UPSC Key-September 20, 2022: Why you should read ‘CBI-Still Caged Parrot?’ or ‘Prisoner and Fundamental Rights’ or ‘Hijab-Obligation or Choice’ for UPSC CSE

FRONT PAGE

From 60% in UPA to 95% in NDA: A surge in share of Opposition leaders in CBI net

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity

Main Examination: General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- From the “Congress Bureau of Investigation” and a “caged parrot” to a part of the BJP’s “jamai” (son-in-law) trinity (the other two being Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate) — the Central Bureau of Investigation, the country’s premier anti-corruption agency, has acquired many an epithet for its reputation of acting at the behest of who pulls its political strings at the Centre.

• What Investigation says-Under the Congress-led UPA’s 10 years at the helm (2004-2014), at least 72 political leaders came under the CBI scanner and 43 of them (60 per cent) were from the Opposition. Under the BJP-led NDA-II’s eight years in power so far, even as the Opposition’s political footprint has shrunk, at least 124 prominent leaders have faced CBI probes and as many as 118 of them are from the Opposition — that’s 95 per cent.

• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-Organisation, Role and Functions

• What Santhanam Committee said on Prevention of Corruption?

• What is Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946?

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) draws its power from which act/statute?

• Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-Connect the dots

• Issues and Challenges associated with CBI-Brainstorm

• How Director of CBI is Appointed?

• According to former Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana “CBI had gone from being the people’s most trusted to the subject of deep public scrutiny”-discuss the transition of CBI

• However, citizens continue to believe in CBI, as citizens frequently request CBI investigations. What are your thoughts when the word “CBI” comes to your mind?

• What was the landmark 1997 Vineet Narain judgment of the Supreme Court (Vineet Narain & Others vs Union Of India & Anr)?

• The tenure of the CBI Director at two years is fixed-True or false?

• SC’s Famed ‘Caged Parrot’ Remark-why CBI was remarked as ‘Caged Parrot’?

• CBI-a credible institution or Still a Caged Parrot?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The CBI’s uneasy history

Meaningful chance to those on Death Row: SC refers case to 5-judge bench

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-SAYING THAT a “uniform approach” is needed on “granting real and meaningful opportunity” to convicts on Death Row, and noting “a clear conflict of opinions” between some of its earlier decisions on granting hearing in such cases, the Supreme Court on Monday referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench.

• “…it is necessary to have clarity in the matter to ensure a uniform approach on the question of granting real and meaningful opportunity, as opposed to a formal hearing, to the accused/ convict, on the issue of sentence,”-Decode the quote

• How social milieu, the age, educational levels, whether the convict had faced trauma earlier in life, family circumstances, psychological evaluation of a convict and post-conviction conduct, are relevant factors while considering the death penalty to be imposed upon the accused?

• What is Death Penalty or Capital Punishment?

• What annual statistics report ‘death penalty in India’ published by NLU says on Capital Punishment?

• What does National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) says on Death Penalty in India?

• How Countries retained death penalty or Capital Punishment?

• Know the Important Supreme Court Judgements Related to Death Penalty in detail

• What is the Constitutionality of Execution of capital punishment or death penalty in India?

• Prisoner and Fundamental Rights-connect the dots

• What was the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court recently in Manoj & others v. State of MP?

• What Supreme Court said about Inordinate Delay in Execution of Death Sentence?

• What was the Supreme Court of India’s verdict in Jagmohan Singh v state of Uttar Pradesh in 1972?

• Bachan Singh v state of Punjab in 1980 and ‘rarest of rare cases’-What Supreme Court said about rarest of rare cases?

• Machhi Singh v state of Punjab in 1983 and broadening the categories of rarest of the rare cases by Supreme Court of India-Know in detail

• Kehar Singh v union of India, 1989 and pardoning power of executive is subject to judicial review-Know in detail

• What are the arguments for Death Penalty in India?

• What are the arguments against Death Penalty in India?

• “Death Penalty is a form of retribution”- What do you understand by this statement?

• Objective of justice should be reformative and not retributive- What do you understand by this statement?

• What Law commission of India says about death penalty?

• Pardoning Power of the President in India and Death Penalty-connect the dot

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍An Expert Explains: Reforming death penalty

EXPRESS NETWORK

Monsoon to withdraw from Northwest India, Kutch regions in two days: IMD

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-After its four-month-long sojourn, Southwest monsoon will start withdrawing from northwest India and Kutch regions of Gujarat in the coming two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

• What is withdrawal of Southwest monsoon?

• India Meteorological Department and Monsoon Prediction in India

• The IMD issues warnings in four stages for the Indian coast-What are they?

• How much rainfall does India receive on average in a year?

• When is the Long Period Average (LPA) revised?

• Has the all-India quantitative rainfall reduced?

• South-west and Withdrawal of Monsoon-Compare and Contrast

• Arabian Sea branch of South West Monsoons and Bay of Bengal branch of South West
Monsoon-Compare and contrast

• What the major synoptic features which are considered for the first withdrawal from the
parts of North West India?

• What is the period of withdrawal of monsoon?

• How withdrawal of monsoon affects Coastal states in the eastern coast? (consider Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha)

• How withdrawal of monsoon affects common public?

• Impact of Monsoons on Life in India-Economical, Cultural and Social

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍THE PROMISE OF RAIN

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Securing basic structure

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Fali S Nariman writes: The basic structure doctrine constitutes a high watermark in the assertion of the Supreme Court’s judicial power in the teeth of a determined majoritarian regime.

• What is Doctrine of the ‘basic structure’?

• How has the doctrine of basic structure evolved?

• How does the Courts in India are empowered under the Indian Constitution to invalidate not only executive orders, but also legislative enactments that violate any part of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed in Part III of the Constitution (Bill of Rights)?

• Are the Courts in India are also empowered to adjudicate on the validity of constitutional amendments passed with the requisite special majority and following the procedure prescribed in Article 368?

• By the way, what Article 368 of the Indian Constitution says?

• What power is granted by Article 368 of the Indian Constitution?

• Is Article 368 basic structure?

• Shankari Prasad case (1951), Golak Nath case (1967), Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), Indira Nehru Gandhi case (1975), Minerva Mills case (1980), Waman Rao case (1981) and the evolution of basic Structure of the Constitution-connect the dots

• What are the features of the ‘Basic Structure of Constitution’?

• Supreme Court Verdict in I.R. Coelho vs. State of Tamil Nadu vis a vis Supreme Court
Verdict in Kesavananda Bharati-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: In SC reading of basic structure, the signature of Kesavananda Bharati

TAKING OFF THE HIJAB

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Ramin Jahanbegloo writes: The recent protests are spearheaded by a new generation who do not want to preserve the Islamic Revolution

• Mahsa Amini- Why she is in news?

• Why are women in and around the world protesting after Amini’s death?

• For Your Information-The custodial death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran, has sparked widespread protests in Iran. Under the scanner are the police who patrol public places to enforce the headscarf law and other Islamic rules. Conversations are also taking place on the situation of women in the Islamic Republic.

• Iran before Islamic revolution in 1979 and after-know in detail

• What is a hijab and why is it worn?

• Why Hijab is forced to wear in Islamic Nations?

• Is hijab an obligation or a choice?

• Hijab controversy in Iran vis a vis Hijab controversy in India (Karnataka)-Compare and
contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini has sparked protests in Iran

THE IDEAS PAGE

Rethinking universities

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Rohit Kansal and Dipankar Sengupta write: Higher education institutions are set to lead India’s transformation to a knowledge economy, but they need to restructure themselves into modern educational services providers to carry out mandate

• How the socio-historical journey of higher education in India has evolved through different periods, viz., ancient, mediaeval, colonial, post-independence and contemporary?

• How Universities in India helped reducing socio-economic inequalities?

• Are India’s current universities and colleges up to the task of producing workers for the knowledge society?

• What National Education Policy 2020 says on Higher education institutions?

• Why Global employability surveys see fewer than 10 Indian institutions in the top 500 while local surveys routinely report a disproportionately large number of unemployable graduates?

• “While the problems of poor instruction and the inability of most of our institutions to offer relevant skills are often cited as their weaknesses, these are in fact emblematic of a deeper malaise, the inability to upgrade or create knowledge, which otherwise should be the most crucial tasks of teachers in any institution. This inability is further situated in structural weaknesses”-What authors are trying to say?

• Why are higher education institutions (HEIs) in India performing poorly?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How ‘innovation’ and ‘narrative’ came to dominate education

📍Archaic perceptions — not criteria of excellence — determine ratings of colleges

EXPLAINED

SC quota for Dalit Muslims and Christians: story so far

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Centre is likely to soon decide on setting up a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of Dalits who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Several petitions are pending before the Supreme Court seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits for Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam.

• Why don’t Dalits who convert to Christianity and Islam get quota benefits?

• Does this religion-based bar apply to converted STs and OBCs as well?

• What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs?

• What recommendations were given by the Ranganath Misra Commission seeking reservation benefits for Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin?

• What is present conditions of Dalits in Indian Society in terms of social and not in economical perspective?

• Why untouchability towards Dalit community still prevalent even after affirmative actions ensured by the highest authority that is by the Constitution of India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Quotas: Govt to set up panel to study status of SC converts to Christianity and Islam

The controversy over NAAC’s system for assessing higher education

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which carries out quality checks or assessments of Indian Higher-level Educational Institutions (HEIs), courted controversy recently over the rating of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and allegations of bribery in the process.

• What is NAAC?

• How is the accreditation process carried out?

• What is the latest controversy about?

• What are the alternatives being explored?

• How many institutions in India are accredited?

• Can all higher educational institutes apply for accreditation?

• Why are so few institutes accredited?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍NAAC dismisses bribe charge against MSU Baroda officials, releases ratings

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