InstaLinks help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically.
Table of Contents:
GS Paper 1:
1. Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu: pride & politics.
GS Paper 2:
1. Who are the ‘difficult four’ countries, and why is India one of them?
2. What Russia’s exit means for the Open Skies Treaty?
3. U.K. urges China to grant UN access to Xinjiang.
GS Paper 3:
1. What kind of an agri-food policy does India need?
2. What is 5G and how prepared is India to adapt to this tech?
Facts for Prelims:
1. Kevadia
GS Paper : 1
Topics Covered: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu: pride & politics:
Context:
With Assembly polls round the corner in Tamil Nadu, the Pongal festival and Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport, have caught the attention of political parties.
What is Jallikattu?
- The bull-taming sport is popular in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts known as the Jallikattu belt.
- Jallikattu is celebrated in the second week of January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.
- A tradition over 2,000 years old, Jallikattu is a competitive sport as well as an event to honour bull owners who rear them for mating.
- It is a violent sport in which contestants try to tame a bull for a prize; if they fail, the bull owner wins the prize.
Why is Jallikattu important in Tamil culture?
Jallikattu is considered a traditional way for the peasant community to preserve their pure-breed native bulls.
- At a time when cattle breeding is often an artificial process, conservationists and peasants argue that Jallikattu is a way to protect these male animals which are otherwise used only for meat if not for ploughing.
Why has Jallikattu been the subject of legal battles?
- Jallikattu first came under legal scrutiny in 2007 when the Animal Welfare Board of India and the animal rights group PETA moved petitions in the Supreme Court against Jallikattu as well as bullock cart races.
- The Tamil Nadu government, however, worked its way out of the ban by passing a law in 2009, which was signed by the Governor.
- In 2011, the UPA regime at the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited.
- In May 2014, the Supreme Court banned the bull-taming sport, ruling on a petition that cited the 2011 notification.
So, is it legal or banned now?
- In January 2017, massive protests erupted across Tamil Nadu against the ban, with Chennai city witnessing a 15-day-long Jallikattu uprising.
- The same year, the Tamil Nadu government released an ordinance amending the central Act and allowing Jallikattu in the state; this was later ratified by the President.
- PETA challenged the state move, arguing it was unconstitutional (Article 29(1)).
- In 2018, the Supreme Court referred the Jallikattu case to a Constitution Bench, where it is pending now.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- About Jallikattu.
- Article 29 of the Constitution.
- Article 142 is related to?
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act- Overview.
Sources: Indian Express.
GS Paper : 2
Topics Covered: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Who are the ‘difficult four’ countries, and why is India one of them?
Who are the difficult four?
Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and India.
- These are the Countries where citizens do not have the capacity to fight for their rights.
- The classification has been made by Chatham House, the century-old UK-based policy institute also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Context:
Chatham House has published a report proposing a blueprint for Britain’s future foreign policy after Brexit. Titled “Global Britain, Global Broker”, the report sketches a bold path ahead for the UK.
Why the report chose to characterise India as such?
Because of a critique of India’s domestic political developments.
- The report notes how “the overt Hindu nationalism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is weakening the rights of Muslims and other minority religious groups, leading to a chorus of concern that intolerant majoritarianism is replacing the vision of a secular, democratic India bequeathed by Nehru”.
India is a reluctant supporter of liberal democracy.
- It is “ambivalent” about human rights abuses within other states, and possesses “a long and consistent record of resisting being corralled into a ‘Western camp’”.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- Who are the “difficult four”?
- Who classifies them so?
- Criteria?
Mains Link:
India is a reluctant supporter of liberal democracy. Discuss.
Sources: the Hindu.
Topics Covered: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What Russia’s exit means for the Open Skies Treaty?
Context:
Russia has announced that it is leaving the Open Skies Treaty (OST).
What is the Open Skies Treaty?
It is an accord between over 30 countries that allows participants to fly unarmed reconnaissance flights over any part of their fellow member states.
- First proposed in 1955 by former US President Dwight Eisenhower as a means to deescalate tensions during the Cold War, the landmark treaty was eventually signed in 1992 between NATO members and former Warsaw Pact countries following the demise of the Soviet Union.
- It went into effect in 2002 and had signatories, including key players US and Russia, along with one non-ratifying member (Kyrgyzstan).
Aims of the OST:
Build confidence among members through mutual openness, thus reducing the chances of accidental war.
Features of the treaty:
- Under the treaty, a member state can “spy” on any part of the host nation, with the latter’s consent.
- A country can undertake aerial imaging over the host state after giving notice 72 hours before, and sharing its exact flight path 24 hours before.
- The information gathered, such as on troop movements, military exercises and missile deployments, has to be shared with all member states.
- Only approved imaging equipment is permitted on the surveillance flights, and officials from the host state can also stay on board throughout the planned journey.
Why did Russia leave after the US?
In May 2020, the Trump administration announced its intention of withdrawing from the OST, accusing Russia of “flagrantly and continuously violating the Treaty in various ways for years”.
- Now, Russia has attributed this move to “the lack of progress in removing obstacles for the continued functioning of the agreement.”
- Moscow is worried that the U.S.’s withdrawal restricts its access to American territory, while Washington’s allies in Europe can continue flyovers over Russian territory to collect intelligence that could be handed to the U.S.
Implications:
Experts now worry about the fate of the much larger US-Russia ‘New START’ nuclear arms control agreement, which is slated to expire on February 5, 2021 while US President-elect Joe Biden has spoken in favour of preserving the treaty.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- What is open skies treaty?
- Members.
- Objectives.
- Features.
Mains Link:
Discuss the key features of open skies treaty.
Sources: Indian Express.
Topics Covered: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
U.K. urges China to grant UN access to Xinjiang:
Context:
Britain’s government has pressed China to allow UN rights inspectors to visit Xinjiang after raising new allegations of “appalling” human rights abuses against the Uighur minority people.
Latest developments:
UK recently introduced import controls on firms that may have sourced goods from the region in northwest China using forced labour from the mainly Muslim Uighur community.
There have been reports of “slave labour, forced sterilisation, appalling human rights abuses in the region”.
Who are Uighurs?
- A Muslim minority community concentrated in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province.
- They claim closer ethnic ties to Turkey and other central Asian countries than to China.
Why is China targeting the Uighurs?
Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China — its largest region, rich in minerals, and sharing borders with eight countries, including India, Pakistan, Russia and Afghanistan.
- Over the past few decades, as economic prosperity has come to Xinjiang, it has brought with it in large numbers the majority Han Chinese, who have cornered the better jobs, and left the Uighurs feeling their livelihoods and identity were under threat.
- This led to sporadic violence, in 2009 culminating in a riot that killed 200 people, mostly Han Chinese, in the region’s capital Urumqi. And many other violent incidents have taken place since then.
- Beijing also says Uighur groups want to establish an independent state and, because of the Uighurs’ cultural ties to their neighbours, leaders fear that elements in places like Pakistan may back a separatist movement in Xinjiang.
Therefore, the Chinese policy seems to have been one of treating the entire community as suspect, and launching a systematic project to chip away at every marker of a distinct Uighur identity.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- Who are Uighurs?
- Where is Xinjiang?
- Who are Han Chinese?
- Indian states bordering Xinjiang province.
Mains Link:
Who are Uighurs? Why are they in news? Discuss.
Sources: the Hindu.
Topics Covered: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
G7 summit:
Context:
The United Kingdom has invited India, Australia and South Korea to attend the G7 summit that is scheduled to be held in June as “guest countries”.
What is G7?
The G7, originally G8, was set up in 1975 as an informal forum bringing together the leaders of the world’s leading industrial nations.
The summit gathers leaders from the European Union (EU) and the following countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The major purpose of the G-7 is to discuss and deliberate on international economic issues. It sometimes acts in concert to help resolve other global problems, with a special focus on economic issues.
How did G7 become G8?
- Russia was formally inducted as a member in the group in 1998, which led G7 to become G8.
- However, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s condemnable act of moving Russian troops into eastern Ukraine and conquering Crimea in 2014 drew heavy criticism from the other G8 nations.
- The other nations of the group decided to suspend Russia from the G8 as a consequence of its actions and the group became G7 again in 2014.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- Groups: G7, G8, G10, G15, G20, G24 countries.
- Geographical location of member countries.
Mains Link:
Discuss the relevance of G7 countries today. What are the reforms necessary to make the grouping more effective?
Sources: the Hindu.
GS Paper : 3
Topics Covered: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
What kind of an agri-food policy does India need?
According to Ashok Galati, the Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at ICRIER:
- It should be able to produce enough food, feed and fibre for its large population.
- In this regard, the best step is to invest in R&D for agriculture, and its extension from laboratories to farms and irrigation facilities.
- It is believed that developing countries should invest at least one per cent of their agri-GDP in agri-R&D and extension. India invests about half.
- It should do so in a manner that not only protects the environment, soil, water, air, and biodiversity but achieves higher production with global competitiveness.
- This can be done by switching from the highly subsidised input price policy (power, water, fertilisers) and MSP/FRP policy for paddy, wheat and sugarcane, to more income support policies linked to saving water, soil and air quality.
- It should enable seamless movement of food from farm to fork, keeping marketing costs low, save on food losses in supply chains and provide safe and fresh food to consumers.
- Consumers should get safe and nutritious food at affordable prices.
- The public distribution of food, through PDS, that relies on rice and wheat, and that too at more than 90 per cent subsidy over costs of procurement, stocking and distribution, is not helping much.
Sources: Indian Express.
Topics Covered: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
What is 5G and how prepared is India to adapt to this tech?
Context:
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has sought inputs from Telcos and other industry experts on the sale and use of radio frequency spectrum over the next 10 years, including the 5G bands.
What is 5G?
- 5G is the next generation of mobile broadband that will eventually replace, or at least augment 4G LTE connection.
- 5G offers exponentially faster download and upload speeds.
- 5G will deliver multi-Gbps peak rates, ultra-low latency, massive capacity, and a more uniform user experience.
Where does India stand in the 5G technology race?
All the three private telecom players, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Vi have been urging the DoT to lay out a clear road map of spectrum allocation and 5G frequency bands, so that they would be able to plan the roll out of their services accordingly.
- One big hurdle, however, is the lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with at least two of the three players, namely Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
- On the other hand, Reliance Jio plans to launch an indigenously built 5G network for the country as early as the second half of this year.
What is the global progress on 5G?
More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling it out to their customers on a trial basis. In countries like the US, companies such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
Conclusion:
India’s National Digital Communications Policy 2018 highlights the importance of 5G when it states that the convergence of a cluster of revolutionary technologies including 5G, the cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics, along with a growing start-up community, promise to accelerate and deepen its digital engagement, opening up a new horizon of opportunities.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- What is 5G?
- Differences between 3G, 4G and 5G.
- Applications.
- What is a spectrum?
Mains Link:
Discuss the significance of 5G technology.
Sources: Indian Express.
Facts for Prelims:
Kevadia:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off eight trains connecting Kevadia in Gujarat, where the Statue of Unity is located, to different regions of the country.
