India and 26 bilateral pacts to fight drug trafficking
Context: According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reply in the Lok Sabha – India has signed 26 bilateral pacts, 15 memoranda of understanding and two agreements on security cooperation with different countries for combating the drug trafficking problem. Relevance: GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Organized Crime and Terrorism), GS-II: International Relations (Important International Agreements […]
Pegasus spyware issue in India Explained for UPSC
Context: A number of reports on Pegasus Spyware in India indicate that at least 1,000 Indian phone numbers are in a list of potential targets of surveillance using the Pegasus spyware. An Israeli company, the NSO Group, sells the Pegasus spyware to “vetted governments”. The evidence is strong that Indian citizens were indeed targets of […]
Surveillance reform is the need of the hour
Context: It is worth asking why the government would need to hack phones and install spyware when existing laws already offer impunity for surveillance. This unsettling query arises on the basis of reports emerging from a collaborative investigation by journalists from around the world, including from India’s The Wire, titled the ‘Pegasus Project’. Reports say […]
Indigenous Production of Defence Equipment
Context: Raksha Rajya Mantri in his reply in the Rajya Sabha said that the ‘Make in India’ scheme is implemented in defence sector to promote indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence items. Relevance: Prelims, GS-III: Internal Security Challenges Dimensions of the Article: Progress under the Make in India Scheme Initiatives under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat […]
RBI bars Mastercard from issuing new cards in India
Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed restrictions on Mastercard Asia / Pacific Pte. Ltd. from on-boarding new domestic customers (debit, credit or prepaid) onto its card network for non-compliance with the regulator’s directions. According to the RBI, the U.S. card-issuer Mastercard has failed to comply with the local data storage rules announced by […]
Tracking fugitives everywhere
Context: Indian law on extradition is spread across the Indian Penal Code as well as various laws pertaining to narcotic drugs, Information Technology, hijacking, and so on. Relevance: GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Various Agencies and other interventions regarding Internal Security and their mandate), GS-II: Polity and Governance (Government Policies and Interventions) Dimensions of the Article: […]
ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index
Context: Recently, the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020 was released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and it ranked India among the top 10 countries. Relevance: GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Cybersecurity, Cyber warfare, Challenges to Internal Security Through Communication Networks) Dimensions of the Article: The Need, Challenges and Measures regarding Cyber Security in India About the […]
IISS report on India as a cyber power
Context: According to a new report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) India has made only modest progress in developing its policy and doctrine for cyberspace security despite the geostrategic instability of its region and a keen awareness of the cyber threat it faces. Relevance: GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Cyber Security, Internal security […]
Drone attacks at IAF Jammu station
Context: In a terror attack, two low-intensity explosions left two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel injured at the Jammu Air Force Station and the devices are suspected to have been dropped and detonated by unmanned aerial vehicles. Relevance: GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Defence Technology), GS-III: Science and Technology, GS-II: Governance (Government Policies & Interventions) Dimensions […]
World Drug Report & International day against drug abuse
Context: June 26 every year is observed as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the World Drug Report 2021 recently. Relevance: GS-II: Social Justice (Health related issues, Government Policies and Interventions), GS-III: Internal Security Challenges (Organized Crime and Terrorism), […]