Current Affairs 11 October 2024

Contents:

1. PM’s 10-point plan to strengthen India-ASEAN relations
2. Information on CAA beneficiaries not readily available
3. Blue-blooded sea creature
4. Centre declares Hizb-Ut-Tahrir as terrorist organization
5. Appointment Of Chief Minister
6. Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024

PM’s 10-point plan to strengthen India-ASEAN relations

Context:

The prime Minister of India attended the 21st ASEAN-Indian Summit 2024 that was recently held in Laos.

Relevance:

GS II: International Relations

Dimensions of the Article:

1. PM’s 10-point plan to strengthen India-ASEAN relations
2. About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

PM’s 10-point plan to strengthen India-ASEAN relations:

• The prime Minister of India announced a 10-point plan to mark a decade of India’s Act East Policy.
• In keeping with the theme of ‘Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’, the Prime Minister announced a 10-point plan:
  • Tourism: The year 2025 will be celebrated as ASEAN-India Year of Tourism for which India will make available USD 5 million towards joint activities.
  • People-to-people connect: Celebrate a decade of Act East Policy through several people centric activities including Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hackathon, Music Festival, ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks and Delhi Dialogue
  • Science and Technology: India will organise ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave under ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund.
  • Education: India to double the number of scholarships at Nalanda University and provision of new scholarships for ASEAN students at Agricultural Universities in India.
  • Trade: Review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.
  • Disaster Management: Enhancing Disaster Resilience for which India will make available USD 5 million.
  • Health: Initiate a new Health Ministers’ track towards building Health Resilience.
  • Cyber Security: Initiate a regular mechanism of ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue towards strengthening Digital and Cyber Resilience.
  • Energy: Organising workshop on Green Hydrogen.
  • Environment conservation: India Invited ASEAN Leaders to join the ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign towards building climate resilience.

About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising Ten Countries in Southeast Asia.

Members of ASEAN

1. Indonesia
2. Malaysia
3. Philippines
4. Singapore
5. Thailand
6. Brunei
7. Vietnam
8. Laos
9. Myanmar
10. Cambodia

ASEAN’s Objectives:

1. To promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia.
2. To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations.
3. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
4. To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.

A major partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN maintains a global network of alliances and dialogue partners and is considered by many as the central union for cooperation in Asia-Pacific.

• The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• ASEAN is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• 8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.
• In 1967 ASEAN was established with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by its founding fathers: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
• ASEAN is the 3rd largest market in the world – larger than EU and North American markets.

ASEAN Plus Three

ASEAN Plus Three is a forum that functions as a coordinator of co-operation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nations of China, South Korea, and Japan.

ASEAN Plus Six

• further integration to improve existing ties of Southeast Asia was done by the larger East Asia Summit (EAS), which included ASEAN Plus Three as well as India, Australia, and New Zealand.
• The group became ASEAN Plus Six with Australia, New Zealand, and India, and stands as the linchpin of Asia Pacific’s economic, political, security, socio-cultural architecture, as well as the global economy.
• This group acted as a prerequisite for the planned East Asia Community which was supposedly patterned after the European Community (now transformed into the European Union).

ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)

• The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed and entered into force in 2010.
• Under the Agreement, ASEAN Member States and India have agreed to open their respective markets by progressively reducing and eliminating duties on more than 75% coverage of goods.

ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement (AITISA)

• The ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement was signed in 2014.
• It contains provisions on transparency, domestic regulations, recognition, market access, national treatment and dispute settlement.

ASEAN-India Investment Agreement (AIIA)

• The ASEAN-India Investment Agreement was signed in 2014.
• The Investment Agreement stipulates protection of investment to ensure fair and equitable treatment for investors, non-discriminatory treatment in expropriation or nationalisation as well as fair compensation.

ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA)

• The ASEAN–India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) is a free trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
• The free trade area came into effect in 2010.
• The ASEAN–India Free Area emerged from a mutual interest of both parties to expand their economic ties in the Asia-Pacific region.
• India’s Look East policy was reciprocated by similar interests of many ASEAN countries to expand their interactions westward.
• The signing of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement paves the way for the creation of one of the world’s largest FTAs – a market of almost 1.8 billion people with a combined GDP of US $ 2.8 trillion.
• The AIFTA will see tariff liberalisation of over 90% of products traded between the two dynamic regions, including the so-called “special products,” such as palm oil (crude and refined), coffee, black tea and pepper.

-Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express       

Information on CAA beneficiaries not readily available

Context:

As a response to a recently filed RTI application, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said the information on applicants who became Indian citizens under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) is not readily available.

• The Ministry replied that the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) is not obligated to compile or create data under the RTI Act, 2005.

Relevance:

GS2-

• Government Policies and Interventions
• India and its Neighbourhood

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA)
2. Criticisms of the CAA

Citizenship as a Central Subject discussion

• Citizenship is a Central subject and the Home Ministry periodically delegates powers to States through gazette notification under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• Indian citizenship can be acquired on eight grounds – based on registration made by a person of Indian origin, by a person married to an Indian, minor child, whose parents are registered as citizens of India, by a person whose either parent was a citizen of Independent India, overseas citizens of India, by naturalisation and registration of a child at an Indian consulate.

Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA)

• The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was notified in December 2019 and came into force from January 2020, amending the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• The Citizenship Act,1955 provides various ways in which citizenship may be acquired: providing for citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and by incorporation of the territory into India.
• The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian — from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
• Those from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution in their respective countries, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
• The Act provides that the central government may cancel the registration of OCIs on certain grounds.
• The Act does not apply to tribal areas of Tripura, Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya because of being included in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.
• Also, areas that fall under the Inner Limit notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, will also be outside the Act’s purview.

Criticisms of the CAA

• It violates the basic tenets of the Constitution. Illegal immigrants are distinguished on the basis of religion.
• It is perceived to be a demographic threat to indigenous communities.
• It makes illegal migrants eligible for citizenship on the basis of religion. This may violate Article 14 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to equality.
• It attempts to naturalise the citizenship of illegal immigrants in the region.
• It allows cancellation of OCI registration for violation of any law. This is a wide ground that may cover a range of violations, including minor offences.

-Source: The Hindu

Blue-blooded sea creature

Context:

The blue-blooded sea creature on Odisha’s coastline face threat of extinction.

Relevance:

GS III: Environment and Ecology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Details
2. About Horseshoe Crabs
3. Species Distribution
4. Threats and Conservation
5. Medical Significance

Details:

• A horseshoe crab’s blood has a blue to blue-green color when exposed to the air.
• They face extinction due to habitat loss and anthropogenic threats, prompting conservation efforts by scientistsand researchers.
• Scientists have now begun tagging them to track their movements and study them better on the beaches they come to nest on

About Horseshoe Crabs

• Horseshoe crabs belong to the family Limulidae and are the sole surviving members of the order Xiphosura.
• Found only on select coasts around the world, it has survived 445 million years, as fossils show, without undergoing any morphological change.
• They thrive in marine and brackish waters.
• Known as one of the oldest living creatures on Earth, horseshoe crabs first appeared around 250 million years ago, earning them the title of “living fossils.”

Species Distribution

• Global Species: There are four recognized species of horseshoe crabs.
  • Tachypleus gigas: Found in Odisha and West Bengal, India.
  • Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda: Located in the Sundarbans mangroves of West Bengal.
  • Limulus polyphemus: Native to the eastern coast of the USA and the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Tachypleus tridentatus: Inhabits the Indo-Pacific region.

Threats and Conservation

• Current Threats: They face risks from destructive fishing practices and illegal smuggling.
• Legal Protection: In India, species are safeguarded under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• IUCN Status:
  • American horseshoe crab: Vulnerable.
  • Tri-spine horseshoe crab: Endangered.
  • The status of the other two species has not yet been evaluated.

Medical Significance

• Medicinal Applications: The carapace is used traditionally to treat scars.
• Scientific Use: Their blood is vital in biomedicine due to its unique blue color and immune cells sensitive to bacterial toxins. These properties are exploited in the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test, crucial for ensuring the safety of vaccines.

Cultural Impact

• Awareness and Conservation: International Horseshoe Crab Day is observed annually on June 20th, highlighting global conservation efforts to protect these ancient mariners.

-Source: The Hindu

Centre declares Hizb-Ut-Tahrir as terrorist organization

Context:

Centre has declared Hizb-Ut-Tahrir and all its manifestations and front organizations as terrorist organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Relevance:

GS II: Polity and Governance

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Details
2. What does a ‘ban’ on an organisation mean?
3. What is a “terrorist” organisation?
4. How is an organisation declared a terrorist organisation?
5. What are the consequences of declaring an organisation a terrorist organisation?

Details:

• Centre declares Hizb-ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organization under UAPA.
• As per the latest gazette notification by the Union Home ministry, Hizb-Ut-Tahrir is allegedly involved in the radicalization and motivation of gullible youth to join terrorist organizations, such as ISIS, and raising funds for terror activities.
• It said, the aim of the organization is to establish an Islamic state and Caliphate globally, including in India, by overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihad and terrorist activities.
• The Ministry said, Hizb-Ut-Tahrir is also promoting terrorism by using various social media platforms, secure apps, and by conducting Dawah meetings to encourage gullible youth to indulge in acts of terrorism.

What does a ‘ban’ on an organisation mean?

• The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act gives powers to the government to declare an organisation an “unlawful association” or a “terrorist organisation”, which is often colloquially described as a “ban” on the organisations.
• Declaring an organisation a terrorist organisation has serious consequences in law, including criminalising its membership and the forfeiture of the property of the organisation.
• Several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council starting from 1997 require member states
  • To take action against certain terrorists and terrorist organisations,
  • To freeze their assets and other economic resources,
  • To prevent their entry into or the transit through their territory,
  • To prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of arms and ammunition to those individuals or entities listed in the Schedule.

What is a “terrorist” organisation?

• Section 2(m) of the UAPA defines “terrorist organisation” as an organisation listed in the Schedule to the UAPA, or an organisation operating under the same name as an organisation so listed in the Schedule.
  • Schedule 1 currently lists 42 organisations, including Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, Babbar Khalsa International, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, among others as terrorist organisations.

How is an organisation declared a terrorist organisation?

• Under Section 35 of the UAPA, the central government has powers to declare an organisation a terrorist organisation “only if it believes that it is involved in terrorism”.
• The Schedule can be amended by the government to add or remove organisations from the list. The law states that an organisation shall be deemed to be involved in terrorism if it,
  • commits or participates in acts of terrorism, or
  • prepares for terrorism, or
  • promotes or encourages terrorism, or
  • is otherwise involved in terrorism.

What are the consequences of declaring an organisation a terrorist organisation?

• The two crucial consequences of being declared a terrorist organisation is that
  • the funding of the organisation
  • the association of individuals with the organisation are criminalised
• Section 38 of the UAPA requires a person who “associates himself, or professes to be associated, with a terrorist organisation with intention to further its activities, commits an offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation” is punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years.
  • However, such individuals are exempted from the provision if they have been members before the organisation was declared a terrorist organisation and did not take part in any activities of the organisation at any time during its inclusion in the Schedule.
• Section 20 of the UAPA prescribes punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation. It states: “Any person who is a member of a terrorist gang or a terrorist organisation, which is involved in terrorist act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”
• Section 21 prescribes punishment for individuals holding proceeds of terrorism with imprisonment for a term which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
• The UAPA under Section 24A also provides for forfeiture of proceeds of terrorism. The law states that even if the person is not convicted for being associated with a terrorist organisation, “proceeds of terrorism” can be forfeited to the Central Government or the State Government.

What is the recourse in law available to a terrorist organisation?

• An application can be made to the central government to remove an organisation from the Schedule by the organisation itself or any person affected by inclusion of the organisation in the Schedule as a terrorist organisation.
• A review committee is then appointed which is headed by a sitting or former judge of a High Court to “judicially review” the application.
• The organisation will be removed if the review committee “considers that the decision to reject was flawed when considered in the light of the principles applicable on an application for judicial review”.

-Source: The Indian Express, Air       

Appointment of Chief Minister

Context:

Nayab Singh Saini is likely to take oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana on October 15.

Relevance:

GS Paper 2: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers.

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Understanding the position of the Chief Minister
2. Regarding Appointment of the Chief Minister
3. Constitution assumes CM as a legislator

Understanding the position of the Chief Minister

• The position of the Chief Minister at the state level is analogous to the position of the Prime Minister at the Centre and the governor is the nominal executive authority (de jure executive) and the Chief Minister is the real executive authority (de facto executive).
• Article 163 of the Constitution says that there shall be a Council of Ministers in the states with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in exercise his functions, except those which are required to be done by the Governor on his/her discretion.
• The council of Ministers formulates the policy of the Government and implements it practically.

Regarding Appointment of the Chief Minister

• Article 164 only says that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the governor. However, the Constitution does not contain any specific procedure for the selection and appointment of the Chief Minister and Article 164 does NOT imply that the governor is free to appoint anyone as the Chief Minister.
• A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State, at the expiration of that period ceases to be a Minister. (Article 164)
• A person who is not a member of the state legislature can be appointed as Chief Minister for six months, within which time, he should be elected to the state legislature, failing which he ceases to be the Chief Minister.

Constitution assumes CM as a legislator

• We have a parliamentary democracy, which essentially means that whoever has the confidence of the majority of the members of the Lok Sabha, in the case of the Centre, will be the Prime Minister.
• Article 164 (2): The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State.
• It also requires that all Ministers should be a Member of Parliament (MP) or get elected within six months. Anybody who is a Minister and is not an MP for six months automatically stands to be disqualified from the administration.
• Article 164 (4): A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister.
• Hence, the Constitution visualises the Chief Minister as being elected by the members of the House of their own free will and it assumes that the Chief Minister is a member. However, there is a party high command, especially in the case of national parties, which decides who will become the Chief Minister.

-Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express       

Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024

Context:

Recently, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to South Korean author Han Kang “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

Relevance:

Facts for Prelims

About Han Kang:

• Background:
  • Han Kang is a South Korean writer.
  • Kang was born in Gwangju in 1970, though she grew up in Suyuri and currently lives in Seoul.
• Notable works:
  • She began her career in 1993 with the publication of a number of poems in the magazine ‘Literature and Society’.
  • Her prose debut came in 1995 with the short story collection ‘Love of Yeosu’, followed soon afterwards by several other prose works, both novels and short stories.
  • Her major international breakthrough came with the novel 채식주의자 (2007; The Vegetarian, 2015). The novel The Vegetarian, which traces a woman’s mental illness and neglect from her family.
• Characteristics of  her works:
  • Han Kang’s work is characterized by double exposure of pain, a correspondence between mental and physical torment with close connections to Eastern thinking. 
  • She confronts historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and, in each of her works, exposes the fragility of human life.
  • She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose.
• Alongside her writing, she has also devoted herself to art and music, which is reflected throughout her entire literary production.
• According to the Nobel Press Conference, she is the first South Korean writer to win the award.

-Source: The Indian Express