Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for January 10, 2024. If you missed the January 9, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

FRONT PAGE

Amid ST row, Manipur CM hints at panel to discuss Kuki status

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said that the state government may consider setting up a committee to discuss the Scheduled Tribe status of Kukis in the state. He was responding to questions about a representation made by a Meitei leader seeking that Kukis be removed from the list, while reiterating the long-pending demand of Meiteis for ST status.

• Who are Kukis?

• Which are the major communities residing in Manipur?

• Why does the Meitei community want ST status?

• Why are Kuki group opposing this?

• Is this demand the only reason for the conflict rocking the state currently?

• What steps have the union and state governments taken to stop the violence?

• For Your Information-The Meiteis are the largest community in Manipur. There are 34 recognized tribes, which are broadly classified as ‘Any Kuki Tribes’ and ‘Any Naga Tribes’. The central valley in the state accounts for about 10% of the landmass of Manipur, and is home primarily to the Meitei and Meitei Pangals who constitute roughly 64.6% of the state’s population. The remaining 90% of the state’s geographical area comprises hills surrounding the valley, which are home to the recognized tribes, making up about 35.4% of the state’s population.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????The demand for a Kuki homeland, its history and rationale

EXPRESS NETWORK

Decision inconsequential to govt change…AMU has to be non-minority: Centre to SC

Syllabus:

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

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-As a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing petitions on the question of the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the BJP-led government at the Centre told the apex court that its decision to withdraw the challenge to the judgment of the Allahabad High Court in 2016 was “based upon Constitutional considerations alone” and the change of governments was “inconsequential”.

• What is the entire issue?

• When did the university’s minority character come under dispute?

• “In January 2006, the Allahabad High Court had struck down amendments made to the AMU Act by which the university was accorded the minority status”-Know in detail

• S Azeez Basha vs Union of India case of 1967-Know in detail

• For Your Information-In S Azeez Basha vs Union of India case of 1967, a five-judge Constitution bench of the apex court held that AMU was not entitled to minority education status as it “was neither established nor administered by the Muslim minority”. The apex court held that the university was brought into existence by the Central legislature and “not by the Muslim minority”.

The minority status was restored by an amendment to the AMU Act in 1981, but this was challenged before the Allahabad High Court, which struck down the changes in January 2006. On the change of stand, the Centre submitted that “the request for withdrawal is based on the original stand taken by the Union of India” and alleged that AMU was trying to give it a political colour.

• What is the ‘minority character’ of an educational institution?

• When and how was AMU set up?

• Do You Know- AMU’s origins can be traced back to the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MOA) College, established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1875 to help Muslims overcome educational backwardness and prepare for government services. MOA not only imparted Western education but also emphasised Islamic theology. Sir Syed also advocated for women’s education.

In 1920, the institution was conferred university status and all assets of MOA College were transferred to it. The long title to the AMU Act read: “An Act to incorporate a teaching and residential Muslim University at Aligarh.” The legal dispute over AMU’s minority status dates back to 1967 when the Supreme Court (in S. Azeez Basha and another versus Union of India), led by then Chief Justice of India KN Wanchoo, was reviewing changes made in 1951 and 1965 to the AMU Act of 1920. These amendments affected how the university was run. For instance, originally, the 1920 Act said that the Governor General of India would be the head of the University. But in 1951, they changed it to replace ‘Lord Rector’ with ‘Visitor,’ and this Visitor would be the President of India.

Further, a provision that said only Muslims could be part of the University Court was removed, allowing non-Muslims to join. Additionally, the amendments reduced the authority of the University Court and increased the powers of the Executive Council of AMU. As a result, the Court essentially became a body appointed by the ‘Visitor’.

These alterations in the AMU’s structure faced a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. The petitioners argued primarily on the grounds that Muslims established AMU and, therefore, had the right to manage it. It was while considering the challenge to these amendments that the top court held on October 20, 1967, that AMU was neither established nor administered by the Muslim minority.

The highest court determined that in 1920, Muslims could have set up a university, but that would not have guaranteed that the degrees from that university would be officially recognised by the Indian government. Hence, the court emphasised, AMU was established through a central Act to ensure the government’s recognition of its degrees. So while the Act may have been passed as a result of the efforts of the Muslim minority, it does not imply that the University, under the 1920 Act, was established by the Muslim minority, the SC ruled.

Additionally, according to the 1920 Act, the SC stated, the university was not solely operated by Muslims. Instead, its administration was entrusted to the Lord Rector and other statutory bodies. Even the University Court, which had only Muslim members, was elected by an electorate which was not exclusively Muslim, the Supreme Court noted.

• Why does the dispute persist?

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????The long-running legal dispute over the minority character of AMU

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

A LESS ABLEIST POLITICS

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

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.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-In the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, a chapter on political inclusion should be incorporated. This will align with the principles of Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of PwD

• “On December 21, the Election Commission of India released an advisory for political parties to follow disability-sensitive terminologies”-Know in detail

• The 11 guidelines can broadly be put into three categories-What are those?

• ‘Recent instances have underlined the need for these guidelines’-Can you recall some of them?

• Disabled population Statistics given by Census 2011-Know the Data

• Supreme Court on Ravinder Kumar Dhariwal and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors-Know the Key Points

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act)-Know the Key highlights

• Disable and Disability-Know these terms (Multidimensional approach like Social, Physical, Economical-try to connect the dots)

• What are the Constitutional Frameworks for Differently abled in India?

• Know the Government Programmes and initiatives for Disabled in India

• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations.

• Disability and Rehabilitation Services in India-What are the Issues and Challenges

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????Explained: How much of India’s population lives with disabilities?

THE IDEAS PAGE

A note to security planners

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-C. Uday Bhaskar Writes: Conflicts in the past two years, whether Ukraine-Russia or Hamas-Israel, illustrate the necessity of anticipating out-of-the-box security exigencies

• “History doesn’t repeat itself, but often rhymes”-Decode the quote

• What are the security challenges that India would have to prepare for in 2024?

• “The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 upended the long-held belief that in the post-Cold War era, major nations would not go to war”-Discuss

• ‘India enters 2024 with a complex set of security challenges, both on the external front and the LIC-IS (low-intensity conflict – internal security) domain’-What are all those?

• For Your Information-According to the Author, India’s overall security index will remain relatively parlous in 2024 due to a combination of factors that include electoral compulsions in the early part of the year where rhetoric may be removed from reality and the funding constraints that have hobbled the much-needed induction of platforms and modernisation of old inventory. It merits recall that after the Khanduri report was tabled in Parliament in March 2018, there has been no objective review of the status of India’s military preparedness. Rhetorical assertions are periodically made about the capability of the Indian military, but these are not borne out in the bean counting of tangible combat assets.

The more serious challenge is that institutionally, the Indian fauj is going through a radical re-wiring both at the apex, by way of the intent to move towards theatre commands, and at the bottom of the pyramid because of the pattern of recruitment. Appointing a retired three-star officer as the second CDS was a radical decision by the Narendra Modi government that has dented the apolitical nature of the armed forces. Its impact on the combat efficiency of the military and the higher defence management remains indeterminate at this stage. The more significant policy shift has been the introduction of the Agniveer scheme for young recruits — this has resurrected many of the misgivings that were earlier voiced after the excerpts of former army chief General M M Naravane’s memoir were made public. The impact on the Gorkha regiments could reduce the combat level of the army in the long run.

Perhaps the most difficult challenge for security planners worldwide will be to study the tea leaves of 2023, which are yet to settle, and arrive at an informed decision about further acquisitions of conventional platforms (tanks, aircraft carriers, fighter aircraft) and determine their efficacy/vulnerability in the emerging battlefield environment. This will be further modified with the gradual introduction of AI and related technologies. Security planners will have to factor in exigencies that go beyond traditional conflict scenarios, wherein states may be pitted against opaque non-state entities and their hidden support structures that could include market forces and shady corporate power brokers.

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????Strategy and foreign affairs for India in 2024: dealing with realities, looking at opportunities

THE WORLD

France gets its youngest, first openly gay PM

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.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Emmanuel Macron appointed 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal as his new prime minister on Tuesday, as the French President seeks to breathe new life into his second mandate ahead of European parliament elections, French media said.

• Who is Gabriel Attal?

• Why a new PM?

• What changes with Attal’s appointment?

• Is he the only gay Prime Minister?

• For Your Information-The appointment of a fresh face as the PM seems to be part of Marcon’s attempts to infuse new life into his government ahead of the European Union Parliament elections in June, where his ratings are trailing. Macron was re-elected as French President in 2022 and the going has not been great for him since — his government lost parliamentary majority the same year, and 2023 saw massive backlash against his pension plans at the beginning of the year and against immigration law changes at the end. Getting policies through parliament has been a major challenge for his government, bedevilling Borne’s 20-month tenure. The ruling coalition has been divided, most recently during the passing of the migration Bill, which the Left-leaning of Macron’s allies criticised strongly.

Attal held the education portfolio in Borne’s government. Suave and well-spoken, he has been polled the most popular minister in the outgoing government, according to AP. In many ways, his rapid rise mirrors that of Macron himself, who won his first term amid much adulation for his youth and seemingly clear and articulate vision.

In fact, Attal left the Socialist Party, which he had joined at the age of 17, in 2016 to back Macron’s presidential bid. According to a Politico profile, “he was elected to parliament in 2017 and joined the government a year later as secretary of state for the youth, becoming the youngest Cabinet member since the start of France’s Fifth Republic. He later served as government spokesperson, then budget minister, has been minister of education since July.”

As education minister, Attal was in the news for banning abayas (long, loose robes worn by Muslim girls), for pushing a proposal for mandatory uniforms in schools, and for efforts to stamp out bullying, something he says he has been a victim of. The young PM comes from an elite background, born to parents who worked in film production. His father, Yves Attal, was also a lawyer. Attal attended a private school, the École alsacienne, and then the Sciences Po university in Paris. His critics have pointed to his Parisian background and private school education to claim that he is out of touch with the reality of France’s provinces. May have also questioned what exactly his ideology is and what he stands for, apart from being young and charming. Among serving gay Prime Ministers in the world are Ana Brnabić of Serbia and Leo Varadkar of Ireland. Xavier Bettel, now the Deputy PM of Luxembourg, served as PM for two terms, stepping down last year.

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????WHO IS GABRIEL ATTAL, FRANCE’S NEW, 34-YR-OLD, FIRST OPENLY GAY PM?

EXPLAINED

India & giant radio telescope

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The new year ushered in the news that India had decided to formally join the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project, an international scientific collaboration working to build the world’s largest radio telescope.

• What is the square kilometre array project?

• The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)-know the features

• India and Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)-connect the dots

• What’s in it for India

• Do You Know-India had already been contributing to the project for the past several years, but the full member status, which offers greater scientific opportunities to use the upcoming facility, requires countries to sign and ratify an international treaty, and also make a financial commitment. India has approved Rs 1,250 crore for the project, which includes its funding contribution for the construction phase.

The decision to join SKA as a full member ensures India’s participation in yet another international mega science project in the most advanced areas of scientific research. India has already decided to build a gravitational wave detector to join the international LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) network, and is a full member of the ITER project, which is working to harness energy from nuclear fusion reactions. India also has a strong participation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator that is running some of the most exciting experiments in particle physics.

Though none of the SKA facilities would be located in India, there are immense science and technology gains for the country by participating in the project as a full member. In this regard, SKA offers opportunities similar to the LHC or the ITER, which too are located on foreign soil but have brought rich dividends to the Indian scientific community. Radio astronomy is something in which India already has highly developed capabilities. The Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune is one of the most advanced — and sought-after — facilities in the world, which has been producing remarkable scientific results. There are other similar facilities in Ooty, Nainital and Bengaluru. The SKA, which will become the most promising tool for research in the most pressing scientific questions in astronomy, offers the next logical step forward for Indian scientists working in this area.

A full member status would provide India preferential access to the SKA facilities. Most existing telescopes operate under an open-use policy which allows research groups from any country to get time on the facility through competitive bidding by making a scientific case. This is how the GMRT also works. But there is a growing argument that countries that contribute to building any large international project should have priority access to that facility. This is likely to be the case with the SKA. Member countries will get preferential allocation of time on the radio telescope, roughly in proportion to their contribution to the project, and only limited time slots would be available through competitive bidding.

There are technology benefits as well. The SKA would work on highest-end technologies, including electronics, software, materials science and computing. The intellectual properties generated by the project, though owned by the SKA Observatory, would be accessible to all the member countries. This can offer huge learning opportunities for scientists, academics and even private industry.

Participating in the project is also expected to result in expanding the science and technology base in this area, along with capacity building and training opportunities. The Indian participation in the project is being led by Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), but 22 institutions are collaborating on SKA-related activities in the country. These include not just leading research institutions and some IITs and IISERs, but also a couple of universities and colleges. A few private companies are also involved.

India has been involved in the SKA project right from its inception in the 1990s, and contributed to the design and development of the telescope as well as in negotiating the SKA Observatory Convention, the international treaty that established the facility as an intergovernmental organisation. The main contribution has come in the development, and operation, of the Telescope Manager, the ‘neural network’ or the software that will run the entire facility. There are plans to set up an SKA regional centre in the country that will be part of the global network to process and store data and make it available for the scientific community.

Indian scientists have identified several areas of research for which they want to use the SKA telescopes. These include studies relating to the evolution of the early universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, neutron star physics, and solar sciences. More than 150 scientists, researchers, and students from over 30 different Indian institutions, including a few private companies, have been participating in ongoing science activities related to the SKA.

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Why 2023 was the warmest year on record, and what happens now

Syllabus:

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

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

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-2023 was the warmest year since records began in 1850, beating the previous record of 2016, Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Tuesday. The announcement said temperatures in 2023 likely exceeded those of any year-long period in at least the last 100,000 years.

• “The year 2023 was the warmest year”-What are the reasons?

• Why was it so hot?

• What are the role of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in an environment?

• What is the meaning of ocean heat content?

• For Your Information-2023 marked the first time on record that every day within a year exceeded 1 degree Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial level. About 50% of days were more than 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than the 1850-1900 level — and two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2 degree Celsius warmer. This, however, does not mean that the planet has breached the 1.5 degree and 2 degree Celsius thresholds set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Those thresholds refer to long-term warming — which means global temperatures over a period of 20-30 years, on average, must not exceed 1.5 degree or 2 degree Celsius.

Global daily average sea surface temperature (SST) also went off the charts. Since mid-March 2023, the daily average SST has been the highest ever, according to Climate Reanalyzer, a website produced by the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, which provides visualisations of publicly available datasets and models. It led to marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the North Pacific, and much of the North Atlantic. Sea ice extent in Antarctica plummeted to a new low. In September, it reached an annual maximum 16.96 million sq. km, which was 1.03 million sq. km less than the previous record low set in 1986.

The main driver behind the extreme warming is the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, and water vapour trap the Sun’s energy in the Earth’s system before it escapes to space, causing warming. Since the industrial revolution, human activities like burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gases have released unprecedented levels of such gases. As a result, the planet has warmed rapidly, especially in recent decades.

In 2023, greenhouse gas concentrations reached the highest levels ever recorded in the atmosphere, according to C3S and the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). Carbon dioxide concentrations in 2023 were 2.4 parts per million (ppm) higher than in 2022; methane concentrations increased by 11 parts per billion (ppb). The onset of El Niño last year, after seven years, played a role. El Niño refers to an abnormal warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It increased the likelihood that temperature records would be broken, and there would be more extreme heat in many parts of the world and the ocean.

• “The world remains divided between the historically responsible and the contemporary accused who believe they are being asked to pay”-Analyse

• “The most important, and keenly awaited, outcome from the perspective of 1.5 degree Celsius target is an agreement on tripling of global renewable energy installed capacity by 2030”-Discuss

• What is the Kyoto Protocol?

• What were the key takeaways from the Kyoto Protocol?

• What is the Paris Agreement and its purpose?

• Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol-Know the difference

• What is ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’?

• Which agreement recognised ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’?

• What is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)?

• Why 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise is considered an important threshold?

• What could happen now?

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