DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (DECEMBER 28, 2021)

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. FOURTH EDITION OF STATE HEALTH INDEX: 2019-20

THE CONTEXT: NITI Aayog released the fourth edition of the State Health Index for 2019–20. The report, titled “Healthy States, Progressive India”, ranks states and Union Territories on their year-on-year incremental performance in health outcomes as well as their overall status.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
  • Round IV of the report focuses on measuring and highlighting the overall performance and incremental improvement of states and UTs over the period 2018–19 to 2019–20.

What are the indicators?

  • Health Index is a weighted composite score incorporating 24 indicators covering key aspects of health performance. Health Index comprises of select indicators in three domains:
  1. Health Outcomes.
  2. Governance and Information; and
  3. Key Inputs and Processes.
  • Each domain has been assigned weights based on its importance with higher score for outcome indicators.
  • To ensure comparison among similar entities, the ranking is categorized as ‘Larger States’, ‘Smaller States’ and ‘Union Territories’.
  • Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

The Findings:

Among large states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu topped the list, and Telangana emerged strong on the third position in health outcomes and incremental performance. The state saw an improvement from the 4th position the last time — indicating that it has made strides in improving its health infrastructure by ensuring universal immunisation of children, setting up fully functional First Referral Units (FRUs) and all Primary Health Centres (PHCs) among others.

Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

Among ‘Smaller States’, Mizoram and Meghalaya registered the maximum annual incremental progress.

Among UTs, Delhi, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, showed the best incremental performance.

Key Points:

  • For a vast majority of the states and UTs, there has been a shift in the Overall Performance ranking from Base Year (2018-19) to Reference Year (2019-20)
  • The gap in the Overall Performance between the best and the worst performing Larger State and UTs narrowed in the current round of the Health Index, while it increased for the Smaller States.
  • Nearly half the states and UTs did not reach the halfway mark in the Composite Overall Index Score, and despite good performance, even the top-ranking states and UTs could benefit from further improvements.
  • The incremental changes in Health Index Scores from Base Year (2018-19) to Reference Year (2019-20) varied significantly across states and UTs, with a vast majority of Larger States registering at least some improvement.

The Conclusion:

  • The Health Index is a useful tool to measure and compare the Overall Performance and Incremental Performance across states and UTs over time and nudging the states and UTs to shift the focus from inputs and outputs to outcomes.
  • The Health Index has strengthened the culture of use of data at the state/UT level to monitor performance and is contributing to the agenda of improving availability, quality and timeliness of data.

2. RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN

THE CONTEXT: In December 2021, the Centre told the Delhi High Court that the “right to be forgotten” is part of the fundamental right to privacy, but added it has no significant role to play in the matter. Petitions across courts have been seeking enforcement of this “right” — a legal principle that is not yet backed by statute in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the right to be forgotten?

  • It allows a person to seek deletion of private information from the Internet. The concept has found recognition in some jurisdictions abroad, particularly the European Union. While the right is not recognised by law in India, courts in recent months have held it to be an intrinsic part of the right to privacy.
  • At least eight petitions are pending before Delhi High Court seeking removal of private information from the Internet, court records of previous convictions and proceedings, and news reports of past events. Only a few have been able to get that relief from courts so far.

Which countries have such laws?

  • The EU in 2018 adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Article 17 of which provides for the right to erasure of certain categories of personal data — that which is considered no longer necessary, that for which consent has been withdrawn or processing of which has been objected to, personal data unlawfully processed, and data where there is a legal obligation for erasure.
  • However, the regulations limit the right to erasure in certain circumstances, including for reasons of public interest in the area of public health, for archiving purposes “in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance” and for “establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.”

What is the position in India?

In a brief reply in one of the petitions earlier this week, the Centre told the Delhi High Court that the right to privacy has been recognised as a fundamental right in the K S Puttaswamy judgment (2017) and that the ‘right to be forgotten’ is evolving in India. The government said the Personal Data Protection Bill (a Joint Parliamentary Committee’s report on which was tabled on December 2021), contains provisions to the doctrine of the ‘right to be forgotten’.

When can the right be exercised?

In the right to privacy judgment, the Supreme Court had clarified that the recognition of this right “does not mean that all aspects of earlier existence are to be obliterated, as some may have a social ramification”.

The SC explained: “If we were to recognise a similar right, it would only mean that an individual who is no longer desirous of his personal data to be processed or stored, should be able to remove it from the system where the personal data/information is no longer necessary, relevant, or is incorrect and serves no legitimate interest.”

The apex court asserted that this right cannot be exercised where the information or data is necessary for:

  1. exercising the right of freedom of expression and information.
  2. compliance with legal obligations.
  3. the performance of a task carried out in public interest, or public health.
  4. archiving purposes in the. public interest.
  5. scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes; or
  6. the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

CONCLUSION: Although the RTBF is a facet of the right to privacy, it has become very important in the digital age. The times when information is available at a click, the need to protect personal data becomes all the more important. Personal data such as related to matrimonial suits are of no relevance to the public. However, due to lack of proper legislation recognising this right people are subjected to harassment and loss of reputation. Therefore, legislation protecting this right is the need of the hour. Until then, the task is left to the judiciary which has to carefully tread its path between two fundamental rights- RTBF and freedom of expression.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

3. TUSSLE OVER FCRA AND MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY (MoC)

THE CONTEXT: According to Union Home Ministry (MHA), the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) licence of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa wasn’t renewed as some adverse inputs were received against it.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • According to the 2020-21 annual financial returns filed by the MoC on December 13, 2021 it had received over ₹75 crore donation from 347 foreign individuals and 59 institutional donors. It had a balance of ₹27.3 crore in its FCRA account carried forward from the previous year and the total balance stood at ₹103.76 crore.
  • The NGO registered in Kolkata has more than 250 bank accounts across the country to utilise the foreign funds. Some of the biggest donors are Missionaries of Charity in the U.S. and United Kingdom that contributed over ₹15 crore to MoC, India, for “primary health care, education assistance, treatment of leprosy patients” among others.
  • The MoC in its statement clarified that “FCRA registration of Missionaries of Charity has neither been suspended nor cancelled. Further there is no freeze ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs on any of our bank accounts”.
  • The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration is mandatory for any NGO or association to receive foreign funds or donations.
  • Mother Teresa had set up Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic religious congregation in 1950. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979. She died on September 5, 1997, and was declared a saint by Pope Francis in September 2016.
  • Registered associations can receive foreign contribution for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural purposes. Filing of annual returns, on the lines of Income Tax, is compulsory.

Value Addition:

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act:

  • It is an act of Parliament enacted in 1976 and amended in 2010. It was to regulate foreign donations and to ensure that such contributions do not adversely affect internal security.
  • Coverage: It is applicable to all associations, groups, and NGOs which intend to receive foreign donations.
  • Registration: It is mandatory for all such NGOs to register themselves under the FCRA. The registration is initially valid for five years. Further, it can be renewed subsequently if they comply with all norms.
  • Registered NGOs can receive foreign contributions for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic, and cultural. There are 22,591 FCRA registered NGOs.

Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Rules 2020:

  • New rules require any organization that wants to register itself under the FCRA to have existed for at least three years. Further, it should have spent a minimum of Rs. 15 lakh on its core activities during the last three financial years for the benefit of society.
  • Office bearers of the NGOs seeking registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act must submit a specific commitment letter from the donor. It should indicate the amount of foreign contribution and the purpose for which it is proposed to be given.
  • Any NGO or person making an application for obtaining prior permission to receive foreign funds shall have an FCRA Account.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. AIR POLLUTION IN CENTRAL-WESTERN INDIA AND NORTH INDIA IN CONTRAST TO THE GENERAL TREND

THE CONTEXT: According to the study published in ‘Environmental Science and Pollution Research, by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) showed that reduction of economic activities during the pandemic-related lockdown had resulted in decrease of air pollution in most parts of India, but satellite observations show that parts of central-western India and north India showed an increase in pollution in contrast to the general trend.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The satellite-based observation of toxic trace gases, — ozone, NO2, and carbon monoxide near the surface and in the free troposphere mostly showed reduction of the pollutants over India. However, over some regions like western – central India, some parts of Northern India, and Remote Himalaya, an increase of ozone and other toxic gases was observed. This could have aggravated respiratory health risks around those regions during the pandemic.
  • Scientists have identified that regions in the central-western part of India and north India are prone to higher air pollution exposure based on state-of-the-art satellite observations and hence are exposed to greater risk of respiratory problems.
  • Multi-satellite remote sensing of air pollutants has evolved dramatically over the last decade. Synergic measurements of satellite and in-situ observation provide a more comprehensive understanding of air pollution episodes. In 2020, a complete nationwide lockdown was imposed over India to impede the spread of coronavirus disease. This enormously disrupted the economy with a single positive side effect, a short-term improvement in the air quality near the surface.

  • According to the results, carbon monoxide showed a consistent increase (as high as 31%) of concentration at higher heights during the lockdown. The long-range transport and downward transport from the stratosphere significantly increased ozone concentrations over north India during the lockdown, and remote regions like the Himalayas and coastal cities showed the bare minimum influence of lockdown in air quality, with a tendency to increase in criteria air pollutants.
  • The ARIES team explains ozone production and loss are constrained through the complex photochemistry involving its precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A decrease in its precursor gases could also lead to enhancement of ozone, depending upon the chemical environment. Moreover, ozone concentrations are also altered via ambient meteorology and dynamics, including the downward transport of ozone-rich air from the stratosphere to the troposphere.
  • According to the ARIES team, this study helped to identify the regions prone to higher air pollution exposure hence can identify areas at a greater health risk. The team previously, with scientists from the ISRO, showed INSAT-3D as a valuable Indian geostationary satellite to study ozone pollutions over India; however, for other criteria air pollutants (i.e., NO2, SO2, CO, VOCs, etc.), India is lacking in space-based observations and need air quality monitoring indigenous satellite in orbit.

Value Addition:

The six common air pollutants are:

  1. Particulate matter
  2. Ground-level ozone (Ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs), also known as hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) interact in the presence of sunlight.)
  3. Carbon monoxide
  4. Sulphur oxides
  5. Nitrogen oxides

5. IRANIAN KIWIS THREATEN KASHMIRI APPLES

THE CONTEXT: In early December 2021, the import of Iranian kiwis from Afghanistan to India has posed a major concern for apple dealers in Kashmir following a contagious quarantine pest threat found.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • Since October 2021, India has intercepted quarantine pest ‘Aspidiotus netil’ in 22 consignments and ‘Pseudococcu Calceolariae’ pest in two Kiwi fruit consignments.
  • According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, India has suspended the import of fresh Kiwi fruits from Iran due to the rise in pest infested consignments from the middle eastern nation despite repeated warnings.

  • The Import of Iran’s fresh Kiwi fruits has been banned with effect from December 2021 by the nodal body National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) under the Agriculture Ministry.
  • Earlier in 2019 too, India had intercepted a quarantine pest called ‘Aspidiotus netil’ from 13 consignments and a non-quarantine pest ‘Aonidiella aurantii’ from two consignments of Kiwi fruits from Iran. The non-compliance report has been sent on a regular basis to Iran for these consignments but so far no action has been taken nor the interception has decreased.”
  • Also, the Ministry said the introduction of any quarantine pests through infested import consignments is a threat to Indian biosecurity and is dealt with under the provisions of Indian regulation.
  • The Indian government has suspended the import of fresh kiwi fruits from India as each country has sovereignty and authority to protect itself. Iran government has also been requested to investigate the cases of non-compliance and submit an action taken report at the earliest with respect to remedial measures taken to avoid future interceptions.
  • “Pests entering in the territory of any apple producing State shall be a catastrophe for local farmers”. Farmers have demanded a complete ban on import of apples from Iran “till the quarantine pest issue is resolved”.
  • Currently, India imports 4,000 tonnes of Kiwis from various countries, while the domestic production is about 13,000 tonnes, as per the government data.

About Kashmir Apples:

  • According to government figures, Kashmir exports around 20 lakh metric tons of apple every year, and the horticulture industry is pegged to be worth around 8000 to 9000 crores including the employment it generates. Kashmir produces 75% of the total apple production in the country.

National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO)

  • The establishment or update of a National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) by each contracting party is a major step towards international cooperation to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests. This IPPC guide aims to support the establishment of a functional NPPO as the competent and legally responsible body for regulatory plant protection functions, as outlined in the IPPC.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. 5G TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Pune will be the first places to get 5G services next year i.e 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is 5G technology and how is it different?

  • 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.
  • While the low band spectrum has shown great promise in terms of coverage and speed of Internet and data exchange, the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
  • This means that while telcos can use and install it for commercial cell phone users who may not have specific demands for very high speed Internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialised needs of the industry.
  • The mid-band spectrum, on the other hand, offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals.
  • The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength. Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G has been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (giga bits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps.

Where does India stand in the 5G technology race?

  • Like other global players, India had, in 2018, planned to start 5G services as soon as possible, with an aim to capitalise on the better network speeds and strength that the technology promised.
  • All the three private telecom players, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Vi, have been urging the DoT to lay out a clear road map of spectrum allocation and 5G frequency bands, so that they are able to plan the rollout of their services accordingly. One big hurdle, however, is the lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with at least two of the three players, namely Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

What is the global progress on 5G?

  • More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling it out to their customers on a trial basis. In countries like the US, companies such as AT&T, T-mobile, and Verizon have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
  • In other countries such as China, some of the telcos such as China Unicom had started 5G trials as early as 2018, and have since rolled out the commercial services for users.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as:

         a) leaders of Swadeshi and Boycott Movement

         b) members of the Interim Government in 1946

         c) members of the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly

         d) officers of the Indian National Army

ANSWER FOR 27TH DECEMBER 2021

ANSWER: D

EXPLANATION:

  • Triclosan is a chemical with antibacterial properties. Generally, it is used in Toiletries. For decades, triclosan has been added to personal care products, such as hand soaps and cosmetics, and materials ranging from athletic clothing to food packaging. When you use a product containing triclosan, you can absorb a small amount through your skin or mouth.



Day-113 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

[WpProQuiz 123]




Ethics Through Current Developments (28-12-2021)

  1. Desmond Tutu provided a model for constructive use of religious idioms in politics. In polarised times, he will be missed READ MORE
  2. We are not at peace with nature READ MORE




Today’s Important Articles for Geography (28-12-2021)

  1. The gaps in the plan to tackle plastic waste READ MORE
  2. Can India Use MNREGA Work To Make Itself More Climate-Resilient? READ MORE
  3. Tweaks in green laws may dilute safeguards, warn experts READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (28-12-2021)

  1. Why Centre wants to raise marriage age of women READ MORE
  2. What NFHS-5 data reveals about gender in India READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (28-12-2021)

  1. Decoding the draft data protection law READ MORE
  2. Sacrilege: The law must prevail READ MORE
  3. Democracy in peril: Its spirit can’t be renewed without the power of emancipatory education READ MORE
  4. Protection from Data Protection Authority READ MORE
  5. Is the freedom of speech absolute? READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (28-12-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Air pollution in parts of central-western India and north India increased during the pandemic in contrast to the general trend READ MORE
  2. NITI Aayog Releases Fourth Edition of State Health Index READ MORE
  3. Missionaries of Charity denied FCRA nod READ MORE
  4. Explained: What is 5G in telecom, and how will this tech work in India? READ MORE
  5. Right to be forgotten: govt position, court rulings, and laws elsewhere READ MORE
  6. PM Modi to lay foundation stone of 4 hydro power projects in Himachal Pradesh today. 7 points READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

  1. Why Centre wants to raise marriage age of women READ MORE
  2. What NFHS-5 data reveals about gender in India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Decoding the draft data protection law READ MORE
  2. Sacrilege: The law must prevail READ MORE
  3. Democracy in peril: Its spirit can’t be renewed without the power of emancipatory education READ MORE
  4. Protection from Data Protection Authority READ MORE
  5. Is the freedom of speech absolute? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. The prospects for Indo-Pak relations in 2022 READ MORE
  2. Central Asia of strategic import for India READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. The cold truth about India’s income inequality READ MORE
  2. Growing divergence in central and state-level fiscal trends READ MORE
  3. How to get the economy on the fast track READ MORE
  4. How India is wasting its potential demographic dividend READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. The gaps in the plan to tackle plastic waste READ MORE
  2. Can India Use MNREGA Work To Make Itself More Climate-Resilient? READ MORE
  3. Tweaks in green laws may dilute safeguards, warn experts READ MORE

SECURITY

  1. A progressive step: Formation of a panel to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland is a welcome move READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Desmond Tutu provided a model for constructive use of religious idioms in politics. In polarised times, he will be missed READ MORE
  2. We are not at peace with nature READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘The spirit of democracy cannot be renewed without the enchanting power of emancipatory education or critical pedagogy’. Comment.
  2. ‘India’s relations with Central Asian countries have acquired a strategic dimension. It will be in India’s interest to augment its linkages with these countries to reduce their dependence on China’. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
  • The linking of Aadhaar with voter ID will create complexities in the voter databases that will be hard to fix.
  • An Aadhaar-voter ID linkage will also help political parties create voter profiles and influence the voting process.
  • Criminalising the freedom of religion and choices, which is what the Indian compact is based on, by hunting out the diverse, mixed, or cosmopolitan as inauthentic has consequences, both social and economic.
  • India’s political stability is not in question during the coming year, but there is intense hostility to any conversation with Pakistan among the government’s ideological base.
  • For India to capture global markets, it must focus on boosting technology and digitalisation, strengthening environmental laws, and undertaking tax and business reforms.
  • It undermines privacy; places unchecked powers in the hands of the State; holds the government to a much lower standard of accountability; makes unwarranted advances into areas beyond its mandate.
  • A constitutional democracy cannot afford to normalise mob violence, and any constriction of due process and fair trial must be contested. Act against desecration but don’t allow people to take the law into their own hands.
  • Democracy cannot be saved merely through the ritualisation of periodic elections; nor can it be saved through the occasional delivery of ‘relief packages’ to the poor. Democracy needs our alertness and courage — and this requires the light of critical pedagogy.

50-WORD TALK

  • India’s relations with Central Asian countries have acquired a strategic dimension. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have emerged as important suppliers of uranium to fuel India’s nuclear power plants. Tajikistan provided critical help in the evacuation of Indians from Afghanistan. It will be in India’s interest to augment its linkages with these countries to reduce their dependence on China.
  • Call it a ‘precaution dose’ or a booster shot, what matters is the Modi government has finally come around and agreed to administer these. But why wait until 3 Jan or 10 Jan for the different categories when Omicron is so much more transmissible? Only India’s health bureaucrats would know.

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.



TOPIC: INDIA- CENTRAL ASIA RELATION

THE CONTEXT: The dramatic developments in Afghanistan have catalysed new geostrategic and geoeconomics concerns for the Central Asia region. The evolving situation has also thrown up renewed challenges for India’s regional and bilateral ties with Central Asia and the Caucasus, prompting India to recalibrate its rules of engagement with the region.

INDIA- CENTRAL ASIAN RELATIONS: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

  • Over the years, India has been taking a renewed interest in enhancing its strategic presence in Central Asia.
  • India’s full membership into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) now opens up an opportunity for a closer engagement with the region.
  • In 2019, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) participated in the first India-Central Asia Dialogue in Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan.
  • The 2nd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in October 2020, under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India.
  • Though, there is no specific Indian diaspora policy in Central Asia. As compared to Indians living in the Gulf, the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), the number of Indians in Central Asian Republics (CARs) is quite less. But India has a strong forum, namely, SCO, to make its outreach to Central Asia.
  • In the second week of November 2021, India held an NSA- level meeting in New Delhi to discuss the development in Afghanistan and in that, All Central Asian nations participated.
  • The above developments show that the relations between India and Central Asian nations are going upward, but to make an effective presence in Central Asia, India needs to enhance these relations.

ROLE OF SCO IN THIS REGARD

  • India’s full SCO membership is considered a forward movement in her engagement with Central Asia.
  • This has enhanced India’s strategic ‘presence’ in the Eurasian region.
  • While being a part of the SCO, India has put forward many concrete proposals for regional cooperation in different areas.
  • However, India needs to be proactive while figuring out its priorities within the SCO.
  • India has been able to enhance cooperation with SCO member-states to combat extremism and terrorism through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism at Tashkent by sharing information. In the SCO, discussions are also under process to use the local currency in trade and economic transactions instead of dollars.

IMPORTANCE OF CENTRAL ASIA FOR INDIA

  • India and Central Asian Republics (CARs) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan – share deep civilisational ties. However, the importance of Central Asia for India is not merely cultural and historical.
  • Over the next decade, as India’s economy grew, so made its demand for energy and the need to diversify sources beyond the Gulf. During this period, Central Asia also looked toward supplying energy to fast-growing countries in Asia, such as India and China, to overcome its reliance on pipeline routes through Russia.
  • India and the CARs also share common concerns on the issue of the rising threat from terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
  • The re-emergence of threat from the Taliban-Haqqani network in Afghanistan, the proposed Western military pullout by 2014, and growing religious radicalisation and sectarian violence within Pakistan have raised serious questions about the region’s stability.
  • India thus plans to further strengthen its cooperation with the CARs, especially on the counter-terrorism issue, within the framework of its “Connect Central Asia” policy.

At a more specific level, the five CARs are important to India due to some of the following factors:

Tajikistan: Tajikistan’s importance for India lies in its geostrategic location. While it shares borders with China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, it is also close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Moreover, developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan have serious security implications for both India and Tajikistan. In addition to its strategic location, Tajikistan is rich in hydroelectric power and has the largest natural water resources in the region. Tajikistan also has rich mineral deposits. India and Tajikistan cooperate over a wide spectrum of political, economic, health, human resource development, defence, counter-terrorism, science and technology, culture, and tourism. Tajik military cadets and young officers have also been attending military training institutions in India.

Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan’s importance for India needs to be viewed in the context of developments in and around Central Asia, India’s growing energy needs, Kazakhstan’s increasing role in the region and its immense hydrocarbon reserves. The two countries cooperate in various hydrocarbon, civil nuclear energy, space, information technology and cyber security, pharmaceuticals, health care, agriculture, and cultural exchange programmes.

Turkmenistan: The importance of Turkmenistan for India lies in its enormous gas reserves, transit potential and geostrategic geo-strategic location. India’s rising energy demand and the fact that it imports 70 per cent of its oil requirements, which is likely to go up to 90 per cent by 2025, has made Turkmenistan an attractive destination for India. In this context, the TAPI gas pipeline is of great significance. Turkmenistan can also serve as a gateway to Central Asia through Iran. From India’s point of view, the North-South Corridor would help India reach out to Central Asia and enable it to transport goods at a cheaper cost to the European markets.

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan has appreciated India’s reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and supports India’s candidature for full membership in the SCO and UNSC. The two countries cooperate in diverse sectors, including coal gasification, oil and gas, banking, pharmaceuticals, textiles, science and technology, standardisation, small and medium enterprises, and tourism. More than sixty Indian companies are operating in the country. Economic reconstruction projects and cooperation on counter-terrorism, in the backdrop of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014, have been given priority in India-Uzbekistan ties.

Kyrgyzstan: The visit of Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony to Bishkek in July 2011 has given a new impetus to the India-Kyrgyzstan ties. India has offered assistance to Kyrgyzstan in various areas. This includes sending a team to train Kyrgyz armed forces in UN peacekeeping operations and imparting English language skills. India and Kyrgyzstan have also signed MoUs for cooperation in research and development in high altitude base agriculture, plantation, animal husbandry, poultry, education, sports, culture, IT, health, S&T and food processing.

WHY THE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND CENTRAL ASIA ARE LACKING BEHIND

  • With any planned routes facing serious financial, political, and security constraints, the lack of connectivity between India and the region has frustrated oil and gas diplomacy.
  • The long-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was first proposed in the mid-1990s. All four actors officially signed an intergovernmental agreement in 2010. Since then, progress has been stalled due to the instability in Afghanistan and the lack of trust between India and Pakistan.
  • The only significant achievement in the energy sector has been civil nuclear cooperation. In 2008, Kazakhstan supported India in obtaining India-specific exemption to allow civil nuclear cooperation with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries.
  • The following year, India and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to supply 2,100 tonnes of uranium to India until 2014. Two years later, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kazakhstan, they signed a deal for ‘Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy.’
  • The adverse geographic terrain and the complicated India-Pakistan border dynamic, significantly impede connectivity, thereby curbing greater economic cooperation between India and the region.
  • In contrast, external powers such as Russia and China have benefitted from close cooperation and influence, courtesy of their porous borders with the region.
  • Thus, apart from pipeline routes through the region, India has also been looking towards Iran for connectivity with Central Asia. As far back as April 1995, India, Iran and Turkmenistan signed an MOU to create transit corridors through the latter two states to facilitate trade among each other, and transit through territories crossing the latter two states. Nonetheless, the full potential of this route is yet to be realised.

THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IS A POSITIVE SIGNAL

  • Engagement with the region in 2020 saw a clear focus on regional economic development, connectivity, and security — apart from the immediate need to deal with the ongoing pandemic.
  • Among the highlights was the announcement of an additional 1 billion USD Line of Credit extended by India for priority development projects in energy, healthcare, connectivity, IT, agriculture, education, etc. India’s ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ covers an entire gamut of a multi-model approach to strengthen politico-economic, security, and cultural ties between the two.
  • To that endeavour, India proposed grant assistance to implement High Impact Community Development Projects that aim to boost socio-economic development in the region.
  • This development came at a time when countries around the world were still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. India has provided humanitarian and medical assistance to the Central Asian partners in their fight against the pandemic.
  • Although Central Asian countries are heading towards Russia-based vaccines, the rollout has been slow. India, which has already supplied 5.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to its neighbours, is now looking to further expand its outreach. It would be worthwhile to consider including Central Asian countries in this effort.

POWER DYNAMICS IN THE REGION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA: ANALYSIS

RUSSIA: While still a widely influential political and security player in the region, Russia has seen China take its place as the leading economic player in the post-Soviet period. As the latter’s influence has grown, Russia has promoted its own Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to pursue regional and economic integration. The EAEU, which has become an established actor in the region, has not coalesced into a political union due to member-states objections to accept Russian proposals to this effect. Since its inception in 2015, it has only attracted two Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as members and thus it is far from a happy union.

CHINA: China has been expanding its regional presence, as seen in the ‘5+1 format’ launched in 2020 to further its clout. However, its advances are already causing concerns of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ given the economic situation of Central Asian countries. Turkmenistan owes at least US$ 8 billion in loans to China and the latter holds roughly 50 per cent of Tajikistan’s US$ 2.8 billion foreign debt. Kyrgyzstan has turned to China for debt relief to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. The Export-Import Bank of China holds US$ 1.7 billion of the country’s US$ 4 billion foreign debt. As the BRI expands, China’s largest trading partner in the region, Kazakhstan, is also growing conscious of China’s manoeuvres

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA: These developments create an opening for India, which benefits from possessing goodwill and a positive image among Central Asian states. As New Delhi cements its position as one of the fastest-growing major economies of the world, its increased engagement with the region can lead to mutually beneficial gains — both in economic and strategic terms. The presence of multiple strong powers in the region offers options to regional actors to balance external pressures. However, India has been a latecomer and has only turned its attention to the region in recent years. It has sought to deepen linkages through the regular exchange of high-level visits, cooperation in areas of mutual security concerns, and improving trade ties. PM Modi’s comprehensive visit in July 2015 to all 5 CARs was a step in the same direction. Yet, India has a long way to go before it can present itself as a key player in Central Asia. India’s trade with the region amounts to US$ 2 billion, owing to limited connectivity and low economic engagement with the region. This amount is less than 0.5 per cent of India’s total trade, whereas the region’s trade with China amounts to US$ 100 billion.

THE WAY AHEAD: Efforts are now being made to address the weak trade ties by encouraging cooperation among businesses on both sides, as is evident in the launch of the India-Central Asia Business Council in 2020. India needs to direct investment to the region to reap the economic benefits of the strategic location of Central Asia that puts it at the crossroads of key trade and commerce routes. Sectors like the construction industry, sericulture, pharmaceuticals, IT, and tourism offer potential for collaboration. Beyond strategic and economic cooperation, India must increase its developmental and humanitarian aid to the region and promote closer people-to-people ties through education, knowledge transfer, medicine and health, culture, cuisine, and tourism. Multilateral organisations like SCO, EAEU, and CICA can serve as platforms for sustained engagement and regular exchange of ideas. The SCO is a crucial grouping that provides India with a strategic convergence with Russia and China to address new security challenges, enhance infrastructural development projects, and create a network of regional oil and gas pipelines for the greater benefit of the Central and South Asian region. It bears the high potential to give India a stake in the Eurasian integration process. Although several challenges such as China’s aggressive posture in the region and the unholy nexus of Pakistan and China looms large over its success, a calibrated coordination with the stakeholders will enable New Delhi to accentuate its own role not only in the Eurasian region but also in South Asia.

THE CONCLUSION:In a region where Russia and China remain the key players, India has a long way to go before being recognised as a consequential actor in Central Asia. The proposals and ideas discussed in the 2020 virtual summits possess the potential to form the bedrock of a sustained, balanced, long-term strategy — which New Delhi will have to capitalise on to achieve its policy goals in the region.

Questions:

  1. Discuss the importance of central Asia for India. How can multilateral organisations like SCO serve as platforms for sustained engagement and regular exchange of ideas between India and central Asia?
  2. ‘To fulfil its energy requirement, India should look beyond gulf nations and Central Asia is an ideal for that’. Comment.