Al-Aqsa Mosque & Sheikh Jarrah: Israel-Palestine

Why in News

Recently, Israeli armed forces attacked Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Haram esh-Sharif in Jerusalem, ahead of a march by Zionist nationalists commemorating Israel’s capture of the eastern half of the city in 1967.

• The threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah escalated the crisis further.
• Zionism is a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel and that now supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland.

Key Points

• Al-Aqsa Mosque:
  
  • It is one of the holiest structures in the Islamic faith. It sits inside a 35-acre site known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and by Jews as the Temple Mount.
    
    • The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
  • It is believed to have been completed early in the eighth century and faces the Dome of the Rock, the golden-domed Islamic shrine that is a widely recognized symbol of Jerusalem.
  • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.
• Conflict over Jerusalem:
  
  • Jerusalem has been at the centre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the original 1947 United Nations (UN) partition plan, Jerusalem was proposed to be an international city.
  • But in the first Arab Israel war of 1948, the Israelis captured the western half of the city, and Jordan took the eastern part, including the Old City that houses Haram al-Sharif.
  • Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the Six-Day War 1967 and annexed it later.
    
    • Since its annexation, Israel has expanded settlements in East Jerusalem.
  • Israel sees the whole city as its “unified, eternal capital”, whereas the Palestinian leadership across the political spectrum have maintained that they would not accept any compromise formula for the future Palestinian state unless East Jerusalem is its capital.
• Sheikh Jarrah Issue:
  
  • Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes when the State of Israel was created in historical Palestine in 1948.
    
    • Twenty-eight of those Palestinian families moved to Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem to settle there.
  • In 1956, when East Jerusalem was ruled by Jordan, the Jordanian Ministry of Construction and Development and the UN Relief and Works Agency facilitated the construction of houses for these families in Sheikh Jarrah. But Israel would capture East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.
    
    • By the early 1970s, Jewish agencies started demanding the families leave the land.
  • Earlier this year (2021), the Central Court in East Jerusalem upheld a decision to evict four Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in favor of Jewish settlers.
  • The issue remains unresolved and potentially inflammable.
• India’s Stand on Israel-Palestine Issue:
  
  • India recognised Israel in 1950 but it is also the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole representative of the Palestinian.
    
    • India is also one of the first countries to recognise the statehood of Palestine in 1988.
  • In 2014, India favored UNHRC’s resolution to probe Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza. Despite supporting the probe, India abstained from voting against Israel in UNHRC in 2015.
  • As a part of Link West Policy, India has de-hyphenated its relationship with Israel and Palestine in 2018 to treat both the countries mutually independent and exclusive.
  • In June 2019, India voted in favor of a decision introduced by Israel in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian non-governmental organization.
  • So far India has tried to maintain the image of its historical moral supporter for Palestinian self-determination, and at the same time to engage in the military, economic, and other strategic relations with Israel.
• Related Developments:
  
  • In March 2021, International Criminal Court (ICC) launched investigatations into the war crimes in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel (West Bank and the Gaza Strip).
  • In April 2021, the US restored at least USD 235 million in financial assistance to the Palestinians.

Way Forward

• The world at large needs to come together for a peaceful solution but the reluctance of the Israeli government and other involved parties have aggravated the issue more. Thus a balanced approach would help to maintain favorable relations with Arab countries as well as Israel.
• The recent normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords, are the steps in the right direction. All regional powers should envisage peace between the two countries on line of Abraham Accords.

Source:TH

Iron Dome Air Defence System: Israel

Why in News

Israel used its Iron Dome air defence system in recent violent clashes over Jerusalem.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It is a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system that includes a radar and Tamir interceptor missiles that track and neutralise any rockets or missiles aimed at Israeli targets.
  • It is used for countering rockets, artillery & mortars as well as aircraft, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).
    
    • It is capable of being used in all weather conditions, including during the day and night.
  • It was developed by the state-run Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries and was deployed in 2011.
  • Rafael claims a success rate of over 90%, with more than 2,000 interceptions, however experts agree the success rate is over 80%.
  • It can protect deployed and manoeuvring forces, as well as the Forward Operating Base (FOB) and urban areas, against a wide range of indirect and aerial threats.
• Components:
  
  • The Iron Dome has three main systems that work together to provide a shield over the area where it is deployed which are:
  • Radar: It has a detection and tracking radar to spot any incoming threats.
  • Weapon Control: It has a battle management and weapon control system (BMC),
  • Missile Fire: It also has a missile firing unit. The BMC basically liaises between the radar and the interceptor missile.

• Indian Alternatives:
  
  • S-400 TRIUMF:
    
    • About:
      
      • India has S-400 TRIUMF, which also caters to the three threats (rockets, missiles and cruise missiles). But they have much longer range.
      • It has a much larger air defence bubble to knock off threats.
      • It is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia.
    • Range & Effectiveness:
      
      • The system can engage all types of aerial targets within the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km.
      • The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.
  • Prithvi Air Defence and Advance Air Defence:
    
    • About:
      
      • It is a double-tiered system consisting of two land and sea-based interceptor missiles, namely the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile for high altitude interception, and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile for lower altitude interception.
    • Range:
      
      • It is able to intercept any incoming missile launched 5,000 kilometres away. The system also includes an overlapping network of early warning and tracking radars, as well as command and control posts.
  • Ashwin Advanced Air Defence Interceptor Missile:
    
    • About:
      
      • It is also an indigenously produced Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
      • It is the advanced version of the low altitude supersonic ballistic interceptor missile.
      • The missile also has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.
    • Range:
      
      • It uses an endo-spheric (within the Earth’s atmosphere) interceptor that knocks out ballistic missiles at a maximum altitude of 60,000 to 100,000 feet, and across a range between 90 and 125 miles.

Source: IE

Article 311 of the Constitution

Why in News

Recently, a police officer was dismissed from the service by Mumbai Police Commissioner under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution without a departmental enquiry.

Key Points

• Article 311:
  
  • Article 311 (1) says that no government employee either of an all India service or a state government shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the own that appointed him/her.
  • Article 311 (2) says that no civil servant shall be dismissed or removed or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which s/he has been informed of the charges and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges.
  • People Protected under Article 311: The members of
    
    • Civil service of the Union,
    • All India Service, and
    • Civil service of any State,
    • People who hold a civil post under the Union or any State.
    • The protective safeguards given under Article 311 are applicable only to civil servants, i.e. public officers. They are not available to defence personnel.
  • Exceptions to Article 311 (2):
    
    • 2 (a) - Where a person is dismissed or removed or reduced in rank on the ground of conduct which has led to his conviction on a criminal charge; or
    • 2 (b) - Where the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to reduce him in rank is satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry; or
    • 2 (c) - Where the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry.
• Other Recent Case Related to Use of Article 311(2) Subsections:
  
  • Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir administration set up a Special Task Force (STF) to scrutinise cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under Article 311(2)(c).
    
    • Three government employees, including two teachers, were fired using the Article.
• Options to Dismissed Employee:
  
  • The government employee dismissed under these provisions can approach either tribunals like the state administrative tribunal or Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) or the courts.
• Other Related Constitutional Provisions:
  
  • Part XIV of the Constitution of India deals with Services under The Union and The State.
  • Article 309 empowers the Parliament and the State legislature to regulate the recruitment, and conditions of service of persons appointed, to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State respectively.
  • According to Article 310, except for the provisions provided by the Constitution, a civil servant of the Union works at the pleasure of the President and a civil servant under a State works at the pleasure of the Governor of that State (English doctrine of Pleasure).
    
    • But this power of the Government is not absolute.
  • Article 311 puts certain restrictions on the absolute power of the President or Governor for dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of an officer.

Source: IE

Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic Report

Why in News

Recently, an independent global panel, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) in its report named "Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic concluded that the catastrophic scale of the Covid-19 pandemic could have been prevented.

• The report was requested by World Health Organization (WHO) member states in May 2020.

Key points

• Reasons for Inflated Covid Catastrophe:
  
  • Bad Decisions:
    
    • A series of bad decisions meant Covid-19 went on to kill at least 3.3 million people so far and devastate the global economy.
    • Poor strategic choices, unwillingness to tackle inequalities and an uncoordinated system created a toxic cocktail which allowed the pandemic to turn into a catastrophic human crisis.
  • Failure of Institutions:
    
    • Institutions failed to protect people and science-denying leaders eroded public trust in health interventions.
    • The threat of a pandemic had been overlooked and countries were woefully unprepared to deal with one.
  • Lack of Urgency:
    
    • Early responses to the outbreak detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019 lacked urgency, with February 2020 a costly "lost month" as countries failed to heed the alarm.
  • Delay:
    
    • The emergence of Covid-19 was characterised by a mixture of some early and rapid action, but also by delay, hesitation, and denial.
    • WHO could have declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alarm in January 2020.
• Recommendations:
  
  • Rich Should Help Poor:
    
    • Rich, well-vaccinated countries should provide the 92 poorest territories in the Covax scheme with at least one billion vaccine doses by September 2021, and more than two billion by mid-2022.
    • The G7 industrialised nations should pay 60% of the USD19 billion required to fund vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics via the WHO's access to Covid Tools Accelerator programme in 2021.
    • G20 nations and others should provide the rest.
  • International Organizations should Facilitate Technology Transfer:
    
    • The WHO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) should also get major vaccine-producing countries and manufacturers to agree to voluntary licensing and technology transfers for Covid-19 vaccines.
      
      • If actions do not occur within three months, a waiver of intellectual property rights should come into force immediately.
      • India and South Africa are already attempting to get WTO member countries to agree to such a waiver to fight the pandemic equitably.
• Suggestions to Prevent Future Pandemics:
  
  • Global Health Threats Council:
    
    • To tackle future outbreaks and pandemics, the panel called for a Global Health Threats Council made up of world leaders, plus a pandemic convention.
  • International Pandemic Financing Facility:
    
    • The G20 should also create an International Pandemic Financing Facility, able to spend USD 5-10 billion a year on preparedness, with USD 50 to USD 100 billion ready to roll in the event of a crisis.
  • Overhauling WHO :
    
    • Proposed an overhaul of the WHO to give it greater control over its funding and more authority for its leadership.
    • Its alert system needed to be faster and it should have the authority to send expert missions to countries immediately without waiting for their green light.

Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response

• About:
  
  • It was established in 2020 by the WHO Director-General in response to the World Health Assembly resolution 73.1.
    
    • Resolution 73.1 renewed the commitment to better prepare for health emergencies and compliance with the International Health Regulations.
• Secretariat:
  
  • The Independent Panel is supported by its own independent Secretariat, based in Geneva.
• Mission:
  
  • To provide an evidence-based path for the future, grounded in lessons of the present and the past to ensure countries and global institutions, including specifically WHO, effectively address health threats.

Source:TH

Increased Child Marriages in Lockdown

Why in News

Recently, some activists and organisations of Karnataka have raised the issue of increased child marriages in Lockdown with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• According to a report published in December 2020 by ChildLine India, the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have proved to be new drivers of child marriages in rural Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Child Marriage:
  
  • It is defined as a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married.
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which makes it home to the largest number of child brides in the world - accounting for a third of the global total.
  • Recent study by The Lancet shows that up to 2.5 million more girls (below the age of 18) around the world are at risk of marriage in the next 5 years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Reason for Increased Child Marriages during Lockdowns:
  
  • Lack of Alert Mechanism:
    
    • Earlier, when child marriages happened at wedding halls, temples, etc, there were people who would alert the relevant authorities or activists who would be able to reach on time to stop it. But now, with marriages happening at homes, we may get fewer alerts and our going there could be treated as trespass.
  • Pandemic Induced Pressures:
    
    • Economic pressures due to the pandemic have pushed poor parents to marry off girls early.
    • With no schools, safety of children, particularly girls, was a major reason for increase in violence against children and child marriages.
• General Causes for Child Marriages:
  
  • Age Factor:
    
    • Some parents consider the age period of 15-18 as unproductive, especially for girls, so they start finding a match for their child during this age period.
      
      • Underaged girls are more prone to child marriage than boys.
    • Further, the Right To Education Act makes education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 only.
  • Insecurity:
    
    • Law and Order are still not able to provide a secure environment for the girls in adolescent age, so some parents get their girl child married at a young age.
  • Other Reasons:
    
    • Poverty,
    • Political and financial reasons,
    • Lack of education,
    • Patriarchy and gender inequalities, etc.
• Impact:
  
  • Delays Demographic Dividend:
    
    • Child Marriage contributes to larger families and in turn, population growth. This delays the demographic dividend that would have come from reduced fertility and investment in education.
  • Bad for Family:
    
    • Children married at a young age do not understand the responsibilities of marriage. This results in a lack of understanding among family members. Hence, disturbs the institution of the family.
  • On the Child Bride:
    
    • It negatively influences children’s rights to education, health and protection.
    • A girl who is married as a child is more likely to be out of school and not earn money and contribute to the community.
    • She is more likely to experience domestic violence and become infected with HIV/AIDS.
    • There are more chances of her dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Government Initiatives to Prevent Child Marriages:
  
  • The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 restricts the practice of child marriage.
  • The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men respectively.
    
    • The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 was enacted to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
  • The Union Ministry for Women and Child Development has set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among women. The Committee is headed by Jaya Jaitely.
    
    • The Committee was proposed in the Union Budget 2020-21.
  • Prevention of Child Marriage is a part of SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

Way Forward

• One way of keeping a check on child marriages during the pandemic would be to ensure that there is a strong cohort of child protection workers among essential health workers.
• India has a robust system of grassroots workers who have done commendable work in ensuring that health and other social security services reach people in these dire times.
• If such workers were incorporated into the system they could keep a check on girl children at risk of early marriage and take steps to avert these. This could be in the form of awareness counseling and helping some benefits reach the family concerned.

Source:TH

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture

Why in News

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has provided an enhanced allocation of Rs. 2250 Crore for the year 2021-22 for ‘Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH).

• Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. M.H. Marigowda is considered the Father of Indian Horticulture.

Key Points

• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):
  
  • About: MIDH is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
  • Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing MIDH with effect from 2014-15.
    
    • MIDH is implemented under Green Revolution - Krishonnati Yojana.
  • Funding Pattern: Under MIDH, Government of India (GoI) contributes 60% of total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states except states in North East and Himalayas, 40% share is contributed by State Governments.
    
    • In the case of North Eastern States and Himalayan States, GoI contributes 90%.

• MIDH Sub-Schemes:
  
  • National Horticulture Mission (NHM):
    
    • It is being implemented by State Horticulture Missions (SHM) in selected districts of 18 States and 6 Union Territories.
  • Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH):
    
    • HMNEH is being implemented for overall development of Horticulture in North East and Himalayan states.
  • National Horticulture Board (NHB):
    
    • NHB is implementing various schemes under MIDH in all States and UTs.
  • Coconut Development Board (CDB):
    
    • CDB is implementing various schemes under MIDH in all Coconut growing states in the country.
  • Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH)
    
    • CIH was established at Medi Zip Hima, Nagaland in 2006-07 for providing technical backstopping through capacity building and training of farmers and Field functionaries in the North Eastern Region.
• Achievements of MIDH:
  
  • During the year 2019-20, the country recorded its highest ever horticulture production of 320.77 million tonnes.
  • MIDH has played a significant role in increasing the area under horticulture crops.
    
    • Area and production during the years 2014-15 to 2019-20 has increased by 9% and 14% respectively.
  • It has contributed significantly towards improving the quality of produce and productivity of farmland.
  • The initiative of MIDH has not only resulted in India’s self-sufficiency in the horticulture sector but also contributed towards achieving sustainable development goals of zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, no poverty, gender equality etc.
• Challenges:
  
  • The Horticulture sector is still facing a lot of challenges in terms of high post-harvest loss and gaps in post-harvest management and supply chain infrastructure.

Way Forward

• There is tremendous scope for enhancing the productivity of Indian horticulture which is imperative to cater to the country’s estimated demand of 650 Million MT of fruits and vegetables by the year 2050.
• Some of the new initiatives like focus on planting material production, cluster development programme, credit push through Agri Infra Fund, formation and promotion of FPOs (Farmers Producer Organisations) are the right steps in this direction.

Source: PIB

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22 Series

Why in News

The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds in six tranches from May 2021 to September 2021.

Key Points

• Launch: The Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) scheme was launched in November 2015 with an objective to reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings - used for the purchase of gold - into financial savings.
• Issuance: The Gold Bonds are issued as Government of India Stock under the Government Securities (GS) Act, 2006.
  
  • These are issued by the RBI on behalf of the Government of India.
  • Bonds are sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.
• Eligibility: The bonds are restricted for sale to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), trusts, universities and charitable institutions.
• Features:
  
  • Issue Price: Gold bond prices are linked to the price of gold of 999 purity (24 carats) published by India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), Mumbai.
  • Investment Limit: Gold bonds can be purchased in the multiples of one unit, up to certain thresholds for different investors.
    
    • The upper limit for retail (individual) investors and HUFs is 4 kilograms (4,000 units) each per financial year. For trusts and similar entities, an upper limit of 20 kilograms per financial year is applicable.
    • Minimum permissible investment is 1 gram of gold.
  • Term: The gold bonds come with a maturity period of eight years, with an option to exit the investment after the first five years.
  • Interest Rate: A fixed rate of 2.5% per annum is applicable on the scheme, payable semi-annually.
    
    • The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax Act, 1961.
• Benefit:
  
  • Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.
  • The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted.
    
    • Redemption is the act of an issuer repurchasing a bond at or before maturity.
    • Capital gain is the profit earned on the sale of an asset like stocks, bonds or real estate. It results in when the selling price of an asset exceeds its purchase price.
• Disadvantages of Investing in SGB:
  
  • This is a long term investment unlike physical gold which can be sold immediately.
  • Sovereign gold bonds are listed on exchange but the trading volumes are not high, therefore it will be difficult to exit before maturity.

Source: PIB