1. The economic reforms — looking back to look ahead: The fundamentals need to be set right with a focus on human capital, technology readiness and productivity READ MORE
2. NBFC regulation needs to be strengthened READ MORE
3. Intellectuals are Being Failed by Institutions in India READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM urges the private sector to help improve quality in govt. schools READ MORE
2. 13th BRICS Summit READ MORE
3. Soil microbes can make for a greener revolution READ MORE
4. Explained: What UAE’s new visa means for foreign workers READ MORE
5. 37% students in rural areas not studying at all as schools remain shut, survey finds READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Making them pay: on regulating app store operators- A law to regulate app store operators is key to check Big Tech’s monopolising nature READ MORE
2. Intellectuals are Being Failed by Institutions in India READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The future is at stake READ MORE
2. Drug deaths in Punjab: An urgent probe should reveal the supplier-peddler network READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Instead of Taliban talks, India must stand up for Afghan resistance despite Panjshir fall READ MORE
2. Can India Engage with the Taliban? READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The economic reforms — looking back to look ahead: The fundamentals need to be set right with a focus on human capital, technology readiness and productivity READ MORE
2. NBFC regulation needs to be strengthened READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate crisis in North East India: Why are rainfall patterns changing? READ MORE
2. Let all green initiatives not be just gas: Further electrification of India’s rail tracks would actually result in higher CO2 emissions because electricity is majorly sourced from fossil fuels READ MORE
3. Conservation Strategies Save Some Tuna Species from Extinction READ MORE
4. Why India Needs a Climate-Resilient Action Plan for Its Drylands READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. As Himalayan nations deal with glacial floods, cooperation is the key to mitigating disasters READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. One who loves himself should not harm others READ MORE
2. How to be a true disciple READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘While domestic politics and moral compulsions pull India away from the Taliban, its strategic interests will push it to engage with the new government in Kabul’. Analyse the statement.
2. Discuss the reasons why are rainfall patterns changing in North East India?
3. ‘With growing evidence on the transboundary nature of climate risks, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive regional risk governance framework’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• After all the sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq, why do we find ourselves in a more dangerous world?
• While domestic politics and moral compulsions pull India away from the Taliban, its strategic interests will push it to engage with the new government in Kabul.
• The fundamentals need to be set right with a focus on human capital, technology readiness and productivity.
• A law to regulate app store operators is key to check Big Tech’s monopolising nature.
• With growing evidence on the transboundary nature of climate risks, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive regional risk governance framework.
• India must be clear that the Taliban are a clone of Pakistan and any attempts at seeking a reconciliation must be transactional and tactical.
• Covid-19 has devastated education; it also affected teachers; while many tried to help students, most were out of touch with them. It may take years to compensate for the loss.
• As NBFCs have become systemically important, regulation must be on a par with banks to ensure financial stability.

 50-WORD TALK

• Tamil Nadu’s ‘Right to Sit’ Bill that mandates seating facilities for workers is a welcome reform, underscoring the rights and dignity of labour. While Kerala and Tamil Nadu have led the way in avoiding ‘on the toes situation’ during duty hours, this should go beyond states to become a national ‘right’.
• Supreme Court is right to feel aggrieved over the delay in filling up tribunal vacancies. 100 vacancies for over a year cannot be justified, especially due to a turf war between executive and judiciary. Speedy, efficient dispute redressal is critical not just for justice but the ease of doing business too.
• Internet shutdowns by the Haryana government in Karnal ahead of farmers’ gherao runs counter to the right to internet freedom, dissent and protest. From Kashmir to Karnal, jamming mobile internet has become the default tool of the panic-ridden State. Disruption by the State can’t be the only response to civic protests.

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.

THE CONTEXT: The fifth annual democracy report by Sweden’s V-Dem Institute, titled ‘Autocratisation goes viral’, has downgraded India from “the world’s largest democracy” to an “electoral autocracy”.V-Dem’s findings are consistent with other contemporary international inferences on the quality of democracy prevailing in India: Freedom House designated India to be “partly free” recently; India was described as a “flawed democracy” in the latest Democracy Index published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

India: A Captured Democracy

The current crisis of Indian democracy should be seen as the outcome of a “democracy capture”.  In democratic societies, the common good should prevail over individual interests. The state’s role is to design and implement public policies that enhance and improve the rights of its citizens. If the opposite is the case, the state is said to have been ‘captured’. A state that grants privileges to a few over the majority of the population is one in which public policies reduce or limit the rights of its citizens.

The current crisis is different from the Emergency

• Emergency was an exception to a norm; what we now have is a different norm.
• Emergency needed a formal legal declaration. Capturing democracy does not.
• The Emergency had a beginning and was, at least on paper, required to have an end. Democracy capture has a beginning, but not necessarily an end.
• Beyond Kashmir, there has been no mass arrest of politicians, and many more state governments are run by political parties that do not rule in Delhi.

This is ‘democracy capture’ as democracy is both the object and the subject of this capture. The apparatus being seized is democracy. And the means being deployed for this capture are also democratic. The formal procedures of democracy have been used to subvert the substance of democracy. This democracy capture could not have happened without some structural weaknesses within the Indian democracy. Therefore, one must focus on the conditions that made this kind of capture possible.

Government to blame

The rankings blame the government for the backsliding of democracy.  They say there has been increased pressure on human rights groups, intimidation of journalists and activists, and a spate of attacks, especially against Muslims under the present regime. This has led to a deterioration of political and civil liberties in the country.

• V-Dem said the “diminishing of freedom of expression, the media, and civil society have gone the furthest” and that far as censorship goes India was “as autocratic as Pakistan and worse than its neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal”.
• Freedom House said civil liberties have been in decline since 2014, and that India’s “fall from the upper ranks of free nations” could have a more damaging effect on the world’s democratic standards.
• And The Democracy Index said the “democratic backsliding” by authorities and “crackdowns” on civil liberties had led to a decline in India’s rankings. It said government policies had “fomented anti-Muslim feeling and religious strife and damaged the political fabric of the country”.

The world moves towards autocratisation

Going by rankings, democracy, despite its enduring appeal, appears to be in trouble all over the world. The erosion of freedoms in India seems to be consistent with the retreat of liberal democracies around the world. According to V-Dem, electoral autocracies are now present in 87 states that are home to 68% of the global population.

• In the 2020 Democracy Index, only 75 of the 167 countries and territories covered by the model – or 44.9% – are considered to be democracies.
• Freedom House estimates less than 20% of the world’s population now lives in a free country, the smallest proportion since 1995.
• According to V-Dem Liberal democracies are diminishing, and are home to only 14% of the people.
• During 2020, two-thirds of countries imposed restrictions on the media and a third of countries have emergency measures without an expiry date.
• But the breakdown of democracy in established cases is concerning. India is the latest example of this following Hungary and Turkey. The Indian case stands out given the size of its population and past record as a successful model of multi-ethnic democracy

India’s Autocratisation Process

• Autocratisation typically follows a similar pattern across very different contexts. It begins with ruling governments attacking the media and civil society, followed by polarisation of the society by disrespecting opponents and spreading false information and culminates in elections and other formal institutions being undermined.
• Leaders in some constitutional democracies have used use constitutionalism and democracy to destroy both. Electoral mandates plus constitutional and legal changes are used for this. They support elections and use their electoral victories to legitimise their legal reforms. They use constitutional change for achieving the unified domination of all of the institutions of state.
• India follows the pattern observed in other cases of recent democratic breakdown, the typical pattern for countries in the ‘Third Wave’. India is among the countries leading the ‘third wave of autocratisation’.

Third wave

• Unlike previous waves, the present wave mainly affects democracies.
• Traditional methods of dramatic and blatant military coups (1^stwave) and election fraud (2^nd wave) have been replaced with legal, informal and discrete power transfers (3^rd wave).

Like for authoritarianism

• Surveys have reported that Indians have demonstrated both majoritarian and authoritarian impulses for some years now and younger people do not have particularly more progressive beliefs.
• In the latest round (2010-2014)  of the World Values Survey, India along with Pakistan and Russia, featured below the global average on the importance accorded to democracy.
• The latest Pew Global Attitudes Survey, conducted in early 2018, found that a majority of Indians were satisfied with the way democracy was working

Evidences from the reports

India is now ‘Partly Free’ in Freedom House’s report

• Freedom in the World report has downgraded India’s status from a ‘Free’ country to a ‘Partly Free’ country. The report noted a “multiyear pattern” as it attributed the downgrade — from a score of 71 in 2019 and 75 in 2018 to 67 in 2020.
• It said criminal charges were filed against journalists, students, and others under “colonial-era sedition laws” and the the Information Technology (IT) Act in response to “speech perceived as critical of the government, notably including expressions of opposition to the new citizenship legislation and discussion of the official response to the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Discrimination’ against Muslims

• A number of Hindu nationalist organizations and some media outlets promote anti-Muslim views, which the government has been accused of encouraging.
• The implementation of the CAA and the government’s intention for a NRC threatened to disenfranchise Muslim voters.
• The report also mentioned cow vigilantism.

Lack of freedom’ in institutions

• Freedoms of various institutions such as the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court have been called into question.
• The amendment of the Right to Information Actpotentially exposed the commissioners to political pressure.

Freedom of media and expression

• The report said the authorities have used security, defamation, sedition, and hate speech laws, as well as contempt of court charges, to quiet critical voices in the media which has exacerbated self-censorship.
• It also claimed that academic freedom has declined and that academics, professors and students are intimidated.

How reliable are these rankings?

Global exercises.

• Freedom House’s latest global report on political rights and civil liberties covers developments in 195 countries and 15 territories.
• V-Dem claims to produce the largest global dataset on democracy involving 202 countries from 1789 to 2020.
• The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index gives a snapshot on the health of democracy in 165 countries and two territories.

Rules and parameters

• V-Dem says it measures “hundreds of different attributes of democracy” with almost 30 million data points, involving more than 3,500 scholars and country experts.
• The Economist’s Democracy Index is based on measuring electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties”.
• And Freedom House says it uses a two-tiered system consisting of scores and status – a country is awarded points for each of its political rights and civil liberties indicators.

Subjectivity

• Such rankings, according to a study by University of Pennsylvania, are the result of quantitative assessments – like distribution of seats in the national legislature among political parties – and qualitative judgements, like evaluating whether safeguards against corruption are effective.
• Aggregating these indicators into an index is a subjective exercise, depending on the judgements of experts to identify metrics to include and how to weight each appropriately.
• Most rankings do not impose a single definition of democracy – experts agree that an “electoral democracy” is really the bare minimum

India is now an ‘Electoral Autocracy’ in V-Dem’s report

India registered a 23-percentage point drop on its 0-to-1 Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) scale, which aims to capture electoral and liberal aspects of democracy.

With this slide, India has moved from the top 50% of the 180 countries analysed by V Dem to the bottom 50%. In last year’s report, India was last among the 90 countries in the top 50%. This year, it is ranked 97th, falling into the bottom 50%.

Elections

• The autonomy of the ECI saw a severe depreciation since around 2013 and signals the decline in the quality of critical formal institutions.
• The overall freedom and fairness of elections also was hard hit, with the 2019 elections, hastening a downgrading to an electoral autocracy.

Freedom of expression

• By 2020, censorship efforts are becoming routine and no longer even restricted to sensitive (to the government) issues. India is, in this aspect, now as autocratic as is Pakistan, and worse than both its neighbors Bangladesh and Nepal.
• In general, the government has used laws on sedition, defamation, and counterterrorism to silence critics. For example, over 7,000 people have been charged with sedition after 2014 and most of the accused are critics of the ruling party.
• The law on defamationhas been used frequently to silence journalists and news outlets that take exception to policies of the government.

Civil Society

• Constraints have been also placed on civil society. The UAPA, 1967, amended in August 2019, is being used to harass and imprison political opponents, as well as people mobilizing to protest government policies and to silence dissent in academia.
• The government have increasingly used the FCRA to restrict the entry, exit and functioning of Civil Society Organisations.

India’s slide in other indices which monitor democratic freedoms

• India’s slide in these reports only mirrors its decline in indices compiled by independent bodies which monitor democratic freedoms over the past few years.
• In March 2020, Reports Without Borders (RSF)placed India alongside China, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia in a list of press freedom’s “worst digital predators”. The list flags countries where companies and government agencies use “digital technology to spy on and harass journalists”.
• In April 2020, the US government’s Religious Freedom Monitorrecommended that the country’s state department should include India in the list of “countries of special concern”. It noted that religious freedom had improved globally but singled out India for seeing a “sharp downward turn”.
• Again in April, India was ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in RSF’s Press Freedom Index, sliding two ranks down. It criticised the ‘longest electronic curfew’ in history in Kashmir and highlighted that ‘state troll armies’ in the country use the ‘weapon of disinformation’ on social media.
• The country also fell 26 places to rank 105th among 162countries and territories on a global economic freedom index released by the Fraser Institute in Canada in September 2020.
• Finally in December 2020, India was ranked 111th out of 162countries in the Cato Institute’s Human Freedom Index 2020. Between the 2019 and 2020 indices, the country plummeted 17 spots.
• With the Centre giving the nod to the new IT Rules, which give the government sweeping powers, future reports could see India’s media freedom being downgraded further.

India is a “Flawed Democracy” in EIU’s ‘Democracy in sickness and in health report

India has fallen two places to 53rd in the 2020 Democracy Index report released by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The country was ranked 51st in 2019, with an overall score of 6.9 which has dropped down to 6.61. While India’s democratic credibility and scores suffered this year, regional neighbours, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan saw marginal improvement.

Religious strife

• It cites the CAA, as the primary cause that fuelled protests in the country for months.
• The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, is the second significant event that the report cites to explain the fall in India’s position as a vibrant democracy

Lockdown

• The government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and a crackdown on voices that criticised its measures.
• According to media reports, 55 Indian journalists were threatened, arrested and booked by the Centre and state governments for their reporting on COVID-19.

How has India’s government reacted?

The flurry of downgrades has cast a shadow on the global image of India’s democracy. The government has said that the ‘Freedom in the World’ report is “misleading, incorrect and misplaced”. The government also issued a point-by-point-rebuttal.In parliament, the chairman of the upper house, Venkaiah Naidu, did not allow an opposition MP to pose a question related to the V-Dem report

What could be probable impact on India?

A) Foreign Policy

The biggest impact of these developments is, of course, internal. But the impact is also external. India has been accorded great respect in the world but the perceptions are now changing. Other countries’ view of India is influenced by calculations and hopes that it can help counter Chinese expansionism in Asia.

India exercises lesser economic power internationally than China. Democracy was unquestionably one of India’s biggest international assets. The United States and its allies have courted India as a potential strategic partner and democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the Indian government’s departures from democratic norms could blur the values-based distinction between Beijing and New Delhi

B) Entrepreneurship

In India, due to the diversities of economic life, the evidence shows that economic growth is best achieved in times of civic and social freedom. In India’s economic growth oriented phases where governments delivered steady growth rates, state had a lighter footprint on civic life.

The attempt to spur free private enterprise is bound to fail when the state apparatus is constricting civil and democratic rights. The common entrepreneur is a free thinker. But when the freedom to think is constricted, the robust energies of new entrepreneurs are in danger of being snuffed out.

What is the criticisms of these reports?

• But just as democracy is not about poll statistics, our democratic credentials can’t be crunched into a score either. The parameters in play are unquantifiable. The method used to condense complexities of this vast country into a score that allows a rank ordering could be debated. Globally, ratings are being called into question. One prominent researcher concludes that the ratings may look scientific but they’re actually subjective.
• General observation does confirm that India has not escaped global trends. Power appears more centralized than before and complaints have been aired of dissent losing space. What these ratings seem not to have taken into account are the popular voices of support for the constitutional values and democratic principles of equality, liberty and justice.
• As Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has argued, Indians are an inherently argumentative, and our traditions of debate and discursive problem-solving go back millennia. The country’s response to the suspension of civil liberties during the Emergency testifies to that. It is hard to argue that Indians at large are not better informed and keener on empowerment now than they were then. Democracy is far more than the periodic ritual of exercising our franchise, yes, but it cannot be reduced to an index reading either.
• Other organs of the state, Parliament and the Courts have enacted and reinforced progressive social legislation. Gay sex decriminalized, right to privacy fire-walled and women have been granted equal rights to pray in thus far male only places of worship. Even when state governments have enacted legislation impinging upon the private lives of two consenting adults the courts have been quick to restrain police who filed cases under the laws.
• A large number of nations where there is no separation of powers between the state and religion, which do not have a republican form of government, and where the concept of equality before law does not exist, are way ahead of us. In fact, many countries in the top ten nations have different forms of Christianity as their state religion, whereas the secular ideal is embedded in the preamble of our Constitution.
• These rankings are useful for research and identifying very broad trends that academics are interested in.This is an instance of academic discourse and concepts operating at a considerable distance from lived experience. The operational concepts across the two domains are very different.
• Indeed, the methodology and ranking mechanisms adopted by organisations like Freedom House and projects like V-Dem can be critiqued. But Within their limitations, such assessments fulfil two purposes. They allow cross-national comparisons. One may have reservations about their criteria but being common for all countries, they give a reasonable idea where a country stands vis-à-vis others. They also tell us how a given country has been performing over time.
• The ministry of external affairs is considering a “world democracy report” as well as a “global press freedom index” to be brought out by an independent Indian think tank.
• The discussions were going on before recent reports by Freedom House and V-Dem Institute downgraded India’s democratic rankings.
• The ministry of external affairs began discussions that India should counter reports such as the report from the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute and the Press Freedom Index by defining its own parameters on democracy.
• In its internal note, MEA also suggested that missions across the world could actively engage with NGO/institutes such as the RSF and V-Dem and provide them with material which will help them put “India at the rightful place on the democracy and press-freedom index, in future reports”. The matter is still being considered and no decision has been taken.

WAY FORWARD:

• The signs of authoritarianism cannot be denied. Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by coups but by elected governments themselves. More prevalent now is what scholars are calling “democratic backsliding”, a new concept to depict democratic erosion led by elected politicians, often quite legally. Many government efforts to subvert democracy are legal in the sense that they are approved by the legislatures or accepted by the courts. There are examples from Latin America and Europe, and the US under Donald Trump. India’s democracy is backsliding, because elected politicians are subverting democracy.
• Democratic backsliding in India is especially concerning because India’s democracy was exceptional as democracy was not only established at low levels of income, but it even flourished. Other certificates from foreign monitors or watchdogs are welcomed and celebrated. This is true of the QS World University Rankings 2021, and World Bank’s annual report on ease of doing business 2020. These are applauded — as they should be. Yet, the bedrock beneath top-notch campuses and a vibrant market are the nation’s democratic credentials and the work of maintaining them is the most stellar achievement of all. They are what separate India from its neighbours in the region, and what distinguish it from China. The combination of an open market and an open democracy is what attracts private players and investors factor into their economic calculations. There must be no erosion or backsliding here — and in an increasingly interconnected world, perceptions of erosion and backsliding need to be addressed, not dismissed.
• If democracy was just about free and fair elections, India would be the world’s greatest democracy. The apparatus needed for a healthy democracy goes beyond elections to unelected institutions: the judiciary, the press, the Reserve Bank of India, the Election Commission of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the Lokpal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the tax agencies, the police, and so on.
• The more powerful a government, the more it pushes its way ahead of independent institutions. India will always have this problem of an executive seeking to ride roughshod over independent institutions through whatever means possible. Institutions that serve as the bulwark of democracy must regain their spirit and purpose for India to arrest its slide.
• An awakening looks unlikely unless citizens themselves take up the cause of democracy. We had to pressure the government to have an independent system of appointing the Election Commissioners. Nobody wants to relinquish their powers. It is we the people who have to force the political class to have this conversation. Most of the Indian media has become a mouthpiece of the government. We need an equivalent of the First Amendment in the United States to ensure press freedom. It is civil society that will have to help create a consensus that we need to do something to ensure greater media independence.

CONCLUSION:

Democracy means that the rulers represent the will of the people. It will never happen on its own. People must act to make it happen. And they need to do it as a matter of habit, daily and everywhere. That lever of control over the government – seeking accountability – must be used at every step. Reclaim democracy. It must be done daily. Seeking it once every five years will not do.

Sources

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-democracy-capture/article32329108.ece

https://theprint.in/opinion/no-emergency-modi-shah-are-using-democracy-to-subvert-democracy/447685/

https://thewire.in/rights/india-no-longer-democracy-electoral-autocracy-v-dem-institute-report-bjp-narendra-modi

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-rated-as-an-electoral-autocracy-by-global-institute-101615412313577.html

https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/india-only-partly-free-it-is-not-just-an-internal-matter

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56249596

https://oi-files-d8-prod.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/file_attachments/captured_democracy_executive_summary.pdf

https://theprint.in/opinion/authoritarian-streak-among-indians-on-the-rise-and-its-helping-bjps-hard-right-turn/335467/

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/two-homegrown-questions-for-indian-democrats-7231466/

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/elected-government-death-of-democracy-india-7200030/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56393944

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-mulls-new-democracy-report-freedom-index-by-local-think-tank-101615938955923.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-china-emergency-democracy-7196194/

https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/democracy-is-not-just-about-numbers-11579713634454.html

https://www.theleaflet.in/flawed-democracy-india-falls-to-53rd-position-in-economist-intelligence-units-global-democracy-index/#

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/bloody-mary/freedom-from-fear-for-the-economy-to-grow-democracy-cant-be-in-recession/

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. VACCINE PASSPORTS

THE CONTEXT: As the Covid-19 vaccination drive is gaining momentum, the focus is now to the opening up of the economy including sectors like travel and hospitality. Vaccine passports, one of the tools to smoothen the passage on this re-opening, need to be standardised to rejuvenate such industries.

WHAT IS IT?

• Vaccine passport is a certification of the Covid-19 health status of a citizen, approved by inter-governmental bodies, that can be carried physically or digitally.
• Covid-19 vaccine passports usually refer to a person’s vaccination status, recent infection record or a recent RT-PCR test result that shows no infection.
• Most international agencies prefer a digital version of Vaccine Passports for easy scan and retrieval of data for verification.
• Apart from movement across international borders, such certification can also be the ticket to one’s attending indoor events or restaurants in countries with high rates of vaccination, to promote mobility within their economies.
• A version of the certification adopted by international airline trade body IATA is being rolled out by all major international carriers. IndiGo and SpiceJet are also testing the same on their international routes.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

• Free movement of people across borders without mandatory quarantines is critical to get the economic engine chugging. Countries whose economies rely on tourism can look forward to improved tourist flow if there can be international standards evolved on vaccine passports.
• The WHO, in its July 2021 policy recommendation, had suggested that proof of vaccination not be required for movement. But on presenting such proof, nations could relax measures relating to testing and quarantine for such travellers.
• This can benefit travellers who are fully vaccinated two weeks prior by approved vaccines. Even in regional/domestic economies, non-travel related activities which rely on physical presence can restart, with such passports.

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

• India has expressed reservations over a vaccine passport system.
• Its concern is that low rates of inoculation achieved in developing countries will put travellers from these regions at a disadvantage. India is also concerned over passports being granted only to ‘approved’ vaccines.
• The European green pass for instance has proposed to be issued when a person has taken one of the four vaccines approved — BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson. Individual member countries can still approve vaccines that have WHO’s emergency use authorization (EUA).
• This offers room for Astra Zeneca’s Covishield to make it to the passport, but leaves out the significant proportion of Indians vaccinated with Covaxin, on which WHO’s EUA decision is pending.
• Even amongst European economies which have implemented the system, concerns that the passport system will creates a divide between vaccinated-passport holders and unvaccinated-reluctant populations are growing, as nations report that the young, the poor, and ethnic minorities are often excluded from vaccination drives.

SOURCE : TH

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

2.SUKHET MODEL FOR LPG REFILL

THE CONTEXT: Case study of Sukhet village in Jhanjharpur block of Madhubani district in Bihar. 

ANALYSIS:

• In the last six months, the lives of these rural women has changed dramatically with the Sukhet model that allows them to get their LPG cylinders refilled every two months in exchange for cow dung and the farmyard waste.
• The unique programme, offers four-fold benefit to the villagers:
• It ensures a pollution-free environment at home
• Waste disposal
• Monetary assistance for LPG cylinders
• Availability of organic fertiliser to the local farmers
• The only problem is that only those households who have cattle to give us cow dung are able to benefit from the Sukhet model.

SOURCE : TH

               3.MANDA BUFFALO GETS ‘UNIQUE BREED’ TAG

THE CONTEXT: The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has recognised the Manda buffalo as the 19th unique breed of buffaloes found in India.

ANALYSIS:

• It is found in the Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region of Odisha.
• It is resistant to parasitic infections, less prone to diseases and can thrive on modest resources.
• Four breeds of cattle — Binjharpuri, Motu, Ghumusari and Khariar — and two breeds of buffalo— Chilika and Kalahandi — and one breed of sheep, Kendrapada, have already received NBAGR recognition.

SOURCE : TH

4. CONSERVATION RESERVE FOR SEA COWS

THE CONTEXT: The Tamil Nadu government has announced India’s first conservation reserve for Dugongs, also known as sea cows. The reserve will cover over 500 km in Palk Bay.

ABOUT DUGONGS

• Dugong is a sea mammal and the only living species of the order Sirenia. It is restricted to coastal habitat due to sea grass, which forms major part of its diet.
• Dugongs have a distinct dolphin-like tail, a different skull form, and teeth pattern. Its closest relative, Steller’s Sea cow, was hunted to extinction in eighteenth century.
• An estimated 200 individuals of dugongs are believed to live in the area which would largely benefit from Tamil Nadu government’s recent decision to establish conservation reserve.
• Dugong or sea cowis an endangered marine mammal that is facing extinction due to habitat loss, sea pollution, and loss of seagrass.
• In Tamil Nadu, dugong is found in Gulf of Mannar, which is a shallow bay area between south eastern tip of Tamil Nadu and western part of Sri Lanka, and at Palk Bay, a semi enclosed shallow area in the same region.

SOURCE : INDIA TODAY

5. GREECE CREATES CLIMATE CRISIS MINISTRY

THE CONTEXT:  Greece’s government has created a new ministry to address the impact of climate change and named former European Union commissioner Christos Stylianides as minister.

Analysis:

• Stylianides, 63, who served as commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management between 2014 and 2019, was appointed in the wake of massive wildfires that burned more than 1,000 square kilometers (385 square miles) of forest on the island of Evia and in southern Greece.
• As minister of climate crisis and civil protection, Stylianides will head firefighting, disaster relief and policies to adapt to rising temperatures resulting from climate change.

SOURCE : IE

INDIAN ECONOMY

6. NALCO NAMASYA MOBILE APP

THE CONTEXT: National Auminium Company Ltd (NALCO), a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Mines, has been playing a key role in empowering the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through providing a modern & innovative platform ‘NALCO Micro And Small enterprise Yogayog Application’ (NAMASYA), a bi-lingual App developed exclusively for the benefit of the Company’s MSE Vendors.

ANALYSIS:  

• The NAMASYA App provides a platform to highlight the Company’s efforts towards development of MSEs. The App empowers MSEs with required information about vendor registration process, items which can be supplied by them with technical specification, vendor development and training programmes of NALCO.
• As a responsible Corporate and India’s leading producer and exporter of alumina and aluminium, the Company has taken several initiatives towards easing the process of doing business, especially for the MSE sector involved in mining and metal business, and furthering inclusive growth and sustainable development in its ecosystem.

SOURCE : PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. CHANDIGARH’S FIRST POLLEN CALENDAR

THE CONTEXT: Chandigarh now has its first pollen calendar, which can identify potential allergy triggers and provide a clear understanding for clinicians as well as allergy sufferers about their causes to help limit their exposure during high pollen loads.

ANALYSIS:

• About 20-30% of the population suffers from allergic rhinitis/hay fever in India, and approximately 15% develop asthma.
• Pollens are considered major outdoor airborne allergens responsible for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis in humans.
• Pollen calendars represent the time dynamics of airborne pollen taxa in graphical form in a particular geographical area.
• They yield readily accessible visual details about various airborne pollen taxa present throughout the year, with their seasonality in a single picture. Pollen calendars are location-specific, with concentrations closely related to locally distributed flora.

 SOURCE: PIB 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

8. PM MODI TO ATTEND BRICS, SCO, and QUAD MEETS IN SEPTEMBER

THE CONTEXT:  PM Modi to attend BRICS, SCO, and Quad meets in September. Afghan situation likely to dominate agenda amid growing polarization between the Russia-China bloc, and U.S. and its allies

ANALYSIS:

• BRICS Summit:Prime Minister will chair a meeting of BRICS leaders on September 9. The meeting will be held in virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• SCO Summit:The PM will attend via video conference the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government meeting being held in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) on September 16 and 17. India would be represented on the ground in Dushanbe by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The meeting will see a much greater focus on Afghanistan.
• PM visit to U.S.:PM is expected to travel later this month to the U.S. The PM’s visit, only his second visit abroad during the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to include meetings in Washington with Mr. Biden, a possible Quad summit on September 23 and 24, and his address to the UN General Assembly on September 25.

SOURCE:  TH

9.AUSINDEX

THE CONTEXT:  Indian Navy Task Group comprising IN Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt, under the Command of Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti, VSM is participating in the 4th edition of AUSINDEX from 06 to 10 Sep 21.

ANALYSIS:

• This edition of AUSINDEX includes complex surface, sub-surface and air operations between ships, submarines, helicopters and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the participating Navies.
• The participating Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt are the latest indigenously designed and built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and Anti-Submarine Corvette respectively. They form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command.
• Commenced in 2015 as a bilateral IN-RAN maritime exercise, AUSINDEX has grown in complexity over the years and the 3rd edition of the exercise, held in 2019 in the Bay of Bengal, included anti-submarine drills for the first time.
• In the Fourth Edition, the surface units of both the countries will be exercising with HMAS Rankin, a Collins Class Australian Submarine, Royal Australian Air Force P-8A and F-18A aircraft, along with integral helicopters of both the Navies.
• The exercise will provide an opportunity for both Navies to further bolster inter-operability, gain from best practices and develop a common understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations.

SOURCE: PIB

Q1.  Consider the following statements about Manda Buffalo:

1. It is unique breed of buffalo found in Nilgiri hills of Western Ghats.
2. It is resistant to parasitic infections and requires less resource.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 04, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

ANSWER: A

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: It is the global standard for assessing species recovery and measuring conservation impacts.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: It is launched by IUCN.

1. Remembering Keshav Desiraju: The bureaucrat who fought for the disabled READ MORE
2. What is Patience READ MORE
3. WHAT COVID 19 HAS TAUGHT US READ MORE

1. After huge wildfires, Greece creates climate crisis ministry READ MORE
2. Out of Africa flashback: Is the world witnessing a migration wave due to lack of water? READ MORE

1. A reminder of our vulnerabilities: Amid the rat race, we are missing glimpses of the divine in the ordinary READ MORE
2. Children’s education at extreme risk in 7 African countries: Report READ MORE

1. Spirit of federalism lies in the consultation: Unilateral legislation without taking States into confidence will see more protests on the streets READ MORE
2. The importance of animal spirits READ MORE
3. Section 377, 3 Years on: Walking Down the Aisle of History READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY AND INDIAN NAVY COMMENCE BILATERAL EXERCISE – ‘AUSINDEX’ READ MORE
2. Dung beetle experiment suggests carbon dioxide is bad for insects too READ MORE
3. Denmark is India’s ‘very unique partner’ in growing back greener: Jaishankar READ MORE
4. In a first, Tamil Nadu to establish conservation reserve for sea cows READ MORE
5. Odisha: Koraput’s Manda buffalo gets unique, indigenous tag READ MORE
6. All you wanted to know about vaccine passports READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Spirit of federalism lies in the consultation: Unilateral legislation without taking States into confidence will see more protests on the streets READ MORE
2. The importance of animal spirits READ MORE
3. Section 377, 3 Years on: Walking Down the Aisle of History READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. A reminder of our vulnerabilities: Amid the rat race, we are missing glimpses of the divine in the ordinary READ MORE
2. Children’s education at extreme risk in 7 African countries: Report READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Moot point: India would get a peek into the psyche of Pak, China, Russia on Afghanistan at the SCO meet READ MORE
2. No time to lose on Afghanistan: In the aftermath of the fall of Kabul, India did not explore the options of reaching out to the erstwhile government, currently headed by Vice-President Amrullah Saleh READ MORE
3. State govt must play a role in India’s foreign policy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The Political Fix: The mirage of 20% GDP growth and India’s ‘unaddressed demand crisis’ READ MORE
2. The long and the short of the NMP: It is surprising the Government has avoided mentioning the consequences of asset monetisation on ordinary citizens READ MORE
3. FTAs need a cautious approach READ MORE
4. The story of public sector bank valuations READ MORE
5. Finally, Bitcoin is becoming legal tender in a country READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. After huge wildfires, Greece creates climate crisis ministry READ MORE
2. Out of Africa flashback: Is the world witnessing a migration wave due to lack of water? READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Remembering Keshav Desiraju: The bureaucrat who fought for the disabled READ MORE
2. What is Patience READ MORE
3. WHAT COVID 19 HAS TAUGHT US READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The essence of cooperative federalism lies in consultation and dialogue. Analyse the statement with reference to the central government’s unilateral enactment of critical laws on subjects in the Concurrent List.
2. Diplomacy is no longer just about government to government contact. It is accompanied by a range of cultural, economic, and societal exchanges between the peoples of those countries. Discuss the statements.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
• It is surprising the Government has avoided mentioning the consequences of asset monetisation on ordinary citizens.
• The fields in the Concurrent List were to be of common interest to the Union and the States, and the power to legislate on these subjects was to be shared with the Union so that there would be uniformity in law across the country.
• The essence of cooperative federalism lies in consultation and dialogue, and unilateral legislation without taking the States into confidence will lead to more protests on the streets.
• Agriculture is a significant player again in investment, and an area not really recognised.
• In the wake of the US pullback from Afghanistan, there is a clear and present danger of the ‘contract combatants’ industry getting a fillip.
• Marine spaces and resources cannot be effectively managed, with varying territorial jurisdictions which are essentially meant for the land geopolitical situation, in the form of a ‘nation State’. Ocean resources have their own natural zones and boundaries.
• At the International level, India needs to work with the UN to see that the Taliban regime does not get aid and recognition without abiding by the conditionality of an inclusive government, protection of women rights and minorities.
• The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted that Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is fundamental to well-functioning economies and citizens’ well-being.
• Federalism can inform the way the Union government seeks to achieve its foreign policy goals in the larger interest of the nation.
• Diplomacy is no longer just about government to government contact. It is accompanied by a range of cultural, economic, and societal exchanges between the peoples of those countries.
• Good foreign-policy requires not only an understanding of a foreign government and its strategies but also of the social, political and economic situation of the foreign country itself.

50-WORD TALK

• Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat is an indicator of farmers’ agitation gathering steam ahead of assembly polls. Its politicisation makes a reasoned debate on farm laws difficult. But the Centre can’t look the other way. It must re-engage with farmers and resume dialogue with them. The standoffish approach will serve neither politics nor governance.
• The return of the Nipah virus to Kerala is alarming, especially because the state’s early “success” with Covid was credited to its experience of tackling Nipah in 2018. Nipah is more lethal and simultaneous containment for two infectious diseases is a tough test of health system preparedness. Kerala faces a challenge.
• GST was envisaged as a simple tax system but its multiple tax slabs, exemptions and constantly changing rules have made it a taxpayer’s nightmare and a never-ending revenue stream for tax and legal practitioners. It’s time to make this tax simple by reducing the tax slabs and minimising exemptions.

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.

[WpProQuiz 40]

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. ONLY LOCALS IN LADAKH TO GET ‘RESIDENT CERTIFICATE’

THE CONTEXT: The Ladakh administration has decided to issue “Resident Certificate” only to Permanent Resident Certificate holders of the region unlike J&K, where new domicile laws allowed outsiders too to apply for jobs, land and other facilities.

ANALYSIS:

• All tehsildars have been authorised as the competent authority to issue the ‘Resident Certificate’.
• The administration also enhanced the upper age limit for entry into government services against all posts.
• The upper age limit has been enhanced for the re- served category candidates from 43 years to 45 years, for the general category candidates from 40 to 42 years and for the physically challenged candidates from 42 to 44 years.

SOURCE: TH

2. THE INSPIRE AWARDS

THE CONTEXT: The 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) for the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) showcased the innovative ideas from 581 students representing various States and UT’s of the country.

ABOUT THE INSPIRE AWARDS – MANAK SCHEME

• The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK scheme is aligned with the ‘Start-up India’ initiative launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
• The scheme aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10 to become future innovators and critical thinkers.
• It believes that once the original ideas and innovations rooted in Science and Technology bystudents get incubated, it will foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking amongschool children.
• This will help address the societal needs through science and technology andnurture them to become sensitive and responsible citizens and innovation leaders of tomorrow.

SOURCE: PIB

3. NATIONAL AWARD FOR TEACHERS-2021

THE CONTEXT : Sh Pramod Kumar Shukla, English Lecturer from Eklavya Model Residential School, Chattisgarh receives National Award for Teachers-2021 from President Sh Ram Nath Kovind on Teacher’s Day.

ANALYSIS:

• President Sh. Ram Nath Kovind on September 5, presented the National Teacher Award to 44 most talented teachers.
• Sh Pramod Kumar Shukla, English Lecturer of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), Karpawand, Bastar Chattisgarh also received the Award
• The most unique accomplishments about his teaching journey constitute amalgamation of joyful learning techniques such as Free Drama Day,“Padhai Tunhar Para”,Vocabulary Rocket to make learning stimulating and experiential based.
• When COVID-19 had closed the schools and imparting education physically has become very difficult, his innovative experiments in teaching through Youtube channels and teaching through CABLE TV, use of government platform, etc. ensured students’ learning to continue uninterruptedly.
• His achievement strongly institutes the determination and will of the Ministry to create a fine balance between academic education and all-round development of the students.

SOURCE : PIB

4. STATES TOLD TO IDENTIFY FAKE VACCINES

THE CONTEXT: Following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warning that it has identified counterfeit versions of the Covishield vaccine in South-east Asia and Africa, the Union Health Ministry has written to all States and Union Territories to identify counterfeit/falsified Covishield vaccines in India.

ANALYSIS:

• The Ministry indicated various features to ascertain genuine products.
• The anti-counterfeit features in the Covaxin label include an invisible helix (DNA-like structure) that is only seen under UV light; micro text hidden in the label claim Dots, which is written as Covaxin; the green foil effect in the ‘x’ of Covaxin; and the holographic effect on Covaxin.

SOURCE : TH

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

5. 28% OF 138,000 ASSESSED SPECIES FACE EXTINCTION

THE CONTEXT: Some 28% of the 1,38,374 species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN) for its survival watchlist are now at high risk of vanishing forever.

ANALYSIS:

• Habitat loss, overexploitation and illegal trade have hammered global wildlife populations for decades, and climate change is now kicking in as a direct threat as well.
• The IUCN also officially launched its “green status” — the first global standard for assessing species recovery and measuring conservation impacts.
• How Does the Green Status of Species Define Recovery?
• A species is fully recovered if it is present in all parts of its range, even those that are no longer occupied but were occupied prior to major human impacts/disruption; AND
• It is viable (i.e., not threatened with extinction) in all parts of the range; AND
• It is performing its ecological functions in all parts of the range.
• These factors contribute towards a “Green Score” ranging from 0–100%, which shows how far a species is from its “fully recovered” state.

ABOUT IUCN

• IUCN was founded in October 1948.
• Head quarters located in Gland, Switzerland.
• Vision: Just world that values and conserves nature
• It supports scientific research, manages field projects globally and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy.
• It is known to the wider public for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.
• Its members include both States and non-governmental organizations.
• Priority Areas of IUCN:

1. Biodiversity
2. Climate change
3. Sustainable energy
4. Human well-being
5. Green economy

• IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations.
• It was involved in establishing the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

SOURCE : TH

6. NIPAH VIRUS

THE CONTEXT: Nipah has surfaced in Kerala again for the third time, that too after a gap of one year. Nipah has been confirmed in a 12-year-old admitted to a private hospital in Kozhikode with encephalitis.

ABOUT NIPAH VIRUS

• It is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
• In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
• The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
• Nipah virus was first recognized in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in, Malaysia.
• Fruit bats are natural hosts of virus.
• In outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats was the most likely source of infection.

SOURCE : TH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. SPECTRAL ENHANCEMENT

THE CONTEXT: Coal India Ltd (CIL) has launched a new software named “Spectral Enhancement” (SPE), which will help in identifying thin coal seams under the earth crust and improve assessment of coal resources using seismic survey during coal exploration process.

ANALYSIS:

• The launch of SPE software assumes significance as the present seismic survey techniques for coal resource exploration have limitations in identifying the thin coal seams under the earth, which will now be possible as this new software helps in enhancing resolution of seismic signals leading to delineation of thinnest coal seams.
• CIL’s research and development (R&D) arm Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) has developed this first of its kind software in association with Gujrat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) and the company will also file for its copyright protection.
• This ‘Made in India’ software will also help to save time and cost of coal exploration and thus boost the mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat in coal production.
• CIL accounts for 80 per cent of India’s coal output.

 SOURCE: PIB

INTERNAL SECURITY

8. KARBI AGREEMENT

THE CONTEXT:  Historic Karbi Anglong Agreement to end the decades old crisis ensuring Assam’s territorial integrity signed in presence of the Union Home Minister.

ANALYSIS:

• Union Home Minister said that Karbi Anglong agreement is signed for the peace and prosperity of Assam, this day will be written in golden letters in Assam’s history
• Modi Government to give Special Development Package of around Rs. 1000 crores to undertake specific projects for the development of Karbi areas
• Since becoming Prime Minister, northeast has not only been an area of focus for Shri Narendra Modi, but all-round development of northeast, peace and prosperity there has been top priority for the Government.

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE AGREEMENT

• This Memorandum of Settlement will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, protection of identity, language, culture, etc. of Karbi people and focussed development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam.
• ​​​​​​​The Karbi armed groups have agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.
• The Agreement also provides for rehabilitation of cadres of the armed groups.
• The Government of Assam shall set up a Karbi Welfare Council for focussed development of Karbi people living outside KAAC area.
• The Consolidated Fund of the State will be augmented to supplement the resources of KAAC.
• Overall, the present settlement proposes to give more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to KAAC.

SOURCE : PIB

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

9. SIMBEX

THE CONTEXT:  The 28th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) was conducted from 02 to 04 Sep 21.

ANALYSIS:

• The Indian Navy was represented by Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay with a ship borne helicopter, ASW Corvette INS Kiltan and Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora and one P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Participants from the RSN included one Formidable Class Frigate, RSS Steadfast, embarked with an S-70B naval helicopter, one Victory Class Missile Corvette, RSS Vigour, one Archer Class Submarine and one Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
• Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy’s longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy.
• Sustaining the continuity of this significant engagement despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic further underscores the strength of bilateral defence ties between both countries.
• Despite these constraints during the planning stages, both navies could achieve seamless and safe execution of several challenging evolutions including live weapon firing and advanced naval warfare serials, including anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare drills. The scale and complexity of the drills is ample testimony to the interoperability achieved between both Navies.
• This year’s edition of SIMBEX is also a special occasion as it takes place during the ongoing celebrations of the 75th year of India’s independence. The success of SIMBEX-2021 is yet another demonstration of the mutual resolve on both sides to strengthen the bilateral partnership further in the years ahead.
• Owing to the ongoing pandemic-related constraints, this year’s SIMBEX was planned without any physical interactions as an ‘at-sea only’ exercise hosted by the RSN in the southern fringes of the South China Sea.
• India-Singapore Defence relations remain a very significant aspect of the overall bilateral relationship and cover a very wide spectrum of collaboration from conventional military-to-military exchanges to HADR and cyber security. Both navies have a representation in each other’s Maritime Information Fusion Centres and have also recently signed an agreement on mutual submarine rescue support and coordination

SOURCE:  PIB

10. INS HANSA MARKS DIAMOND JUBILEE

THE CONTEXT:  INS Hansa, the Indian Navy’s premier air station, is celebrating its diamond jubilee on 05 Sep 2021. 

ANALYSIS:

• The Naval Jet Flight set up at Coimbatore in 1958 with Sea Hawk, Alize and Vampire aircraft, was later commissioned as INS Hansa on 05 September 1961. After the liberation of Goa, Dabolim airfield was taken over by the Navy in Apr 1962 and INS Hansa shifted to Dabolim June 1964.
• Commissioned as a modest air station with only a few aircraft, INS Hansa has increased its prowess over the last six decades and is presently operating over 40 military aircraft, clocking an average yearly flying of over 5000 hours.
• The air station also supports civil aviation by handling domestic and international flights 24×7, with an average of 29000 flights in a year.
• INS Hansa is the abode of the Indian Navy’s frontline air squadrons – INAS 310 ‘Cobras’ with Dornier-228 aircraft, INAS 315 ‘Winged Stallions’ with the long range maritime patrol aircraft IL-38SD, INAS 339 ‘Falcons’ with the airborne early warning Kamov-31 helicopter; INAS 303 ‘Black Panthers’ and INAS 300 ‘ White Tigers’ with the supersonic carrier-borne MiG 29K fighters, and INAS 323 ‘Harriers’ with ALH Mk III helicopters.

SOURCE : PIB

Q1. Consider the following statements about ‘Green status’:

1. It is the global standard for assessing species recovery and measuring conservation impacts.
2. It is launched by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR SEPTEMBER 04, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Answer: c)

Explanation:

• Bhitarkanika – a notified Ramsar wetland – is spread over 195 sq. km near mouth of Brahmani river and is home to 62 mangrove species. Besides, 1,600 salt water crocodiles crawl on the mudflats of the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest.
• Refer to given map

1. From 1931 to 2021, the caste question persists READ MORE
2. The NEP child: Future learners of India READ MORE
3. Stress on ‘learning’ in learning schools READ MORE

1. Reaching out to the ‘undesirables’: Conflict resolution is not always a morally black-and-white business, as the example of the Taliban shows READ MORE
2. Create golden moments through self-realisation READ MORE
3. What the rise of extremism means for the world READ MORE

1. Over 900 species of animals have become extinct according to latest IUCN Red List READ MORE
2. Air pollution: European countries making strides, but others lagging behind READ MORE
3. Behind Deforestation, Another Threat Looms – a Kyasanur Forest Disease Outbreak READ MORE

1. The judicial role in improving lawmaking: Rushed laws, rendering Parliament a rubber stamp, sacrifice core ideals of a constitutional democracy READ MORE
2. The debate on representation READ MORE
3. Anti-conversion laws violate right to equality READ MORE
4. Securing the Judicial System from Political Retribution READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Karbi Agreement – another milestone in PM’s vision of “Insurgency free prosperous North East”: Shri Amit Shah READ MORE
2. Explained: Crypto banking and decentralized finance READ MORE
3. Behind Deforestation, Another Threat Looms – a Kyasanur Forest Disease Outbreak READ MORE
4. Drug debacle: Endangered vulture population still under threat READ MORE
5. Only locals in Ladakh to get ‘Resident Certificate’ READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. From 1931 to 2021, the caste question persists READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The judicial role in improving lawmaking: Rushed laws, rendering Parliament a rubber stamp, sacrifice core ideals of a constitutional democracy READ MORE
2. The debate on representation READ MORE
3. Anti-conversion laws violate right to equality READ MORE
4. Securing the Judicial System from Political Retribution READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The NEP child: Future learners of India READ MORE
2. Stress on ‘learning’ in learning schools READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Reaching out to the ‘undesirables’: Conflict resolution is not always a morally black-and-white business, as the example of the Taliban shows READ MORE
2. Understanding the foreign policy doctrine of the Biden era READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. National monetisation pipeline betrays narrow outlook READ MORE
2. Explained: Crypto banking and decentralized finance READ MORE
3. Monetisation and the rights of states READ MORE
4. Another IBC fix? Regulator’s proposal for code of conduct for creditors deserves scrutiny READ MORE
5. India’s GDP & fiscal situation seem back on track. Reforms must continue to build confidence READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Over 900 species of animals have become extinct according to latest IUCN Red List READ MORE
2. Air pollution: European countries making strides, but others lagging behind READ MORE
3. Behind Deforestation, Another Threat Looms – a Kyasanur Forest Disease Outbreak READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. India ranked lowest for digital competitiveness in the last three years, report shows READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Create golden moments through self-realisation READ MORE
2. What the rise of extremism means for the world READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Any intervention by judiciary in law-making process affects the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. Critically analyse with reference to rushed law-making process in the Parliament and calls for intervention by judiciary to intervene.
2. Higher numbers and greater visibility of women in courts can reduce inherent systemic blindness to questions of gender. It can open the door for alternative, inclusive legal perspectives and interpretations. Comment on the statement.
3. ‘COVID-19 hastened the spread of digital education but the biggest challenge is to ensure learning in schools’. Discuss the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• There is always an easy solution to every problem: neat, plausible and wrong.
• COVID-19 hastened the spread of digital education but the biggest challenge is to ensure learning in schools, and transform each one of these into a learning school.
• The flaws in the collegium selection process for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts that make it amenable to opacity, arbitrariness and executive influence, and demonstrates how it has led to lopsided representation of judges from dominant social groups and High Courts in the Supreme Court.
• India deserves a modern, transparent, fair, democratic and objective system for selecting our High Court and Supreme Court judges in line with our Constitutional ethos.
• In a rule of law democracy, no State action should be allowed to take shelter behind the feudal history of arbitrary judicial appointments that are beyond review.
• The pandemic has provided an opportunity to push ahead the disinvestment agenda as the government needs to garner additional resources to finance additional expenditure and welfare spending.
• Higher numbers and greater visibility of women in courts can reduce inherent systemic blindness to questions of gender. It can open the door for alternative, inclusive legal perspectives and interpretations.
• Digitalisation is the future for rail technologies when it comes to improving operations and passenger experience while also encouraging green mobility.

50-WORD TALK

• The Constitution grants freedom of religion as a fundamental right. Yet despite this, over the years, there have been several incidents of religious intolerance. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, these laws, based on concerns about unethical conversion tactics, generally require government officials to assess the legality of conversions only from Hinduism, and penalise the people.

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.

[WpProQuiz 39]

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. AYUSH AAPKE DWAR CAMPAIGN

THE CONTEXT: Ayush Ministry launched the campaign “AYUSH AAPKE DWAR” from more than 45 locations across the country.

ANALYSIS:

• Total 21 states are participating in the launch activities today in which more than 2 lakh saplings will be distributed.
• The campaign aims to distribute medicinal plant saplings to 75 lakh households across the country in one year.
• The medicinal plants include Tejpatta, Stevia, Ashoka, Jatamansi, Giloy/Guduchi, Ashwag.

Reference: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

2. EXPERTS FLAG DIVERSION OF FRESH WATER FROM BRAHMANI RIVER

THE CONTEXT: Environmentalists expressed concern over the massive diversion of fresh water from the Brahmani river basin, which could pose a grave threat to the famous mangrove vegetation in Odisha.

ANALYSIS:

• Bhitarkanika – a notified Ramsar wetland – is spread over 195 sq. km and is home to 62 mangrove species.
• Besides, 1,600 salt water crocodiles crawl on the mudflats of the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest.
• Mangroves grow in brackish water. Proportionate fresh water flow from the Brahmani river basin and the Kharasrota River keep the salinity level of the water along the shore down.
• The Talcher-Angul coal mines, steel and power plants as well as the Kalinga nagar steel and power hub are drawing enormous quantities of fresh water from the Brahmani river.
• The lack of normal flow of fresh water would increase saline ingression upstream. It would affect the local flora and fauna as well as the livelihoods of the farmers and fishermen.
• Besides, there could be a quantum increase in the man–crocodile conflict since the estuarine crocodiles would leave the core sanctuary area and migrate up-stream once salinity increases.

Reference: The Hindu

3. FOOTPRINTS OF 3 DINOSAUR SPECIES FOUND IN THAR DESERT

THE CONTEXT: In a major discovery, footprints of three species of dinosaurs have been found in the Thar desert in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, proving the presence of the giant reptiles in the western part of the State, which formed the seashore to the Tethys Ocean during the Mesozoic era.

ANALYSIS:

• They belong to three species of dinosaurs — Eubrontes cf. giganteus, Eubrontesglenrosensis and Grallator tenuis.
• All the three species, belonging to the early Jurassic period, were carnivorous.
• Fieldwork in the Kutch and Jaisalmer basins has suggested that after the maintransgression during the early Jurassic period, the sea level changed several times.

Reference: The Hindu

4. TALE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH

THE CONTEXT:  Seventeen new species have been added to the moth fauna of India from Tale Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, following moth biodiversity assessments that took place over 29 days in the months of April, May, August and September in 2011 and 2019.

ANALYSIS:

• The study published in Tropical Lepidoptera Research, identifies 497 moth species of which 460 species are identified to species level, while 37 are identified to genus level.
• There are 17 species for which no published records exist from India and are additions to the known moth fauna of India, and more than a hundred species for which no published records exist from Arunachal Pradesh. Over 200 species still remain to be identified.
• Moths are highly diverse organisms and some scientists estimate there are between 1,50,000 to 5,00,000 moth species in the world.
• Their colours are either dazzling or so cryptic that easily camouflage with their surroundings. They vary in shapes and sizes. Most moths are nocturnal, while there are some that fly during the day.

Reference: The Hindu

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. BIOLOGICAL E JAB GETS NOD FOR TRIAL AMONG CHILDREN

THE CONTEXT:Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Biological E. Limited has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct further trials of its vaccine Corbevax on children and adolescents.

ANALYSIS:

• Following Zycov-D by Zydus Cadilla and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech, Corbevax becomes the thirdIndia-made vaccine that may be available for use in children.
• Zycov-D has already received authorisation for emergency use in children, who are over 12 years.
• Corbevax is based on a vaccine technology of a protein antigen, in this case the spike protein, which binds to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor on the host cell membrane and facilitates virus entry.
• The body’s own cells then make more copies of this protein that then stimulates the immune system of the body to produce antibodies to protect against a potential, future infection.

 Reference: The Hindu

6. THE MU VARIANT

THE CONTEXT: The WHO classified mu as a ‘variant of interest’. It was first found in Colombia in January and subsequently in 38 other countries.

ANALYSIS:

• Mu has changes, called mutations, which mean it might be able to evade some of the protection we get from COVID-19 vaccines.
• But one reassuring element is that, despite being around since January 2021, it doesn’t seem to be outcompeting delta, the dominant variant across most of the world.
• If mu was truly a really bad variant, we would have expected to have started to see indications of this, and we haven’t yet.

WHAT’S A VARIANT OF INTEREST?

• An impressive element of our COVID-19 response has been frequent genomic sequencing, which we haven’t done before on this scale. This tracks and maps the evolution of the virus in real time, as it adapts and mutates.
• Some mutations will be detrimental to the virus, but some will be beneficial, allowing it to spread better, escape the protection offered by vaccines or even evade COVID-19 tests.
• If there are changes to the virus that mean it looks like it has the potential to do more harm, then we might designate it a “variant of interest”.
• Mu has mutations that might confer some of these properties, but evidence is still emerging.
• The four other variants of interest are eta, iota, kappa and lambda.
• If there’s good evidence mu is more serious and beginning to overtake other variants such as delta, it might be upgraded to a “variant of concern”. The four variants of concern are alpha, beta, gamma and delta.

CAN IT ESCAPE VACCINES?

• Most COVID-19 vaccines target the “spike protein” of the virus, which it uses to enter our cells. Our vaccines expose our bodies to a part of the virus, commonly the spike protein, so our immune system can learn to fight the virus off if it encounters it.
• If a variant has significant changes in the spike protein, this may decrease the effectiveness of our vaccines.
• The WHO said preliminary evidence suggests the mu variant could partially evade the antibodies we get from vaccination.
• But because this data is from lab studies, we can’t be sure how the variant will actually play out in the population.
• We need more research to be certain about how it behaves in humans, and work on this is ongoing.
• The good news is our vaccines currently protect well against symptomatic infection and severe disease from all variants of the virus so far.

Reference: The Wire

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

7. INDIA, U.S. SIGN PROJECT AGREEMENT ON AIR-LAUNCHED UAV

THE CONTEXT: India and the United States signed a project agreement (PA) for an Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the ambit of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

ANALYSIS:

• It was a significant step towards deepening technology collaboration between the two nations through the co-development of equipment, it stated.
• The DTTI’s main aim was to bring a sustained leadership focus on promoting collaborative technology exchange and creating opportunities for co-production and co-development of future technologies for the military forces of both nations.
• Under the DTTI, JWGs on land, naval, air, and aircraft carrier technologies had been established to focus on mutually agreed projects in the respective domains.

Reference: The Hindu

8. INDIA, RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP HAS STOOD TEST OF TIME: MODI

The context :The India-Russia friendship has “stood the test of time”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted while virtually addressing the Far Eastern Economic Forum 2021, currently under way in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.

ANALYSIS:

• He mentioned a number of areas spanning connectivity, space research and ship-building, which, he stated, were redefining the strategic bilateral partnership.
• Modi announced that an energy and trade bridge from Vladivostok to Chennai was taking shape.
• The forum was set up by a decree of Mr. Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia’s far east and  expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reference: The Hindu

Q1. Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary is situated near the mouth of which of the following river?

1. Damodar river
2. Mahanadi river
3. Brahmani river
4. Rushikulya river

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

Q1. Answer: b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Black softshell turtle is freshwater turtle.
• Statement 2 is correct: In India, it is found in HayagrivaMadhava Temple located in Assam, India.
• Statement 3 is correct: It is declared as critically endangered species by IUCN

Q2. Answer c)

• 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.

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

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