January 2021 The Hindu Analysis 26th - Lukmaan IAS
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The Hindu Analysis 26th
January 2021)
Important articles
For Mains The Hindu For Prelims The Hindu
Page No. Page No.
1. Budgeting in a time of crisis (Economy, 7 1. Delhi may be heading towards herd 12
Polity) immunity (Science, COVID-19)
2. Overzealous threat (Polity) 6 2. Galwan hero gets Maha Vir Chakra 11
honour (Miscellaneous)
3. ‘Green’ tax mooted for personal 16 3. Padma Awards (Miscellaneous) 11
vehicles older than 15 years (Environment)
4. Billionaires’ wealth rose 35% during 12 4. India, China troops clashed at Naku 1
lockdown: Oxfam (Data/facts) La (IR, Security, Geography Mapping)
5. Crimes against women (Data/Facts) 7
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
UPSC Mains GS-III: Economy
Key points:
Noble Laureate Paul Krugman laid down the rules for budget-making:
1. To not doubt the power of the government to help. Government spending can be hugely beneficial. For instance, The Affordable Care Act led
to a decline in the number of Americans without health insurance, and gave people a sense of security.
2. To not be obsessed with debt. Currently, Interest rates are low by historical standards. The burden of servicing debt is low.
3. To not worry about inflation. We can run a ‘hot economy’ with low unemployment and large budget deficits, without runaway inflation.
What measures required in Indian budget this year?
1. The first priority for spending should be health and infrastructure. India has only five beds for 10,000 Indians and ranks 155th on bed
availability in the Human Development Report of 2020. Experts opine that the government should increase healthcare spending from 1.5%
of the GDP to 2.5%. The National Infrastructure Pipeline aims to invest ₹111 lakh crore by 2025 in over 6,800 projects. Expenditure on
infrastructure can have a large multiplier effect on economic output.
2. The introduction of an urban employment guarantee scheme on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme. This will be far better than direct cash transfers.
3. The Goods and Services Tax has been a big source of revenue. There is a strong case for reducing GST tariff.
4. Cess or surcharge can be levied on the super-rich.
5. The average tariff must come down to 10% from its current level of 14% by 2024, as suggested by Professor Arvind Panagariya.
6. Disinvestment must go on at high speed.
Approach of present government in budget-making has been good:
• The lowering of corporate tax rates, the introduction of the option to choose the tax rate both for companies and for individuals up to fixed
monetary limits, the introduction of the Vivad se Vishwas scheme without sacrificing revenue, and the structured infusion of fiscal stimulus
without accelerating inflation all point to a right approach to Budget-making.
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
UPSC Mains GS-II: Freedom of speech and expression Key points: • Context- Circular by the Bihar police of legal action being taken against users of social media for “offensive” posts targeting the government, its Ministers and officials. Analysis: • The Economic Offences Wing, which also deals with cyber-crime, has sent a circular to the department secretaries that they could inform the wing about such “offensive posts” so that it could act against them, terming such actions as “against prescribed law”. Presumably, the action contemplated is for an alleged cyber-crime. • It is a possible reference to Section 66A of the IT Act, as there is no other section that deals with “offensive” remarks. But, Section 66A, which dealt with “Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.” was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015, as being too broadly defined. • The Act’s remaining penal provisions pertain only to other offences- sending obscene or prurient messages, hacking, stealing computer resources, identity theft, personation, and violation of privacy. There is nothing specific in the law that would render strong, even offensive and intemperate, criticism of the government a cyber-offence. • There is much on social media that can be seen as crimes (hate speech, inflammatory and insulting remarks or defamation), but it ill-behoves an elected government to take note of these, unless the offenders are influential enough to cause major social divisions and foment violence. • Such warning betrays both hypersensitivity and ignorance of the law. It represents an unacceptable combination of low tolerance for criticism and a zeal to cow down the public. Conclusion: The government would do well not to act on the police circular, otherwise it would be seen as an attempt to suppress its critics and those who make allegations of corruption. LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
UPSC Mains GS-III: Environment Key points: • The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles. • Personal vehicles will be charged a tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification after 15 years. • The levy may differ depending on fuel (petrol/diesel) and type of vehicle. • The proposal will now go to the States for consultation before it is formally notified. • The proposal also includes 10- 25% of road tax on transport vehicles older than eight years at the time of renewal of fitness certificate. • The proposal on green tax also includes steeper penalty of up to 50% of road tax for older vehicles registered in some of the highly polluted cities in the country. • The Minister also approved a lenient policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles, bringing only those vehicles owned by government departments and PSUs and are older than 15 years under its ambit. • The policy will come into effect from April 1, 2022. LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
UPSC Mains GS-I (Society), GS-II (Social justice), GS-III (Economy),
Essay (Economic inequality, Inclusive growth and development)
Key highlights of “Inequality Virus Report” brought out by Oxfam, a non-profit organisation:
Indian billionaires increased their wealth by 35% to ₹3 trillion during the lockdown
The wealth of just the top 11 billionaires during the pandemic could easily sustain the MGNREGS or the Health
Ministry for the next 10 years.
Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims were likely to see a higher dropout rate. Girls were also most vulnerable as they were
at risk of early and forced marriage, violence and early pregnancies, it noted.
It recommended reintroducing the wealth tax and effecting a one-time COVID-19 cess of 4% on taxable income of over
₹10 lakh to help the economy recover from the lockdown.
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
UPSC Mains GS-III and Prelims: Science (COVID-19) Key points: • The outcome of the fifth round of the seroprevalence survey has indicated that Delhi’s population could be heading towards attaining herd immunity against COVID-19 infection. • The survey has found that in one district, 50-60% of the sample population have developed antibodies. What is Herd immunity? • It implies that in any set of people in a community, after becoming affected by the virus, a lot many of them become immune to it on account of antibodies developed in response to it. • Hence, such people become a protective layer between the infected person and the unaffected people, thereby breaking the chain of viral transmission. • Experts say herd immunity is said to have been developed in a population segment if 50-60% of those are found to have the presence of antibodies in a seroprevalence survey. LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
About Gallantry awards:
• Gallantry Awards are classified into two Categories
a) Gallantry in the Face of Enemy
b) Gallantry Other than in the Face of Enemy
• First Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards
1. Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
Key points: 2. Mahavir Chakra (MVC)
• Colonel B. Santhosh Babu, Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar 3. Vir Chakra
regiment deployed in Galwan during Operation Snow Leopard, who • Second Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards
1. Ashok Chakra
lost his life along with 19 others in the violent clash with Chinese
2. Kirti Chakra
troops in June, has been posthumously selected for the Maha Vir 3. Shaurya Chakra
Chakra (MVC), the second highest wartime gallantry award of India. • Post-independence, first three gallantry awards namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra
• Five other personnel deployed there have been named for the Vir and Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January, 1950 which were
Chakra (VrC), which is the third highest wartime gallantry award. deemed to have effect from the 15th August, 1947.
• In addition, the President has announced one Kirti Chakra • Thereafter, other three gallantry awards i.e. Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Ashoka Chakra Class-II and
Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted by the Government of India on 4th January, 1952,
posthumously and three Shaurya Chakras, one of which is
which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August, 1947. These awards were renamed as
posthumous. Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra respectively in January, 1967.
• The names of the 20 personnel have also been inscribed at the • These gallantry awards are announced twice in a year - first on the occasion of the Republic
National War Memorial in the national capital. Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.
• Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir
Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.
• All the gallantry awards may be awarded posthumously.
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)Padma awards:
• The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in 1954.
• The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of
Republic Day.
• The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service),
Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).
• The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which
is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made.
• Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible
for these Awards.
• The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government
could consider giving an award posthumously.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to
NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)Practice Prelims MCQ
Q1. Consider the following statements about Padma Award:
1. The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India
announced annually on the eve of Independence day.
2. Self-nomination can be made for awards.
3. The award is normally not conferred posthumously.
4. All government servants are not eligible for these awards.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 4
d) 3 and 4
LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)Key points: • Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Naku La in north Sikkim last week, in what the Army termed a “minor face-off ”, resulting in some minor injuries on both sides, it has been learnt. LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
Data/Facts: Crimes against women LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
Thank You LUKMAAN IAS DAILY THE HINDU NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS (JANUARY 26, 2021)
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