cooperation and poverty reduction

cooperation. Participants ● This was the third dialogue, with Pakistan and Nepal participating in all the

three summits. ● The participation of these countries showcases the emerging alignment of

China’s ambitions in the region towards Nepal and Pakistan. ● The first such meeting was convened by China in July and was participated by

Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan. ● The second meeting saw China, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

attend. Multilateral Dialogue-Agenda ● The meeting saw the representatives share their experience on anti-epidemic and

poverty relief. ● They discussed dealing with the impact of the pandemic, resuming economic and

trade cooperation, dealing with non-traditional security challenges and advancing sustainable development.

● The previous summits saw discussions on utilizing China’s Belt and Road Initiative to boost their post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

● There was consensus with regards to creating a joint response mechanism for countries linked by land ports, this will also see greater information sharing and international cooperation.

CPEC extension ● In the quadrilateral dialogue with Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan, China

expressed its intentions of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan and also talked about grand plans of taking forward an economic corridor with Nepal, called the Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network. About China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (known as CPEC) is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan. It is part of the Greater One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative launched by the Chinese government Initially valued at $46 billion, it is now worth $62 billion as of 2017.

○ The project intention of CPEC is to rapidly upgrade Pakistan’s important infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the construction of energy projects, special economic zones, ports and transportation networks.

● The Chinese official expressed intentions of using the geographical proximity of the four countries which were connected by mountains and rivers, and also offered to share China’s expertise and capacities on COVID-19 vaccines.

Conclusion: ● China has been trying to use this platform to create a consensus on a wide range

of issues and problems faced in the pandemic era. ● Regional cooperation will help in coordinating efforts but should not be used to

push narrow nationalistic goals.

10. OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTION 1. Consider the following statements regarding the post of the governor as

prescribed in the constitution: 1. The President appoints the governor of a state after consulting with the chief

minister of the state. 2. The governor can be removed from office before the completion of her/his

tenure only by a quasi judicial process. 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

Answer: (d)

Explanation: The governor is appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal. In a way, he is a nominee of the Central government. But, as held by the Supreme Court in 1979, the office of governor of a state is not an employment under the Central government. It is an independent constitutional office and is not under the control of or subordinate to the Central government. Statement 1 is incorrect: According to convention, while appointing the governor, the president is required to consult the chief minister of the state concerned, so that the smooth functioning of the constitutional machinery in the state is ensured. This is not a constitutional requirement. The convention has been violated in some of the cases. The procedure of consulting the chief minister in the appointment of the state Governor should be prescribed in the Constitution itself.This is one of the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission on Centre–state relations. Statement 2 is incorrect: The impeachment of the President is a quasi-judicial procedure in the Parliament., but the Governor is not removed by any such quasi-judicial process. The governor has no security of tenure and no fixed term of office. He may be removed by the President at any time. A governor holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office. However, this term of five years is subject to the pleasure of the President. The Supreme Court held that the pleasure of the President is not justifiable.

2. Consider the following statements about the National Population Register

(NPR): 1. It is a register of only citizens of India. 2. While the census of India covers the entire population in the country NPR

covers all the population except in the state of Assam. 3. The National Population Register (NPR) was prepared under the provisions

of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect? (a) 1 only (b) 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: (a) Explanation: After West Bengal, Kerala Government too has put on hold all proceedings for updating the National Population Register (NPR). Statement 1 is incorrect: NPR is a Register of usual residents of the country. A usual resident is defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more. So, NPR may have foreigners as well. Statement 2 is correct: Census of India will cover the entire population in the country while NPR will also cover all the population except in the state of Assam. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved updation of National Population Register (NPR) at a cost of Rs. 3,941.35 crore. Statement 3 is correct: NPR is carried out under the provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. It was prepared in 2010 and was subsequently updated in 2015 by seeding it with Aadhaar.

3. Consider the following statements

1. European Union is an international organisation consisting of European Countries, which was formed in 1993 after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty by 28 countries.

2. European Union was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013. 3. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) None of the above

Answer : (b)

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. European Union is an international organisation consisting of European Countries, which was formed in 1993. It came into force after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty by 28 countries. The Maastricht Treaty is also known as the Treaty of the European Union (TEU). Maastricht is a city located in the Netherlands. The Maastricht Treaty was amended thrice. Statement 2 is incorrect. In 2012 the EU received the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU decided to dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to children who are denied the chance of growing up in peace. Statement 3 is correct. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. However, it has signed a number of treaties with the European Union. E.U is the largest trading partner of Switzerland.

4. Consider the following statements about the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 1. It is an economic and political union comprising all the Arab countries of the

Persian Gulf except Iraq. 2. The six members of the council are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain,

Kuwait and Yemen. 3. Its headquarters is located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

Answer : (a) Explanation: Statement 1 is correct. The GCC was formed in 1981 by an agreement among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is an economic and political union comprising all the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf except Iraq. Statement 2 is incorrect. The six members of the GCC are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. There are also discussions for possible future memberships for Yemen, Jordan and Morocco. Statement 3 is correct. The GCC's headquarters is in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, its largest member. I

11. SUBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTION

1. The controversial nature of the position of the Governor has made several experts suggest an abolishment of the Governor’s post. Discuss the arguments for and against such a decision.

(15 Marks, 250 Words)

2. Critically analyze the new agreement signed between the U.K and the EU. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

3. What do you understand by "judicial review" in Indian context? Discuss the key

provisions in the constitution with respect to judicial review in India. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

4. How is India’s government different from the United States?

(10 Marks, 150 Words)

5. Discuss how India – United Kingdom relationship in the 21st century will be defined by their ties in the post-BREXIT era.

(15 Marks, 250 Words)

6. Discuss the steps taken by the Indian navy in recent years to strengthen its maritime domain awareness.

(10 Marks, 150 Words)

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