Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 20 October 2022
Contents
- The electoral bond system and its transparency
- Importance of IOR for India and its neighborhood
The Electoral Bond System and Its Transparency
Context
- In April 2022, the Supreme Court heard a pending petition challenging the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, and it is scheduled to hear it again in December 2022.
- In October 2022, the Supreme Court asked the government whether the electoral bonds system reveals the source of money pumped in to fund political parties, despite the Centre’s repeated assertions that the scheme is “absolutely transparent.”
- Two non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Common Cause and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), as well as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have challenged the scheme, claiming that it “distorts democracy.”
Relevance
GS Paper 2: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Mains question
Discuss the transparency issues surrounding electoral bonds. Do you believe that voters should be aware of the source of political funding? Analyse. (250 words)
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Importance of IOR for India and Its Neighborhood
Context
- Speaking at the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Plus Defence Ministers’ Conclave, Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh stated that India is prepared to provide missiles and weapon systems to friendly countries in the region.
- He stated that India seeks the IOR countries’ cooperation in combating terrorism, narcotics, and unregulated fishing in the Indian Ocean.
Relevance
GS Paper 2: India and its neighborhood- relations
Mains Question
As a rising China projects economic and military power into the Indian Ocean, any Indian government strategy for regional balance must include economic and military development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Examine. (250 words)
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