Current Affairs – 15th Feb 2024
Articles Covered:
- China moves its nationals into its vacant ‘defence villages’ along LAC
- Supreme Court strikes down electoral bond scheme. Here are opinions of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justice Sanjiv Khanna
- N. House passes resolutions against delimitation and ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal
- GSLV-F14 carrying INSAT-3DS satellite to lift off at 5.35 pm on February 17: ISRO
- Union Education minister inaugurates national conference on ‘APAAR- One Nation One Student ID Card’
China moves its nationals into its vacant ‘defence villages’ along LAC
Villages a concern for Army; unclear whether residents civilian or military
Chinese nationals have started occupying several of their model “Xiaokang” border defence villages across India’s north-eastern borders which the country has been building along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2019
Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- The LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.
- It is divided into three sectors:the eastern sector which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the middle sector in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the western sector in Ladakh.
- Indiaconsiders the LAC to be 3,488 km long, while the Chinese consider it to be only around 2,000 km.
- India’s claim lineis the line seen in the official boundary marked on the maps as released by the Survey of India, including both Aksai Chin and Gilgit-Baltistan. This means LAC is not the claim line for India.
- In China’s case, LAC is the claim line except in the eastern sector, where it claims the entire Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet.
Disagreement over the LAC:
- The major disagreementsare in the western sector where the LAC emerged from two letters written by Chinese PM Zhou Enlai to PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1959, after he had first mentioned such a ‘line’ in 1956.
- After the 1962 War, the Chinese claimed they had withdrawn to 20 km behind the LAC of 1959, which coincides with the so-called McMahon Linein the eastern sector.
India’s Response to China’s Designation of the LAC:
- India rejected the concept of LAC in both 1959 and 1962, as it is the line China has created.
- The Chinese line was a disconnected series of points on a map that could be joined up in many ways.
- The line should omit gains from aggression in 1962 and therefore should be based on the actual position on September 8, 1962 before the Chinese attack.
- This vaguenessof the Chinese definition left it open for China to continue its creeping attempt to change facts on the ground by military force.
- During the Doklam crisis in 2017, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged India to abide by the “1959 LAC”.
Claim Lines Controversial in Ladakh
- Aksai Chin in Ladakh provinceof the princely state of J&K was not part of British India, although it was a part of the British Empire.
- Thus, the eastern boundary was well defined in 1914 (when the Shimla Agreementon the McMahon Line was signed by British India) but in the west in Ladakh, it was not.
Current Arrangement to Reconcile Differences over LAC:
- India formally acceptedthe concept of the LAC when the Indian PM paid a return visit to Beijing in 1993 (after Chinese Premier Li Peng’s 1991 visit to India).
- The two sides signed the Agreement to Maintain Peace and Tranquility at the LAC.
- The reference to the LAC was unable to make it clearthat it was referring to the LAC at the time the agreement was signed, not the LAC of 1959 or 1962.
- To reconcile the differences about some areas, the two countries agreed that the Joint Working Group on the border issue would take up the task of clarifying the alignment of the LAC.
The Plans for Expeditious De-escalation along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh:
- The extent of disengagement and where on the LAC it will take place is not immediately clear.
- However, various modalities have been prepared for possible limited disengagement in phases.
- For example, since 2020, Corps Commanders of India and Chinahave been discussing resolution of the flashpoints along the LAC.
- The talks led to some forward movement with both sides deciding to pull back troops and dismantle temporary structures from the Galwan Valley.
- Disengagement in most of these areas led to the creation of buffer zones– this stops troops of both sides from accessing areas which they patrolled earlier.
Legacy Issues that Need to be Resolved:
- Other than these friction points, the legacy issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok– which predate the 2020 incursions by the Chinese PLA – continue to fester.
- The Depsang Plainsare located close to the strategically important Daulat Beg Oldie. The Depsang Plains issue began in 2013 when China carried out an 18-km incursion in the area.
- Despite the two countries agreeing then to go back from their positions, the PLA troops did not vacate the area completely.
- In Demchok, which is in the southern part of eastern Ladakh, the problem is mainly at the ChardingNinglung Nullah (CNN) junction.
- In multiple instances, the PLA also stopped Indian graziers at the Saddle Pass at the CNN junction, well within India’s perception of the LAC.
Supreme Court strikes down electoral bond scheme. Here are opinions of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justice Sanjiv Khanna
The Judges of the Supreme Court issued the following ruling about the Electoral bond scheme:
- Violates Fundamental Rights:The court held that the scheme violates the fundamental right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.It violates the right to information and said that the information on political funding is essential.
- Violates free and fair election:An unlimited corporate funding violates the principle of free and fair election in the country.The court also held that political funding can impact fair policy making and thus lack of disclosures about corporate funding is unconstitutional.
The court also asked the State Bank of India (SBI) to stop the issue of electoral bonds and furnish all details of those who have encashed the bonds so far.
Electoral Bonds:
- The electoral bond scheme was launchedby the Union government in 2018.
- What is it?It is a bearer instrument, like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India.
- The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political partyof his/her choice.
- The bonds are similar to bank notes that are payable to the bearer on demandand are free of interest.
- An individual or party is allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or through cheque.
Working:
- EBs are issued/purchased for any value, in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1,00,000, Rs 10,00,000 and Rs 1,00,00,000.
- The electoral bonds are available for purchase for 10 days at the beginning of every quarter.
- SBI is the only bank authorized to sell these bonds.
- Anonymous cash donations were capped at Rs 2,000.
- EBs have a life of only 15 days during which it can be used for making donations to political parties.
- Eligibility: Only political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of thePeople Act, 1951 and which secured not less than 1% of votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, are eligible to receive electoral bonds.
- The bond can be encashed by an eligible political party only through a designated bank account with the authorized bank.
- The political parties have to disclose the amount to the Election Commission.
- The electoral bonds will not bear the name of the donor.
T.N. House passes resolutions against delimitation and ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal
The CM said the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy was impractical and went against the principle of free and fair elections enshrined in the Constitution
- The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, ‘unanimously’ adopted two resolutions against the Union government’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal and the proposed delimitation after 2026.
- The resolution against the proposed delimitation process by Union Government read: “This august House urged the Union Government that the delimitation process to be carried out after 2026 on the basis of the census should not be carried out. Due to unavoidable reasons, if the number of seats on the basis of population were to increase, it shall be maintained at the present ratio of the constituencies between the States in the State Assemblies and both Houses of Parliament fixed based on the population of 1971.”
Central Idea behind One Nation, One Election
- The central idea behind One Nation, One Election is to synchronize the timing of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all States to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country.
- This concept was the practice till 1967, but it was disrupted due to various reasons such as defections, dismissals, and dissolutions of government.
- The cycle was first broken in 1959after the Centre invoked article 356 to dismiss the then-Kerala government.
- Subsequently, due to defections and counter-defections between parties, several Legislative Assemblies dissolved post-1960, which eventually led to separate polls for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
- Currently, the assembly polls in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are held together with the Lok Sabha elections.
The idea of conducting simultaneous elections was advocated in 1999 by the LAW COMMISSION headed by BP Jeevan Reddy.
Benefits of having One Nation, One Election
- Focused Governance: It enables the government to concentrate on governance once the elections are over. Today, there is some election or the other in some part of the country, at least every three months. The entire attention of the country becomes focused on these elections. From the Prime Minister to Union ministers, from chief ministers to ministers to MPs, MLAs and panchayat members — everyone gets deeply involved with these elections, as nobody wants to lose.
- There is a virtual paralysis of administration at various levels in varying degrees. This reflects very badly on India’s growth prospects.
- Continuity in Policy Decisions: The MCC comes to play just after the elections are announced by the EC. No new policy decisions are taken during elections due to the MCC. Therefore, key policy decisions get delayed both at the Centre and in the states and local bodies.
- Even when no fresh policy decision is necessary, implementation of ongoing projects gets derailed during election periods as the political executive as well as government officials would be engaged with election duties, neglecting routine administration.
- Reduced Cost of Elections: One of the main reasons for political corruption is frequent elections. An enormous amount of money has to be raised at every election. Election expenses of political parties can be reduced drastically if elections are held simultaneously. There would be no duplication of fundraising. This would save the public and business community from a lot of pressure for election donations, multiple times.
- According to a report, during 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Rs 60, 000 Crores were spent.
- Furthermore, the expenses incurred by the EC can be reduced if elections are held simultaneously.
- Of course, the EC would have to invest a considerable amount of money initially to put in place the necessary infrastructure.
- Moreover, the same ELECTORAL ROLLS can be used for all the elections. This will save a tremendous amount of time and money spent in updating electoral rolls.
- It will also make it easier for the citizens as they would not have to worry about their names missing from electoral rolls once they are enlisted.
- Reduced Deployment of Security Forces: A large number of police personnel and paramilitary forces are engaged to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully. This involves massive redeployment, involving huge costs. It also diverts key law enforcement personnel from their critical functions. Such deployment can be curtailed with simultaneous elections.
- End of Horse Trading: Holding elections at specific periods could potentially reduce HORSE TRADING by elected representatives, which remains a concern even with ANTI-DEFECTION LAW in place. Holding elections at fixed intervals can make it harder for them to switch parties or form alliances for personal gains.
- Reduced Freebies and Improved State Finances: Frequent elections lead to governments taking policy decisions to woo the electorate at every election. Even though this cannot be stopped fully, the frequency with which governments have to announce freebies will come down. Frequent elections have led to a situation where many state governments are broke. With a smaller number of elections, their finances could be in better shape.
GSLV-F14 carrying INSAT-3DS satellite to lift off at 5.35 pm on February 17: ISRO
The GSLV-F14 is the 16th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and the 10th flight with the indigenous cryo stage
Insat-3DS:
- It is a collaborative effort between ISRO and the India Meteorological Organisation (IMD).
- It is part of a series of climate observatory satellites aimed at enhancing climate services. Comprising three dedicated Earth observation satellites, including INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR already in orbit.
- It will be launchedby using the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F14).
GSLV-F14
- It is a moreadvanced rocket utilising liquid propellant.
- The rocket, distinguished by its higher capacityand the use of cryogenic liquid propellantsin all three stages, presents a more complex engineering challenge but allows for a substantially higher lift-off weight capacity.
Key facts about INSAT-3DR
- It is an advanced meteorological satelliteof India configured with an imaging System and an Atmospheric Sounder.
- The significant improvements incorporated in INSAT-3DR are:
- Imaging in Middle Infrared band to provide night time pictures of low cloudsand fog
- Imaging in two Thermal Infrared bands for estimation of Sea Surface Temperature(SST) with better accuracy
- Higher Spatial Resolution in the Visible and Thermal Infrared bands
- Payloads:INSAT-3DR carries a multi spectral Imager, 19 channel Sounder, Data Relay Transponder and Search and Rescue Transponder.
Union Education minister inaugurates national conference on ‘APAAR- One Nation One Student ID Card’
APAAR
APAAR, an acronym for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry, is a specialised identification system designed for all students in India, beginning from an early age.
- It is introduced in accordance with the NEP -2020 and the National credit and qualifications framework
- Registration for an APAAR ID is voluntary, not mandatory.
Objective: It aims to streamline and enhance the academic experience for students throughout India by assigning a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to each student, consolidating their academic records into a single accessible platform.
- It is emphasised as not only a vital tool for tracking the educational progress of 260 million students in India but also as an aspirational and globally recognized document for students.
Benefits:
- APAAR ensures accountability and transparency in education by tracking student progress and streamlining academic records.
- It enhances efficiency, combats fraud, and includes co-curricular achievements for holistic student development.
- With multiple use cases, APAAR facilitates a smooth transfer process and supports data-driven decision-makingin educational institutions.
- It also enables students to easily share their academic records for enhanced access to employment.
Academic Bank of Credits and DigiLocker
- Academic Bank of Credits:As per NEP 2020, the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) has been envisaged to facilitate the academic mobility of students with the freedom to study across the education Institutions in the country with an appropriate “credit transfer” mechanism from one programme to another.
- If the student changes schools, whether within the state or to another state, all their data in the ABC gets transferred to her/his new school just by sharing the APAAR ID.
- DigiLocker:It is a cloud-based platform that allows users to store, issue, and verify documents and certificates digitally.
- It is a flagship initiative of theMinistry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)under DIGITAL INDIA PROGRAMME.
- The issued documents in DigiLocker system are deemed to be at par with original physical documents as per Rule 9A of the Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries providing Digital Locker facilities) Rules, 2016.