DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam –23rd May 2024

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: In its manifesto, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) promised to get back Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, less than five kilometres across the Pakistan border. The SAD is promising to work with the Centre to negotiate an “exchange of territory” with Pakistan, in return for Kartarpur Sahib.

Background:-

• Reopening the territorial settlement in the Punjab will be a nightmare few would want to think of. According to some experts, more practical than reworking the territorial disposition of boundaries would be changing the nature of these frontiers that have long been zones of military confrontation and not commercial cooperation.The SAD also demands reopening the Attari and Hussainiwala borders with Pakistan for trade and tourism to usher in economic prosperity.

Key takeaways

• The SAD’s proposals on engaging Pakistan bring to the fore the idea of “para diplomacy” or “sub-state diplomacy”.
• Para diplomacy involves formal interactions between entities below the federal level — provincial and local governments — in pursuit of shared national goals.
• The conduct of para diplomacy is not in opposition to the national governments, which have a monopoly over the engagement with other sovereigns. Federal governments are quite nervous about sharing, let alone ceding, authority to engage across borders, especially when there is a danger of cross-border criminal and terror networks casting a shadow over the process.
• Para diplomacy, conducted in tandem with the central government, can often produce openings that can’t be generated between the congealed positions of the national governments.
• Not all Indian border states have been as keen on cross-border cooperation as Punjab. The context on each border is different with unique burdens of history and different degrees of political difficulty. West Bengal, under Mamata Banerjee, for example, had, in fact, complicated Delhi’s engagement with Dhaka.
• The Tamil parties in Chennai have often exercised their veto over Delhi’s ties with Colombo.UPA government (2004-14) had to often walk back from productive initiatives with the neighbours because of resistance from its coalition partners in the states.
• The next government must return to reconsidering para diplomacy as a valuable tool of India’s statecraft. To succeed, India’s neighbourhood policy must work with the interests of the people in the border provinces.
• This, in turn, demands the construction of a consensus between the centre and the regional parties in the border provinces on developing a productive relationship with the neighbours.

Additional Information: Even though SAD has asked for economic cooperation, there are multiple barriers

• Political and Military Resistance: The Pakistani military and political leadership oppose economic engagement with India due to the unresolved Kashmir conflict. Despite occasional positive gestures from political establishment, internal opposition often swiftly quashes any initiatives.
• Historical Animosity and Distrust: The deep-rooted distrust stemming from the 1947 partition and subsequent wars continues to hinder economic cooperation. These historical grievances shape national narratives and influence policy decisions, making it difficult to commit to economic collaboration without resolving underlying political tensions.
• Economic Benefits vs. Political Obstacles: Despite recognizing the economic benefits, Pakistan’s leadership remains hesitant to engage with India due to historical conflicts and the Kashmir issue. Although the Pakistani business community has advocated for reopening trade, these appeals are often stifled by the political and military elite prioritizing geopolitical concerns over economic pragmatism.
• Security Concerns: Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism and frequent border skirmishes contribute to a climate of hostility.Perpetual state of military alert hampers trade and complicates efforts to establish a stable economic partnership.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context:  Army chief Gen Manoj Pande talked about Project Udbhav at a conference titled ‘Historical Patterns in Indian Strategic Culture’ held recently.

Background:

• Launched last year, this project aims to enrich the nation’s outlook in the defence domain by integrating India’s ancient strategic acumen into contemporary military practices, making the force “future-ready”.

About Project UDBHAV

• ‘Udbhav’, which translates to ‘origin’ or ‘genesis’, acknowledges the vintage scriptures and writings of our Nation, that span centuries in the past and contain profound knowledge that can benefit modern military strategies.
• The objective of the Project is to synthesize ancient wisdom with contemporary military practices, forging a unique and holistic approach to address modern security challenges.
• It is a visionary initiative by the Indian Army that seeks to integrate age-old wisdom with contemporary military pedagogy.
• Project UDBHAV will facilitate in-depth understanding of our ancient knowledge systems and philosophies and also aim to comprehend their enduring connect, relevance and applicability in the modern day.
• Literature like Chanakya’s Arthashastra underscores the importance of strategic partnerships, alliances and diplomacy, aligning with modern military practices such as international cooperation and soft power projection. Chanakya’s teachings on statecraft and warfare are studied by various institutions the world over.
• Similarly, the wisdom of Thirukkural, the classical Tamil text authored by Thiruvalluvar, the Tamil philosopher, advocates ethical conduct in all endeavours, including warfare. This aligns with modern military codes of ethics of just war and principles of Geneva Convention.
• Apart from ancient texts, a study of prominent military campaigns and leaders is also important. The empires of Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka and Cholas flourished and expanded in influence, during their times.
• There are examples of the Ahom Kingdom too, which successfully ruled for 600 years, repeatedly defeating the Mughals.
• The Naval Battle of Saraighat in 1671, led by Lachit Borphukan, stands as a stellar example of the use of clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, employ psychological warfare, focus on military intelligence and exploiting the strategic weakness of the Mughals.
• Project UDBHAV aims to effectively integrate this ancient wisdom with modern military pedagogy through interdisciplinary research, workshops and leadership seminars. It will facilitate emergence of previously under-explored thoughts and theories related to strategic thinking, statecraft and warfare, foster deeper understanding and contribute to enriching military training curricula.

Source: PIB

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: 15th Foundation Day of the Competition Commission of India was celebrated in New Delhi. The commission was formed on 14 October 2003. However, It became fully functional in 2009 with Dhanendra Kumar as its first chairman

Background:

• CCI got its enforcement and regulatory powers after the substantive provisions of the Competition Act relating to anti-trust enforcement and regulation of combinations came into force on May 20, 2009 and June 1, 2011, respectively.

About Competition Commission of India (CCI) :

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the chief national competition regulator in India. As a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, its primary responsibility is to enforce the Competition Act, 2002.
• It should be noted that on the recommendations of Raghavan committee, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002.
• The Commission consists of a Chairperson and not more than 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
• It is a quasi-judicial body.

Objective and Vision:

• The CCI aims to promote and sustain an enabling competition culture through engagement and enforcement.
• Its vision includes inspiring businesses to be fair, competitive, and innovative, enhancing consumer welfare, and supporting economic growth1.

Functions and Activities:

• Antitrust Regulation: The CCI ensures fair competition by preventing anti-competitive practices such as cartels, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive agreements.
• Regulation of Combinations: It reviews mergers, acquisitions, and other combinations to assess their impact on competition.
• Competition Economics: The CCI analyzes market dynamics and economic factors related to competition.
• Advocacy: It promotes competition awareness and educates stakeholders.
• International Cooperation: The CCI collaborates with global competition authorities.
• Anti-Profiteering: It investigates cases of undue profiteering by businesses.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: During the storm on May 13, a billboard in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area collapsed and claimed 16 lives.

Background:

• The Ghatkopar tragedy is a grim reminder of the longstanding ills of urban governance in the country — flailing municipalities, agencies with overlapping jurisdictions, negligent officials, faulty street design, and questionable space allocation processes.

Key Takeaways

• When citizen’s interact with the city and its infrastructure, they trust the state with their lives.A city’s infrastructure is a kind of physical interface between the citizen and the state.
• The quality of our infrastructure forms the core of the quality of our lives, and our safety is the function of its maintenance. Audits and regulations safeguard us from the dangers of infrastructural collapse.
• The actions of the state since the tragic collapse of the hoarding follow a pattern that is typical of infrastructural “accidents” across the country.
• Reports have shown that the Ghatkopar hoarding had a weak and shallow foundation, that the Government Railway Police (GRP) had granted permission for a hoarding in 2021, and that the BMC had issued three notices to the agency over the past year but no action was taken.The state acted in complete neglect of the people of Mumbai, ignored a giant hoarding three times larger than the permitted size, and only ordered structural audits after 16 people died.
• With the private firm becoming the sole criminal in the tragedy, the state slowly disappears in the background with no accountability for the allocation of contracts, or the enforcement of regulations.
• In the 2016 flyover collapse in Kolkata, the construction company IVRCL was held solely responsible; in the Morbi Bridge collapse of 2022, the Oreva group; and in the case of the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, its Ego Media Pvt. Ltd.
• The pattern tells us three things. First, that the state does not value human lives enough to ensure that public infrastructure is safe.
• Second, the state does not assume accountability in private partnerships and blames the private players alone.Since the tragic collapse of the Ghatkopar flyover, the government has conveniently used the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd. as a symbol of their swift punitive action but we are yet to see any state officials being held accountable for criminal neglect.
• Third, the pattern tells us that the enforcement of urban development norms is selective and does not ensure citizen safety, let alone promote citizen welfare.
• A giant hoarding abutting a prominent road in one of India’s biggest metropolises governed by the richest municipality couldn’t have gone unnoticed. The tragic collapse of the hoarding and the events thereafter show us the precarity of human life in Indian cities.
• The incident is a typical case of criminal neglect and the state’s refusal of accountability. In Ghatkopar, the state failed the citizens and broke the trust that city dwellers put in the material elements of public life.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: Arab League welcomed a decision made by Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize the Palestinian state

Background:

• Arab League, regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa, formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, as an outgrowth of Pan-Arabism.

About ARAB LEAGUE :

• The Arab League, formally the League of Arab States, is a regional organization in the Arab world.
• The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945.
• Currently, the League has 22 members.
• Each member has one vote on the League Council, decisions being binding only on those states that have voted for them.
• The League’s main goal is to “draw closer the relations between member states and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.

Additional Information

• In 1964, despite objections by Jordan, the league granted the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) observer status as the representative of all Palestinians. This was upgraded to full membership in 1976.
• After Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel on March 26, 1979, the other members of the Arab League voted to suspend Egypt’s membership and to transfer the league’s headquarters from Cairo to Tunis. Egypt was reinstated as a member of the Arab League in 1989, and the league’s headquarters returned to Cairo in 1990.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: Recently, World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first-ever Patient Safety Rights Charter at the Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety.

Background:

• Assuring patient safety in health care is a critical component in delivering the right to health.
• Patient safety can be compromised due to avoidable errors such as unsafe surgical procedures, medication errors, mis- or late diagnosis, poor injection practices, unsafe blood transfusion and the onset of life-threatening infections such as sepsis and other health care-associated infections.

Key Features of the Patient Safety Rights Charter:

• It outlines the core rights of all patients in the context of the safety of health care and seeks to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of patients are heard and their right to safe health care is protected.
• The Charter covers 10 patient safety rights crucial to mitigate risks and prevent unintentional harm, which includes
  • Timely, effective, and appropriate care
  • Safe health care processes and practices
  • Qualified and competent health workers
  • Safe medical products and their safe and rational use
  • Safe and secure healthcare facilities
  • Dignity, respect, non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality
  • Information, education, and supported decision-making access to medical records
  • To be heard and fair resolution
  • Patient and family engagement.

Need for Patient Safety Charter:

• Approximately 1 in 10 patients encounter harm during healthcare procedures, resulting in over 3 million annual deaths attributed to unsafe care, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to the OECD, investing in patient safety positively impacts health outcomes, reduces costs related to patient harm, improves system efficiency, and helps reassure communities and restore their trust in healthcare systems.
• The majority of patient harm is avoidable, underscoring the vital role of engaging patients, families, and caregivers in minimising harm. Patient harm often results from poorly designed healthcare systems, not isolated incidents.
• A 2023 survey of WHO Member States revealed gaps in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, emphasising the need for patient representation and addressing income-based disparities in implementation. Interim results of the survey showed only 13% of responding countries have a patient representative on the governing board or an equivalent mechanism in the majority of their hospitals.
• Patient safety is a critical global priority and essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-3: “Good Health and well-being”.

Source: WHO

Q1.) Consider the following statements about Arab League

1. It was established after the First Arab – Israeli war in 1948.
2. Palestine is a founding member of the league.
3. Its Headquarter is located in Cairo, Egypt

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q2.) Consider the following statements about Competition Commission of India:

1. It derives it powers from Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices Act (MRTP).
2. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
3. It consists of a Chairperson and not more than 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q3.) Project Udbhav, recently heard in news is

1. a visionary initiative by the Indian Army that seeks to integrate age-old wisdom with contemporary military pedagogy.
2. an initiative by Competition Commission of India to regulate global digital giants.
3. an initiative by ministry of finance to control tax evasion
4. an initiative by education ministry to establish world class universities

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  23rd  May 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – a