04 October 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Nord Stream 2: GS III – Science and Technology

Context:

• On September 29, when gas bubbled up in the Baltic Sea for the fourth day in a row, the already damaged Nord Stream pipes connecting Russia and Europe saw their fourth consecutive gas leak. Since Monday, three pipeline breaks have been reported at various locations. While the other two were reported from Danish seas, two of the leaks occurred in Swedish waters.

About:

• A network of offshore natural gas pipelines connects Germany and Russia beneath the Baltic Sea.
• The 1,224 km Nord Stream 1 undersea gas pipeline travels from Lubmin, Germany, to Vyborg, Russia, via the Baltic Sea.
• As part of Nord Stream 2, two new pipelines are being built from Ust-Luga to Lubmin.
• Through the pipeline, which is primarily used by Russian energy giant Gazprom, Germany receives its gas supply.
• Concerns over possible constraints on the supply of gas to Europe are mounting.
• Countries in Europe depend on Russian energy to get through the long winters.
• However, they now think that Russia might use their dependence as a weapon in retaliation to their sanctions as a result of the Ukraine problem.
• What alternative energy options are there in Europe?
• More and more European nations are looking to liquified natural gas (LNG), which is transported from the US, as a replacement for their current energy sources.
• In addition, because ship-delivered gas is typically significantly more expensive, efforts are being made to get non-Russian pipeline gas from Norway and Azerbaijan.
• A number of EU nations are now going back to coal in an effort to address their energy crisis, despite their prior efforts to phase out fossil fuels and prioritise renewable energy sources.

Source The Hindu

2 – National Education Policy: GS II – Social Sector

Context:

• The Ministry of Education established the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti in November 2021 with the intention of advancing Indian languages. Chamu Krishna Shastry, a supporter of Sanskrit who has received the Padma Shri award, is the leader of this powerful council. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which mandates that mother tongue be utilised as the medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions, has entrusted the committee with creating an action plan for the expansion of Indian languages. On the group’s road map, he spoke with Jagriti Chandra of The Hindu.

The New Education Policy-2020’s Highlights:

• In July 2020, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was published.
• The National Policy on Education, 1986, will be replaced by NEP 2020.
• It aspires to make sure that all pupils, from kindergarten through grade 12, have equal access.
• Every child between the ages of 0 and 6 shall have access to excellent early childhood care and education.
• A new curriculum and pedagogy were introduced (5+3+3+3+3+3+4).
• a foundational stage of five years (for ages 3 to 8).
• a three-year planning period (for ages 8 to 11 or classes 3 to 5).
• three years of intermediate school (for ages 11 to 14 or classes 6 to 8).
• four years for secondary school (for ages 14 to 18 or classes 9 to 12).
• The humanities and sciences, extracurricular activities and academic pursuits, and job pathways are not clearly separated from one another.
• to launch a national push for fundamental literacy and math abilities.
• in favour of India’s usage of several languages.
• a review of the new board exams. PARAKH is starting a brand-new National Assessment Center (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
• Socially and economically disadvantaged groups are given special treatment.
• There are Special Education Zones and a Special Gender Inclusion Fund for underprivileged areas and populations.
• a fair hiring process for educators and performance evaluations based on merit.
• ensuring that all resources are accessible at school complexes and clusters.
• The creation of the State School Standards Authority was decided.
• encouraging vocational education in institutions of higher learning.
• boosting the higher education sector’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50%.
• There are various entry and departure points for a multidisciplinary education.
• the foundation of a credit institution for education.
• creating universities that conduct transdisciplinary research and education
• A national research foundation was founded.
• The development of online and remote learning will boost GER’s four-year, comprehensive Bachelor of Education programme in teacher preparation.
• The three categories below will be applied to all higher education institutions (HEIs):
• Research universities place equal emphasis on teaching and research.
• Education is given top priority in universities.
• Universities that awarded degrees mostly concentrated on teaching undergrads.
• The commercialization of higher education will be combated and stopped using a variety of tactics with checks and balances.
• All educational institutions will be subject to the same auditing and reporting rules as “not-for-profit corporations.”
• As a result of the cooperation between the Center and the States, public investment in education will rise, at the earliest reaching 6% of GDP.
• The Central Advisory Board of Education needs to be enhanced in order to preserve coordination and put a greater emphasis on high-quality education in general.

NEP 2020 goals include:

• changes to the curriculum’s content.
• The youngster ought to get teaching in their native tongue or regional tongue. The current trilingual organisation will continue.
• reorganising the administration of the entire evaluation system and teacher preparation.
• Ensure that schools are run efficiently.
• The gross enrollment ratio will rise from its 2018 value of 26.3% to 50% by 2035.
• Reorganization of a multidisciplinary educational institution that supports online learning and advances research.

Source The Hindu

3 – UAPA: GS III – Internal Security of India:

Context:

• According to sources, the Delhi Police allegedly lodged a complaint against the Popular Front of India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in Shaheen Bagh in Southeast Delhi (PFI). The Indian government has already classified the PFI, Rehab India Foundation (RIF), All India Imams Council (AllC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), and other organisations as “illegal groups.”

Background:

• The UAPA was established in 1967 to combat organisations that support secession.
• This anti-terror statute was established to halt some illegal activity by individuals and organisations.
• Investigations are conducted by the State Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• Because the investigative agency has up to 180 days to draught a charge sheet, getting bail is particularly challenging.

Three primary topics are the focus of the UAPA Amendment Act, 2019:

• undertakes or engages in acts of terrorism
• predicts terrorism
• support for terrorism
• is also connected to terrorism.
• For the same reasons, the government may label someone a terrorist.
• The death penalty and life in prison are the harshest punishments recognised by UAPA.
• Both Indian and foreign nationals may be charged under UAPA.
• Whether the incident took place inside India or outside of India, the offenders shall be held accountable for the same offences.

Explanation in favour of UAPA:

• to enable quick investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences in compliance with international laws and standards.
• Some illegal acts carried out by people or organisations can be stopped, especially if they have ties to terrorism.
• The state (government) is given the power to deal with violators since India’s sovereignty and integrity must be safeguarded at all costs.

Explanation against UAPA:

• The rights to the rule of law, the ability to dissent, and fair trials are all violated by this statute.
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that between 2016 and 2019 a total of 4,231 FIRs were filed under various provisions of the UAPA, and 112 of those cases resulted in convictions.
• Because there is no concrete evidence and no opportunity for a fair trial, this act violates our fundamental right to free speech.

Challenges:

• The Center has the right to decide whether to publish an Official Gazette outlining the forbidden activity. As a result, it is also possible to harm innocent bystanders.
• The federal structure of the country created by the Indian Constitution is allegedly being violated by the opposition parties’ claims that there was no pre-legislative consultation.
• A person is more likely to be labelled a terrorist when an act is used as leverage. This must be done in court; there are no provisions in this act that would permit it.
• It will damage a victim’s reputation and employment prospects.

Unsuccessful UAPA examples:

• The Delhi High Court expresses concern over allegations that the UAPA has been applied improperly to individuals in circumstances that aren’t always regarded as “terrorist” conduct.
• Three student activists who had been detained by the Delhi Police for a year under the UAPA anti-terror law were granted bail by the Delhi High Court.
• According to the court’s ruling, the State’s attempts to quell dissent appeared to have blurred the line between the constitutionally protected right to demonstrate and terrorist action. The proliferation of this kind of thinking would be terrible for democracy.

Instances of successful UAPA deployment:

• Only 2.2% of the cases recorded under the UAPA from 2016 to 2019 resulted in court convictions, according to the 2019 Crime in India Report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
• This is the ideal illustration of how the UAPA restricts our unalienable rights.

Source The Hindu

4 – Arctic Climate Crisis: GS III – Environmental Conservation related issues

Context:

• After discovering that the western Arctic Ocean’s chemistry was altering three to four times faster than other ocean regions, a group of experts issued a warning.

Introduction:

• The most northern polar region on Earth is the Arctic. A portion of Alaska in the United States, Canada, Finland, Greenland in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden are all included in the Arctic, as well as the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding waters.
• The Arctic region, which is mostly made up of treeless tundra coated in permafrost, is covered in seasonal fluctuations in snowfall and ice (permanently frozen subterranean ice).
• Arctic oceans are mostly covered by seasonal sea ice.
• In the Arctic, you can find zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, vegetation, and human societies.
• The Arctic ecology is among the most peculiar on the world. Native populations and local cultures in the Arctic have adapted to the harsh climate of the area.

How much ice does the Arctic now have?

• Around 2.7 million square miles of this ice were normally covered by it in September, and between 14 and 16 million square kilometres were usually covered by it in late January (5.4 to 6.2 million square miles). However, recent years have seen a sharp decline in those numbers.
• Numerous global climate models predict that the Arctic will be ice-free for at least a portion of the year by the end of the twenty-first century. By the middle of the century, the Arctic is predicted to be completely ice-free. The Arctic sea ice might become extremely vulnerable to shifts in natural cycles like the Arctic Oscillation depending on how much additional ice melts from the area.
• The loss of polar bear and seal habitat would result in an increase in polar bear encounters with humans. Indigenous Arctic people claim that polar bear populations and health have fluctuated throughout time.
• As sea ice disappears from coastlines, wind-driven waves and thawing permafrost will likely hasten coastal erosion. Another possible effect is changes in weather patterns.

Why is Arctic sea ice useful?

• By keeping the polar regions cool, Arctic sea ice helps to maintain the balance of the global climate. Due to its stunning surface, sea ice reflects 80% of the sunlight it absorbs back into space. Sea ice melts during the summer, exposing the deep ocean floor. 90% of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the ocean as opposed to 80% being reflected by it. Ocean warming is causing the Arctic to keep warmer.
• The poles are where climate change on Earth is most likely to occur as even tiny temperature changes there result in long-term warming.
• The area and thickness of the Arctic summer sea ice have significantly decreased during the previous thirty years, according to scientific observations. This is in line with the Arctic warming that has been seen. It’s likely that the sea ice melt will change weather patterns and speed up the global warming process.

Heating in the Arctic:

• Hundreds of years ago, Europeans thought the Pacific Ocean’s entry lay in the icy waters of the Arctic. Two of the many unique indigenous cultures that have lived throughout this area’s history are the Inuit and Chukchi.
• Although the Arctic is one of the last unexplored regions for the finding of natural resources, there are vast untapped quantities of minerals, natural gas, and oil beneath the tundra and ice.
• As a result, the Arctic is being fiercely contested by countries including the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Russia.
• The 2020 Arctic Report Card was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 133 scientists from 15 different countries (NOAA). It highlights trends that have gotten worse over time and have a significant impact on people living elsewhere, particularly those in the Lower 48 States.
• environmental responses Researchers worry that the Arctic changes could set off feedback cycles that result in further warming. For instance, as the white sea ice melts throughout the summer, exposed areas of dark open water may absorb more heat from the sun. As a result, the greater heat aids in the melting of more ice. The melting of the sea ice is considered to be one of the reasons of the Arctic amplification.
• Permafrost may also have an impact on feedbacks. As the permafrost thaws, frozen plants and animals begin to decompose. Methane and carbon dioxide are released back into the atmosphere during their breakdown, which may cause more warming.
• The Arctic’s shifting flora has an effect on surface brightness as well as warming, and water vapour, a potent greenhouse gas, may contain more air as the temperature warms.

How can increased Arctic temperatures impact greenhouse gas emissions?

• In the form of organic matter, carbon is currently building up in the Arctic’s permafrost, or permanently frozen ground. Significant amounts of carbon accumulate, particularly in the vast, damp peat bogs of Siberia and parts of North America.
• The organic material in the permafrost surface layer deteriorates during the summer thaw, emitting methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When the climate heats, these emissions increase, which can result in an amplifying feedback loop whereby increased warming causes larger releases, which then causes increased warming, and so on.
• Due to the chance that soil moisture and a variety of other factors could affect the potential scope of these emissions, there is a great deal of uncertainty.

Source The Hindu