21 January 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION GS II – Topic Statutory and Non-Statutory Bodies

What exactly is CBI:

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is India’s top investigative agency.
• It is overseen by the Department of Personnel, Ministry of Personnel, Pensions & Public Grievances, Government of India, which is part of the prime minister’s office.
• The Central Vigilance Commission, on the other hand, is in charge of investigations under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
• It also serves as India’s nodal police agency, coordinating investigations on behalf of Interpol member countries.
• It has a conviction record of 65 to 70%, which puts it on par with the greatest investigation organizations in the world.

The CBI is in charge of a number of cases:

• Anti-Corruption Crimes – for the investigation of cases brought against public officials and workers of the Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Corporations, or Bodies owned or controlled by the Government of India under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
• Economic Crimes – for the investigation of major financial scams and serious economic frauds, such as crimes involving Fake Indian Currency Notes, Bank Frauds, and Cyber Crime, bank frauds, Import Export & Foreign Exchange violations, large-scale narcotics, antiques, cultural property, and other contraband items, and so on.
• Special Crimes – cases of terrorism, bomb blasts, kidnapping for ransom, and crimes perpetrated by the mafia/underworld are investigated under the Indian Penal Code and other laws at the request of state governments or on the directives of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Suo Moto Cases – The CBI can only investigate offences in the Union Territories on its own initiative.
• The CBI can be authorized by the Central Government to investigate a crime in a state, but only with the approval of the state government in question.
• The Supreme Court and High Courts, on the other hand, have the authority to direct the CBI to investigate a crime anywhere in the country without the permission of the government.

Source The Hindu

 2 – QUAD: GS II – Topic International Relations related topics

About QUAD:

• India, Australia, the United States, and Japan are its four democratic members.
• All four nations are democracies, and they all concur that everyone’s interests are served by unhindered marine trade and security.
• It aims to ensure and uphold a “free, open, and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
• In 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe originally presented the idea of Quad. The initiative, however, was unable to move forward when Australia withdrew, purportedly under Chinese pressure.
• This “quadrilateral” alliance between India, Australia, the US, and Japan was finally established in 2017.

What Options Does India Have Under the Quad Agreement?

• Chinese maritime interests trump their petty ambitions to take over territory in the Himalayas.
• The Indian Ocean routes, which intersect important maritime lanes, are the primary means of transportation for Chinese goods.
• India might be able to stop Chinese commerce by cooperating with the Quad nations in the event that China takes any border action.
• As a result, the maritime sphere is completely open to India and presents a wealth of opportunities for coalition building, rule setting, and other forms of strategic exploration, in contrast to the continental sphere where India appears to be in a “nutcracker like situation” as a result of China-Pakistan cooperation.
• becoming a provider of internet security: Big powers’ interest in the maritime sector has increased with the rise of the “Indo-Pacific” concept. For instance, numerous European countries have lately made their Indo-Pacific strategies public.
• India, which is strategically positioned at the centre of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical imagination, can help realise the concept of a “broader Asia” that can expand its influence beyond geographical boundaries.
• India can also support coordinated efforts in humanitarian aid and disaster relief, as well as monitoring shipping for search-and-rescue or anti-piracy operations, assisting states with vulnerable climates with infrastructure needs, and participating in connection projects and other related initiatives.
• With the assistance of the Quad nations, India can also restrain China’s imperialist activities in the Indian Ocean region, promoting peace and prosperity for everybody.

What are the problems related to Quad?

• Undefined Vision: Despite the potential for cooperation, the Quad remains a system without a distinct strategic objective.
• Concerns about whether cooperation extends outside the Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions are raised by the Quad’s transformation into a marine alliance when the Indo-Pacific as a whole is the focus.
• The Difference Between India and the Alliance System India is the only member to oppose a treaty alliance arrangement, which has slowed down the development of a deeper Quadrilateral involvement.

 How to Proceed:

• In order to advance everyone’s economic and security interests, the Quad states must adequately express the Indo-Pacific Vision within a comprehensive framework.
• Since India has many other allies in the Indo-Pacific, it should push for countries like Singapore and Indonesia to be invited to join in the future.
• India must develop a thorough plan for the Indo-Pacific region that takes into account both current and upcoming maritime concerns, unites its military and non-military capabilities, and includes its most important friends.

Source The Hindu

 3 – SVAMITVA SCHEME: GS II – Topic Government Policies related issues

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments, and the Survey of India collaborated on the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme.
• The goal is to equip rural India with a comprehensive property validation solution.
• It’s a plan that uses drone technology and a Continuously Operating Reference Station to map land parcels in rural inhabited regions (CORS).
• Over the course of four years, from 2020 to 2024, the mapping will be completed in phases across the country.
• Benefits: The approach would simplify planning and revenue collection in rural regions while also assuring property rights clarity.
• Using the maps developed under this program, the scheme will enable the production of higher-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
• Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) are required by law to be prepared by Gram Panchayats for economic development and social fairness.
• The GPDP is based on a participatory procedure that aligns with the schemes of the relevant Central Ministries/Line Departments for the 29 subjects included in the Constitution’s Eleventh Schedule.
• Current Coverage Area: Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are the six states where the program is currently being implemented.

Source  The Hindu

 4 – CENTRAL VISTA PROJECT: GS II – Topic Parliament-related issues

• In 2019, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed a renovation proposal for Central Vista.

The plan for the project is to:

• Next to the existing Parliament building, a triangular structure will be built.
• Creating a Central Secretariat for the Common Good.
• The 3-kilometer-long Rajpath between Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate is being remodeled.
• The North and South Blocks will be turned into museums.

The government’s case for redeveloping Central Vista is as follows:

• The amenities and infrastructure of the Parliament building are insufficient to satisfy current demand.
• The Central Government’s offices are dispersed around the country, causing inter-departmental coordination issues and unnecessary travel, which contributes to congestion and pollution.
• The majority of the existing structures have reached the end of their useful lives.
• Located in the heart of the city, Central Vista
• Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Blocks, India Gate, and the National Archives are all located in New Delhi’s Central Vista.
• In December 1911, King George V announced in the Delhi Durbar (grand assembly) that India’s capital will be relocated from Calcutta to Delhi.
• The Delhi Durbar was held to commemorate King George V’s coronation.
• Edwin Lutyens, noted for his strong dedication to European Classicism, and Herbert Baker, a prominent architect in South Africa, were tasked with designing a new city.
• The Union buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, were also designed by Herbert Baker.
• Lutyens and Baker collaborated on the design of Parliament House.
• Edwin Lutyens designed Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Herbert Baker designed the Secretariat, which contains both the north and south blocks.

 Source The Hindu