Dec-16Sec

Question 1

Dec-16Sec -Index

Answer 1

4. 1. Cyber Security
5. 2. Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas
6. 3. Nagrota Attacks
7. 4. Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon
8. 5. Konkan Exercise
9. 6. Indian Navy Day

Question 2

4.1. CYBER SECURITY

Answer 2

Why in news?
 In India, there has been a surge of about 350 percent in cybercrime cases registered from the year of 2011 to 2014, according to a study by ASSOCHAM.
India’s Vulnerabilities in cyberspace
 Although Government has set up National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to protect the critical information infrastructure in the country it is yet to identify and implement measures to
protect “critical information infrastructure”.
 The measure to appoint a National Cyber Security Coordinator in 2014 has not been supplemented by creating liaison officers in the States
 Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is woefully understaffed.
 The private sector is equally culpable in its failure to report and respond to breaches in digital networks. Interpol data says that less than 10 per cent of such cases were registered with law enforcement agencies. Electronic fraud is notoriously underreported in India.
 There are neither voluntary, sector-specific standards for reporting data breaches nor industry backchannels for sharing confidential security information.
 Attitudinal factor - The continued perception has been that cyber security is “optional”. NIC email servers are often blamed for their poor security, but most Indian companies that rely on Gmail for official communication also do not make 2FA (two factor authentication) mandatory for its employees.
 International threat of a cyber-war from countries like China and Pakistan
 Rules of engagement on the Internet by governments and non-state actors are yet to be articulated.
Steps taken by government of India
 National Cyber security policy 2013 has been released. Under this the government has setup NCIIPC.
 Sectoral CERTs have been functioning in the areas of Defence and Finance for catering to critical domains
 The National Watch and Alert System - Computer Emergency Response (CERT-In) team is working 24/7 and scanning the cyber space in the country.
 Government has initiated Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project with the aim to develop human resource in the area of Information Security at various levels.
 India has teamed up with countries like USA, UK and China for mutual sharing of information and best-practices.
Way forward
 India may consider acceding to Budapest convention.
 A GOI Expert Group has recommended for setting up an Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for interagency coordination.
 Prepare for cyber-attacks in various dimensions including space satellites.
 Implement a Cyber Crisis Management Plan.
 Establish cyber security training infrastructure through public private partnerships.
 The idea of a National Cyber Registry “as a repository of IT professionals” should be implemented.
 Currently, the only source of international guidelines on “cyber warfare” is the Tallinn Manual, a document that was put together by Western experts under the aegis of NATO.
 India can help steer the debate in three ways.
 India should try and replace, the Tallinn Manual with a binding treaty on the law of cyber warfare.
 India must push for an international court to prosecute transnational cyber crimes, which would have the jurisdiction to try both state and non-state actors.
 The Indian government should promote attempts to create an international data protection law that facilitates quick information-sharing with multinational companies which do not host domestic servers.
Way forward
The Reserve Bank of India’s recent decision to waive 2FA for transactions less than Rs.2,000 treats may compromise higher-value payments and be a detrimental step. For a government which has staked its future heavily on the success of the Digital India programme, cyber security vulnerability cannot be neglected. Therefore the above steps need to be implemented as soon as possible.

Box–1-Cybercrime Definition
Computer crime, or cybercrime, is crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. It is faceless and borderless and so is difficult to tackle.

Box–2-Some recent events related to cyber security
Ground zero summit - The theme for the Summit - Digital India – ‘Securing Digital India’
Demonetisation and shift to a cashless economy. This has to be seen in the light of the leak of information related to 32 million debit cards recently.

Box–3-The Budapest Convention is the only multilateral treaty on cyber security that addresses Internet and computer crime by harmonizing national laws, improving legal authorities for investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations.
Developing countries including India have not signed it stating that the developed countries lead by the US drafted it without consulting them.

Question 3

4.2. ROAD CONNECTIVITY PROJECT FOR LWE AFFECTED AREAS

Answer 3

Why in News?
Recently the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEE) approved the Centrally Sponsored scheme named Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas.
About the Scheme
 The project will be launched under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
 Ministry of Rural Development will be the sponsoring as well as the implementing Ministry of this project.
 It aims at providing all weather road connectivity to the 44 worst affected LWE districts and the adjoining districts.
 Parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are considered LWE-affected areas.
 These roads are critical from the security point of view.
 The implementing period is of four years from 2016-17 to 2019-20
 The fund sharing pattern of LWE road project will be in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and States for all States except for the North Eastern and three Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand) for which it will be 90:10
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25th December, 2000.
 It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
 PMGSY aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to all unconnected habitations in rural areas of the country.

Question 4

4.3. NAGROTA ATTACKS

Answer 4

Why in news?
 The Indian Army base in Nagrota (J&K) was attacked on 29 November 2016 by a group of militants in which seven Indian soldiers and all three militants were killed.
 The attack at Nagrota was the biggest terrorist strike since the 18 September Uri attacks.

Strategic significance behind the attack
 The surgical strikes post Uri attacks have severely dented Pakistan army’s image and credibility while dealing militarily with Indian army.
 Most of the terrorist attacks in 2016 were on defence forces as a large scale attack on civilians will bring global pressure on Pakistan.
 Pakistan’s strategy is to attack the “occupying forces” of India in Jammu and Kashmir.
 The Pak army and ISI are supporting the protests against the Indian state in the Kashmir valley on one hand, and on the other pushing more infiltrators inside Kashmir through ceasefire violations and raising the Kashmir rhetoric at global forums.
 They have also elevated the rhetoric on Kashmir on global forums.
Conclusion
 Though Pakistan believes it can mount pressure on India to come back for talks, it hardly seems to be working, as the world is getting impatient with terror attacks now.
 This can be seen from United States responses to terror attacks in the past, when it had quickly intervened after Kaluchak and Mumbai attacks, it’s not doing so now.
 Diplomatically too all South Asian nations except Pakistan sided with India in boycotting this year’s SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit which was to be held in Islamabad.
 India needs to keep tightening the screws with more economic, diplomatic as well as military pressure on Pakistan.

Question 5

4.4. SMART ANTI-AIRFIELD WEAPON

Answer 5

About SAAW
 The Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully tested a Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from an Indian Air Force aircraft.
 It is an indigenously designed and developed 120 kg. Class smart weapon.
 It was tested at Chandipur (Odisha) test range.
 It is capable of engaging ground targets with up to a range of 100 kms.
 The light weight high precision guided bomb is one of the world class weapons systems.

Question 6

4.5. KONKAN EXERCISE

Answer 6

 It is the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the navies of the UK and India.
 Since its institutionalisation in 2004, the exercise is hosted in rotation by both the Navies.
 It involved sharing of best practices, especially in the field of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO).

Question 7

4.6. INDIAN NAVY DAY

Answer 7

Why in News?
 The 45th Navy Day was celebrated on the 4th of December 2016.
 It is celebrated every year on the same day to commemorate the launch of Operation Trident against Pakistan on 4th December, 1971.
 The day is chosen because it was on 4th December 1971 during the India-Pakistan war; the Indian Navy played a significant role in the bombing of the Karachi harbour.

 The 3 missile boats:
 INS Nipat,
 INS Nirghat and
 INS Veer, played an important role in the attack
 The present 23rd Indian Navy Chief is Admiral Sunil Lamba.

Box--Vessels inducted in the Indian Navy in 2016
Kamov Ka-226T
INS Marmugao
INS Chennai
INS Kadamatt
INS Tarmugli
INS Karna