Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for November 5, 2024. If you missed the November 4, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

FRONT PAGE

Deals are not cut like this (in meetings with Govt)… please trust Judges: CJI

Syllabus:

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

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

What’s the ongoing story: CJI DY Chandrachud on Express Adda: Dialogue between the judiciary and the executive, even if some of these exchanges are in social settings, is a routine imperative of the court’s functioning, said Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud Monday, as he urged the public to “trust” judges.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the importance of judicial independence in maintaining the rule of law in India.

• Analyse the relationship between the judiciary and the executive in the context of constitutional checks and balances.

• Evaluate the challenges faced by the Indian judiciary in upholding public trust and credibility.

• What measures can be taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of the judiciary?

• Examine the role of judicial conduct and ethics in reinforcing trust in the judiciary.

Key Takeaways:

• The 50th Chief Justice of India was the chief guest at the Express Adda held in New Delhi and was in conversation with National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra and National Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanath.

• On the issue of courts not granting bail in several cases, CJI Chandrachud said that “it was a matter of grave concern” for him as CJI that the message that bail is the rule rather than the exception hasn’t trickled down to the trial courts which are reluctant to grant bail.

• On judicial appointments, CJI Chandrachud said that the Collegium has done its part and he hopes that the government clears the pending recommendations.

• When asked if the government’s delay in appointing judges effectively gives it a veto power, the CJI said that the collegium also exercises a veto.

• On the track record of the collegium he headed, CJI Chandrachud said that while 18 judges of the Supreme Court that were recommended had been appointed; 40 out of 42 Chief Justices recommended had been appointed; 137 out of 164 recommendations for appointment of HC judges were cleared while 27 are pending with the government.

Do You Know:

• Justice D Y Chandrachud, has played a key role in some of the most consequential decisions and developments from the Supreme Court since he was elevated in May 2016.

• For the past two years, CJI Chandrachud has led the charge for significant administrative reforms including the continued digitisation of court records and processes as a part of the ongoing e-Courts project.

• The longest serving Chief Justice of India in over a decade, CJI Chandrachud began his judicial career — which spans over two decades — when he was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court in March 2000.

• During his tenure at the apex court, he has authored opinions in some of the most crucial decisions in modern Indian judicial history. —From recognising the fundamental right to privacy, de-criminalising homosexuality, striking down the electoral bond scheme and even crucial dissents such as in the challenge to the Aadhaar Act, his verdicts, that blend scholarship and jurisprudence, are likely to inform both future decisions and how the law is studied years after his retirement November 10.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????CJI D Y Chandrachud: Indian federalism is a dialogue

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 1. Which one of the following in Indian polity is an essential feature that indicates that it is federal in character? (UPSC CSE, 2021) (a) The independence of judiciary is safeguarded. (b) The Union Legislature has elected representatives from constituent units. (c) The Union Cabinet can have elected representatives from regional parties. (d) The Fundamental Rights are enforceable by Courts of Law.

2. Which one of the following factors constitutes the best safeguard of liberty in a liberal democracy? (UPSC CSE, 2019) (a) A committed judiciary (b) Centralization of powers (c) Elected government (d) Separation of powers

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: ????‘The Supreme Court of India keeps a check on arbitrary power of the Parliament in amending the Constitution.’ Discuss critically. (UPSC CSE, GS2, 2013)

Chairperson bulldozing, we may be forced to dissociate: Opp to Speaker

Syllabus:

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

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: IN A letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, some Opposition members of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill have threatened to “disassociate” from the panel, accusing its chairperson and BJP leader Jagdambika Pal of “bulldozing the proceedings” and “stonewalling” them.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the meaning of ‘Waqf’?

• What are Waqf properties, and why do they hold importance in India’s socio-political landscape?

• Analyze the significance of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 in the context of managing and regulating Waqf properties in India. How might these legislative changes impact the socio-economic conditions of the Muslim community and address historical grievances related to Waqf administration?

• What are the key legislative changes and developments in the administration of Waqf properties in India through Waqf Act?

• What are the issues concerned with Waqf Board?

• How are Hindu and Sikh endowments administered? Are their adherents non-Hindu and non-Sikh?

• Does the Collector possess any authority over Hindu and Sikh endowments?

• What are the recommendations by the Sachar Committee regarding Waqf properties?

• Why the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has been referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament?

• What is the role of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in India, and how does it function?

• Discuss the significance of parliamentary oversight on issues like Waqf properties.

• Analyse the challenges faced by JPCs in maintaining transparency and consensus in their proceedings.

• How many members are there in the Joint Parliamentary Committee?

• What is the role of the joint parliamentary committee?

• Evaluate the impact of political dynamics on the effectiveness of parliamentary committees in India.

Key Takeaways:

• The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 changes the composition of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards to include non-Muslim members. —The Survey Commissioner has been replaced by the Collector, granting him powers to conduct surveys of waqf properties. —Government property identified as waqf will cease to be waqf. Collector will determine ownership of such properties. —Finality of the Tribunal’s decisions has been revoked. The Bill provides for direct appeal to the High Court.

• Waqf properties in India are governed by the Waqf Act, 1995. However, India has had a legal regime for the governance of Waqfs since 1913, when the Muslim Waqf Validating Act came into force. The Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923 followed. After Independence, the Central Waqf Act, 1954, was enacted, which was ultimately replaced by the Waqf Act, 1995.

• In 2013, the law was amended to prescribe imprisonment of up to two years for encroachment on Waqf property, and to explicitly prohibit the sale, gift, exchange, mortgage, or transfer of Waqf property.

• The Waqf law provides for the appointment of a survey commissioner who maintains a list of all Waqf properties by making local investigations, summoning witnesses, and requisitioning public documents.

• A Waqf property is managed by a mutawalli (caretaker), who acts as a superviser. Waqf properties are managed in a way that is similar to how properties under Trusts are managed under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.

• The Waqf Act states that any dispute related to Waqf properties will be decided by a Waqf Tribunal.

• The Tribunal is constituted by the state government, and comprises three members — a chairperson who is a state judicial officer not below the rank of a District, Sessions or Civil Judge, Class I; an officer from the state civil services; and a person with knowledge of Muslim law and jurisprudence.

Do You Know:

• According to PIB, Waqf refers to properties dedicated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, and any other use or sale of the property is prohibited. —Waqf means that the ownership of the property is now taken away from the person making Waqf and transferred and detained by Allah. — ‘Waqif’ is a person who creates a waqf for the beneficiary. —As Waqf properties are bestowed upon Allah, in the absence of a physically tangible entity, a ‘mutawalli’ is appointed by the waqif, or by a competent authority, to manage or administer a Waqf. —Once designated as waqf, the ownership is transferred from the person making the waqf (waqif) to Allah, making it irrevocable. —In India, the history of Waqf can be traced back to the early days of the Delhi Sultanate when Sultan Muizuddin Sam Ghaor dedicated two villages in favour of the Jama Masjid of Multan and handed its administration to Shaikhul Islam. —As the Delhi Sultanate and later Islamic dynasties flourished in India, the number of Waqf properties kept increasing in India. —There was a case made for the abolition of Waqfs in India in the late 19th Century when a dispute over a Waqf property ended up in the Privy Council of London during the days of the British Raj. —The four British judges who heard the case described the Waqf as “a perpetuity of the worst and the most pernicious kind” and declared Waqf to be invalid. However, the decision by the four judges was not accepted in India, and the Mussalman Waqf Validating Act of 1913 saved the institution of Waqf in India. Since then, no attempt has been made to curb Waqfs.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Explainer on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024

????Explained: The proposed changes to Waqf law

THE CITY

‘Consider perpetual cracker ban in Delhi’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Proposing a permanent prohibition on firecrackers in the national capital, the Supreme Court Monday said the restrictions were “hardly implemented” this Diwali and asked the Delhi government and police to explain what measures were taken to ensure enforcement of the ban.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the environmental and health impacts of firecracker usage during festivals like Diwali in India.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of government policies and judicial interventions in regulating firecracker use to control air pollution.

• Analyze the challenges faced by the police and local authorities in enforcing the cracker ban during festive seasons.

• How do cultural practices and environmental sustainability intersect in the context of banning firecrackers during festivals?

• What alternative measures can be adopted to balance cultural traditions and environmental concerns during celebrations like Diwali?

• How do firecrackers cause air pollution?

• What is the use of barium in firecrackers?

• Which chemicals are banned in fireworks?

• Why is Diwali often singled out for air pollution in Delhi despite the presence of other significant pollution sources throughout the year?

Key Takeaways:

• Referring to submissions made by amicus curiae Aparajitha Singh, who cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a bench of Justices A S Oka and Augustine George Masih said it showed an increase in pollution levels in Delhi as well as a spike in farm fires during Diwali. —“There cannot be any dispute that the ban was hardly implemented. Moreover, the effect of the non-implementation of the ban is very apparent from the report of CSE, which shows that the pollution level in Delhi on Diwali in 2024 was at an all-time high. It was much higher than Diwali of 2022 and 2023. Moreover, the report indicates that even farm fires were on the rise during Diwali days,” the court observed, while also referring to media reports.

• The bench directed the government to file “a detailed affidavit placing on record the orders banning the use of firecrackers and the steps taken… to implement the same”. It also issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner asking him “to file an affidavit indicating the steps taken by the police to enforce the complete ban on the use of firecrackers in Delhi”.

• The court further asked them to state “what effective steps they propose to take next year to ensure that the ban… is fully implemented” including measures to be taken to raise public awareness.

• The court also asked authorities to consider a perpetual ban on firecrackers in Delhi.

Do You Know:

• In October 2018, the apex court had banned the production and sale of all crackers except ‘green crackers’ and those with reduced emissions (improved crackers). It also banned the manufacture and sale of ‘joined crackers’, prohibited the use of barium salts in fireworks and said their noise levels should be within permissible limits. —The court also banned their online sales and directed that they can be sold only through licensed traders and laid down the time schedule for bursting on various occasions. The court reiterated this in its October 29, 2021 order. —The court also made it “clear that there is no total ban on use of firecrackers” and that “only those firecrackers are banned, as directed… which are found to be injurious to health.

• In 2020, the National Green Tribunal had banned the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers in NCR, and said that green crackers would be permitted only in cities and towns where air quality was moderate or poor.

• Firecrackers typically consist of four primary ingredients — oxidiser, fuel, colouring agents, and binder. An oxidiser is required for the cracker to catch fire, the fuel sustains the fire, colouring agents give it the colours and sparkles, while the binder holds this mixture in place till the cracker has spent itself. —Chemicals like barium are colouring agents, and were banned because of their harmful impact on human health, such as irritation in the respiratory tract, skin allergies, breathing difficulties, and even cancer. —The white colour in a cracker is emitted through aluminium, magnesium and titanium, while the orange colour is carbon or iron. —Similarly, yellow agents are sodium compounds while blue and red are copper compounds and strontium carbonates. —The green agent is barium mono chloride salts or barium nitrate or barium chlorate.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????SC says cracker order applies to country, not just NCR: What types of fireworks are allowed, and where

????Knowledge nugget of the day: Green firecrackers

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 3. Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2017) 1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries. 2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons. 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

Clean air programme: Delhi in bottom 5, used only 32% of funds

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Delhi is among the bottom five cities in terms of fund expenditure under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) — 68% of its funds are unutilised. Among NCR cities, Faridabad lagged with an expenditure of 39%, Ghaziabad utilised 89%, and Noida recorded the least utilisation at 11%.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the National clean air Program?

• Discuss the objectives and key components of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in India.

• Analyze the reasons behind Delhi’s poor performance in the Clean Air Programme despite various initiatives.

• What are the major challenges in improving air quality in urban areas like Delhi? Suggest measures to address these challenges.

• Evaluate the role of local governance and public participation in the success of air quality improvement programs.

• How does air pollution impact public health and the economy? Illustrate with examples from Indian cities.

Key Takeaways:

• The NCAP’s target is to cut particulate matter pollution (PM 10) by 40% by 2025-26 or meet National Ambient Air Quality standards. However, a recent submission by the Environment Ministry to the National Green Tribunal revealed gaps in the implementation of the programme which include under-utilisation of NCAP funds, lack of completion of source apportionment studies, and poor performance in meeting NCAP targets.

• Out of the 19 cities covered under the NCAP, only five cities have so far met annual air pollution reduction targets. With the air quality deteriorating this time of the year, the performance of various cities under the programme becomes crucial.

• The top five cities in terms of utilisation were Amritsar at 99%, Jhansi at 98%, Pune at 96%, Jharkhand at 94% and Navi Mumbai at 92%. Amritsar has shown a 38% improvement in PM 10 levels compared to the base year (2017). In Navi Mumbai, however, PM 10 levels have worsened by 11%.

• The 19 cities identified are non-attainment cities (NACs), selected upon failure to meet national air quality standards consecutively for five years between 2011 and 2015.

Do You Know:

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January, 2019 with an aim to improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities) in 24 States/UTs by engaging all stakeholders. —The programme envisages to achieve reductions up to 40% or achievement of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter10 (PM 10) concentrations by 2025-26. —82 cities under NCAP have been provided annual target of 3-15% reduction of PM10 levels to achieve overall reduction of air quality up to 40% PM10 levels, and 49 cities under XVth Finance Commission air quality grant, have been given an annual target of 15% reduction in annual average Particulate Matter10 (PM10) concentrations and improvement of good air quality days (Air Quality Index less than 200).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????National Clean Air Programme: Centre aims at 40 percent reduction in particulate matter by 2026

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 4. In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index? (UPSC CSE, 2017) 1. Carbon dioxide 2. Carbon monoxide 3. Nitrogen dioxide 4. Sulfur dioxide 5. Methane Select the correct answer using the code given below. a) 1, 2 and 3 only b) 2, 3 and 4 only c) 1, 4 and 5 only d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

EXPRESS NETWORK

ST Commission to seek report from NTCA on villages’ relocation from tiger reserves

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Main Examination: 

• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

• General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What’s the ongoing story: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has taken cognisance of representations sent to it against a June advisory of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), asking state forest departments to submit action plans on the relocation of villages from tiger reserves.

Key Points to Ponder:

• National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under which Ministry?

• Who is the Chairman of National Tiger Conservation Authority?

• As tigers inhabit diverse habitats across a vast geographical expanse in India, they are categorized into five major landscapes based on biogeography and interconnectivity of the habitats-What are they?

• What are the persisting threats facing the tiger across its habitats?

• What is the primary purpose of the buffer areas within tiger Reserves?

• What is the core zone in national park?

• Discuss the ecological and social implications of relocating villages from tiger reserves in India.

• Analyze the role of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in protecting the rights of tribal communities affected by wildlife conservation efforts.

• Evaluate the challenges faced by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in balancing wildlife conservation and human rights.

• What measures can be taken to ensure sustainable coexistence between wildlife conservation and tribal livelihoods?

• How do relocation programs impact the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities? Suggest alternatives to forced relocation.

Key Takeaways:

• The NCST, a constitutional body, held a full commission meeting on the issue on September 24 with chairperson Antar Singh Arya and its three members in attendance.

• The commission decided to seek a report from NTCA on the relocation issue, highly placed sources in the commission confirmed to The Indian Express. The September meeting’s decision was ratified in the last week of October

• The commission also decided to seek an action-taken report from the Union Environment Ministry and NTCA on its 2018 recommendations to revise the compensation package offered to villagers voluntarily opting to move out of tiger reserves.

• The NCST had said in October 2018 that the compensation package should be provided based on the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. It added that the compensation package should include the monetary package along with the full range of entitlements as provided under the 2013 Act.

• The NTCA had revised the compensation in 2021 from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per family.

Do You Know:

• Under the Wildlife Protection Act, areas free of human settlements can be created in the core of tiger reserves. However, this is to be done after recognising the rights of tribal communities under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and with the informed consent of the Gram Sabha concerned.

• Additionally, before the voluntary relocation, the state government has to conclude, based on consultations with ecological and social scientists, that activities of the tribal communities or forest dwellers or their presence are sufficient to cause irreversible damage to tigers and their habitat. They have to also conclude that there is no other reasonable option for the community to co-exist with tigers.

• Under existing provisions, families that opt for voluntary relocation are to be provided Rs 15 lakh per family. Moreover, those who opt for the resettlement and rehabilitation package are entitled to two hectares of land, homestead land, house construction, a one-time financial incentive, basic water, sanitation, electricity, and telecommunication amenities.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Roll back advisory on village relocation from tiger reserves, rights groups tell Centre

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 5. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (UPSC CSE 2017) a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System d) Security of National Highways

6. Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2014) 1. Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the (Environment Protection) Act, 1986. 2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body. 3. National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 2 only d) 1, 2 and 3

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Why Nov 5 matters

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies 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: As we look forward to the next administration, the issue isn’t so much American decline as it is the growing American temptation towards unilateralism as seen under both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Evaluate the arguments for and against the notion that American power is in decline. What factors contribute to this perception?

• Discuss the implications of sustained American power for global geopolitics and international relations.

• Analyze how domestic issues within the United States may affect its foreign policy and global influence.

• What role does American economic strength play in maintaining its status as a global leader?

• Examine the responses of other major powers to perceived American power dynamics and their implications for global stability.

• Examine the role of technological innovation and military capability in sustaining American influence globally.

• How does the perception of American power affect its relationships with emerging powers, particularly in Asia?

• Assess the impact of domestic political dynamics in the U.S. on its foreign policy strategy and global leadership role.

• Discuss how Indian media portrays the U.S. electoral process and the implications of this portrayal on public perception in India.

• Analyze the reasons behind the Indian public’s interest in U.S. elections. What aspects resonate with Indian voters?

• Examine the influence of U.S. electoral outcomes on India’s foreign policy and bilateral relations with the United States.

• How does the concept of democracy in the U.S. serve as a reference point for political discourse in India?

• Evaluate the potential impact of the U.S. political landscape on global issues that concern India, such as climate change and security.

Key Takeaways:

• The argument on America’s decline has a long lineage and dates back to the mid-19th century, when Karl Marx posited that capitalism’s inherent contradictions would lead to its collapse.

• Founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin argued that imperialism, as the higher stage of capitalism, would foster fatal contradictions within and between Western industrial societies.

• Oswald Spengler provided a cultural and social critique of capitalism with his two-volume work, The Decline of the West (1918-1923). —His views on the decay of Western civilisation resonated with various thinkers during the inter-war years, disillusioned by World War I’s brutality among Western powers.

• Despite early 20th-century challenges, capitalism survived, evolving in the US during the inter-war years and post-World War II in Europe.

• Recent arguments about American decline focus on structural shifts in the international system, suggesting the rise of non-Western powers and the emergence of a “multipolar world” replacing the US-led unipolar order after the Soviet Union collapsed.

• It is also impossible to bridge the differences within the emerging powers and unite them against the US, despite their shared resentment against American power.

Do You Know:

• Non-Western actors are rising at Europe and Japan’s expense, which face economic slowdowns and demographic declines. The Eurozone, once seen as an economic peer to the US, has been steadily losing ground; its current GDP is about $15 trillion. Europe declines and China slows, while the US’s share of global GDP is likely to increase.

• Another argument supporting American decline suggests the fragmentation of the US-backed “liberal international order” (LIO). However, LIO is an academic invention. The notion of a broad set of rules governing the post-Cold War world was never a reality.

• The US has consistently improvised rules to suit its strategic aims, evident in how it transformed the “sacred” nuclear non-proliferation regime to forge a new strategic partnership with India (2005-08).

• Washington also violated an essential norm of the global financial order when it persuaded the reluctant G7 to seize Russian financial assets worth $300 billion in Western banks after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Watch it like an outsider

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: ????India and USA are two large democracies. Examine the basic tenets on which the two political systems are based. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2018)

EXPLAINED

Election Day in US: Here’s what to know

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: Tuesday is Election Day in the United States in what some commentators have described as the most consequential presidential election ever. And the race to the White House is as close as it gets.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Explain the key stages of the U.S. presidential election process. How do primaries, caucuses, and the Electoral College work?

• Discuss the significance of the U.S. presidential election in global geopolitics. How might the 2024 election outcomes influence India-U.S. relations?

• Analyze the role of media and technology in shaping voter behaviour and election outcomes in the U.S.

• Compare the electoral systems of India and the United States, highlighting the strengths and challenges of each.

• What lessons can India learn from the U.S. election process regarding democratic participation and electoral reforms?

• Describe the process of the U.S. Presidential election. How does the Electoral College system work, and what are its advantages and disadvantages?

• What are the implications of the “winner-takes-all” approach in the Electoral College. How does it influence campaign strategies?

• How do U.S. Presidential elections impact global geopolitics? Analyze with a focus on South Asia.

Key Takeaways:

• Americans do not directly vote for their President. Instead, they vote to determine the composition of the Electoral College, which elects the President.

• There are 538 electors in the Electoral College, and 270 is the majority mark. Each state is allocated a specific number of electors, which is somewhat based on population.

• A vote cast in favour of a certain candidate is, in effect, meant to elect the candidate’s slate of electors in a state, who are chosen by the parties prior to the election. To win the presidency, a candidate needs to cobble together victories in enough states to reach the 270 mark in the Electoral College.

• Most states (with the exception of Maine and Nebraska) have a winner-takes-all system, which means whoever wins the popular mandate in the state secures its entire allocation in the Electoral College.

Do You Know:

• The stakes for the US — and the rest of the world — are extremely high. Since Trump’s surprise win in 2016, American politics has continued to become steadily more polarised. This political division is reflected both in the candidates’ policy positions on major issues, and in the issues they have prioritised in the campaign.

• The two major political parties nominate their presidential candidates through a series of state primaries and caucuses, where voters express their preferences for who should lead the party in the general election. In the Republican Party, former President Donald Trump secured his party’s nomination with a significant lead over his opponents, officially becoming the Republican nominee at the party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the Democratic side, Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race after President Joe Biden withdrew, with no other Democrats contesting her candidacy. Additionally, there are independent candidates running for president.

• Presidential debates provide candidates with a platform to present their policies and answer questions from moderators and the public, giving voters an opportunity to observe candidates discussing and defending their positions on various issues.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Notes from an endgame

????Why presidential elections are always held on a Tuesday in the month of November

How the donkey and the elephant came to represent Democrats, Republicans in US

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: From election rallies to news articles, US elections see the Democratic and Republican parties often represented through the symbols of donkeys and elephants, respectively.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Discuss the historical origins of the donkey and elephant symbols for the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. How have these symbols influenced political identity?

• Analyze the role of political symbols in shaping public perception and political branding in democracies.

• Compare the use of political symbols in U.S. elections with those in Indian elections. How do they impact voter engagement?

• Examine the significance of political cartoons and satire in the creation and popularization of political symbols.

• What lessons can Indian political parties learn from the use of symbols in U.S. politics regarding mass communication and identity formation?

Key Takeaways:

• Renowned American political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is credited with popularising the depiction of major parties in the form of the two animals in the late 19th century. —In fact, US President Abraham Lincoln, of the Republican Party, once called Nast his “best recruiting general” during his re-election campaign. Nast’s personal preference for the Republicans was well-known, too.

• In an 1870 cartoon for the magazine Harper’s Weekly, Nast showed a donkey kicking a dead lion. —The donkey represented a section of Democrats he disliked, while the lion stood for Lincoln’s recently deceased Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, whom the Democrats had criticised. —Similarly, the elephant often made it to his cartoons as a massive and formidable creature representing the Republicans, certainly a kinder representation than the Democrats’ symbol.

Do You Know:

• John Grinspan, Curator at the Smithsonian American History Museum, told the Associated Press these representations became popular in a period when allegiance to political parties was strong amid the electorate. The animals were shown as fierce and engaging in action.

• Lisa Kathleen Graddy, another curator, said that over time the “edge” accorded to the animals softened with easing political divides: “They become much more just physically rounded they have softer rounded edges. They don’t rampage as much, they might rear up or kick or raise their trunk but they’re not violent animals anymore.” As polarization is yet again witnessed in US politics, these depictions could change once more.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????The Democrats: How former advocates of slavery became a party for Black and immigrant voters

ECONOMY

US polls, Chinese stimulus: triggers that outweighed domestic factors in FPI selloff

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III:Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: As benchmark indices experienced renewed selling pressure, all sectoral indices were down in the red in early trade Monday. There are multiple factors that triggered the selloff, with external factors overshadowing the domestic ones.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Foreign portfolio investment?

• What is FII and FPI?

• Analyze the impact of global political events, such as U.S. elections, on emerging markets like India.

• Discuss the role of Chinese economic policies in influencing global financial markets and their effect on India.

• Evaluate the factors leading to FPI sell-offs in Indian markets. How do global and domestic factors interact in this context?

• What measures can be taken to stabilize FPI flows in India amidst global uncertainties?

• Examine the significance of foreign portfolio investments for the Indian economy and their susceptibility to global events.

Key Takeaways:

• The bearish sentiment in the market has been partly attributed to concerns over sluggish corporate commentary and potential earnings cuts, which is leading to a re-rating of stock valuations.

Do You Know:

• The Chinese, like policymakers elsewhere, are also looking closely at the November 5 US election results.

• Trump’s election win could potentially result in tariffs of over 50 per cent being slapped on Chinese goods, a move that could likely shave off, according to analysts, over two percentage points from China’s growth over the next year.

• Beijing’s stimulus package could factor this possibility in. If Trump were to sail through. Nomura anticipates the eventual scale of China’s fiscal stimulus package to reach 2-3 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product annually over the next several years, with a Trump win to push its size toward the higher end of the estimate.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????US economy shines on election eve amid robust consumer spending

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 7. Consider the following: (UPSC CSE, 2021) 1. Foreign currency convertible bonds 2. Foreign institutional investment with certain conditions 3. Global depository receipts 4. Non-resident external deposits Which of the above can be included in Foreign Direct Investments? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 4 (d) 1 and 4

8. With reference to Foreign Direct Investment in India, which one of the following is considered its major characteristic? (UPSC CSE, 2017) (a) It is the investment through capital instruments essentially in a listed company. (b) It is a largely non-debt creating capital flow. (c) It is the investment which involves debt-servicing. (d) It is the investment made by foreign institutional investors in the Government securities.

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

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