[Mission 2023] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 25 February 2023

GS Paper 1

 Syllabus: Post-independence consolidation

Source: IE

 Context: Hundreds of followers of a radical preacher and pro-Khalistan leader (Amritpal Singh) clashed violently with police near Amritsar, demanding the release of one of their colleagues.

Background: Amritpal Singh is a follower of the slain Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and took the reins of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ organisation following the death of its founder (Deep Sidhu).

What is the Khalistan movement?

• It is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khalistan (‘Land of the Khalsa’), in the Punjab region.
• Its origins have been traced back to India’s independence and subsequent Partition along religious lines.
  • The Punjab province, which was divided between India and Pakistan, witnessed communal violence and generated millions of refugees.
  • The historic Sikh Empire’s capital, Lahore, as well as sacred Sikh sites like Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, went to Pakistan.
• While most Sikhs found themselves in India, they were a small minority (2% of the population) in the country.
• The political struggle for greater autonomy began with the Punjabi Suba Movement for the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state.
• The States Reorganisation Commission report (1955) rejected this demand, but the state of Punjab was reorganised (trifurcated into the Hindi-Hindu-majority HP and Haryana, and Punjabi-Sikh-majority Punjab) in 1966.
• The Punjabi Suba movement had galvanised the Akali Dal, which concluded the Anandpur Sahib Resolution (1973) demanding autonomy (not secession from India) for the state of Punjab.
• This demand had gone global by 1971 – when an advertisement in The New York Times proclaimed the birth of Khalistan.
• By the 1980s, the appeal of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had started creating trouble for the government.
• He and his followers (mostly from the lower rungs of the social ladder) were getting increasingly violent.
• In 1982, with support from the Akali Dal’s leadership, he launched a civil disobedience movement called the Dharam Yudh Morcha and took up residence inside the Golden Temple, directing demonstrations and clashes with the police.

What was Operation Blue Star?

• The Khalistan movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue Star (by the Indian Army to flush out militants from the Golden Temple and neutralise Bhindranwale in 1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988).
• While the operations were ostensibly successful in their aims, they gravely wounded (by the desecration of the Golden Temple) the Sikh community around the world and also galvanised the demand for Khalistan.

Aftermath of the Operation Blue Star:

• PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated (on October 31, 1984), triggering the worst communal violence since Partition.
• Punjab became the hub of a long drawn-out insurgency (allegedly supported by Pakistan) that lasted till 1995.
• The movement continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora.
• Today, the movement is fuelled by vote bank politics, social issues (unemployment, drug menace in Punjab), dissatisfaction among the Sikh diaspora and support from non-state actors.

Conclusion: In order to curb the Khalistan movement and ideology, the Indian government needs to address the above-mentioned issues.

Insta Links:

NIA chargesheets ‘Khalistani’ activists

Mains Links:

The political and administrative reorganisation of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples. (UPSC 2022)

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education

Source: PIB

 Context: The 2nd edition of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) report was released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman EAC-PM.

FLN:

• It is the ability of a child (between the ages of 3 and 8 years old) to read basic texts and do basic mathematical problems such as addition and subtraction.
• It is one of the main elements of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

About the FLN report:

• It is a benchmark for states and UTs to track their performance in achieving universal foundational learning by 2026-27.
• Its findings cover the role of nutrition, access to digital technology and language-focused instructional approach.

It captures:

• The role of language in education and highlights distinct challenges faced in a multilingual environment.
• The fundamental concepts children require to become skilled readers.
• Improving the learning outcomes using appropriate assessments and medium of instruction.

Recommendations:

• Need to integrate the medium of instruction and teaching in languages familiar to children.
• Undertake various assessments pertaining to the –
  • Linguistic system (includes phonology, vocabulary/lexicon, and syntax),
  • Orthographic system (includes symbols and mapping principles), and
  • Writing mechanisms
• Need for data monitoring along with clearly defined outcome-based indicators on pedagogical framework and education in India.

Initiatives to promote FLN:

• DIKSHA or Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing: Launched in 2017, it is a national platform of the NCERT, where teachers can find interactive and engaging teaching material to make their classes interesting.
• NIPUN Bharat Mission: Launched in 2021 for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy by the end of the third grade by the year 2026-27.
• NISHTHA: A new training program (in FLN) for the teachers, as well as the heads of the school launched by the NCERT.
• The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Skills 2022: To meet a key focus area of the NEP 2020, to improve the foundational skills of students.
  • Under this, ‘jadui pitara’ – learning and teaching material for the foundational stage of schooling, has been launched recently.

Best practice: Haryana Government Initiative – Saksham Haryana

Conclusion: FLN is linked to the health and economic growth of a nation. So, developing curriculum, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, is the need of the hour.

Insta Links:

Where no child is left behind

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States

Source: IE

 Context: The SC granted interim bail to a Congress leader (Pawan Khera) arrested for alleged hate speech (booked under Section 153A of the IPC) by Assam Police.

Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC): What the law says?

• It penalises (with imprisonment up to 3 years/fine/both) promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and committing offences against the maintenance of peace.
• The provision was enacted in 1898 and was not in the original penal code. In 1969, the offence was amended (made cognisable – arrest without a warrant) to enlarge its scope to prevent communal tensions.

The application of the law:

• Hate speech laws have been invoked under different regimes to crack down on criticism of public functionaries and to arrest individuals.
• For example, a Marathi actor was arrested (booked under Section 153A of the IPC) last year, for a Facebook post allegedly defaming an NCP leader.
• According to the NCRB data, the rate of conviction for Section 153A is very low. In 2020, 1,804 cases were registered (six times higher than in 2014), however, the conviction rate was 2%.
• Also, the registration of multiple FIRs across different states drains the resources of the accused to secure legal representation.

Safeguards against misuse:

• Section 153A requires prior sanction (before the trial begins, not at the stage of preliminary investigation) from the government for initiating prosecution.
• In the Arnesh Kumar v State of Bihar case (2014), the SC laid down a set of guidelines. For instance, the police cannot automatically arrest a suspect before investigation for crimes that carry a punishment of less than seven years.
• In 2021, the SC ruled that the state will have to prove intent (to cause disorder or incite people to violence) for securing a conviction under Section 153A.

Conclusion: Hate speech strikes at the foundational values of society. However, the suspected unlawful speech should be evaluated using the standards of reasonableness.

Insta Links:

SC verdict on MPs, MLAs’ right to freedom of speech

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Environmental Pollution

Source: Indian Express

Context: The conflict in Ukraine has racked up environmental costs that will far outlive the actual fighting.

How is the war affecting the environment?

• Fighting-induced destruction: Nuclear power plants and facilities, energy infrastructure, including oil storage tankers, oil refineries, drilling platforms and gas facilities and distribution pipelines, mines and industrial sites, and agro-processing facilities are getting destructed.
• Pollution: Air pollution and potentially serious contamination of ground and surface waters.
• Deforestation: More than 2 million hectares of forest have been destroyed, wrecking ecosystems and putting rare endemic species at risk.
• Carbon footprint: Ukraine estimates the emissions from Russia’s invasion to be roughly around 33 million tonnes of CO2 from the conflict and 23 million tonnes of CO2 from fires caused by the conflict. 
• Nuclear radiation: Russian troops dug up deep trenches in the protected Chornobyl sanctuary, thereby releasing nuclear wastes and radiation.

Solutions:

• Reduce military activities: This requires the parties involved in the conflict to agree to a ceasefire and pursue diplomatic solutions to resolve their differences.
• Restore damaged ecosystems: This can include replanting forests, cleaning up polluted water sources, and rehabilitating habitats for wildlife.
• Implement environmental regulations: The private sector should also be held accountable for any environmental damage caused by their activities.
• Promote renewable energy: Governments should invest in renewable energy infrastructure, which will not only reduce carbon emissions but also create jobs and promote sustainable development.
• Raise public awareness: This can include organizing protests, writing articles and reports, and using social media to raise awareness.
• Provide support for affected communities: Governments and civil society organizations should provide support for these communities, including access to clean water, healthcare, and education.

Conclusion:

Overall, mitigating the environmental costs of the Russia-Ukraine War requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders involved. By prioritizing the environment and taking concrete actions, we can reduce the long-term impact of the conflict on the planet and its inhabitants.

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Environment Conservation/ Disaster Management

Source: The Hindu

The concepts of mitigation and adaptation are at the heart of international climate discourse.

Adaptation measures for climate change

Adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It focuses on assisting countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change (coastal states, island nations) with finance and infrastructural assistance

Reason for Focusing on the adaptation of climate Change

• Can help manage the risks from climate disasters such as floods and droughts
• Sponge cities concept to increase storing of water in city spaces to adapt to urban floods
• Protection of ecosystems
• Protecting agriculture and food security
• Can allow populations to benefit from opportunities for climatic change.

Mitigation measures for climate change

 Mitigation refers to actions taken to lower the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and thereby reduce the extent to which the global climate system changes

Reason for Focusing on Mitigation of Climate Change

• To stabilize greenhouse gas levels in a sufficient time frame
• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)
• Avoid significant human interference with the earth’s climate
• Enable economic development

Why India is pushing to focus on Adaptation:

• Timeframe: Mitigation measures can take decades to have a significant impact but the impacts of climate change are already being felt and will continue to worsen in the short to medium term, making adaptation measures more urgent.
• The scale of impact: Adaptation measures can help reduce vulnerability and minimize the negative impacts of climate change.
• Political will: Adaptation measures, can be implemented at a local level and may be more feasible to achieve.
• Co-benefits: improving public health, enhancing ecosystem services, and increasing resilience to other natural disasters.

Conclusion:

While adaptation is important, it should not be seen as a substitute for mitigation. Both strategies are needed to address the challenges of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

Insta Links:

Adapting better to climate change