01 November 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – IMF: GS II Topic – International Relations

Context:

• India would be able to expand faster than the IMF anticipates for the coming year, according to Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran.

About:

• The IMF was established in 1944 as a result of the Bretton Woods Conference.
• 189 nations currently make up the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was established on December 27, 1945.
• The Washington, D.C.-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) is committed to fostering international trade, employment, and economic development as well as preserving financial stability.
• An expert agency of the UN is the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The establishment of the IMF

• The IMF was established with the aim of boosting economic growth and eradicating poverty worldwide in response to the collapse of international monetary cooperation during the Great Depression. The International Monetary Fund was formed in 1944 during the Bretton Woods Conference (IMF).
• 45 government delegations attended the conference, which covered a framework for post-war international economic cooperation.

Targets of the IMF:

• promote financial cooperation between nations.
• assurance of financial stability. facilitation of international trade

Administrative Structure:

• The United Nations, the IMF’s parent organisation, is in charge of efficiently running it.
• The Executive Board selects the IMF’s Managing Director, who holds the position for five years.

The IMF and India:

• India joined the International Monetary Fund as one of its original members.
• The Union Finance Minister of India serves as an ex officio governor on the IMF Board of Governors.
• Every member country also has a backup governor.
• The Reserve Bank of India’s governor serves as the nation’s back-up governor.
• Additionally, India is represented at the IMF by an Executive Director.
• India’s ownership in the IMF is 2.76% and it has a quota of SDR 13,114.4 million.
• You can read more about the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which were established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1969, in the article that is linked.
• India now holds the seventh-place spot in the organisation for quota size.
• India completed paying back all of the loans it had gotten from the IMF in 2000.
• The International Monetary Fund now receives contributions from India (IMF).

Source The Hindu

 2 – Two Finger Test:GS I – TopicWomen’s Empowerment

Context:

• The Supreme Court ruled on October 31 that it is improper to subject rape or sexual assault survivors to intrusive “two-finger” or “three-finger” vaginal tests. A fine must be paid by the offender.

Section 354 of the IPC requires that:

• The minimum sentence for attacking a woman or using unlawful force against her with the knowledge or intent to violate her modesty is one year in jail (which may be increased to a maximum of five years) and a fine, according to Section 354 of the IPC.

About:

• The virginity of a woman can be ascertained through a variety of unusual techniques. Typically, this detection is used to distinguish between “pure” and “impure” females. Whether a female has had sexual activity or not determines her purity. Women can only be appreciated if they are virgins and have never engaged in sexual activity since otherwise, society does not consider them to be deserving enough. These tests are frequently performed on single women without their awareness or when they are unable to consent. Additional nations that have reported on this practise include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Palestine, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Turkey, and Uganda. Depending on the subject, several factors drive these exams. These tests are carried out in a small number of Swaziland and South African communities to stop premarital sex and HIV transmission. This has influenced how rape victims and other sexual assault victims are perceived in India. This stage is a requirement for joining the Indonesian police force.

 Source The Hindu

 3 – GM Mustard: GS III – Topic Bio-Technology

Context:

• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was recently praised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences for authorising the environmental release of genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrid for growing (TAAS). Scientists believed the landmark judgement would put an end to the protracted deadlock about the use of GM food crops.

About GM Mustard

• One of the most significant winter crops in India is mustard, which is sown between mid-October and late November.
• Natural hybridization is challenging because of the crop’s propensity to self-pollinate and cross itself.
• In India, it is the crop that produces the best edible oil.
• The Delhi University Center for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants created the GM mustard variety known as DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-11.
• It was a project that the government paid for.
• Researchers from Delhi University used the “barnase/barstar” method of genetic alteration to produce the hybridised mustard DMH-11.
• This plant is pesticide-resistant (HT).
• Another genetically engineered crop, Mustard DMH-11, was approved for commercial cultivation in February 2016 by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GMEC).

Reasons to support GM Mustard

• When compared to a conventional reference mustard cultivar, DMH-11 yields are around 30% higher.
• Increase edible mustard oil production to help reduce the pricey imports of edible oil.
• urging the government to provide more money for agricultural scientific research

 Concerns about GM Mustard

• Several more genetically modified food crops might follow if GM mustard is approved.
• Since it is likely that utilising GM crops will have a negative impact on the environment, human health, and animal health, environmentalists are expressing biosafety concerns.
• An exogenous gene that provides herbicide resistance is present in the DMH-11 plant. As a result, farmers will be forced to use just specific agrochemical brands.
• The Supreme Court earlier established technical expert group on this issue came to the conclusion that HT crops are completely unsuited for use in India.
• Plant life that is herbicide-resistant could be dangerous for manual labourers who weed for a living.

Source The Hindu

 4 – Sedition Law: GS III – Topic Internal Security

Context:

• The Supreme Court gave the Centre more time on Monday to take “necessary steps” with regard to the review of the colonial-era legislation, thus an interim order postponing the disputed sedition law and the ensuing registration of FIRs will continue.
• In 1870, sedition was included as a crime to Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Anyone who seeks to incite hatred, contempt, or disaffection against the legally established government through words, deeds, or signs has committed sedition, according to Section 124A of the IPC. Life in jail is the penalty for the crime.

IPC Section 124A as a tool of oppression:

• In India, 35 cases of sedition were registered in 2016, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Many of these situations involved neither violence nor the instigation of violence. According to statistics, there were 77 sedition instances in the two years before to the JNU case.
• It receives criticism frequently because the Center and the States have used this section against activists, critics, writers, and even cartoonists in an effort to stifle political dissent by charging critics with encouraging disaffection.
• It has been used against a number of well-known individuals, especially those who have been critical of the government. One such person is the Assamese scholar Dr. Hiren Gohain, who was accused of saying at a public meeting that if the Center ignores the opposition of the Assamese people to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, a demand for sovereignty may arise.
• After independence, the Sedition Act was kept in place primarily to prevent the abuse of free speech (reasonable limits) that would be intended to incite hatred and violence. However, it is now utilised to suppress any dissent or criticism of the government or its policies.

 Why should it be eliminated?

• It was invented by the British to put an end to the freedom movement, and its continued use today is unjustified. Britain itself eliminated it ten years ago, therefore India is the only country with a functioning portion.
• Inconsistent with international agreements: India adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the arbitrary charging of people with seditious activity and abuse of the sedition statute under Section 124A are in conflict with the ICCPR.
• Section 124A has been used to repress the freedom of speech and expression by activists, critics, writers, and even cartoonists on a number of occasions. Freedom of speech is listed as a fundamental right in Article 19 (1) of the Indian Constitution. Article 19 is violated by Section 124A. (1).
• The Law Commission of India noted that the concept of sedition does not account for hostility toward the Constitution, legislatures, or the administration of justice, all of which would be extremely detrimental to the security of the State.

Why Section 124A must continue to exist:

• Misuse of the right to free speech: Article 19 (1) protects the right to free expression, but it has limits. Speech is occasionally used as a weapon to undermine national politics and foster animosity in society. After independence, the Sedition Act was kept in place primarily to prohibit the abuse of free speech (within reasonable bounds) with the intention of inciting hatred and violence.
• Internal security: Since the Maoist insurgency and rebel organisations essentially operate a parallel government, doing away with it would be risky. These organisations openly support a revolution to topple the state government. Therefore, maintaining section 124A is crucial for Indian security.

Source The Hindu