DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (DECEMBER 30, 2021)

GEOGRAPHY: DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

1. GOA APPROVES EXPORT OF LOW-GRADE IRON ORE

THE CONTEXT: The Goa state Government permitting mining companies to export low-grade iron ore, paving the way for the resumption of mining activity that has been stalled since 2018.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • According to the Government, about 10 to 20 million tonnes of low-grade iron ore were lying at different locations outside the mining leases and could sustain mining activity in Goa for the next four-five years.
  • “The State government has formulated a policy for regularisation of mining dumps on government and private land. The Chief Minister stated that in the past the State Land Revenue Code had empowered the government to impose fines if the land was used for dumping mining rejects or similar materials without permission.
  • Goa’s mining sector, which contributed about 15-16% of the State’s Gross Domestic Product in 2011-12, now accounts for barely 2%.
  • In March, the Supreme Court had deemed Goa’s mining lease renewals to be illegal and canceled 88 such leases that had been renewed by the State government in 2014-15.
  • In March 2021 the Supreme Court had deemed Goa’s mining lease renewals to be illegal and canceled 88 such leases that had been renewed by the State government in 2014-15.
  • The government would take over the mining dumps where the penalty was not paid and auction the ore.

Value Addition:

The total recoverable reserves of iron ore in India are about 9,602 million tonnes of hematite and 3,408 million tonnes of magnetite. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the principal Indian producers of iron ore.

INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. TUSSLE OVER THE ELECTION OF MAHARASHTRA ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

THE CONTEXT: Amid ongoing tensions between the Governor of Maharashtra and the State Government over the election to the Speaker of the Assembly, and the winter session of the state assembly ends but the Governor has not given his consent to the election programme recommended by the Cabinet.

THE EXPLANATION:  

What Constitution says?

Article 178 of the Constitution states: “Every Legislative Assembly of a State shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the Assembly to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the Assembly shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.”

The Constitution does not specify the process of holding these elections; that is left to the state legislatures. It also does not set a timeframe other than to say the elections should be held “as soon as maybe”.

Some states lay down timeframes

  • In Haryana, the election of the Speaker must be held as soon as possible after the Assembly election, and the Deputy Speaker must be elected within another seven days.
  • In UP, the Speaker’s election is required to be held within 15 days if the post falls vacant during the term of the Assembly.
  • The date for the Speaker’s election is notified by the Governor.

A crucial case in Maharashtra

  • As per Rule 6 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rules, “The Governor shall fix a date for the holding of the election and the Secretary shall send to every member notice of the date so fixed.”
  • A former Secretary of the state Assembly said the election of the Speaker can take place only after the Governor fixes the date for it.

What are the recent amendments?

  • The govt has moved a motion in the Assembly seeking amendments to Rules 6 (election of Assembly Speaker) and 7 (election of Deputy Assembly Speaker) by voice vote instead of a secret ballot.
  • The amendments excluded the words “holding of the election” and included the words “to elect the Speaker on the recommendation of the Chief Minister” in Rule 6 of Maharashtra Assembly Rules.

What are the objections to these amendments?

  • The Opposition accused the govt of running the “most insecure government” that does not trust its MLAs and fears there would be cross-voting in the election of the Speaker.
  • It argued that the Rules cannot be amended in the absence of the Speaker.

What is the government’s position?

  • The government has argued that the amendments are in line with the Rules that are in practice in Lok Sabha, the Upper House of the state legislature, and in the Assemblies of several other states.
  • It has also been said that the amendments would put an end to horse-trading.

What is the way ahead?

  • The govt can explore legal options to see whether the election of the Speaker could be held without the consent of the Governor. However, the situation is very odd.
  • While Rule 6 mandates that the Governor should fix the date for the election, the amendment says that the Governor should fix the date on the advice of the CM.

3. NORTHEASTERN REGION DISTRICT SDG INDEX: NITI AAYOG

THE CONTEXT: Niti Aayog with technical support from UNDP, released the first its kind Northeastern Region District SDG Index. The index measures the performance of the district of the eight NE States. This SDG Index will be used as a base for planning of development and welfare activities, education, health care.

THE EXPLANATION:  

According to the report, the East Sikkim district of Sikkim has topped the Northeastern Region (NER) District SDG Index 2021-22 while the Kiphire district of Nagaland was ranked last amongst 103 districts in the ranking. Gomati, North Tripura is second, West Tripura is third in the ranking.

What is NER District SDG Index?

  • The Index measures the performance of the districts of the eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura on the Sustainable Development Goals and ranks these districts on the basis of the same.
  • The index offers insights into the social, economic, and environmental status of the region and its districts in their march towards achieving the SDGs. East Sikkim was ranked first in the region, followed by districts Gomati and North Tripura in the second position.
  • “The North-eastern Region District SDG Index will help in evidence-based planning, resource allocation, both financial as well as others, and effective supervision and monitoring of developmental efforts for focused and balanced regional development”.

Objectives:

  • To strengthen the monitoring of SDGs for all States and Districts of the region
  • To establish the NER District SDG Index as the comprehensive progress monitoring tool at the district level
  • To enable the States and Districts to identify critical sectoral gaps
  • To promote healthy competition in the region among States and Districts
  • To facilitate cross-learning through good practices and challenges

4. ATAL RANKINGS FOR INNOVATION

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Education released the “Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA),” out of which Sevan Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have made it to the top 10.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi topped the rankings for technical central universities, for their innovative approach. The IITs in Kanpur, Roorkee, Hyderabad and Kharagpur also feature in the top 10.
  • Other institutions on the list are Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Prayagraj’s Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, and the National Institute of Technology in Kozhikode (formerly Calicut).
  • According to Education Ministry, the ARIIA rankings will “inspire Indian institutions to reorient their mindset and build ecosystems to encourage high-quality research, innovation and entrepreneurship in their campuses”. The rankings will inspire institutions to ‘reorient their mindset’, promote innovation to achieve $5 trillion economies by 2025.

What is ARIIA?

  • ARIIA is an annual ranking released by the education ministry to recognize the contribution of institutions in research and innovation. It systematically ranks all major higher education institutions and universities in India on indicators related to the promotion and support of “innovation and entrepreneurship development” among students and faculty.
  • The first edition of ARIIA was released in 2019 when a total of 496 institutes competed to get a ranking. This year, 1,438 institutions (including all IITs, NITs, IISc, etc.) participated.

Parameters:

  • The parameters on which institutes were judged include academic courses offered on innovation and start-up, successful innovation and start-ups that emerged from campus, investment, collaboration and partnerships with ecosystem enablers, research outputs and technology transfer and commercialization efforts.
  • The ranking is divided into two categories — technical and non-technical institutions. There are five sub-categories under the technical’ category— central universities, state universities, private universities, government-aided institutions, and deemed private universities. Under ‘non-technical’ institutions, the categories are ‘central government’ and ‘general’.

THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY

5. INDIGENISATION2500 SUBSYSTEMS BARRED FROM IMPORTS: MOD

THE CONTEXT: Following the two positive indigenization lists barring the import of 209 major platforms and systems, the Defence Ministry notified a list of another 2,500 subsystems and components and 351 more imported items to be made locally in the next three years.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • According to the Ministry of Defence, “The Atmanirbhar initiative will save foreign exchange approximately equivalent to ₹3,000 crores every year”.
  • A positive indigenization list of subsystems and components had been notified by the Department of Defence Production as part of the MoD’s efforts to achieve self-reliance in manufacturing and minimize imports by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). They would only be procured from the Indian industry after the timelines indicated in the list.

  • “DPSUs will work in close coordination with local industrial supply chain to ensure strict adherence to the stipulated timelines.” Necessary certifications/approval of all items included in the list shall be granted on priority by the stakeholders concerned.

To reduce imports

  • The positive indigenization list is among a series of measures announced recently to reduce defence imports and give a push to domestic manufacturing.
  • At present, India’s defence and aerospace manufacturing market was worth ₹85,000 crores, of which the present contribution of the private sector was ₹18,000 crore. In 2022, the country’s defence and aerospace manufacturing market would increase to ₹1 lakh crore and could reach ₹5 lakh crore by 2047.
  • The Ministry is also expected to put out the final version of the ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’, the draft of which has been released for public feedback.

Emerging technologies

  • Indian Army said in its statement, “Army has also established an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre at the same institution with over 140 deployments in forwarding areas and active support of industry and academia. Training on cyberwarfare is being imparted through a state of art cyber range, and cyber security labs”.
  • Ideation for the Army’s involvement in Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations was done in a seminar on Electromagnetic Spectrum and National Security organized in October 2020, the statement noted and added that since then an impetus had been given to the Army’s technology institutions for investing in AI, quantum and cyber.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. RYTHU BANDHU SCHEME OF TELANGANA

THE CONTEXT: Ahead of the ongoing Rabi season, the Telangana government started crediting money into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries in the state.

THE EXPLANATION:

Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, as many as 66.56 lakh farmers identified as beneficiaries, regardless of the extent of land owned by them, would receive financial assistance in 10 days.

With this, the state government would have disbursed Rs 50,405.63 crore to farmers under the scheme to date, a major landmark since its inception in May 2018.

What is Rythu Bandhu?

  • Rythu Bandhu is a scheme under which the state government extends financial support to land-owning farmers at the beginning of the crop season through direct benefit transfer so that they can take care of the initial investment needs and do not fall into a debt trap.
  • This in turn instills confidence in farmers, enhances productivity and income, and breaks the cycle of rural indebtedness.
  • Each farmer gets Rs 5,000 per acre per crop season without any ceiling on the number of acres held. So, a farmer who owns two acres of land would receive Rs 20,000 a year, whereas a farmer who owns 10 acres would receive Rs 1 lakh a year from the government. The grant helps them cover the expenses on input requirements such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and labour.

How does it compare with the PM-KISAN scheme?

The state government has often said that the Centre’s PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme is a “copy” of Rythu Bandhu. The Telangana government further claims that its own scheme is much better than PM-KISAN.

What about landless farmers?

  • The Rythu Bandhu scheme has also come in from criticism from several quarters, with one of the major ones being that it ignores the plight of landless or tenant farmers.
  • Farmer bodies have been demanding that the state government should extend the agriculture assistance to tenant farmers as well. They have pointed out that those who work on lands taken on lease from landowners also need government assistance at the beginning of a crop season.

PLACES IN NEWS

7. PORT OF LATAKIA

THE CONTEXT: An Israeli airstrike hit a shipment of Iranian weapons in the Syrian port of Latakia on 7th December 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

Port of Latakia:

  • The Port of Latakia is a seaport, located on the Mediterranean Sea in the city of Latakia.
  • Established in 1950, it has since served as Syria’s main seaport.

Significance:

  • The repeated strikes are a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty. Israel, which has hardly upheld international norms and laws when it comes to its security policies, is setting another bad precedent.
  • Syria, devastated by the civil war, is emerging as a new front in the Israel-Iran tussle. In recent years, Israel has reportedly carried out sabotage activities inside Iran and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. Iran, in return, has attacked Israel-linked vessels in the Gulf and Mediterranean waters and enhanced supplies to Shia rebel groups in the region.
  • Iran is preparing to take control of Syria’s main commercial port, advancing its plans to secure a trade route from Tehran to the Mediterranean and establishing a significant foothold on Israel’s doorstep.
  • Russia, whose primary focus in Syria is on the survival of the Assad regime and the protection of its own troops and assets deployed there, has largely stayed away from the Iran-Israel cold war. This gives Israel a free hand in Syria to target the Iranian and Hezbollah shipments.

Major ports in Syria: 

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

 

Q1. With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla andKshemeshvara were famous –

a)      Jain monks

b)      Playwrights

c)      temple architects

d)      philosophers

ANSWER FOR 29THDECEMBER 2021

Answer: D

EXPLANATION:

ACE2: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2

The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the angiotensin-converting enzyme family of dipeptidyl carboxypeptidases and has considerable homology to the human angiotensin 1 converting enzyme. This secreted protein catalyzes the cleavage of angiotensin I into angiotensin 1-9, and angiotensin II into the vasodilator angiotensin1-7. ACE2 is known to be expressed in various human organs, and its organ- and cell-specific expression suggests that it may play a role in the regulation of cardiovascular and renal function, as well as fertility. In addition, the encoded protein is a functional receptor for the spike glycoprotein of the human coronavirus HCoV-NL63 and the human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, SARS-CoVand SARS-CoV-2, the latter is the causative agent of coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19). Multiple splice variants have been found for this gene and the dACE2(or MIRb-ACE2) splice variant has been found to be interferon inducible.




Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (30-12-2021)

  1. Frame a law based on the Hague Convention READ MORE
  2. Lockdown no solution: Covid cases rising, India must take realistic steps READ MORE
  3. FCRA non-renewal lacked finesse, dignity and respect READ MORE
  4. A Dangerous Move: Linking voter ID and Aadhar READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (30-12-2021)

  1. Keep caste bias out of the classroom READ MORE
  2. Prevention is better than cure: There are several compelling reasons for extending outpatient health care coverage READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (30-12-2021)

  1. Disaster damage: 2021 sixth year with insured loss bill over $100 billion READ MORE
  2. Energy consumption, related emissions expected to increase through 2050: IEA READ MORE
  3. Is UN Security Council inept in resolving climate change? READ MORE



Ethics Through Current Developments (30-12-2021)

  1. Ethical Dilemmas and Unethical Dispensation: The Story of Indian Football in 2021 READ MORE
  2. The Moral Convergence of the Real and the Ideal READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (30-12-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. North Eastern Region District SDG Index and Dashboard 2021-22 READ MORE
  2. Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog releases ‘Innovations For You’ & ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ READ MORE
  3. MoD notifies list of 2500 subsystems barred from imports READ MORE
  4. Explained: Rythu Bandhu, Telangana govt’s DBT scheme for farmers’ assistance READ MORE
  5. 7 IITs in top 10 of govt’s Atal rankings for innovation, IIT Madras is No.1 READ MORE
  6. Covid fight: Telangana 1st large state to achieve 100% first-dose vaccination READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 1

  1. Keep caste bias out of the classroom READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Frame a law based on the Hague Convention READ MORE
  2. Lockdown no solution: Covid cases rising, India must take realistic steps READ MORE
  3. FCRA non-renewal lacked finesse, dignity and respect READ MORE
  4. A Dangerous Move: Linking voter ID and Aadhar READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

  1. Prevention is better than cure: There are several compelling reasons for extending outpatient health care coverage READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Far from over: Israel is again violating international norms and laws with repeated strikes against Syria READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Vagaries of inflation: Time to tame it? READ MORE
  2. India’s hopes and dynasties: The country needs greater social harmony to accelerate economic development READ MORE
  3. Market-induced Global Inequalities: Excessive dependence on markets can result in even greater inequality and warped outcomes. READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. Disaster damage: 2021 sixth year with insured loss bill over $100 billion READ MORE
  2. Energy consumption, related emissions expected to increase through 2050: IEA READ MORE
  3. Is UN Security Council inept in resolving climate change? READ MORE

SECURITY

  1. Why AFSPA exists READ MORE
  2. AFSPA: The Misuse of Power READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Ethical Dilemmas and Unethical Dispensation: The Story of Indian Football in 2021 READ MORE
  2. The Moral Convergence of the Real and the Ideal READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘To address the issue of inequality we need to focus on equality of opportunity for better education and employment for the less privileged’. Comment.
  2. ‘Excessive dependence on markets can result in even greater inequality and warped outcomes’. Do you agree with this view? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
  • Excessive dependence on markets can result in even greater inequality and warped outcomes.
  • The implementation of the AFSPA suggests that it deserves to be completely rewritten or scrapped; there is no third alternative.
  • For Syria to see relative peace, there has to be a dial-down in tensions between Israel and Iran. A good beginning point would be the revival of the nuclear deal.
  • AFSPA allows soldiers to carry out military operations which would otherwise, in the absence of any legal mandate, be legally and morally questionable.
  • Since India is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, any case related to child custody is decided by the Indian courts on merit, taking into account the principles of comity of courts, and the principles of best interest and welfare of the child.
  • Authorities must stop caste from vitiating interactions in the classroom, and sullying the education of young people. India made the constitutional promise of a dignified life to its most underprivileged castes, and is bound to fulfil it.
  • Caste is ubiquitous in India.
  • The double-digit inflation is due to the rise in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum and natural gas, chemicals, food products etc.
  • As fiscal space gets limited in poor countries, governmental transfers must target the worst affected sections that cannot take the battering anymore.
  • Despite the paucity of political alternatives, as we Indians enter another new year, we need to speak up more about social injustice and hopefully thus promote improved equality of opportunity for better education and employment for the less privileged.
  • It is unfortunate enough that the Government of India has, without any effective parliamentary oversight or discussion, brought in this crucial legislation that could have a major impact on electoral outcomes.

50-WORD TALK

  • Science has progressed rapidly since the onset of the pandemic, giving us new insights into the virus and its behaviour, and new tools such as testing kits and vaccines. We still need India-specific studies on various counts. In addition, pandemic management has a lot to do with disciplines beyond medical research.

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.



2+2 TALKS AND THE FUTURE OF INDO-RUSSIA RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Along with QUAD members, India, in December 2021, India conducted a 2+2 talk with one of its most strategically important partner nations, Russia. Russia will join the other countries where India holds a 2+2 ministerial dialogue. This first face-to-face bilateral meeting of the Russian President with any country since the onset of the pandemic signifies that the long-standing relations between the two are still as strong as ever.

OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING

The meeting saw the signing of 28 agreements across sectors from defense to energy to space exploration, science, and technology, heavy engineering, to trade and investment. However, the anticipated ‘Reciprocal Exchange of Logistical Support’ (RELOS) could not conclude in the meeting.

Major pacts: 

MILITARY PACTS: The two sides signed the ‘Agreement on Program of the Military-Technical Cooperation from 2021-2031’. This 10-year Defence Cooperation Program outlines the ongoing defense cooperation and possible future cooperation between the two countries. Such agreements are being signed since 1994. The long-awaited ‘A-203 assault rifles deal’ was inked at the end of bilateral talks between Defence Minister and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu, paving the way to produce over six lakh rifles Amethi.

S-400 MISSILES DEAL ON AUKUS AND INDO-PACIFIC: Regarding the threats of US sanctions on procurement of S-400 missiles, the Indian foreign secretary said that India follows an independent foreign policy, and decisions are not taken in light of others. On the issue of AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific, the Russian minister debunked these new formats calling them “non-inclusive” and violative of international norms.

ON REGIONAL SECURITY: India confirmed that issues such as Chinese incursions in Ladakh and the situation in Ukraine did come up during the conversations between India and Russia. The leadership also discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan, especially the security situation and its implications in the region, the current political situation, issues related to terrorism, radicalization and drug trafficking, etc.

ON TERRORISM: The joint statement mentioned India’s concerns of terror networks like Pak-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) finding space in Afghanistan. The leaders emphasized that Afghanistan’s territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing any terrorist groups including ISIS, Al Qaeda, LeT, etc. The Russian side has invited the Indian side to Moscow for the next round of 2+2 dialogue to be held in 2022. India has accepted the invitation. The two sides also signed a protocol to allot land to set up the Indian Consulate General in the city of Vladivostok.

A SNAPSHOT OF INDO-RUSSIA RELATIONS

DIPLOMATIC TIES

  • BRICS; Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
  • Indian Ocean Rim Association: India helped the induction of Russia
  • UNSC conference on maritime: Russia displayed its proximity to India

INDIA-RUSSIA ANNUAL SUMMIT

  • Highest institutionalized dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between India and Russia
  • The latest summit is an institution of a new “two plus two” mechanism

RECENT COOPERATION IN DEFENCE

  • 65% of Indian armed forces equipment is of Russian origin
  • India procured the S-400 Triumf Missile from Russia

BACKGROUND OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN INDO-RUSSIA RELATIONS: THE CHANGING GEOPOLITICS

Asia Rising: The world has changed drastically in the last three decades. The Soviet Union collapsed, leaving Russia geopolitically weakened. China has risen dramatically as the effective number two global power and the US power has relatively declined, but it still retains its pre-eminence. The global political and economic center of gravity is shifting from the West to the Asian region.

Geopolitical realignments: Russia-US ties and US-China ties have deteriorated very sharply in recent times as the US sees both these powers as adversaries. Russia and China have forged an increasingly stronger strategic partnership (Russia’s “Pivot to the East”), especially after US sanctions on Russia from 2014 (Crimea Crisis). Russia’s relationship with Pakistan has also seen considerable change in the last five years. At the same time, India-US ties have been transformed, with the US becoming India’s leading partner in many ways, including a remarkable growth in defense ties.

Border tensions: No issue affected the Indo-Russian relationship as much as the border tensions between India and China. The Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh brought India-China relations to an inflection point. It has driven New Delhi to shed past hesitations and actively pursue more hard-nosed policies to protect its national interests.

Covid-19 Pandemic: Changing geopolitical equations are greatly accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The acceleration of the US-China rivalry due to the pandemic has made the bipolar dynamic the pivot around the new world order. India and Russia are both important players in their own right, but neither will occupy the top two positions in the world order. India and Russia remain supporters of multipolar world order. However, their foreign policy choices will inevitably be affected by the way their respective relations with the US and China have evolved.

Afghanistan issue: The exit of US security forces has posed a new challenge before India and Russia to fill the vacuum of a stable power center in the Taliban’s presence.

2+2 DIALOGUE:

  • The 2+2 dialogue is held between the foreign and defense ministers of two countries and is generally seen to be aimed at creating a mechanism under which the bilateral relationship takes a decisive strategic turn with greater integration of defense, security and intelligence apparatus.
  • On the lines of 2+2 dialogue with the United States, India and Russia have decided to establish dialogue on the same pattern, to add further momentum to the strategic partnership between the two countries. India held its first 2+2 dialogue with the US in September 2018.
  • The foreign minister and defense ministers of both countries will meet to review the cooperation between the two countries and discuss the pending defense projects and matters of strategic interests, including the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.

REASONS FOR 2+2 TALKS WITH RUSSIA: IN THE PRIME INTERESTS OF INDIAN MAINLAND

While India and Russia have shared a strategic relationship since October 2000, which later got upgraded to ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ in December 2010, it is only now that both countries are having their first 2+2 format dialogue even as the bilateral ties are facing a number of troubles.

The traditional build-up of Indo-Russia relations:

  • Relations with Russia are a key pillar of India’s foreign policy, and Russia has been a long-standing time-tested partner of India. The historical character of the bilateral relationship binds both nations together.
  • Both countries signed the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000.
  • Traditionally, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership has been built on five major components: politics, defense, civil nuclear energy, anti-terrorism cooperation, and space.
  • Russia also reaffirmed its “unwavering support” to India for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.
  • Russia’s medical aid to India in the context of a new COVID-19 wave and Sputnik V supplies provided a positive background for the cooperation going forward.
  • The deterioration of Afghanistan’s situation, particularly the Kabul takeover by the Taliban, also forced India and Russia to band together.
  • The supply of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, which signifies more than just advanced military cooperation between the two countries. Such impactful pacts definitely called for greater cooperation.
  • 25% of Russia’s defense export to India and in 2018, India- Russia defense trade amounted to $ 15 billion.
  • There is a pile-up of other deals in defense and energy that have been at a protracted stage and now await a handshake between both nations to move forward (for example, the Kudankulam nuclear power plant).
  • The 2+2 format of talks is an effective way to promote security cooperation. Recently, because China is using many types of methods including military, diplomacy, and economy to expand its influence. Therefore, diplomacy, including economic policy and military, should be coordinated to deal with China. Therefore, 2+2 is a more effective way to deal with the problem of China.
  • India and Russia have identified several new areas of cooperation. These range from deep-sea exploration to building knowledge-based economies based on science and technology, innovation, robotics, and artificial intelligence, focussing on infrastructure, skill development, agriculture, shipbuilding, railways, aviation, and greater connectivity, especially people-to-people contacts.

THE WAY FORWARD

  • As India develops ties with other like-minded powers to deal with the rise of China, it must also strengthen its special, privileged strategic partnership with Russia. The former superpower is an important partner in its Act East policy and a more balanced Russia-China relationship is in its interests.
  • High-level engagement is particularly important in the India-Russia relationship as it remains driven by top-level interaction. Efforts should be to intensify contacts and diversify areas of cooperation with Russia.
  • Apart from traditional cooperation areas, new economic engagement sectors are likely to emerge, mining, agro-industrial, and high technology, including robotics, nanotech, and biotech. India’s footprint in the Russian Far East and in the Arctic is set to expand. Connectivity projects may get a boost too.
  • India should pursue and facilitate Russia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. Russia may not use the term Indo-Pacific for some more time, but its active engagement, irrespective of motive, in the region would be beneficial to India and contribute to making the Indo-Pacific “free and inclusive”.
  • New Delhi has been consistent in promoting links between the Indo-Pacific and the Russian Far East. The willingness of India and Russia to promote regional cooperation is also visible in proposals for joint economic projects in the Far East and the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime trade route.

THE CONCLUSION: India and Russia share deep-rooted ties dating back to the Soviet era. Cooperation in trade, defense, and space, and significant investments in each other’s economies, continued even after the fall of the Soviet Union. Holding the 2+2 talks with Russia was much needed. This gives out a strong message to the world that India sees everyone to be on the same level. Having a 2+2 with Russia also means that India is “not in anyone’s camp” and that bilateral ties between Moscow and New Delhi are “traditional and comprehensive”. This is visible messaging. And this will also show that the defense to defense relationship between both countries is robust.

 

 

                                                                                                          




Day-115 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

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