THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. THE RHINO POACHING IN ASSAM

THE CONTEXT: Rhino poaching in Assam is one of the major environmental issues in India which continues in the region of Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and some other grasslands of Assam.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Wildlife officials said 2,479 of the 2,623 horns stored in 12 district treasuries since 1979 were burnt in six large iron pyres placed at a stadium in Bokakhat, about 240 km east of Guwahati. These were lit remotely through drones.

INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV 2020)

• Launched in 2005.
• Initiative led by Forest Department, Government of Assam, in partnership with WWF India, International Rhino Foundation.
• Goal of IRV2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000by, establishing populations in new areas.
• Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam:Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park.

ONE-HORNED RHINOS:

• Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
• Also known as the Indian Rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
• It is identified by a single black horn and grey-brown hide with skin folds.
• They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
• Conservation status:
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.
• The Greater One-Horned Rhinois one among the five different species of Rhino. The other four are:

1. Black Rhino:Smaller of the two African species. (IUCN: Critically Endangered)
2. White Rhino:Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white Rhino by using In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) process. (ICUN: Near Threatened)
3. Javan Rhino: Critically endangeredin IUCN Red List.
4. Sumatran Rhino:Recently gone extinct in Malaysia, but Critically Endangered in IUCN Red List.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

2. THE NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS

THE CONTEXT: According to market data tracker DappRadar data analytics, the sales of NFTs surged $25 billion in 2021 as the crypto asset exploded in popularity, fuelled by the rising interest of celebrities and tech evangelists.

THE EXPLANATION:

The cryptocurrency boom over the past two years has helped propel a newer market to record heights: digital collectibles, also known as NFTs.

What are Fungible and Non-Fungible assets?

• A fungible asset is something that can be readily interchanged like money. With money, you can swap a £10 note for two £5 notes, and it will have the same value.
• On the other hand, a non-fungible asset means it has unique properties which cannot be interchanged with something else.

Example: It could be a painting that is one of a kind. You can take a photo of the painting or buy a print, but there will only ever be one original painting.

What are Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)?

• Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain and cannot be replicated.
• They are one-of-a-kind assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold like any other piece of property, but they have no tangible form of their own.
• The digital tokens can be thought of as certificates of ownership for virtual or physical assets.

How do they work?

• Non- Fungible tokens are unique, irreplaceable, mostly digital items that users buy and sell online.
• NFTs use blockchain technology to keep a digital record of ownership, similar to cryptocurrencies. They were first launched on ethereum, the same blockchain that supports the cryptocurrency ether, and to this day most NFTs can still only be purchased using ether.

How is an NFT different from cryptocurrency?

NFTs and cryptocurrencies are very different from each other. While both are built on Blockchain, that is where the similarity ends.

Cryptocurrency is a currency and is fungible, meaning that it is interchangeable. For instance, if you hold one crypto token, say one Ethereum, the next Ethereum that you hold will also be of the same value. But NFTs are non-fungible, that means the value of one NFT is not equal to another. Every art is different from other, making it non fungible, and unique.

Who can buy NFTs?

Anyone who holds a cryptocurrency wallet can buy an NFT. This is the only prerequisite to purchase an NFT.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

3. THE ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) POLICY

THE CONTEXT: The government clarified that the same rank and length of service were necessary for claiming the OROP benefits.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is OROP Policy?

• OROP means same pension, for same rank, for same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement.
• It was a longstanding demand of the Indian armed forces and veterans.
• The concept was provoked by the then decision by Indira Gandhi-led government, in 1973, two years after the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

How did the issue escalate?

• The Rank pay was a scheme implemented by the Rajiv Gandhi led govt in 1986, in the wake of 4th Central Pay Commission.
• It reduced the basic pay of seven armed officers’ ranks of 2nd Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Majors, Lt. Colonel, Colonels, Brigadiers and their equivalent by fixed amounts designated as rank pay.

How was it reviewed?

• In 2008, the then UPA led Government in the wake of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (6CPC), discarded the concept of rank-pay.
• Instead, it introduced Grade pay, and Pay bands, which instead of addressing the rank, pay, and pension asymmetries caused by ‘rank pay’ dispensation, reinforced existing asymmetries.

Issues with this pension policy

• The causes that inform the OROP protest movement are not pension alone, as armed forces veterans have often tried to make clear, and the parliamentary committee recorded.
• The issues, veterans emphasize, are of justice, equity, honor, and national security.
• The failure to address issue of pay-pension equity, and the underlying issue of honor, is not only an important cause for the OROP protest movement, but its escalation.

What is the Present Scenario?

• The ruling Government has accepted the OROP. It has already released Rs. 5500 crores to serve the purpose, but still, there are some grievances from the veterans’ side.
• It refined Pensions for all pensioners retiring in the same rank as the average of the minimum and maximum pensions in 2013.
• The veterans noted governments’ proposal as one rank many pensions since the review of 5 years would lead to differences in pension between senior and a junior.

THE PT PERSPECTIVE

4. THE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY- FEBRUARY 21

THE CONTEXT: International Mother Language Day is observed every year on February 21 to honour those in Bangladesh who sacrificed their lives to protect their mother tongue, Bangla, against the then rulers of West Pakistan and to honour the ethno-linguistic rights of individuals across the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

The Language movement: The transition from East Pakistan to Bangladesh has a blood-stained story behind it. For the first time in world history, a mother tongue became the focal point for an independence movement.

According to the United Nations, at least 43% of the estimated 6,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. The UN proclaimed the period between 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, “to draw global attention to the critical status of many indigenous languages around the world and to mobilize stakeholders and resources for their preservation, revitalization, and promotion.”

 Ray of hope

• International Mother Language Day 2022 was celebrated across the world with the theme, ‘Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities’. It highlighted the role of technology in developing multilingual education and in supporting the development of quality teaching and learning for all.

5. THE 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS

THE CONTEXT: The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics concluded on February 20, 2022 during a snowflake-themed closing ceremony at the Bird’s Nest stadium attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

DIPLOMATIC BOYCOTT BY COUNTRIES:

• Recently, India announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 over Galwan row with China.
• Other countries like USA, New Zealand, Australia and Canada have already announced the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics 2022.

Reason for Boycott: Indian response to boycotting the Beijing Olympics came from the backdrop of China picking a Chinese soldier involved in the Galwan incident as an Olympic torchbearer.The Galwan clashes inmid-June 2020 had resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel.

FEW FACTS ABOUT WINTER OLYMPICS

Winter Olympic Games are held once every four years for sports that are practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France.

What sports are in the 2022 Winter Olympics?

There will be a total of 109 medal events across the following 15 sports:

1. Alpine Skiing
2. Biathlon
3. Bobsled
4. Cross-Country Skiing
5. Curling
6. Figure Skating
7. Freestyle Skiing
8. Hockey
9. Luge
10. Nordic Combined
11. Short Track
12. Skeleton
13. Ski Jumping
14. Snowboarding
15. Speed Skating

Additionally, the 2022 Winter Olympics will feature seven new events: Women’s Monobob, Men’s and Women’s Big Air (Freestyle Skiing), Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, Mixed Team Aerials, Mixed Team Short Track Relay, and Mixed Team Ski Jumping.

Mascots of the Beijing Winter Games?

• Bing DwenDwen, the Olympic mascot, is a In Mandarin, the word “Bing” has several meanings, including ice, and also symbolizes purity and strength.
• ShueyRhonRhon, the Paralympic mascot, is a Chinese lantern child with a glowing heart who symbolizes warmth, friendship, courage, and perseverance of Paralympic athletes.

THE PLACES IN NEWS

6. THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE’S DONBASS REGION

THE CONTEXT: As tensions spiral between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the rebel-held self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR/DPR and LNR/LPR) in Eastern Ukraine have started evacuating civilians to the Rostov region in Russia claiming an impending Ukrainian military offensive.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Since Moscow invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, pro-Russia rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions began seizing territory in Eastern Ukraine and held a referendum to declare independence from Ukraine
• In February 2015, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE and the leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk signed a 13-point agreement, now known as the Minsk 2 accord.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 22^nd FEB 2022

Q. Which of the following country do not border with Ukraine?

a) Hungary

b) Poland

c) Romania

d) Bulgaria

ANSWER FOR 21^STFEB 2022

Answer: b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Pashmina refers to a fine variant of spun cashmere, the animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Changthangi goat.
• Statement 2 is correct: Goats naturally shed their undercoat, which regrows in winter. This undercoat is collected by combing goat, not by shearing, as in other fine wools.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: A traditional producer of pashmina wool in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas are a people known as the Changpa. These are a nomadic people and inhabit the Changthang plateau of Tibet.

1. Experience of interbeing READ MORE
2. Reforming Higher Education, With a Helping Hand From Philanthropy READ MORE

1. Global geography community commits to meaningful action in support of indigenous languages READ MORE
2. Marine Birds Continue to Die as Peru Oil Spill Clean-Up Stretches On READ MORE
3. Humans have degraded 84% of the world’s coastlines, reveals a new study READ MORE
4. Wildfires will be more frequent, larger and intense due to climate change: UNEP READ MORE

1. Why the right of young Indian Muslims to wear the hijab must be protected READ MORE
2. Protect LGBT people from violence, bias READ MORE

1. A red pen moment for corporate governance: Convulsions of outrage after episodes such as the NSE affair are pointless; significant institutional reform is a must READ MORE
2. Appointing High Court Judges–II READ MORE
3. Governors on warpath: Locked in unsavoury tussle with govts in Bengal, Kerala READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Fundamental duties must be enforced, says plea in Supreme Court READ MORE
2. India’s maritime strength in full display at Presidential Fleet Review READ MORE
3. Rajasthan: Cairn Vedanta makes oil discovery in OALP block in Barmer dist READ MORE
4. Assam: Padma Shri awardee & Gandhian Shakuntala Chowdhary passes away at 102 READ MORE
5. 2022 Winter Olympics: Everything you need to know about the Beijing Winter Olympics READ MORE
6. Explained: What are NFTs? How is it different from cryptocurrency? READ MORE
7. Storm Antonia: Fresh hurricane-force winds hit Germany READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Why the right of young Indian Muslims to wear the hijab must be protected READ MORE
2. Global geography community commits to meaningful action in support of indigenous languages READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A red pen moment for corporate governance: Convulsions of outrage after episodes such as the NSE affair are pointless; significant institutional reform is a must READ MORE
2. Appointing High Court Judges–II READ MORE
3. Governors on warpath: Locked in unsavoury tussle with govts in Bengal, Kerala READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

1. Protect LGBT people from violence, bias READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Jaishankar, French counterpart discuss India-EU ties, Ukraine, Afghanistan READ MORE
2. India-US partnership for post-pandemic world READ MORE
3. The Ukraine crisis: Its impact on India READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. What explains India’s high import traiffs READ MORE
2. Digital ecosystems: Who should finance what? READ MORE
3. Workers in Gig and Platform Economies READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Marine Birds Continue to Die as Peru Oil Spill Clean-Up Stretches On READ MORE
2. Humans have degraded 84% of the world’s coastlines, reveals a new study READ MORE
3. Wildfires will be more frequent, larger and intense due to climate change: UNEP READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Information threats to India’s security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Experience of interbeing READ MORE
2. Reforming Higher Education, With a Helping Hand From Philanthropy READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Centre-State ties require a working relationship and while it is not unusual for different parties to be in power at the Centre and in states, public interest requires them to work in tandem in a parliamentary democracy’. In the light of the statement discuss how the issue of Confrontation between state governments and Governors can be resolved?
2. ‘Confrontation between state governments and Governors are not unusual but they should adhere to political decorum and constitutional propriety with redress of public grievances being the common aim’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
• It is urgent to protect gig workers labour rights and ensure minimum wages and social security benefits.
• A reality that acknowledges that in India today there is a perceptible hardening of attitudes towards Muslims in general and an increase in negative feelings and vicious actions against them.
• The insufficient public spending on higher education needs to be supplemented, not with for-profit private investment, which does not consider educational standards and quality, but rather with genuine philanthropy.
• The government should rationalize the direct taxes to address anomalies between Personal Income Tax (PIT) and corporate tax at one level and capital gains tax at another. Moreover, the tax rates should be low but free from exemptions/deductions.
• Low import duties need not boost exports and a selective trade-pact approach could help us replicate other success stories.
• India-USA can spearhead a sustainable and inclusive abundance agenda through our trade partnership, making the case for democracy through our shared prosperity.
• The essence and reach of Geography is much more than the study of the earth’s physical features, atmosphere and the impact of human activity upon them.
• In a political system where securing a majority may make the party in power at the Centre act unilaterally, states are wary of the office of the Governor being used to destabilise an elected government.
• Centre-State ties require a working relationship and while it is not unusual for different parties to be in power at the Centre and in states, public interest requires them to work in tandem in a parliamentary democracy.
• Confrontation between state governments and Governors are not unusual but they should adhere to political decorum and constitutional propriety with redress of public grievances being the common aim.

50-WORD TALK

• The Ukraine crisis is curtailing Indian role in the UN Security Council. New Delhi is doing its best to remain relevant. India is developing relations with EU and other countries and would prefer the European way of dealing with Russia than the tough posture which the US wants NATO to adopt. European nations will toe America’s line if war erupts. This reduces the efficacy of India’s European initiative.

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: As the crisis over Ukraine has entered a critical phase, most middle and great powers from Europe and Asia have rushed to either prepare for any eventuality or mediate by attempts to douse the flames. With the US recently calling a UNSC meet over the threat of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin traveling to Beijing to shore up its resolute stand on Ukraine, most nations find themselves on one side or the other of the emerging battle lines in eastern Europe. India, though, has avoided the strategic ensnarement.

THE BACKGROUND: Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic, and familial links. For many in Russia and in the ethnically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes. As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the second-most powerful Soviet republic after Russia, and was crucial strategically, economically, and culturally.

CAUSE OF CONFLICT

• Balance of Power: Ever since Ukraine split from the Soviet Union, both Russia and the West have vied for greater influence in the country to keep the balance of power in the region in their favour.
• Buffer Zone for Western Countries: For the US and the European Union, Ukraine is a crucial buffer between Russia and the West.
• As tensions with Russia rise, the US and the EU are increasingly determined to keep Ukraine away from Russian control.
• Russian Interest in the Black Sea: The unique geography of the Black Sea region confers several geopolitical advantages to Russia.
• Firstly, it is an important crossroads and strategic intersection for the entire region.
• Access to the Black Sea is vital for all littoral and neighboring states, and greatly enhances the projection of power into several adjacent regions.
• The region is an important transit corridor for goods and energy.
• Protests in Ukraine: Euromaidan Movement: European Square was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began in November 2013 with public protests in Maidan Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.
• The protests were sparked by the Ukrainian government’s decision to suspend the signing of an association agreement with the European Union, instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union
• Separatist Movement: The Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine have been facing a pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.
• According to the various sources, the movement is actively supported by the Russian government and Russian paramilitaries make up between 15% to 80% of the separatists fighting against the Ukraine government.
• Invasion of Crimea: Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in what was the first time a European country annexed territory from another country since world war 2
• The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine followed a Russian military intervention in Crimea that took place in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and was part of wider unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine.
• The invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea have given Russia a maritime upper hand in the region.
• Ukraine’s NATO Membership: Ukraine has urged NATO  to speed up its country’s membership in the alliance.
• Russia has declared such a move a “red line”, and is worried about the consequences of the US-led military alliances expanding right up to its doorstep.
• The Black Sea is bordered by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. All these countries are NATO countries.
• Due to this faceoff between NATO countries and Russia, the Balck sea is a region of strategic importance & a potential maritime flashpoint.

CURRENT SITUATION

• Russia is seeking assurances from the US that Ukraine will not be inducted into NATO. However, the US is not prepared to give any such assurance.
• This has left the countries in a standoff, with tens of thousands of Russian troops ready to invade Ukraine.
• Russia is keeping the tensions high at the Ukraine border in order to get sanctions relief and other concessions from the West.
• Any kind of military action by the US or EU against Russia would precipitate a major crisis for the whole world and has so far not been mooted by any of the parties involved.

 THE DYNAMICS

INTERNATIONAL DYNAMICS:

• The sway of Bidden over American politics is decreasing an all-time low rating of 33% was witnessed. In such a case, conflict with Russia is seen as an attempt to bolster domestic politics.
• There is no unity among NATO on the issue of Russia. Recently, the German chancellor said they had no intention to impose an economic section over Russia.
• Britain’s standing and influence in Russia are practically negligent.
• American relation with France is all-time low after the AUKUS fiasco.

INDIA’S POSITION AND STANDING

Military equations: 

• Moscow makes up about half of India’s total weapons import. India needs Russia to service its arms, and also for joint products, like the Brahmos missile.
• Hence, abandoning Russia is not an option for New Delhi. And at the same time, siding with Russia could incur American sanctions, i.e., CAATSA (The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).
• The Biden administration is in the process of making a decision on whether to sanction India for its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile systems or to process a waiver, considering the close India-US defense ties.
• If New Delhi openly sides with Russia, then Biden may reconsider imposing sanctions.

China factor:

• In recent years, China has become the biggest threat for India—openly acknowledged by Indian Army chief MM Naravane.
• Hence, India needs both Russia and US to counter China.
• America is China’s rival while Russia is an ally. One brings deterrence, whereas the other brings leverage.
• Russia could be effective in tempering China’s aggression and America, on the other hand, will undermine its designs.
• So, it’s a win-win for India. But that advantage disappears if India picks aside.

Economic fallout:

• The India-Russia bilateral trade is worth $8 billion, while the India-Ukraine trade is worth around only $2.7 billion.
• If a war breaks out, supply chains are going to be disruptive. And the one product that will worry India is oil, both as a fuel and cooking oil.
• Last year, India bought 1.8 million tonnes of sunflower oil and 74 percent of that came from Ukraine. So, if a war breaks out cooking oil may become more expensive.
• India is already preparing for this eventuality and new markets are being explored, like Brazil and Argentina.
• Then comes the petroleum. Brent crude has already breached the 90$-mark, which the possibility to reach even the $100-mark.
• Russia makes up around 20 percent of the global supply of natural gas. If Ukraine is attacked, the prices of natural gas are going to skyrocket
• And this could disrupt India’s energy plans. So, India has a lot at stake in this conflict.

Explaining India’s position: 

• In the UNSC meeting, India abstained, circumventing a perception of supporting the US-led coalition against Russia.
• In the same breath, India also distanced itself from the Beijing Olympics through an official boycott, which in many ways has been projected and perceived as an anti-US as well as an anti-West congregation.
• The two decisions reflect two different assessments of its interests vis-à-vis compulsions of the great power politics on New Delhi.
• While some interpreted India’s absence from the UNSC meets as depicting the limitations of its closeness to the US (alongside tacit support for Russia).
• Its boycott of the Beijing Olympics evinced a coming of age in its strategic autonomy characterized by strong, independent, and interest-based decision-making irrespective of the nature of great power politics at play and the looming risk of antagonizing big powers.
• For India, the decision to carefully weigh on the Ukraine crisis has balanced two strategic necessities:
• Expectations of a close strategic partner in the US; the need to maintain strong ties with Moscow and;
• In unison, these three compulsions also narrate the story of India’s challenges today and the implicit need for a more accommodative evolution of its traditional strategic autonomy to a positioning that straddles balancing and hedging with occasional pushing.

THE CONCLUSION: As Indian strategic engagement with the United States has grown in recent years, the Modi government has shifted its reaction to developments in Ukraine ever so slightly. In 2014, the government of then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked about Russia’s “legitimate interests” in Ukraine; today, the Modi government underlines the “legitimate security interests of all countries” in Ukraine. It is keeping in mind our own experience of the neutral or cautious positions that Russia and the US and our other partners, including our neighbours, take on our differences with China and Pakistan, on the impact on our own security of the US/Russian policies in Afghanistan, on the omission of any direct reference to Pakistan on the issue of cross border terrorism, etc. Russia openly criticizes our Indo-Pacific and Quad choices, while the US still courts Pakistan, threatens our defense ties with Russia, and has impaired our ties with Iran.