28-07-2020

28-JULY-2020
ANAL YS I S

The Hindu News Analysis – 28th July 2020 – Shankar IAS Academy
Page Number*
S.
News Articles
No.
C B D H T

1 Needed, a map for India’s foreign policy (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

2 In reverse gear (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

3 MPs oppose exemptions under data protection law 9 9 9 9 9

4 PM-CARES funds cannot go to NDRF 10 10 10 10 10

5 Conservationists elated as tiger numbers up 8 8 8 8 8

6 SC urged to withdraw action against Bhushan 11 11 11 11 11

7 Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video
8 Mains Scholarship Test 2020 – Day 2 – Mains Question
*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
• Current events of national and international
importance.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations.
• India and its neighborhood- relations.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and
agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and
developing countries on India’s interests, Indian
Pg – 6 – C , B , D , H , T diaspora.

India’s global standing

Past Present Why or How India’s foreign policy

The de facto leader of the Out of context after Uri attack. suffered a major setback?
SAARC
historical and cultural ties with Nepal has turned hostile and 1. A closer alignment of policy with the
Nepal adopted a new map and revived U.S.,
border disputes with India
traditional goodwill and influence Sri Lanka has tilted towards 2. coupling of foreign policy with
in both Sri Lanka China; domestic politics and
and Bangladesh. Bangladesh, a traditional partner
is clearly not happy with the
3. Hubris or misplaced confidence.
Citizenship (Amendment) Act,
2019.
Afghanistan, India had made India is not included as a party
significant investments and to demilitarising process in
cultivated vibrant ties Afghanistan
committed to multilateralism and Iran has dropped engaging India
the Central Asian connectivity citing funding delay.
project, with Iran as its gateway
Peaceful border with China China has changed the status quo
along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC)

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A closer alignment of policy with the U.S Coupling of foreign policy with domestic
politics
• India’s official policy - committed to
multilateralism. • Passing of the CAA and second the abrogation

• India maintained that strategic autonomy would of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

remain the bedrock of its policy thinking. • CAA and NRC has dented India’s relations with
its Muslim majority neighbours - regionalisation
• there has been a steady erosion in India’s
strategic autonomy. of the domestic problems of the countries in
India’s neighbourhood.
• To counter China, India started moving closer
to the United States and steadily aligned its • Abrogation of Art 370 and bifurcation of J&K.

foreign policy with U.S. interests. This has led to prolonged curfews and
suspension of fundamental rights in the Kashmir
• Close relations of India with US is one of the
Valley – a reason for China’s aggression
main reasons behind escalated tensions between
India and China.

Hubris or misplaced confidence

• misplaced confidence is not good for rising

powers like India

• Examples: Soviet Union and China

Conclusion

• India has to reconsider its foreign policy

trajectory.

• India is a big power with one of the world’s

biggest militaries and a natural naval force in
the Indian Ocean.

• It does not lack resources to claim what is its

due in global politics, what it lacks is strategic
depth in its foreign policy.

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Pg – 6 – C , B , D , H , T

Part A—Preliminary Examination Part B—Main Examination

Paper I - (200 marks) PAPER-III
• Current events of national and international General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
importance. Social Justice and International relations.
• Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political • Government policies and interventions for development
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, in various sectors and issues arising out of their design
etc. and implementation.
• Economic and Social Development-Sustainable PAPER-IV
Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, • General Studies-III: Technology, Economic
Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security
• General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio- and Disaster Management
diversity and Climate Change - that do not require • Conservation, environmental pollution and
subject specialization. degradation, environmental impact assessment.

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• The draft Environment Impact Assessment Concerns about the draft EIA
(EIA) Notification, 2020 is out for public
• Reduces the period of public hearing including
opinion- intends to replace the EIA notification submission of proceedings of public hearing from
2006. 45 to 40 days and the minimum notice period for
• Objective of EIA - foresee the potential the public to submit their responses is also
environmental and livelihood impacts of a reduced from 30 to 20 days.
project at an early stage of project planning  It reduces the time of public scrutiny of a
and design. project.
 Ensures sustainable development by • Section 26: Exception of certain projects from
balancing both economic and environmental prior environmental clearance or permission
growth.
 Includes projects such as coal and non-coal
mineral prospecting, seismic surveys for
exploration of offshore and onshore oil and
gas including coal bed methane and shale gas
on some lands.

• Section 14: Public consultation • Post facto regularisation of environment

 Gives a list of projects exempted from violations.

public consultation.  If a project operates in an area without

getting prior environmental clearance, it
 Include modernization of several irrigation
could be regularized in the future.
projects, all projects concerning national
defence and security or projects involving  will lead to institutionalisation of violation.

strategic considerations as determined by  Militates against the cardinal principle of

the Centre etc. prior environment clearance.

• Draft retains a contentious clause from the 2006 • Increase in the validity of the environment

EIA. clearances to 50 years for mining projects as

against 30 years in the current law.
 If the public agency/authority feels that
 Validity for river valley projects is
owing to the local situation, it is not
increased to 15 years from 10 years.
possible to conduct the public hearing, then
the public consultation in the case need not  Mining in forest areas and river valley

include the public hearing. projects, if not managed well, can cause in
irreversible environmental, social and health
 Compromises public scrutiny and transparency. damages.

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Part A—Preliminary Examination • Important aspects of governance, transparency and

Paper I - (200 marks) accountability, e-governance- applications, models,
successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters,
• Current events of national and international
transparency & accountability and institutional and other
importance.
measures.
• Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political
PAPER-IV
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues,
etc. General Studies-III: Technology, Economic
Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Part B—Main Examination
Disaster Management
PAPER-III
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers,
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues
Social Justice and International relations.
relating to intellectual property rights.
• Government policies and interventions for development
• Challenges to internal security through communication
in various sectors and issues arising out of their design
networks, role of media and social networking sites in
and implementation.
internal security challenges, basics of cyber security;
money-laundering and its prevention.

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News

• About the opposition faced by the Personal • Seeks to establish a Data Protection Authority
Data Protection Bill, 2019 from some MPs. of India.

Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019: • Provides the data principal rights with respect
to their personal data including
• Introduced to provide protection of the
privacy of individuals relating to their personal  Seeking confirmation on whether their
data. personal data has been processed.

• Seeks to specify the flow and usage of  Seeking correction and completion or erasure
personal data and also protect the rights of of their data.
individuals whose personal data are processed.  Restricting continuing disclosure of their
• Provides remedies for unauthorised and harmful personal data, if it is no longer necessary
processing of personal data. or if consent is withdrawn.

Exemptions to Processing of personal data from

the provisions of the bill:

• Section 35: • Personal data of individuals can be processed

 The government can “by order” exempt any without their consent in certain circumstances
of its agencies from the provisions of this
 The State processing personal data for
data protection act in the interest of
providing benefits to the individual,
security of state, public order, sovereignty
and integrity of India, and friendly relations  For legal proceedings,
with foreign states.
 To respond to a medical emergency.
• Section 36:

 Processing of personal data is exempted

from provisions of the Bill for certain other
purposes including

 Prevention, investigation, or prosecution

of any offence,

 Research and journalistic purposes.

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News

• Government’s response in Supreme court on PM

CARES Fund:

 It is a “public charitable trust” to which

“anyone can contribute”.

 Contributions received by a public trust

like PM-CARES cannot be transferred to a
statutory fund like the National Disaster
Relief Fund (NDRF).

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National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in
Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)
• A statutory financial mechanism set up under
• It is a public ‘charitable trust’.
the Disaster Management Act 2005
• A dedicated national fund - primary objective of
• To meet the rescue and relief expenditure dealing with any kind of emergency or distress
during any notified disaster. situation.
• Mainly funded through budgetary sources, any • Lacks a statutory backing.
grants that made by any person or • The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of
institution and the National Calamity the PM CARES Fund, Minister of Defence, Minister
Contingency Duty (NCCD) imposed on some of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance are ex-
specified goods like tobacco, tobacco officio Trustees of the Fund.
products, petroleum products etc. • Fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from
• Primarily not meant for preparedness and individuals/organizations - 100% exemption under the
mitigation of disasters. Income Tax Act, 1961.
• Spent on relief or assistance of any kind of public
• Accounts of NDRF are audited by the CAG.
health emergency or any other kind of emergency.
• Not to be audited by CAG as of now.
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News: Remarkable rise in the number of tigers in

the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve
(NSTR).

 Due to the persistent efforts through the

local community, intense patrolling and
conservation methods.

Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve

(NSTR)

• Largest TR in India, spread over several

districts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

• Total area: 3,568 sq km, with a core area of

more than 2595 sq kms.

• Declared officially in 1978 and has been

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recognized by the Project Tiger in 1983.

• Renamed as the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
in 1992.
• Established in 1982 with Dehradun, in
• Situated in the deciduous Nallamala forests, part Uttarakhand as its headquarters.
of the Eastern Ghats.
• Became an autonomous organisation of the
• River Krishna, flows across the tiger reserve. MoEF&CC since 1986.

Conservation status of Tiger • Maily offers training program, academic courses

and advisory in wildlife research and
• ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN (International Union
management.
for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
• Mission: To nurture the development of wildlife
• Appendix I of CITES (Convention on
science and promote its application in
International Trade in Endangered Species of
conservation, in consonance with our cultural
Wild Fauna and Flora).
and socio-economic milieu.
• Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• A statutory body under the provisions of the

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Purpose: To strengthen the tiger conservation in

India.

• It coordinates the ‘Project Tiger’- a Centrally

Sponsored Scheme of MOEFCC.

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Pg – 11 – C , B , D , H , T
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• Definition of Contempt of
Court,

• Brief background of what

happened,

• Whether contempt of
court is still relevant or
required,

• Law Commission’s opinion

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Practice Question – Prelims

Practice Question – Prelims Q2.Consider the following statements with
reference to personal data protection:
Q1.Consider the following pairs:
1. ‘Data protection’ is listed in the concurrent
Tiger Reserve State list of the 7th schedule of the Indian
1. Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tamilnadu Constitution.

2. Kamlang Tripura 2. The committee of expert on data

protection, to study various issues relating
3. Indravati Chhattisgarh to personal data protection is chaired by
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly Shri. Kris Gopalakrishnan.
matched? Which of the statements given above is/are
(a) 1 only correct?
(b) 1 and 2 only (a) 1 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (b) 2 only
(d) 3 only (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
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Practice Question – Prelims

Q3.Consider the following statements regarding
PM CARES Fund:
1. It is a statutory fund which is funded Practice Question – Prelims
through voluntary contributions from
individuals/organizations. 28-07-2020
2. The fund will be used for meeting the Answers
expenses of disaster response, relief and Q1. Option – d
also for mitigation purposes.
Q2. Option – d
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct? Q3. Option – b
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
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