Latest News
EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
Feb 04, 2022
RESEARCHERS SPOT DHOLES IN KYRGYZSTAN AFTER 3 DECADES
A new study has reported the presence of dholes or Asiatic wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) in the high mountains of Central Asia nearly 30 years after their presence was last recorded.
Chauri Chaura incident:
Deep Ocean Mission:
What is Pakistan's National Security Policy?
- The paper added that “there had been no confirmed reports (of dholes) in more than 30 years from the Russian Federation, Mongolia, Kazakhstan (formerly in the Altai and Tian Shan mountains), Kyrgyzstan (formerly in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains), Afghanistan (formerly in Pamir Mountains), Tajikistan (formerly in Pamir Mountains), or Uzbekistan (formerly in Tian Shan Mountains).”
- The dhole (pronounced "dole") is also known as the Asiatic wild dog, red dog, and whistling dog. It is about the size of a German shepherd but looks more like a long-legged fox.
- The animals have been discovered in the Bek-Tosot Conservancy in the Osh region of southern Kyrgyzstan, a few kilometers from the Tajik border. It lies in the Pamir Mountain range.
- This highly elusive and skilled jumper is classified with wolves, coyotes, jackals, and foxes in the taxonomic family Canidae.
- Dholes require more land for sustainable populations than other Asian mammals due to their complex social structure and dietary requirements.
- Habitat fragmentation and human activity may have contributed significantly to their decades-long disappearances from the aforementioned countries.
- They are mostly killed by tribes such as Kurumbas and Mon Khmer.
- Poisoning, snaring, shooting and clubbing at den sites are the methods used for their hunting.
- They have been included in Schedule 2 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- First dhole conservation breeding center had been sanctioned by Indian government in 2014 at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Vishakhapatnam.
- It has been protected in Russia since1974, in spite of being vulnerable.
- An Act to provide for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto with a view to ensuring the ecological and environmental security of the country.
- It is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- It prohibits hunting, poaching, etc. and keep animals under Schedule I, II, III and IV on the basis of requirements of protection.
- It prohibits cutting and uprooting specified plants and trees under schedule V.
- The Central Government can constitute any area as a Sanctuary, provided the area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance under this act.
Chauri Chaura incident:
- The historical Chauri Chaura incident occurred in Chauri Chaura town of Gorakhpur district of the United Province (Uttar Pradesh) in British India on 4th February 1922.
- A large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation Movement, clashed with police, who opened fire.
- In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants. The incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 23 policemen.
- Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the Non – cooperation Movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.
- 3 civilians and 22 policemen died in this incident.
- British colonial authorities declared martial law around this region.
- There was halt on the countrywide movement against British authorities i.e., Non-Cooperation Movement.
- It makes the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi unsuccessful in acquiring independence.
- It was an unsuccessful attempt in 1920–22, organized by Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, to induce the British government of India to grant self-government, or swaraj, to India.
- It was one of Gandhi’s first organized acts of large-scale civil disobedience (satyagraha).
- The movement arose from the widespread outcry in India over the massacre at Amritsar in April 1919, when the British-led troops killed several hundred Indians.
- Gandhi strengthened the movement by supporting (on nonviolent terms) the contemporaneous Muslim campaign against the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.
- It consists of Indians resigning their titles; boycotting government educational institutions, the courts, government service, foreign goods, and elections; and, eventually, refusing to pay taxes.
- It was first time the showcasing of Hindu- Muslim unity at a big scale.
- The movement marked the transition of Indian nationalism from a middle-class to a mass basis.
Deep Ocean Mission:
- The mission covers development of technologies for deep sea mining, a manned submersible, development of ocean climate change advisory services, development of technology for exploration, conservation of deep-sea biodiversity and deep ocean survey and setting up of a marine station for ocean biology.
- It will be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government of India.
- The technology and expertise needed in such missions is now available with only five countries - US, Russia, France, Japan and China. India will now be the sixth country to have it.
- The exploration studies of minerals will pave the way for commercial exploitation in the near future, as and when commercial exploitation code is evolved by the International Seabed Authority, an United Nations (UN) organisation.
- Oceans, which cover 70% of the globe, remain a key part of our life. About 95% of the Deep Ocean remains unexplored.
- Three sides of India are surrounded by the oceans and around 30% of the country's population living in coastal areas, the ocean is a major economic factor supporting fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods and blue trade.
- Oceans are also a storehouse of food, energy, minerals, medicines, modulator of weather and climate and underpin life on Earth.
- The exploration studies of minerals will pave the way for commercial exploitation in the near future, as and when commercial exploitation code is evolved by the ISA.
- It is envisaged that 10 per cent of recovery of that large reserve can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years.
- Disruption of ecological balance. The deep ocean is home to unique species that have adapted themselves to conditions such as less oxygen, poor or no sunlight, high pressure and extremely low temperatures.
- Threats of oil and chemical spills from the vessels operating at the site and also the water, sound and light pollution hamper the natural life of the deep-sea fauna.
- Since the biodiversity of the deep sea remains partially or completely unknown and very less understood, it is difficult to carry out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and frame appropriate guidelines.
- There have been concerns regarding the sediment plumes that will be generated as the suspended particles can rise to the surface harming the filter feeders in the upper ocean layers.
- Mr.Putin claims Western powers are using the NATO defence alliance to undermine Russia.
- The two countries said they were "seriously concerned" about the Aukus security pact between the US, UK and Australia.
- NATO is a military alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and France. At present, there are 27 European countries, 2 North American countries, and 1 Eurasian country. Its headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.
- Its aim was originally to counter the threat of post-war Russian expansion in Europe. In 1955 Soviet Russia responded to NATO by creating its own military alliance of Eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.
- NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
- A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus.
- Aukus will see Australia build nuclear-powered submarines as part of efforts to boost security in the Asia-Pacific region. It is largely seen as an effort to counter China, which has been accused of raising tensions in disputed territories such as the South China Sea.
- Russia has long been a key supplier of oil, gas and coal for China’s massive economy, now the world’s second largest, along with food and other raw materials.
- Putin and Xi accused NATO and the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy of building closer military ties with other countries in Asia as destabilizing and threatening regional security.
- Economic and diplomatic cooperation has expanded into the military field in recent years, as Russia and China have held a series of joint war games, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.
- The two economies naturally complement each other. Russia has a huge endowment of natural resources, but needs technology and capital. China is, in many ways, the opposite, which means there is a potential to explore these synergies.
- Its origin has been traced back as far as the 1990s using genetic sequence analysis.
- This is the main group of HIV-1 that triggered the HIV pandemic worldwide in 1981. The virus itself first emerged in 1920 in Kinshasa (then Leopoldville), Belgian Congo.
- The strain’s high virulence is calculated based on viral load and CD4 counts — “the concentration of CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood, which tracks immune system damage by the virus”.
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).
- There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life.
- But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.
- HIV infection in humans came from a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa.
- When people with HIV don’t get treatment, they typically progress through three stages.
-
- Stage 1: Acute HIV Infection. People have a large amount of HIV in their blood. They are very contagious.
- Stage 2: Chronic HIV Infection also called asymptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency.
- Stage 3: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the most severe phase of HIV infection.
- If having unprotected sex;
- If having another sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and bacterial vaginosis;
- If sharing contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment and drug solutions when injecting drugs;
- If receiving unsafe injections, blood transfusions and tissue transplantation, and medical procedures that involve unsterile cutting or piercing; and
- If experiencing accidental needle stick injuries, including among health workers.
- To reduce your risk of HIV, use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
- Do not inject drugs. If you do, use only sterile injection equipment and water, and never share your equipment with others.
- If you do not have HIV but are at risk of getting HIV, talk to your health care provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP involves taking a specific HIV medicine every day to reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.
- There should be awareness campaign so that people support the people suffering with HIV.
- Inclusive government policies must be implemented to address the issue related to stigma attached to sex workers.
- The prospect of furthering cooperation between India, Australia and Indonesia within a trilateral framework is premised on their shared interest in establishing a stable and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific Region.
- In recent years, this has become increasingly crucial for the prosperity and security of the nations.
- To this end, the three countries must find a convergence of strategic interests, with their respective sizes and strategic resources complementing one another.
- Through trilateral trade and investment, the growth of one can serve as a tailwind for others; at the same time, the security and economic conditions of one will also likely impact the others.
- Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said that there have been number of instances in the past when private member bills to amend the Preamble to the Constitution have been introduced in both the Houses of Parliament and its legislative competence is decided by Council and not the Chair.
- Preamble is part of the Constitution and as per Article 368 of the Constitution, Parliament may, in exercise of its constituent power, amend by way of addition, variation or repeal any provision of the Constitution and a Bill for the purpose can be introduced in either House of the Parliament.
- China and Pakistan have signed a new agreement on industrial cooperation as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s on-going visit to Beijing.
- The industrial cooperation agreement is a key part of what is being called “phase two” of CPEC.
- The first phase primarily involved Chinese investments in energy projects as well as road infrastructure.
- The agreement between Pakistan’s Board of Investment and the NDRC is aimed at boosting Chinese investment in Pakistan as well as transferring Chinese industrial capacity.
- While questions pertaining to the legality and opacity of the Electoral Bond scheme still persist, the 19th round of sale of electoral bonds from January 1-10 – a month before the start of assembly elections in five states – has secured the second-highest amount of donations recorded in any phase.
- The sale of electoral bonds worth over Rs 1,213 crore recorded in January 2022 is second only to the Rs 2,256 crore garnered through the sale of electoral bonds in the ninth phase of sale from April 1 to 20, 2019 – ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
- As per the data provided by SBI, the sale of electoral bonds during the 19th phase took place at 12 branches.
What is Pakistan's National Security Policy?
- It is first such policy document with guidelines for achieving the set national security goals.
- The document has been prepared by National Security Division (NSD).
- It envisions Pakistan safeguarding its sovereignty by “ensuring national cohesion and harmony, preserving territorial integrity, enhancing economic independence and ensuring the writ of the state.”
- The document is meant for five years, starting from 2022, and is supposed to be updated by NSD in demanding circumstances that have implications for Pakistan’s security.
- The NSP is divided into eight sections. Placing economic security at the core, it seeks to identify some national security objectives and priority areas where it wants Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to invest resources in coming years.
- The document talks about the conventional military threats, maritime competition, deterrence in the South Asian region, space and cyber security issues.
- Expressing concerns over the alleged ceasefire violations by India, the document wants Pakistan to shift attention towards the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.
- The expansion of India’s triad and investment in modern technologies is seen as something that disturbs the regional balance.
- The document sees the prospects of violent conflict growing with the increase in what it calls “regressive and dangerous ideology” in Pakistan’s immediate neighbourhood.
- It calls for a renewed focus on strengthening Pakistan’s capabilities including the deterrence regime and an astute investment for modernisation of armed forces.
- Pakistan resorted to the policy of bleeding India with ‘thousand cuts’ through sub-conventional warfare.
- Pakistani military’s active support to separatist insurgencies in J&K and Punjab in the 1980s and activities of anti-India terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) subsequently fostered ‘jihad under the nuclear umbrella.’
- The two countries disagree over use of the water flowing down rivers that rise in Indian Kashmir and run into the Indus river basin in Pakistan.
- Pakistan has amped up activities against India in another domain—cyberspace, as evident from the recently scaled-up cyberattacks against Indian computer networks and the propaganda drive on social media platforms.
- Launching penetrating malware attacks like ‘ReverseRat 2.0’, which target government officials and computer networks to steal confidential data and disrupt the functioning of critical infrastructure services.
- Pakistan's economy is currently in the doldrums, its GDP growth fell from 5.6% to -0.4% and experiencing trade ban with India. It has also been stuck in the debt trap of China.
- To ensure that Pakistan remains on its toes and deterred by Indian actions, India will need to make sure that Pakistan doesn’t evade accountability on terrorist financing.
- India needs to strengthen the resilience of its critical infrastructure and prepare for potential China-Pakistan collaboration in cyberspace.
- The document calls for the promotion of undefined “inclusive national discourse” and bats for the preservation of the Islamic character as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
- Pakistan’s geo-economic transition can’t succeed without a fundamental shift in its India policy. Hence, with the new NSP, India can focus on closer economic ties with Pakistan.
- India and Pakistan can re-open the two-way trade traffic and expand ready-made border customs infrastructure — the Wagah border.
POSTED ON 04-02-2022 BY ADMIN
Next previous 
General Studies
Political Science and International Relations
Some Reference Essays
List of previous year essay topics (1997-2019)
IAS GOOGLE is googled by the team of Raja Sir’s Cracking IAS Academy. Sources include The Hindu, Indian Express, pib.nic.in, Down To Earth, Economic Times, Vigyan Prasar, AIR and the like. IAS GOOGLE has been prepared in pace with emerging UPSC Trends.