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Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations, and Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: India and Indonesia signed pacts connected maritime security, health, accepted medicine, civilization and integer practice arsenic Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the visiting President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto Saturday. He is the Chief Guest astatine the Republic Day celebrations connected Sunday.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the past of India-Indonesia relations?
• What are the areas of practice and struggle betwixt India and Indonesia?
• What is India’s ‘Act East Policy’?
• What is the value of the Indo-Pacific for India?
• What is the “ASEAN Plus” policy?
• Read astir the Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
• Map work: Location of Indonesia (Refer Atlas)
Key Takeaways:
• Modi described Indonesia arsenic an “important partner” of India successful the 10-nation ASEAN bloc arsenic good arsenic successful the Indo-Pacific, noting that some countries are committed to a rules-based bid successful the region. He welcomed Indonesia successful the BRICS grouping, and said that the 2 countries enactment unneurotic successful G20 and ASEAN groupings.
• He besides said that some sides person decided to fortify practice successful the tract of maritime security, cyber security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation. He said that the 2 sides volition behaviour associated exercises by their respective catastrophe absorption teams.
• Subianto is seen to person made concessions connected the South China Sea contented successful September 2024. A China-Indonesia associated connection successful English agreed to jointly make “areas of overlapping claims”. This implied a displacement successful Indonesia’s erstwhile stance to 1 that recognised China’s nine-dash line. However, soon thereafter, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a connection successful Indonesian, clarifying that the associated connection does not connote Indonesia’s designation of the nine-dash line.
• Both sides besides agreed to cooperate connected Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Digital Public Infrastructure.
• The Indonesian President emphasised connected economical cooperation, and asked Indian investors and companies to travel and enactment successful the infrastructure improvement successful Indonesia.
Do You Know:
• India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership erstwhile Prime Minister Modi paid an authoritative sojourn to Indonesia successful 2018. During that visit, the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation successful the Indo-Pacific was besides adopted.
• Since the adoption of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ successful 1991, and its upgradation to ‘Act East’ successful 2014, determination has been a accelerated improvement of bilateral relations. Indonesia chaired the G20 Presidency successful 2022, followed by India successful 2023.
• Indonesia is 1 of India’s largest trading partners successful the ASEAN region, with bilateral commercialized successful 2023-24 reaching $29.40 billion. Indian investments successful Indonesia amounts to $1.56 cardinal successful infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and user goods sectors.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍From Sukarno to Prabowo Subianto: The improvement of India-Indonesia ties
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
How acold are India’s interior information challenges linked with borderline absorption peculiarly successful presumption of the agelong porous borders with astir countries of South Asia and Myanmar? (UPSC CSE 2013)
Osamu Suzuki, economist Debroy, ex-CJI Khehar connected database of Padma awardees
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Government policies
What’s the ongoing story: The precocious Suzuki Motor Corporation president Osamu Suzuki, who revolutionised India’s automotive industry, and erstwhile Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, who led the Supreme Court seat that outlawed triple talaq successful 2017, are among 7 individuals chosen for the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, this year.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Read astir the Indian Civilian Awards.
• What is the past of Padma Awards?
• What categories are included successful the Padma Awards?
• How are the Padma Awards ranked successful presumption of prestige?
• What is the superior nonsubjective of the Padma Awards?
• What are the eligibility criteria for receiving a Padma Award, and tin overseas nationals beryllium considered for these awards?
• Who is liable for selecting and approving the recipients of the Padma Awards?
Key Takeaways:
• The Centre besides announced the names of 19 Padma Bhushan awardees, including the precocious economist, writer and The Indian Express columnist Bibek Debroy; the precocious ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas; Sushil Modi, the precocious elder BJP person who served arsenic Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar; erstwhile Lok Sabha Speaker and Maharashtra Chief Minister, the precocious Manohar Joshi; and Indian hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, who helped the nationalist squad triumph an Olympic bronze medal astatine Tokyo 2020.
• The nationalist awards honour excellence crossed fields ranging from creation to subject to nationalist service. The Padma Vibhushan recognises exceptional service, the Padma Bhushan honours distinguished work of precocious order, and the Padma Shri — 113 recipients were announced connected Saturday — acknowledges distinguished work successful immoderate field.
• Of the 139 names announced, the highest fig of awardees were successful the class of arts (51), followed by lit and acquisition (26), commercialized and manufacture (10) and medicine (10). Twenty-three of the awardees are women, portion 10 are from the class of foreigners, NRI, PIO oregon OCI. Thirteen person been honoured posthumously.
• Apart from Suzuki and Khehar, different Padma Vibhushan awardees are people fable Sharda Sinha (posthumous), known for her repertoire successful Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Sanskrit and Hindi, gastroenterologist Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Malayalam writer Madath Thekkepat Vasudevan Nair, violin virtuoso L Subramaniam, and Kathak dancer Kumudini Lakhia.
Do You Know:
• Padma Awards, 1 of the highest civilian awards of the country, are conferred successful 3 categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
• The awards are fixed successful assorted disciplines and fields of activities – art, societal work, nationalist affairs, subject and engineering, commercialized and industry, medicine, lit and education, sports, civilian service, etc.
• Except for interruptions successful 1978, 1979 and betwixt 1993 and 1997, each twelvemonth the names of the recipients of Padma Awards are announced connected Republic Day eve and are conferred by the President of India astatine ceremonial functions which are held astatine Rashtrapati Bhawan usually successful March – April each year.
• The awardees bash not get immoderate currency reward but a certificate signed by the President isolated from a medallion which they tin deterioration astatine nationalist and authorities functions.
• While a Padma awardee tin beryllium fixed a higher grant (i.e. a Padma Shri awardee tin person a Padma Bhushan oregon Vibhushan), this tin lone hap aft 5 years of the conferment of the erstwhile award.
• Notably, each persons without favoritism of race, occupation, presumption oregon enactment are eligible for these awards. However, authorities servants including those moving with PSUs, but doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these awards.
• There is nary rigid criteria oregon trenchant look for selection, according to MHA. However, the beingness accomplishment of an idiosyncratic is among the main considerations.
• All nominations received for Padma awards are placed earlier the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister each year. The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and 4 to six eminent persons arsenic members. The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Knowledge nugget of the day: India’s Civilian Awards
📍Doctors, farmers among Padma recipients
📍Osamu Suzuki honoured with Padma Vibhushan; Ex-SBI main Arundhati Bhattacharya awarded Padma Shri
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
(1) Consider the pursuing statements successful respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards: (UPSC CSE 2021)
1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles nether the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2. Padma Awards, which were instituted successful the twelvemonth 1954, were suspended lone once.
3. The fig of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of 5 successful a peculiar year.
Which of the supra statements are not correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
A Supreme Court ruling that continues to guardrail escaped code successful India
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, important provisions and basal structure.
What’s the ongoing story: In the summertime of 1950, crossed Madras, copies of the play CrossRoads were softly pulled disconnected shelves — an nonfiction connected constabulary unit that killed 22 Communists successful a Salem situation was deemed excessively subversive by the State. The Madras authorities had invoked the Madras Maintenance of Public Order Act to prohibition the merchantability and organisation of the mag successful the state.
Key Points to Ponder:
• How does the Constitution support the close to state of code and expression?
• What are the restrictions connected close to state of code and expression?
• What was the value of the lawsuit Romesh Thapar v. State of Madras successful the discourse of escaped code successful India?
• What was the large legislative result of the Romesh Thapar judgment?
• Read astir the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Key Takeaways:
• The exertion of CrossRoads, Romesh Thapar, moved the Supreme Court, possibly bullish astir the caller Constitution that guaranteed a remedy for the enforcement of cardinal rights, including the close to state of code and expression.
• His religion successful the caller Republic and the ideals connected which the Constitution was framed wasn’t misplaced. On May 26, 1950, a afloat seat of the Supreme Court ruled successful his favour and Romesh Thapar v State of Madras became the archetypal landmark ruling protecting escaped code and limiting arbitrary usage of State power. It is, till today, a wide recognised precedent for extortion of a escaped property against State censorship. A important aftereffect of the ruling was the First Amendment to the Constitution that placed much limits connected escaped speech.
• Five of the six judges of the Supreme Court — who successful those days sat unneurotic for each lawsuit — held the Madras Maintenance of Public Order Act, nether which Thapar’s mag was banned, arsenic “wholly unconstitutional and void”. The tribunal said that unless a instrumentality was specifically conceived to code “security of the state”, a general, wide instrumentality could not obstruct escaped code connected specified grounds.
• The six-judge seat that delivered the ruling successful Romesh Thapar v State of Madras said, “So agelong arsenic the anticipation of its (the Madras law) being applied for purposes not sanctioned by the Constitution cannot beryllium ruled out, it indispensable beryllium held to beryllium wholly unconstitutional and void.” The court’s presumption was that portion a regularisation connected escaped code is constitutionally sanctioned connected the grounds that it impinges connected the “security of the state”, nationalist bid cannot beryllium construed arsenic a ‘security of the state’ issue.
Do You Know:
• Article 19 is portion of the Fundamental Rights (Part III) of the Indian Constitution. It guarantees state of code and look and is invoked against the state. Some cardinal rights, specified arsenic those prohibiting untouchability, trafficking, and bonded labour, are explicitly against some the authorities and different individuals.
• Protection of definite rights regarding state of code etc
(1) All citizens shall person the right
(a) to state of code and expression;
(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) to signifier associations oregon unions;
(d) to determination freely passim the territory of India;
(e) to reside and settee successful immoderate portion of the territory of India; and
(f) omitted
(g) to practise immoderate profession, oregon to transportation connected immoderate occupation, commercialized oregon business
• Note: Originally, Article 19 (1) (f) and nonfiction 31 contained the close to property, i.e. to acquire, clasp and dispose of spot taxable to the close of State to compulsory acquisition for nationalist purposes by authorization of law. However, close to spot ceased to beryllium a cardinal close erstwhile the Constitution (44th Amendment) Act, 1978 omitted sub-clause(f) of Article 19 (1) and Article 31 from the Constitution.
• Clause (2) of Article 19 of the Indian constitution imposes definite restrictions connected escaped code nether pursuing heads: Security of The State, Friendly Relations with Foreign States, Public Order, Decency and Morality, Contempt of Court, Defamation, Incitement To An Offence, and Sovereignty and Integrity of India.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍 UPSC Essentials | Issue astatine a glance: SC’s ruling connected Article 19
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
(2) ‘Right to Privacy’ is protected nether which Article of the Constitution of India? (UPSC CSE 2021)
(a) Article 15
(b) Article 19
(c) Article 21
(d) Article 29
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
Examine the scope of Fundamental Rights successful the airy of the latest judgement of the Supreme Court connected Right to Privacy. (UPSC CSE 2017)
THE WORLD
Trump asks OPEC to chopped lipid prices, says it volition halt Russia-Ukraine war
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: US President Donald Trump has asked the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to chopped the prices of oil, arguing that it would halt the Russia-Ukraine war.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)?
• What is the quality betwixt OPEC and OPEC+?
• How does OPEC+ power planetary lipid prices and geopolitics?
• Read astir the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
• How has the Russia-Ukraine warfare shaped planetary vigor dynamics?
• What is India’s dependence connected the planetary marketplace for crude oil?
• How bash fluctuations successful planetary lipid prices impact India’s system and vigor security?
• What is the interaction of US sanctions connected Russia’s lipid trade?
• What is India’s stance connected the Russia-Ukraine war?
Key Takeaways:
• He had made a akin assertion earlier, too. Addressing the yearly World Economic Forum astatine Davos successful Switzerland via video conference, Trump accused the OPEC+ confederation of oil-exporting countries of being liable for the astir three-year struggle successful Ukraine.
• The US president had earlier said Russian President Vladimir Putin “should marque a deal” with Ukraine portion asserting that they would conscionable arsenic soon arsenic they can.
• Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters connected Saturday that helium hopes Europe and the United States volition beryllium progressive successful immoderate talks astir ending his country’s warfare with Russia. At a associated property league with President Maia Sandu of neighbouring Moldova, Zelenskyy said Ukraine besides needed to beryllium progressive successful immoderate discussions connected ending the warfare for specified negotiations to person immoderate meaningful impact.
Do You Know:
• President Donald Trump is emphasizing that targeting Russia’s lipid gross is the champion mode to get Moscow to extremity its astir three-year warfare against Ukraine.
• Nearly a week since Donald Trump assumed bureau arsenic the 47th President of the US, and declared a nationalist vigor exigency portion promising to increase lipid production successful America, Brent crude lipid prices person softened by astir 3 per cent.
• Brent crude lipid prices were astatine $80.79 per tube connected January 17 (before Trump’s inauguration) but dropped to $78.26 a tube connected January 24.
• Analysts expect the inclination successful crude lipid prices to spell downwards going guardant connected anemic demand. For India, little crude prices are expected to beryllium a boon arsenic they volition trim lipid import costs, constrictive the existent relationship shortage and bring inflation down.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Easing crude lipid prices: What does it mean for India?
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
(3) In the discourse of planetary lipid prices, “Brent crude oil” is often referred to successful the news. What does this word imply? (UPSC CSE 2011)
1. It is simply a large classification of crude oil.
2. It is sourced from North Sea.
3. It does not incorporate sulphur.
Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
(4) The word ‘West Texas Intermediate’, sometimes recovered successful news, refers to a people of (UPSC CSE 2020)
(a) Crude oil
(b) Bullion
(c) Rare world elements
(d) Uranium
ECONOMY
New Pension Scheme notified for govt employees
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist value and economical development
Mains Examination: General Studies: II: Government policies and interventions
What’s the ongoing story: After giving a motion to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) successful August past year, the Finance Ministry connected precocious nighttime Friday notified the caller strategy arsenic an enactment nether the National Pension System (NPS) for the employees of the cardinal authorities who joined connected oregon aft January 1, 2004.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS)?
• What was the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)?
• What were the concerns regarding the Old Pension Scheme?
• What is the National Pension System (NPS)?
• What are the issues related to NPS?
• Read astir the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• What are the differences betwixt the Unified Pension Scheme, the National Pension System, and the Old Pension Scheme?
• What interaction mightiness the Unified Pension Scheme person connected the semipermanent fiscal sustainability of the Indian economy?
Key Takeaways:
• The caller optional pension strategy volition person an assured payout of Rs 10,000 for employees superannuating aft qualifying work of 10 years and “full assured payout” aft a minimum 25 years of qualifying service, the notification said.
• The UPS, which volition travel into effect from April 1, is expected to payment implicit 23 lakh cardinal authorities employees. The strategy volition spot a hike successful the government’s publication to 18.5 per cent of the combined sum of basal wage and dearness allowance from 14 per cent earlier, portion the stock of the worker volition beryllium the aforesaid astatine 10 per cent.
• Under the UPS, determination volition beryllium an assured payout astatine the complaint of 50 per cent of the mean basal wage of 12 months instantly anterior to superannuation. In lawsuit of lesser qualifying work period, determination volition beryllium proportionate payment.
• For cases of voluntary retirement, the UPS enactment volition beryllium disposable aft a minimum 25 years of qualifying work and assured payout volition commencement from the day connected which the worker would person superannuated, if he/she had continued successful service.
• There volition beryllium 2 funds nether the UPS: one, an idiosyncratic corpus with worker publication and matching cardinal authorities contribution; and two, a excavation corpus with further cardinal authorities contribution.
• The provisions of the UPS volition besides beryllium applicable, mutatis mutandis, to past retirees of NPS, who person superannuated earlier the operationalisation day of the UPS. Such superannuated employees volition beryllium paid arrears for the past play on with involvement arsenic per Public Provident Fund rates, the notification said.
• The UPS is expected to outgo astir Rs 6,250 crore successful the archetypal twelvemonth of its rollout on with other expenditure of Rs 800 crore towards arrears of already retired employees, arsenic per authorities estimates elaborate astatine the clip of the support of the scheme.
• Under the aged pension scheme, which was an unfunded, non-contributory scheme, authorities employees utilized to get defined benefits station status – 50 per cent of their past drawn wage arsenic monthly pension. Under the NPS, which covers employees who joined work station January 2004, contributions are defined but benefits beryllium connected the market.
Do You Know:
• The Union Cabinet past twelvemonth approved a caller Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for Central authorities employees which assures 50 per cent of the mean wage drawn implicit the past 12 months of their work arsenic pension.
• To beryllium effectual April 1, 2025, the UPS volition beryllium disposable to each those who person completed 25 years of work successful the government. Its different cardinal features see a household pension to the spouse adjacent to 60 per cent of an employee’s pension income aft death, a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 for those who person completed a minimum 10 years of service, inflation indexation to instrumentality attraction of terms emergence of goods and services, and a installation to retreat a lump sum magnitude astatine retirement.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
(5) Who among the pursuing tin articulation the National Pension System (NPS)? (UPSC CSE 2017)
(a) Resident Indian citizens only
(b) Persons of property from 21 to 55 only
(c) All State Government employees joining the services aft the day of notification by the respective State Governments
(d) All Central Government employees including those of Armed Forces joining the services connected oregon aft 1st April, 2004
OPINION
An important morning, earlier archetypal R-Day parade
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, important provisions and basic structure.
What’s the ongoing story: Shyamlal Yadav writes– “This twelvemonth marks 75 years since our Constitution, which was adopted connected November 26, 1949, came into effect connected January 26, 1950.”
Key Points to Ponder:
• Read astir the Indian Constituent assembly and its large committees.
• Why was January 26 chosen arsenic India’s Republic Day?
• What is the value of January 26, 1950, successful narration to India’s Constitution?
• What is the quality betwixt a republic and a democracy?
• Read astir the Constitution and constitutionalism?
• Read astir the Poorna Swaraj solution of 1929.
Key Takeaways:
• “Seventy-five years ago, connected January 26, 1950, the nation’s archetypal Republic Day parade was held successful the day astatine New Delhi’s Irwin Stadium (christened National Stadium successful 1951 and renamed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium successful 2002). Even arsenic that archetypal parade marked India’s modulation to a antiauthoritarian republic and celebrated the adoption of the Constitution, quiescent but important changes were brewing since that morning.”
• “One of the astir important shifts to instrumentality spot that time was the transportation of powerfulness from C Rajagopalachari, India’s past Governor-General to Independent India’s archetypal President.”
• “Administered the oath of bureau by India’s archetypal Chief Justice, Harilal Jekisundas Kania, the recently appointed President was fixed a nationalist salute, followed by the set playing the National Anthem erstwhile again and a 31-gun salute. The Governor-General’s emblem was lowered, and the President’s emblem hoisted successful its place. Moments later, Prasad administered the oath of bureau to Nehru and his Cabinet. The oath-taking was followed by a farewell for Rajgopalachari, which included a solution passed by the caller Cabinet.”
• “The festivities included a fly-past, comprising four-engine Liberators and dense bomber craft of the Royal Indian Air Force, implicit the stadium. Despite a prohibition connected enactment flying implicit towns and cities then, Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst, past the Chief of Air Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Indian Air Force, approved 1 anyhow successful presumption of the value of the event.”
• “Three subject awards recognising acts of bravery successful the beingness of the force were instituted and notified the aforesaid day: Param Vir Chakra (highest honour), Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra. Another award, the Ashok Chakra, was instituted for some the Armed Forces and civilians to recognise acts different than successful combat with the force (in maintaining instrumentality and order, for example).”
• “At the parade that day, Param Vir Chakras were awarded to Major Somnath Sharma (who had died successful the Battle of Budgam successful 1947) and Lance Naik Karam Singh (India’s archetypal surviving worker to beryllium awarded the honour for heroic deeds performed contempt 16 slug injuries successful Tithwal assemblage of Jammu and Kashmir during the 1948 struggle with Pakistan).”
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Why was January 26 chosen to beryllium India’s Republic Day?
📍Express View connected Republic Day
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
(6) What was the nonstop law presumption of India connected 26th January 1950? (UPSC CSE 2021)
(a) A Democratic Republic
(b) A Sovereign Democratic Republic
(c) A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
(d) A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
Discuss each adjective attached to the connection ‘Republic’ successful the ‘Preamble’. Are they defendable successful the contiguous circumstances? (UPSC CSE 2013)
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