The Hindu News Analysis – 7th December 2021 – Shankar IAS Academy

S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T

1 The way to tackle malnutrition (OPED) 7 7 7 7 7

2 Seagrass washes up at Kovalam - - - - 2

3 A docket full of unresolved constitutional cases (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

4 Afforestation funds released to States 10 10 10 10 10

5 Expanding India’s engagement envelope with Russia (Editorial) 6 6 6 6 6

6 Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video
7 Mains Practice Questions
*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram
Pg: 7 – C, B, D, H, T
 Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)

 Current events of national and international importance.

Part B—Main Examination

PAPER-III

General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations

 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these
schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable
sections.

 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.

 Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes,
limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
Malnutrition

• Deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a

person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.

• Undernutrition - form of malnutrition.

 Results from inadequate consumption, poor

absorption or excessive loss of nutrients.

 Includes wasting, stunting and underweight.

• Overnutrition - abnormal or excessive fat

accumulation that may impair health.

 Results in imbalance in energy and/or nutrient

intake.

 Leads to overweight, obesity and diet-related

noncommunicable diseases.
National Family Health Survey-5

• No significant improvements in nutritional outcomes among under-five children.

All India Status

No. Indicators NFHS-4 NFHS-5
(2015-16) (2019-20)

81. Children under 5 years who are stunted (height-for-age) (%) 38.4 35.5

82. Children under 5 years who are wasted (weight-for-height) (%) 21.0 19.3

83. Children under 5 years who are severely wasted (weight-for-height) (%) 7.5 7.7

84. Children under 5 years who are underweight (weight-for-age) (%) 35.8 32.1

85. Children under 5 years who are overweight (weight-for-height) (%) 2.1 3.4

Child feeding practices and nutritional status of children

Anaemia

• Among pregnant women leads to preterm delivery, low-birth-weight infants, and decreased iron
stores for the baby (impaired development).

All India Status

No. Indicators NFHS-4 NFHS-5
(2015-16) (2019-20)

92. Children age 6-59 months who are anaemic (<11.0 g/dl) (%) 58.6 67.1

93. Non-pregnant women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (<12.0 g/dl) (%) 53.2 57.2

94. Pregnant women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (<11.0 g/dl) (%) 50.4 52.2

95. All women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (%) 53.1 57.0

96. All women age 15-19 years who are anaemic (%) 54.1 59.1

Anaemia among Children and Adults

 Child feeding practices and nutritional status of children
Breastfeeding All India Status

No. Indicators NFHS-4 NFHS-5

• Breast milk - safe, clean and contains
(2015-16) (2019-20)
antibodies, energy and nutrients - to
75. Children under age 3 years breastfed within 41.6 41.8
protect against common childhood one hour of birth (%)
illnesses. 76. Children under age 6 months exclusively 54.9 63.7
breastfed (%)
• Nutritional needs satisfied during the
77. Children age 6-8 months receiving solid or 42.7 45.9
first few months of child, the second half
semi-solid food and breastmilk (%)
of the first year, and up to one-third of
78. Breastfeeding children age 6-23 months 8.7 11.1
a child’s nutritional needs during the receiving an adequate diet (%)
second year. 79. Non-breastfeeding children age 6-23 months 14.3 12.7
receiving an adequate diet (%)

80. Total children age 6-23 months receiving an 9.6 11.3

adequate diet (%)
Suggestions

1. Exclusive breastfeeding monitor.

 Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and 4. Public Distribution System (PDS) - a hunger-

Auxiliary Nurse Midwives must continue to mitigation mechanism.

monitor exclusive breastfeeding till the  Moniter - Poshan Abhiyan and the
infant is six months old. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna

2. Integrated Child Development Services - Yojana - with the help of the community.

ensure take-home ration for under-three  Real-time monitoring of the Public

children.
Distribution System (PDS).
3. Monitor the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme workdays &
wage earners.
Pg: 2 – Thiruvananthapuram
edition
Seagrasses

• Underwater plants that evolved from land plants.

• Have leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, and connective

tissues.

• Make food through photosynthesis.

• Do not have strong stems to hold themselves up

rather supported by the buoyancy of water that
surrounds them. Image source : nationalwildlife.org
Importance

• Help lessen the effects of strong ocean currents.

• Good nursery area for many fish and invertebrates - • Organisms like plankton, algae, and
provide place for eggs and larvae to attach. bacteria grow on their stems.

• An indicator of the overall health of the coastal • Dead ones provide food for decomposers
ecosystems. like worms, sea cucumbers, crabs, and
filter feeders.
• Provide food for herbivores like sea turtles and
manatees. • Improve water quality - trapping
sediments, absorbing nutrients, and
 Dugongs depend on seagrass for food.
stabilizing sediment with roots.
 Declining seagrass beds threatens Dugongs.
News
Threats to seagrasses
• Wracks found along the coast of Kovalam
• Pollution
beach, Kerala - Oceana serrulata and
Syringodium isoetifolium species (noodle grass). • Sedimentation

 ‘Least Concern’ - IUCN red list. • Excessive nutrients

 Reported to be from the Lakshadweep • Storms

islands, Gulf of Mannar and Andaman and
• Diseases
Nicobar islands.
• Overgrazing by herbivores
 Reasons to be found in coast - extreme
currents, tides, and wave action.
Pg: 6 – C, B, D, H, T
 Part A—Preliminary Examination Judiciary
Paper I - (200 marks)
• Guardian-protector of the Constitution and
 Current events of national and international
importance. Fundamental rights.
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political
• Proposal by framers of Constitution - breach of
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues,
etc. fundamental rights by the state - to be judicially
Part B—Main Examination decided within one month.
PAPER-III
• Issues in pendency of cases having Constitutional
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations
questions.

 Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, 1. Presidential Orders - diluting Art 370.

evolution, features, amendments, significant
provisions and basic structure. • Whether Centre can bring changes under an Article
 Structure, organization and functioning of the 356 situation in a State.
Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and
Departments of the Government; pressure groups and • Power of Parliament to alter state boundaries.
formal/informal associations and their role in the
Polity.
2. Constitutional challenge to the anonymity in
electoral bonds.

• Impacts integrity of the election process

and constitutional right of citizens to an
informed vote.

Others

3. Constitutional challenges to the Citizenship

(Amendment) Act (CAA).

4. Section 43(D)(5) of the Unlawful Activities

(Prevention) Act.
Impact of pendency
• Consequences for the justice system
• Criminal trial - two aspects
 High cost of legal fees
 Delay.
 Loss of memory by witness, thereby
 Consequences of delay - impact on the affecting the quality of justice
liberty of an accused person and their
 Disappearance of witnesses
presumption of innocence.
 Repeat offences
 Undertrials - 69% in 2019 according to
 Justice system is held in disrepute
NCRB.
 Economic loss
• Civil - consequences to constitutional rights.
 Corruption within the justice system
• Economic costs - due to lost days and state
of suspension of business.  Waste of limited resources
• 1958 - 14th Report of the Law Commission -
inadequate judge strength.

• 230th Law Commission Report -

recommendations to reduce arrears in the
areas of adjournments, clubbing cases,
curtailing vacations and strikes, clarity and
conciseness of both arguments and judgments.

Way Forward

• Automation

• Push for ADR mechanism

• Creation and allocation of resources to special

courts and administrative tribunals
Pg: 10 – C, B, D, H, T
Compensatory Afforestation Act, 2016 • SC order - creation of ‘Compensatory
Afforestation Fund’
• Background
 All the monies received from the user-
 Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 - diversion
agencies towards Compensatory Afforestation
of forest land for non-forest purpose.
etc. shall be deposited.
 Amounts shall be realised from the user
• 2004 Central govt. notification - for
agencies to undertake compensatory
constitution of CAMPA - but delayed.
afforestation.
• 2006 - SC issued orders to constitute an ‘Ad
 Compensatory afforestation - afforestation for
hoc CAMPA’, until CAMPA is operationalised.
the diversion of forest land for non-forestry
use under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.  Objective - promoting afforestation and
regeneration activities as a way of
compensating for the forest land diverted to
non-forest uses.
 Provisions

• Establishes
• 2009 - Union govt. formulated guidelines
for State CAMPA  National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the
Public Account of India
 State CAMPA - agency for utilizing
CAMPA funds in the states.  State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the
Public Account of each state
• Central government introduced the
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, • Payments for

2015 in the Lok Sabha.  Compensatory afforestation

• Passed by both the houses in the year  Net present value of forest (NPV)
2016.  Other project specific payments

• Fund distribution

 National fund - 10%  State fund - 90%

• Usage

 Afforestation to compensate for loss of

forest cover Issues:

 Regeneration of forest ecosystem, wildlife • State forest departments - lack the

protection planning and implementation capacity

 Infrastructure development • Land is a limited resource and required

for multiple purposes
• Establishment of the National and State
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management
and Planning Authorities

 To manage the national and state funds.

Pg: 1 – C, B, D, H, T

Pg: 10 – C, B, D, H, T
Pg: 6 – C, B, D, H, T
 Part A—Preliminary Examination

21st annual India-Russia summit Paper I - (200 marks)

• First India-Russia 2+2 ministerial meeting held  Current events of national and international
importance.
between the foreign and defence ministers .
Part B—Main Examination
• Common fight against organised crime, drug
PAPER-III
trafficking and terrorism discussed.
General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
• Renewed the military-technical cooperation Social Justice and International relations
agreement - till 2031
 India and its neighborhood- relations.
• Signed deal for the manufacture of AK-203  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and
assault rifles agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
• Concluded 28 agreements
 Effect of policies and politics of developed and
developing countries on India’s interests, Indian
diaspora.
India-Russia relations

• Longstanding and time-tested partners.

• “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” - signed in

• Cooperation of India in
2000.
the Russian Far-East
• Elevated to “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” in 2010. policy.

Expected outcomes:  Indian PM to

operationalised USD 1
• Developing the economic relation - achieve USD 30 billion in trade
billion line of credit.
and USDS 50 billion in investment by 2025.

 Efforts:

 “Make in India’programme.

 Continuing engagements of India-Russia Inter-Governmental

Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and
Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).
 • Counter terrorism
• Energy sector
 Strongly condemned terrorism in all its
 Strengthening of India-Russia’s forms.
Cooperation in Hydrocarbons by 2024.
 Shared concerns about aggravation of
 Increasing the sourcing of crude oil from the security situation in Afghanistan.
Russia to India at a preferential price.
 Relation in defence gone to the next
• Political relations level having military-technical
 Russia ensured continued support for collaboration.
India’s permanent membership in UNSC. • Cultural cooperation
 Multilateral support at BRICS and the  General interest among Russians in Indian
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, etc.
dance, music, yoga and ayurveda.
Significance for India

• To get critical technologies - nuclear

submarine.

• To secure India & its borders. Development required areas

• To get permanent seat in an expanded UN • To work in a trilateral manner.

Security Council.
• Enhancement people’s power through the
• To get membership in the Nuclear Suppliers exchange of youth and using their skills.
Group.
• Sport, culture, spiritual and religious studies.
• Mutual benefits in supporting struggle against
• Buddhism - expand interaction.
terrorism, Afghanistan and climate change.

• Both India & Russia have mutual benefits

from organisations like SCO, BRICS, G-20 and
ASEAN.
 Practice Question – Prelims Practice Question – Prelims

Q1.Consider the following statements Q2.Consider the following statements with

regarding Compensatory Afforestation reference to seagrasses:
Fund Act, 2016. 1. They have stems that support them
1. It established the Compensatory under water.
Afforestation Funds under the public 2. They are an indicator of the overall
accounts of India and of each State. health of coastal ecosystems.
2. National funds receive 50% of funds 3. Declining seagrass beds threatens the
received under the act. existence of Dugongs.
Which of the statements given above Which of the statements given above
is/are correct? is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only b) 1 only
c) Both 1 and 2 c) 2 and 3 only
d) Neither 1 nor 2 d) 3 only
Practice Question – Prelims
Answers

Q1. Option (a) – 1 only

Q2. Option (b) – 1 only
 Practice Question – Mains
GS – II
Q. India-Russia relations have withstood the Practice Question – Mains
test of time and the ever-shifting nature of GS – II
national interests. Discuss
Q. Pendency of cases with the questions of
(150 Words, 10 Marks) constitutional power and fundamental
rights of the citizens undermine the most
Practice Question – Mains important role of judiciary as the guardian
of the Constitution and protector of
GS – II fundamental rights. Comment.
Q. The link between nutrition and labour (250 Words, 15 Marks)
productivity is bidirectional, meaning that
higher nutrient consumption leads to
better income and vice versa. Explain.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)