21-DEC-24

INDEX
DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS – 21-12-2024

S. No Newspaper Article Covered Source Page. No

EVM row: SC moves former MLA’s plea to another The Hindu 2

1 Bench

New undersea cables to boost India’s digital The Hindu 4

2 connectivity

The Hindu 6
A chance to strike gold during the Kuwait visit
3

The Indian Express 9

How global crises are connected?
4

Defence Ministry signs ₹7,629-cr. pact for 100 The Hindu 10

5 artillery gun

6 Prelims Practice Questions --- 10

7 Mains Practice Question --- 11

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Title: EVM row: SC moves former MLA’s plea to another Bench

UPSC Relevance UPSC Syllabus
 EVM &  Prelims - Current events of national and international importance
VVPAT  Mains, GS Paper II - Functions and responsibilities of various
Constitutional Bodies

Context: The Supreme Court of India has been handling a petition by five-time former MLA Karan
Singh Dalal regarding the safety, verification, and accountability of Electronic Voting Machines
(EVMs) and related components like Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).

What is Electronic Voting Machine?

 EVM is a device used to record votes electronically.
 Each EVM consists of a Ballot Unit, where the voter casts their vote, and a Control Unit, which
stores and tallies the votes.
 EVMs, were first introduced experimentally in 1982 in Paravur Assembly Constituency of Kerala,
have replaced ballot boxes since 1998.
 A ballot is a method for voting, which can include both paper ballots and electronic systems
like EVMs.

 By 2003, all state elections and by-elections embraced EVMs.

 The use of EVMs became mandatory progressively from 2000, and the 2004 Lok Sabha elections
were the first nationwide election to use EVMs exclusively.

What is Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)?

 VVPAT units are used alongside EVMs to enhance transparency and voter confidence.

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 They generate a paper slip for each vote cast, allowing voters to verify that their vote has been
correctly recorded.
 Verification Process: The VVPAT slip is visible to the voter through a transparent window for 7
seconds before being deposited into a sealed compartment, ensuring that the vote is recorded
accurately.
 It was first introduced in India in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Recent Controversies Regarding EVMs

 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in India have faced recurring allegations of tampering,
often raised by political parties following electoral defeats.
These claims have sparked debates about the credibility and security of the country’s
electronic voting system.
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has consistently refuted claims of EVM tampering,
highlighting the following:
o Technical Reliability: Studies conducted by independent technical experts confirm
that EVMs are designed to be tamper-proof and cannot be hacked due to their
standalone architecture.
o Comprehensive Safeguards: The ECI has implemented rigorous administrative
protocols, including randomization of machines, sealing procedures, and secure
storage, to prevent any misuse.

Supreme Court's Observations on EVMs and VVPATs

 Subramanian Swamy v. Election Commission of India (2013): The Supreme Court directed the
ECI to gradually implement VVPATs, emphasizing voter confidence and transparency, but noted
practical and financial constraints.
 Chandra Babu Naidu Case (2019): The Supreme Court increased VVPAT verification to five
polling stations per constituency but acknowledged logistical challenges for 50% verification.
 Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India (2024):

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 Upholding EVMs and VVPATs: Supreme Court reaffirmed the reliability of EVMs and the
VVPAT system, rejecting pleas for a return to paper ballots
 Enhanced Verification Process: Directed the Election Commission to allow candidates
placed second or third to request verification of the burnt memory in EVMs, with
verification costs refundable if tampering is proven.
 Sealing of Symbol Loading Units (SLUs): Mandated that SLUs be sealed and stored
securely for 45 days post-election results to enhance transparency and accountability.

Demands in Recent Petitions

 Non-Deletion of Original Burnt Memory: Ensure that the burnt memory/microcontroller data
of EVM components (control units, ballot units, VVPATs, SLUs) is preserved and not deleted.
 Verification Mechanism: Introduce a mechanism for the systematic verification of burnt
memory/microcontroller in case of allegations of tampering or suspicion.
 Safe Custody of EVMs and VVPATs: Mandate secure storage and custody of EVMs, VVPATs,
and SLUs to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.
 Establishment of a Policy/Memorandum: To mandate the Election Commission of India (ECI)
to draft a standardized policy for checking and verifying the burnt memory or microcontroller
of EVMs.

Conclusion: While EVMs and VVPATs have strengthened India's electoral system with transparency
and efficiency, recurring concerns about their reliability demand continuous improvements.

Title: New undersea cables to boost India’s digital connectivity

UPSC Relevance UPSC Syllabus
 Submarine Cable  Prelims
Systems  Mains, GS Paper III - Achievements of Indians in science &
 Regulatory technology; indigenization of technology and developing new
Framework technology.

Context: India's digital connectivity infrastructure is set to receive a significant boost with the
imminent launch of two new submarine cable systems: the India Asia Xpress (IAX) and the India
Europe Xpress (IEX).

Submarine Cable Systems (SMCs):

 Submarine cables are fiber optic cable networks laid on the ocean floor to transmit internet
and telecommunication data globally.
o Optical fibres are thin, flexible strands of glass or plastic that transmit information in
the form of light signals.
o They form the backbone of modern telecommunications and internet infrastructure,
enabling rapid and efficient data transfer over long distances.
 Significance:
o Carry 99% of global international internet traffic.
o Serve as the backbone for digital economies and global connectivity.

Submarine Cable Systems in India:

 International Submarine Cables:

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o India has 17 international submarine cables, with Mumbai and Chennai having the
maximum concentration of SMCs.
o New Cable Systems:
 India Asia Xpress (IAX): Connects Chennai with countries in Southeast Asia,
including Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
 India Europe Xpress (IEX): Links India to Europe via Mumbai, with
connections to France, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Djibouti.
 Domestic Cables:
o Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands Cable (CANI): Connects Chennai to Port Blair
and seven other islands in the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago.
o Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands (KLI) Cable System: Provides a direct communication link
between Kochi and 11 islands of Lakshadweep.

Global Regulatory Framework:

 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):
o Provides the legal basis for laying and maintaining submarine cables in international
waters.
o Articles 112-115: Define rights and obligations for nations concerning submarine
cables.
 International Telecommunication Union (ITU):
o Establishes international standards for the construction, maintenance, and
protection of submarine cables.
o Promotes global coordination to ensure uninterrupted communication.
 International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC):
o Focuses on the safety, resilience, and protection of submarine cables.
o Issues guidelines and best practices for nations and operators to mitigate risks.

Indian Regulatory Framework:

 Department of Telecommunications (DoT):
o Governs the setup, operation, and maintenance of submarine cables in India.
o Issues International Long-Distance (ILD) licenses for private players to establish Cable
Landing Stations (CLSs).
 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI):
o Regulates pricing, quality, and accessibility of submarine cable services.
o Advises the government on policy matters related to submarine cables.

Title: A chance to strike gold during the Kuwait visit

UPSC relevance UPSC Syllabus
 India-Kuwait Mains GS-Paper 2, Bilateral, regional and global groupings and
Relations agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
 GCC
Context:

 Strategic Importance of Kuwait: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kuwait is the first
by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years, highlighting the importance of this Gulf nation in
India’s foreign policy.

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Key Highlights of the Visit:

 Economic Cooperation and Trade: The total trade volume between India and the GCC stood
at $184.46 billion during the financial year 2022-23. Discussions include a bilateral
investment treaty with Kuwait and a free trade agreement with the GCC.
 Defense Cooperation: The visit aims to explore defense collaboration, including discussions
on a defense cooperation pact.
 Focus on Indian Diaspora: PM Modi’s visit to a labor camp underscores the government’s
commitment to the welfare of Indian workers abroad.
 Cultural and Sporting Ties: PM Modi will attend the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup
football tournament, fostering cultural connections.

Strategic Significance:

 Kuwait’s Role in the GCC: Kuwait’s role as the Chair of the GCC makes it pivotal for
advancing India’s trade and energy ties with the bloc.
 Energy Security: Strengthening relations with Kuwait supports India’s energy needs, as
Kuwait is a major supplier of crude oil and LNG.
 Geopolitical Dimensions: Strengthened ties with Kuwait bolster India’s position in the Gulf
amidst competition from global powers.

About Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC):

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): The GCC is a political and economic union comprising six countries
on the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab
Emirates.

Key Details:

1. Formation: Established in May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2. Purpose: To enhance economic, security, cultural, and social collaboration among the
member nations and to hold an annual summit to address regional issues and cooperative
efforts.
3. Oil Reserves: The GCC nations collectively account for nearly half of the global oil reserves.

Organizational Structure:

 The Supreme Council: Highest decision-making

body of heads of state; meets annually, with
unanimous decisions; presidency rotates
alphabetically.
 The Ministerial Council: Composed of foreign
ministers; meets quarterly to implement Supreme
Council decisions and propose policies.
 The Secretariat General: Administrative arm based
in Riyadh, responsible for policy execution and
organizing meetings.

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India’s Relations with GCC:

Strategic Partnership: India views the GCC as a crucial trade and investment partner. While India
shares robust economic and political ties with all GCC members, strategic partnerships are
particularly established with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman.

Energy Security: The Gulf region met 55.3% of India’s crude oil needs in 2022–23, a decrease from
63.9% in 2021–22. However, with declining Russian oil imports in 2023–24, India’s reliance on Gulf
oil is beginning to increase again.

Trade and Investment:

 The GCC is India’s leading regional trading partner, accounting for 15.8% of India’s total
trade in FY2022–23, compared to 11.6% with the European Union.
 The UAE remains India’s top trading partner within the GCC and its third-largest globally,
followed by Saudi Arabia in fourth place.
 India has a trade deficit with GCC nations due to its dependence on oil and gas imports from
the region.
 India is actively engaging with the I2U2 grouping and the India–Middle East–Europe
Economic Corridor (IMEC) for greater regional integration, though these efforts may face
delays due to the Hamas–Israel conflict.

Defence Relations:

 India’s defense cooperation with GCC countries is expanding significantly.

 The Indian Navy began bilateral exercises with the UAE in 2018, Qatar in 2019, and Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia in 2021.
 The Indian Army held its first exercises with the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2024.
 The UAE and Oman are India’s primary defense partners in the region, conducting joint
exercises across the army, air force, and navy.
 India and the UAE have initiated trilateral military collaboration with France, participating in
maritime exercises in 2023 and air force drills in 2024.

Challenges and Critique:

 Economic Diversification: India must diversify its trade with Kuwait beyond oil to include
technology and education sectors.
 Diaspora Issues: Addressing the persistent challenges faced by Indian workers in the Gulf
requires consistent efforts.

 Geopolitical Balancing: India needs to carefully navigate its Gulf engagements amidst
regional tensions.

Title: How global crises are connected

UPSC Relevance: UPSC Syllabus:
 IPBES Prelims, Climate Change
 Global Crises Mains, GS Paper III, Environmental Pollution & Degradation

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Context: The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has
released the Nexus Assessment Report.

About the Report:

 This report provides a scientific evaluation of the intricate
connections between five key elements such as biodiversity, water,
food, health, and climate change and examines strategies to
optimize co-benefits through integrated responses.
 IPBES report findings contributed to the development of the
Kunming-Montreal Framework in 2022, which outlines 23 global
targets, including:
 Protecting 30% of land, freshwater, and marine areas by 2030.
 Restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.

About IPBES:
 It is an independent intergovernmental organization, founded in 2012.
 It was established to enhance the science-policy interface for conserving biodiversity, promoting
its sustainable use, and advancing human well-being and sustainable development.
 It has 150 member countries, including India as a founding member.
 Though not a UN body, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat support to
IPBES.
 It incorporates multiple international conventions, such as the Convention on Biodiversity and
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, to guide policy decisions.

Key highlights of the Report:

1. Massive Unaccounted Costs
 Current economic activities result in unaccounted costs of $10-25 trillion annually, primarily
from their negative impacts on biodiversity, water, and climate.
 Public subsidies further incentivize private investments in nature-damaging activities.
2. Rapid Biodiversity Decline
 Biodiversity has been declining at a rate of 2-6% per decade over the past 30-50 years.

 75% of Earth's land surface and 66% of marine environments have been significantly
altered.
 Over 85% of wetlands have been lost.
 This decline reduces ecosystems' capacity to sequester carbon, thereby accelerating climate
change.
3. Global Socio-Economic Drivers of Biodiversity Loss

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 Indirect factors like increasing waste, overconsumption, and population growth have
intensified direct threats such as:
 Land and sea-use changes
 Pollution
 Invasive alien species
 More than 50% of the global population is impacted by biodiversity decline, affecting health,
food, and water security.
4. Ecosystem Degradation
 The global economy's dependence on biodiversity and ecosystems is significant, with $58
trillion worth of activities relying on nature.
 Practices like unsustainable freshwater extraction, wetland degradation, and deforestation
have reduced water quality and compromised ecosystems' ability to resist climate change
impacts.
5. Link Between Ecosystems and Emerging Diseases
 Around 50% of emerging infectious diseases are driven by the interconnected health of
ecosystems, animals, and humans.
Recommendations of the Nexus Report
1. Synergistic Approaches:
 Restore carbon-rich ecosystems such as forests and mangroves to enhance biodiversity and
combat climate change.
 Halt deforestation.
 Policies should be designed to harmonize actions across all five areas, avoiding trade-offs
and conflicts in land-use priorities.
2. Nature-Based and Sustainable Solutions:
 Leverage urban nature-based solutions and integrate the traditional knowledge of
indigenous peoples.
 Promote sustainable agricultural practices and adopt the One Health approach to address
the interconnected health of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
3. Economic Opportunities:
 Ending fossil fuel subsidies and eliminating inefficiencies in current systems.
 Transitioning to sustainable approaches that could unlock over $10 trillion in economic
opportunities and create 400 million jobs by 2030.
4. Harmonizing Policy Responses:
 Develop policies that integrate food systems, climate action, and biodiversity
conservation, ensuring synergies and minimizing trade-offs.
5. Reforming Financial Systems:
 Encourage nature-positive investments to close the biodiversity financing gap and support
the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Title: Defence Ministry signs ₹7,629-cr. pact for 100 artillery guns
(TH-12)
UPSC Relevance: UPSC Syllabus:
 K9  Prelims
VAJRA-T  Mains, GS Paper III, Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers,
robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology

Context: The Defence Ministry of India has signed a contract with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the
procurement of 100 additional K9 Vajra-T self-propelled tracked artillery guns.

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What K9 VAJRA-T

 It is a 155 mm, 52-caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer.

 Developed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in collaboration with South Korea's Hanwha Defense,
based on the K9 Thunder platform.
o K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
 Range: Effective firing range up to 50 kilometers.
 It is designed for rapid deployment and "shoot and scoot" tactics.
o "Shoot-and-scoot" is an artillery tactic involving firing at a target and then
immediately relocating to evade enemy counter-battery fire.
 Induction: The Indian Army inducted 100 units by 2021, with an additional 100 units
contracted in December 2024 to enhance artillery capabilities.
 Indigenization: Approximately 50% of components by value are manufactured in India,
promoting indigenous defense production under the 'Make in India' initiative.

Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. The "30 by 30" target, often mentioned environmental agreements and do not pertain
in the news, is an outcome of the Conference to the specific outcomes of COP15.
of Parties of which convention?
a) United Nations Framework Convention on Q2- Which of the following countries are
Climate Change (UNFCCC) members of the Gulf Cooperation Council
b) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (GCC)?
c) United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) 1. Bahrain
d) Convention on International Trade in 2. Kuwait
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 3. Qatar
(CITES) 4. Iran
Answer: b 5. Oman
Explanation: The "30 by 30" target was
adopted during COP15 of the Convention on Select the correct answer using the codes
Biological Diversity (CBD), aiming to protect given below:
30% of the planet's land and marine areas by
a. 1, 2, 3, and 4 only
2030. This target is part of the "Kunming-
b. 2, 3, and 5 only
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,"
c. 1, 2, 3, and 5 only
which focuses on addressing biodiversity loss
d. All of the above
and enhancing conservation efforts globally.
The other options relate to different

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Mains Practice Question:

Answer: (c) Q. Discuss the steps taken to ensure the
Explanation: reliability and transparency of EVMs and
VVPATs in India. (150 words)
 The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Approach Answer:
UAE. Iran is not a member of the GCC.
Introduction:
Q3. Consider the following statements
regarding Submarine Cable Systems (SMCs):  Importance of EVMs in enhancing
efficiency and reducing electoral
1) Submarine cables are fiber optic networks malpractices.
laid on the ocean floor that carry 99% of the  Introduction of VVPATs for
world’s international internet traffic. transparency and voter confidence.
 Concerns of tampering and measures
2) The India Asia Xpress (IAX) connects India to address them.
to Europe via Mumbai with links to Greece
and Djibouti. Body:
3) The United Nations Convention on the Law  Election Commission of India (ECI):
of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a legal o Technical safeguards:
framework for laying and maintaining Standalone architecture,
submarine cables in international waters. tamper-proof design.
o Administrative measures:
Which of the statements given above is/are Randomization, sealing, and
correct? secure storage.
o VVPAT implementation:
Options:
Gradual introduction since
(a) 1 and 2 only
2014.
(b) 1 and 3 only
 Judicial Directives:
(c) 2 and 3 only
o Subramanian Swamy Case
(d) 1, 2, and 3
(2013): Gradual VVPAT
implementation.
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
o Chandra Babu Naidu Case
Explanation: (2019): Increased VVPAT
verification to five stations per
 Statement 1: Correct. Submarine constituency.
cables are fiber optic networks that o Association for Democratic
carry 99% of the world’s international Reforms Case (2024): Burnt
internet traffic. memory verification, SLU
 Statement 2: Incorrect. The India Asia sealing for 45 days.
Xpress (IAX) connects Chennai to
Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Conclusion:
Malaysia), not Europe.
 Progress in enhancing transparency
 Statement 3: Correct. UNCLOS
and trust.
provides the legal framework for
 Need for continuous reforms like
laying and maintaining submarine
third-party audits and better
cables in international waters under
awareness campaigns to strengthen
Articles 112-115.
public confidence.

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