DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
13 APRIL 2022 – CA
| S. No. | Topic Name | Prelims/Mains |
| 1. | ABOUT THE NAGA PEACE PROCESS | Prelims & Mains |
| 2. | DETAILS OF THE GILGIT BALTISTAN REGION | Prelims & Mains |
| 3. | DETAILS OF THE MPLADS SCHEME | Prelims & Mains |
| 4. | HELINA MISSILE | Prelims Specific Topic |
| 5. | ENHANCED PINAKA MK 1 ROCKET SYSTEM | Prelims Specific Topic |
1 – ABOUT THE NAGA PEACE PROCESS:
GS III
Topic : Internal Security
Context:
- The chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland’s Khaplang faction, or NSCN (K), has stated that a solution to the “Indo-Naga political issue” is achievable if all Naga political factions come together with a unified text.
- Background:
- Since the NSCN (I-M) established a truce with the armed forces in mid-1997, the process has been ongoing. In 2001, other organisations began to prefer lectures. Since the Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, it has been placed in “cold storage.”
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What is the age of the Naga political issue:
- Prior to independence, the British seized Assam in 1826, and the Naga Hills joined British India in 1881. The Naga Club, founded in 1918, was the first evidence of Naga opposition, telling the Simon Commission in 1929 to “leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times.”
- The Naga National Council (NNC) was formed in 1946, and on August 14, 1947, Nagaland was recognised an independent state.
- In 1951, the NNC decided to create a “sovereign Naga state” and held a “referendum” in which “99 percent” of voters favoured a “independent” Nagaland.
- Following independence, the Naga Federal Government (NFG) and Naga Federal Army (NFA) were established on March 22, 1952. To put down the rebellion, the Indian government called in the army and passed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in 1958.
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In this sense, there is agreement:
- The NSCN (IM) and the Centre signed a ceasefire deal in 1997, and the two have been in talks ever since, while a group of seven Naga national political groups (NNPGs) held separate talks with the Centre in 2017.
- In 2015, the Centre inked a “framework agreement” with NSCN (IM), and in 2017, the NNPGs signed a “agreed position.” The NSCN (IM demand)’s for a separate Naga flag and constitution, on the other hand, has slowed the signing of a final agreement on the long-running Naga political issue.
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Framework Agreement (FA) 2015:
- On August 3, 2015, the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) reached a framework agreement to resolve the Naga issue.
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The following are some of the major points:
- Under the terms of Article 371 (A) of the Indian Constitution, the government could devolve greater powers to Nagaland.
- The NSCN-IM army will be absorbed into a new force modelled after the Home Guards.
- It would give the Naga tribes in Manipur more authority.
- However, in terms of a boundary, the agreement does not entail physical unification of all Naga Areas.
2 – DETAILS OF THE GILGIT BALTISTAN REGION:
GS II
Topic : International Relations
Context:
- Local communities in Gilgit-Baltistan are protesting loudly against Pakistan for forcibly usurping rural lands and exploiting their natural resources.
- A big number of people took to the streets recently to protest the Pakistani government’s plan to award gem mining permits to private contractors.
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Gilgit-Current Baltistan’s Situation:
- It is currently an autonomous area, but with this elevation, it will become the country’s fifth province.
- Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh are the four provinces that make up Pakistan.
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The Indian position is as follows:
- By virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession, India has clearly communicated to Pakistan that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of the country.
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What is the location of Gilgit Baltistan:
- It is bordered on the north by China, on the west by Afghanistan, and on the south by Kashmir.
- It is separated from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir by a geographical line.
- The region was once part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but it has been under Pakistani authority since November 4, 1947, when tribal militias and the Pakistan army invaded Kashmir.
- This region is crossed by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
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Its current state is as follows:
- Pakistan now occupies the region, in contravention of a resolution passed by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) on April 28, 1949.
- The occupation occurred without the agreement of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, and it continues to this day, despite UNCIP appeals for Pakistan to withdraw its military from the disputed region.
- Gilgit-Baltistan has been without a legitimate constitutional status, a functioning legal system, and political autonomy for nearly 60 years.
3 – DETAILS OF THE MPLADS SCHEME:
GS II
Topic : Government Policies and Interventions
Context:
- Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, which has halted the delivery of funding under MPLADS and has impacted projects, the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates has requested that the government release Rs 5 crore scheduled for 2023-24 in current fiscal year to finish incomplete projects.
- Background:
- Despite the suspension of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme for two years (2020-21 and 2021-22), it was reinstated for the remainder of 2021-22 with the release of Rs 2 crore in one instalment for each MP.
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A requirement for:
- Certain sanctioned projects have been finished or are near completion, however projects are “sadly” being “abandoned mid-way” due to the non-release of earlier instalments.
- To address this, the government should make suitable preparations to discharge pending instalments from prior years, clearing committed liabilities under the MPLAD system and assisting people in receiving benefits from previously dead/abandoned MPLAD projects.
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The MPLAD system is as follows:
- In December of 1993, the company was founded.
- The bill aims to create a framework for Members of Parliament to promote developmental projects for the construction of long-term community assets and the supply of basic services, such as community infrastructure, based on locally identified requirements.
- The MPLADS is a Government of India-funded Plan Scheme.
- Per MP constituency, the annual MPLADS fund entitlement is Rs. 5 crore.
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Special emphasis:
- MPs are required to approve works costing at least 15% of the MPLADS entitlement for the year in areas inhabited by Scheduled Castes and 7.5 percent in regions inhabited by S.T.s every year.
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Funds to be Released:
- The funds are distributed to the district authorities in the form of grants in aid.
- The monies distributed as part of the scheme are non-renewable.
- The responsibility for monies not released in one year is carried forward to the next years if they are eligible.
- Under the programme, MPs can make recommendations.
- The district authority has the jurisdiction to review project eligibility, approve money, choose implementing agencies, prioritise projects, oversee overall execution, and monitor the scheme on the ground.
- Every year, the district government must inspect at least 10% of the projects currently being implemented in the district.
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Recommendations for works include:
- Members of the Lok Sabha can propose projects in their respective constituencies.
- The Rajya Sabha members can propose projects anywhere in the state from which they were elected.
- Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha who have been nominated may choose works to be implemented anywhere in the country.
4 – HELINA MISSILE:
Prelims Specific Topic
The ‘HELINA,’ an indigenously developed helicopter-launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile, was recently successfully flight tested.
- Teams of experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Army, and the Indian Air Force collaborated on the flying test (IAF).
- The maximum range of Helina is seven kilometres.
5 – ENHANCED PINAKA MK 1 ROCKET SYSTEM:
Prelims Specific Topic
In Rajasthan’s Pokhran range, the Enhanced Pinaka Mk-I Rocket System (EPRS) was successfully test launched.
- The EPRS is an improved version of the Pinaka type, which has served with the Indian Army for the past decade.
- Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune were in charge of the design and development (HEMRL).
- The updates include sophisticated technologies that extend the range to satisfy the battlefield’s evolving needs.
- The Mark-1 has a range of 38 kilometres, but the improved version tested in the previous two weeks has a range of 45 kilometres and some crucial extra capabilities.
- The Pinaka rocket system, named after Lord Shiva’s bow, is a multi-barrel rocket system.