Aakhbar 06 apr 2021

06 Apr 2021 || TUESDAY

N.E.W.S. DATE- 06 Apr 2021 NEWS 01 Topic- Internal Security Fighting Left Wing Extremism in Chhattisgarh Context: On April 3, as 22 security force personnel fell to Maoist bullets in Bijapur, questions were raised not just on possible tactical mistakes by the forces but also on Chhattisgarh’s continued struggle in driving out Maoists from what is arguably their last bastion. Since a crackdown on Maoists starting 2005 in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) states, other states have largely tackled the problem. The number of districts declared Naxal-affected is now just 90, down from over 200 in the early 2000s. Yet Chhattisgarh struggles. State police role is key Many have argued that Maoism has been defeated only in states where the state police have taken the lead. The obliteration of Maoist violence in Andhra Pradesh – the nursery of Maoism in the country—is largely attributed to the state’s Greyhounds. In Maharashtra, where Maoists held sway over several districts, they have now been confined to border areas of Gadchiroli thanks to local police and the C60 force. West Bengal achieved normalcy through an ingenious strategy adopted by the state police. The Jharkhand Jaguars have gained an upper hand in the past few years. Odisha has confined Maoist activity largely to Malkangiri thanks to broad administrative interventions in Koraput. The Centre formally recognised the gravity of Maoist violence in 2004 when then PM Manmohan Singh called it the “greatest internal security threat for the country”. The Centre opened up purse strings for modernisation of state police forces, among various moves. States and the emergence of Naxalism Andhra Pradesh When Maoist violence began in the 1980s, the Andhra police were poorly trained, inadequately funded and with no intelligence as public support was with the Maoists. 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||1

The Maoist movement initially had only landlords at its target, the state was late to react. Later, after several setbacks to police, the state realised the importance of capacity building. West Bengal West Bengal, the cradle of Naxalism, had stamped out Maoism in early 1970s, but it came back by the late 1990s, when Maoists began targeting CPM cadre in some districts. Odisha & Maharashtra There was a time in Odisha during the early 2000s when armouries of police stations in Koraput and Malkangiri were kept empty for fear of raids by Maoists. Thanks to rapid infrastructure development, particularly roads in Koraput, and killing of key Maoist leaders in areas such as Narayanpur, Odisha police have confined Maoist activity to parts of Koraput and Malkangiri. Police have raised a force called the Special Operations Group to fight Maoists. Bihar & Jharkhand The two states continue to have Maoist trouble in some districts, but violence has been going down. The Chhattisgarh challenge Trouble in Chhattisgarh started after Maoists began to be smoked out of Andhra Pradesh in the early 2000s. It was also the time when the Maoist movement went through a transformation of being a struggle against a class enemy (landlords) to a tribal movement against the state. DECODED TERMS: What is the difference between Maoism and Naxalism? Naxalism originated as a rebellion against lack of development and poverty at the local level in the rural parts of eastern India. The term ‘Naxal’ derives its name from a village called Naxalbari in the State of West Bengal where the movement had its origin. The Naxals are considered far left radical communists who support Maoist political ideology. Origin of Naxalism Their origin can be traced to the split that took place in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1967. It led to the formation of Communist Party of India (Marxist and Leninist). Initially the movement had its centre in West Bengal. Thereafter, it spread into less developed areas of rural central and eastern India, such as, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh through the activities of underground groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Origin of Maoism Maoism originated in China as a form of Communist theory derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong. It was widely applied as the political and military guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China till 1977-78. It emphasised the advancement of people’s social and economic life by establishing a classless society through armed revolution. It was rooted in the anti-imperialist struggle and supported armed revolution in order to achieve political transformation. Naxalism is actually based on the principles of Maoism to achieve a similar transformation in India. Source: IE 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||2

NEWS 02 Topic- Geo politics U.S. President Joe Biden has lifted sanctions imposed by previous President Donald Trump Context: U.S. President Joe Biden has lifted sanctions imposed by previous President Donald Trump on two top officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). What’s the issue? ICC was probing alleged crimes by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. But, the Trump administration was openly hostile to the tribunal for pursuing prosecutions of Americans for actions in Afghanistan and Israelis for actions against the Palestinians. DECODED TERMS: About ICC: The International Criminal Court (ICC), located in The Hague, is the court of last resort for prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It is the first permanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. Its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, entered into force on July 1, 2002. Funding: Although the Court’s expenses are funded primarily by States Parties, it also receives voluntary contributions from governments, international organisations, individuals, corporations and other entities. Composition and voting power: The Court’s management oversight and legislative body, the Assembly of States Parties, consists of one representative from each state party. Each state party has one vote and “every effort” has to be made to reach decisions by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, decisions are made by vote. The Assembly is presided over by a president and two vice-presidents, who are elected by the members to three-year terms. Source: TH 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||3

NEWS 03 Topic- MSME Sector Stand Up India Scheme and its performance Context: Five years ago the Stand Up India scheme was launched by the government to promote entrepreneurship among women, Scheduled Castes (SC) & Scheduled Tribes (ST). So far: Banks have sanctioned more than ₹25,000 crore to over 1.14 lakh accounts. Women-led enterprises have dominated the sanctions so far under the scheme, which has now been extended till 2025. DECODED TERMS: About the Stand Up India Scheme: Stand Up India Scheme was launched on 5 April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grass-root level of economic empowerment and job creation. This scheme seeks to leverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to the underserved sector of people such as SCs, STs and Women Entrepreneurs. The objective of this scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a Greenfield enterprise. The offices of SIDBI and NABARD shall be designated Stand-Up Connect Centres (SUCC). Eligibility under Stand Up India Scheme: SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs; above 18 years of age. Loans under the scheme are available for only Greenfield project. Borrower should not be in default to any bank or financial institution. In case of non-individual enterprises at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or Woman entrepreneur. Source: TH 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||4

NEWS 04 Topic- Society Racism will not be overcome with mere professions of good faith but with anti-racist action Context: UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris hosted a Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination on March 22, 2021, in partnership with the Republic of Korea. 21st March every year is marked as UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This provides an opportunity to explore the nuanced causes and consequences of modern racism, and renew an important commitment to combat discrimination. DECODED TERMS: What is Racial Discrimination International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination defines racial discrimination as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. Forms of Racism: Current forms of racism and discrimination are complex and often covert Techno Racism: The use of new technologies and artificial intelligence in security raise the spectre of ‘techno-racism’, as facial recognition programmes can misidentify and target racialised communities. Anonymity of the Internet has allowed racist stereotypes and inaccurate information to spread online. At the onset of the pandemic, traffic to hate sites and specific posts against Asians grew by 200% in the U.S. In India and in Sri Lanka, social media groups and messaging platforms were used to call for social and economic boycotts of religious minorities, amid false information accusing them of spreading the virus Prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory acts, whether subtle or overt, aggravate existing inequalities in societies WHO has cautioned on the dangers of profiling and stigmatizing communities that can lead to fear and the subsequent concealment of cases and delays in detection. Way Forward: UNESCO’s actions against racism through education, the sciences, culture, and communication offer an example of a way forward. 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||5

UNESCO promotes the role of education in providing the space for young people to understand processes that sustain racism, to learn from the past, and to stand up for human rights. Through new approaches to inter-cultural dialogue and learning, youth and communities can be equipped with skills to eradicate harmful stereotypes and foster tolerance. UNESCO also offers master classes to empower students to become champions of anti-racism in their schools and communities. The International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities provides an additional platform for city-level planning and a laboratory for good practices in the fight against racism. Conclusion: Recent and new manifestations of racism and discrimination call for renewed commitments to mobilise for equality. Racism will not be overcome with mere professions of good faith but must be combatted with anti-racist action. A global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination is built first and foremost in the minds of women and men. The words of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan remain pertinent: “Our mission is to confront ignorance with knowledge, bigotry with tolerance, and isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity. Racism can, will, and must be defeated.” Source: TH 9651950301|| 1st Floor, Tulsiani Grace, Building Strachey Rd, Civil Lines, Prayagraj ||www.yuvaias.com||6