THE CONTEXT: The Abraham Accord was signed between Israel and few Arab Nations in 2020 under the mediation of the then US President, Donald Trump. The agreement is held to open up new chapters of geopolitical cooperation and competition in West Asia. For India the bonhomie between the Jewish nation and the Arab states provides the possibilities for greater engagements with these blocks without having to play the balancing act. In this backdrop, the article examines how India can leverage the agreement for enhancing its outreach to West Asia and beyond.

Abraham Accord and its relevance to West Asia

What is Abraham Accord?

• Abraham Accords was signed in the White house, in September 15, 2020,between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel, under U.S. President Donald Trump’s mediation.
• Under the agreement, the UAE and Bahrain would normalize ties with Israel, heralding better economic, political and security engagement.
• The UAE and Bahrain were followed by Sudan and Morocco in signing the Abraham Accords.
• The accord is the first between Israel and Arab countries since the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty.

Relevance to the region:

• Although Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) had established diplomatic relations with Israel earlier, the Abraham Accords are widely seen as making a definitive breakthrough in the relations between Israel and the Arabs.
• Israel-UAE relationship is seen to have acquired a character independent of Israel’s relations with Palestine and a promise of expansive political, economic and technological cooperation.
• The agreements have the backing of Saudi Arabia, arguably the most influential Arab power and a close ally of the UAE and Bahrain. Riyadh has opened its airspace for commercial flights between the UAE and Israel.
• The perceived Iranian hegemonic presence from Syria and beyond has made Israel and the Gulf partners more vulnerable. This accord and the normalization also explain a new reality: Israel has now become a formidable force in setting these emerging relations.
• The accord shows that the best way to address challenges is through cooperation and dialogue and that developing friendly relations among States advances the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East.
• It will encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions in the region.
• The Accords, from the UAE’s perspective can make sure the emirate along with its international centers of trade such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi do not become targets between Jerusalem and Tehran
• Israel inaugurating its first diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi and direct flights will result in business and tourism picking up between the two countries leading to greater prosperity and progress.

India and Abraham Accord: Opportunities ahead

Impetus to look West Policy:

• Look West policy focuses on three main axes:  the Arab Gulf countries, Israel and Iran. India’s relations with the Arab Gulf countries had already undergone change and expansion since the 1970s. By contrast, India’s relations with Israel and Iran are more recent, emerging largely since the 1990s.
• The accord provides strong impetus to India’s West Asia policy as the engagement with the two axes of Arab Gulf countries and Israel can be concurrently pursued.

Removal of strategic hurdle:

• The signing of the Accords has removed a significant strategic obstacle of   delicate balancing act India has had to play out between the Arab Gulf and Israel over the decades especially in the backdrop of Palestine question.
• New Delhi had welcomed the Accords, highlighting its support for mechanisms that offer peace and stability in the region.

Sea lanes of communication and energy security:

• Defence of the waterways in and around the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the extended Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is critical as India still imports more than 80% of its annual oil requirements, much of which still comes from suppliers such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
• The Accord in all likelihood will reduce the tensions and conflicts in the region which will help India’s energy supply passing through these waters and also provide a respite from continuous deployment of defense assets in the region

Churning geopolitical equations:

• The new geopolitical churn is driven by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertive claims for the leadership of the Islamic world and Pakistan’s growing alignment with Turkey and its alienation from its traditionally strong supporters in the Arab Gulf — the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Erdogan has been championing Pakistan’s case on Kashmir after India changed the territorial status quo of the state in August 2019. At Pakistan’s behest, Erdogan is also blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
• Thus there exists a greater scope for converging interests between India, the UAE, and Israel in this background

Eastern Mediterranean engagements:

• Turkey’s quest for regional dominance has also widened the scope for Indo-Abrahamic convergence to the eastern Mediterranean to include Greece and Cyprus. Greece and Turkey have territorial disputes in the Aegean continental shelf
• Greece has also looked towards India to enhance bilateral security cooperation. Greece’s European partners like France, which have a big stake in the Mediterranean as well as the Arab Gulf, have taken an active interest in countering Turkey’s regional ambitions.
• This provides opportunities for India in deepening cooperation going beyond the West Asia towards the Mediterranean
• Growing maritime connectivity with Greece can be a way of broadening India’s trade and investment footprint within Europe. It also serves strategic purposes in the context of increasing Turkish criticism of India.

Potential paradigm changes in thinking:

• Many in India who view the Middle East through the religious prism believe Hindus and Jews are natural allies in the region. Many in Pakistan have long convinced themselves of a “Hindu-Yehudi conspiracy” to undermine its very existence.
• But the deepening of Indian and Israeli ties with moderate Arab states challenges (in the context of the Accord), this religious paradigm of seeing cooperation among nation states as primarily driven by religious affiliation. The fresh perspective of viewing reality can reduce political and popular opposition to foreign policy outreaches in the region.

Scope for a formal partnership:

• Deepening engagement between India, the UAE and Israel can be converted into a formal coalition. There are many areas like defence, aerospace and digital innovation where the three countries can pool their resources and coordinate development policies.
• Coordination with Saudi Arabia will certainly remain a high priority for the three nations. Meanwhile, others like Greece are eager for greater cooperation with the coalition.
• Also, Sudan can provide springboard to East Africa while Morocco is a gateway to western Mediterranean and North Africa.

Evidence of enhanced engagement (2021):

• India carried out ‘Zayed Talwar’ naval exercises with the UAE off the coast of Abu Dhabi further deepening the fast developing strategic cooperation between the two countries
• Indian Army chief, visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia, becoming the first chief of the Indian Army to do so.
• An Indian contingent of the Indian Air Force will now visit Israel in October 2021 to take part in multilateral military exercises.
• The recent visit by the Indian Air Force chief to Israel is another example of India’s rising attention towards the region.

Analysing the challenges: Abraham Accord and Indian outreach

Palestinian issue:

• India is committed to the two nation states theory in the Middle East and its support to Palestinian statehood remains unchanged. Although India has tried to de hyphenate the Israel-Palestine relations, the challenge remains to balance the engagements with these two.
• Moreover, the Arab world’s response (whether within Accord or outside) to the Palestine issue will also influence the trajectory of India’s outreach.

Iranian response:

• Iran is one of the axis in India’s Look West Policy and the country has important place in India’s strategic calculus be they energy, security, or connectivity.
• For instance, the connectivity projects such as Chabahar Port and Chabahar-Zahedan rail project have huge significance to India’s ambitions in Central Asia and Afghanistan, specially under changed scenarios after the Taliban takeover.
• Iran perceives the Abraham Accord an attempt to clip its wing in the region and may view India’s growing proximity to the grouping with suspicion which may hamper India’s interests.

Role of Saudi Arabia:

• Saudi Arabia, a close ally of UAE and Bahrain is among the most powerful countries in the region, is not a part of the Accord. Saudi Arabia has maintained a distance from this arrangement although Riyadh has praised the Accords, but said that the resolution of the Palestinian State remains at the forefront of its requirements
• What course of action does the country takes in future will decide the Accord’s effectiveness and by extension the contours India’s outreach.
• More so, when the vacuum left by the retreat of the Arab powers from the Israel – Palestine conflict is being filled by the non-Arab Muslim powers — Iran, Turkey and their allies.

Evolving regional dynamics:

• With the U.S. in retreat and Turkey and Iran pursuing more aggressive foreign policies, there is a three-way contest taking shape, in which Sunni-ruled Arab kingdoms, all American allies, are realigning their geopolitical interests with Israel.
• The Abraham Accords are likely to sharpen this contest. In such a scenario, Indian options in West Asia will remain what they were or may even get limited.

WAY FORWARD

Recalibrating strategies:

• Till recently, India has been a reluctant power in this region but with a relatively weaker US and an assertive Chinese presence, India can’t afford to remain isolated.
• New Delhi must recalibrate its options and methods in alignment with Gulf partners and Israel for its own security and strategic interests.

Leveraging the changed narrative

• The Gulf states’ non-secretive relations with Israel would certainly legitimize India’s de-hyphenation policy towards Israel-Palestine relations.
• The emerging ties between India and Israel and India-GCC relations need to be leveraged to help find new ways for multilateral engagements on strategic issues like, security, energy challenges, agriculture, space to cyber technology.

Soft power diplomacy:

• India’s soft power has created a trust factor although India’s current domestic factors have seriously damaged its democratic credentials. In March 2020, the UN approached India for a constructive mediation between Israel and Palestinian considering New Delhi’s good relations with both sides.
• India’s official de-hyphenation policy has been hailed by these two sides in the recent past. India needs to use this trust and acceptance factor in furthering Palestinian institutional building and equally nurture the special relationship with Israel.

More pragmatic engagement:

• India’s energy security challenges and conditions of its expatriate workers’ conditions in the Gulf might serve India’s long term interest if it engages more pragmatically in this region.
• India’s relations with Iran need not be strained for its enhanced outreach with the countries in the region which have a conflictual relation with Iran.

Extending cooperation into newer areas:

• India and Israel’s relations have found new trajectories beyond defence and agriculture to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
• In the past, India and UAE have signed a deal for securing their huge oil base. Similarly, India had major deals with Saudi for a huge investment. Notably, these Gulf states have one of the highest sovereign wealth funds and India offers an attractive market.

CONCLUSION:

The Abraham Accord presents greater opportunities to the peace, stability and progress of the Middle east. It also provides huge prospects for Indian’ outreach to west Asia in multiple areas. The shape and direction, the agreement will take depend on the Iranian and Saudi actions along with Palestinian issue resolution. India needs to devise strategies to reap the benefits of the changed equations in the region while minimizing its fallouts.

QUESTIONS

Q.1 How far do you think the Abraham Accord will address the pressing issues in Middle East? Justify your answer

Q,2 The Abraham Accord opens up new opportunities and challenges to India’s outreach in West Asia. Comment

1. Life’s a procession of unexpected opportunities READ MORE
2. No ground for grieving READ MORE
3. Subversion of truth: Central agencies and police being misused to redraw political equations READ MORE

1. Net zero emission can’t halt climate change READ MORE
2. Need urgent pollution policy: High density of air pollutants leads to low life expectancy READ MORE

1. A perspective on Indian healthcare READ MORE
2. The Long Shadow of Hunger in India READ MORE

1. Subversion of truth: Central agencies and police being misused to redraw political equations READ MORE
2. How did the makers of the Indian Constitution view patriotism for Indian citizens? READ MORE
3. Early life nutrition and future educational outcomes: Findings from ICDS READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Prime Minister’s Dream of TB Free India by 2025 READ MORE
2. Baghjan oil well fire: new panel to assess damages READ MORE
3. Long wait for a Deputy Speaker for Lok Sabha READ MORE
4. Explained: Reading US Supreme Court’s refusal to block Texas anti-abortion law READ MORE
5. IMF allocates $17.86 billion to India under SDR READ MORE
6. Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa launch cenbank digital currency scheme READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Subversion of truth: Central agencies and police being misused to redraw political equations READ MORE
2. How did the makers of the Indian Constitution view patriotism for Indian citizens? READ MORE
3. Early life nutrition and future educational outcomes: Findings from ICDS READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. A perspective on Indian healthcare READ MORE
2. The Long Shadow of Hunger in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Noble intentions: The UN must ensure that the Taliban uphold human rights and give up terror tactics READ MORE
2. India at the Bled Strategic Forum READ MORE
3. Taliban challenges the Indian policy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Is monetising public assets a good idea? The challenge is in structuring the complexity of contracts with private players READ MORE
2. How can India’s economic recovery be sustained — and accelerated? READ MORE
3. RBI and G-secs market READ MORE
4. A scrappage policy just for the record READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Net zero emission can’t halt climate change READ MORE
2. Need urgent pollution policy: High density of air pollutants leads to low life expectancy READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Breakthrough challenge: Vaccine makers should move to make vaccines for the Delta variants READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Life’s a procession of unexpected opportunities READ MORE
2. No ground for grieving READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘A scrappage policy has many advantages, but the Scrappage Policy 2021 will not deliver them as it impractical’. Examine the statement.
2. The National Commission On Air Quality Management faces multiple challenges in addressing the problems of Air pollution in the NCR and adjoining areas. Substantiate with examples.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The truth is not always beautiful nor beautiful words are the truth.
• While it has decided to embark on talks with the Taliban in Doha, it must continue to play that role on the world stage.
• A country like India, in spite of being a major vaccine producer in the pre-pandemic era, has only now managed to get production lines to deliver one crore vaccines a day.
• The Indian government is coordinating and executing a round-the-clock evacuation of not just Indians but also nationals of other countries from Afghanistan.
• Policy support is needed to nurture the drivers of growth and sustain the recovery process.
• The central bank currently needs all its powers to support the government in the ongoing crisis. Control over the G-sec market is critical in order to discharge many of its key functions such as management of systemic liquidity, regulating foreign exchange market and maintaining financial stability.
• There is a limited window of opportunity for India to leverage the current ongoing realignment of global supply chains and progressively onboard both manufacturing and services entities.
• To combat climate change, agriculture, industry and consumption patterns need to be radically overhauled.
• The economic crisis created high levels of unemployment and a lack of food and basic rights like healthcare and education for a large mass of people. Co-ordinate collective action to declare and treat climate change as an urgent political issue and pressing national security and civilisational threat.

50-WORD TALK

• The status of the national animal is reserved for wild and endangered species. The cow is not. Allahabad High Court remarks on the cow are a needless intervention. The Directive Principles of the Constitution has enough on cow protection. We don’t need more fuel to what is an already inflammable situation.
• SAS Geelani’s death is the last blow to the growing irrelevance of Hurriyat politics in Kashmir. This vacuum creates a space for mainstream political parties to reclaim the support of the disenchanted Kashmiri youth. It also presents an opportunity for New Delhi to begin a new template for political engagement.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. LONG WAIT FOR A DEPUTY SPEAKER FOR LOK SABHA

THE CONTEXT: With the Delhi High Court asking the Central government to explain its stand on a petition that claimed keeping the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha vacant is a violation of Article 93 of the Constitution.

ANALYSIS:

• The position had been vacant for the past 830 days.
• It is a constitutional mandated position and not a ceremonial one.
• The longest time that this post had remained vacant was in the 12th Lok Sabha and even then on the 59th sitting of Parliament, election to the post was held.

ABOUT DEPUTY SPEAKER OF LOK SABHA

• Article 93 of the Constitution provides for the election of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.
• He / She acts as presiding officer in case of leave or absence caused by death or illness of the Speaker.
• Usually, the Deputy Speaker is elected in the first meeting of the Lok Sabha after the General elections from amongst the members of the Lok Sabha.
• By convention, position of Deputy Speaker is offered to opposition party in India.
• The date of election of Deputy Speaker is fixed by Speaker.
• Deputy speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker and is directly responsible to Lok Sabha.

Reference: The Hindu

2. EAT RIGHT STATION CERTIFICATION

THE CONTEXT: Indian Railways’ Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices.

ANALYSIS

• The ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is awarded by FSSAI to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers.
• The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit agency with ratings from 1 to 5. The 5-star rating indicates exemplary efforts by stations to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.
• The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform the country’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
• Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet.
• Chandigarh Railway Station becomes the fifth station in India to get this recognition. The other railway stations with this certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station; (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus; (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station; (Mumbai) and Vadodara Railway Station.

Reference: PIB

3. PROPHYLACTIC MEDICINES

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Ayush launched a campaign of distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written guidelines on diet and lifestyle.

ANALYSIS:

• In the next one year, the immunity booster medicines and the guidelines to combat Covid-19 will be distributed to 75 lakh people across the country, with special focus on geriatric (people of 60 years and above age) population and the front line workers.
• The kit of Ayurveda prophylactic medicines for Covid-19 contains Sanshamani Vati, which is also known as Guduchi or Giloy Ghan Vati and Ashwagandha Ghan Vati.
• The kit and the guidelines have been prepared by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Medicines (CCRAS).
• The drive to distribute prophylactic medicines and diet and lifestyle guidelines is a part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign launched by the Government of India to commemorate 75 years of India’s freedom. The year-long campaign will continue till August 2022 when India celebrates 75th anniversary of Independence.
• Distribution of Ayush prophylactic medicines will help citizens to boost immunity against the corona virus. During the two waves of pandemic, people of this country showed great faith in our traditional system of medicine. Their faith has encouraged us to come up with this nationwide distribution campaign. This campaign is being carried out through the robust network of more than 86 Ayush institutions across the country.

Reference: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

4. BAGHJAN OIL WELL FIRE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court formed an expert committee led by former Gauhati High Court judge, Justice B.P. Katakey, to assess the damage and the cost of reparation of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and surrounding ecologically fragile areas of Assam, which were damaged in the Baghjan oil well blowout in May 2020.

ANALYSIS:

• Justice Katakey’s committee substitutes the National Green Tribunal’s 10-member committee led by the Assam Chief Secretary.
• The Court directed OIL to pay for the committee’s expenses.
• A blowout is an uncontrolled escape of natural gas or crude oil. The spewing is akin to a volcanic eruption.

BAGHJAN WELL

• It is a purely gas producing well in Tinsukia district, Assam.
• It was drilled by Oil India Limited (OIL) in 2006. It produces around 80,000 standard cubic metres per day (SCMD) of gas from a depth of 3,870 metres.
• It is at an aerial distance of 900 metres from the Dibru- Saikhowa National Park.
• Maguri-Motapung wetland is located near well.

DIBRU SAIKHOWA NATIONAL PARK

• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam. • It was designated a Biosphere Reserve in July 1997.
• The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru river in the south.
• The forest of Dibru-Saikhowa consists of semi-evergreen forests, deciduous, littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet evergreen forests.
• Dibru Saikhowa is one of the last habitats of the deo hans, or ‘spirit duck’, as the critically endangered white-winged wood duck is known here, and a stronghold of the black-breasted parrotbill, one of India’s rarest birds.
• In its waterways that encompass a myriad wetlands like the Maguri Motapung beel, there are over 300 bird species and 80 species of fish, including the ‘tiger of the river’, the endangered golden mahseer.
• The park is also home to other rare creatures such as Gangetic dolphins, water buffalo, black-breasted parrotbill, tiger and capped langur.

Reference: The Hindu

5. INDIAN BIOLOGIST WINS GLOBAL AWARD IN TURTLE CONSERVATION

THE CONTEXT: Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction.

ANALYSIS:

• The award has been bestowed by several global bodies involved in turtle conservation such as Turtle Survival Alliance, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, and the Turtle Conservation Fund.
• For some species, such as the red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga), northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), and black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans), Dr. Singh and his team’s efforts are the last hope for their wild survival in the country.

RED-CROWNED ROOFED TURTLE OR BENGAL ROOF TURTLE (BATAGUR KACHUGA)

• It is a species of freshwater turtle endemic to South Asia.
• it has suffered declines in population due to being harvested for meat and shells, drowned in fishing nets, water pollution, hydro-electric schemes and habitat loss.
• IUCN: Critically endangered

NORTHERN RIVER TERRAPIN (BATAGUR BASKA)

• It is a species of riverine turtle native to Southeast Asia.
• It prefers freshwater habitats and moves to brackish river mouths or estuaries in the breeding season.
• Threats: exploitation as a food item, loss of nesting beaches and pollution
• IUCN: Critically endangered
• Captive breeding in Sajnekhali Forest Station in the Sunderban Tiger Reserve in India with support from Turtle Survival Alliance.

BLACK SOFTSHELL TURTLE OR BOSTAMI TURTLE (NILSSONIA NIGRICANS)

• It is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh.
• In the 1800s it was believed these turtles were brought from Iran to Chittagong shrine pond by Hazrat Bayezid Bostami.
• This turtles he had brought to this pond were treated as sacred and respected by the public.
• These turtles exist in a temple’s pond called the Hayagriva Madhava Temple located in Assam, India.
• IUCN: Critically endangered

Reference: The Hindu

6. PILOT PROJECT TO REPLACE DIESEL WITH LNG IN DUMPERS

THE CONTEXT:  State-owned CIL said it has begun the process of retrofitting LNG kits in its dumpers — big trucks engaged in transportation of coal, a move that will help the PSU to save around crores rupees annually.

ANALYSIS:

• In a big push to reduce its carbon footprint, national miner Coal India Ltd. [CIL] has initiated the process of retrofitting Liquefied Natural Gas [LNG] kits in its dumpers.
• This is a significant move, as the world’s largest coal miner uses over 4 lakh kilolitres of diesel per annum with an annual expense of over 3,500 crore rupees.
• CIL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GAIL an BEML to get this pilot project executed.

Reference: The Hindu

INDIAN ECONOMY

7. IMF ALLOCATES $17.86 BILLION TO INDIA UNDER SDR

THE CONTEXT:  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has made an allocation of special drawing rights (SDR) 12.57 billion (equivalent to around $17.86 billion at the latest exchange rate) to India.

ANALYSIS:

• The total SDR holdings of India now stand at SDR 13.66 billion (equivalent to around $19.41 billion at the latest exchange rate). This increase in SDR holdings will be reflected in the foreign exchange reserves (FER) data that will be published for the week ended August 27, 2021, the RBI said.
• SDR in the RBI’s forex reserves was $1.54 billion as on August 20, 2021. With the latest SDR allocation, the forex reserves are expected to cross $630 billion.
• Holdings are one of the components of the FER of a country. IMF makes the general SDR allocation to its members in proportion to their existing quotas in the IMF.
• The IMF board of governors had approved a general allocation of about SDR 456 billion on August 2, (effective from August 23) of which India’s share is SDR 12.57 billion.

Reference: Indian express

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

8. BLUE STRAGGLER

THE CONTEXT : Carrying out the first-ever comprehensive analysis of blue stragglers, Indian researchers found that half of the blue stragglers in their sample are formed through mass transfer from a close binary companion star, one third are likely formed through collisions of 2 stars, and the remaining are formed through interactions of more than 2 stars.

ANALYSIS:

• Blue stragglers, a class of stars on open or globular clusters that stand out as they are bigger and bluer than the rest of the stars; have intrigued scientists who have for long probed their origin.
• A bunch of stars born at the same time from the same cloud form a star cluster. As time passes, each star evolves differently depending on its mass. The most massive and bright stars evolve and move off the main sequence creating a bend in their track, known as the turnoff.
• Stars above this bend or brighter and hotter stars are not expected in a cluster, as they leave the main sequence to become red giants. But in 1953, Allan Sandage found that some stars seem to be hotter than the turnoff of the parent cluster. Initially, these blue stars still straggling above the turnoff were not part of these clusters. However, later studies confirmed that these stars are indeed cluster members, and they were termed “Blue Stragglers”.
• The only probable way these stars can still be present in these clusters is if they have somehow acquired extra mass along the way while on the main sequence. Confirming the mechanisms of the mass gain required a study using a large sample of blue-straggler stars and estimates of the mass they have gained.
• The study will help improve understanding of these stellar systems to uncover exciting results in studies of large stellar populations, including galaxies.

Q1. Consider the following statements about black softshell turtle:

1. It is lives in both freshwater and brackish water.
2. In India, it is found in Hayagriva Madhava Temple located in Assam, India.
3. It is declared as critically endangered species by IUCN.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q2 A 5- star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is granted by?

1. Ministry of Railways
2. State Government
3. FSSAI
4. United Nations World Food Programme

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 02, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect:ZAPAD 2021 is multi-national exercise held by Russia.
• Statement 2 is correct:It is held at Nizhniy, Russia.
• Statement 3 is correct: The city is located on the bank of Volga river

[WpProQuiz 37]