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Pram IAS Current Affairs And International Relation
1. Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Emotional Exploitation of People:
o For many in Russia and in the ethically
Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage
of the countries is an emotional issue that
has been exploited for electoral and military
purposes.
Balance of Power:
o Ever since Ukraine split from the Soviet
Union, both Russia and the West have vied
for greater influence in the country in order
to keep the balance of power in the region in
their favour.
Acts as a buffer:
 The Ukraine crisis has crossed a critical point, o For the United States and the European
with Russia following up its recognition of rebel Union, Ukraine is a crucial buffer between
regions in eastern Ukraine (Donbas region)- Russia and the West.
Donetsk and Luhansk with a full-fledged invasion o As tensions with Russia rise, the US and the
to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine. EU are increasingly determined to keep
 This decision by Moscow is a rejection of the Ukraine away from Russian control.
inviolability of national borders in Europe as
agreed to in the Helsinki agreement of 1975 and
a major challenge to the global order. CURRENT SITUATION
 While on one hand Russia remains India’s
biggest and time-tested supplier of military  Russia is seeking assurances from the US that
hardware, the US, the EU, and UK are all vital Ukraine will not be inducted into NATO.
partners that India cannot afford to antagonise. However, the US is not prepared to give any such
Considering India’s strategic interests, a balanced assurance.
approach that India has followed till now, is a  This has left the countries in a stand-off, with
pragmatic way forward. tens of thousands of Russian troops ready to
invade Ukraine.
 Russia is keeping the tensions high at the Ukraine
CAUSE OF CONFLICT border in order to get sanctions relief and other
concessions from the West.
Shared history:  Any kind of military action by the US or EU
o Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years against Russia would precipitate a major crisis for
of cultural, linguistic and familial links. the whole world, and has so far not been mooted
o As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the by any of the parties involved.
second-most powerful Soviet republic after
Russia, and was crucial strategically,
economically and culturally. WHAT IS RUSSIA’S STAND?
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 India’s imports of petroleum products from
Russia are only a fraction of its total oil import bill
and, thus, replaceable.
o However, getting alternative sources for
fertilisers and sunflower oil may not be as
easy.
 Exports to Russia account for less than 1% of
India’s total exports, but exports
of pharmaceuticals and tea could face some
challenges, as will shipments to CIS
countries. Freight rate hikes could make overall
exports less competitive, too.
 NATO’s expansion violated promises made prior RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR- INDIA’S DIPLOMATIC
to the breakup of the Soviet Union, that DILEMMA
Ukraine’s accession to NATO would cross Russia’s India’s statement at the UN lacked condemnation of
red lines, and that NATO’s strategic posture the Russian attack on Ukraine. Five reasons for India’s
poses a continuing security threat to Russia. diplomatic dilemma are discussed below-
 NATO’s expansion as a politico-military alliance,  Double Standards: The West views India’s
even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and statement as condoning Russia’s actions and
the Warsaw Pact, was a U.S.’s initiative intended applying double standards while it raises the
to temper European ambitions for strategic issue of “territorial integrity and sovereignty”
autonomy and to counter Russia’s resurgence. when it comes to China.
 The Ukraine crisis was justified by the Russian  India’s strategic ties with Russia: India’s
President on the grounds of security interests dependence on Russia for military supplies — 60
and the rights of ethnic Russians in former Soviet to 70 percent of India’s military hardware is of
Republics. Russian origin.
 Russia wants an assurance from the West o This is extremely crucial at a time when India
that Ukraine will never be allowed to join has an ongoing border standoff with China.
NATO. Kyiv is currently a “partner country”,  India at UN Meeting: India said the escalation of
which implies that it will be allowed to join the tension along the border of Ukraine with the
military alliance in the future. Russian Federation is a matter of deep concern.
o The US and its western allies are refusing to o This is the closest New Delhi has gone so far
bar Ukraine from NATO, claiming it as to caution Putin’s Russia to not undertake
a sovereign country that is free to choose its risky behaviour that may escalate.
own security alliances. o It is a euphemism and diplomatese for India
telling Russia: don’t do it.
HOW WILL INDIA BE IMPACTED BY THIS
 Safety of Indian Citizens: India’s worry remains
its 20,000 Indian students and nationals, many of
CONFLICT?
them who live close to the Ukraine-Russia border.
 The Russia-Ukraine crisis will send cooking gas,
o Many of these students are enrolled in the
petrol and other fuel bills soaring for Indian
medical colleges of Ukraine.
households and businesses. Higher oil prices add
o India has also emphasized that it was
to freight/transportation costs.
concerned about the safety and security of
 Depending on how long global oil prices remain
civilians.
elevated, the tensions could raise questions on
 Peaceful Negotiation through Diplomatic
the RBI's credibility in making inflation
Channels: India has asked “all sides” to intensify
projections and upset the government’s budget
diplomatic efforts to reach for an amicable
calculations, particularly fiscal deficit.
solution at the earliest.
o The surge in crude oil prices will lead to
o This is again a time-tested line of India’s,
an increase in India’s oil import bills, and
where it doesn’t blame one side or the other
gold imports could jump back up, keeping
for not being cooperative.
the rupee under pressure.
o West has blamed Russia for starting the fragile post-Covid-19 recovery through this
tension and has put the ball in Putin’s court, global churn.
whereas the Russian President has blamed  A Balanced Approach: India-Russia ties have
NATO’s eastward expansion as a threat. ensured that Delhi has not been entirely left out
of the conversation on Afghanistan, and
WHAT COULD BE THE WAY FORWARD? in Central Asia, while also providing some
 International cooperation is needed to solve the leverage with the US.
ever-increasing conflict between Russia and o At the same time, the US, the EU, and UK are
Ukraine. all vital partners, and India’s relations with
 Both the countries should restrain from any move each of them, and the Western world in
leading to escalation of the tension. general, go far beyond the sum of their parts.
o Delhi must talk continually to all sides, and
WHAT IS AN INDIA-SPECIFIC WAY FORWARD? engage with all of its partners, keeping in
 Geopolitical Aspect: India has to brace itself for mind that there is no justification for the
some immediate challenges flowing from the violation of any country’s territorial
Russian actions. sovereignty.
o It will have to balance the pressure from one o India must also make it clear to coercing
strategic partner to condemn the violation of countries that their “with us or against us”
international law, with that from another formulations are hardly constructive.
to understand its legitimate concerns. India o The best course is for all parties to step back
managed these pressures during the 2014 and focus on preventing an all-out
crisis of Crimea annexation, it shall again war, rather than divide the world and return it
manage it effectively. to the days of the Cold War.
 Economic Aspect: On the fiscal side, the
Government, which has been conservative in its
revenue assumptions in the Budget, has Question: Discuss the implications of the
the room to pre-emptively cut domestic fuel Russia-Ukraine conflict on India and the right
taxes to nip inflationary expectations, stoke approach that the latter shall take in this
faltering consumption levels and sustain India’s regard.
2. One Year of Taliban 2.0

 The US dislodged the Taliban regime
and established a transitional government
in Afghanistan.
 The US had reached the conclusion long ago that
the war was unwinnable and approached for
peace talks.
 Peace Talks:
o Murree Talks:
 In 2015 the US had sent a representative to
the first-ever meeting between the Taliban
and the Afghan government that was
hosted by Pakistan in Murree in 2015.
o Doha Talks:
 In 2020, before the Doha Talks started,
WHY IN NEWS? the Taliban had maintained that they
It has been a year since American Troops would hold direct talks only with the
withdrew and Taliban took over the regime in US, and not with the Kabul government,
Afghanistan in August 2021. which they did not recognise.
Over the last two decades, foreign powers including  In the agreement, the US administration
India helped Afghanistan to rebuild roads, dams, promised that it would withdraw all
government offices, hospitals, rural infrastructure, American troops from Afghanistan by 1st
the economy, and education. May, 2021.
 The deadline has been pushed
to 11th September 2021.
HOW DID THE TALIBAN TAKE OVER THE  US Exit:
REGIME IN AFGHANISTAN? o By July 2021, the US claimed that it had
withdrawn 90% of the troops and Taliban
claimed that it had controlled over 85% of the
OUT TALIBAN: Afghan Territory.
 The Taliban or the Islamic Emirate of  Taliban Takeover:
Afghanistan is a Deobandi Islamic o Taliban took control of the regime in
fundamentalist, militant Islamist, Afghanistan in August 2021.
and jihadist political movement in Afghanistan. o This was the first time since their ouster 20
years ago in the wake of the 9/11 strikes that
 It ruled approximately three-quarters of the
Taliban fighters had entered the city — they
country from 1996–2001, before being
first seized the Capital in 1996.
overthrown following the United States
BACKGROUND: HOW IS CURRENT SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN

 Terrorist Attack: UNDER TALIBAN’S RULE?
o On 11th September 2001, terrorist attacks in  Overview:
America killed nearly 3,000 people. o The Taliban took over a readymade
o A month after 9/11, the US launched country, but administering a nation of 32
airstrikes against Afghanistan (Operation million requires capacity and finances.
Enduring Freedom).  The Taliban are short on both.
 Transitional Government in Afghanistan: o Many wealthy people, and those of the
o After the attacks, the North Atlantic Treaty middle class with means and education,
Organization (NATO) coalition including civil servants, have fled the
troops declared war on Afghanistan. country, not wishing to be part of the Taliban
regime.
o The international community has not yet
recognised the regime formally,
and sanctions, including travel bans on many o The anti-people action by the Taliban to ban
Taliban, remain in place. the education of girls beyond class 6 in
 Their access to international banking and school, and to make it difficult for women to
finance is limited. work met with protest by
 Economy: women demanding “Education, Employment
o In May 2022, the Taliban presented and Bread”.
an annual budget based entirely on  It was dispersed by guards who fired in
domestic revenue. the air.
 It projected an expenditure of USD 2.6 o The UN has reported 160 extrajudicial
billion, and a revenue of USD 2.1 billion. killings, 178 arbitrary detentions, 23
 No details were given about spending, or instances of incommunicado
how the gap with revenue would be detentions, and 56 instances of torture and
bridged. ill-treatment of former government and
o Most of Afghanistan’s revenues are now military officials.
being raised through customs duties. o Reports of factionalism, and the reported
 It is also exporting coal to Pakistan. dissonance between the Haqqanis and the
o The United Nations humanitarian response Kandahar core of the Taliban have
has helped Afghanistan keep its head above fuelled speculation about the possibility of a
water. breakdown and another cycle of civil war.
 Until the Taliban banned high school
education for girls, the UN was paying WHAT IS INDIA’S STAND ON THE TALIBAN?
teachers’ salaries. India is critical to the terror activities of the Taliban,
o The International Committee of the Red but has due endurances to the fact that it has to
Cross (ICRC) is financing the Indira Gandhi maintain ties with Afghanistan due to the following
Children’s Hospital in Kabul. reasons:
o In the absence of international banking  Road to Central Asia: India’s strategic interests in
facilities, UN planes have flown in USD 1 the region, including access to Central Asia, and
billion in hard cash, including to fund money ensuring that Pakistan is not able to relocate
transfers to the needy through partner India-focussed terror groups to Afghanistan.
agencies.  Geographic significance: Afghanistan enjoys a
 Security: strategic location in South Asia and is particularly
o Taliban remains nervous about the Daesh or relevant to India as a geographical neighbour.
ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan  The country has the Central Asian Republics to
province), which has carried out attacks in the North, Pakistan to its East, and through Iran
Kabul with frightening regularity. and Pakistan the Indian Ocean deeper south.
 According to the UN, from mid-August  Trade partnerships: Afghanistan has been an
2021 to mid-June 2022, 2,106 people important trading and craft centre for over 2000
were killed or wounded — 700 were years connecting the civilizations of Persia, and
killed — in violence attributed to or Central Asia with India.
claimed by ISKP.
o The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-
WAY AHEAD
Zawahiri in a Kabul neighbourhood by the
 Demonstrate Solidarity: The Afghanistan peace
US has added to the Taliban’s insecurity.
process is a rare opportunity for global solidarity
 Afghan Population & Taliban:
and to demonstrate the world’s capability of
o Though there hasn’t been much change in
raising an infant democracy from the ashes of a
the Taliban’s attitude towards civil society
terror-based regime.
from the time they last ruled in Kabul, but
 Financial Aid: There is a need to engage with all
unlike 20 years ago, outright brutalities have
stakeholders amid an Afghan-led, Afghan-
not been reported yet.
controlled and Afghan–owned peace process.
 A dress code has been prescribed for
However, it would require substantial financial
both men and women, but it is not
commitments from the richer nations as per their
strictly implemented.
capability.
 Dialogue with Taliban: There is a need to make it  Role of India: India would do well to strengthen
clear to Taliban and other non-state actors what the peace process and contribute to the Afghan
is expected out of them in order to let them redevelopment efforts.
continue having a presence in the political
establishment. Question: Comment on the current
 Checking Pakistan’s Involvement: For any situation in Afghanistan under Taliban’s
progress to be expected, Pakistan needs to be
rule
stopped from promoting violence and terror in
Afghan society.
3. China-Taiwan Relations
IN NEWS
 Recently, the US House
Speaker arrived in
Taiwan upsetting China
while India was keenly
watching the
developments.
o This visit has raised
tension between
US and China.
HOW DID THE CURRENT

ROUND OF TENSIONS
COME ABOUT?
 The current round of
tensions
between China and which separates Taiwan from mainland
Taiwan began in 2021 when China observed China.
its National Day to mark the birth of the People’s
Republic of China (PRC).
o Coinciding with the 72nd anniversary ROLE OF THE US IN THE CHINA-TAIWAN ISSUE
celebrations, China flew over 100 fighter jets  In 1979, the United States established formal
into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, diplomatic relations with the PRC. At the same
jangling nerves in Taiwan and setting off time, it severed its diplomatic ties and abrogated
alarm around the world that it was preparing its mutual defence treaty with the ROC.
to take over the island by force.  Officially, the US acknowledges the “One-China”
 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and China’ policy, which recognizes only one Chinese
steadfast support of Russia in the face of global government in Beijing and has formal ties with
criticism has heightened these fears. Beijing rather than Taipei.
 US-China angle:  But Washington’s actions have been that of
o In 2020, amid worsening US-China relations strategic ambiguity where it has proclaimed that
over Covid and trade, the State Department it would intervene militarily if China were to
sent its highest-ranking delegation till then to invade Taiwan. The US has also pledged to supply
Taipei. Taiwan with defensive weapons. Beijing has
 During the visit, the Chinese conducted a repeatedly urged Washington to stop selling
military exercise in the Taiwan Strait, weapons and cease contact with Taipei.
 The Trump administration had increased the  Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India
arms trade to Taiwan which escalated tension (TECC)
between China-Taiwan and the Biden o The Taiwanese government has a
administration is continuing the weapons trade representative office namely the Taipei
with Taipei. Economic and Cultural Center in India (TECC)
which oversees the collaboration on different
WHAT IS THE ‘ONE CHINA’ PRINCIPLE? fronts like education, tourism, culture, the
 The principle affirms Chinese sovereignty over media, and economic development.
Taiwan and is the cornerstone of o Taiwan’s increased investments have
bilateral diplomatic relations between the US and occurred in the face of cultural challenges,
China. bureaucratic hurdles, and pressure on India
 Any country that wants to establish political and from domestic producers.
diplomatic relations with China must agree to  Free trade Agreement
adhere to this principle and not recognise Taiwan o India has suggested the possibility of a free
as an independent country. trade agreement with Taiwan although this
 Currently, 21 states recognize Taiwan as a decision is not without precedent as Taiwan
sovereign country. maintains economic cooperation agreements
 In practice, the ‘One China’ principle is a (ECAs) with New Zealand and Singapore, both
stabilisation mechanism that preserves the unofficial relationships.
status quo over Taiwan’s political status while
allowing it to function as an independent INDIA’S STAND ON THE CHINA-TAIWAN ISSUE
economic, civic and administrative entity. India does not have formal diplomatic ties with
 Since 1979, Taiwan has had to negotiate its Taiwan yet as it recognizes the One China policy. But
‘international living space’ but it has since 1995, both sides have maintained
largely honoured the ‘One China’ principle. representative offices in each other’s capitals that
function as de facto embassies.
INDIA–TAIWAN RELATIONS
But as India-China ties have been under stress lately,
India has been playing up its relationship with
 Bilateral relations
Taiwan.
o The bilateral relations between India and
As a part of India’s Act East Foreign Policy, India has
Taiwan have improved since the 1990s,
sought to cultivate extensive ties with Taiwan in
despite both nations not maintaining official
trade and investment as well as developing
diplomatic relations.
cooperation in science & technology, environmental
 Commercial ties
issues, and people-to-people exchange.
o Both governments have launched efforts to
 The India-Taipei Association (ITA) and Taipei
significantly expand bilateral trade and
Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in New
investment, especially in the fields of
Delhi are examples of the exchange.
information technology (IT), energy,
telecommunications and electronics.
WAY FORWARD
 Cultural exchanges
o Buddhism is the most widely practiced  The Russian-Ukraine war is been observed by the
religion in Taiwan, usually alongside elements world and especially in China, so Beijing will
of Daoism, and Bollywood films have in analyze the consequences of the ongoing war
recent years gained a reasonably popular before any action against Taiwan. But the
following, along with other aspects of Indian Chinese economy is far more than the Russian
culture such as yoga, cuisine and Indian economy hence that will also be taken into
dance. consideration.
 Trade  Any escalation in the Taiwan Strait will affect the
o Taiwan’s relations with India have increased whole Indo-Pacific security and trade.
in breadth spanning trade, research and  Countries like Japan, and Australia have urged
academia, as well as depth trade ties, which China to cease the military exercises and missile
amounted to $7.5 billion in 2019, up from $1 test fires around Taiwan, which shows that
billion in 2000.
Chinese aggression has started affecting the Question: Separating Taiwan's
nations already. relationship from mainland China could
be India's way of reversing the One China
Policy. Explain with suitable arguments.
4. Crisis in Sri Lanka

IN NEWS
Sri Lanka is facing a massive economic collapse with
dramatic events seen on its political stage. FACTORS LEADING SRI LANKA TO THIS
SITUATION:
MORE ABOUT THE NEWS  Economic mismanagement by successive
 Economic Crisis: governments: This created and sustained a twin
o Sri Lanka is under the grip of an deficit – a budget shortfall alongside a current
unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst account deficit.
in seven decades.  Populist policies of the current government: For
o The country is crippled by an acute shortage example tax cuts.
of foreign exchange that has left it struggling  Impact of the pandemic: Reductions in the
to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other country’s vital tourism economy and remittances
essentials such as food, and medicines. from foreign workers.
 Humanitarian Crisis:  Reduction in rice production: Caused by the
o Tropical Sri Lanka normally is not lacking for present government’s proposal to ban all
food, but people are going hungry. chemical fertilisers in 2021, which was later
o The U.N. World Food Program says nearly reversed.
nine of 10 families are skipping meals or
otherwise skimping to stretch out their food, INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
while 3 million are receiving emergency
 International Monetary Fund:
humanitarian aid.
o The government is in negotiations with the
o Doctors have resorted to social media to try
IMF on a bailout plan.
to get critical supplies of equipment and
 United Nations:
medicine.
o Earlier in June, the United Nations launched a
o Growing numbers of Sri Lankans are seeking
worldwide public appeal for assistance.
passports to go overseas in search of work.
o So far, projected funding barely scratches the
o Government workers have been given an
surface of the $6 billion the country needs to
extra day off for three months to allow them
stay afloat over the next six months.
time to grow their own food.
 Indian support:
 Political Crisis:
o So far Sri Lanka has been muddling through,
o There has been persistent anti-government
mainly supported by $4 billion in credit lines
protests since three months over the
from India.
government’s failure to arrest or address the
 Other countries:
long-simmering economic crisis.
o Sri Lanka has also sought more help from
o The escalation of citizens’ anger pushed the
China.
top two leaders (the President and the Prime
o Other governments like the U.S., Japan and
Minister) to agree to step down.
Australia have provided a few hundred
o Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will be
million dollars in support.
made Acting President as per the
Constitution.
o Parliament will be convened to elect a IMPACTS ON INDIA
President from among its members, to pave  India's exports to Sri Lanka are declining as a
way for an interim, all-party government. result of the inability of Sri Lankan traders to pay
for imports. Furthermore, many Indian exporters WAY FORWARD
are concerned about stalled payments. At the  Implementing Democracy in True Spirit:
same time, it provided an opportunity for India's o There is a need for strong political consensus
tea and textile industries to replace Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka for better crisis-management.
exporters and export their products to European Militarisation of Administration can be
and American markets. Transportation has reduced.
become more expensive as a result of the fuel  Considerations are needed to help the
shortage, and there is also uncertainty. As a poor and vulnerable get back on their
result, importers of Sri Lankan goods may prefer feet and prevent long-term scarring.
India to Sri Lanka.  The steps include an increase in
 Several Indian firms have invested in Sri Lanka in agricultural productivity, increased job
a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, opportunities in non-farming sectors,
tourism, hotels, and banking. The economic crisis better implementation of reforms and
may have a negative impact on these investors. reviving the tourism sector.
 The COVID pandemic has driven many people  Support from India:
into poverty in Sri Lanka, and the current o India, which has followed
economic crisis has exacerbated their plight. the "Neighbourhood First policy" to cement
Many people are fleeing to India in search of bonds with its neighbours, can walk that
food. India is Sri Lanka's immediate neighbour. extra mile to help Sri Lanka out of the current
India should provide food, shelter, and crisis and help Sri Lanka towards realising its
employment opportunities to Sri Lankan potential, to reap the rewards of a stable,
refugees. This could add to the burden on India's friendly neighbourhood.
economy, which is already struggling to deal with  Bailout from International Monetary Fund:
rising inflation. o Sri Lanka has approached the IMF for the
 India is dependent on the Colombo port, which bailout. The IMF can support Sri Lanka’s
serves as a trans-shipment hub for global trade. efforts to overcome the current economic
This means that goods from India are routed crisis.
through this port. The Colombo port currently  Prospects of Circular Economy:
handles 60% of India's trans-shipment cargo. o With reference to economic instability in Sri
Many Indian shipments are stuck in Colombo port Lanka, the dependence on imports can be
due to labour shortages and disruptions in minimised by the circular economy, it will
transportation facilities. This could have an offer a sustainable alternative to aid a
impact on India's exports and raise costs if recovery.
alternative routes are chosen.
 India is sending aid and relief materials to Sri
Lanka. This is working to improve relations
between India and Sri Lanka.
SUPPORT FROM INDIA:

 A diesel shipment under a $500 million credit line
signed with India is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka
soon.
 Sri Lanka and India have signed a $1 billion credit
line for importing essentials, including food and
medicine.
 The Sri Lankan government has also sought at
least another $1 billion from New Delhi.
5. Geopolitics Of India-Sri Lanka-China Triangle

WHY IN NEWS?
China’s growing presence in Sri Lanka is
generating concerns about the Indo-Sri Lanka
bilateral relationship.
HOW THE GROWING CLOUT OF CHINA

AFFECTS INDIA-SRI LANKA BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP?
 Threat to maritime security: A permanent
People's Liberation Army (PLA) presence in
the eastern Indian Ocean will certainly
inhibit the Indian Navy’s deployment options
and will neutralise the geographical
advantage it enjoys in these waters.
o For instance, recently, Sri Lanka has approved a Chinese firm – Sinosar Etechwinee Joint Venture is barely
50 km from Tamil Nadu coast.
 Favouring China over India: China is viewed as a more reliable partner in enabling domestic economic
development timely completion of projects, cost-effectiveness and quality of infrastructure etc.
o For instance, Last year, Indian government took five months to approve a loan moratorium sought by
Colombo while Beijing approved an additional loan from its development bank in no time.
 Impact on trade: Chinese imports were reduced by 8 percent in 2020, while in contrast, imports from India
went down by approximately 19 percent.
WAY AHEAD TO REINVIGORATE INDIA-SRI LANKA TIES

 Exploring new domains: In education, healthcare, and tourism, India is a far stronger partner than China.
 Leveraging India’s Soft Power: In the technology sector, India could create job opportunities by expanding the
presence of its information technology companies in Sri Lanka thereby boosting the island nation’s service
economy.
 Sharing experience: As Sri Lanka embarks on the arduous project of drafting a constitution, India can lend its
own experience in managing minority rights and diverse populations.
 Strengthening cultural relations: The two countries can look to create a Buddhism knowledge and tourism
corridor.
 Cooperation in maritime security: As maritime countries in the Indian Ocean, India and Sri Lanka have a shared
interest in ensuring maritime security and safety.
6. India-Russia Defense Relations
WHY IN NEWS?
At the recently
held 21st India-
Russia summit,
both nations
signed a 10-year
defence
cooperation pact
in the
background of
ongoing
deliveries of the
S-400 air defence
systems.
BACKGROUND OF INDIA-RUSSIA DEFENCE AND

SECURITY COOPERATION
INDIA -RUSSIA DEFENCE TIES
 India-Russia relationship is based on the  India was reliant, almost solely on the British, and
principles of mutual trust, respect for each other Western nations for its arms imports
other’s core national interests and similarity of immediately after Independence but by the
positions on various international and regional 1970s India was importing several weapons
issues, both nations are long standing and time- systems from the USSR, making it country’s
tested partners. largest defence importer for decades when it
 In 1971, both nations signed the Treaty of Peace, came to both basic and sophisticated weapons
Friendship and Cooperation and became systems.
Strategic partners in 2000.  Russia has provided some of the most sensitive
 The 2021 summit took it another step ahead with and important weapons platforms that India has
the first 2+2 dialogue of Foreign and Defence required from time to time including nuclear
Ministers to exchange views in global and submarines, aircraft carriers, tanks, guns, fighter
regional political-security developments. jets, and missiles.
 For Russia, India is the largest importer, and for
MAJOR AGREEMENTS AT 21ST INDIA-RUSSIA India, Russia the largest exporter when it comes
SUMMIT to arms transfer.
Along with the defence cooperation, the major o Between 2000 and 2020, Russia accounted
agreements signed between two nations include- for 66.5 per cent of India’s arms imports
 Joint production of more than 600,000 AK-203 especially with respect to fighter jets, tanks,
assault rifles to advance self-reliance in the helicopters and submarines among others,
defence manufacturing sector. while several major deals are in the pipeline.
 Promote greater economic cooperation with  Russia has also been one of main exporters of
target to increase bilateral trade to $30b and fighter aircraft to India, including hundreds of
bilateral investments to $50b by 2025. Sukhoi and MiG jets.
 Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Russia to  India’s missile programme has been developed
jointly respond against cyberattacks, with significant help from Russia or the Soviets
 Jointly fight against terrorist organizations like earlier.
ISISAl Qaeda-LeT, drug trafficking and organised
crime etc.
o The BrahMos missile, which India will begin for the manufacture of 6.1 lakh AK-203
exporting soon, has been developed jointly rifles at Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
with Russia. o India continues to remain Russia’s largest
 The Indian Army’s main battle tank force is arms buyer with a major chunk of legacy
composed predominantly of Russian T-72M1 (66 hardware from Russia and the Soviet Union,
per cent) and T-90S (30 percent). the volume of imports has reduced in the last
 The Indian Air Force’s 667-plane fighter ground decade.
attack (FGA) fleet is 71 percent Russian-origin (39
per cent Su-30s, 22 per cent MiG-21s, 9 per cent
MiG-29s). All six of the service’s air tankers are S-400 Triumf Air Defence Missile System and
Russian-made Il-78s. CAATSA
 Status of other Deals:  The S-400 air defence system is one of the most
o The defence trade between India and Russia advanced mobile air defence missile system in
has crossed $15 billion since 2018, in the the world.
backdrop of some big deals including the o It is equipped with four different missiles,
$5.43 billion S-400 long range air defence and it can engage enemy aircraft, ballistic
systems. missiles, and Airborne Warning And Control
 Other major contracts currently under System (AWACS) planes at multiple ranges.
implementation are construction of four  The US cabinet has recently passed a bill for
additional stealth frigates in Russia and sanction waiver under CAATSA Actto avoid
India, licensed production of the Mango retaliatory US actions on India to help deter
Armor-piercing fin-stabilised discarding aggressors like China as US cannot afford to
sabot (APFSDS) rounds for the T-90S alienate a strategic ally and a defence market like
tanks as also additional T-90S tanks, AK- India.
203 assault rifles among others.  CAATSA Act, also known as Countering America’s
 The delivery of the second regiment of the Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, was enacted
S-400 is delayed by a few months as also by USA in 2017 to impose sanctions on three
the operationalisation of the agreement nations, i.e., Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
INDO-SOVIET TREATY ON PEACE, FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION : KEY FEATURES OF THE TREATY
Peace Friendship Cooperation
Each Party shall respect the The treaty condemned colonialism Treaty binds both parties to
independence, sovereignty and and reclaimed for their complete abstain from providing any
territorial integrity of the other elimination. assistance to any third party that
party and refrain from interfering The treaty aims to maintain regular engages in armed conflict with the
in the other's internal affairs. contacts with each other on major other Party.
To halt the arms race and to international problems affecting To consolidate and expand mutual
achieve general and complete the interests of both countries by co-operation in economic,
disarmament, including both means of meetings and exchanges scientific and technological fields
nuclear and conventional, under of views. on the basis of the principles of
effective international control. equality, mutual benefit and most-
favoured-nation treatment.
Significance of the Treaty

 Upholds principle of Strategic Autonomy as it is not a military alliance but showcases India’s capacity
for independent action.
 Convergence of interests as it symbolised an extraordinary convergence of national interest of both
countries on the most critical issues of war and peace.
 Contemporary significance: its geopolitical underpinnings remain of enduring value, and are reflected
in the special and privileged Strategic Partnership.
WAY AHEAD  Conscious efforts should be made to expand the
 It is important for India to diversify its base, to weapons platform bases to not only other
not become too reliant on any single nation, as it countries, but also domestically as well.
can become a leverage that can be exploited by  India is now looking at certain
that nation. alternative mitigation measures and
 In view of the current sanctions on Russia, the identifying alternate sources from friendly
alternate choice for India is to become self- foreign countries.
dependent.
7. India in Changing World Order

The years 2020 and 2021 experienced
globally transformational events. In fact,
nowhere more than in the geopolitics of
the Indo-Pacific, which is changing at
multiple gears and levels.
 The view is that a rules based
international order is a remote
possibility even in this upcoming year.
Instead, uncertainty and
impermanence are likely to be
the dominant aspect in world affairs.
 With internal conflicts going on in the
strategically important regions for India
and on-going stand-offs between India and China,
the right approach for India is to bring more  The current unrest in
flexibility in India’s diplomatic approach along Kazakhstan further bodes ill for a
with leveraging the pre-existing groupings and world already wracked by a series
excellent bilateral relations against China. of coups or internecine strife as in
Ethiopia, Libya and certain regions
CHALLENGES OF THE CHANGING WORLD ORDER of West Asia and North Africa.
 Rise of Authoritarianism: Admittedly, the world o Taliban’s return to power in
has recently seen the rise of authoritarian rulers Afghanistan has led to a material shift in the
in many countries. However, this can hardly be balance of power in an already troubled
viewed as a new phenomenon. region on India’s periphery.
o China has abandoned the ‘one country two  Developments in Afghanistan have
systems’ policy, stripping Hong Kong of its fuelled the ambitions of quite a
freedom and inviting international few ‘anti-state militant
opprobrium. groups’ across the region.
 Moreover, the human rights o Adding to such concerns is new evidence
violation of Uighur that on India’s eastern flank, viz. Indonesia,
Muslims in Xinjiang and China’s aggr a resurgence of radical Islamist activities is
essive posture towards taking place.
Taiwan could well become one of  Expanding Chinese Dominance: The role of China
the flash points of conflict. is possibly the most disrupting one, given the
o The other major risk of a war in 2022, stems challenge it poses to the existing international
from the ongoing conflict between Russia order.
and Ukraine — the latter being backed by  Militarily, China is openly challenging U.S.
the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty supremacy in many areas,
Organisation (NATO) forces. including ‘state-of-the-art
weaponry’ such as hyper-sonic o India would need to strengthen its military
technology. posture, both as a means to deter China and
 The dip in China’s economic profile in the also to convince India’s neighbours that it
past year and more could also lead to can stand up to China.
new tensions in the Asia-Pacific region in o Simultaneously, India should focus
2022. on deterring China’s naval force
 Moreover, China’s expansionist projection in the Indian Ocean Region. In the
policies via its Belt and Road Initiative is battle of wits and strength, much will depend
also being seen as a threat by other on how India responds to the situation.
global powers such as the US, EU, the G7  Leveraging Bilateral/Multilateral Links: India
Countries as well as by India. should do what China simply cannot, i.e. build
 India’s Border Issues: The persistent two-front regional links, open its markets, schools and
threat from Pakistan and China set the stage for services to the neighbours and become a source
a tough continental dimension of India’s security. of economic and political stability in the sub-
There has been increased militarisation of the continent.
borders with Pakistan and China. o Partnerships like Quad can also be expanded
o The transgressions across the Line of Actual to include Singapore, Indonesia, and
Control in different sectors in Ladakh could Vietnam. This will certainly strengthen its
well be expanded in 2022. capacity to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.
o Hence, the year is unlikely to witness any o The eastern and southern planks of Africa
reduction in tensions across Ladakh or in any and the Indian Ocean island states need
other conflicted areas. continued high policy attention and financial
 Challenges for India in West and Central resources.
Asia: In Central Asia, India will be challenged  A clear economic and trade agenda,
on how best to manage its traditional friendship involving and incentivising corporate
with Russia with the pronounced tilt seen more India to follow the flag in these vital
recently in India-U.S. relations. regions, is certain to yield long-term
o In West Asia, the challenge for India is how dividends.
to manage its membership of the Second  Role of EU and ASEAN: The European Union’s
Quad (India, Israel, the UAE and the U.S.) Indo-Pacific strategy aims at increasing its
with the conflicting interests of different economic and security profile in, and linkages
players in the region. with, the region. By being more candid and
o Indian diplomacy will be under severe test to assertive with China, and more cooperative with
manage the extant situation in both regions. partners such as India, the EU as well as the EU
and the UK can hope to become vital players in
WAY FORWARD the Indo-Pacific.
 Flexibility in India’s Foreign Policy: What India o The ASEAN nations face the heat of China’s
and India’s foreign policy need to do is aggression and the sharpening great power
to demonstrate more flexibility to manage the rivalry, and hence, have the most work to
contradictions that exist. do. Multilateral talks by the Quad powers
o It is important that India finds rational with ASEAN governments is necessary.
answers to a rash of problems that it cannot  At an individual level too, India must
keep on the back burner for much longer. enhance cooperation with key Southeast
o India must avoid blind spots that arise due Asian partners Indonesia, Vietnam,
to cognitive bias and take care to read the Philippines and Thailand.
signals properly.
o India’s leaders and diplomats must not only CONCLUSION
take stock of the dangers that exist but also India has done well by fulfilling its humanitarian
be ready on how to manage the risks that duties during the pandemic. Learning how to convert
are well evident. them smartly into economic and strategic
 Countering China’s Military Strengths: India will opportunities in its periphery is the focused task for
need to determine how best to respond the nation in 2022.
to China’s sabre-rattling.
Question: Discuss the foreign policy changing world order.
approaches that India can adopt in the
8. INDIA'S RISING SOFT POWER
INTRODUCTION
 According to Harvard political scientist, who
coined the term, soft power is the ability of a
country to persuade others to do what it wants
without resorting to force or coercion.
 Soft power lies in a country’s attractiveness and
comes from three resources: its culture, its
political values, and its foreign policies.
 India boasts an amazing variety and wealth of
soft power resources.
 Analysts say soft power has the potential “to
multiply the efforts of Indian diplomacy and in
this regard should be pursued as an important
objective”.
 Buddhism is an important bridge between not
INDIA'S SOFT POWER just India and South East Asia and East Asia, but
 India's spiritualism, yoga, movies and television, also with South Asia.
classical and popular dance and music, its  India's successful Aadhaar programme which can
principles of non-violence, democratic help countries do similar things and India's IT
institutions, plural society, and cuisine have all capability are huge source of soft power.
attracted people across the world.
 India is a civilisation which has offered refuge to SOFT POWER IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
cultural and religious freedoms to Jews, Parses,  India’s attempts to use its soft power to revive
Christens and Muslims. historical links with the region appear to be
 The imprint of Indian civilization is the strongest bearing fruit.
throughout the world.  Recent successful Indo-ASEAN artists camp in
 India is a country in which all major religions like Udaipur as well as Indo-ASEAN music festival in
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism - Delhi was a bridge between the youth of India
coexists which has been the strength of India's and ASEAN
soft power.  Younger generation in India and Southeast Asia
 India is dipping into its soft power resources in its are speaking more to each other through cultural
diplomatic engagements abroad. space – music, arts, games and education.
 International Day of Yoga reflects yoga’s  India’s goodwill in Southeast Asia is based on its
immense popularity worldwide, underscoring its benign approach, similar to its role in Africa,
richness as a soft power resource West Asia and Central Asia.
 Indian Diaspora is seen as ambassadors of  While yoga is gaining popularity in the ASEAN
carriers of our soft power. region, the Buddhist links and Buddhist circuit in
 To project New Delhi’s soft power across world India are acting as a bridge to connect the two
capitals, the MEA has embarked on a program to regions.
build diplomatic missions and cultural centres  India’s soft power is reflected in Buddhism, yoga,
using the country’s diverse styles of architecture. revival of Nalanda University, Indian cultural
centres (Jakarta, Bali, Bangkok), and joint
restoration of monuments (Cambodia, Vietnam,  The soft power has not helped India deal with
Laos). terrorism and radicalism.
 China's Approach  Despite India's growing soft power many
a) Unlike China, India is not pursuing an countries are not supporting India's permanent
aggressive foreign policy sidestepping local membership in UNSC.
sentiments.  It has not helped India in WTO negotiations and
b) China has a business like approach and not fetched FTA with EU.
Southeast Asia is key to China’s OBOR  It has not stopped China opposing India's
project, with little space for soft power. membership to NSG.
c) China’s Minzu University is offering its first
master’s degree in Yoga, which signal that WAY FORWARD
soft power is being deployed to reactivate
 Utilize the strong cultural and civilizational
China-India ties in the aftermath of the
potential of the Indian diaspora
Doklam standoff.
 Innovation and entrepreneurship should be the
soft power of choice both within the country and
CONCERNS / CHALLENGES outside.
 According to the "Soft Power 30" report, India did  India must have well organised higher education
not rank even in the top 30 in terms of soft system like US which attracts lot of students into
power. India
 France, for instance, draws over 70 million  Develop Indian tourism sector to a great extent
tourists while India attracted a mere eight million which will also have economic gains.
last year.  India should build on its strength through good
 Prime international destinations such as the Taj governance, work towards achieving good
Mahal do not have international facilities. economic growth and raise the standard of living
 The much-talked about Buddhist circuit still suffer of the common man.
for want of travel and infrastructure.  India must capitalise on the goodwill and the
 ‘Incredible India’ campaign has become potential soft power it has created
successful after the visa-on-arrival system, but  These will help in achieving greater heights in
ease of travel is still an issue. India's soft power.
 Both India’s film industry and the government
have done little to leverage Bollywood and other
CONCLUSION
regional cinema industries globally.
 India’s culture, heritage and its pluralism are its
strengths.
WHY INDIA CAN’T RELY TOTALLY ON SOFT  We have the potential to be world leaders in not
POWER? only economic terms but as a free, vibrant and
 India is still having difficulties in changing its dynamic nation.
neighbours’ behaviours by using soft power.  India must use its soft power to leverage and
accelerate its growth.
9. India-Japan Relations
70 Years of India-Japan
Relations
CONTEXT
Linked by universal values such as freedom, the
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, which cutting
have been shared through a long history of exchange, off of
Japan and India are special strategic and global economic
partners, sharing strategic interests. In this milestone
year i.e., 2022 (28 April 1952), it marks the 70th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Japan and India
The recent visit to India by Japanese PM Fumio
Kishida for the annual summit laid out a roadmap for
deepening the Special Strategic and Global
Partnership between the two countries in a post- assistance. These sanctions were lifted three
COVID world. years later.
o Both nations share core values of democracy,
peace, the rule of law, tolerance, and respect
BACKGROUND OF INDIA-JAPAN TIES for the environment in realising pluralistic and
Ancient times inclusive growth of the region
o The friendship between India and Japan has a Post-cold war relations
long history rooted in spiritual affinity and o The end of cold war and the collapse of the
strong cultural and civilization ties dating back Soviet Union, and the inauguration of economic
to the visit of Indian monk Bodhisena in 752 reforms in India seemed to mark the beginning
AD. of a new era in Indo-Japanese relationship.
o The people of India and Japan have engaged o India’s “Look East Policy” posited Japan as a key
in cultural exchanges, primarily as a result partner.
of Buddhism, which spread indirectly from o Japan being the only victim of nuclear
India to Japan, via China and Korea. holocaust, Pokhran –II tests of India in May
India’s freedom movement 1998 brought bitterness in the bilateral
o Independence movement: The leader of the relations where Japan asked India to sign NNPT.
Indian Independence Movement, Rash Behari o Tokyo’s relation with India showed signs of an
Bose was instrumental in forging India–Japan upswing when Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori
relations during India’s independence came on an official 5 day visit to India in August
movement. 2000.
o During World War II, The British occupiers of
India and Japan were enemies during World RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA-JAPAN
War II. Subhas Chandra Bose used Japanese RELATIONSHIP
sponsorship to form the Azad Hind 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
Fauj or Indian National Army (INA).  The 2+2 ministerial dialogue is seen as an
Present times upgrade of the meeting between foreign and
o Pokhran nuclear test: In 1998, Japan imposed defense secretaries of the two countries, the
sanctions on India following the Pokhran-II, an first round of which took place in 2010.
Indian nuclear weapons test, which included  The ministerial level meeting was held after a
the suspension of all political exchanges and decision to institute a Foreign and Defence
Ministerial Dialogue was taken during the
13th India-Japan Annual Summit held in the rupee which has witnessed the steepest
Japan in 2018. fall in recent years.
 2+2 meeting aimed to give further
momentum to their special strategic AREAS OF COOPERATION
partnership, particularly in the maritime
Economic and Commercial relations
domain.
o India’s bilateral trade with Japan stood at US$
16.95 billion in FY 2019-20. India’s imports
Supply Chain Resilience Initiative during this period were US$ 12.43 billion and
 Recently India, Australia and Japan formally exports were US$ 4.52 billion.
launched the Supply Chain Resilience o From 2000 until September 2020, the
Initiative. The initiative was launched to Japanese investments in India cumulatively
counter the dominance of China in the Global stands at around US$ 34.152 billion (Japan
Supply Chain. ranks fifth among the largest source of
 It aims to prevent disruptions in the supply investment).
chain as seen during COVID-19 pandemic. o The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail,
 The initiative will mainly focus on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC),
diversification of investment and digital Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) with
technology adoption. twelve industrial townships, Chennai-
Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) are some
Other MEA led-bilateral dialogues mega project with Japanese cooperation on
the anvil.
 The Act East Forum, established in 2017, aims
to provide a platform for India-Japan
collaboration under the rubric of India’s “Act Security and Defence
East Policy” and Japan’s “Free and Open o QUAD: Formed in 2007 and revived in 2017
Indo-Pacific Vision”. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD,
 At the Second meeting of the Act East forum, also known as the Quad) is an informal
both sides agreed to focus on expanding of strategic dialogue between the United States,
Japanese language in North East, training of Japan, Australia and India.
caregivers under Technical Intern Training o Exercise Malabar: The dialogue was
Program (TITP), capacity building in area of paralleled by joint military exercises of an
bamboo value chain development and unprecedented scale, titled Exercise Malabar.
Disaster Management. o In spite of the pandemic, complex exercises
 The inaugural India-Japan Space in all domains were conducted
Dialogue was held in Delhi for enhancing including Japan India maritime exercise
bilateral cooperation in outer space and (JIMEX 2020) and PASSEX, showcasing the
information exchange on the respective trust and interoperability between the
space policies. navies.
Currency Swap Agreement Strategic

 Japan and India have entered into a $75- o 2+2 dialogue: It is taking place between the
billion currency swap arrangement that will foreign and defence ministers of the two
bolster the country’s firepower as it battles a countries to deepen the global partnership.
steep drop in the rupee’s value. o Collaboration with the US: It is also agreed to
 A currency swap is an agreement between establish the India–Japan–United States
two parties to exchange a series of cash flows trilateral dialogue on regional and global
denominated in one currency for those issues of shared interest.
denominated in another for a predetermined o Global institutional reforms: Both countries
period of time. also reiterated their determination to work
 The deal will help the two countries to swap together under the UNFCCC, WTO, etc. They
their currencies for U.S. dollars to stabilise are working together to realize the reform of
UNSC Security Council at the earliest.
o Indo-Pacific: There is a beginning of India- domestic birth rate will always be important, it is
Japan-Australia trilateral dialogue to a position to devise a new immigration policy
evolve an open, inclusive, stable and that would largely benefit Indians.
transparent economic, political and security  Japan has never been an adversary of India: The
architecture in the Indo-pacific region. current global as well as regional distribution of
power and strategic scenario necessitate a
Others deeper and expansive Indo-Japan strategic
o Disaster teamwork.
management: An Agreement on joint  India as a net security provider: The US and
research in the field of Earthquake Disaster Japan need India as a stabilising force. India has
Prevention was signed between Fujita the potential as a security provider in Southeast
Corporation and Indian Institute of Asia for geo-strategic reasons.
Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R).  India’s naval assets: India possesses enough
o Skilling and HRD: India-Japan MoC signed in naval capability to be projected as a strong naval
2016 to train 30,000 shop floor leaders over power in the future.
10 years thereby also contributing to India’s  Filling strategic vacuum: India can only fill the
flagship initiatives such as “Skill India” and power vacuum created due to the declining US
“Make in India”. power. Japan and ASEAN alone do not have
o Health-care: In view of the similarities and enough power to fill the power vacuum.
synergies between the goals and objectives
of India’s AYUSHMAN Bharat Programme and WHY INDIA NEEDS JAPAN?
Japan’s AHWIN, both sides consulted with For India, developing a strategic relationship with
each other to identify projects to build the other Asia-Pacific powers such as Japan might appear
narrative of AHWIN for AYUSHMAN Bharat. to be a no-brainer.
o Nuclear Energy: In 2015, India and Japan  US needs Japan – India cooperation: The US
reached on substantive Agreement on needs an “ally” to maintain military balance in
Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Asia because their naval power is declining and
Energy. India becomes the first non NPT China’s naval power is rising.
signed country to do so.  Countering China: China has been expanding
and intensifying its activities in its surrounding
WHAT LIES AT THE FULCRUM OF TIES? waters. This has caused a worry in Japan.
 Japan is the most mature economy: In terms of  Uniting the Indo–Pacific: The Indo-pacific is not
maturity, sophistication, and experience in an integrated region. Most countries have been
international economic engagements, Japan expanding while others are falling prey to
excels every other country of the Indo-Pacific China.
region, excluding the US.  Infrastructure development: Japan has the
 Technological development: Its technological distinction of being the only foreign power that
marvels, business strategies, and management has been allowed to undertake infrastructure
skills are second to none. and other projects in India’s sensitive northeast.
 Political neutrality: Japan rarely hits the
international headlines and it is actually Japan’s LIMITATIONS TO BILATERAL TIES
feebleness in the world of political  Geographical limitations: The two countries are
advertisements. too far apart to be meaningful partners in any
 Key player in Indo-Pacific: Japan sooner than confrontation between one of them and China.
later will be a leading player in the political  China is too big to defeat: No partnership have
economy as well as security fields of the Indo- the military muscle or diplomatic heft to achieve
Pacific region. its objectives in countering China.
 Lesser say at UNSC: At the diplomatic level,
WHY JAPAN NEEDS INDIA? neither pulls the kind of power that can counter
 Worrisome ageing population: Its aging Beijing and this is not just because they are not
population is a major concern and Japan very UNSC members, unlike China.
well acknowledges this fact. While increasing the
 Japan lacks military technology: Japan obviously including joint exercises between the Japan Self-
has a very advanced high-technology industrial Defence Forces and the Indian Armed Forces.
sector, its military industry is insignificant. It’s  Reaping the benefits of natural alliance: Taking
better not to invoke the DRDO. advantage of its considerable assets — the
world’s third-largest economy, substantial high-
WAY FORWARD tech skills, Japan is largely perceived as a natural
 People to people contact: Although the Covid-19 ally to India.
situation remains challenging, people-to-people  Looking East: If Japan and India continue to add
exchanges between two countries are also being concrete security content to their relationship,
advanced. their strategic partnership could potentially be a
 Cooperation in security: Cooperation has also game-changer in Asia.
taken great strides in the area of security,
10. India Japan Summit 2022

WHY IN NEWS? as an initiative for strengthening bamboo value
Recently, the Japanese Prime Minister was on an chain.
official visit to India for the 14th India-Japan Annual India-Japan Digital Partnership:
Summit between the two Countries. o On cyber security, the leaders discussed “India-
 The Summit took place at a time when the two Japan Digital Partnership” with a view to
countries were celebrating the 70th anniversary enhancing the digital economy through
of the establishment of diplomatic relations and promotion of joint projects in the area of IoT
India was celebrating its 75th anniversary of (internet of Things), AI (Artificial
Independence. Intelligence) and other emerging technologies.
 Earlier, the Indian PM virtually inaugurated a
Japanese ‘Zen Garden - Kaizen Academy’ at the
Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) in
Gujarat.
WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS OF THE SUMMIT?

Investment by Japan:
o Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crores in the next
five years in India.
o 7 JICA (Japan International Cooperation
Agency) loans for projects in connectivity,
water supply and sewerage, horticulture,
healthcare, and biodiversity conservation in o Japan is looking forward to attracting more
various States. highly skilled Indian IT professionals to
 An MoU has been signed to contribute to the Japanese ICT sector.
introduce Johkasou technology in India by Clean Energy Partnership:
Japanese companies for decentralised o It was launched for cooperation in areas such
wastewater treatment. It is used in areas as electric vehicles, storage systems including
where sewage infrastructure has not yet batteries, electric vehicle charging
been developed. infrastructure, development of solar energy;
Sustainable Development Initiative for the North Eastern hydrogen; ammonia; etc.
Region of India: o The objective is to encourage manufacturing in
India, creation of resilient and trustworthy
o It has been launched with an eye on India’s
supply chains in these areas as well as fostering
infrastructure development in the Northeast,
collaboration in R&D (Research and
and includes both ongoing projects and
Development).
possible future cooperation in connectivity,
healthcare, new and renewable energy, as well
o It will be implemented through the existing  The Japanese PM also briefed India about
mechanism of Energy Dialogue. his perspective of the East and South China
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR): sea.
o India appreciated Japan’s cooperation on the Afghanistan:
MAHSR and various Metro projects in India and o On Afghanistan, the PMs expressed their
looked forward to the planned preparatory intention to collaborate closely to realize peace
survey for the Patna Metro. and stability in Afghanistan, and stressed the
People to People Engagement: importance of addressing the humanitarian
o The Indian PM confirmed India’s participation crisis, promoting human rights and ensuring
in the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, as an establishment of a truly representative and
opportunity to further strengthen and broaden inclusive political system.
trade, investment and people-to-people links o They also referred to the UNSC Resolution that
between the two countries. unequivocally demands that “Afghan territory
On Indo-Pacific: not be used for sheltering, training, planning or
financing terrorist acts”.
o The two leaders expressed their commitment
to promoting peace, security and prosperity in North Korea:
the Indo-Pacific region.  The PMs condemned North Korea’s destabilising
QUAD: ballistic missile launches in violation of United
o The two PMs affirmed the importance of Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs).
bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among  Myanmar: They called on Myanmar to urgently
like-minded countries in the region including implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.
the QUAD grouping between India-Australia-
Japan and the United States.
o The Japanese Prime Minister invited PM Modi India's Special Relationship with Abe
for the QUAD Summit Meeting in Tokyo.
Terrorism: Shinzo
o The two leaders reiterated “condemnation of
terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11
Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, and called
upon Pakistan to take resolute and irreversible
action against terrorist networks operating out
of its territory and comply fully with
international commitments, including to FATF
(Financial Action Task Force).
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty:
o The Japanese PM stressed the importance of
early entry into force of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
 The Treaty intends to ban all nuclear
explosions - everywhere, by everyone. It
Shortly after the shocking news of the assassination of
will enter into force after all 44 States
Japanese former prime minister, Abe Shinzo, Indian
listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty will ratify it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the
 India has not yet signed the Treaty.
following day, July 9, would be a day of national
On Situation in Other Countries:
mourning in India for the slain leader. The show of
o Ukraine: Talked about the serious invasion respect was an appropriate statement for the loss of
of Russia into Ukraine and sought a peaceful Abe, who was a transformative figure in Japan-India
solution on the basis of international law. relations. Abe strengthened India’s bilateral
o China: India informed Japan about relationship with Japan, and enticed India, a
the situation in Ladakh, about the attempts of notoriously reluctant and cautious actor in global
amassing troops and India's talks with China politics, to join his vision of the Indo-Pacific—an
over border-related issues. ideological framework that is now an important
bulwark against the rise of China. In the process, Abe Indian Parliament. Quoting from the book of a Mughal
also managed to forge friendships with both Modi as prince, Dara Shikoh, he declared that there was “a
well as Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh. Confluence of the Two Seas” and the “Pacific and
During the Cold War period, Japan and India Indian Oceans [were] a dynamic coupling as seas of
maintained a politely distant relationship—Japan was a freedom and prosperity.” This vision of the Indo-
U.S. ally while India was non-aligned. In 1998, India Pacific as a single strategic space—in which both
tested nuclear weapons, sinking their relationship. countries had a stake—would shape Japan’s bilateral
Japan publicly criticized India and imposed economic relationship with India for years to come and draw
sanctions. A few years later, Japanese prime minister India into a larger cooperative partnership, the
Mori Yoshiro visited India and extended an olive Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), that would
branch by proposing a “global partnership.” But it was bind it more closely to not just Japan but also the
not until Abe Shinzo and Manmohan Singh met in United States and Australia. Founded on a shared
Tokyo in 2006 that the stage was set for a deeper concern about the rise of China and Chinese territorial
Japan-India relationship. They announced an “India ambitions, the Quad was an ambitious formal
Japan Strategic and Global Partnership” that would undertaking to contain China without an explicit
become a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. In statement of that goal.
2014, Abe and Modi upgraded the partnership to a
“special and strategic partnership,” which effectively In addition to demonstrating that the Japan-India
expanded the relationship to encompass diplomatic, relationship was critical to both partners and the
military, and economic sectors. Japan was, for broader region, Abe also managed to forge friendships
example, the first country with which India initiated a with the two vastly different Indian prime ministers
2+2 dialogue between foreign and defence ministers, who served during his term. Manmohan Singh, the
now a practice India has extended to three other cerebral and staunchly secular economist from the
partners: the United States, Australia, and Russia. The Congress Party, invited Abe to become the first
two countries also conducted joint military drills, naval Japanese prime minister to preside over India’s
exercises, and counterterrorism operations. A Republic Day celebrations in 2014. But, more
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in surprisingly perhaps, he became fast friends with
2011 expanded their bilateral trade, with Narendra Modi, a paradox of a loner and a hugger, and
Japan becoming India’s 12th largest trading partner, a man with a polar opposite personality, leadership
and fourth largest investor by 2020. Importantly, in style, and politics than Singh. Upon Abe’s death, Modi
2016, Japan and India signed a civil nuclear pact, emotionally wrote that he had lost “a dear friend”
eliminating Japan’s resistance to India as a nuclear with whom he had a “personal bond.”
power.
Those of us who study international relations often
Abe’s individual leadership was critical to all these debate whether leaders truly have impact upon inter-
developments. Showing the significance he attached to country ties, or whether inter-country ties are forged
Japan-India ties, Abe became the first Japanese prime by external circumstances superfluous to any single
minister to visit India three times. His very first visit in leader. In the case of Abe Shinzo, the evidence that he
2007 was hugely significant not only for the Japan- personally played a role in strengthening the Japan-
India relationship, but also for how India would come India relationship is strong. He was indeed, as Prime
to think about its role in the region. Abe gave what Minister Modi wrote, “a champion of India-Japan
would later be recognized as a seminal speech in the friendship.”
11. Indo-Pakistan relations
BORDER DISPUTE AND SECURITY ISSUES

India Pakistan boundary is the result of partition in
1947 under the Radcliffe award. It starts from the
marshy Rann of Kutch in Gujarat traverses through
the sandy deserts of Rajasthan, fertile plains of
Punjab and the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir
upto the Karakoram range.
The unnatural boundary created has led to many
disputes.
KASHMIR DISPUTE:
History:
district across the LOC and assisted insurgents in
 By the terms agreed to by India and Pakistan for
the area. India retaliated and the war that
the partition of the Indian subcontinent, the
ensued. The Indian army reclaimed the Tiger Hills
rulers of princely states including Jammu and
and other strategic peaks in the Batalik.
Kashmir were given the right to opt for either
Pakistan or India.
Siachen clashes
 Hari Singh, the maharaja of Kashmir, caught up in
a train of events that included a revolution  Origin of Siachen dispute lies in the fact that both
among his Muslim subjects along the western the Karachi Agreement of 1949 and the Shimla
borders of the state and the intervention of Agreement of 1972 have left the status of Indo-
Pashtun tribesmen. Pak boundary vague North of Pt NJ 9842. While
the Karachi Agreement says “From Pt NJ 9842,
 He signed an Instrument of Accession to the
the ceasefire line will run Northwards to the
Indian union in October 1947.
Glaciers”, Shimla Agreement does not even make
 This led to intervention both by Pakistan, which
a mention of it.
considered the state to be a natural extension of
Pakistan, and by India, which intended to confirm
the act of accession. Pakistan point of view:
 If the alignment of Line of control just prior to
Three Wars and a Line of Control NJ 9842 is extended, it will run in a North
Easterly direction to Karakoram Pass.
 Three major and bloody wars have been fought
 India has altered the status of line of control by
by the two countries over Kashmir since 1947.
its occupation of Saltoro Ridge.
 The Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 resulted from
Maharaja Hari Singh’s execution of the
Instrument of Accession. The war ended in Indian point of view:
December 1948 by which time the Line of Control  Since the alignment of Line of Control just prior
(LOC) was established to demarcate the to NJ 9842 was altered by Pak by its occupation
administrative segments of Kashmir. The of Gyong Glacier in 1984, Pak argument of Line of
international boundary dispute was still left control extending North Eastwards to Karakoram
pending. Pass is not tenable.
 The war of 1965 ended after bleeding the two  Since the Line of Control does not extend beyond
countries. Thousands of lives had been lost and NJ 9842, Pak argument that India has altered the
the intervention of USA and erstwhile USSR had status of Line of Control by occupation of Saltoro
become necessary. India recorded a victory but Ridge is not valid either.
the damages to both nations.
 Later, in 1999, the Kargil War reopened raw
wounds. Pakistani troops infiltrated the Kargil
12. Indus Water Treaty
IN NEWS
The 118th meeting of the Permanent Indus
Commission was recently held between India and
Pakistan for the Indus Water Treaty .
OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING

 A wide range of water-related issues between
Pakistan and India were discussed which included
the advance sharing of flood information, the
program of tours/inspections and signing of the
report of the Permanent Indus Commission for
the year ending March 31, 2022
 Pakistan also highlighted its objections on
India's hydroelectric projects on the Western
rivers and sought response to its objections on
Indian projects including 1,000MW Pakal Dul.  Initially, the Inter-dominion accord of May
o The Indian side was also urged to 1948 was adopted.
communicate advance flood-flow o According to this, both countries, after
information as per the provisions of the meeting for a conference, decided that India
Treaty. would supply water to Pakistan in exchange
 Response of India : for an annual payment made by the latter.
o India assured to arrange tours/inspections o This agreement however, soon disintegrated
after the coming flood season. as both the countries could not agree upon
o Indian also assured that Pakistan's its common interpretations.
outstanding objections would be discussed in  In 1951, in the backdrop of the water-sharing
the next meeting as the Indian side is still in dispute, both the countries applied to the World
the process of examining the details. Bank for funding of their respective irrigation
 Both sides also expressed the hope that the next projects on ??the Indus and its tributaries.
meeting of the Commission would be held at an o This is when the World Bank offered to
early date in Pakistan. mediate the conflict.
 Finally in 1960, after nearly a decade of fact-
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INDUS WATER DISPUTE: finding, negotiation, proposals by the World
 The Indus river basin has six rivers- Indus, Bank and amendments to them, an agreement
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej was reached between the two countries.
o These rivers originate from Tibet and flow  The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed by
through the Himalayan ranges to enter former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and
Pakistan, ending in the south of Karachi. then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan.
 In 1947, the line of partition, aside from o The former Vice President of the World
delineating geographical boundaries for India and Bank, W.A.B. Iliff, also signed it.
Pakistan, also cut the Indus river system into
two. KEY PROVISIONS OF THE INDUS WATERS TREATY
 Both the sides were dependent on water from (IWT):
the Indus river basin to keep their irrigation  The treaty prescribed how water from the six
infrastructure functional and therefore, equitable rivers of the Indus River System would be shared
distribution was needed. between India and Pakistan.
o It allocated the three western rivers—Indus, appoint a Neutral Expert (NE) to come to a
Chenab and Jhelum—to Pakistan for decision.
unrestricted use. o And eventually, if either party is not satisfied
 Barring certain non-consumptive, with the NE’s decision or in case of
agricultural and domestic uses by India. “disputes” in the interpretation and extent of
o The three Eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas and the treaty, matters can be referred to a Court
Sutlej—were allocated to India for of Arbitration.
unrestricted usage.  IWT does not have a unilateral exit
o This means that 80% of the share of water or provision and is supposed to remain in force
about 135 Million Acre Feet (MAF) went to unless both the countries ratify another mutually
Pakistan, while leaving the rest 33 MAF or agreed pact.
20% of water for use by India.
 It also required both the countries to establish a CRITICISMS:
Permanent Indus Commission constituted  Internationally, the Treaty is seen as one of the
by permanent commissioners on both sides. most successful cases of conflict resolution but
o The functions of the commission include between the two countries, it has seeded
serving as a forum for exchange of dissatisfaction and conflicts regarding
information on the rivers, for continued its interpretation and implementation.
cooperation and as the first stop for the o The treaty is highly technical leading to far-
resolution of conflicts. ranging divergences between the two
 While Pakistan has rights over the waters of countries in terms of interpretations.
Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, o For example, the treaty says that storage
o Annexure C of the IWT allows India certain systems can be built but to a limited extent.
agricultural uses, and However, the technical details make it
o Annexure D allows it to build ‘run of the difficult to conclude under what
river‘ hydropower projects, meaning projects circumstances projects can be carried out.
not requiring live storage of water.  Another concern is the tense political relations
o It also provides certain design specifications between the two countries.
which India has to follow while developing o From the Indian point of view:
such projects.  The basic dissatisfaction is that the treaty
 The treaty also allows Pakistan to raise prevents it from building any storage
objections over such projects being built by India, systems on the western rivers, even
if it does not find them to be compliant with the though it allows building storage systems
specifications. under certain exceptional circumstances.
 India has to share information on the project o From Pakistan’s point of view:
design or alterations made to it with Pakistan,  Due to its suspicions, stays aware of
which is required to respond with objections, if every technical aspect of the project and
any, within three months of receipt. deliberately tries to get it suspended.
 Besides, India is allowed to have a minimum o The matter is further aggravated by the fact
storage level on the western rivers – meaning it that the western rivers lie in the disputed
can store up to 3.75 MAF of water for region of Jammu and Kashmir, a subject of a
conservation and flood storage purposes. tussle between both since independence.
 Dispute resolution mechanism
o The IWT also provides a three-step dispute STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES
resolution mechanism, under which
12TH REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS
o “Questions” on both sides can be resolved at
CONTEXT
the Permanent Commission, or can also be
 The Government of India should renegotiate the
taken up at the inter-government level.
Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan in the
o In case of unresolved questions or
light of present-day challenges such as climate
“differences” between the countries on
change, global warming and environmental
water-sharing, such as technical differences,
impact assessment.
either side can approach the World Bank to
 There is a need to establish some kind  However, there is a need to update certain
of institutional structure or legislative technical specifications and expand the scope of
framework to address the impact of climate the agreement to address climate change.
change on water availability in the Indus basin
and other challenges which are not covered
under the Treaty.
 It also recommended that the canal systems in Question: The situation today is far different to that
Punjab and Rajasthan be repaired to increase prevalent fifty years back when the Indus Water Treaty
their water carrying capacity. was signed.” Highlight the complexity of the current
challenges on both sides of the border in this regard. Do
you think that a review of the Treaty is in India’s best
WAY FORWARD
interests?
 The Indus Waters Treaty is considered one of the
most successful water-sharing endeavours in the
world today.
13. Pakistan-China Relationship & India

WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, the Government was questioned
in Parliament on the pretext of foreign policy. The
opposition has criticised the current policies as
responsible for bringing Pakistan and China together.
 In response, the External Affairs Minister has
asserted that the two countries were always
close and shared a rich history of cooperation
on many fronts.
WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OF THE PAKISTAN-

CHINA RELATIONSHIP?
 Initially, Pakistan was a member of two United
States-led anti-communist military
pacts, SEATO and CENTO, it was seen as part of
the non-Soviet bloc - and China, under Mao
Zedong, was on the other side of the aisle.
o On the other hand, India had a working o The agreement laid the foundation of the
relationship with China. The two countries Karakoram highway, built jointly by China
had the same anti-colonial, non-aligned and Pakistan in the 1970s.
approach and they together gave the policy  1965 War: Pakistan got support from China
of Panchsheel. diplomatically in the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
o However, this relationship quickly changed o In fact, analysts say that Pakistan was
due to the war between India and China in emboldened into aggression after India’s
1962. defeat against China in 1962.
 1962 War: The India-China war of 1962 led to  US-China & Pakistan: The real diplomatic
China developing closer ties with Pakistan. bonhomie began in the 1970s when Pakistan
o In a boundary agreement in 1963, Pakistan facilitated the outreach between the US-led by
ceded the Shaksgam Valley to China. Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger and China’s
o The Shaksgam Valley or the Trans Karakoram Mao and Zhou Enlai.
Tract is part of the Hunza-Gilgit region of  Nuclear Cooperation: The relationship between
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and is a territory China and Pakistan developed over the 1970s
claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan. and ’80s. Nuclear cooperation was one of the
key pillars, especially after India tested its  India’s August 2019 move to abrogate Article
nuclear device in 1974. 370 and revoke the special status of Jammu and
o China has played a significant role in helping Kashmir has brought China and Pakistan even
Pakistan develop its nuclear energy closer.
technology.  In 2020, China signed a defence pact with
o In September 1986, they signed an Pakistan to enhance defence cooperation
agreement to facilitate the transfer of civil between the Pakistan Army and the People’s
nuclear technology. Liberation Army.
o In 1991, China agreed to supply Pakistan with o Pakistan has procured Chinese-made combat
its indigenously developed Qinshan-1 nuclear drones or unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
power plant.  Pakistan endorses China’s position on its core
o After India tested its nuclear device in 1998, issues including the South China
Pakistan followed suit —largely due to help Sea, Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet.
from China.  After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan,
China has now sensed an opportunity to get into
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF INDIA-CHINA TIES? Afghanistan for influence and resources with help
 The 1988 rapprochement between India and from Pakistan.
China with Rajiv Gandhi’s visit became a
watershed moment. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF CHINA-
 There was a clear shift for China, where it saw PAKISTAN CLOSENESS FOR INDIA?
ties with India from an economic lens and  Two Front War: Convergence between the two
focused on trade, while separately talking to countries raises the real specter of a ‘two-front’
India on the border dispute. war.
o From that point onwards China followed a  Negotiation of Lost Territory: China now looks to
cautious approach vis a vis India and negotiate to ‘recover’ Indian territories that it
Pakistan. claims namely, Aksai Chin, Ladakh, Jammu and
 During the Kargil conflict of 1999, China advised Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
Pakistan that they should withdraw troops and o It also positions China to play a role in
exercise self-control. Kashmir and the region.
 China adopted a similarly cautious approach after  China’s Rise to Global Power Status: China and
the Parliament attack in 2002, the Operation Pakistan both share a common objective to
Parakram buildup, as well as the Mumbai terror prevent India’s rise.
attack in 2008. o With China’s rise as a global power, India
 This was also visible in the way China responded views its partnership with Pakistan as a
when the Balakot air strikes took place after the greater concern than before.
Pulwama attack in February 2019.
WAY FORWARD
WHAT IS THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDIA-  Improving Relations in South Asian
CHINA-PAKISTAN TRIANGLE? Neighbourhood: To begin with, India should do
 The US-India closeness started by the nuclear well to improve relations with its neighbours.
deal in 2005-06 left both China and Pakistan  It should not be caught in an unfriendly
worried. neighbourhood given how China and Pakistan will
 China’s Belt and Road Initiative has manifested attempt to contain and constrain India in the
in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor region.
(CPEC) which passes through the disputed  Improving Relations in Extended
territory claimed by India. Neighbourhood: The government’s current
o From China’s perspective, it offers access to engagement of the key powers in West Asia.
the western Indian Ocean through the  It should be further strengthened in order to
Gwadar port in Balochistan. ensure energy security, increase maritime
o However, from India’s perspective, the cooperation and enhance goodwill in the
Gwadar port is a part of the String of Pearls extended neighbourhood.
Strategy, for the encirclement of India.
 Improving Relations With Russia: India must also  Improving Condition in Kashmir: From a long-
ensure that its relationship with Russia is not view perspective, a political outreach to Kashmir
sacrificed in favour of India-United States aimed at pacifying the aggrieved citizens there
relations given that Russia could play a key role in would go a long way towards that end.
defusing the severity of a regional gang up  Improving Indo-Pacific Strategy: For India, the Indo-
against India. Pacific strategy involving the US, Australia, Japan and
European partners is a key bulwark against the axis.
14. Pakistan’s Devastating Floods

WHY IN NEWS?
India will be extending humanitarian assistance to Pakistan to deal with the Devastating Flood that occurred
because of Pakistan’s Monster Monsoon.
 The climate crisis is the prime reason for the devastating scale of flooding in Pakistan, which has killed more
than 1,000 people and affected 30 million.
WHAT CAUSED THE SEVERE FLOOD IN PAKISTAN?

 Extremely Wet monsoon:
o The current flood is a direct result of an extremely wet monsoon season this year.
o The same southwest monsoon that brings the bulk of India’s annual rainfall causes rain in Pakistan as well.
 The monsoon season in Pakistan, however, is a little shorter than in India. That is because the rain-bearing
monsoon winds take time to travel northward from India into Pakistan.
o There’s been a 400% increase in average rainfall in areas like Baluchistan and Sindh, which led to extreme flooding.
 Extreme Heat:
o In May 2022, Pakistan consistently saw temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).
o Warmer air holds more moisture — about 7% more per degree Celsius (4% per degree Fahrenheit) — and that
eventually comes down, in this case in torrents.
o Instead of just swollen rivers flooding from extra rain, Pakistan is hit with another source of flash flooding.
o The extreme heat accelerates the long-term glacier melting then water speeds down from the Himalayas to Pakistan
in a dangerous phenomenon called glacial lake outburst floods.
 ENSO:
o The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) appears to be in its La Niña phase.
o “La Niña is behaving very strongly in some metrics and is a significant factor for enhancing monsoonal rains.
WHAT IS THE INDIAN ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN?

 The aid will be the first time since 2014 that India will be extending aid to Pakistan on account of a natural
disaster.
 In the past, India extended assistance to Pakistan for the floods in 2010, and for the earthquake in 2005.
HOW HAS BEEN THE BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN?
 In 2021, Pakistan allowed the import of cotton and sugar from India, partially reversing a two-year old decision
to suspend all trade with India.
 The decision to cancel trade was taken by the Pakistan government in August, 2019, days after the Indian
government amended Article 370 and reorganised Jammu and Kashmir.
 Over the years, India has had a trade surplus with Pakistan, with much less imports than exports and trade
has always been linked to politics.
o India’s exports to Pakistan fell around 16% to USD 1.82 billion in 2016-17 as compared to 2015-16 after
relations deteriorated in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack and the Indian Army’s surgical strikes on
militant launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 2016.
 Despite continuing tensions, trade between the two countries grew marginally in subsequent years.
15. Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022
IN NEWS
Recently,
Parliament passed the
Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022.
It is an important step
forward in India’s
engagement with the
gigantic continent which
began way back
in February 1956.
ABOUT:
 It is the first domestic
legislation with
regard to Antarctica
in India.
 Applicable to Indian
citizens as well as
foreign citizens.
OBJECTIVE:
 To demilitarise
Antarctica; use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes;  Prohibits mining, dredging and activities that threaten
promote international scientific cooperation in the pristine conditions of the continent.
Antarctica.
 The Bill seeks to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine WHAT IS THE ANTARCTICA TREATY?
Living Resources, and the Protocol on Environmental  The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude.
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.  Objective: To demilitarize Antarctica; use for peaceful
purposes & resolve disputes.
KEY FEATURES:  Signed in 1959 by 12 countries: Argentina, Australia,
Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,
 Prohibit Indian expedition to Antarctica without
South Africa, USSR, the UK and the USA, and came into
permit or written authorisation of another party to
force in 1961.
Antarctic Treaty.
o India signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983.
 Extend jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica and
lays out penal provision for crimes on the continent by  Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Indian citizens, foreign citizens who are part of Indian Living Resources (CCAMLR): Set up in 1980 for the
protection and preservation of the Antarctic.
expeditions.
 Madrid Protocol: Designates Antarctica as a “natural
 The act directs creating a fund called the Antarctic
reserve, devoted to peace and science” (Signed by
fund that will be used for protecting the Antarctic
India).
environment.
 The Bill also establishes a ‘Committee on Antarctic
Governance and Environmental Protection.’
16. India's Arctic Policy

WHY IN NEWS? o Transportation and connectivity.
Recently, the Ministry of Earth Science has o Governance and international cooperation.
unveiled India's Arctic Policy, titled 'India and the o National capacity building.
Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable  Objectives:
development'. o It aims to strengthen national capabilities and
 India holds one of the 13 positions as the competencies in science and exploration,
Observer in the Arctic Council. climate and environmental protection,
 The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental maritime and economic cooperation with the
body that promotes research and facilitates Arctic region.
cooperation among Arctic countries on issues o It seeks to strengthen institutional and
related to the environmental protection and human resource capacities within the
sustainable development of the Arctic region. government and academic, research and
business institutions through inter-ministerial
WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND? coordination in pursuit of India’s interests in
 India's engagement with the Arctic began when it the Arctic.
signed the Svalbard Treaty in 1920 in Paris o It seeks to enhance understanding of the
between Norway, the US, Denmark, France, Italy, impact of climate change in the Arctic
Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and region on India’s climate, economic and
Ireland, and the British overseas Dominions and energy security.
Sweden concerning Spitsbergen. o It aims to promote better analysis, prediction
o Spitsbergen is the largest island of and coordinated policymaking on the
the Svalbard archipelago, part of Norway, in implications of ice melting in the Arctic on
the Arctic Ocean. India’s economic, military and strategic
o Spitsbergen is the only permanently interests related to global shipping routes,
inhabited part of Svalbard. More than 50% of energy security and exploitation of mineral
the land is covered in ice year-round. wealth.
Together with the glaciers, it is mountains o It seeks to study the linkages between polar
and fjords that define the landscape. regions and the Himalayas and deepen the
 Ever since then, India has been closely cooperation between India and the countries
monitoring all the developments in the Arctic of the Arctic region under various Arctic
region. forums, drawing expertise from scientific and
 India initiated its Arctic research program in 2007 traditional knowledge.
with a focus on climate change in the region. o The policy also seeks to increase India’s
o The objectives included participation in the Arctic Council and
studying teleconnections between Arctic improve understanding of the complex
climate and Indian monsoon, to characterise governance structures in the Arctic, relevant
sea ice in the Arctic using satellite data, to international laws and geopolitics of the
estimate the effect on global warming. region.
 India also focuses on conducting research on the  Relevance of Arctic for India?
dynamics and mass budget of o The Arctic region is significant due to
Arctic glaciers and sea-level changes, carrying the shipping routes that run through it.
out an assessment of the flora and fauna of the o According to an analysis published by the
Arctic. Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence
Studies and Analyses, the adverse effects of
the Arctic are not just impacting the
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PROVISIONS OF INDIA'S
availability of mineral and hydrocarbon
ARCTIC POLICY?
resources, but also transforming global
 Six Central Pillars:
shipping routes.
o Science and research.
 According to the Ministry of External
o Environmental protection.
Affairs, India can play a constructive role
o Economic and human development.
in securing a stable Arctic.
o The region holds immense geopolitical  It is the first step towards developing a whole-of-
importance as the Arctic is projected to be government approach on India’s engagement
ice-free by 2050 and world powers making a with the region.
beeline to exploit the region rich in natural  The Policy is also likely to raise awareness about
resources. the Arctic within India and vice-versa through
conduct of programmes, seminars and events in
India and in
the Arctic.
WHAT IS THE ARCTIC?  However,
o The Arctic is a polar region located at the India must
northernmost part of Earth. also officially
o Land within the Arctic region has seasonally appoint
varying snow and ice cover. an ‘Arctic
It consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and
parts of Alaska (United States), Canada, Finland,
Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, and
Sweden.
ambassador/representative’ who will represent

and voice India’s perspectives on Arctic affairs.
 Constituting a dedicated expert committee to
WAY FORWARD plan, monitor, steer, implement and review
 India’s Arctic Policy is timely and is likely to India’s Arctic policy may help streamline the
provide a direction to India’s policy-makers on country’s approach in a better manner.
contours of India’s engagement with the region.
17. GROUP OF 7 (G7)
WHY IN NEWS?
 Indian PM participated in
the G7 summit which was
recently held in Germany.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT
 Partnership for Global
Infrastructure and
Investment (PGII) scheme:
G7 leaders unveiled the
scheme to mobilise USD
600 billion in funding by
2027 to deliver transparent
and game-changing
infrastructure projects in
developing and middle-
income countries, in a move seen as a counter to
China’s Belt and Road Initiative. greenhouse gas emissions from their energy
 Emission Reduction: Environment ministers from sectors by 2035.
the G7 announced a target to have a highly de-  LiFE Campaign: India highlighted Global Initiative
carbonised road sector by 2030 and to phase out for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign with
a goal to encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle.
 On Russia-Ukraine Crisis led energy crisis: India
highlighted the need for equal energy ACHIEVEMENTS OF G7
distribution amongst the population of rich and  G7 played crucial role in setting up a Global fund
poor nations. to fight malaria and Aids in 2002.
 G7 finance ministers agreed to back a global
ABOUT G7 minimum tax of at least 15% on multinational
 The G7 is an informal forum of leading companies.
industrialised nations, which dominate global  In 2015, members launched the Global Apollo
trade and the international financial system. Program to tackle climate change through clean
 Purpose: It meets annually to discuss issues such energy research and development.
as global economic governance, international
security and energy policy, besides a host of CHALLENGES WITH G7
other issues topical to the prevailing situation.  Dealing with the Russia-Ukraine war: G7 nations
 Members and Partners: It include Canada, have although imposed sanctions and bans on
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Russia. But, because of their huge dependency,
Kingdom and the United States as core members. they cannot take harsher steps against Russia. o
o In addition to the core nations, there are o For example, import restrictions on Russian oil
other invitee nations (acting as partners) that and gas would also hurt their own economies.
are democracies and classified emerging European nations get a quarter of their oil and
economies. 40% of their gas from Russia.
 In the recent summit for example, India  Internal disagreements among group members:
was invited along with Argentina, For e.g. clash of the USA with other members
Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa as over taxes on imports and action on climate
guests. change.
o There are also various organisations such as  Perceived as an exclusive group: Several
IMF, World Bank, WHO that are part of the countries and individuals still perceive the G7 as
international governance. an exclusive, closed group that disregards the
o Russia joined G7 in 1998, creating the G8, but interest of smaller nations.
was excluded in 2014 for its takeover of  China’s rise: There is a growing sense that China
Crimea. poses a threefold threat to G7 countries-
o The EU is not a member of the G7 but economically, ideologically, and geopolitically.
attends the annual summit. o The massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has
prompted concerns about Beijing’s influence
SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA’S PRESENCE IN G7 over developing countries. The build back
SUMMITS better world was announced last year to
 It provides an opportunity to cement the counter the BRI but the idea fell through.
perception that India has the will and capability  Substandard progress on tackling global
to contribute to the larger international cause. problems: Such as phasing our fossil fuels (G7
 Gives India a greater exposure to be closely accounts for nearly 25% of global CO2 emissions),
embedded in the international system of terrorism (ISIS has thousands of fighters from G7
governance. countries), migrant crisis (West Asian crisis in
o With major institutions such as the IMF and Syria, Yemen, Iraq led to a migrant exodus
World Bank, the Indian story is heard with towards the European nations) etc.
greater focus and scope remains for  Perceived as outdated: The group no longer
furtherance towards positive conclusions. reflects the current state of geopolitical realities.
 Developing focused relationships and o For instance, many incumbent members like
partnerships: As a nation with abiding Italy and Canada possess less economic and
geopolitical interests in Europe, West Asia, the political power in comparison to non-
Trans-Caucasus, Indian Ocean Region and the members like India and China.
Indo Pacific, the Indian presence at major  Non-Binding nature: Unlike other bodies such as
summits of this nature reflect its deep desire NATO, the G7 has no legal existence or a
towards engagement across the board. permanent secretariat. Further, the meeting
commitments are non-binding in nature. o All a global outlook rather than merely focusing on
decisions and commitments made at G7 the myopic interests of the developed world. This
meetings need to be ratified independently by would result in prudent tackling of global
governing bodies of member states. problems like climate change.
 India’s Engagement at G7- India being a rising
WAY FORWARD economic power and a responsible global
 More Representation- The grouping should stakeholder, it remains one of the few nations
become more representative in nature and which can engage with the G-7 in providing
emerging economies like India and South Korea solutions to global problems.
must be made a part of the group.
 Catering to the global challenges- The new
principles and policies of the group should reflect
18. India to host G20 Summit in 2023

WHY IN THE NEWS?
Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
announced that India is hosting the G-20 (Group of
20) leaders’ summit in New Delhi next year 2023.
 The 17th G20 Heads of State and Government
Summit will happen in November 2022 in
Indonesia, after which India will assume the
presidency of G20 from December 2022.
 India is assuming the Presidency of the G20 for
one year.
WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS?

Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain
 Guest Countries: and UAE as Guest countries.
 Troika:
o India, as G20 Presidency, will be o During the Presidency, India, Indonesia and
inviting Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Brazil would form the troika. This would be
the first time when the troika would consist of o Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
three developing countries and emerging France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
economies, providing them a greater voice. Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia,
 Troika refers to the top grouping within Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United
the G20 that consists of the current, Kingdom, the United States and the EU.
previous and the upcoming  Spain is invited as a permanent guest.
presidencies (Indonesia, India and Brazil).
 Key Priorities:  Presidency:
o Inclusive, Equitable and Sustainable Growth, o The presidency of the G20 rotates every year
o LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment), among members, and the country holding
o Women’s Empowerment, the presidency, together with the previous
o Digital public infrastructure and tech-enabled and next presidency-holder, forms the
development in areas ranging from health, ‘Troika’ to ensure continuity of the G20
agriculture and education to commerce, agenda.
o Skill-mapping, culture and tourism, climate  Italy, Indonesia, and India are the Troika
financing, circular economy, global food countries right now and Indonesia holds
security, energy security, green hydrogen, the current Presidency.
disaster risk reduction and resilience,  Mandate:
o Developmental cooperation, fight against o The G20 has no permanent secretariat. The
economic crime, and multilateral reforms. agenda and work are coordinated
by representatives of the G20
WHAT IS THE G20? countries, known as ‘Sherpas’, who work
 About: together with the finance ministers and
o The G20 was formed in 1999 in the backdrop governors of the central banks.
of the financial crisis of the late 1990s that o The primary mandate of the grouping is for
hit East Asia and Southeast Asia in particular. International Economic cooperation with
o It aims to secure global financial stability by particular emphasis to prevent future
involving middle-income countries. financial crises across the world.
o Together, the G20 countries include 60 % of o It plays a significant role in shaping the global
the world’s population, 80 % of global GDP, economic agenda.
and 75 % of global trade. o From 1999-2008 the forum exalted from a
 Members: grouping of Central bank governors and
finance ministers to Heads of states
19. Talks Between India & NATO

WHY IN NEWS?  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France,
It was recently reported India held its first political Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United
(NATO) in Brussels on December 12, 2019. Kingdom, and the United States.
o Other Countries:
WHAT IS NATO?
 Greece and Turkey (1952), West
Germany (1955, from 1990 as
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is
Germany), Spain (1982), the Czech
a military alliance established by the North
Republic, Hungary, and
Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington
Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Treaty) of April 1949, by the United States,
Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and
Canada, and several Western European nations
Slovenia (2004), Albania and
to provide collective security against the Soviet
Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017),
Union.
and North Macedonia (2020).
 There are currently 30 member states.
o France withdrew from the integrated military
o Original Members:
command of NATO in 1966 but remained a
member of the organization, it resumed its issues such as Ukraine and Intermediate-
position in NATO’s military command in 2009. Range Nuclear Forces Treaty,
 Recently, Finland and Sweden have shown Given the divergence among NATO
interest to join NATO. countries, its view on China was seen as
 Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium. mixed, while it did deliberate on China’s
rise, it presented both a challenge and an
WHAT IS THE NATO-INDIA POLITICAL

DIALOGUE?
 About:
o India held its first political
dialogue with the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation (NATO) in
Brussels on December 12, 2019.
 Significance:
o NATO has been engaging both
China and Pakistan in bilateral
dialogue.
o While Engaging NATO in a
political dialogue would provide
India an opportunity to bring
about a balance in NATO’s
perceptions about the situation in
regions and issues of concern to
India.
 There is convergence in the
perspectives of both India and
NATO on China, terrorism, and
Afghanistan,
including Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan. opportunity,
 Issues: Further, in Afghanistan, NATO saw the
o According to NATO’s perspective, the biggest Taliban as a political entity.
threat it face was not China, but Russia whose  NATO’S View:
aggressive actions are threatening European o Dialogue with India would further enhance the
security. cooperation among NATO countries and
 Further, NATO had faced difficulties to India’s geo-strategic location shares a unique
convene meetings of the NATO-Russia perspective and enhances international
Council due to Russian refusal to place security in India's own region and beyond.
20. World Trade Organisation (WTO)

WHY IN NEWS?
12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO was
held recently.
ABOUT WTO
 The World Trade Organization is the
only international organization that
deals with the rules of trade between countries.
 Founded in 1995, the WTO is run by its 164 o It is the successor to the General Agreement
members, and all decisions are taken through on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a group
consensus and any member can exercise a veto. founded in 1948 whose rules created the
modern multilateral trading system.
KEY TAKEAWAYS OF THE CONFERENCE UNDER THE “GENEVA PACKAGE”:

Particulars Features
There would be no limitation on subsidies granted or maintained by developing or
Curtailing harmful fishing least-developed countries for fishing within their exclusive economic zones (EEZ).
subsidies on illegal, Also, technical assistance and capacity building shall be provided to such countries
unreported and through the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism.
unregulated (IUU) fishing
for the next four years
Binding decision to exempt food purchased by the UN’s World Food Programme
(WFP) for humanitarian purposes, from any export restrictions to address food
Global Food Security
shortages.
Members agreed to continue the long standing moratorium on custom duties on

E-commerce transmissions
ecommerce transmissions until the subsequent Ministerial Conference or until
like music, e-books, films
March, 2024, whichever is earlier.
etc.
Temporary waiver of certain requirements under the Agreement on Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) concerning the use of compulsory
Covid-19 vaccine licences to produce covid-19 vaccines for 5 years.
The Declaration commits WTO members to launching a work programme to

Sanitary and Phytosanitary identify new challenges in the implementation of the WTO's SPS Agreement.
(SPS) Declaration
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA o Also, India’s demand to seek a permanent

 Curtailing of Fisheries subsidy: Experts are of the solution on public stockholdings (PDS system)
view that although exemptions are provided but, of food grains has been pushed to MC13 in
four years are not sufficient and would push 2023.
small Indian fishers towards an uncertain future.  Waiver of IPR on Covid-19 vaccine production:
o Also, there is no mention of Special and The TRIPS decision will boost vaccine equity,
Differential Treatment (given to developing accessibility & affordability and will enable ease
countries under WTO agreements) guidelines. of authorisation for production of patented
 Exemptions for World Food Programme: A vaccines in India for domestic requirements as
blanket exemption for food exports could well as exports.
constrain its work in ensuring domestic food o But, the current agreement is a watered down
security. version of the original proposal made by India
and South Africa in 2020 which demanded a per annum globally — 95% of which was
broader intellectual property waivers on borne by developing countries (UN
vaccines as well as treatments and tests. Conference on Trade and Development
 E-Commerce Transactions: India has asked the report).
WTO to review the extension of the moratorium o India and South Africa had sought to preserve
on custom duties as developing countries policy space for the digital advancement of
including India faced the brunt of the financial developing countries by letting them
consequences of such a moratorium. generate more revenues from customs and
o Extending duty-free market access due to the thereby facilitate more investment
moratorium resulted in a loss of $10 billion
o .
CHALLENGES FACED BY WTO AND ITS SOLUTIONS

The World Trade Organization (WTO) faces an existential crisis and its main functions are progressively becoming ineffective.
There are calls for substantial reform of the organisation due to following reasons:
Issue Challenge Potential solutions
Ineffective The WTO has not been able to counter China’s tariff WTO needs to strengthen its enforcement
against China’s manipulation and unfair trade practices. capacity to deal with such practices to become
policies a credible trading system.
Changed Developing countries like India play a large role in the The operational framework of WTO needs to
Global trading regime in the current era be revised to consider this changed economic
Economic balance.
distributions
Dysfunctional The U.S. has systematically blocked the appointment of Concerted efforts need to be made to make
WTO appellate new Appellate Body members (judges) which it believes the appellate body functional and dispute
body has resulted in unfavourable rulings for the US in its settlement system operational.
trade disputes.
Long decision As the decision making is through consensus, it takes a Member countries need to iron out the
making process long time and most of the time political and ideological differences to arrive at a common ground.
differences come in a way of reaching a consensus.
Lack of With an increasingly global trading system, exclusion of Efforts need to be made at making the
inclusiveness some countries makes it a less effective organization. organisation fully representative.
Move towards Since the pace of negotiations in the WTO has been Rules and procedures of WTO need to evolve
bilateral/region slowing, countries are increasingly moving towards other to remain relevant in the emerging scenario.
al/plurilateral forms of trading regimes such as RCEP.
trading
regimes
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic has forced countries to impose Strengthening WTO’s dispute settlement
COVID19 comprehensive export bans and restrictions resulting in system is the need of the hour to tackle the
Pandemic disruptions in the global supply chains. There is potential emergent situation.
for more trade disputes to arise in the future.
OTHER UNRESOLVED ISSUES FOR INDIA AT WTO

 Agricultural subsidies: The WTO views India’s Minimum Support Price (MSP) as a trade distorting measure and
placed it under amber box provisions at WTO meaning it has to be capped at 10 per cent of the total value of
concerned product.
o India has challenged this on the arguments that the primary agenda for MSP and other price support
mechanism is not export promotion but food security.
 Non-tariff barriers to trade: These include Technical barriers to trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures (SPS).
o India has been urging towards rationalization and standardization of these non-tariff barriers.
 Negotiations on Non-trade issues like environment and labour standards. India has stated that for the time
being, ‘non-trade’ must be completely kept out of the negotiating table.
 Recognition of Geographic Indications (GI): The current trading arrangement does not recognize the GI Tags
domestically provided to goods which decreases the marketability of the product in the global markets.
o India suggests extension of higher levels of protection to the GI for products like Basmati rice, Darjeeling
tea.
 Investment Facilitation: India argues that developing countries should be given flexibility for application of
TRIMS (Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures) in domestic policy while permitting foreign
investment.
21. I2U2 SUMMIT

INTRODUCTION: both regions to serve each other’s economic
First summit of the four-nation grouping ‘I2U2’ was security more effectively.
held virtually in July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid WEST ASIAN QUAD BY AMBASSADOR OF THE UAE
and President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of TO INDIA:
the UAE participated in the virtual summit which  The I2U2 has been referred to as the ‘West Asian
focused on joint investments and new initiatives in six Quad’on the lines of the Quadrilateral Security
specific areas of water, energy, transportation, space, Dialogue (Quad) which has Australia, India, Japan
health and food security. and the US as members.
 The newly formed alliance will boost US efforts to
I2U2: contain Chinese influence in Asia and the Middle
 I2U2 stands for India, Israel, the UAE, and the East.
US, and was also referred to as the ‘West Asian  However, the parallels drawn are questionable
Quad’. given the differing foreign policy stances
 First mooted as the “International Forum for witnessed with respect to Russia.
Economic Cooperation” during the foreign  Barring the US, no other country in the I2U2 —
ministers’ meet of the four countries held in Israel, India, or the UAE — has followed the
October 2021. Western lead of imposing sanctions on Russia.
 Its stated aim is to discuss common areas of Furthermore, while the Indo-Pacific Quad was
mutual interest, to strengthen the economic primarily focused on defence and security, the
partnership in trade and investment in our West Asia Quad seems to focus more on
respective regions and beyond. economic cooperation, and not security
 It is aimed to encourage joint investments in six cooperation
mutually identified areas such as water, energy,
transportation, space, health, and food security. INDIA’S GAIN:
 It intends to mobilize private sector capital and  The I2U2 Summit’s first high-level meeting is a
expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, significant development in which India’s
low carbon development pathways for our partnership can prove to be a “game changer”.
industries, improve public health, and promote  United States can play an important role in
the development of critical emerging and green deepening Israel’s integration into the region,
technologies. India has a role to play as well.
 Thus, I2U2 is not a new formation, but rather a  Since India is a massive market and a producer of
formalisation of the already existing strategic high-tech and highly sought-after goods as well,
cooperation between the countries, which is the four countries can work together on several
aimed at developing a framework that allows
areas, including technology, trade, climate, and to build economic exchanges that are mutually
Covid-19. beneficial with next to no downsides on the
 Since India enjoys friendly relations with the horizon.
countries in the region, as well as deep cultural  However, geoeconomics and economic linkages
and historical links and vibrant economic ties, it cannot be seen as separate from geopolitics, and
can be called a ‘natural partner’ for the US in its Middle East’s geopolitics remains volatile despite
efforts to revitalise its alliances in the region. the Abraham Accords, with the Iran crisis looking
 India has a decent presence in the region as it is a to get even more complicated with chances of
major buyer of energy from the region, and also a a JCPOA 2.0 remaining bleak.
major supplier of many consumer goods and  Since the turn of the millennium, Gulf countries
human resources to the West Asian region. and India have witnessed an extraordinary
 For the UAE, apart from being an oil importer, turnaround in their relationship. Because of
India, owing to its massive IT industries, is a India’s diaspora presence and its “Look West”
source of diversification and modernization. policy of intensifying already flourishing relations
 Indo-Israeli relations are flourishing currently with major powers in the Middle East, New Delhi
with defence relations being the underpinning of holds a deep strategic relationship with the
this growing strategic convergence. region.
 India is a crucial player in the grouping, it’s Question: What is the I2U2 Summit? What are the
imperative we discuss what India stands to gain advantages of the I2U2 summit for India? What are the
from this newly formed alliance. challenges associated with the I2U2 summit for India?
CONCLUSION:
 The I2U2, both on paper and in practice, makes a
lot of sense. For India, it leverages its good
relations with Israel, the Gulf, and the US alike
22. India stays out of ‘Trade Pillar’ of IPEF

India stayed out of the joint declaration on the trade pillar of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
ministerial meet in Los Angeles, with Union Commerce region, such as building resilient supply chains
Minister citing concerns over possible discrimination battered by the pandemic.
against developing economies.  It is not a free trade agreement. No market access
or tariff reductions have been outlined, although
WHY DID INDIA OPT OUT OF THE TRADE PILLAR? experts say it can pave the way to trade deals.
 One of the reasons for staying out of the trade
pillar was that the contours of the framework had MEMBERS OF IPEF
not emerged yet.  The member nations include Australia, Brunei,
 This is particularly about the kind of commitment India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia,
each country would have to make on New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
“environment, labour, digital trade and public and Vietnam.
procurement”.  It includes seven out of 10 members of the
 India’s decision also mirrors the decision to walk Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
out after seven years of negotiations from all four Quad countries, and New Zealand.
the Regional Comprehensive Economic  Together, these countries account for 40 per cent
Partnership (RCEP). of the global GDP.
WHAT IS IPEF? FOUR PILLARS OF IPEF

 It is a US-led framework for participating countries 1. Trade that will include digital economy and
to solidify their relationships and engage in crucial emerging technology, labor commitments, the
economic and trade matters that concern the environment, trade facilitation, transparency and
good regulatory practices, and corporate
accountability, standards on cross-border data flow
and data localisations; WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH CHINA?
2. Supply chain resilience to develop “a first-of-its-  The US strategists believe the US lacks an
kind supply chain agreement” that would economic and trade strategy to counter China’s
anticipate and prevent disruptions; increasing economic influence in the region since
3. Clean energy and decarbonization that will include 2017.
agreements on “high-ambition commitments” such  US companies are looking to move away from
as renewable energy targets, carbon removal manufacturing in China.
purchasing commitments, energy efficiency  IPEF would therefore offer an advantage to
standards, and new measures to combat methane participating countries, allowing them to bring
emissions; and those businesses into their territory.
4. Tax and anti-corruption, with commitments to  However, it officially excluded Taiwan despite
enact and enforce “effective tax, anti-money its willingness and economic merit to join.
laundering, anti-bribery schemes in line with
 This exhibits Washington’s geopolitical caution.
*American+ values”.
REACTIONS FROM THE OPPONENTS

HOW DO MEMBERS PARTICIPATE?
 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the
 Countries are free to join (or not join)
initiative as an attempt to further economic
initiatives under any of the stipulated pillars but
decoupling from China.
are expected to adhere to all commitments once
 He argued that the initiative, and the US Indo-
they enrol.
Pacific strategy as a whole, created divisions and
 Negotiations are meant to determine and list the
incited confrontation. It is destined to
provisions under each pillar and open the floor for
be ultimately be a failure.
countries to choose their ‘commitments’.
 Taiwan was excluded in order to appease key
 The framework would be open to other countries
“fence-sitter” countries such as Indonesia whose
willing to join in the future provided they are
governments feared angering China.
willing to adhere to the stipulated goals and other
necessary obligations.
ISSUES WITH IPEF FRAMEWORK
REASONS FOR THE CREATION OF IPEF
 IPEF would neither constitute a ‘free trade
agreement,’ nor a forum to discuss
 US regaining lost credibility: IPEF is also seen as a
tariff reductions or increasing market access.
means by which the US is trying to regain
 Unlike a traditional trade agreement, the US
credibility in the region after Trump pulled out of
administration will not need congressional
the Trans Pacific Partnership TPP).
approval to act under the IPEF. Hence its legal
 Rising Chinese influence: Since then, there has
status is questionable.
been concern over the absence of a credible US
 This also raises doubts among potential
economic and trade strategy to counter China’s
participants about their reluctance to offer
economic influence in the region.
significant concessions under the agreement.
 Competing RCEP: It is also in the 14-member
 The volatility of US domestic politics has raised
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, of
concerns about IPEF’s durability.
which the US is not a member (India withdrew
from RCEP).  Unlike traditional FTAs, the IPEF does not
subscribe to the single undertaking principle,
 “Pivot to Asia” strategy: US has intensified its
where all items on the agenda are negotiated
engagement with the wider Asia-Pacific region to
simultaneously.
advance its economic and geopolitical interests.
 Given the divisive nature of American politics, it is
unclear whether the IPEF will survive past the
INDIA’S PERCEPTION OF IPEF
Biden administration.
 PM Modi described the grouping as born from a
collective desire to make the Indo-Pacific region an
WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY AHEAD?
engine of global economic growth.
 Establishing Common Standards: The immediate
 India has called for common and creative solutions
focus should be on establishing the common
to tackle economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific
region.
standards, which could form the basis of deeper  Addressing Tech-related Issues: Digital trade and
integration in the future. e-commerce is another critical area included under
o Such standards will cover labour rights, the IPEF. Given India’s comparative advantage in
environmental standards, protection of software development and application, it would be
intellectual property rights and rules covering highly desirable to evolve an agreed set of
the digital economy. rules that could be applied across like-minded
 Balancing Self-Reliance and Globalisation: The countries.
government has repeatedly clarified o There are many contentious issues here such
that ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) does not mean as issues of transparency, requirements of fair
isolation and protectionism. competition and the ownership & localization
o Also, India has always expressed its desire to of personal data.
attract foreign investment and become part o A constructive role must be played in evolving
of global supply chains. a global consensus.
o This is the right approach and building reliable  Simplifying Trade Negotiations: Considering the
supply chains is an explicit part of the IPEF complex trade negotiation process, there is a need
agenda. for an empowered trade negotiator to consult with
 Managing Taxation Issue: India should initiate concerned ministries and report to the Prime
an internal review of its tax Minister and key ministers with an assessment of
administration, involving experts and the pros and cons.
Department of Revenue to come up with suitable o The NITI Aayog should be mobilised to conduct
changes. broad consultations and elicit the opinions of
o This would add to India’s attractiveness as a stakeholders, including state governments.
trading partner and as a destination for
investment, especially in new supply chains.
23. Aukus Alliance:

CONTEXT:
China has equated the India, U.S., Australia, Japan and the UK, a capability aimed at promoting
Quad grouping with the AUKUS (Australia, U.K., U.S.) stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
defence pact, calling both “exclusive cliques” part of
the Biden administration’s “ill-intentioned” Indo- CHINA’S RESPONSE:
Pacific strategy. China has condemned the agreement as “extremely
 It said, this ‘strategy’ resurrects the Cold War irresponsible”.
mentality and will only bring division and Concerns raised by China:
turbulence to the Asia-Pacific.  The Alliance undermines regional peace and
stability and intensifies the arms race.
ABOUT THE AUKUS PACT:  It shall reinvent a “Cold War mentality and
 The UK, US and Australia, in 2021, announced a ideological prejudice”.
historic security pact in the Asia-Pacific, in 
what’s seen as an effort to counter China. It is RATIONALE BEHIND THE FORMATION OF THIS
called the AUKUS pact and AUKUS alliance. ALLIANCE:
 Under the AUKUS alliance, the three nations The new partnership was announced in a joint virtual
have agreed to enhance the development of press conference. And while China was not
joint capabilities and technology sharing, foster mentioned directly, the three leaders referred
deeper integration of security and defence- repeatedly to regional security concerns which they
related science, technology, industrial bases said had “grown significantly”.
and supply chains.  In recent years, Beijing has been accused of
 Under the first major initiative of raising tensions in disputed territories such as the
AUKUS, Australia would build a fleet of nuclear- South China Sea.
powered submarines with the help of the US
 Western nations have been wary of China’s  The US is sharing its submarine technology for
infrastructure investment on Pacific islands, and the first time in 50 years. It had previously only
have also criticised China’s trade sanctions shared technology with the UK.
against countries like Australia.  Australia will become just the seventh nation in
the world to operate nuclear-powered
WHY NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINES? submarines, after the US, UK, France, China,
These submarines are much faster and harder to India and Russia.
detect than conventionally powered fleets. They can  Australia has reaffirmed it has no intention of
stay submerged for months, shoot missiles longer obtaining nuclear weapons.
distances and also carry more.
 Having them stationed in Australia is critical to US Question: Discuss why China is concerned about the
influence in the region, analysts say. AUKUS Alliance.
24. India’s Stand at COP-26:

CONTEXT:  The
The Government recently highlighted it’s stand at
the COP 26 in the ongoing parliamentary session.
It said, the announcement to intensify India’s climate
action has the potential to bring investment and new
technologies to support country’s transition to a clean
and climate resilient economy.
message conveyed by India was that the world

BACKGROUND:
needs mindful and deliberate utilization, instead of
The Government of India has articulated and put
mindless and destructive consumption.
across the concerns of developing countries at
the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties
(COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention NET ZERO:
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held recently in Glasgow,  India has also pledged to become a ‘net zero’
United Kingdom. carbon emitter by 2070, and announced enhanced
targets for renewable energy deployment and
FIVE NECTAR ELEMENTS (PANCHAMRIT): reduction in carbon emissions.
India has presented the following five nectar elements
(Panchamrit) of India’s climate action: INDIA’S APPROACH:
 Reach 500 GW Non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.  As a part of its overall approach, India emphasized
 50 per cent of its energy requirements from the foundational principles of equity, and
renewable energy by 2030. common but differentiated responsibilities and
 Reduction of total projected carbon emissions by one respective capabilities.
billion tonnes from now to 2030.  It also highlighted that all countries should have
 Reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy by equitable access to the global carbon budget, a
45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels.
finite global resource, for keeping temperature
 Achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.
increase within the limits set by the Paris
Agreement.
MANTRA OF LIFE- LIFESTYLE:  And, all countries must stay within their fair share
The mantra of LIFE- Lifestyle for Environment to of this global carbon budget, while using it
combat climate change was also shared in COP 26. responsibly.
 It was stated that Lifestyle for Environment has to  Responsibility of the developed nations: India also
be taken forward as a campaign to make it a mass called on the developed countries for climate
movement of Environment Conscious Lifestyles. justice, and for undertaking rapid reductions in
emissions during the current decade so as to reach
net zero much earlier than their announced dates,
as they have used more than their fair share of the plants, provided suitable financing can be
depleting global carbon budget. obtained.
 Encouraging Electric Vehicles (EVs): India’s net-
WAY FORWARD zero by 2070 also requires phasing out petrol and
 Suggestions for Largest Emitters: China, instead of diesel in transport and shifting to Electric Vehicles
increasing emissions up to 2030, as currently (EVs) that use electricity from renewables.
declared, may need to keep them at their current o In order to make the country’s entire fleet
level for a few years and then go down to net zero emissions-free by 2050, the government may
by 2050. consider announcing against the sale of fossil
o The US should achieve a sharper reduction in fuel based vehicles after 2035.
emissions by 2030, and also advance its net-  This would give the automotive sector about
zero date to 2040. 15 years to restructure its production.
o Europe as a whole should follow the  Need of Policy Changes: Expanding renewable
German/Swedish example and aim at net-zero capacity requires policy action aimed at resolving
by 2045. problems such as stabilizing intermittent supply
 With this recalibration, the carbon emissions from renewables, building transmission
of this group would fall to 32% of the carbon infrastructure, creating efficient electricity
budget, much closer to their population markets and fixing the financial weakness of India’s
share. discoms.
 Suggestions for India: India’s 2070 target would o These actions are not specified in
take up 18.1% of the carbon space, which is a little the Nationally Determined Contributions but
higher than our population share of 17.7%. will have to be built into the domestic policy
o It should be willing to consider a modification agenda in the years ahead.
in its trajectory as part of an agreed global
package, in which other countries also take CONCLUSION
appropriate action.  The COP26 of Glasgow is a promising start on
 Coal-Based Power and India: India has made no emissions reduction, however, on the part of
commitments regarding phasing-down of coal- global largest emitters, much more is expected to
based power; however, its renewable energy goals be done.
2030 are likely to reduce the share of the same  In India’s context, it needs to work out a detailed
from current 72% to about 50% by 2030. plan of action with reference to phasing-down
o Also, the government shall consider ordering coal-based power generation and encouraging
against establishment of any new coal-based electric vehicles.
plants apart from those currently under Question: Discuss the measures required to realize
construction. the climate change targets that India had declared
o What more is needed is a policy of accelerated
to achieve by 2070.
retirement of older, inefficient and polluting
25. SAARC
 In 1985, at the height of the Cold War, leaders of  SAARC members are among the top troop-
South Asian nations — namely Bangladesh, contributing countries to UN peacekeeping
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri missions. With the US withdrawal from
Lanka — created a regional forum. Afghanistan, a joint peacekeeping force from the
 The South Asian Association for Regional SAARC region under the UN aegis could be
Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the explored to fill the power vacuum that would
goal of contributing “to mutual trust, otherwise be filled by terrorist and extremist
understanding and appreciation of one another’s forces.
problems.”  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized the
 The first SAARC meeting took place in Dhaka in Covid-19 crisis and utilised SAARC’s seal to
1985, and there have been 18 summits till date. convene a video conference of SAARC leaders.
However, the organisation has not had a smooth They underscored the need for cooperation on a
run. regional basis for fighting the pandemic.
 Afghanistan was admitted as a member in 2007.
 SAARC is aimed at promoting the welfare of the SIGNIFICANT REASONS FOR SAARC’s FAILURES:
people; accelerating economic growth, social  The asymmetry between India and other member
progress and culture development; and countries in terms of geography, economy,
strengthening collective self-reliance. The military strength and influence in the global
organisation also seeks to contribute to mutual arena make the smaller countries apprehensive.
trust and understanding among the member They perceive India as “Big Brother” and fear that
countries. it might use the SAARC to pursue hegemony in
the region. The smaller neighbouring countries,
SIGNIFICANCE OF SAARC therefore, have been reluctant to implement
 As the largest regional cooperation organisation, various agreements under SAARC.
SAARC’s importance in stabilising and effectively  SAARC does not have any arrangement for
transforming the region is becoming increasingly resolving disputes or mediating conflicts.
self-evident. Disputes among the member countries often
 There Is No alternative capable of bringing hamper consensus building, thus slowing down
together South Asian countries for mutually the decision-making process. SAARC’s inability in
beneficial diplomacy has emerged. this regard has been detrimental to its growth.
 In 36 years of existence, SAARC has developed a  Given SAARC’s failures, member countries have
dense network of institutions, linkages, and turned to bilateralism, which in turn has
mechanisms. adversely affected the organisation. Bilateralism
 SAARC Charter was signed in 1985. It made some is an easier option since it calls for dealings
progress in developing common cause in several between only two countries, whereas SAARC—at
fields like agriculture, education, health, climate a regional level—requires one country to deal
change etc. with seven countries. Thus, bilateralism
 SAARC has made significant contributions to the decreases the countries’ dependence on SAARC
development of civil society and track-two to achieve their objectives, making them less
initiatives. interested in pursuing initiatives at a regional
 Though SAARC’s charter prohibits bilateral issues level.
at formal forums, SAARC summits provide a  SAARC faces a shortage of resources, and
unique, informal window — the retreat — for countries have been reluctant to increase their
leaders to meet without aides and chart future contributions.
courses of action.  Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is the biggest
 The coming together of leaders, even at the stumbling block as stated by India. But
height of tensions, in a region laden with contradictions in ASEAN never derailed the
congenital suspicions, misunderstandings, and Group.
hostility is a significant strength of SAARC that  SAARC’s biggest failure comes from the political
cannot be overlooked. sphere, mainly due to India-Pakistan tensions.
Heads of State met only 18 times in 34 years. It is fight for common cause like opposing trade tariffs
five years, since the last Summit in Kathmandu. or demanding better terms for South Asian
 Importance being given to BIMSTEC instead of labour around the World.
SAARC  SAARC is needed to allow for the diplomacy and
 Entry of China into south Asian geopolitics for coordination that is needed between member-
various reasons. states in order to adequately address the
numerous threats and challenges the region
WAYFORWARD faces.
 The organisation must be reformed and member  In a meeting of SAARC health ministers, Indian
countries must reach a consensus regarding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked about
changes required. However, considering the free entry to health workers from SAARC nations
differences that exist among the members, and an air ambulance service which would be
particularly between India and Pakistan, such a helpful as it would help each other in times of
consensus will be difficult to reach. Until the need. But, the talk need to be materialized.
member countries resolve their issues, the future
of SAARC remains uncertain. CONCLUSION
 Allowing SAARC to become dysfunctional and  If the geopolitical dynamics following World War
irrelevant greatly distorts our ability to address II could allow die-hard enemies France and
the realities and mounting challenges facing Germany to interface effectively enough to
SAARC nations. create the European Union, there is no reason
 SAARC could adopt the “ASEAN minus X” why India and Pakistan cannot come together.
formula, where members who are unwilling to  SAARC has the capacity to bring nations together.
join the consensus can be allowed to join at a As Nelson Mandela said, “If you want to make
future date, while members who wish to go peace with your enemy, you have to work with
ahead with connectivity, trade or technology your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
cooperation agreements are not impeded.
 In a region increasingly targeted by Chinese Question: Discuss how SAARC as an organisation can
investment and loans, SAARC could be a common emerge as a successful model of cooperation among
platform to demand more sustainable nations in a region and various challenges.
alternatives for development. Together they can
26. BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC (An Alternative For Saarc And An Opportunity For Regional Stability)
THE CONTEXT:
The fifth summit of the now 25-year-old Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) hosted by Sri Lanka, was held in
March 2022 in a hybrid fashion. India’s Prime Minister,
who attended the summit virtually, called for unity and
cooperation in the region as it faces economic and health
challenges. PM also announced the adoption of the
organisation’s institutional architecture- the BIMSTEC
charter.
DETAIL OF THE SUMMIT

 The summit’s theme “Towards a Resilient
Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy People”
captures the main current priorities of member BIMSTEC: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
states and the efforts by BIMSTEC to develop
cooperation activities that support member THE GROUPING:
states’ programmes to deal with the economic  The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
and development consequences of the Covid-19 Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
pandemic. is a multilateral regional organisation established
 The main outcome of the summit was the to accelerate shared growth and cooperation
adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter, between littoral and adjacent countries in the
which formalizes the grouping into an Bay Bengal region.
organization made up of member states that are  It has a total of seven member countries- five
littoral to and dependent upon the Bay of Bengal. from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan,
 The summit saw considerable progress being India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and two from
achieved in the BIMSTEC connectivity agenda Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
with adopting the ‘Master Plan for Transport  It was founded as BIST-EC, in June 1997, with the
Connectivity’ by Leaders, which lays out a adoption of the Bangkok Declaration, with
guidance framework for connectivity-related Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as
activities in the region in the future. members. It became BIMST-EC (Bangladesh,
 The Prime Minister underscored the importance India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
of enhanced BIMSTEC regional connectivity, Economic Cooperation) with the entry of
cooperation, and security, made several Myanmar in late 1997, And eventually, it was
suggestions, and called upon fellow leaders to named in its current form when Nepal and
strive to transform the Bay of Bengal into a Bhutan became members in 2004.
Bridge of Connectivity, Prosperity, and Security THE AIM:
among the BIMSTEC-member countries.  The aim of setting up the regional grouping
 Three BIMSTEC agreements were signed during was not to create a new region for
the summit cooperation but to revive the connectivity
 BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance and common interests of the Bay of Bengal
in Criminal Matters. region members.
 BIMSTEC Memorandum of Understanding on
 According to the official website of BIMSTEC,
Mutual Cooperation in the field of Diplomatic
Training.
“the regional group constitutes a bridge
 Memorandum of Association on Establishment of between South and Southeast Asia and
BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility. represents a reinforcement of relations
among these countries.”
 BIMSTEC is different from other regional organisations’ summit, which was to be held in
groupings such as SAARC or ASEAN because it Islamabad, Pakistan.
is a sector-driven organisation.  The progress of SAARC has stalled over the years
due to Indo-Pak relations and what experts call
Pakistan’s obstructionist approach to the
WHAT IS THE WORKING MECHANISM OF
organisation.
BIMSTEC?
 BIMSTEC emerged as an alternative platform for
 Until the current summit, BIMSTEC did not have a
cooperation.
formal document or organisational architecture,
CHINA’S INFLUENCE IN THE REGION:
which was adopted this time in the form of the
 China’s influence and presence in India’s
BIMSTEC Charter.
neighbourhood have grown enormously on
 It did have a working mechanism for policy-
account of BRI initiatives.
making and operational goals. Policymaking
 Debt burdens have forced India’s neighbours to
would be done through two types of meetings:
hand over assets to China.
Summits, which are supposed to be held every
 India will be hoping that its economic
two years; and ministerial meetings of Foreign
engagement with the Bay of Bengal littoral states
and Commerce Ministers of member countries
will restrict Chinese influence in these countries.
for deciding on trade and economic affairs, to be
REGIONAL COOPERATION:
held once every year. An operational meeting of
 BIMSTEC has gained popularity among South
senior officials to monitor the activities of the
Asian countries as a platform for regional
grouping is also supposed to be held twice a year.
cooperation.
 Since its inception, BIMSTEC’s policymaking
 The organisation is a bridge between South Asia
meetings have not been held as per plan. Just five
and Southeast Asia.
summits, including the current one, have been
held in 25 years.  BIMSTEC’s major strength is that it includes two
influential regional powers: Thailand and India.
 The region has countries with the fastest-growing
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIMSTEC?
economies in the world.
 The BIMSTEC region hosts 22% of the world
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES:
population or 1.68 billion people; the member
states have a combined GDP of US$3.697  India is likely to find that focusing its diplomatic
trillion/per year. energies on BIMSTEC member states could be
rewarding.
 Relationships among BIMSTEC members are
IMPORATNCE OF BIMSTEC FOR INDIA
generally cordial, unlike the strained India-
LOOK EAST POLICY: Pakistan relationship.
 It should be seen in the context of India’s  BIMSTEC is not without its share of problems.
heightened interest and commitment to its “Act India will need to convince other BIMSTEC
East” policy. members that its new outreach to them is not a
 Without a strong outreach to BIMSTEC member “rebound relationship,” a short-term one to
states, India’s attempts at achieving its Act East thumb its nose at Pakistan.
policy goals will lack momentum.  BIMSTEC suffers from a lack of human and
SECURITY: financial resources. India needs to allocate more
 It could also be seen as aligning with India’s resources to its BIMSTEC budget and should take
larger goal to gain trade and security prominence an informal leadership role to provide BIMSTEC
in the Indian Ocean region and to cater to the with momentum.
concept of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ region, a major focus
of Quad countries. STRATEGIC SHIFT FROM SAARC TO BIMSTEC
AN ALTERNATIVE TO SAARC: THE URI ATTACK AND BOYCOTT OF THE SAARC
 The idea of BIMSTEC also gained prominence SUMMIT:
after the 2016 Uri attack when India was able to  In September 2016 India saw a deadly attack on
get SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional the army camp in Uri.
Cooperation) nations on its side to boycott the  After that attack, India expressed its inability to
participate in the Islamabad SAARC summit due
to “prevailing circumstances” and stepped up  At the 18th SAARC summit in Kathmandu in
diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. 2014, initiatives such as the SAARC–Motor
 Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan followed Vehicle Agreement (MVA), could not be
India’s decision to stay away from the November signed.
summit to be held in Islamabad.  The SAARC satellite project that India
 India and other countries cited “cross-border proposed was abandoned following an
terrorist attacks in the region” as a reason for objection from Pakistan in 2016.
boycotting the summit.  19th summit scheduled to be held in Pakistan
in 2016 was suspended for an indefinite
SHIFT FROM SAARC TO BIMSTEC: period, as member countries declined to
 India invited the BIMSTEC leaders to the BRICS participate.
summit at Goa in 2016.  While cross-border terrorism emanating from
 In doing so it sent out the message that if SAARC Pakistan is a major concern for India, Pakistan
wasn’t ready to deliver, India had BIMSTEC to has failed to address these concerns.
turn to. After that, The Indian prime minister
engaged BIMSTEC leaders in bilateral meetings. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA IN BIMSTEC
 Since 2016 there has been no movement forward  BRIDGE BETWEEN SOUTH ASIA AND SOUTH-
on resuming the SAARC summit. EAST ASIA:
 India is regularly attending the BIMSTEC summit o Nearly 1.5 billion people live along its
and it had emerged as an alternative regional coastline.
platform where five SAARC (Bangladesh, Bhutan, o 25% of the world’s traded goods across the
India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) countries could Bay of Bengal every year.
gather and discuss sub-regional cooperation. o 80% of Chinese, 90% of South Korea’s, and
 India chose BIMSTEC over any other regional Japan’s energy imports pass through the Bay
grouping indicative of India’s importance to the of Bengal.
Bay of Bengal region.  MARKET:
 BIMSTEC=SAARC- (Pakistan, Maldives, and o The seven countries (apart from India) have a
Afghanistan) +(Thailand and Myanmar) combined GDP of approximately US$ 2.7
trillion with 5.5% economic growth.
WHY IS INDIA’S STRATEGIC FOCUS SHIFTING  RESOURCES:
FROM SAARC TO BIMSTEC? o The Bay of Bengal is the world’s largest bay, it
Apart from the terror issue, there are many other is also rich in untapped natural resources,
issues which are responsible for India’s strategic shift with some of the world’s largest fishing
from SAARC to BIMSTEC. These are stocks, reserves of gas, and other sea bed
minerals.
FAILURE OF SAARC:
 GEOSTRATEGIC:
 SAARC has come under serious scrutiny in the
o BIMSTEC community gives tacit recognition
last few years.
to India as a major power in Indo-Pacific by
 From its very inception, member countries facilitating India to take a leading position.
treated it with suspicion and mistrust.
 ROLE IN INDO-PACIFIC:
 Even after three decades of its existence, o The Bay of Bengal acts as a funnel to the
SAARC’s performance has been less than Strait of Malacca linking the Indian and
satisfactory, and its role in strengthening Pacific oceans. It is a major maritime choke-
regional cooperation is being questioned. up point for China, Japan, and most East and
 In the 30 years of its history, annual SAARC Southeast Asian states.
summits have been postponed 11 times for  DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL STATES:
political reasons, either bilateral or internal. o One-quarter of its population lives in states
 Numerous agreements and institutional bordering the Bay of Bengal. Their growth
mechanisms established under SAARC have and development are increasingly seen to
not been adequately implemented. hinge on the degree of connectivity with the
PAKISTAN’S NON-COOPERATION: Southeast Asian markets.
 Pakistan’s non-cooperation has stalled some
major initiatives under SAARC.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR INDIA IN doubts about the exclusive potential of
BIMSTEC? BIMSTEC.
 LACK OF HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES:
o BIMSTEC suffers from a lack of human and THE WAY FORWARD
financial resources.  India can’t afford to remain isolated in the light of
o India needs to allocate more resources to its recent forays by China in South Asia that India
BIMSTEC budget and should take an informal exerts as its own sphere of influence. By
leadership role to provide BIMSTEC with facilitating trade and economy through BIMSTEC,
momentum. India can integrate the economies of surrounding
o India is currently the largest contributor to countries. For e.g., India can integrate the BIG-B
the BIMSTEC secretariat budget. initiative of Bangladesh with its own SAGARMALA
 SUPREMACY: project
o India would have to counter the impression  To build this as a sustainable platform, India
that BIMSTEC is an India-dominated bloc; in should also focus on maintaining consistency in
that context, India can follow the Gujral the frequency of the summits to ensure regularity
doctrine that intends to chalk out the effect in decision making;
of transactionary motive in bilateral relations.  It should also fund it more to improve the
 CONNECTIVITY: capacity of the secretariat, both in terms of
o Connectivity is a major issue among BIMSTEC manpower and funding. In the short term, since
nations. India lacks the resources, India should use its
o North-Eastern states are important in clout to derive funds from JICA, World Bank, or
deepening connectivity among BIMSTEC ADB.
nations, but the Siliguri corridor (chicken  Ensuring tangible results/benefits, which will add
neck) provides a very narrow passage for to the motivation of the countries to concentrate
movement and obstructs connectivity. on BIMSTEC
o The underdevelopment of North Eastern  To prevent this platform fall apart like SAARC,
states in terms of infrastructure and India needs to give teeth to it. This can be done
connectivity will also be a major hurdle. by empowering BIMSTEC to be a platform for
 REGIONAL INSTABILITY: dispute resolution among member 24 countries.
o Regional instability in the form of the This will require debates and discussions among
Rohingya crisis and other intra and interstate the BIMSTEC countries to reach a consensus.
issues can hamper the efficient and effective India should also go ahead of its reservations on
functioning of the grouping. certain issues that neighbouring countries opine
 THE LACK OF CRITICAL SUPPORT: as big brotherly nature to improve their
o Strong and clear political commitment, confidence.
adequate financial resources, full
engagement of business and industry, and CONCLUSION:
optimal involvement of civil society has been Recent summit is a good opportunity for India and
the principal constraint in BIMSTEC. other BIMSTEC countries to develop a strong regional
 BCIM: group to promote peace, stability, and trade. For
o The formation of another sub-regional India, it is an important platform to counter China in
initiative, the Bangladesh-China-India- the South Asia region. Apart from it, with the help of
Myanmar (BCIM) Forum, with the proactive BIMSTEC countries, India can develop an effective
membership of China, has created more regional group for trade like ASEAN.
27. Shanghai Cooperation Organization

 Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan,
About: China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were
 SCO is a permanent members of the Shanghai Five.
intergovernmental international organization.  Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series of
 It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military border demarcation and demilitarization talks
organization aiming to maintain peace, security which the four former Soviet republics held with
and stability in the region. China to ensure stability along the borders.
 It was created in 2001.  Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the
 The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and entered organization in 2001, the Shanghai Five was
into force in 2003. renamed the SCO.
 India and Pakistan became members in 2017.
Iran and Belarus could soon become the newest  On 17th September, 2021, it was announced
members of the China and Russia-backed Shanghai that Iran would become a full member of the
Cooperation Organization (SCO). SCO.
 In the Samarkand summit, the leadership will
adopt a document on the obligations Iran must IS IT ABOUT COUNTERING THE WEST?
fulfil to gain membership.  Growing differences with the west: The Council
o The legal procedures of Belarus’s accession on Foreign Relations (CFR) noted in 2015 that
are about to start. decades of rapid economic growth had propelled
 There needs to be consensus on the acceptance China onto the world’s stage
of Belarus,” Chinese diplomat and incumbent o Russia found itself beset with economic
Secretary-General of SCO, Zhang Ming, stated. turmoil following the Crimean annexation in
o According to him, the suggested expansion 2014 and ejection from the G8 grouping.
would exhibit the collective’s rising  No supporters in the west: The organization
international influence and its principles spearheaded by both Russia and China does not
being widely accepted. find its supporters in the West.
 Last year’s summit in Dushanbe agreed for Iran to  Russian action in Ukraine and China’s distance
join, while Belarus has also begun the diplomacy: Most recently, Russia’s action in
membership process. Ukraine caused it to be subjected to sanctions on
 Expanding the group is among the issues that multiple fronts by the West.
leaders of the grouping, including Prime Minister o China’s ‘distance diplomacy’, had held that
of India, Russian President and Chinese President the security of one country should not be at
are likely to discuss at the SCO summit the expense of another country, blaming the
in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September. West (specifically referring to NATO) for the
 India will host the SCO summit next year, and entire episode.
Varanasi has been selected as the SCO region’s  Look to the east by Iran: The Iranian leadership
first “Tourism and Cultural Capital. has often stressed that the country must “look to
the East”.
CONTEXT o This is essential not only to resist its
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): economic isolation (by addressing the
 SCO is a permanent intergovernmental banking and trade problems on account of
international organization. U.S. sanctions) from the West, but also find
 It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military strategic allies that would help it to reach a
organization aiming to maintain peace, security new agreement on the nuclear program.
and stability in the region. o In other words, using its ties with China and
 It was created in 2001. The SCO Charter was Russia as a leverage against the West.
signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003. o Additionally, it would help it strengthen its
involvement in Asia.
GENESIS:  Diplomacy and regional stature for
Belarus: Belarus, which lent its support to Russia
for its actions in Ukraine.
o An association with the SCO bodes well for its well as checking the ever growing influence
diplomacy and regional stature of China in Eurasia.
o Platform for India to simultaneously engage
with its traditional friend Russia as well as its
RELEVANCE TO INDIA: rivals, China and Pakistan.
 India acquired the observer status in the
grouping in 2005 and was admitted as a full
member in 2017. CHALLENGES OF SCO MEMBERSHIP FOR INDIA:
 Discuss differences with other members on the  Pakistan’s inclusion in SCO poses potential
sidelines: SCO hosts have encouraged members difficulties for India.
to use the platform to discuss differences with  India’s ability to assert itself would be limited and
other members on the sidelines it may have to play second fiddle since China and
 Bilateral meeting with Pakistan: It was on such Russia are co-founders of SCO and its dominant
an occasion that the Prime Minister of India held powers.
a bilateral meeting with the former Pakistani  India may also have to either dilute its growing
Prime Minister in 2015 in Ufa. partnership with the West or engage in a delicate
 Negotiation of five point agreement with balancing act – as SCO has traditionally adopted
Chinese counterpart: Foreign Minister of India an anti-Western posture.
negotiated a five-point agreement with his
Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of WAY FORWARD
the Moscow conference in 2020.  Important group for India: India considers the
 Strategic autonomy and multi-alignment: India is SCO as an important regional group to promote
also a part of the ‘Quadrilateral’ grouping with cooperation in various fields based on universally
the U.S, Japan and Australia. recognised international norms, good
o Its association with the grouping of a rather governance, rule of law, openness, transparency
different nature is part of its foreign policy and equality.
that emphasizes on principles of “strategic  Addressing the concerns of members: Need of
autonomy and multi-alignment”. working group to address the concerns of all
 Connectivity and stability across borders: India’s entities, considering the territorial integrity of
membership of SCO can help in achieving each nation involved.
regional integration, promote connectivity and  More measures against terrorism: Despite the
stability across borders. establishment of the SCO’s Regional Anti-
 Fulfilling energy demand: India being an energy Terrorist Structure (RATS), the SCO has not taken
deficient country with increasing demands for visible counterterrorism measures against the
energy, SCO provides it with an opportunity to main threat facing its members.
meet its energy requirements through regional o There is a need for the Summit to play a
diplomacy. central and coordinating role to enforce the
o Talks on the construction of stalled pipelines Council’s sanctions against concerned
like the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- entities.
Pakistan-India) pipeline; IPI (Iran-Pakistan-  Engagement: It provides a platform for India to
India) pipeline can get a much needed push simultaneously engage with its traditional friend
through the SCO. Russia as well as its rivals, China and Pakistan and
 Economic ties: Central Asian countries provide provides India an opportunity to pursue the
India with a market for its IT, “Connect Central Asian Policy”.
telecommunications, banking, finance and  Agreements on connectivity and high-efficiency
pharmaceutical industries. transport corridors: Samarkand summit is
 Geopolitical: Central Asia is a part of India’s expected to have agreements on connectivity
Extended Neighbourhood, SCO provides India an and high-efficiency transport corridors and a
opportunity to pursue the “Connect Central Asian roadmap for local currency settlement among
Policy”. member states.
o Helps India fulfil its aspiration of playing an  SCO’s rising international influence: The
active role in its extended neighbourhood as significant round of expansion by inclusion of Iran
and Belarus shows SCO’s rising international
influence and that the principles of the SCO Question: Critically examine the aims and objectives of
charter are widely accepted. SCO. What importance does it hold for India?
28. Quad Grouping

WHY IN NEWS?
Foreign Ministers of the Quad (India, the U.S.,
Australia, and Japan) met on the fringes of the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to sign
a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
partnership into effect.
 Under the HADR, the member countries will
coordinate their disaster response operations in
the Indo-Pacific region with other National and
International agencies, private non-governmental
organizations. the maritime sphere is wide open to India
to undertake coalition building, rule
setting, and other forms of strategic
WHAT IS QUAD?
exploration.
 It is the grouping of four democracies –India,
EMERGING AS A NET SECURITY PROVIDER:
Australia, the US, and Japan.
 All four nations find a common ground of being  There is a growing great power interest in the
democratic nations and also support the common maritime sphere, especially with the arrival of the
interest of unhindered maritime trade and concept of ‘Indo-Pacific’. For instance, many
security. European countries have recently released their
Indo-Pacific strategies.
 It aims to ensure and support a “free, open and
prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.  With India, located right at the centre of the
Indo-Pacific geopolitical imagination can
 The idea of Quad was first mooted by Japanese
realise the vision of a ‘broader Asia’ that can
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the
extend its influence away from geographical
idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling
boundaries.
out of it, apparently due to Chinese pressure.
 Moreover, India can build around collective
 Finally in 2017, India, Australia, the US and Japan,
action in humanitarian assistance and disaster
came together and formed this “quadrilateral”
relief, monitoring shipping for search and rescue
coalition.
or anti-piracy operations, infrastructure
assistance to climatically vulnerable states,
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA
connectivity initiatives and similar activities.
UNDER QUAD ARRANGEMENT?  Further, India with Quad countries can check
COUNTERING CHINA: imperialist policies of China in Indian ocean
o The maritime space is a lot more important region and ensure Security and growth for all in
to China than engaging in opportunistic land the region.
grab attempts in the Himalayas.
 A huge chunk of Chinese trade happens via WHAT ARE THE ISSUES RELATED TO QUAD?
the Indian oceanic routes that pass  Undefined Vision: Although there is potential for
through maritime chokepoints. cooperation, the Quad remains a mechanism
 In the event of any Chinese aggression on without a defined strategic mission.
borders, India by cooperating with Quad  Maritime Dominated: The entire focus on the
countries can potentially disrupt Chinese Indo-Pacific makes the Quad a maritime, rather
trade. than a land-based grouping, raising questions
 Hence, unlike in the continental sphere whether the cooperation extends to the Asia-
where India seems facing a ‘nutcracker like Pacific and Eurasian regions.
situation’ due to China-Pakistan collusion,
 India’s Aversion of Alliance System: The fact that  India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific;
India is the only member that is averse to a treaty therefore, India should pitch for countries like
alliance system, has slowed down the progress of Indonesia, Singapore to be invited to join in the
building a stronger Quadrilateral engagement. future.
 India should develop a comprehensive vision on
WAY FORWARD the Indo-Pacific which would ideate on the
 The Quad nations need to better explain the current and future maritime
Indo-Pacific Vision in an overarching challenges, consolidate its military and non-
framework with the objective of advancing military tools, engage its strategic partners.
everyone’s economic and security interests.
29. What Is The Significance Of India’s Talks With Nato?

BACKGROUND OF INDIA-NATO ENGAGEMENT:
India held its first political dialogue with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels
on December 12, 2019, with the aim to assess
cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual
interest. The talk was primarily political in Character.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA’S TALKS

WITH NATO?
 NATO’s engagement with Pakistan and
China: India’s talks with NATO hold significance  Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
given that the North Atlantic alliance has been  It was the US’s first peacetime military
engaging both China and Pakistan in bilateral alliance outside the western hemisphere.
dialogue.  There are currently 30 member states.
o NATO opened selective training for Pakistani  NATO’s essential and enduring purpose is to
officers and its military delegation visited safeguard the freedom and security of all its
Pakistan in November 2019 for military staff members by political and military means.
talks. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF NATO?
 Balance in NATO’s perception: Engaging NATO in NATO's fundamental goal is to safeguard the Allies'
a political dialogue would provide India with an freedom and security by political and military means.
opportunity to bring about a balance in NATO’s NATO remains the principal security instrument of
perceptions about the situation in regions and the transatlantic community and expression of its
issues of concern to India. common democratic values
 Common ground: There is a convergence in the
perspectives of both India and NATO on China,
terrorism, and Afghanistan, including Pakistan’s LIMITATIONS OF INDIA-NATO TALK:
role in Afghanistan, sources said.
 Russia’s threat to Euro-Atlantic: From NATO’s
 Maritime security: It is a principal area of perspective, it was not China, but Russia whose
conversation in the future, given a substantial aggressive actions continued to be the main
common ground with NATO.
threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
 China as a challenge and opportunity: Given the
ABOUT NATO divergence among NATO countries, its view
 It is a military alliance established by the North on China was mixed; while it did deliberate on
Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington China’s rise, the conclusion was that China
Treaty) of April 1949, by the United States, presented both a challenge and an opportunity.
Canada, and several Western European  Taliban as a political entity: In
nations to provide collective security against the Afghanistan, NATO saw the Taliban as a political
Soviet Union. entity, which was not in line with India’s
stand. This was almost two years before the international security and could be an important
Taliban announced an interim government in partner in informing the alliance about India’s
Afghanistan in September 2021. own region and beyond.
 Considering proposals from NATO: As far as India
WAY FORWARD: is concerned, it was felt New Delhi may consider
 Continuing engagement with India on a mutually proposals emanating from NATO, if any,
agreed agenda. on bilateral cooperation in areas of interest to
 Geo-strategic position of India: In NATO’s view, India, based on the progress achieved in the
India, given its geo-strategic position and unique initial rounds.
perspectives on various issues, was relevant to
30. 2nd India-Nordic Summit

IN NEWS o Lead IT initiative was a India-Sweden joint
 The Indian Prime Minister participated in the 2nd global initiative to set up a Leadership Group
India-Nordic Summit along with Prime Ministers on Industry Transition (LeadIT) in September
of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit to
Finland at Copenhagen in Denmark. help guide the world’s heaviest greenhouse
o 1st India-Nordic Summit was held in 2018 in gas (GHG) emitting industries towards the
Stockholm. low-carbon economy. Its membership has
now grown to 35 with 16 countries and 19
companies
ABOUT THE SUMMIT
o With Iceland leaders discussed ways to
 Aim: The summit focused on economic
further strengthen economic cooperation,
engagement, green partnership and mobility and
especially in the sectors of geothermal
cooperation in the Arctic region.
energy, blue economy, Arctic, renewable
o The Summit provided an opportunity to
energy, fisheries, food processing, education
review the progress of the India-Nordic
including digital universities, and culture
relations since the 1st India-Nordic Summit.
 Core areas of cooperation:
NORDIC COUNTRIES
o Discussions were held on multilateral
 It is a geographical and cultural region
cooperation in post-pandemic economic
in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic.
recovery, climate change, sustainable
development, innovation, digitalization, and  It includes the sovereign states of Denmark,
green and clean growth. Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; the
o Discussions were also held on cooperation in autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and
the maritime sector with a focus Greenland; and the autonomous region of Aland.
on sustainable ocean management.  The Nordic countries cluster near the top in
o With Finland the discussion focused on to numerous metrics of national performance,
expand cooperation in the fields of new and including education, economic competitiveness,
emerging technologies like AI, quantum civil liberties, quality of life and human
computing, future mobile technologies, clean development.
technologies and smart grids
o With Norway the discussion was to deepen INDIA - NORDIC COUNTRIES RELATION
engagement in areas like blue economy,  Sagarmala project: India invited Nordic
renewable energy, and green hydrogen, solar companies to invest in the Blue Economy sector,
and wind projects, green shipping, fisheries, especially in India’s Sagarmala project.
water management, rainwater harvesting,  Sovereign wealth funds of the Nordic countries
space cooperation, long-term infrastructure were invited to invest in India.
investment, health and culture.  Lead IT initiative: an India-Sweden move to set
o Both Indian and Sweden PMs expressed up a Leadership Group on Industry Transition to
satisfaction at the progress made by the Lead guide the world’s heaviest greenhouse gas
IT initiative. emitting industries.
 Its membership has now grown to 16 countries permanent membership of a reformed and
and 19 companies. expanded United Nation Security Council.
 In the health sector: Both sides discussed  India agreed to work together to fight and
cooperation relating to joint research in address climate change and to protect the
vaccines and the development of health natural environment.
infrastructure. o They reiterated their commitment to
 Water bodies: The two leaders also talked about ambitious cooperation on renewable energy,
the cooperation in building and restoring water energy diversification, smart grids and
bodies in India. energy efficiency.
 The blue economy can deliver
MAJOR CHALLENGES economic growth, new jobs,
 The conflict in Ukraine has become a improved nutrition and increased
major security concern for the Nordic states, with food security.
Sweden and Finland expected to join the North  A strong partnership between
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). India and Nordic countries can help
 India has so far refrained from publicly criticising promote innovation, economic growth, climate
the Russian invasion of Ukraine though it has friendly solutions and mutually beneficial trade
consistently called for respecting the sovereignty and investments.
and territorial integrity of all states.  India's trade with Nordic countries stands at over
USD 5 billion (2020-21) and a cumulative FDI of
over USD 3 billion.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RELATIONS
 Both sides are looking forward to reform the UN,
 India’s Arctic Policy provides a good framework
including the Security Council, and the World
for expansion of India-Nordic cooperation in the
Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as
Arctic region.
strengthening collaboration on global health
 United Nation Security Council: The Nordic
issues such as pandemic preparedness.
countries reiterated their support for India’s
31. Time to Reform UNSC

The process of decolonisation, in which the United WHAT IS THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY
Nation and its Security Council played an important COUNCIL?
role, radically changed the geopolitical landscape of  The United Nations Security Council was
the world. In the past quarter century, the global established by the UN Charter in 1945.
order has seen massive changes, from American o It is one of the 6 principal organs of the
unilateralism to the rise of multilateral United Nations.
institutions and multipolarity.  UNSC has 15 members: 5 permanent members
Developing nations, including India, now play a larger (P5) and 10 non-permanent members elected
role in both the internatio nal economy and for 2-year terms.
politics. But these changes are not reflected in the o The 5 permanent members are: United
UNSC, where all critical decisions are still being taken States, Russian Federation, France, China
by the veto-wielding permanent members of the and the United Kingdom.
Security Council.
 India has been a non permanent member of the
In his address to the 77th Session of the United Council during 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-
Nations General Assembly, the Indian External 78, l984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12 and for
Affairs Minister highlighted the anachrony and the 8th time, has entered the UNSC in 2021 and
ineffectiveness in the current architecture of the
will stay on the council for the term 2021-22.
UNSC.
Hence, it is essential to go beyond P5's
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR AMENDING UNSC
prerogatives and look for a more democratic and
representative security council. MEMBERSHIP?
 Changing the membership of the UNSC requires
amending the UN Charter.
o This involves consent of two-thirds of the o This means that any state's sovereignty can
total membership of the U.N, including the be encroached upon if necessary by taking
concurring votes of P-5. action, such as imposing sanctions.
 This means that each of the P5 has a
veto. WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD?
 The Charter was amended once in the 1960s to  Welcoming Voices Across the Globe: It is
enlarge the Council by additional non-permanent perceived as deeply unfair, denying entire
seats. continents (Africa) and regions a voice in a forum
that deliberates their future.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES RELATED TO UNSC? o To decentralise UNSC governing power and
 Lack of Adequate Representation: It was argued authority over nations, it is essential that all
by several speakers that the UN Security Council regions are represented equally in the UNSC.
is less effective because it is less o With this transformation, nations of all
representative, the most pertinent absence being regions will have the opportunity to raise
that of Africa, a continent of 54 countries. concerns affecting peace and democracy in
o Current global issues are complex, and their countries.
interconnected. Lack of representation o Also, introducing decentralisation to UNSC
of geopolitical and geo-economically decision-making will make it
important countries is leaving out a large more representative, participatory, and
segment of global opinion to have a voice in democratic.
the highest security summit.  Global Consonance for Global Governance:
o Furthermore, It is matter of concern that UNSC should realise there are more pressing
globally important countries such as India, issues to be tackled at the global level than
Germany, Brazil, and South Africa are not merely preserving the prerogatives of P5 nations.
represented on the UNSC permanent o There needs to be urgent correction of the
members list. power imbalance between the P5 and the
 Misuse of Veto Power: Veto power has been rest of the world.
always criticised by many experts as well as by o It is necessary for the UNSC to be more
most States calling it a ”self-chosen club of the democratic and more legitimate to
privileged” and non-democratic and not allowing govern, ensuring the universal respect
the Council to make necessary of international peace, security, and order.
decisions whenever it displeases any one of the  Re-energizing Intergovernmental Negotiation
P-5. (IGN): Serious negotiations on such critical
o It is also not appropriate for the matters should proceed sincerely. They must not
current global security environment to be be blocked by procedural tactics.
guided by elite decision-making structures. o The IGN process, which is the principal
 Geopolitical Rivalry within P5: The geopolitical framework through which UNSC reform is
rivalry among the permanent members discussed and debated, needs to be revised
has prevented the UNSC from coming up with and re-energised.
effective mechanisms to deal with global issues. o Recommendation of the President of
o Taking the current world order as an the 76th UN General Assembly to
example, the P5 members: United States, gradually move the IGN process towards text
Russia, and China are three poles on the based negotiations is a welcoming step.
periphery of the globe having several  Towards Reformed Multilateralism: Calling
geopolitical issues revolving around them for reformed multilateralism with reforms of the
(Taiwan Issue and Russia-Ukraine War). Security Council at its core enjoys considerable
 Threat to State’s Sovereignty: As the principal support among UN members.
organ of international peacekeeping and conflict o In order to protect faith in the principles of
resolution, the UNSC is responsible for keeping the United Nations, in its charter, and in
peace and managing conflict. Its decisions reformed multilateralism as a key to
(referred to as resolutions) are binding on all achieving global goals, the core issues in
member countries, unlike the General UNSC must be critically examined and
Assembly's. addressed with global cooperation.
 India From the Lens of UNSC Reforms: India’s responsibilities at the highest security
candidature for permanent seat in UNSC is cooperation forum.
legitimate and justified as it fulfils all the  As the same time, it also seeks to ensure
objective criteria for the permanent membership. that the injustice faced by the Global
o India has initiated the International Solar South is decisively addressed. India
Alliance in 2015 to reduce the exploitation of is willing and able to contribute on both
fossil fuels and encourage the use of solar counts.
energy and has been a frontrunner in Vaccine
Diplomacy. Question: Addressing the contemporary world
o With one among the largest individual realities requires comprehensive reform of the
contributors to the UN Peacekeeping United Nations Security Council. Comment.
Force, India is prepared to take up greater
32. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

WHAT IS RCEP?  India had a long-time vision with RCEP
 RCEP, or Regional Comprehensive Economic considering access to all the member nations'
Partnership, is an economic consensus of ASEAN markets as India has been vastly concentrating on
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) its Make in India initiative. Because a large
countries along with six other countries. This portion of the world's population lives in South
agreement was signed to increase economic East Asia, the RCEP has the potential to provide a
cooperation in the region with the support of all massive market for Indian products.
the members. India was a member of the RCEP  RCEP can nurture India’s relations with the
until 2019 when it resigned due to unfavourable southeast Asian countries that India has been
circumstances. trying to target with its Act East Policy.
 RCEP allows its member countries to enter into  Relations established with the ASEAN countries
free trade agreements in order to improve and the other members of RCEP will not only be
regional cooperation in economic activities, trade based on economic ties but also enhance
services, technical collaborations, dispute cooperation in various other fields such as
resolution, and other related issues. technology, energy, security, defence,
 RCEP aims to lower tariffs, open up trade in agriculture, and cultural ties as well.
services and promote investment to help  India has also been visionary about its ambitious
emerging economies catch up with the rest of the initiative, Micro, Small, and Enterprise (MSME)
world. It also touches on intellectual property, regarding the RCEP agreement. The RCEP accord
but will not cover environmental protection and would have been a great plus for this initiative as
labour rights. bigger markets would have been accessible for
the small trades in India.
RCEP COUNTRIES
 The member states of RCEP can be identified RELATION BETWEEN RCEP AND BUSINESSES
as 10 ASEAN countries, which are: The relationship between RCEP and businesses can
 Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, be driven out based on the following factors:
Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand,  The fact that the population of the RCEP
Singapore and Vietnam. member countries is around 3.4 billion, or
 It also includes 5 more countries other than roughly 40% of the world's population, explains
ASEAN, namely: how large a consumer market this region
 China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and provides.
New Zealand.  The total GDP of the member countries of RCEP
accounts for 49.5 trillion dollars and is expected
to grow to over 100 trillion dollars by the end of
BENEFITS OF RCEP FOR INDIA
2050.
India had been a member of RCEP, citing the various
benefits, such as-
 The withdrawal of the USA from the Trans-  India, being a large supplier of manpower and a
Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2017 has leading service provider, does not want an
encouraged nations like China that do not agree agreement to be signed regarding good trade
with the economic policies of the USA to focus only. The trade agreement for only goods but no
more on this agreement. services and investment business will not
 RCEP holds the potential to boost the economic enhance but only damage the Indian economic
scenario for multiple fields of businesses, such policy.
as trade in goods and services; insurance; clean
energy; food processing; education; agriculture; WHY DID INDIA WITHDRAW FROM THE RCEP?
security; technology; manufacturing; etc. The following are the three main reasons for India’s
withdrawal from RCEP. -
CONCERNS OF INDIA WITH RCEP  The free trade agreement with the member
The concerns that India had with RCEP have been countries might force them to dump cheap and
mentioned below. low-quality products from countries like China,
 India wanted the products to contain the original Thailand, South Korea, Japan, etc. This will result
‘Country of Origin’ tag so as to protect the in the occupation of the Indian market by foreign
market from the low quality and cheap Chinese products while the Indian products will be out of
products, which usually acquire the market due the market.
to their low cost.  It will increase the number of imports and
 India had an issue with providing free access exports simultaneously, resulting in a decrement
under the free trade agreement to countries like in the forex reserves in India.
China and South Korea. India actually has a trade  India’s concern about its country of origin has not
deficit with most of the countries in RCEP and been seriously entertained by the RCEP
does not want to provide a trade monopoly to a
few exporting giants.
33. Human Development Report 2021-22

WHY IN NEWS? What is the Human Development Index?
According to the Human Development Report 2021-22,  HDI is a composite index that measures average
India’s rank on the Human Development Index (HDI) has achievement in human development taking into
slipped from 130 in 2020 to 132 in 2022, in line with a account four indicators:
global fall in HDI scores in the wake of the Covid-
 Life expectancy at birth (Sustainable
19 pandemic.
Development Goal 3),
 Expected years of schooling (Sustainable
WHAT IS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT?
Development Goal 4.3),
About:
 Mean years of schooling (Sustainable
 Human Development Reports (HDRs) have been
Development Goal 4.4),
released since 1990 and have explored different
 Gross national income (GNI) (Sustainable
themes through the human development
Development Goal 8.5).
approach.
 It's published by the Human Development Report
Office for the United Nations Development WHAT ARE THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT?
Programme (UNDP). Human Development Index:
 Goal: The goal is to contribute toward the o Drop in Life Expectancy: A large contributor
expansion of opportunities, choice and freedom. to the Human Development Index’s recent
 Theme: The theme for Human Development decline is a global drop in life expectancy,
Report 2021-22 is Uncertain Times, Unsettled down from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71.4 years in
Lives: Shaping our Future in a World in 2021.
Transformation.
 The last two years have had a devastating Gender Inequality Index:
impact on billions of people worldwide o GII presents a composite measure of gender
when crises like Covid-19 and the war in inequality using three dimensions:
Ukraine hit back to back and interacted  Reproductive health,
with sweeping social and economic shifts  Empowerment and
and dangerous planetary changes.  The labour market.
Top Performers: o In GII, India is at the 122nd rank.
o European states were among the best overall Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):
performers, with as many as 8 in the top 10 o MPI captures the multiple deprivations that
of the list. people in developing countries face in their
o These are Switzerland (1, 0.962), Norway (2, health, education and standard of living.
0.961), Iceland (3, 0.959), Denmark (6, 0.948), o As of 2019, India had more than 381 million
Sweden (7, 0.947), Ireland (8, 0.945), who were suffering from multi-dimensional
Germany (9, 0.942) and Netherlands (10, poverty.
0.941). Planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development
Asian Region: Index:
o At 73 and with an index value of 0.782, Sri o It adjusts the HDI for planetary pressures in
Lanka emerged as the best performer in the the Anthropocene to reflect a concern for
Indian sub-continent. The island nation was intergenerational inequality, similar to the
followed by China (79 and 0.768), Bhutan Inequality-adjusted HDI adjustment — which
(127 and 0.666), Bangladesh (129 and 0.661), is motivated by a concern for
India, Nepal (143 and 0.602) and Pakistan intragenerational inequality.
(161 and 0.544). o The PHDI value can be interpreted as
Indian Perspective: the level of human development adjusted by
o Human Development Index: India’s HDI value carbon dioxide emissions per
stood at 0.633 in 2021, which was lower than person (production-based) and material
the world average of 0.732. In 2020, too, footprint per person to account for excessive
India recorded a decline in its HDI value human pressure on the planet.
(0.642) in comparison to the pre-Covid level Other insights:
of 2019 (0.645). o Humans are not prepared for climate
o Life expectancy: In 2021, India’s life change: It stated that humans were
expectancy at birth was recorded at 67.2 unprepared for a world with climate crises
years. like fires and storms and other planetary-
o Schooling: Expected years of schooling at level changes brought about due to the
11.9 years, mean years of schooling at 6.7 Anthropocene in recent years.
years, o Population Decline of Insects: Without an
o Gross National Income: The gross national abundance of insect pollinators, humans face
income per capita stood at USD 6,590. the mind-boggling challenge of growing food
o Gender Inequality Index: India has been and other agricultural products at scale.
ranked 122 on the Gender Inequality Index.  As insects are important because of
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index: their diversity, ecological role and
o The IHDI indicates a percentage loss in HDI influence on agriculture, human health and
due to inequality. natural resources.
o For India, the IHDI value for 2019 is 0.537  They create the biological foundation for
(16.8% overall loss). all terrestrial ecosystems, further,
Gender Development Index: they cycle nutrients, pollinate plants,
o GDI measures disparities in the HDI by disperse seeds, maintain soil structure and
gender. fertility, control populations of other
o For India, the GDI value for 2021 is 0.490. organisms and provide a major food source
 The key HDI metric where women seem for other taxa.
to lag behind men the most is the income o Microplastic menace: Plastics are now
per capita. everywhere, in country-sized garbage
patches in the ocean, in protected forests
and distant mountaintops and in people’s Question: Despite Consistent experience of high
lungs and blood. growth, India still goes with the lowest indicators of
human development. Examine the issues that make
balanced and inclusive development elusive
34. World Happiness Report:

CONTEXT:  Nepal (84), Bangladesh (94), Pakistan (121) and
India may be one of the fastest growing economies of Sri Lanka (127) managed to get better ranks in
the world, but it is among the least happy countries. the list.
 Ahead of the UN International Day of Happiness,  The Happiness report also stated that India was
observed on March 20, the World Happiness one among the countries that witnessed, over
Report 2022 ranked India 136th — tenth from the past 10 years, a fall in life evaluations by
the bottom of the list. more than a full point on the 0 to 10 scale.
THE WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT: SIGNIFICANCE:

 The World Happiness Report is a publication of  Over the years, happiness has become a key
the Sustainable Development Solutions Network metric to track for not just countries but
powered by the Gallup World Poll data. corporates as well.
 The report, which is in its tenth year, uses global  The goal behind the report is to identify key
survey data to report on how people evaluate determinants of well-being.
their own lives, besides economic and social  This information is expected to help countries to
parameters. craft policies aimed at achieving happier
 The rankings are based on average data of a societies.
three-year period of 2019-2021.
 World Happiness Report evaluates levels of INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN LAW,
happiness by taking into account factors such as GOVERNANCE AND HAPPINESS: WHY DO THESE
GDP, social support, personal freedom, and levels CONNECTIONS MATTER?
of corruption in each nation.  Happiness has come to be accepted as a goal of
public policy. And this discourse has given a fillip
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT: to a new narrative where the interconnections
 Finland topped the list for the fifth time in a row, between law, governance and happiness are
according to the 10th edition of the World being searched.
Happiness Report.  Experiences from several nations confirm that
 Finland was followed by Denmark, Iceland, the countries with higher GDP and higher per
Switzerland, and the Netherlands. capita income are not necessarily the happiest
 Among other western countries, while the United countries and there exists a link between the
States managed to bag the 16th position, Britain state of happiness and rule of law.
was ranked 17th and France 20th.
 India continued to fare poorly in the world The WHRs, over the years, confirmed that people
happiness index, with its position marginally tend to have:
improving to 136 as against last year’s 139.  Poor mental health.
 Among the South Asian nations, only Taliban-  A low score of subjective well-being.
ruled Afghanistan fared worse than India.
 Poor perception about the governance and law
 Afghanistan was named the most unhappy and order, despite high income levels.
country in the world, ranking last on the index of
146 countries.
35. World Press Freedom Index

WHAT IS THE NEWS?  Legal framework: Indian law is protective in theory
India’s ranking in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index has but charges of defamation, sedition, contempt of
fallen to 150 out of 180 countries. court and endangering national security are
increasingly used against journalists critical of the
government.
WHAT IS THE WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX?
 Economic Context: The media outlets largely depend
Note: RSF is an international NGO whose self-proclaimed on advertising contracts with governments. At the
aim is to defend and promote media freedom. It is national level, the central government has exploited
headquartered in Paris, France. It has consultative status
media to impose its own narrative and is now
with the United Nations. spending more than ₹130 billion (5 billion euros) a
year on ads in print and online media alone.
WHAT DOES THE INDEX SAY ABOUT INDIA UNDER  Socio-cultural indicators: The enormous diversity of
VARIOUS INDICATORS? Indian society is barely reflected in the mainstream
 Political Context: Originally a product of the anti- media. For the most part, only Hindu men from upper
colonial movement, the Indian press used to be seen castes hold senior positions in journalism or are media
as fairly progressive, but things changed radically in executives — a bias that is reflected in media content.
the mid-2010s when Narendra Modi became prime
minister and engineered a spectacular rapprochement
between BJP and the big families dominating the
media.
36. Global Hunger Index 2022

WHY IN NEWS?
Barring the war-torn Afghanistan, India has WHAT IS THE PERFORMANCE OF COUNTRIES ON
performed worse than all the countries in the South GHI 2022?
Asian region in the Global Hunger Index 2022. It has  Global Progress: Globally, the progress against
ranked 107 out of 121 countries. hunger has largely stagnated in recent years, with
India ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the Global a global score of 18.2 in 2022 as compared to
Hunger Index (GHI) 2021. 19.1 in 2014, there is only a slight improvement.
However, the 2022 GHI score is still
WHAT IS THE GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX? considered “moderate”.
 The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool for o The plausible causes for the stagnation in this
comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger progress are overlapping crises such as
at global, regional, and national levels. conflicts among countries, climate change,
 GHI scores are based on the values of four the economic fallout of the Covid-19
component indicators: pandemic as well as the Russia-Ukraine war,
o Undernourishment which has increased global food, fuel, and
o Child stunting fertiliser prices and is expected to “worsen
o Child wasting hunger in 2023 and beyond”.
o Child mortality o As per the index, there are 44 countries that
 The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale currently have “serious” or “alarming”
reflecting the severity of hunger - zero is the best hunger levels and “without a major shift,
score (implies no hunger) and 100 is the worst. neither the world as a whole nor
 The GHI is prepared by European NGOs approximately 46 countries are projected to
of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. achieve even low hunger as measured by the
 The GHI is an annual report and each set of GHI GHI by 2030.
scores uses data from a 5-year period. The 2022  Top and Worst Performers:
GHI scores are calculated using data from 2017 o Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China
through 2021. and Croatia are the top five countries in GHI
2022.
o Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, the UNICEF, the World Food Programme and
Madagascar, Central African Republic and the World Health Organization.
Yemen are the countries ranked at the  Global Nutrition Report, 2021:
bottom of the index. o It was conceived following the first Nutrition
 India and Neighbouring Countries: Among the for Growth Initiative Summit (N4G) in 2013.
South Asian countries, India (107) is ranked  National Family Health Survey (NFHS):
below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), o It comprises detailed information on key
and Pakistan (99). domains of population, health and family
o India has a score of 29.1 which places it welfare - fertility, family planning, infant and
under ‘serious’ category. child mortality, maternal and child health,
o Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South nutrition and anaemia, morbidity and
Asia that performs worse than India on the healthcare, women’s empowerment etc.
index.
o China, with a score of less than 5, has topped WHAT ARE INDIA’S INITIATIVES TO ERADICATE
the chart, topped the chart, together with 16 HUNGER/MALNUTRITION?
other countries.  Eat Right India Movement: An outreach activity
 India’s Performance in the Four Indicators: organised by the Food Safety and Standards
o Child Wasting: India’s child wasting rate (low Authority of India (FSSAI) for citizens to nudge
weight for height), at 19.3%, is worse than them towards eating right.
the levels recorded in 2014 (15.1%) and even  POSHAN Abhiyan: Launched by the Ministry of
2000 (17.15%). Women and Child Development in 2018, it
 It is the highest for any country in the targets to reduce stunting, undernutrition,
world and drives up the region’s average anaemia (among young children, women and
owing to India’s large population. adolescent girls).
o Undernourishment: Prevalence of
 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
undernourishment has also risen in the
Yojana: A centrally sponsored scheme executed
country from 14.6% in 2018-2020 to 16.3% in
by the Ministry of Women and Child
2019-2021. Development, is a maternity benefit
 It implies that 224.3 million people in programme being implemented in all districts of
India (out of 828 million globally) are the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.
considered undernourished.
 Food Fortification: Food Fortification or Food
 The indicator measures the proportion of
Enrichment is the addition of key vitamins and
the population facing chronic deficiency
minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D
of dietary energy intake.
to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to
o Child Stunting and Mortality: India has
improve their nutritional content.
shown improvement in child stunting and
 National Food Security Act, 2013: It legally
child mortality.
entitled up to 75% of the rural population and
 Child stunting (low height for age) has
50% of the urban population to receive
declined from 38.7% to 35.5% between
subsidised food grains under the Targeted Public
2014 and 2022.
Distribution System.
 Child mortality (mortality rate under the
 Mission Indradhanush: It targets children under
age of five) has dropped from 4.6% to
2 years of age and pregnant women for
3.3% in the same comparative period.
immunisation against 12 Vaccine-Preventable
Diseases (VPD).
WHAT OTHER SIMILAR INDICES/REPORTS ARE
 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
THERE? Scheme: It offers a package of six
 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the services (Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school
World: non-formal education, Nutrition & health
o Presented by the Food and Agriculture education, Immunisation, Health check-up and
Organization, the International Fund for Referral services) to children in the age group of
Agricultural Development, 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating
mothers.
37. India’s Trade with the USA

WHY IN NEWS? WHAT FACTORS MADE THE US LARGEST TRADING
Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has PARTNER?
released the data, which showed that the US has  India is emerging as a trusted trading partner and
surpassed China becoming India's top trading partner global firms are reducing their dependence on
in 2021-22. China for their supplies and are diversifying
 Major export items from India to the US business into other countries like India.
include petroleum, polished diamonds,  India has joined a US-led initiative to set up
pharmaceutical products, jewellery, frozen an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and
shrimp, whereas major imports from the US this move would help boost economic ties
include petroleum, rough diamonds, liquified further.
natural gas, gold, coal, waste and scrap, almonds  The US has consistently been India’s largest
and so on. market for services exports, but the recent
 The data showed that China was India’s top overseas sales of merchandise goods to that
trading partner from 2013-14 till 2017-18 and country overtook China, making it the largest
also in 2020-21. bilateral trading nation of India.
o Before China, the UAE was the country’s o India’s total merchandise exports touched a
largest trading partner. record USD 418 billion in 2021-22, exceeding
the Center’s target by about 5% and clocking
WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS? a 40% growth over the previous year.
 Bilateral Trade with the US:
o Bilateral trade between the US and India HOW HAVE BEEN INDIA’S RELATIONS WITH
stood at USD 119.42 billion (2021-2022) as THE US LATELY?
against USD 80.51 billion in 2020-21.  India-US bilateral partnership today encompasses
o Exports to the US increased to USD 76.11 a whole host of issues including the response
billion in 2021-22 from USD 51.62 billion in to Covid-19, economic recovery post-pandemic,
the previous fiscal year, while imports rose to the climate crisis and sustainable development,
USD 43.31 billion as compared to about USD critical and emerging technologies, supply chain
29 billion in 2020-21. resilience, education, the diaspora, and defence
o America is one of the few countries with and security.
which India has a trade surplus.  The breadth and depth of Indo-US ties
 In 2021-22, India had a trade surplus of remain unmatched and the drivers of this
USD 32.8 billion with the US. partnership have been growing at an
 Bilateral trade with China during the Same unprecedented rate.
Period: o The relationship remains unique insofar as
o During 2021-22, India’s two-way commerce this is driven at both levels: at the strategic
with China aggregated at USD 115.42 elite as well as at the people-to-people level.
billion as compared to USD 86.4 billion in  Although India and the US have quite
2020-21. contradictory responses towards the Russia-
o Exports to China marginally increased to USD Ukraine crisis.
21.25 billion last FY 2021-22 from USD 21.18  India and the US have underscored their
billion in 2020-21. commitment to continue to build on the
o On the other hand, imports from China momentum of recent years and not lose sight of
jumped to USD 94.16 billion from about USD the larger strategic picture.
65.21 billion in 2020-21.
o The trade gap (Import - Export) rose to USD
WHAT ARE THE ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES OF
72.91 billion in 2021-22 from USD 44 billion
INDIA-US TIES?
in the previous fiscal year.
 Tariff Imposition: In 2018, the US imposed a 25%
tariff on certain steel products and a 10% tariff on
certain aluminum products from India.
o India retaliated in June 2019, by increasing  US’ policy in Afghanistan:
tariffs on 28 products worth about USD 1.2 o India is also concerned over the US’ policy in
billion on US imports. Afghanistan as it is jeopardizing India’s
 However, after the imposition of the security and interest in the region.
Section 232 tariffs, steel exports to the
US declined by 46% year-on-year. WAY FORWARD
 Misunderstanding Self-Reliance as  The unparalleled Demographic Dividend provides
Protectionism: The Atmanirbhar Bharat enormous opportunities for the US and Indian
Campaign has exacerbated the view that India is firms for technology transfer, manufacturing,
increasingly becoming a protectionist closed trade and investment.
market economy.  India is emerging as a leading player in an
 Exemption from US’ Generalised System of international system that is undergoing an
Preferences: Effective since June 2019, the USA unprecedented transformation. It shall use its
decided to withdraw duty-free benefits to Indian present situation to explore opportunities to
exporters under the GSP programme. further its vital interests.
o Consequently, special duty treatment on USD  India and the US are strategic partners today in
5.6 billion worth of exports to the US was the true sense of the term - a partnership among
removed, affecting India's export-oriented mature major powers that is not seeking a
sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, complete convergence but managing differences
agricultural products and automotive parts. by ensuring a continuous dialogue and
 US Hostility towards Other Countries: channelling these differences into crafting new
o Some of the differences between India and opportunities.
the US are not direct consequences of India-  Russia’s increased alignment with China as a
US relationship but due to US’ hostility result of the Ukraine crisis only complicates
towards third countries like Iran and Russia – India’s ability to rely on Russia as it balances
the traditional allies of India. China. Hence, continuing cooperation in other
o The other issues that are challenging India-US security areas is in both countries’ interests.
relationship include India’ ties with Iran and  Space governance will become central to the US-
India’s purchase of S-400 from Russia. India bilateral relationship, driven by mutual
o The US' call for India to distance itself from concern about the increasing space capabilities of
Russia may have a far-reaching consequence the Chinese Army.
to South Asia’s status quo.
38. India-Nepal Relations

WHY IN NEWS? because of the geographic, historical, cultural and
Recently, the Indian Prime Minister visited Lumbini, economic linkages/ties that span centuries.
Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha, where he laid a  India and Nepal share similar ties in terms
foundation stone along with the Nepalese Prime
Minister for a Buddhist Vihara, being built with Indian
assistance.
 The Prime Minister of Nepal also made his first
bilateral visit abroad to India since taking his
oath in July 2021. The visit was a success in
terms of launching connectivity projects and
signing Memorandums of Understanding
(MoUs).
HOW HAVE THE HISTORICAL TIES BEEN?

 Nepal is an important neighbour of India and
occupies a special significance in its foreign policy
of Hinduism and Buddhism with Buddha’s
birthplace Lumbini located in present day Nepal.
 The two countries not only share an open border Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT):
and unhindered movement of people, but they o A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
also have close bonds through marriages and was signed between the Government of
familial ties, popularly known as Roti-Beti ka Nepal and Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam
Rishta. (SJVN) Limited for the project in 2008 for
 The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of execution on a Build Own Operate and
1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations Transfer (BOOT) basis for a period of 30 years
that exist between India and Nepal. including five years of the construction
period.
WHAT IS THE TREATY OF PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage:
OF 1950? o During the visit of the Prime Minister of India, he
 The treaty talks about the reciprocal treatment of performed the 'shilanyas' ceremony to launch the
Indian and Nepali citizens in the two countries, in construction of the India International Centre
residence, property, business and movement. for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini
 It also establishes national treatment for both Monastic Zone.
Indian and Nepalese businesses (i.e., once o The centre will be a world-class facility
imported, foreign goods would be treated no welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the
differently than domestic goods). world to enjoy the essence of spiritual aspects of
 It also gives Nepal access to weaponry from India. Buddhism.
o The facility is aimed at catering to scholars and
Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world who
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NEPAL FOR
visit Lumbini.
INDIA?
Hydropower Projects:
 Nepal shares border with 5 Indian states-
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, o The two leaders signed five agreements,
Sikkim and Bihar. Hence an important point of including one between the Satluj Jal Vidyut
cultural and economic exchange. Nigam (SJVN) Ltd and the Nepal Electricity
Authority (NEA) for the development and
 The importance for India can be studied from two
implementation of the 490.2 megawatts Arun-4
different angles:
hydropower project.
o Their strategic importance for India’s
o Nepal also invited Indian companies to invest in
national security.
the West Seti hydropower project in Nepal.
o Their place in India’s role perception in
international politics. Setting up a Satellite Campus:
 Nepal is right in the middle of India’s ‘Himalayan o India has offered to set up a satellite campus of
frontiers’, and along with Bhutan, it acts as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in
a northern ‘borderland’ flanks and acts as buffer Rupandehi and has sent some draft memoranda
states against any possible aggression from of understanding for signing between Indian and
China. Nepali universities.
 Rivers originating in Nepal feed the perennial Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project:
river systems of India in terms of ecology and o Nepal discussed some pending projects like the
hydropower potential. Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, an important
 Many Hindu and Buddhist religious sites are in arm of the Mahakali Treaty signed between
Nepal making it an important pilgrim site for a Nepal and India in 1996, and the West Seti
large number of Indians. Hydropower Project, a reservoir-type project
with a projected capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
WHAT ARE THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS? Cross-border Rail Link:
Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project: o The operationalisation of the 35 kilometre cross-
o In 2019, the cabinet also approved ₹1236 border rail link from Jayanagar (Bihar) to Kurtha
crore investments for Arun-3 hydro project. (Nepal) will be further extended to Bijalpura and
 The Arun-3 Hydro Electric project (900 Bardibas.
MW) is a run-of-river located on Arun Double Circuit Transmission Line:
River in Eastern Nepal. o Another project includes a 90 km long 132 kV
double circuit transmission line connecting Tila
(Solukhumbu) to Mirchaiya (Siraha) close to the Persons Group (EPG) has not helped in
Indian border. securing a better image in Nepal.
Multilateral Projects:  China’s Intervention:
o Additionally, agreements providing technical o In recent years, Nepal has drifted away from
cooperation in the railway sector, Nepal’s India's influence, and China has gradually
induction into the International Solar filled the space with investments, aid and
Alliance, and between Indian Oil Corporation and loans.
Nepal Oil Corporation on ensuring regular o China considers Nepal a key partner in its Belt
supplies of petroleum products were also signed. and Road Initiative (BRI), and wants to invest
in Nepal's infrastructure as part of its grand
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? plans to boost global trade.
o Rising Nepal and China cooperation
 Territorial Disputes: One of the main challenges
can undermine Nepal’s distinction of a buffer
in the Indo-Nepal ties is the Kalapani boundary
state between India and China.
issue. These boundaries had been fixed in 1816
o China on the other hand wants to avoid the
by the British, and India inherited the areas over
formation of any Anti-China stance by the
which the British had exercised territorial control
Tibetans living in Nepal.
in 1947.
o While 98% of the India-Nepal boundary was  Internal Security: It is a major concern for India
demarcated, two areas, Susta and Kalapani as the Indo-Nepal border is virtually open and
remained in limbo. lightly policed which is exploited by terrorist
o In 2019, Nepal released a new political outfits and insurgent groups from North Eastern
map claiming Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and part of India eg. supply of trained cadres, fake
Lipulekh of Uttarakhand and the area of Indian currency.
Susta (West Champaran district, Bihar) as  Trust & Ethenic Differences: Overtime trust
part of Nepal’s territory. deficit has widened between India-Nepal because
 Issues with Peace and Friendship Treaty: The of the Indian reputation for delaying
1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship was sought implementation of various projects.
by the Nepali authorities in 1949 to continue the o There is anti-India feeling among certain
special links they had with British India and to ethnic groups in Nepal which emanates from
provide them an open border and the right to the perception that India indulges too much
work in India. in Nepal and tinkers with their political
o But today, it is viewed as a sign of an unequal sovereignty.
relationship, and an Indian imposition.
o The idea of revising and updating it has found WHAT CAN BE THE WAY FORWARD?
mention in Joint Statements since the mid-  Dialogues for Territorial Disputes: The need
1990s but in a sporadic and desultory today is to avoid rhetoric on territorial
manner. nationalism and lay the groundwork for quiet
 The Demonetisation Irritant: In November 2016, dialogue where both sides display sensitivity as
India withdrew Rs 15.44 trillion of high value (Rs they explore what is feasible. India needs to be a
1,000 and Rs 500) currency notes. Today, over Rs sensitive and generous partner for
15.3 trillion has been returned in the form of the neighbourhood first policy to take root.
fresh currency. o The dispute shall be negotiated
o Yet, many Nepali nationals who were legally diplomatically under the aegis
entitled to hold Rs 25,000 of Indian currency of International law on Trans-boundary
(given that the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Water Disputes.
Indian rupee) were left high and dry. o In this case, boundary dispute resolution
o The Nepal Rashtra Bank (Central Bank of between India and Bangladesh should serve
Nepal) holds Rs 7 crore and estimates of as a model for this.
public holdings are Rs 500 crore.  Sensitising Towards Nepal: India should engage
o India’s refusal to accept demonetised bills more proactively with Nepal in terms of people
with the Nepal Rastra Bank and the unknown to people engagement, bureaucratic engagement
fate of the report submitted by the Eminent as well as political interactions.
o It should maintain the policy of keeping away new power plants, many of which would
from the internal affairs of Nepal, meanwhile, cause pollution.
in the spirit of friendship, India should guide  Investments from India: The Bilateral Investment
the nation towards more inclusive rhetoric. Promotion and Protection Agreement
 Strengthening Economic Ties: The power trade (BIPPA) signed between India and Nepal needs
agreement needs to be such that India can build more attention from Nepal's side.
trust in Nepal. Despite more renewable energy o The private sector in Nepal, especially the
projects (solar) coming up in India, hydropower is cartels in the garb of trade associations, are
the only source that can manage peak demand in fighting tooth and nail against foreign
India. investments.
o For India, buying power from Nepal would o It is important that Nepal conveys this
mean managing peak demand and also message that it welcomes Indian
saving the billions of dollars of investments investments.
which would have to be invested in building
39. India-Israel Bilateral Relations

BASICS AND BACKGROUND Israel-Jordan Peace Agreement. These peace
 Although India had recognised the Jewish State of negotiations helped India form close ties with
Israel way back in 1950, it established full Israel.
diplomatic relations only in 1992.  Other events that led to the improvement of
 Since then there has been an upswing in the bilateral ties include the collapse of the Soviet
relations between the two countries in view of Union in 1991 and the liberalisation of the Indian
the common concerns about religious extremism economy.
and global terrorism.  Once these barriers were removed, the bilateral
 Israel and India have developed close ties have exponentially improved at a rapid pace,
“cooperation” in intelligence sharing and becoming a strategic asset for both nations.
“counter-insurgency” operations.
 India has become a major buyer of Israeli FACTORS THAT HELD BACK INDIA –ISRAEL TIES
armaments. FOR THE FIRST FORTY YEARS AFTER
 There is considerable potential for Indo-Israeli INDEPENDENCE
cooperation in the field of science and  Legacy of freedom struggle and Mahatma Gandhi
technology, particularly in areas such as dryland who opposed the creation of a Jewish state.
farming.  A fear of alienating its large Muslim population
 Israelis, particularly the youth, were attracted by  Cold War politics
the Indian culture and history, leading to the  A desire to counter Pakistan’s influence in the
initiation of liaison. The Israelis visited India, Muslim world
resulting in the budding of the people-to-people  A need to garner Arab support for its position
ties. This formed a significant base for the over the Kashmir issue compelled New Delhi to
establishment of the formal diplomatic pursue an exclusively pro-Arab and thus pro-
relationship in 1992. Palestinian foreign policy for more than forty
 Since 1992, many of these impediments ceased years.
to exist. Egypt made peace with Israel in
1979, breaking a huge anti-Israeli mind-set SHIFT IN INDIA’S ISRAEL POLICY
among the Indians.  This re-evaluation has been based on a
 Another significant breakthrough in this regard is realization that India’s largely pro-Arab stance in
the Madrid Conference that was held in 1991. the Middle East has not been adequately
This conference aimed to revive the Israeli- reciprocated and rewarded by the Arab world.
Palestine peace process through negotiations  India has received no worthwhile backing from
involving the Arab nations and Israel. Arab countries in the resolution of problems it
 Other similar developments include the 1993 faces in its neighbourhood, especially Kashmir.
Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Accord and the 1994
 There have been no serious attempts by the Arab  1948: UN partition plan given with Jerusalem
world to put pressure on Pakistan to reign in the under international control
cross border insurgency in Kashmir.  Oslo Accord, 1991: Provided the foundation for
 On the contrary, Arab nations have firmly stood political boundaries as it stands today.
by Pakistan, using the Organization of Islamic  The Madrid Conference of 1991 was a peace
Cooperation (OIC) to build support for Islamabad conference co-sponsored by the US and the
and jihadi groups in Kashmir. Soviet Union to revive the Israeli–Palestinian
 If Arab nations, such as Jordan, have been able to peace process through negotiations.
keep their traditional ties with Palestine intact  UNSC Resolution 1397: Agreed in 2000 with
while building a new relationship with Israel, support from USA and becoming first UNSC
there is no reason for India not to take a similar resolution to agree on two state solution.
route, which might give it more room for
diplomatic manoeuvring in the region. POLITICAL COOPERATION
 Additionally, the 1991 Madrid Peace Process  Since the up-gradation of relations in
prompted India to conclude that if the Arab 1992, defence and agriculture have become the
world and the Palestinian Liberation Organization two main pillars of the bilateral engagement.
(PLO) were now willing to negotiate with Israel,  The political ties have become especially cordial
New Delhi had no reason to maintain the status under the Modi Government.
quo.  In 2017, Prime Minister Modi became the first-
 They face common challenges such as the ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.
terrorism that both India and Israel face comes  During this visit, the diplomatic relationship was
not only from disaffected groups within their upgraded to a strategic level and seven
territories; it is also aided and abetted by agreements/MoUs were signed in the areas of
neighbouring states, increasingly capable of R&D, innovation, water, agriculture and space.
transferring weapons of mass destruction to  In 2018, the Israeli Prime Minister visited India,
terrorist organizations. during which Government to Government (G2G)
agreement on cybersecurity, oil and gas
DE-HYPHENATION OF RELATION cooperation, film cooperation and air transport
 De-hyphenation means delink two entities and were signed, along with five other semi-
consider them as individuals. government agreements.
 Now India’s relationship with Israel would stand  An increase in the high-level exchanges in recent
on its own merits, independent and separate times has expanded cooperation in areas like
from India’s relationship with the Palestinians. trade, agriculture, science and technology and
 This has bolstered the scope for security.
addressing India’s national interests effectively
and diversified access to new markets and ECONOMIC COOPERATION
technologies.  The bilateral merchandise trade stood at $5.02
 The hyphenation was a compulsion during the billion (excluding defence) in 2016-17.
Cold War era, but it continued to underpin India’s  While exports from India were $3.06 billion, the
approach even in the subsequent period, import to India from Israel was $1.96 billion.
probably out of the fear of antagonising the Arab.  The diamond trade constitutes more than 53% of
 However, due to disturbances among the Arab the bilateral trade.
states they were left incapable of pursuing a  India is Israel’s third-largest trading partner in
strong foreign policy that made it easier for India Asia after China and Hong Kong.
to pursue its relations with Israel.
 In recent years, bilateral trade has diversified to
include several sectors like pharmaceuticals,
TWO- STATE SOLUTION OF ISRAEL PALESTINE agriculture, IT and telecom and homeland
ISSUE security.
 It envisages an independent State of Palestine  Major exports from India to Israel include
alongside the State of Israel west of Jordan river. precious stones and metals, chemical products,
 1937: Proposed on basis of Peel Commission textiles and textile articles, etc.
report but rejected by Arabs.
INVESTMENT  There are regular exchanges between the armed
 The major investments from Israel in India forces.
include renewable energy, telecom, real estate,  As part of the regular goodwill visits of Indian
water technologies etc., and are also setting up ships, three Indian naval ships from the Western
R&D centres or production units in India. Fleet made a port call in Haifa in May 2017.
 The extent of Israel’s investment in India is not  INS Tarangini, a naval training ship, made a port
available as most of these are routed via third call in Haifa in September 2018.
countries such as Singapore, USA.  There is cooperation on security issues, including
 Also, India’s investments in Israel are mostly a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
in drip-irrigation, pharmaceuticals, wastewater  In February 2014, India and Israel signed three
treatment, IT etc. important agreements on Mutual Legal
 Israel’s flexible export policy meets Indian Assistance in Criminal Matters, Cooperation in
demands for technological transfer that have Homeland Security, and Protection of Classified
recently been an important part of governments Material.
overall developmental agenda.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
AGRICULTURE  Under a Science and Technology Cooperation
 Under a comprehensive Work Plan for Agreement in 1993, Science and Technology
cooperation in agriculture signed on 10 May institutions undertook joint research.
2006, bilateral projects are implemented  Specific areas of cooperation include IT,
through MASHAV (Center for International biotechnology, lasers and electro-optics.
Cooperation of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign  In 2005, India and Israel signed an MoU to set
Affairs) and CINADCO (Centre for International up i4RD fund to encourage bilateral investment
Agricultural Development Cooperation of Israel’s into industrial research and development and
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). specific projects.
 Agricultural cooperation between the two sides is  Under the agreement, at least one Indian and
formalized through 3-year Work plans wherein 3- one Israeli company must be collaborating on a
year Action plans are developed. project for it to be qualified for the fund.
 The two sides signed the fourth phase of the joint  In 2012, both nations signed a five-year $50
action plan (2018-20) in July 2017. million academic research agreement for
 Out of 29 Centres of Excellence expected to be promoting collaborative research in various
fully active by 2020 in twelve Indian states (Bihar, disciplines, including medical technology, IT,
Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, social and welfare sciences, humanities and arts.
Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh,  Israel has also offered to assist with India’s Clean
Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal), 25 Ganga Mission by providing its expertise in water
have been commissioned. management to address water scarcity.
 India has benefited from Israeli expertise and
technologies in horticulture mechanization, INDIAN DIASPORA
protected cultivation, orchard and canopy  There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian-
management, nursery management, micro- origin in Israel (with at least one Indian parent),
irrigation and post-harvest who are all Israeli passport holders.
management particularly in Haryana and  The main waves of immigration into Israel from
Maharashtra.
India took place in the fifties and sixties. The
 Israeli drip irrigation technologies and majority is from Maharashtra (Bene Israelis) and
products are now widely used in India. relatively smaller numbers from Kerala (Cochini
 Some Israeli companies and experts are Jews) and Kolkata (Baghdadi Jews).
providing expertise to manage and improve dairy  In recent years some Indian Jews from North
farming in India through their expertise in high Eastern states of India (Bnei Menashe) have been
milk yield. immigrating to Israel.
 While the older generation still maintains an
DEFENCE AND SECURITY Indian lifestyle and their cultural links with India,
 India imports critical defence technologies from
Israel.
the younger generation is increasingly there are serious tensions among India and
assimilated into Israeli society. Pakistan.
 Differences in terms of technology transfer–
INDIA’S STAND ON ISRAEL PALESTINE ISSUE There exist differences between India and Israel
 India, for a very long time, had called for the 2- over issues related to technology transfer, end-
state solution that supports the establishment of user agreements and a proposed free trade
a sovereign independent state of Palestine. agreement, more so given India’s policy of ‘Make
 However, India’s stand on Israel-Palestine conflict in India’.
has not hindered the growing diplomatic  The free trade agreement (FTA) is stuck because
relationship with India and Israel. of the concerns from the Indian domestic
 Yet, the recent close ties with Israel have diluted industry.
India’s stance on the issue.
 In 2014, India favoured a UN resolution that CHALLENGES
established a Commission of Inquiry to  It is difficult to delink Israel and Palestine in
investigate a violation of an international India’s foreign policy, making it a significant
humanitarian and human rights law in consideration while strategizing the diplomatic
the “Occupied Territories” during Operation relationship with Israel and other nations in the
Protective Edge conducted by Israel in the Gaza Middle East.
strip.  India’s ties with Iran are challenged in the current
 However, the Indian Government did not pass a situation due to its close ties with Israel and the
resolution in the parliament condemning the US, making it choose between these nations.
Israeli action, contrary to the earlier practices.  Israel’s politics dominated by its antagonistic
 At the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), attitude towards the Palestinians is also making it
India abstained on the resolution that welcomed difficult for India to enhance the diplomatic
the report of the same Commission of Inquiry, relationship.
making it the first time India had refused to vote  Israel’s discrimination towards minorities,
against Israel at the UN. especially the Jewish minorities from India is
 However, the Indian government clarified that hindering the diplomatic ties.
this does not mean that there is a change in  The inflexible stance by the current government
India’s traditional support for the separate state in Israel and the US makes it highly difficult for
of Palestine. India to maneuver and balance its ties with Iran
 Nevertheless, from the growing strategic ties, it is and other nations that are against Israel.
evident that India is distancing itself from
advocating for the Palestinian cause. WAY FORWARD
 Taking steps to balance the differences between
DIFFERENCES India and Israel is often difficult and complicated.
 Difference in terms of Iran– Where on one hand  Flexibility in favour of India’s national
Israel considers Iran an existential threat, India, interest must be made the top priority of the
on the other, has a historical relationship, and Indian government while dealing with Israel.
finds the cooperation useful for energy supplies,  India has so far been successful in balancing its
and an alternative route through Chabahar port interests in the Middle East, both bilaterally and
to Afghanistan and Central Asia. multilaterally, without taking sides with neither
 Different approach towards Arab world– While of the conflicting nations in the region.
Israel has inherent differences with Arab  Maintaining apolitical ties with the Sunni-
countries, India has significant stakes there and dominated and Shia-dominated Arab countries
India’s recent vote at the UN against America’s and Israel is a step in the right direction.
move on Jerusalem was a reflection of that  Development along with transfer of defence
underlying reality. technology will help India.
 Stand on China– China is Israel’s largest trading  India can leverage its space technologies to Israel
partner in Asia, there are strong technology and for its developmental purposes where India
investment linkages. enjoys upper hand.
 In terms of Pakistan, Israel’s interest lies in  An integrated approach involving government to
keeping open the possibility of relations, while government, government to business and
business to business interactions between cyber system that is robust, resilient and has
Indians and Israeli agencies. strong defence capabilities.
 India could adopt the three-layered Israeli  Both need to cooperate to combat growing
strategy that goes beyond security to build a radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyber
space
40. The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Report

WHY IN NEWS? o After the Commission's final draft, six
After multiple objections and extensions, the J&K additional Assembly seats are earmarked for
Delimitation Commission submitted its final report Jammu (revised to 43) and one for
recently, two years after it was appointed to redraw Kashmir (revised to 47). The total number of
the electoral boundaries in Jammu and Kashmir as Assembly seats in the UT will increase
per the mandate set by the Jammu & Kashmir from 83 to 90.
Reorganisation Act, 2019.  Nominate at least two Kashmiri Pandits:
o The Commission has recommended the
WHAT IS THE J&K DELIMITATION COMMISSION? Centre to nominate at least two Kashmiri
Pandits to the Legislative Assembly.
 The last time a delimitation exercise was carried
out in Jammu and Kashmir was in 1995, based on  Nine seats for the Scheduled Tribes (STs):
the 1981 Census. o The panel has proposed nine seats for the
Scheduled Tribes (STs). These will include six
 Jammu and Kashmir was under President’s rule at
in Jammu (Budhal, Gulabgarh, Surankote,
that time. There was no Census in 1991 in J&K
Rajouri, Mendhar, Thanamandi) and three in
due to the tense situation in the valley.
the valley (Gurez, Kangan, Kokernag). Seven
 In 2001, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
seats have been reserved for the Scheduled
passed a law to put the delimitation process on
Castes (SCs) in the Jammu region.
hold till 2026.
 Representation to displaced persons from POK:
 The Centre set up a Delimitation Commission in
o The Commission has also recommended that
March 2020, six months after the State of Jammu
the government consider giving displaced
and Kashmir was bifurcated and reorganised as
persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and
the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and
Kashmir representation in the Assembly
Ladakh.
through nomination.
 The Commission, headed by retired Supreme
 Jammu & Kashmir region as one single Union
Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was tasked
Territory:
with delimiting the Assembly and Lok Sabha
o In its final order, the Commission has noted
constituencies in the UT of J&K based on the
that it has considered the “Jammu & Kashmir
2011 Census and in accordance with the
region as one single Union Territory”, and
provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir
merged Rajouri and Poonch (from Jammu
Reorganisation Act, 2019 and the Delimitation
division) with the Anantnag constituency in
Act, 2002.
the Kashmir region. The new constituency
 The panel was given a year to complete the
has been renamed as Kishtwar-Rajouri.
delimitation plan but was given two extensions.
 Renamed 13 constituencies considering public
 After considering submissions and considering
sentiment:
factors like “geographical features,
o The Commission has said it renamed 13
communication means, public convenience and
constituencies considering public sentiment
contiguity of areas”, the Delimitation Commission
in the region. The order shows that in
released its final report recently.
Kashmir, the names of Gulmarg (from
Tangmarg), Hazratbal, Zadibal, Lal Chowk,
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE FINAL REPORT Eidgah have been restored. In the Jammu
 J&K is split into two divisions: region, the name of the Gulabgarh
o J&K is split into two divisions, with Jammu constituency has been restored.
having 37 Assembly seats and Kashmir 46.  Added seven more Assembly seats:
o The Commission has added seven more CONCLUSION
Assembly seats, keeping the 2011 census as The final order of the Delimitation Commission for
the basis. With this, Jammu with a population Jammu and Kashmir holds a lot of political
of 53 lakh (43% of the total population of 122 significance. The completion of the delimitation
crore) will have 47% seats, while Kashmir exercise will pave the way for Assembly elections - a
which has a population of 68 lakh (56%) will crucial step in the possible restoration of statehood
have 52% of the seats. for Jammu and Kashmir.
41. James Webb telescope : The most powerful space telescope
CONTEXT
Much of the universe
remains unknown. The
James Webb telescope will
hopefully provide a
powerful window to help
resolve some of the
cosmos’s many mysteries.
WHAT IS JAMES WEBB

SPACE TELESCOPE
(JWST)?
 It is a space
telescope being
jointly developed by
NASA, the European
Space Agency (ESA),
and the Canadian
Space Agency (CSA).
 It has taken 30 years
and $10bn to
develop, and is being described as one of the phase of cosmic history: from the Big Bang to the
grand scientific endeavours of the 21st Century. formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the
evolution of our own Solar System.
WHERE IT IS PLACED?
 The James Webb Space Telescope will not be in SPECIAL FEATURES OF JWST
orbit around the Earth, like the Hubble Space  Time machine in space: Powerful space
Telescope is – it will actually orbit the Sun, 1.5 telescopes, like JWST or the Hubble Telescope,
million kilometres (1 million miles) away from the are often called time machines because of their
Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point ability to view very faraway objects. The light
or L2. coming from those objects, stars or galaxies,
which is captured by these telescopes, began its
MISSION journey millions of years earlier. Essentially, what
It will be “a giant leap forward in quest to understand these telescopes see are images of these stars or
the Universe and our origins”, as it will examine every galaxies as they were millions of years ago. The
more distant the planet or star, the farther back  James Webb telescope will be picking out
in time are the telescopes able to see. groupings of these stars.
 Farthest from Earth: James Webb telescope will  Its significance
also be positioned much deeper into space,  It is widely expected to unveil many secrets of
about a million miles from Earth, at a spot known the universe, particularly those related to the
as L2. It is one of the five points, known as Formation of stars and galaxies in the early
Lagrange’s points, in any revolving two-body period the first few hundred million years after
system like Earth and Sun, where the the Big Bang.
gravitational forces of the two large bodies cancel  Some have called James Webb telescope the
each other out. “telescope that ate astronomy”.
 Engineering marvel: JWST has one large mirror,  It is said to look back in time to the Dark Ages of
with a diameter of 21 feet (the height of a typical the universe.
two-storey building), that will capture the infra-
red light coming in from the deep universe while CONCLUSION
facing away from the Sun.  The universe is vast and most of it is unknown.
We hope that the James Webb telescope, over its
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS TELESCOPE? lifetime would provide us with a powerful
 The telescope will be able to see just about window to help resolve some of the many
anything in the sky. mysteries of the cosmos and make it a little bit
 However, it has one overriding objective – to see more comprehensible.
the light coming from the very first stars to shine
in the Universe. Question: What is James Webb telescope
 These pioneer stars are thought to have switched experiment? Do you think it shades light on dark
on about 100-200 million years after the Big
matter? Explain
Bang, or a little over 13.5 billion years ago.
42. Web 3.0: The New-Age Internet

Web 3.0 is the third iteration of the internet based on Blockchain Technology. The goal of Web 3.0 is to create an intelligent,
autonomous,
connected, and open
internet. As we move towards
Web 3.0, one major trend is
expected to be
decentralisation. In essence, it
is a concept that transfers
power from a single person or
body to the masses.
India has been one of the early

proponents of Web 3.0
technology. According to
the Cryptotech Industry in India
2021 report by NASSCOM and WazirX, India is home security may arise. Therefore, it is vital to examine
to more than 230 Web 3.0 start-ups already. Web 3.0 closely for its future viability and
sustainability.
With the advancement of internet technology with
Web 3.0, there is a significant probability WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WEB?
of technology becoming weaponized, cyber threats  Web 1.0: It is considered the first phase, where
becoming more prevalent, and challenges to national most of the web accessible to people was “Read-
only”, allowing users to simply read content and would be able to better understand the buying
not really interact with it. needs.
o This included content like news sites, portals o They will show those products and services to
and search engines. buyers that they are interested in buying.
 Web 2.0: With Web 2.0, the major new aspect Also, buyers will see more useful and
that came into play is interaction. The trend relatable advertisements.
of 'liking' something on social media,  Independent Monetization: In centralised
'commenting' on videos, and sharing interesting content management, user-generated content
content became increasingly popular. typically belongs to the platform it is published
o This also became a phase where ads started but Web 3.0 can empower creators by giving
popping on pages, again based on these data them a better opportunity to monetize.
bits, and monetisation of content started o About 2 million professional content
growing. creators in India can benefit from this.
 Web 3.0: Web 3.0 represents a new phase in the
internet’s evolution i.e., a visually dynamic, WHAT ARE THE CONS OF WEB 3.0?
semantic and spatial Web with concept of  Rise in Cyber Crimes: According to some
decentralisation, openness, and greater user experts, regulating Web 3 would be difficult. They
utility. further claim that decentralisation can bring new
o It combines a bouquet of disruptive types of cyber-crime in the picture. It might lead
technologies such as blockchain, Augmented to an increase in cyber-crime and online abuse,
Reality, Virtual Reality, Cloud, among other things.
Edge, IoT, cryptocurrency and runs on an AI- o Cryptocurrency-based crime remains a
based analytics layer for data-driven insights. significant issue to address, especially given
that rising overall transaction volumes mean
the value of illicit transactions is increasing.
WHAT ARE THE PROS OF WEB 3.0?  Lack of Grievance Redressal Mechanism: Due to
its decentralised nature, it raises a question
 Open and Transparent Network: Web 3.0 is the about whom to approach in case of grievances
open network, all applications and programs are and who is accountable for data breach.
developed using open-source software.  Lack of Censorship Mechanism: Web 3.0 remains
o Essentially the code for development, which silent on censorship. It might give birth to
is a virtual resource, is public for the obscene and provocative things.
community and the development process is o Also, removal of obscene or defamatory
also kept transparent. information, photos or videos will be
 Seamless Ecosystem: The centralised control challenging for national and international
over data by platform companies moves into the authorities.
hands of the individuals with Web 3.0,  Scalability Concern: Scalability of Web 3.0
using smart protocols on blockchain that remains a major concern, since it is based
eliminate the need for third parties. on blockchain technology. Due to blockchain
o Therefore, pushing a trustless, permissionless technology's append-only data storage
and seamless ecosystem. mechanism, it cannot be modified, and since
 Direct Relationship Between Sellers And demand is increasing, storage capacity is limited.
Customers: Web 3 technology can also eliminate  Regulatory Vacuum: The Web3 industries are still
middlemen, allowing sellers and customers to navigating the regulatory space in India which is
interact directly. not cemented as of yet. Additionally, many
o Non-fungible tokens are already enabling countries have not yet embraced space and
much of this, largely in static digital art, but defined clear protocols for its use.
the arrangement could easily be replicated in
music, films, and other mediums. WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD?
 Personalised Experience: It has the potential  Opportunity for India: India has used technology
to blur the lines between the physical and digital in shaping its domestic socio-economic
world. For instance, in the case of e- development. This technology has brought in
commerce using AI-powered Web 3.0, sellers
greater inclusion and impactful societal propellant of global economic growth, prompt
outcomes. actions need to be taken by nations and
o For instance, through Aadhaar, Jan industrial bodies to have open, ethical, and
Dhan, UPI, CoWin for vaccination, India has interoperable systems with solid standards.
built low-cost, high-impact tech-for-better-  Decentralised Science (DeSc): Web 3.0's
life innovation. decentralised nature can be utilised in the fields
o In line, India can also leverage this early of science and research to eliminate barriers of
development stage of Web 3.0 by leading patenting and utilising the available resources for
and playing the role of a catalyst. global good.
 Web 3.0 can accelerate the value of India's o For instance, blockchain technology was used
digital economy. With such opportunities, to store and classify vast amounts of data
there is a need to encourage and relating to the virus’s DNA genome
incentivise the startup ecosystem sequencing.
to position India well on the Web 3.0 Map.
 Revitalising E-Citizens and E-Governance: Web
3.0 can be utilised for better user experience of
Question: Discuss how India can leverage the
digital government services as well as better-
potential of Web 3.0 for its domestic socio-
quality data for more evidence-based
economic development.
policymaking.
o From the government’s perspective, cross-
ministerial services can be built more quickly
through blockchain technology.
 Focus on Interoperable and Ethical Standards: As
all technologies evolve, the evolution of the
internet is inevitable, to make Web 3.0 a strong
43. Regulation Of Cryptocurrency And The Importance Of Blockchain
CONTEXT:  Cryptocurrency doesn’t have any physical form.

 The Indian government was planning to  Its supply is not determined by a central bank and
introduce a Bill, the Cryptocurrency and the network is completely decentralized, with all
Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, transactions performed by the users of the
2021 during the recently concluded Winter system.
Session of the Parliament to classify
cryptocurrencies as financial assets while US Dollar ($) or Indian currency (₹)
protecting the interests of small investors.  It also has no intrinsic value.
The Bill also proposes to lay the groundwork  It is a legal tender, which implies it is backed by a
for the creation of the official digital currency central bank or the government. Thus, banks
to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India cannot refuse to accept it.
(RBI) and regulated under the RBI Act.  The currency does have a physical form
 Note: The Bill has not been introduced in the  Its supply is determined by the central bank on
Winter Session. the basis of inflation or contractionary or
expansionist fiscal policies.
CRYPTOCURRENCY V/S NORMAL CURRENCY
Cryptocurrency
 Like the US dollar, cryptocurrency has no intrinsic
value. Therefore, it is not redeemable for another
commodity such as gold.
 Cryptocurrency is not backed by any central bank.
WHY DO CRYPTOCURRENCIES NEED TO BE can address concerns or reclaim their
REGULATED? investments in case they lose them.
PREVENT MARKET MANIPULATION AND PROTECT  MONEY LAUNDERING
INVESTORS: o Any unregulated system has the ability to
o Market manipulation and price volatility are fund criminal acts. As a result, a client due
common in cryptocurrencies. Take, for diligence process akin to that of a bank is
example, Bitcoin, the world’s oldest and most required.
popular cryptocurrency, which rose to all- o For long, it was theoretical that cryptos could
time highs since the beginning of 2021, be used for money laundering and for terror
before plummeting and losing a huge amount financing. Recently, it turned out that the
of its value. Enforcement Directorate of India had
o So, the lack of authorised information on identified that using cryptos, Rs 4,000 crores
these digital assets and the technological has been laundered out of India in the last
complexities associated with them makes it one year.
imperative to put regulations in place for o This can help in keeping track of investors’
safeguarding investors. real identities and verifying their locations
when they are buying or selling
 PROVIDING MARKET INFORMATION
cryptocurrencies. Any infringement of such
o Thousands of cryptocurrencies exist around
norms should be met with severe sanctions.
the world. Most investors, however, are only
familiar with a few of those, such as Bitcoin,  TAX ON THE TRANSACTIONS
Ether, Ripple, and Dogecoin among others. o Nearly 10 crore Indians already have
They hardly have any knowledge about the investments exceeding a total of $10 million
thousands of other virtual assets. in them.
o So, to protect customers, a regulatory o This not only creates an avenue for the
authority clearing cryptocurrency is required, generation of tax revenue for the nation but
which can disclose all information about the also puts forth a Herculean challenge for the
performance of the digital assets, their risks, tax authorities who must track and tax
and potential. transactions involving cryptocurrencies.
 UNDERSTANDING RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH
TECHNOLOGY IF BITCOIN IS LEGALISED IN INDIA, THE
o Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. FOLLOWING WOULD HAPPEN:
This carries a significant danger, as such  It would fall under the purview of RBI’s 1934 Act.
changes have the potential to render  Its investors would be taxed.
technology, including blockchain, outdated in  RBI would issue guidelines regarding investment
the future. and purchase of Bitcoin.
o Given the rapid rate of technological change,  If any foreign payment is made through Bitcoins,
information infrastructure and professional it would fall under the purview of the FEMA Act.
financial advisors skilled in cryptocurrency  Returns from investment in Bitcoin would be
are required. That way, investors can taxed.
understand the technological risks of
cryptocurrencies and make informed HOW THE CRYPTOCURRENCIES ARE BEING
decisions. REGULATED AROUND THE WORLD?
 ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY  United States: The US has regulations under the
o Investing in cryptocurrencies comes with central and state governments (similar to India),
another risk — online fraud. Hacking is a which means that rules differ from state to state.
major threat worldwide, and cyber-attacks The overall sentiment, however, is positive.
have become common. One cyber-attack
 China: China has been the harshest towards
could result in losses for investors who have cryptocurrencies, moving from initially
put their savings in cryptocurrencies. welcoming crypto mining to completely banning
o Through regulations, the authorities can it as of June 2021.
implement measures to help cryptocurrency
 United Kingdom: The UK does not have specific
investors protect their assets. Also, investors
legislation on cryptocurrencies and the sector is
currently governed by the Financial Conduct
Authority (FCA), which grants licenses for crypto using this option can exercise this privilege only
businesses and exchanges. once.
 El Salvador: The South American country became 2) To trace black money: Provided people become
the first to officially declare Bitcoin legal tender. completely cashless and shift to digital
transactions. That is the biggest challenge since
this operates on a digital network. Most
THE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AND ITS USE IN
blockchains are entirely open-source software.
CRYPTOCURRENCY
This means that anyone and everyone can view
1) The blockchain is the technology underlying
its code. This gives auditors the ability to review
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. In the
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for security.
blockchain, the data is stored in the cloud
3) Improve the efficiency of the approval process
network. In the case of Bitcoin, the decentralized
in the social benefits scheme: If personal health
public ledger takes the place of cloud storage
record is stored on a cloud network and secured
that keeps a record of all transactions that take
with blockchain, every single addition of data by
place across the peer-to-peer network.
a medical practitioner will be recorded and
2) This technology allows participants to transfer
connected to earlier blocks of data. Tracing the
assets across the Internet without the need for a
sequence of earlier treatments and medical tests
broker or an intermediary (central third party).
will reduce the duplication of the same tests and
3) Blockchain technology uses public-key
treatment. This will make the process of approval
cryptography to secure transactions. Public-key
of health insurance policies faster and more
cryptography employs two keys: a public key and
efficient.
a private key. An individual party to the crypto
4) This is what Estonia has done and can be used in
transaction will have a public key and a private
the Indian context to improve the efficiency of
key. The public key is widely distributed across
medical insurance schemes faster. Additionally,
the network, while the private key is a secret key
since the data is stored in the cloud, some person
for the individual.
can sell it for clinical trials or experiments or
4) Using a private key, a digital signature can be
research to a pharma company within a few
created so that anyone with the corresponding
seconds, since the digital data can be transferred
public key can verify that the message was
in a few mouse clicks.
created by the owner of the private key and was
5) Reduces chances of fraud: Since all the data is
not modified since (See the diagram: Digital
stored in the cloud and encrypted and can be
Signature).
transferred across platforms, it will help to
5) Using this a transaction record is created. One
reduce frauds since this can be checked
transaction record is called one block. When
immediately. For e.g., if all the banks and
other transactions happen in the future, those
insurance companies collaborate the data of
transactions are recorded once again in a block
blacklisted people on a common blockchain
and connected to the earlier block in a chain
platform that they can check, chances are rare
network. This chain of transactions from the
that the person under suspicion will be able to
source of origin to the end is called the
commit the same once again. Since every single
blockchain. Thus, you can backtrace the source
payment will be recorded on the blockchain
money by travelling back in the chain.
network and transparent to authorized people on
6) Given the latest block, it is possible to access all
the blockchain network, it will reduce the
previous blocks linked together in the chain, so a
chances of scams.
blockchain database retains the complete history
6) To reduce the burden of pending cases on
of all assets and instructions executed since the
courts: If all the land records are digitized and
very first one – making its data verifiable and
stored on the blockchain, each and every
independently auditable.
transaction can be back-traced with complete
details including the identity of the person, time
ADVANTAGES OF BLOCKCHAIN IN THE INDIAN and place when the land title was transferred etc.
CONTEXT This will help to immediately trace out frauds.
1) Online voting: With a unique digital identity to 7) Protection of Aadhaar data by creating a
identify the voter and a private key, online voting Dynamic registry (a distributed database that
can be facilitated. Since blockchain doesn’t allow updates as assets are exchanged on the digital
reversing the data once entered, every voter platform: Since the blockchain stores all the
records including, when the transaction has the RBI, perhaps making it a more acceptable fiat
happened, who stored the data, who added value than crypto, while being well within the ambit of
to it, it can be used to trace when and from regulation.
where my Aadhar data was accessed by whom.  Cryptocurrency opens great opportunities for the
This will help to trace the source of leakage if any economy. It poses an intriguing ‘regulator’s
fraud has happened by using Aadhar data. dilemma’ – striking a balance between
technological progress ushering financial
THE WAY FORWARD: innovation while remaining as sovereign
 Banning cryptocurrency is not a viable solution, authority. The central bank can investigate what
so it must be regulated. Banning will lead to constitutes crypto and technologies like
underground activities and people will continue blockchain to assess its role in the value chain
illegal trading of these currencies. instead of banning it altogether.
 The decision for banning/regulation should be  A comprehensive crypto currency Bill is the need
based on consensus and it should not be taken in of the hour.
a hurry.
 India can learn from other countries how to CONCLUSION
regulate such currencies and how to tax them India is considered an inspiration when it’s comes to
(for example, Israel). frugal innovation. Combing the advantage of a highly
 Digital currencies have the potential to solve skilled workforce in IT Sector, Artificial intelligence
many issues, India needs to use it utility. and encrypted data stored on the blockchain, India
 Accepting cryptocurrency allows scope for can be a scale up the efficiency of the delivery of its
effective regulation. RBI has already expressed various schemes and the pace of delivery of justice.
interest in blockchain technology and is even The need of the hour is to develop an architecture or
planning to introduce its own Digital Rupee, an institution that can implement this at the
much like the Digital Yuan. This entry into the e- grassroots level.
money market could well be a balancing act by
44. Caste based Census

WHY IN NEWS? o The Socio-Economic and Caste Census
Recently, Bihar government has announced that it (SECC) was conducted in 2011 for the first
will undertake a socio-economic survey of all castes time since 1931.
and communities (SECC). o SECC is meant to canvass every Indian family,
both in rural and urban India, and ask about
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CENSUS their:
AND SECC?  Economic status, so as to allow Central and
 Census: State authorities to come up with a range
o The origin of the Census in India goes back to of indicators of deprivation, permutations,
the colonial exercise of 1881. and combinations of which could be used
o Census has evolved and been used by the by each authority to define a poor or
government, policymakers, academics, and deprived person.
others to capture the Indian population,  It is also meant to ask every person their
access resources, map social specific caste name to allow the
government to re-evaluate which caste
change, delimitation exercise, etc.
o However, as early as the 1940s, W.W.M. groups were economically worse off and
Yeatts, Census Commissioner for India for the which were better off.
1941 Census, had pointed out that “the o SECC has the potential to allow for a mapping
census is a large, immensely powerful, but of inequalities at a broader level.
blunt instrument unsuited for specialized
inquiry.” DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CENSUS & SECC:
 SECC:
 The Census provides a portrait of the Indian
population, while the SECC is a tool to identify CONS:
beneficiaries of state support.  Repercussions of a Caste Census:
 Since the Census falls under the Census Act of o Caste has an emotive element and thus there
1948, all data are considered confidential, exist the political and social repercussions of
whereas according to the SECC website, “all the a caste census.
personal information given in the SECC is open  There have been concerns that counting
for use by Government departments to grant caste may help solidify or harden
and/or restrict benefits to households.” identities.
 Due to these repercussions, nearly a
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF decade after the SECC 2011, a sizable
CONDUCTING CASTE BASED CENSUS? amount of its data remains unreleased or
released only in parts.
PROS:  Caste Is Context-specific:
 Helpful in Managing Social Equity Programmes: o Caste has never been a proxy for class or
o India's social equality programmes cannot be deprivation in India, it constitutes a distinct
a success without the data and a caste census kind of embedded discrimination that often
would help fix that. transcends class. For example:
o Due to the lack of data, there is no proper  People with Dalit last names are less likely
estimate for the population of OBCs, groups to be called for job interviews even when
within the OBCs and more. their qualifications are better than that of
 The Mandal Commission estimated the an upper-caste candidate.
OBC population at 5% while some others  They are also less likely to be accepted as
have pinned the OBC population from 36 tenants by landlords. Thus, difficult to
to 65%. measure.
o The census would 'besides resolving the  Marriage to a well- educated, well-off Dalit
needless mystery about the size of the OBC man still sparks violent reprisals among the
population, census enumeration would yield families of upper-caste women every day
a wealth of demographic information (sex across the country.
ratio, mortality rate, life expectancy),
educational data (male and female literacy, WAY FORWARD
ratio of school-going population, number of  A caste census may not sit well with the goal of a
graduates) and policy relevant information casteless society, but it may serve as a means of
about economic conditions (house-type, addressing inequities in society.
assets, occupation) of the OBCs'.  Caste data will enable independent research not
 Bring a Measure of Objectivity on Reservation: only into the question of who does and does not
o A caste-based census could go a long way in need affirmative action but also into the
bringing a measure of objectivity to the effectiveness of this measure.
debate on reservations. o Impartial data and subsequent research
o According to the Rohini Commission, which might save the bona fide attempts of the
was formed to look into equitable uplift of the most backward classes from
redistribution of the 27% quota for OBCs, the shadow of caste and class politics and
noted that there are around 2,633 castes be informative to people on both sides of
covered under the OBC reservation. the spectrum – for and against reservation.
o However, the Centre’s reservation policy o It is not reservation that creates the
from 1992 doesn’t take into account that current divide in our society but the misuse
there exists within the OBCs, a separate or the perceived misuse of reservation.
category of Extremely Backward Castes, who
are much more marginalised.
45. Jal Jeevan Mission | Har Ghar Jal by 2024
JAL JEEVAN MISSION IN NEWS  Access to tap water at public places: JJM aims to
 Recently while addressing a webinar, Prime provide functional tap connections to Schools,
Minister stressed upon use of Technology, Anganwadi centres, GP buildings, Health centres,
Service Delivery & Community Participation to wellness centres, and community buildings
achieve ‘Har Ghar Jal’ under Jal Jeevan Mission by  Monitoring: Jal Jeevan Mission also provides for
2024. monitoring the functionality of tap connections.
 ‘Har Ghar Jal’ under Jal Jeevan Mission aims to  Local Ownership: JJM promotes and ensures
provide about 4 Crore tap water connections in voluntary ownership among the local community
rural households this year. by way of contribution in cash, kind and/ or
labour and voluntary labour (shramdaan)
HOW MUCH IS ALLOCATED FOR JAL JEEVAN  Ensuring Sustainability of water system: JJM
MISSION IN THE UNION BUDGET 2022? also assists in ensuring the sustainability of water
Rs 60,000 Crore has been allocated in the current supply system, i.e. water source, water supply
financial year under the Union Budget 2022 for the infrastructure, and funds for regular O&M.
‘Har Ghar Jal’ under Jal Jeevan Mission.  Human Resource Development: JJM has
provisions to empower and develop human
ACHIEVEMENTS OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION resources in the sector such that the demands of
 Overall Coverage: Due to the effective construction, plumbing, electrical, water quality
implementation of Har Ghar Jal Yojna, India is management, water treatment, catchment
close to providing 50% of its population with tap protection, O&M, etc. are taken care of in the
water connections. short and long term.
o 100 districts, 1,144 blocks, 66,763-gram  Awareness Generation: JJM also aims to bring
panchayats and 1,37,940 villages have awareness on various aspects and significance of
become ‘Har Ghar Jal’. safe drinking water and the involvement of
 States & UTs with 100% coverage: Three States- stakeholders in a manner that makes water
Goa, Telangana and Haryana and three UTs- A&N everyone’s business.
Islands, D&N Haveli & Daman & Diu and
Puducherry have provided 100% tap water Bihar: Cabinet approves extension of Jal-
coverage.
Jeevan-Hariyali Mission for 3 years
 Other leading states: Other States are fast-
 The scheme will be implemented by 15 different
moving and are close to achieving 100% coverage departments including minor irrigation, water
shortly. Of these Punjab stands at 99%, Himachal resources, environment and forest, among others.
Pradesh at 93%, Gujarat at 92% and Bihar at 90%.  Bihar state cabinet in its first meeting after the
expansion on Tuesday approved the extension of Jal-
WHAT IS THE VISION OF THE JAL JEEVAN Jeevan-Hariyali Mission for the next three years. It also
MISSION? gave the nod for allocation of ₹12,568 crore to be
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to ensure that every spent till the fiscal 2022-25.
rural household has a drinking water supply in  Addressing media persons, additional chief secretary,
cabinet, S Sidharth said the scheme, as in the past, will
adequate quantity of prescribed quality on a regular
be implemented by 15 different departments
and long-term basis at affordable service delivery including minor irrigation, water resources,
charges. environment and forest, education, public health and
o Affordable access to quality drinking water engineering, agriculture, urban development,
will lead to improvement in the living Panchayati raj, animal husbandry, information and
standards of rural communities. public relations, revenue and land reforms and
building construction departments.
OBJECTIVES OF THE JAL JEEVAN MISSION (HAR  In 2019-20, the government spent a sum of ₹7,376
crore till 2021-22 for rejuvenating waterbodies,
GHAR JAL)
planting saplings, and other various schemes to fight
 Access to tap water: JJM aims to provide FHTC to climate change.
every rural household.  “There has been no change in the mode
 Targeted Approach: Jal Jeevan Mission prioritizes implementation of Jal-Jivan-Hariyali scheme. A sum
provision of FHTCs in quality affected areas, of ₹5,222 crore would be spent in the current fiscal,
villages in drought-prone and desert areas, while ₹3,668 crore and ₹3,677 crore have been
Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc. earmarked in the subsequent years,” said Sidharth,
adding that ₹37.38 crore has been allocated for administrative expenses.
NATIONAL EVENTS
46. PM Gati Shakti: Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity
WHY PM GATI SHAKTI IS IN NEWS?  PM GATI Shakti will incorporate the
The government of India has launched the ambitious infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and
Gati Shakti scheme or National Master Plan for multi- State Governments
modal connectivity plan, with the aim of coordinated like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways,
planning and execution of infrastructure projects to dry/land ports, UDAN, etc. Economic Zones like
bring down logistics costs. textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence
It is a national master plan for infrastructure corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors,
development to give impetus to 21st century India. fishing clusters, Agri zones will be covered to
improve connectivity & make Indian businesses
PM GATI SHAKTI more competitive.
 Gati shakti is a digital platform that will bring 16
ministries including railways and roadways TARGETS UNDER THE PM GATI SHAKTI SCHEME:
together for integrated planning and coordinated GATI shakti has set targets for all infrastructure
implementation of infrastructure connectivity ministries and the targets to be achieved by 2024-25:
projects.  11 industrial corridors and 2 new defence
 This will help in removing long-standing issues corridors (Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh),
such as disjointed planning, lack of achieving a 1.7 lakh crore turnover in defence
standardization, problems with clearances, and production.
timely creation and utilization of infrastructure  Around 38 electronics manufacturing clusters
capacities.  109 pharma clusters
 The GATI Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110  Increase in the total cargo handled at Indian
lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline that ports to 1759 MTPA
was launched in 2019.  Adding over 200 airports, helipads, and water
 The portal will offer 200+ layers of geospatial aerodromes.
data, including that on existing infrastructure.  Extending 4G connectivity to all villages
 It will also allow various government  Adding 17,000 km to the gas pipeline network is
departments to track, in real-time and at one being planned.
centralized place, the progress of various
projects. SIX PILLARS OF PM GATI SHAKTI:
 It will help different departments to prioritize  Comprehensiveness: It will include all the
their projects through cross-sectoral interactions. existing and planned initiatives of various
 The GATI shakti platform aims to prevent Ministries and Departments with one centralized
overlapping of works by addressing the issue of portal. Every Department will now have visibility
government departments working in tandem. of each other’s activities providing critical data
 By incorporating infrastructure schemes under while planning & comprehensively executing
various ministries and states, the platform aims projects.
at boosting last-mile connectivity bringing down  Prioritization: Through this, different
logistics costs with integrated planning and Departments will be able to prioritize their
reducing implementation overlaps. projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
 A project monitoring group under  Optimization: The National Master Plan will
the Department of Promotion of industry and assist different ministries in planning for projects
Internal trade (DPIIT) will monitor the progress of after the identification of critical gaps. For the
key projects in real-time. transportation of the goods from one place to
 They will also report any inter-ministerial issues another, the plan will help in selecting the most
to a group of ministries, who will then aim to optimum route in terms of time and cost.
resolve these.
 Synchronization: Individual Ministries and high logistical cost, the competitiveness of India’s
Departments often work in silos. There is a lack of exports is greatly reduced.
coordination in the planning and implementation  It will increase economic activities and create
of the project resulting in delays. It will help in employment on a large scale due to the creation
synchronizing the activities of each department, of quality infrastructure for sustainable
as well as of different layers of governance, development.
holistically by ensuring coordination of work  The scheme is in synergy with the National
between them. Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) which was
 Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data announced to provide a clear framework for
at one place with GIS-based spatial planning and monetization and give potential investors a ready
analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling list of assets to generate investor interest.
better visibility to the executing agency.  A holistic and integrated transport connectivity
 Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will strategy will greatly support ‘Make in India’ and
now be able to visualize, review and monitor the integrate different modes of transport.
progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the  Another push for such a scheme was the lack of
GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on- demand in the post-Covid-19 scenario, which in
ground progress periodically and the progress of turn led to a lack of private demand and
the projects will be updated regularly on the investment demand.
portal. It will help in identifying the vital  Due to land acquisition delays and litigation
interventions for enhancing and updating the issues, the rate of implementation of projects is
master plan. very slow on global standards- issues that the
scheme will address.
WHAT IS THE NEED FOR THE SCHEME?
 To address the wide gap between macro planning WAY FORWARD
and micro implementation due to the lack of  PM Gati Shakti is a step in the right direction.
coordination and advanced information sharing However, it needs to address structural and
as departments think and work in silos. macroeconomic stability concerns, emanating
 As per reports, studies estimate the logistics from high public expenditure.
costs in India at about 13-14% of GDP as against  Thus, it is imperative that this initiative is
about 7-8% in developed economies. With this underpinned by a stable and predictable
regulatory and institutional framework
 .
47. AGNIPATH SCHEME

CONTEXT: Recruitment: Twice a year through rallies.
The government unveiled its new Agnipath scheme The recruitment will be done on “all India, all class”
for recruiting soldiers across the three services. recruitment to the services (from any caste, region,
class or religious background). Currently, recruitment
WHAT IS THE AGNIPATH SCHEME? is based on ‘regiment system’ based on region and
Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 caste bases.
soldiers (will be called ‘Agniveers’) will be recruited
annually (for a short period, and most will leave the Training period: 6 months + deployment for three
service in just four years. Of the total annual recruits, and a half years.
only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for
another 15 years under permanent commission. Salary and Benefits:
 Recruits will get starting salary of Rs 30,000,
FORMAT OF THE SCHEME: along with additional benefits which will go up to
Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.
Eligibility: Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years
and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The scheme is  During this period, 30 per cent of their salary will
only applicable to personnel below officer ranks. be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme, and
the government will contribute an equal amount
every month, and it will also accrue interest. At
the end of the four-year period, each soldier will CONCERNS REGARDING THE SCHEME:
get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount, which  Present benefits and security of jobs will be lost:
will be tax-free. Recruits will not get permanent jobs or promised
 For 25% of soldiers, who are re-selected, pension and health benefits even after
the initial four-year period will not
be considered for retirement
benefits.
Benefits
 Make the armed forces much
leaner and younger: For India’s
over 13-lakh strong armed forces,
the current average age profile
is 32 years. It is envisaged it will
come down by about 4-5 years by
implementation of this scheme
 Reduce the defence pension bill:
The government has either
allocated or paid more than Rs. 3.3
lakh crore in defence pension since
2020. retirement.
 As per Army calculations, the savings for the  Doubt about training: 6 months of short training
government in this ‘Tour of Duty model’ of may not be enough to trust them with the same
recruitment from just one sepoy would kind of tasks that current troops can be trusted
be around 11.5 cr (the army initially proposed a with.
3-year service model).  Erosion of loyalty: “All India, all class”
 Create “future-ready” soldiers: A youthful armed recruitment to the services may lead to the
forces will allow them to be easily trained for erosion of the loyalty that a soldier has for his
new technologies. regiment.
 Increased employment opportunities and higher
skilled workforce: Apart from job opportunities SIMILAR SCHEMES IN OTHER COUNTRIES:
in the army, recruits because of the skills and Voluntary tour of duty: In the USA tours are 6-9 or
experience acquired during the four-year service even 12 months’ deployment depending upon the
such soldiers will get employment in various needs of the military and branch of service.
fields. Mandatory tour of duty (called
 The central government will likely conscription): Countries that follow the practice of
give preference to Agniveers in regular conscription include Israel, Norway, North Korea, and
employment after their four years stint. Sweden.
48. Role of the Chief of Defence Staff

WHY IN NEWS? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CHIEF OF
The Government is reassessing the concept of post DEFENCE STAFF?
of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as well as the  CDS acts as the permanent Chairman of
Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and is looking the Chiefs of Staff Committee which will also
to streamline the setup. have three service chiefs as members.
 The CDS is a four-star General/Officer who acts o His core function will be to foster greater
as the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence operational synergy between the three
Minister on all tri-services (Army, Navy and service branches of the Indian military and
Indian Air Force) matters. keep inter-service frictions to a minimum.
 He also head the newly created Department of  Operationalisation of Theatre
Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Command: Creation of DMA will facilitate the
Defence. operationalisation of joint/theatre command.
o The CDS will be the single-point military o Although a successful template for joint
adviser to the Defence Minister on matters operations was created in the Andaman &
involving all three services and the service Nicobar Command, the lack of political
chiefs will be obliged to confine their counsel direction and indifference of the COSC has
to issues pertaining to their respective led to inactivity of this joint command.
services. o Theatre commands would need staff with the
o As the head of DMA, CDS is vested with the knowledge and experience to deploy land,
authority in prioritising inter-service maritime and air forces. Given the disruptive
procurement decisions as Permanent impact of each of these measures, they
Chairman-Chiefs of Staff Committee. would best be implemented by the CDS.
 The CDS is also vested with the authority to  CDS as a key functionary in the nuclear
provide directives to the three chiefs. command chain will also administer the Strategic
o However, he does not enjoy any command Forces Command.
authority over any of the forces. o This measure will go a long way in enhancing
 CDS is first among equals, he enjoys the rank of the credibility of India's nuclear deterrent.
Secretary within the DoD (Department ff o The CDS would also initiate an early review
Defence)and his powers will be confined to only of India's Nuclear Doctrine.
the revenue budget.  In the approaching era of dwindling defence
 He will also perform an advisory role in budgets, a crucial function of CDS will be
the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). “prioritising” the capital acquisition proposals of
individual services.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CDS? o CDS will have to ensure that the “defence
rupee” is spent judiciously; on warfare-
 Synergy between Armed forces and
capabilities considered vital for national
Government: CDS’ role is not simply about tri-
service cooperation, it is equally about fostering military power, and not on pandering to
better cooperation between the Ministry of service demands.
Defense bureaucracy and the Armed services.
o Since 1947, there are three Service WHY RETHINK THE ROLE OF CDS?
Headquarters (SHQ) designated as “Attached  It is experienced that the appointment of a CDS in
Offices” of the Department of Defense (DoD). itself wasn’t enough and there are several issues
o Due to this, communication between SHQ with respect to roles and responsibilities, issues
and DoD takes place largely through the of equivalence among others.
medium of files.  There is also a dichotomy in the roles and
o With the creation of CDS as Principal Military responsibilities with the several hats worn by the
Adviser (PMA) to Defense Minister, the CDS and also overlap in responsibilities between
process of decision-making will be the DMA and DoD.
accelerated.  There is also a rethink on the ambitious timelines
 Jointness in operations: The Chiefs of Staff set for the creation of Theatre Commands and
Committee-COSC (predecessor of CDS), has been also the number of commands and their
dysfunctional because its chairmanship is held by envisaged format.
one of the three chiefs on a part-time rotational
basis. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROGRESS ON THEATRE
o Historically, the chairman COSC lacked the COMMANDS?
authority as well as capacity and inclination  An ambitious agenda was set for the first CDS to
to tackle tri-service issues of substance. reorganize the Indian armed forces into
o With the CDS now being designated as integrated theatre commands, which would be
“permanent chairman of COSC”, he will be the biggest reorganization of the military in 75
able to devote undivided attention to the years and fundamentally change the way the
administration of tri-service organisations. three services operate together.
 Extensive studies were carried out by the Vice stalled in the absence of a CDS and continued
Chiefs of three Services on the theatre differences.
commands — land-based Western and Eastern
theatre commands, maritime theatre command WAY FORWARD
and an integrated air defence command had  There is a need to have a CDS with operational
stated that the Army’s Northern Command would powers who will after due legislative changes
be left out of the ambit for now and integrated at have theatre commanders report to him while
a later stage. the Service Chiefs will look after the raise, train
 However, differences continue to remain on and sustain functions of respective Services.
certain aspects with the Air Force having some  The creation of CDS will not be a panacea,
reservations with regard to the air defence therefore India needs to carry out thorough
command and the naming and rotation of the reforms to upgrade its armed forces so that it can
theatre commands among others. meet the security challenges of 21st-century.
 Additional studies were ordered, which are
currently underway but the overall process has
49. National Family Health Survey-5

ABOUT Gates Foundation, UNICEF, UNFPA,
National Family Health Survey (NFHS): The NFHS is a and MoHFW (Government of India).
large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a
representative sample of households throughout NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY-5
India.  The NFHS-5 has captured the data during 2019-
Conducted By: The Ministry of Health and Family 20 and has been conducted in around 6.1 lakh
Welfare (MoHFW) has designated the International households.
Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS) Mumbai, as o Many indicators of NFHS-5 are similar to
the nodal agency for providing coordination and those of NFHS-4, carried out in 2015-16 to
technical guidance for the survey. make possible comparisons over time.
IIPS collaborates with a number of Field o Phase 2 of the survey (covering remaining
Organizations (FO) for survey implementation. states) was delayed due to the Covid-19
Goals: pandemic and its results were released in
 Each successive round of the NFHS has had two September 2021.
specific goals:  NFHS-5 data will be useful in setting benchmarks
o To provide essential data on health and and examining the progress the health sector has
family welfare needed by the Ministry of made over time.
Health and Family Welfare and other o Besides providing evidence for the
agencies for policy and programme purposes. effectiveness of ongoing programmes, the
o To provide information on important data from NFHS-5 help in identifying the
emerging health and family welfare issues. need for new programmes with an area
 The survey provides state and national specific focus and identifying groups that are
information for India on: most in need of essential services.
o Fertility o It provides an indicator for tracking
o Infant and child mortality 30 Sustainable Development Goals
o The practice of family planning (SDGs) that the country aims to achieve by
o Maternal and child health 2030.
o Reproductive health  NFHS-5 includes some new topics, such
o Nutrition as preschool education, disability, access to a
o Anaemia toilet facility, death registration, bathing
o Utilization and quality of health and family practices during menstruation, and methods and
planning services. reasons for abortion.
 Funding: o NFHS-5 includes new focal areas that will give
o The funding for different rounds of NFHS has requisite input for strengthening existing
been provided by USAID, the Bill and Melinda programmes and evolving new strategies for
policy intervention. The areas are:
 Expanded domains of child immunization  Children’s Nutrition: Child Nutrition indicators
 Components of micro-nutrients to show a slight improvement at all-India level as
children Stunting has declined from 38% to 36%, wasting
 Menstrual hygiene from 21% to 19% and underweight from 36% to
 Frequency of alcohol and tobacco use 32% at all India level.
 Additional components of non- o In all phase-II States/UTs the situation has
communicable diseases (NCDs) improved in respect of child nutrition but the
 Expanded age ranges for measuring change is not significant as drastic changes in
hypertension and diabetes among all respect of these indicators are unlikely in a
aged 15 years and above. short span period.
 In 2019, for the first time, the NFHS-5 sought  The share of overweight children has
details on the percentage of women and men increased from 2.1% to 3.4%.
who have ever used the Internet.  Anaemia: The incidence of anaemia in under-5
children (from 58.6 to 67%), women (53.1 to
KEY FINDINGS OF NFHS-5 57%) and men (22.7 to 25%) has worsened in all
 Sex Ratio: NFHS-5 data shows that there were States of India (20%-40% incidence is considered
1,020 women for 1000 men in the country in moderate).
2019-2021. o Barring Kerala (at 39.4%), all States are in the
o This is the highest sex ratio for any NFHS “severe” category.
survey as well as since the first modern  Immunization: Full immunization drive among
synchronous census conducted in 1881. children aged 12-23 months has recorded
o In the 2005-06 NFHS, the sex ratio was 1,000 substantial improvement from 62% to 76% at all-
or women and men were equal in number. India level.
 Sex Ratio at Birth: For the first time in India, o 11 out of 14 States/UTs have more than
between 2019-21, there were 1,020 adult women three-fourth of children aged 12-23 months
per 1,000 men. with fully immunization and it is highest
o However, the data shall not undermine the (90%) for Odisha.
fact that India still has a sex ratio at birth  Institutional Births: Institutional births have
(SRB) more skewed towards boys than the increased substantially from 79% to 89% at all-
natural SRB (which is 952 girls per 1000 India Level.
boys). o Institutional delivery is 100% in Puducherry
o Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu and more than 90% in 7
Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, States/UTs out of 12 Phase II States/UTs.
Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra are the o Along with an increase in institutional births,
major states with low SRB. there has also been a substantial increase in
 Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The TFR has also come C-section deliveries in many States/UTs
down below the threshold at which the especially in private health facilities.
population is expected to replace itself from one  It calls into question unethical practices
generation to next. of private health providers who prioritise
o TFR was 2 in 2019-2021, just below the monetary gain over women’s health and
replacement fertility rate of 2.1. control over their bodies.
 In rural areas, the TFR is still 2.1.  Family Planning: Overall Contraceptive
 In urban areas, TFR had gone below the Prevalence Rate (CPR) has increased substantially
replacement fertility rate in the 2015-16 from 54% to 67% at all-India level and in almost
NFHS itself. all Phase-II States/UTswith an exception of
o A decline in TFR, which implies that a lower Punjab.
number of children are being born, also o Use of modern methods of contraceptives
entails that India’s population would become has also increased in almost all States/UTs.
older. o Unmet needs of family Planning have
o The survey shows that the share of under-15 witnessed a significant decline from13% to
population in the country has therefore 9% at all-India level and in most of the Phase-
further declined from 28.6% in 2015-16 to II States/UTs.
26.5% in 2019-21.
o The unmet need for spacing which remained 24, 2021, there has been a significant improvement in the
a major issue in India in the past has come sex ratio of Bihar. It has increased from 1062 in 2015-16
down to less than 10% in all the States except survey (NFHS-4) to 1090.
Jharkhand (12%), Arunachal Pradesh (13%)
and Uttar Pradesh(13%). KEY POINTS
 The sex ratio (number of females per thousand males)
 Breastfeeding to Children's: Exclusive
in Bihar has increased to 1090 from 1062 in the last
breastfeeding to children under age 6 months has survey.
shown an improvement in all-India level from  While the sex ratio of urban areas of Bihar is only 982,
55% in 2015-16 to 64% in 2019-21. All the phase- the sex ratio of rural areas is 1111.
II States/UTs are also showing considerable  According to the survey, the literacy rate among
progress. women in the age group of 15-49 in Bihar is only 55
 Women Empowerment: Women's percent, which is a cause for concern.
empowerment indicators portray considerable  The infant mortality rate in Bihar has come down to
improvement at all India level and across all the 46.8 (per thousand) from 48.1 in the previous survey.
phase-II States/UTs.  There has been tremendous improvement in the
o Significant progress has been recorded matter of family planning in Bihar. According to NFHS-
4, only 24.1 percent of women in the age group of 15-
between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 in regard to
49 years of Bihar had done family planning, which has
women operating bank accounts from 53% to increased to 55.8 percent in NFHS-5.
79% at all-India level.  On the other hand, 63.5 percent of women aged 15-49
o More than 70% of women in every state and in Bihar are victims of anaemia, which was 60.3
UTs in the second phase have operational percent in the last survey.
bank accounts.  The total fertility rate in Bihar has also come down to
3.0 (child/female) from 3.4 in the previous survey.
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SEX RATIO IN
BIHAR: NFHS-5
According to the National Family Survey-5 released by the
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on November
50. Freebies culture

CONTEXT:
SC
has a direct union government to consult
the finance commission on whether it is
possible to regulate the distribution of
freebies by political parties using public
money.
Stand of ECI on freebies: It said it has no

power to regulate the same or take action
against parties making such poll promises.
 ECI cannot regulate policy decisions:
“offering/distribution of any freebies
either before or after the election is a
policy decision of the party concerned.
of Rs 45,000-51,000 crore during the financial
year 2020-21.
IMPACT OF SUCH FREEBIES ON STATE BUDGETS: o Lack of specific outcome targets: No
 Expenditure side: responsibility for the money spent. Telangana
o Huge drain on state resources: farm loan has committed 35% of revenue
waiver in Maharashtra resulted in an outgo receipts, almost 63% of the state’s own tax
revenue, to finance populist schemes which
are cantered on freebies.
 Revenue side: of that find out whether the state’s economy will
o Negative impact on state-owned be sustainable over the years in the context of
enterprises: leading loss-making PSU’s. the freebies.
o March report from ICRA, subsidy payments  Strengthening Election Commission: bringing
by governments were estimated to comprise freebies under MCC and regulating manifestos by
16% of Discom revenues at an all -India level ECI.
in 2021-22.  Demand-based freebies: with priority to DPSPs
o Low tax collections: due to Free electricity, based or merit goods such as PDS system,
free water, free rides etc., there is no education, health etc. for greater prosperity.
realization of tax on these.  Improving transparency: to ensure it reaches real
 Political: beneficiaries. E.g., a farm loan waiver reaches
o Competitive manifestos, sometimes only actual farmers.
seem impractical and illogical and  Revising FRBM act: placing a limit on expenditure
unimplementable. It leads to on loan waivers, free electricity and water.
the degeneration of the political agenda. This  Outcome-based budgeting: makes the
can even lead to the wastage of resources on departments accountable for their work, as done
frivolous promises without any real results to on Jharkhand recently fixes responsibility on
show. debts.
 Issues with Freebies culture:  Educating the public: On effects of such freebies
o Huge debt burden: The debt-to-GDP ratio of and need for fiscal discipline. E.g. demanding the
Punjab reached 53.3% in 2021-22 due to the source of funds for such freebies through citizen
high-subsidy burden. groups.
o Creates a never-ending cycle of freebies: as  Finance commission Chief N.K Singh recently
populist schemes are countered with more pointed out that political competition over such
populist measures. sops is a “quick passport to fiscal disaster”.
 Social inequalities: With the Rajasthan Hence, there is a need to avoid those before they
government’s decision to revert to the old become the norm.
pension scheme for its employees, just 6% of the
population captures benefits as high as 56% of Question: Do you think populism, personality cult
the pension and salary expenditure. and freebie culture in politics which is often
o More expenditure towards servicing just witnessed during elections in states such as Tamil
interest costs: Andhra Pradesh spent Nadu is good for economic growth and
roughly 13% of its budget of 22,000 crores on development? Critically comment.
interest payments.
MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS:

 Role of Finance Commission: Finance
Commission (an independent body) when it
makes allocations to various states, can take into
account the debt of the state and in the context
51. Amendment to Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)

IN NEWS party but engage in political action like bandhs,
Recently, the Union Home Ministry amended certain strike or road blockades will be considered of
rules related to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) political nature if they participate in active
Act (FCRA). politics or party politics.
o The organisations covered under this
BACKGROUND
category include farmers' organisations,
students, workers' organisations and caste-
 The home ministry made the FCRA rules tougher
based organisations.
in November 2020, making it clear that NGOs
which may not be directly linked to a political
o According to the law, all NGOs receiving its official website or on the website as
funds have to register under the FCRA. specified by the Centre.
 The move comes after the government enhanced  Bank account changes:
the import duty on gold import from 7.5 % to o In case of change of bank account, name,
12.5 % in a bid to discourage the import of address, aims or key members of the
gold leads to increase in the trade deficit and organisation(s) receiving foreign funds, the
putting pressure on the currency and forex home ministry has now allowed 45 days time
reserves. to inform it, instead of the previous 15 days.
KEY AMENDMENTS SIGNIFICANCE

 Remittances:  The relaxation in remittance is aimed at curbing
o Indians can now receive up to 10 lakh a year the outflow of funds and on the other
from relatives staying abroad without hand enhancing inward remittances.
informing the authorities.  Experts say that an increase in the limit of
 The earlier limit was 1 lakh. remittances will lead to an increase in inflow of
o If the amount exceeds 10 lakh, the individuals funds into India which will stabilise the forex
will now have 90 days to inform the reserves and also the currency.
government. o The trade deficit in recent months is very high
 Earlier the time frame was of 30 days. and even though the forex reserves are
 Offences: strong, there is a concern over its decline.
o The home ministry has made five more  The modifications in declaration time, change of
offences under the FCRA bank account details, etc. are being made to ease
“compoundable” instead of directly the compliance load.
prosecuting the organisations or individuals.
 Earlier, only seven offences under the WHAT IS THE FCRA?
FCRA were compoundable.  Regulate foreign donations:
o The rules dealing with application of obtaining o It is a slew of new measures to regulate
'registration' or 'prior permission' under the foreign donations.
FCRA to receive funds, o The Act, first enacted in 1976 was amended
 The amended rules have given individuals in the year 2010 and then 2020.
and organisations or NGOs 45 days to o Application:
inform the home ministry about the bank o The FCRA is applicable to all associations,
account(s) that are to be used for groups and NGOs which intend to receive
utilisation of such funds. foreign donations.
 This time limit was 30 days earlier. o It is mandatory for all such NGOs to register
 Declaring details of foreign funds: themselves under the FCRA.
o The central government has also 'omitted'  Validity:
provision, which dealt with declaring foreign o The registration is initially valid for five years
funds including details of donors, amount and it can be renewed subsequently if they
received, and date of receipt, etc. every comply with all norms.
quarter on its website.  Purpose:
 Transparency of receiving foreign funds: o Registered associations can receive foreign
o Now, anyone receiving foreign funds under contributions for social, educational,
the FCRA will have to follow the existing religious, economic and cultural purposes.
provision of:  Mandatory IT filing:
 Placing the audited statement of accounts on o Filing of annual returns, on the lines of
receipts and Income Tax, is compulsory.
 Utilisation of the foreign contribution,  Internal security:
including income and expenditure statement, o The FCRA regulates foreign donations and
receipt and payment account, and ensures that such contributions do not
 Balance sheet for every financial year adversely affect internal security.
beginning on the first day of April, within nine
months of the closure of the financial year on
Who cannot receive foreign donations? company or a foreign company in which an Indian
Prohibition: Members of the legislature and political holds 50% or more shares.
parties, government officials, judges and media How else can one receive foreign funding?
persons are prohibited from receiving any foreign Prior permission: The other way to receive foreign
contribution. contributions is by applying for prior permission.
Political parties: In 2017 the MHA, through the A letter of commitment from the foreign donor
Finance Bill route, amended the 1976-repealed FCRA specifying the amount and purpose is also required.
law paving the way for political parties to receive Specific activities or projects: It is granted for receipt
funds from the Indian subsidiary of a foreign of a specific amount from a specific donor for
carrying out specific activities or projects.
52. Cheetah Reintroduction Plan

The fastest land animal in the resources for restoring open forest
world, Cheetah, declared extinct in India in 1952, will ecosystems and bringing back the balance in
find a new home in the Kuno-Palpur National Park the food web.
(KNP). African cheetahs are being brought under  Climate Change Mitigation: It will enhance
an intercontinental translocation India’s capacity to sequester carbon through
project between India and Africa(mainly from South ecosystem restoration activities in cheetah
Africa and Namibia). conservation areas and thereby contribute
The plan to bring cheetahs to India initially from Iran towards the global climate change mitigation
and now from the African continent has been goals.
decades in the making, and fraught with
controversy. Conservationists in India are skeptical of WHAT CAUSED THE EXTINCTION OF CHEETAHS
the plan’s success and fear it will detract attention IN INDIA?
from the conservation of other endangered species in  The cheetah in India has been recorded in history
need of translocation, like the Asiatic lion. from before the Common Era. Records of
cheetahs being captured go back to the 1550s.
WHAT IS INDIA’S RATIONALE BEHIND  Reduced levels of genetic heterogeneity due to a
REINTRODUCTION OF CHEETAH? historical genetic bottleneck resulting
 Biological Objectives: To re-establish the in high infant mortality in the wild and
ecosystem function role of the cheetah in its reduced ability to breed in captivity were
representative areas of its former some of the major factors for extinction.
range and contribute to the global effort towards  Sport hunting: The consistent and widespread
the conservation of the cheetah as a species. capture of cheetahs from the wild (both male and
o Bringing the Cheetah back will make India the female) over centuries.
only country with five species of big cats: o From the 16th century onwards, detailed
tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and accounts of its interaction with human beings
cheetah. are available as it was recorded by
 Enhancing Livelihood Options: Cheetah the Mughals and other kingdoms in
reintroduction will boost and enhance living the Deccan.
conditions of the local communities in and  Bounty killings: The British added to the woes of
around the landscapes where the cheetah is the species by declaring a bounty for killing it in
likely to be introduced through increased 1871.
revenues from ecotourism and associated o The final phase of its extinction coincided
activities. with British colonial rule.
 Keeping the Food Chain Intact: Top predators  It is recorded that the last cheetahs were shot in
regulate all levels in a food chain and are India in 1947, and officially declared extinct in
considered as umbrella species for the food 1952.
chain.
o Cheetah can be a charismatic WHAT ARE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE
flagship and umbrella species to garner TRANSLOCATION OF CHEETAH IN INDIA?
 Transition from Enclosure to Wild: A pivotal
issue is whether a cheetah living in an enclosure WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD?
and being fed with a prey will be able to hunt in  Post-Release Monitoring: There needs to be a
the wild on its own. proper strategy of monitoring with veterinary
o For instance, Sundari, the tigress which supervision and scientific evaluation of extent of
returned from Satkosia in Odisha after a adaptation.
failed relocation attempt, was finally kept o Tracking teams must be organized to keep an
captive for life in Bhopal Zoo. eye on the cheetahs and other carnivores
 Adaptability: Reintroduced species experience released into the wild.
increased vulnerability to influences of drift,  Awareness Campaign: To spread awareness
selection, and gene flow evolutionary among local people and sensitize the youth,
processes due to their small sizes, and climatic various outreach & awareness programs should
and ecological differences between source be conducted to familiarize the locals with the
and native habitats. reintroduction plan.
o African Cheetahs need long open spaces to o Chintu Cheetah, the official mascot to spread
run. Indian parks tend to be much smaller awareness for the Cheetah introduction
than those in Africa, offering less chance for program is a progressive step in this
such free movement. direction.
 Studies in Africa have shown that female  Priority List Management: There should be
cheetahs are solitary and roam vast a proper mechanism to formulate the priority
distances whereas male defend smaller list for evaluation and implementation of policies
territories and mate when females pass for conserving different wildlife animals.
through, creating breeding issues. o The Cheetah Introduction plan is missing in
 Coexistence of large predators: It has never our National Wildlife Action Plan including
occurred anywhere else, so there is no real life the current plan for the period 2017-
experience to draw upon to suggest 2031, while the translocation of lions has
the coexistence of cheetahs, lions, tigers, and been a national priority since the 1950s.
leopards could be comfortable. o Equal attention should be given to safeguard
o Studies have shown that in Africa, native species and their habitat.
the leopards have hunted down cheetahs as  Proper Rehabilitation Mechanism: There is need
prey, and similar fears are being expressed to devise proper rehabilitation policy including
for Kuno, which has about 50 leopards in and a proper communication between administrative
around the core area, where cheetahs will be officers and locals to ensure their safety and
housed. satisfaction.
 Rehabilitation Concerns: For Cheetah's habitat to
be adequately protected, many villages will have
to be relocated, which will certainly impact the
locals and cause disturbance and migration.
53. 75 years of Independent India

INTRODUCTION:  India was ruled by various governments and had
India celebrated the 75th anniversary of its gone through structural economic changes to
Independence on August 15, 2022. India gained achieve its feet today.
Independence from British rule in 1947 and went on
to become one of the largest democracies in the IDEAS AND INSTITUTIONS:
world.  India after independence gave prominence to the
ideas of secularism, democracy, free press,
Progress path of India from a poor and backward inclusive economic growth and non-alignment in
country towards becoming a superpower: international affairs and also in institutions that
 India inherited an economy bruised by colonial would lay the foundation for India’s future
exploitation and the horrors of partition. growth.
 These institutions touched every kind of  The University Grants Commission was greatly
economic activity, ranging from agriculture to expanded to cover all universities in the First Five
aviation and space research. Year Plan.
 These institutions including the Bharat Heavy  Independent India set a goal of self-reliance or
Electricals Limited, Bhakra-Nangal dam, the LIC, ‘Made in India’ to develop technologies.
the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Oil Insistence on transferring all technology to the
and Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil Indian entity in any foreign partnership backed
Corporation, and the National Library of India the policy. Transferring knowledge was as
occupied the commanding heights of a stable, important as importing plants and machinery.
self-sustaining economy with people’s welfare as  Universities and other scientific institutions were
their central mission. crucial to India’s development plan for
 Jawaharlal Nehru described them as “the temples indigenous science and technology.
of modern India”.  The Indian oil and natural gas, electricity sector,
 Along with large projects in steel and petroleum, steel and coal, atomic energy, and space sectors
successive governments saw the importance of all emerged from the vision of self-reliance.
promoting small and cottage industries and set  Organizations like ISRO, DRDO, and BARC all
up the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. contributed to the growth of India in the sphere
 The Election Commission of India resulted in the of science and technology.
triumph of democracy with free and fair
elections. SOCIAL SECTOR:
 The overall literacy rate in India was quite poor at
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: just over 18%, the female literacy rate was at
 Numerous objectives visualized by the National 8.86%. In 2022, the figures have nearly reversed
Planning Committee, the People’s plan by M.N to 74.4% in 2018, India has come a long way in
Roy, the 1945 Bombay Plan and many more were establishing a well-educated nation.
put in place by young and independent India.  India has 1,043 universities and over 42,000
 The focus was given to the construction of dams colleges for its ambitious young population. In
and irrigation projects as they would integrate 1950, India had only 27 universities and 578
the agricultural development and the village colleges.
economy with rapid industrialisation and growth  There are over 13 lakh doctors at present from a
of the urban economy. mere 61000 in 1951.
 The Green Revolution transformed India from a  Due to policies like the Swachh Bharat Mission,
basket case to a grain-exporting nation. India has realized the goal of 100% rural
 1991 reforms under Prime Minister P.V. sanitation coverage. Rural sanitation — the
Narasimha Rao transformed the economy into an percentage of the population with toilets
open, liberal and largely market-driven regime. within/attached to their houses — was just 1% in
 The total length of National Highways in 1947 1981.
was about 21,378 km, which has now gone up to  Infant Mortality Rate has reduced from 146 per
more than 1.40 lakh km. India now has the 1,000 live births in 1951 to 30 per 1,000 live
second largest road network in the world with a births in 2019.
total length of about 62 lakh km.
 Collectively, these reforms have lifted over 300 CONCLUSION:
million Indians above the poverty line since In 1947, India was politically shattered, socially
independence and resulted in the arrival of a divided and emotionally devastated. Yet, with
modern, diversified globally connected economy restraint and self-confidence, it successfully went
with a significant digital component. through those turbulent times with the vision of a
modern, progressive nation that quietly earned the
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: respect of the global community. Now India is widely
 India built the Central Scientific and Industrial recognised as the fastest-growing large economy in
Research laboratories, the Indian Institutes of the world. It is an incredible transformation in scale
Technology (IITs), the Indian Statistical Institute and depth to unfold in 75 years.
(ISI) and numerous scientific institutions.
54. Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign

HAR GHAR TIRANGA CAMPAIGN IN NEWS connection to the Tiranga but also an
 Recently, Government announced that all Post embodiment of our commitment to nation-
Offices will function on holidays, falling before building.
Independence Day 2022 to facilitate the sales
and distribution of National Flags under Har WHICH MATERIAL CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE THE
Ghar Tiranga Campaign. NATIONAL FLAG?
 Special arrangements will be made for the sale  The Flag Code of India, 2002 was amended vide
of National Flags on public holidays i.e. on 7th, Order dated 30th December, 2021 and National
9th and 14th August 2022 through at least one Flag made of polyester or machine made Flag
counter at Post Offices. have been allowed.
 Special arrangements will also be made for the  Now, the National Flag shall be made of
delivery of the National Flags in all delivery Post handspun and handwoven or machine-made,
Offices. cotton/polyester/wool/silk/khadi bunting.
HAR GHAR TIRANGA CAMPAIGN WHERE AND WHEN CAN BE NATIONAL FAG CAN
 About: ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign under BE HOISTED?
the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to  As per paragraph 2.2 of the Flag Code of India, a
encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and member of the public, a private organization, or
to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s an educational institution may hoist/display the
independence. National Flag on all days or occasions in
o Under the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign, accordance with the dignity and honour of the
government is urging citizens to display or National Flag.
hoist the national flag at their homes  An amendment through an order on July 20,
between August 13 and 15. 2022, allowed the national flag to be hoisted or
 Objective: The idea behind the initiative is to displayed in the open at the house of the public
invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of day and night.
the people and to promote awareness about the  Before this amendment, tricolour was allowed to
Indian National Flag. be flown only from sunrise to sunset.
 Organizing Ministry: Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign
is being organized under overall supervision and
guidance of Ministry of Culture.
 Significance: Bringing the flag home collectively
as a nation in the 75th year of independence thus
becomes symbolic of not only an act of personal
55. National River Linking Project (NRLP)
IN NEWS: NATIONAL RIVER LINKING PROJECT (NRLP)
The tribal community has intensified their protest The National River Linking Project (NRLP) formally
against the Par-Tapi-Narmada River linking known as the National Perspective Plan, envisages
project under NRLP after it was mentioned in the the transfer of water from water surplus basins
budget speech 2022-23 of the finance minister. where there is flooding to water-deficit basins where
there is drought and scarcity, through inter-basin
The budget speech included five river linking projects water transfer projects.
to be taken up after consensus among states: The two components of the project are:
 Damanganga-Pinjal  Himalayan Component
 Par-Tapi-Narmada  Peninsular Component
 Godavari-Krishna
 Krishna-Pennar Himalayan Component has 14 projects in the
 Pennar-Cauveri pipeline:
 Storage dams to be constructed on the rivers
Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
 Linking of ganga and Yamuna LINK CANALS DIRECTLY RELATED TO BIHAR
 Connecting Brahmaputra and ganga basins to the Kosi-Mechi Link Canal :
Mahanadi basin. The 112.55 km. long canal will mainly pass through
 Connecting eastern tributaries of the Ganga with the "Terai" area in Nepal. It will start from the left
the Sabarmati and Chambal river systems. side of Chatra barrage and fall into Mechi river after
crossing over three small rivers Bakra, Ratuwa and
Peninsular Component projects linking of 16 rivers Kankai through syphon aqueduct. The canal's
in southern India: receiving capacity will be 1407.80 cubic metre per
 Surplus water from Mahanadi and Godavari will second (cumec) and discharge rate will be 97.64
be transferred to Krishna, Kaveri, Pennar, and cumec. The canal would provide irrigational facility to
Vaigai rivers. 4.74 lakh hectares of land. Out of this, 1.75 lakh
 Linking Mahanadi and Godavari river basins to hectares shall be irrigated in Nepal and 2.99 lakh
Kaveri, Krishna, and Vaigai river systems. hectares in Bihar. Besides this, provision of 24 MCM
 Ken to Betwa river, and Parbati and Kalisindh water has been made for domestic and industrial
rivers to Chambal river. requirements of the towns falling in between. As
 West flowing rivers to the south of Tapi to the proposed, it would divert 883 MCM water at the rate
north of Mumbai. of 28 cumec to Mechi river for increasing the water in
Mahananda river. The canal would also provide
PAR-TAPI-NARMADA RIVER LINKING PROJECT navigational facility from Chatra to Ganga via Mechi
 This project was sanctioned in 2010 under the and Mahananda rivers.
agreement signed between the Central
government, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Kosi-Ghaghara Link Canal :
 The project proposes to transfer water from the The 428.76 km long canal, which will start from the
water surplus regions of Western Ghats to the right side of the Chatra barrage, will fall in Gaura
water deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch river, a tributary of Chaghara river, in Uttar Pradesh
(Gujarat). after crossing over Tiljuga, Khanro, Bagmati and
 The project includes seven reservoirs proposed in Lalbakkeya rivers in Nepal and Gandak river in Bihar.
north Maharashtra and south Gujarat which are The canal's receiving capacity will be 1021 cumecs
Jheri, Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, while it will discharge 67 cumec in Gaura river. The
Chikkar, Dabdar, and Kelwan. total benefited area through this link canals is 10.58
lakh hectares. Out of this, 1.74 lakh hectare area shall
 The water from the proposed reservoirs would be
be of Udaipur, Saptari, Mahoitari, Sarlahi and Bara
taken through a 395 km long canal to take over a
districts in Nepal and 8.17 lakh hectare and 0.67 lakh
part of the command of the ongoing Sardar
hectare area of North Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,
Sarovar Project (on Narmada) while irrigating
respectively. The canal would also provide 48 MCM
small areas in the route.
water for domestic and industrial requirements of
 This would save Sardar Sarovar water which will
the towns on its way.
be used to extend irrigation in Saurashtra and
Kutch region.
Sone dam-Southern tributaries of Ganga Link
 The link mainly plans the construction of seven
dams, three diversion weirs, two tunnels, a 395 Canal :
km long canal, 6 powerhouses, and several cross- The 339 km long canal will begin from the right side
drainage works. of the proposed dam across Sone river near Kadwan
in Jharkhand. The canal would fall into Badua river
after crossing over Morhar, Lilajan, Dharmajayi, Sakri
NEED FOR NRLP
and Kiul rivers. Two hydal projects of 3.5 MW and 1.5
 Many parts of the country face water shortages MW capacities would be finalised near the junction of
and droughts while other parts face flooding year Sakri river. The total benefited area through this
after year. canal will be 3.07 lakh hectares in the districts of
 The Indo Gangetic rivers and perennial while the Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Jehanabad, Munger,
peninsular rivers and seasonal. The excess water Bhagalpur, Nawada, Jamui and Aurangabad of Bihar
from the plains can be diverted to the peninsula and Palamu district of Jharkhand.
to solve the water issues.
Chunar-Sone Barrage Link Canal :
The 149.10 km long canal will start from the right side  Inland waterways: The transport and
of Ganga river near Chunar Tehsil of Mirzapur district connectivity through inland waterways will
in UP. It will fall into Sone river near Indrapuri benefit commercially.
barrage in Rohtas district. There would be a lift of  The overall implementation of the Interlinking of
38.8 meters, 16.10 meters and 4.4 meters at three Rivers program under the National Perspective
different places on route. In addition to taking over Plan would give benefits of 35 million hectares of
substantial command areas of Western Sone High irrigation, raising the ultimate irrigation potential
Level and low level canals, this link canal will provide from 140 million hectares to 175 million hectares
irrigation in 66,793 hectares of new area in Mirzapur, and generation of 34000 megawatts of
Varanasi and Gazipur districts of UP and Bhabhua, hydropower, apart from the incidental benefits of
Rohtas, Buxar and Bhojpur districts of Bihar. flood control, navigation, water supply, fisheries,
salinity and pollution control, etc.
Brahmaputra - Ganga (Manas- Sankosh- Teesta-
Ganga Link Canal : CHALLENGES FOR NRLP
It envisages Construction of 457 km long link canal  Environmental impact: The project will alter
and a dam on river Manas and a dam and a barrage many ecosystems as the wildlife and nature will
on river Sankosh in Bhutan. There would be 7 be displaced and destroyed. The ecosystem of
numbers of falls on the canal, out of which 4 nos. of one river is different from the other in terms of
falls are located in Bihar. A total hydro power to the physical and chemical parameters- the mixing of
tune of 718 MW will be generated on these falls, out them may harm aquatic life.
of which 393 MW will be generated on falls located in  Feasibility: The project implementation cost is
Bihar. The link canal will provide irrigation benefits to about 5.6 lakh crores along with the construction
an area of 6.53 lack ha. out of which 2.64 lack ha. are of dams, reservoirs, and canals- which requires
in Bihar. huge engineering capability and manpower.
 Societal impact: Many residential areas will be
Gandak-Ganga Canal : involved leading to the displacement of people.
The 639 km long canal, which would start from the The rehabilitation and compensation will be an
right side of the proposed dam across Gandak river in additional burden.
Nepal, will fall in Ganga river near Mustafabad in Rai  Inter-state water disputes: There are many
Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh. It will run through states involved in river water sharing
Nepal and various districts of Uttar Pradesh. Though disputes and are opposing the project.
this canal would not cross through Bihar it would  Floods: In India, the monsoons can be
make a big impact on the State by taming the flood unpredictable, and many dams have failed during
waters of Gandak. There will be no irrigational facility heavy rainfalls causing disasters. Hence there are
in Bihar from this canal. still apprehensions associated with the project.
 Neighbouring countries: Bangladesh is one
BENEFITS OF NATIONAL RIVER LINKING PROJECT neighbour which will be affected by the
(NRLP) Brahmaputra river projects, hence they have
 Water crisis: The project envisages resolving the been opposing it as a lower riparian region. India
water shortage issues by diverting excess water already has Teesta river water issue with them.
from plains to deficit regions.
 Hydropower generation: The building of dams WAY FORWARD
and reservoirs can generate about 34000 MW of  There is a need for impact-based assessments
electricity from this project. and studies associated with this project. The
 Weather flow augmentation: In dry weather, enormity of the effect it will have on the
surplus water stored in reservoirs can be released environment is not fully understood yet.
to rivers to maintain minimum water flow in  More attention should be given to ways for
rivers. conservation of water and equitable distribution.
 Agriculture: The Farming sector in India is very The groundwater enhancement should be taken
much monsoon-dependent, hence the project up more seriously.
aims to solve the lack of irrigation facilities in  A large number of small-scale solutions like
water deficit regions. better irrigation practices and watershed
management should be given more attention.
 The National Waterways project has the potential excess flood water that goes into seeing
to help states resolve the water disputes as only unexploited will be used.
56. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
DETAILS
 The Prime Minister reviewed the progress made under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
 He suggested that a hybrid system of online and offline learning should be developed to avoid overexposure to
the technology in school-going children.
 He stated that the databases maintained by Anganwadi centres should be seamlessly integrated with the
school databases as children move from Anganwadis to Schools.
o Regular health check-ups for children in schools should be carried out with the help of technology.
HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW EDUCATION POLICY-2020

 The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was released in July 2020.
 NEP 2020 will replace the National Policy on Education, 1986.
 It aims at ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12.
 It Ensures quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years.
 It introduced a New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4).
o 5 years of foundational stage (for ages 3 to 8).
o 3 years of preparatory stage (for ages 8 to 11 or classes 3 to 5).
o 3 years of middle stage (for ages 11 to 14 or classes 6 to 8).
o 4 years of secondary stage (for ages 14 to 18 or classes 9 to 12).
 No strict separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, and between
vocational and academic streams.
 To establish a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
 Promoting multilingualism and Indian languages.
 Reform in Assessment of Board Exams. Setting up a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance
Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
 Special priority is given to socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups.
 A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups;
 A transparent process for recruitment of teachers and merit-based performance assessment.
 Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters.
 Setting up of the State School Standards Authority.
 Promoting Vocational education in school and higher education systems.
 Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50%.
 Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options.
 Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit
 Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities.
 Setting up of the National Research Foundation.
 Expansion of open and distance learning to increase GER.
 Teacher Education - 4-year integrated stage-specific, subject-specific Bachelor of Education
 All higher education institutions (HEIs) will be restructured into 3 categories:
o Research universities focus equally on research and teaching.
o Teaching universities focus primarily on teaching.
o Degree-granting colleges primarily focused on undergraduate teaching.
 Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher
education.
 All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as ‘not-for-profit entities.
 The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in the Education sector to reach
6% of GDP at the earliest.
 Strengthening of the Central Advisory Board of Education to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on
quality education.
OBJECTIVES OF NEP 2020

 Reforms in curriculum content.
 The medium of instruction should be in the local language/mother tongue of the child. The current three
language formula will continue to be implemented.
 Reform in the overall assessment process
 Teacher training and management.
 Ensure effective governance of schools.
 Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio to 50% by 2035 (It was 26.3% in 2018).
 Restructuring of institutions.
 Multidisciplinary education.
 Improving research.
 Promoting Digital education.
CHALLENGES IN INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

 India has achieved universal enrolment at the elementary level. This is a great achievement, but getting
Students to School is only the beginning of human Capital formation.
 Poor quality of facilities, Shortage of qualified faculty.
 Out of date Curriculum, Limited university-industry Partnership.
 Indian origin Scientists have won the Nobel Prize, but post-independence work done in India has not led to a
Science novel. If Indians Studying and working abroad can have a great impact, then obviously the problem has
to do with our Systems of education and research.
 Broken governance System. There are few rewards for being a good teacher and few Punishments for being a
Careless one. Need more effective and accountable governance Systems.
 The greed of Private Colleges to earn the maximum from every Student puts traumatic Pressure on Students
which results in mental breakdown.
 More girls than boys drop out of School. While boys drop out to work, girls usually Stay at home and help with
domestic Work. Social Conception of gender roles is an important factor.
 Learning loss due to pandemics and the digital divide.
STEPS BY THE GOVERNMENT

 The 86th Constitution Amendment provides the Fundamental right to free and compulsory education under
Article 21A includes a Common education System where the “rich and Poor are educated under one roof".
 Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan provides funding to eligible State higher educational institutions.
 Declaration of Educational Institutions as institutions of Eminence, to provide world-class education to Indian
Students within the Country.
 Creation of Higher Education Financing Agency, for high-quality infrastructure in Premier educational
institutions.
 National Institution Ranking Framework for ranking our higher education institutions.
 GIAN Initiative to invite distinguished academicians, entrepreneurs, scientists, and experts from premier
institutions across the world to teach in higher educational institutions in India.
 SWAYAM Portal for online Courses.
 SWAYAM Prabha Provide HD educational Channels through DTH on a 24X7 basis.
 Sodhganga to develop a national repository of universities in India, and digital Study material for higher
education.
 Samagra Shiksha Scheme to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.
 The government is encouraging Open Online Courses via Swayam Platforms So that Students Can have access
to quality lectures online.
 Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to Provide Personalised instructions based on Student needs.
 The government needs to work on improving digital infrastructure and ensure that students have access to
mobile phones or laptops.
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To make education affordable, so as to reach to the economically weaker
section of the society, accessible, so as to reach to the remotest area and
provide quality guidance directly by the selected officers

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Pram IAS

Officers Making Officers

Current Affairs And

 Coverage of All Papers

2. One Year of Taliban 2.0

BACKGROUND: HOW IS CURRENT SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN

HOW DID THE CURRENT

4. Crisis in Sri Lanka

SUPPORT FROM INDIA:

5. Geopolitics Of India-Sri Lanka-China Triangle

HOW THE GROWING CLOUT OF CHINA

WAY AHEAD TO REINVIGORATE INDIA-SRI LANKA TIES

6. India-Russia Defense Relations

BACKGROUND OF INDIA-RUSSIA DEFENCE AND

Significance of the Treaty

7. India in Changing World Order

8. INDIA'S RISING SOFT POWER

Currency Swap Agreement Strategic

10. India Japan Summit 2022

WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS OF THE SUMMIT?

11. Indo-Pakistan relations

BORDER DISPUTE AND SECURITY ISSUES

12. Indus Water Treaty

OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING

13. Pakistan-China Relationship & India

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OF THE PAKISTAN-

14. Pakistan’s Devastating Floods

WHAT CAUSED THE SEVERE FLOOD IN PAKISTAN?

WHAT IS THE INDIAN ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN?

15. Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022

16. India's Arctic Policy

ambassador/representative’ who will represent

17. GROUP OF 7 (G7)

18. India to host G20 Summit in 2023

WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS?

19. Talks Between India & NATO

WHAT IS THE NATO-INDIA POLITICAL

20. World Trade Organisation (WTO)

KEY TAKEAWAYS OF THE CONFERENCE UNDER THE “GENEVA PACKAGE”:

Members agreed to continue the long standing moratorium on custom duties on

The Declaration commits WTO members to launching a work programme to

IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA o Also, India’s demand to seek a permanent

CHALLENGES FACED BY WTO AND ITS SOLUTIONS

OTHER UNRESOLVED ISSUES FOR INDIA AT WTO

21. I2U2 SUMMIT

22. India stays out of ‘Trade Pillar’ of IPEF

WHAT IS IPEF? FOUR PILLARS OF IPEF

REACTIONS FROM THE OPPONENTS

23. Aukus Alliance:

24. India’s Stand at COP-26:

message conveyed by India was that the world

DETAIL OF THE SUMMIT

27. Shanghai Cooperation Organization

28. Quad Grouping

29. What Is The Significance Of India’s Talks With Nato?

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA’S TALKS

30. 2nd India-Nordic Summit

31. Time to Reform UNSC

32. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)