UPSC Key: India-US relations, PM-Vidyalaxmi, and PMLASubscriber Only

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for November 7, 2024. If you missed the November 6, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: C. Raja Mohan writes— “If President Donald Trump’s first term is any guide, India may appear well placed to deal with his second stint at the White House. But the past is not necessarily a guide to the future, and Delhi will have to take a close look at the implications of Trump’s ambitious agenda for the second term.”

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India-US relations?

• What are the areas of cooperation between India and the US?

• What is the difference between Indian and American presidential elections?

• How have India-US defence relations evolved?

• What are the key developments in India-US relations in the various sectors?

• What are the potential consequences of a change in leadership in the U.S. on the India-U.S. cooperation?

• Read about the Paris Agreement.

• Read about the role of the Indian diaspora in influencing the U.S. elections and India-U.S. relations.

Key Takeaways:

• “To be sure, there is a good rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump. Modi’s key advisers will be familiar with many of the new officials who are likely to staff the senior positions in the Trump Administration. And there are many convergences between the worldview of the Modi government and the Trump team.

• “The problem, however, comes from the radical nature of Trump’s policy framework that breaks away from the many familiar features of the global economic and political order.”

• “Dealing with Trump’s second term is not just about finding policy fixes for the many divergences that are bound to emerge between Delhi and Washington. It demands coming to terms with Trump’s plans to overhaul the global order and the US role in it.”

• “That is compounded by two additional factors. One is Trump’s intensely transactional approach. The other is the strengthening of America’s position in relation to Europe and China, thanks to Washington’s recent impressive economic performance. Together they turn America into a more powerful interlocutor than before.”

• “Five themes of concern for India stand out from Trump’s worldview.

1. First is Trump’s plan to “dismantle the regulatory state,” dramatically downsize the bureaucracy, and make it easier for US capital to invest and develop new technologies.

2. Second, Trump is determined to re-industrialise America. He has argued repeatedly that globalisation has played havoc with US manufacturing and the industrial working class.

3. Third, immigration has been one of the issues that has propelled Trump to his historic political comeback in this election. Although his anti-immigration rhetoric has caused much concern in India, Trump has sought to differentiate between “legal” and “illegal” immigration….India will have a deep interest in contributing to the US debate on separating the “bad” immigration from the “good”.

4. Trump’s relationship with China and Russia will be of special interest to Delhi. It was under the first Trump administration that the Quadrilateral framework was revived in 2017. There is no reason to expect that the second would dilute its commitment to limit Chinese power in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

5. Finally, the Biden years have seen a significant expansion of defence and high technology cooperation between Delhi and Washington. Sustaining and expanding this under the Trump Administration will be a key priority for Delhi.

• “Over the last two decades, the US has operated under the assumption that boosting India’s capabilities is in America’s self- interest, especially in balancing China. But Trump is likely to demand some Indian “pro” for American “quid”. The idea that favours can’t be one-sided but mutual is at the heart of Trump’s statecraft.”

From Express Network Page-Trump could turn the clock back, yet again, on climate action

• “Trump’s re-election for a second term, now all but confirmed, once again comes ahead of a climate change conference, this one starting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday…A second Trump presidency might not entail a pull-out from Paris Agreement yet again — he does promise this though, on his campaign website — but could still slow down the momentum on climate action.”

• “Trump has been severely critical of Joe Biden’s energy policies, many of which have been manifested through the incentives provided for clean energy in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and promised to pursue policies that “diametrically opposite”.

• “If he does follow up on these promises, it would seriously jeopardise the emission reduction targets of the United States for 2030. There are other reasons why Trump’s policies could result in a backward movement, not just for the United States but the world as a whole. Fresh investments in fossil fuel projects, as promised by Trump, could halt and reverse the recent trend of energy investments.”

• “Despite China being the largest emitter for the last nearly two decades, it is the United States that still has the largest share of historical emissions. It accounts for more than 20 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions since 1850. As such, it has the greatest responsibility to take climate action. That is how the international climate framework is structured.”

Do you know:

• “India’s relationship with the US has been the most comprehensive association the country has had since independence…this is truly a relationship forged in crisis”, Rudra Chaudhuri, head of Carnegie India, wrote in his book, Forged in Crisis: India and the US since 1947.

• The US is India’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching almost $120 billion in FY24 — slightly higher than India’s China trade. However, unlike China, India’s trade relationship with the US is favourable, which makes the US a vital source of foreign exchange.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Trump 2.0 and the world

????Recalling India-US relations in Trump 1.0

???? Brace for the ride

????Whether it is President Trump or President Harris, US-India relations must continue on an upward arc

Previous year UPSC Mains Questions Covering similar theme:

What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (UPSC CSE 2020)

‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (2019)

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme that makes students who get admission in Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) eligible for a collateral-free and guarantor-free education loan.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the primary objective of the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme?

• Who are the intended beneficiaries PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme?

• What are the Quality Higher Education Institutions?

• What is the Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS) scheme?

• What criteria are used to determine Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) under the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme?

• Compare the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme and the Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS) scheme.

• How the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme align with the government’s broader goals for education and youth empowerment?

• What are the constitutional provisions related to the right to education?

• What other initiatives have been taken by the government of India in the education sector?

• What are the issues related to the education system in India?

Key Takeaways:

• An outlay of Rs 3,600 crore has been made for the scheme for 2024-25 to 2030-31 period and around 7 lakh fresh students are expected to benefit from the interest subvention offered under the scheme.

• Students will be provided a 75% credit guarantee by the central government for loans up to Rs 7.5 lakh. Students, with an annual family income of up to Rs 8 lakh, who are ineligible for benefits under any other government scholarship or interest subvention schemes, will be provided 3% interest subvention for loan up to Rs 10 lakh during the moratorium period.

• This is in addition to an existing scheme — the Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS) that provides full interest subvention on loans up to Rs 10 lakh to students with an annual family income of up to Rs 4.5 lakh, pursuing technical or professional courses.

• Quality higher education institutions (QHEIs) will be determined by NIRF rankings. The scheme will be applicable to all institutions, including government and private, in the top 100 in overall and in other domain-specific rankings, state government institutions ranked 101 to 200, and all Centre-run institutions. Students in 860 higher education institutions will be eligible, and the list will be updated based on NIRF rankings each year.

Do You Know:

• PM Vidyalaxmi is another key initiative stemming out of the National Education Policy, 2020, which had recommended that financial assistance should be made available to meritorious students through various measures in both public and private HEIs.

• The Department of Higher Education will have a unified portal “PM-Vidyalaxmi” on which students will be able to apply for the education loan as well as interest subvention, through a simplified application process to be used by all banks. Payment of interest subvention will be made through E-voucher and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallets.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????What is Vidya Lakshmi education loan scheme?

Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Prelims

(1) Which of the following provisions of the Constitution does India have a bearing on Education? (UPSC CSE 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

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

(2) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. As per the right to education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a state, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State council of Teacher education.

2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.

3. In India, more than 90 % of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(d) 3 only

Mains

Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail. (UPSC CSE 2021)

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Constitution and Polity

What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that Section 197(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that mandates prior sanction from the government to take cognizance of an offence against public servants will apply to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) too.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is money laundering?

• What is Section 197(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)?

• What is the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)?

• What are the rights provided to the person under the arrest?

• What are the various amendments to the PMLA?

• What are the criticisms of the PMLA?

• What are the powers of ED related to PMLA?

• What are the bail provisions under PMLA?

Key Takeaways:

• Section 197 (1) says, “When any person who is or was a judge or magistrate or a public servant not removable from his office save by or with the sanction of the government, is accused of any offence alleged to have been committed by him while acting or purporting to act in the discharge of his official duty, no court shall take cognizance of such offence except with the previous sanction.

• The ED, which filed the appeal challenging the HC order, contended that IAS officers Bibhu Prasad Acharya was not a public servant within the meaning of Section 197(1) of CrPC, as it cannot be said that while holding the said position, he was not removable from the office save by or with the sanction of the government.

• The ED also contended that in view of Section 71 of the PMLA, its provisions have an overriding effect over the provisions of the other statutes, including the CrPC. But the court did not agree, holding that the first condition, as required under Section 197(1), is satisfied in the case of both the respondents as they are civil servants.

• The ruling pointed out that Section 65 of PMLA makes the provisions of the CrPC applicable to all proceedings under the PMLA, provided the same are not inconsistent with the PMLA provisions and the words ‘all other proceedings’ include a complaint under Section 44 (1)(b) of the PMLA.

Do You Know:

• The PMLA, like the UAPA, lays down a stringent standard for granting bail. Section 45 of the PMLA is a ‘negative’ provision — which bars courts from granting bail unless the accused can prove that there is no “prima facie” case against them, and that they will not commit any offence in the future.

• The first challenge to PMLA was against the alternate criminal law system that the PMLA creates since the ED is kept outside the purview of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The ED is not considered ‘police’, and hence does not follow the provisions of CrPC for searches, seizures, arrests, and attachment of properties.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????How anti-money laundering law came to have a vast scope, granting police powers to ED

????Knowledge nugget of the day: Money Laundering

Previous year UPSC Prelims/ Mains Questions Covering similar theme:

Prelims

(3) With reference to the amendments in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) consider the following statements:

1. The Finance Ministry has amended money laundering rules to incorporate more disclosures for non-governmental organisations by reporting entities like financial institutions, banking companies or intermediaries.

2. It has defined “politically exposed persons” (PEPs) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in line with the recommendations of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group.

Which of the statements are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains

Discuss how emerging technologies and globalisation contribute to money laundering. Elaborate measures to tackle the problem of money laundering both at national and international levels. (UPSC CSE 2021)

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests and Indian Economy

What’s the ongoing story: As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wrested the White House from the Democrats, international oil prices declined Wednesday. Even as the fall in oil prices had more to do with the strengthening dollar–a stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities like oil dearer in other currencies–and other oil market factors, the market reaction may be symbolic of the general sentiment around oil prices going forward.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the top three oil-producing countries in the world?

• What are the top three crude oil suppliers to India?

• How do the changes in U.S. energy policy under Trump’s leadership influence India’s energy security and economic interests?

• What are the potential effects of increased U.S. oil production and exports on global oil markets and prices?

• In what ways do geopolitical uncertainties impact energy security in India?

• How can India mitigate the risks associated with volatile oil prices?

Key Takeaways:

• While it is too early to say how Trump’s second term as president will affect global oil markets, industry watchers expect the Trump administration’s economic and energy policies to put limited downward pressure on oil prices. If strictly implemented, his plans to impose high tariffs on imports–particularly on those from China–could negatively impact global oil demand as China is the world’s top oil importer.

• Realistically though, the incoming dispensation in Washington is likely to push for a largely balanced global oil market to keep oil prices in check while avoiding a steep decline or crash, as that would make production unviable for American oil producers as well.

• For India, which is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement of the commodity, downward pressure on international oil prices would be generally beneficial.

• Heavy dependence on imported crude oil makes the Indian economy vulnerable to global oil price volatility, apart from having a bearing on the country’s trade deficit, foreign exchange reserves, rupee’s exchange rate, and inflation.

• S&P Global Commodity Insights (SPGCI) expects Asian buyers—including India—to witness significantly more opportunities to import “attractively priced crude from the US” as its competition with the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) suppliers intensifies

• Growing US crude production has posed a significant challenge for OPEC+ (OPEC and its other partner countries) in recent years, exerting downward pressure on prices, threatening the bloc’s market share and prompting massive output cuts.

Do You Know:

• The US is India’s fifth-largest source market for crude oil behind Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• As the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil with a high import dependency level of over 85 per cent, India is extremely sensitive to oil prices.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????What Trumponomics means for India, the world

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) The term ‘West Texas Intermediate’, sometimes found in news, refers to a grade of (UPSC CSE 2020)

(a) Crude oil

(b) Bullion

(d) Uranium

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Rights issues

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government Policies & Interventions, Issues Related to Children

What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court directed recently that in cases of “bodily injuries such as sexual assault etc. particularly on minor children and women”, Sessions Courts must also order the compensation to be paid to the victim while convicting or acquitting the accused.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the role of the District Legal Services Authority and the State Legal Services Authority, as mandated by the Supreme Court, in implementing victim compensation?

• What is the significance of Section 357A of the CrPC in the context of victim compensation for sexual assault cases?

• How might the Supreme Court’s directive to ensure victim compensation in cases of bodily harm and sexual assault against minor children and women affect judicial proceedings at the Sessions Court level?

• What is the ‘Manodhairya Scheme’?

• What are the constitutional provisions related to children?

• What are the various issues related to child exploitation in India?

• What is the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act?

• What are the Initiatives, legislations and laws taken by the Government of India for the children protection?

Key Takeaways:

• A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Pankaj Mithal also said that the direction must be implemented by the District Legal Services Authority or State Legal Services Authority.

• “… we direct that a Sessions Court, which adjudicates a case concerning the bodily injuries such as sexual assault etc. particularly on minor children and women shall order for victim compensation to be paid having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case and based on the evidence on record, while passing the judgment either convicting or acquitting the accused. Secondly, the said direction must be implemented by the District Legal Services Authority or State Legal Services Authority, as the case may be, in letter and spirit and in the quickest manner and to ensure that the victim is paid the compensation at the earliest,” the top court said in its November 4 order.

• The bench passed this direction while granting bail to a man convicted and sentenced under the IPC and the POCSO Act. The appellant had challenged the Bombay High Court’s dismissal of his application seeking suspension of sentence and bail, pending a final decision on his appeal.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????POCSO: An analysis of India’s landmark child abuse law

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Examine the main provisions of the National Child Policy and throw light on the status of its implementation. (UPSC CSE 2016)

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: With Donald Trump set for victory in the US Presidential elections, here’s a look at how Trump’s first term in office affected the visa program for specialty occupations, known as the H-1B.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the difference between a visa and a passport?

• What is the H-1B visa program?

• How does the H-1B visa program impact skilled migration from India to the United States?

• What significant policy changes have occurred in recent years regarding the H-1B visa?

• How does the H-1B visa program affect diplomatic and trade relations between India and the United States?

Key Takeaways:

• The H-1B visa program allows American employers to hire non-immigrant workers in specialty occupations that require a high level of skills and at least a bachelor’s degree, according to the US Department of Labour.

• “The intent of the H-1B provisions is to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the US workforce by authorising the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorised to work in the United States,” the department says.

• The US government has capped the total number of new H-1B visas at 65,000 each financial year. Another 20,000 visas can be given to those who have obtained a Master’s degree or higher from a US institution. H-1B workers employed at higher education institutions, non-profits or government research organisations are not covered by the cap.

• US government data shows that Indians have been the majority of H-1B visa-holders in the past few years.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????What is the contribution of Indian Americans to US society and economy?

????Spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in US, says judge

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and European Countries.’ Comment with examples (UPSC CSE 2020)

The prize has been instituted in the memory of Rohini Nayyar by her family. Nayyar, an economist, served as an IAS officer in the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and worked with the erstwhile Planning Commission of India from 1987 to 2005. She passed away in 2021.

For your queries and suggestions write at roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com

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