1. Covid death data: Undercounting casts shadow on welfare schemes READ MORE
2. Lessons in governance & politics India should learn from Chile READ MORE

1. How India’s depleting groundwater levels are changing the shape of the land above READ MORE
2. Explained: What is the Mumbai Climate Action Plan all about READ MORE
3. Rescue rivers to sustain human life READ MORE
4. Climate justice, now: Latest IPCC report just told us why we need that READ MORE

1. India’s Silence on Russian Invasion: Why ‘Morals’ Matter in Foreign Policy READ MORE  
2. Big Lies and Deep Lies in Post-Truth India READ MORE

1. Class struggle READ MORE
2. With school closures fuelling inequality, fears grow that a whole generation might be lost READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Chilika lake area to be off limits for motorboats READ MORE
2. Explained: The legal considerations of blockchain gaming in India READ MORE
3. Earthquakes shake Indonesia, Philippines; no tsunami threat READ MORE
4. Currency assets boost forex reserves to $631.9 bn READ MORE
5. India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio Improves to 103; West Bengal Worsens by 10 Points READ MORE
6. US, Allies To End Normal Trade Relations With Russia READ MORE
7. to open villages along China border to tourists READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. How India’s depleting groundwater levels are changing the shape of the land above READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Covid death data: Undercounting casts shadow on welfare schemes READ MORE
2. Lessons in governance & politics India should learn from Chile READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Class struggle READ MORE
2. With school closures fuelling inequality, fears grow that a whole generation might be lost READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Explained | What are the Geneva Conventions guidelines during wartime? READ MORE
2. On China, Delhi must be alert READ MORE
3. Putin has set a new world order in making READ MORE
4. India Should Quit Quad Now! READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Ukraine invasion, global wheat supply and India’s opportunity READ MORE
2. Politics should not be the criteria for PSU disinvestments READ MORE
3. The paradox of high cash intensity READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Explained: What is the Mumbai Climate Action Plan all about READ MORE
2. Rescue rivers to sustain human life READ MORE
3. Climate justice, now: Latest IPCC report just told us why we need that READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Unguided missile: On a malfunction and Pakistan’s probe demand READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. India’s Silence on Russian Invasion: Why ‘Morals’ Matter in Foreign Policy READ MORE  
2. Big Lies and Deep Lies in Post-Truth India READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Indian farming conditions are characteristically marred by droughts and floods’. In this context, discuss why the project on interlinking of rivers and canals is helpful to solve these disasters?
2. ‘Credible and correct data is the key to the success of the government’s welfare schemes’. In the light of the statement discuss the importance of data for better crisis management and policy-making.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• People want clear guidelines on freedom of expression and want to know if it will be subordinate to economic power.
• Just as governments need to improve the ease of doing business, they need to do the same to improve the ease of delivering private medical education.
• Indian foreign policy needs a strategic course correction. India should distance itself completely from the self-centred US policies whose aim is the preservation of its global hegemony.
• IPCC’s latest climate report provides evidence that climate-justice needs to be at the centre of global policymaking.
• The current state of international politics paints a grim picture of a dissolution of a universal value-based moral compass.
• The effectiveness of the social welfare schemes, both in terms of quality and coverage, will hinge almost entirely on the seriousness of the purpose with which these are implemented.
• Indian farming conditions are characteristically marred by droughts and floods. In this context, the project on interlinking of rivers and canals, is critical.
• Russia is not solely responsible for the current war against Ukraine. The NATO and the EU must share the blame equally.
• Credible and correct data is the key to the success of the government’s welfare schemes. It is the basis of not only course correction for better crisis management but also policy-making.
• India’s drive to modernise and bolster infrastructure in strategic areas must be accompanied by deft geopolitical moves that ensure that India’s claim on its territory is not threatened.
• SEBI and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs should enforce existing rules strictly before formulating new ones.
• Pakistan demand for a joint probe is unwarranted, but India must get to the truth of the missile malfunction.

50-WORD TALK

• How have Russia, China and Ukraine come to acquire a degree of capability in delivering medical education which India has not been able to? The answer is that they are all more developed countries with a higher per capita GDP and a longer experience in the development process than India. They all have a socialist background with state funding for educational infrastructure and offer education as a service.

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 SOCIAL ISSUES, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH

1. KERALA TOPS IN MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH

THE CONTEXT: Kerala has yet again emerged on top when it comes to maternal and child health, with the State recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. This puts Kerala way ahead of the national MMR of 103.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) special bulletin on maternal mortality in India (2017-19), brought out by the office of the Registrar General of India, Kerala’s MMR has dropped by 12 points. The last SRS bulletin (2015-17) had put the State’s MMR at 42 (later adjusting it to 43).

• The report highlighted that,India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) improved to 103 per 100,000 live births for the period 2017-19.
• However, the MMR worsened in states like West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh. Populous states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh showed major improvement with decrease in their MMR by 30, 23, 19 and 10 points, respectively. These states continue to have high level MMRs despite the improvement.
• The top state with the lowest MMR is Kerala, which dramatically improved from 43 to 30. Kerala is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
• Despite the dip in MMR, Madhya Pradesh, India’s second largest state by area, continues to be the third worst-performing state in this regard, following Assam (205) and Uttar Pradesh (167). Besides, more than 80% of births in MP took place in institutional facilities, according to National Family Health Survery (NFHS)-5.

Value Addition:

• Maternal death is the MMR is a key health indicator that shows the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for a given period. According to the World Health Organization, “Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.”
• One of the targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. India now seems close to achieving that goal much before the target year of 2030.

Interventions for improving Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR):

• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme was launched in April 2005 with the objective of reducing Maternal and Infant Mortality by promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women.
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) aims to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for pregnant women and sick infants by entitling them to free delivery including caesarean section, free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables, diet and bloodin public health institutions.
• Surakshit Matratva Ashwasan (SUMAN) aims to provide assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women fixed day, free of cost assured and quality Antenatal Careon the 9thday of every month.
• Comprehensive Abortion Care services are strengthened through trainings of health care providers, supply of drugs, equipment, Information Education and Communication (IEC) etc.
• Midwifery programme is launched to create a cadre for Nurse Practitioners in Midwifery who are skilled in accordance to International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) competencies and capable of providing compassionate women-centred, reproductive, maternal and new-born health care services.

Interventions for improving Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):

• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy as a part of POSHAN Bhiyan aims to strengthen the existing mechanisms and foster newer strategies to tackle anaemia which include testing & treatment of anaemia in school going adolescents & pregnant women, addressing non nutritional causes of anaemia and a comprehensive communication strategy.
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK): Children from 0 to 18 years of age are screened for 30 health conditions (i.e. Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental delay) under Rashtriya Bal SwasthyaKaryakaram (RBSK) to improve child survival. District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) at district health facility level are established for confirmation and management of children screened under RBSK.
• Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative implemented since 2019 for reduction of Childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia.
• Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is implemented to provide vaccination to children against life threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rubella, Pneumonia and Meningitis caused by Haemophilus Influenzae B. The Rotavirus vaccination has also been rolled out in the country for prevention of Rota-viral diarrhoea. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) has been introduced in all the States and UTs.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. THE LARGEST WINTERING GROUND OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

THE CONTEXT: Chilika Lake, the largest brackish water lake and wintering ground of the birds in the Indian subcontinent saw a million birds, including uncommon Mongolian gull, visiting the waterbody.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Chilika lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and South-East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas. The winged guests find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock here suitable to congregate.
• As per the waterbird status survey-2022 conducted in the Chilika, a total of 10,74,173 birds of the 107 waterbird species and 37,953 individuals of 76 wetland-dependent species were counted at the entire lagoon. In the year 2021, the count in Chilika was over 12 lakh. Bird census members reported rare sightings of the uncommon Mongolian gull.
• The census was undertaken jointly by the Odisha State Wildlife Organisation, the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and the Bombay Natural History Society. The Chilika Lagoon was divided strategically into 21 segments for the census.
• A total of 3,58,889 birds (97 species) were counted in the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika – a decrease of 65,899 from the year 2021. The decrease is attributed to high water levels and the presence of water in cultivated fields in adjoining areas.
• “Among the three pintail species of ducks, the northern pintail (1,72,285), gadwall (1,53,985), Eurasian wigeon (1,50,843) accounted for over one lakh in this year’s count,” says the report. However, the population of gadwall and Eurasian wigeon was less than that of the year 2021.
• There was a marginal decrease in the number of species such as the northern shoveler, tufted duck and red-crested pochard. An increase in the population of northern pintail, common coot and common pochard was noticed.
• “The increase in numbers for the greater flamingo at Nalabana mudflat indicates that the restoration at Nalabana is effective. This year’s greater flamingo count was the highest in the last decade. It is largely due to appropriate management of mudflats”. Overall, the local resident species such as purple swamp-hen, purple heron, Indian moorhen, and jacanas were found in higher numbers.

Value Addition:

Significance of Chilika Lake:

• After the New Caledonian barrier reef, it is Asia’s largest and world’s second-largest brackish water lagoon.
• A lagoon is a shallow body of water that is isolated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform like reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses.
• It has been designated as a Ramsar Site and a possible UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Chilika Lake was declared as the first Ramsar Convention wetland of international importance in India in 1981.
• Satapada Island, Irrawaddy dolphins are frequently seen.
• In 1987, Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds), a 16-square-kilometre island in the lagoon, was designated as a bird sanctuary.
• It covers an area of nearly 1,100 km2 and is located at the mouth of the Daya River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. THE SARAS 3 RADIO TELESCOPE

THE CONTEXT: Indian researchers have conclusively refuted a recent claim of the discovery of a radio wave signal from cosmic dawn, the time in the infancy of our Universe when the first stars and galaxies came into existence.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In 2018 a team of researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) and MIT in the US detected a signal from stars emerging in the early universe using data from the EDGES radio telescope. The study published in the journal Nature created much excitement in the astronomy community around the world.
• ASU/MIT team had claimed the discovery of a radio wave signalling the birth of the First Stars, which was also hailed by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb as worthy of two Nobel prizes.
• Utilising the indigenously invented and built SARAS 3 radio telescope, researchers from Raman Research Institute, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India refuted this claim.

Findings:

• The finding implies that the detection reported by EDGES was likely contamination of their measurement and not a signal from the depths of space and time. SARAS 3 was indeed the first experiment to reach the required sensitivity and cross-verify the claim of the signal detection.
• However, astronomers still do not know what the actual signal looks like. Having rejected the ASU/MIT claim, the SARAS experiment is geared towards discovering the true nature of Cosmic Dawn. The SARAS 3 team at RRI is planning more observations on remote lakes in India. Such expeditions will allow the team to detect the 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn and unravel this last remaining gap in the history of our Universe.

Why is it difficult to detect radio wave signals early period of the Universe?

• Detecting a faint signal from such an early period of the Universe is extremely difficult. The celestial signal is exceptionally faint – buried in sky radio waves that come to us from the gas in our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, which are a million times brighter.
• Besides, this cosmic signal is in a radio wavelength band used by numerous terrestrial communications equipment and TV and FM radio stations, which makes detecting the extra-terrestrial signal extremely difficult.

 Value Addition:

SARAS 3 radio telescope

SARAS is a niche high-risk high-gain experimental effort of RRI initiated by RRI, it is an to design, build and deploy in India a precision radio telescope to detect extremely faint radio wave signals from the depths of time, from our “Cosmic Dawn” when the first stars and galaxies formed in the early Universe.

What is Cosmic Dawn?

One of the most important gaps in our understanding of our Universe’s history is the “Cosmic Dawn.” The period from about 50 million years to one billion years after the Big Bang when the first stars, black holes, and galaxies in the Universe formed.

Significance:

The requirements for these telescopes will push both technology boundaries and our knowledge of environmental effects at target destinations for human exploration. Such issues as trafficability in antenna deployment, space plasma effects, thermal shocking of electronics and mechanical systems, as well as power, survivability, and operation during lunar nights have direct applicability to exploration. The design of these observatories to conduct decadal-level research will provide some technology solutions for exploration.

4. THE NEW GENOMICC RESEARCH PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: Scientists in the United Kingdom as part of a research project, GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care), have identified 16 new genetic variants that make a person more susceptible to a severe COVID-19 infection.

THE EXPLANATION:

Scientists have developed a powerful, inclusive new tool for genomic research that boosts efforts to develop more precise treatments for many diseases by leveraging a better representation of the genetic diversity of people around the world.

What is the GenOMICC study?

• It is a research study that brings together clinicians and scientists from around the world to find the genetic factors that lead to determine the outcome in critical illnesses.
• While millions suffer from infectious diseases every year, even though most cases are mild, some people become extremely unwell and need critical care. This may be because of their genes and the GenOMICC project is about identifying them.

Methodology

The scientists involved compare the DNA of critically ill patients with members of the general population. However, ferreting out such differences requires a large number of people and comparing their genetic structures at multiple levels of resolution. Since 2015, the GenOMICC has been studying emerging infections such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), flu, sepsis, and other forms of critical illness.

How was the GenOMICC study for COVID-19 done?

The scientist sequenced the genomes of 7,491 patients from 224 intensive care units in the United Kingdom. Their DNA was compared with 48,400 other people who had not suffered from COVID-19, and that of a further 1,630 people who had experienced mild symptoms. Determining the whole genome sequence for all participants in the study allowed the team to create a precise map and identify genetic variation linked to severity of COVID-19.

What are the key findings?

• The team found key differences in 16 genes in ICU patients compared to the DNA of the other groups. It also confirmed the involvement of seven other genetic variations already associated with severe COVID-19 discovered in earlier studies by the same team.
• The 16 new genetic variants included some that had a role in blood clotting, immune response and the intensity of inflammation. A single gene variant, the team found, disrupted a key messenger molecule in immune system signalling — called interferon alpha-10 — that increased a patient’s risk of severe disease.
• There were variations in genes that control the levels of a central component of blood clotting — known as Factor 8 — that were linked with critical illness in COVID-19. This highlights the gene’s key role in the immune system and suggests that treating patients with interferon, which are proteins released by immune cells to defend against viruses, may help manage disease in the early stages.

How useful are these findings?

• The overarching aim of genome association studies is to not only correlate genes but also design treatments. For instance, the knowledge that interferons play a role in mediating a severe infection is already being used in drug therapies in the management of severe COVID.
• Genomics studies reveal an association with certain conditions but don’t necessarily explain how the genes direct the chain of chemical reactions that bring about an adverse outcome. But the knowledge of the gene helps to design targeted drugs.
• New technologies, such as CRISPR, allow genes to be tweaked or silenced and therefore this approach could be used to make new medicines. The GenOMICC study isn’t the only one of its kind. Several consortia globally are working on identifying genes that may explain different disease outcomes.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/INITIATIVES IN NEWS

5. LAQSHYA PROGRAM

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India launched an ambitious program LaQshyaon in 2017 with following objectives:

• Reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality
• Improve quality of care during delivery and immediate post-partum period
• Enhance satisfaction of beneficiaries, positive birthing experience and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant women attending public health facilities.

Target Beneficiaries:

LaQshya program will benefit every pregnant woman and new-born delivering in public health institutions. Program will improve quality of care for pregnant women in labour room, maternity Operation Theatre and Obstetrics Intensive Care Units (ICUs) & High Dependency Units (HDUs).

Following facilities are being taken under LaQshya initiative on priority:

• All Government Medical College hospitals.
• All District Hospitals & equivalent healthy facilities.
• All designated FRUs and high case load CHCs with over 100 deliveries/60 (per month) in hills and desert areas.

Significance:

• The percentage of institutional births in India has doubled from 38.7% to 78.9% in the decade 2015-16, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4). However, this increase in coverage has not translated in commensurate reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths.
• One of the major factors being inadequacies in the quality of care provided in health facilities. The current figures of maternal mortality ratio of 130and neonatal mortality rate of 24 suggest that though there has been tremendous improvement in maternal newborn healthcare indicators, there still exists a vast scope to achieve the targets set for our country.
• It is estimated that approximately 46% maternal deaths,over 40% stillbirths and 25% of under-5 deaths take place on the day of the delivery. Half of the maternal death each year can be prevented if we provide higher quality health care. Quality of care is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of the unfinished maternal and newborn health agenda, mainly with respect to care around labour and delivery and in the immediate postnatal period.
• In this respect, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched program ‘LaQshya’- quality improvement initiative in labour room & maternity OT, aimed at improving quality of care for mothers and newborn during intrapartum and immediate post-partum period.

6. VIBRANT VILLAGE PROGRAMME

THE CONTEXT: The Union government plans to open the villages along the Chinese border for tourists under the Vibrant Village programme announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Recently the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a meeting with public representatives of such villages from the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• A Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs in its December 2021 report had recommended that all villages in Ladakh, particularly those located in Zero-Border like Chumar and Demchok, should be electrified “in order to stop migration of people from these areas.”
• According to the report, of 236 habitable villages in Ladakh, only 172 have telecom infrastructure and “only 24 and 78 villages have 3G and 4G Internet connectivity” respectively.

About the Vibrant Villages Programme

• The Vibrant Villages programme is launched to improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China. Infrastructure will be improved in states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Under the programme, residential and tourist centres will be constructed.
• It will also provide for improvement in road connectivity and development of decentralized renewable energy sources.
• Direct access of Doordarshan and education related channels will be provided. Support will be provided for livelihood.

SIGNIFICANCE:

• China has established several new villages along the LAC in the past few years particularly across the Arunachal Pradesh border.
• The Vibrant Village programme was a counter to China’s model villages but the nomenclature has been carefully chosen so as to not cause any consternation in the neighbouring country. China and India have been engaged in a standoff at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh fo the past two years and in one of the violent clashes with the China’s Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), as many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 14^TH MARCH  2022

Q. Which of the following space agencies have cooperated for building the International Space Station?

1. NASA of the U.S.
2. China National Space Administration
3. Roscosmos of Russia
4. JAXA of Japan
5. Indian Space Research Organisation
6. Canadian Space Agency
7. European Space Agency

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 only

b) 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only

c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only

d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

ANSWER FOR 12^TH MARCH 2022

ANSWER: A

EXPLANATION:

• The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) effectively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons. It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).The Convention has reached almost universal membership with 183 States Parties and four Signatory States.
• India ratified this treaty in 2015. India is not the founding member of BWC.

[WpProQuiz 179]

THE CONTEXT: In February 2021, Russian forces launched a major military attack on Ukraine on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tanks and troops have poured into Ukraine at points along its eastern, southern, and northern borders. But why is Ukraine being invaded, and what might Russia want from its neighboring country? This article analyses the issue in detail.

A TIMELINE OF THE EVENT

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Here is a timeline of Ukraine’s fraught relationship with Moscow since it won independence in 1991 and the events that led to the current conflict.

• 1991: Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine declares independence from Moscow.
• 2004: Pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovich is declared President but allegations of vote-rigging trigger protests, known as the Orange Revolution, forcing a re-run of the vote. Pro-Western former prime minister, Viktor Yushchenko, is elected President.
• 2005: Yushchenko takes power with promises to lead Ukraine out of the Kremlin’s orbit, towards NATO and the EU.
• 2008: NATO promises Ukraine it will one day join the alliance.
• 2010: Yanukovich wins a presidential election.
• 2013: Yanukovich’s government suspends trade and association talks with the EU and opts to revive economic ties with Moscow, triggering months of mass rallies in Kyiv.
• February 2014: Parliament votes to remove Yanukovich after bloodshed in the protests. Within days, armed men seize parliament in the Ukrainian region of Crimea and raise the Russian flag. Moscow later annexes the territory.
• April 2014: Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern region of Donbas declare independence. Some 15,000 people have been killed since 2014 in fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian army, according to the Kyiv government.
• September 2014: Minsk I
• Ukraine and the Russia-backed separatists agreed on a 12-point ceasefire deal in September 2014. Its provisions included prisoner exchanges, deliveries of humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of heavy weapons. However, the agreement quickly broke down, with violations by both sides.
• February 2015: Minsk II
• Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the separatist-held regions Donetsk and Luhansk signed a 13-point agreement in February 2015. The leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine gathered in Minsk to mark the occasion and issued a 13-points declaration of support.
• 2017: An association agreement between Ukraine and the EU opens markets for free trade of goods and services and visa-free travel to the EU for Ukrainians.
• 2019: Former comic actor Volodymyr Zelensky is elected President.
• 2021: Zelenskiy appeals to U.S. president Joe Biden to let Ukraine join NATO. In February, his government froze the assets of opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, the Kremlin’s most prominent ally in Ukraine.
• Spring 2021: Russia begins massing troops near Ukraine’s borders in what it says are training exercises.
• 2021: Satellite images show an ongoing buildup of Russian forces near Ukraine with estimates soon surpassing 100,000 troops deployed.
• 2017-2021: Russia presents security demands, including NATO pulling back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and barring Ukraine from ever joining.
• 2024-2022: NATO puts forces on standby and reinforces eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets.
• 2026: Washington responds to Russia’s security demands, repeating a commitment to NATO’s “open-door” policy while offering a “pragmatic evaluation” of Moscow’s concerns. Two days later, Russia says its demands were not addressed.
• 2022: Amid growing Western fears Russia could attack Ukraine, the United States says it will send 3,000 extra troops to NATO members Poland and Romania. Washington and allies say they will not send troops to Ukraine but warn of severe economic sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin takes military action.
• 2021: In a TV address, Putin says Ukraine is an integral part of Russian history and has a puppet regime managed by foreign powers. After recognizing them as independent, Putin orders what he called peacekeeping forces into two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
• 2022: The U.S., Britain, and their allies sanction Russian parliament members, banks, and other assets in response to Putin’s troop order. Germany halts the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
• 2023: Russian-backed separatist leaders ask Russia for help repelling aggression from the Ukrainian army.
• 2024: Putin authorizes “special military operations” in Ukraine. Russian forces begin missile and artillery attacks, striking major Ukrainian cities including Kyiv.
• 2026: Western allies announce new sanctions, including restrictions on Russia’s central bank and expelling key banks off the main global payments system.

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 favor.
  • Buffer Zone for Western Countries: For the US and the European Union, Ukraine is a crucial buffer between Russia and the West. As Ukraine is located between Western Europe and Russia and not part of NATO, it works as a buffer zone.
  • 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.
  • 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 faced a pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.
  • • According to various sources, the Russian government actively supports the movement, and Russian paramilitaries make up between 15% to 80% of the separatists fighting against the Ukrainian government.
• Invasion of Crimea:
  • Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in what was the first time a European country annexed territory from another country since WW-II
  • 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. Romania, Turkey, and Bulgaria are NATO members.
  • 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’s army has captured five cities of Ukraine and major Eastern ports.
• Russian troops are attacking Ukraine on multiple fronts and are advancing on the capital city of Kyiv.
• The Ukrainian Healthcare Ministry reported a total of 752 civilian and military deaths during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine as of February 27, 2022. Of them, 14 were children.
• This has left the countries in a stand-off, with tens of thousands of Russian troops ready to invade Ukraine. More than 1 million people were displaced after the first day of war and taken shelter in nearby countries.
• First round of talk was held in Belarus on 28 February 2022.

RUSSIA’S STAND

• Russia wants assurance from the West that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO. Kyiv is currently a “partner country”, which implies that it will be allowed to join the military alliance in the future.
• The US and its western allies are refusing to bar Ukraine from NATO, claiming it as a sovereign country that is free to choose its own security alliances.
• The Russian President justified the Ukraine crisis on the grounds of security interests and the rights of ethnic Russians in former Soviet Republics.

STAND OF MAJOR WORLD POWERS ON THE ISSUE

• The G7 nations strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Sanctions have been imposed by the U.S., the European Union (EU), the UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
• China rejected calling Russia’s moves on Ukraine an “invasion” and urged all sides to exercise restraint.
• India did not join the Western powers’ condemnation of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue and abstained on a US-sponsored UNSC resolution that “deplores in the strongest terms” Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with New Delhi saying dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes and voicing “regret” that the path of diplomacy was given up.
• China too abstained, along with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the UNSC resolution.

 POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF THE RUSSIAN INVASION

THERE COULD BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE FROM SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA:

• In February, President Biden announced economic sanctions on two Russian banks with about $80 billion in assets and five Russian oligarchs and their families, and prohibited U.S. entities from purchasing Russian sovereign debt. More sanctions are expected to follow in the future. Severe U.S. sanctions could drive up prices for everyday Russians or cause Russia’s currency or markets to crash.

ENERGY PRICES COULD RISE:

• At the end of February 2022, crude oil was trading at more than $117 per barrel for the first time since 2014, rising nearly 20% to more than $96 per barrel.
• Russia is a major exporter of oil and natural gas, especially to Europe. As a result, the price of fuel is going up continuously.
• Russia could choose to cut off or limit oil and gas exports to Europe as retaliation for sanctions. Nearly 40% of the natural gas used by the European Union comes from Russia and Germany is the largest importer.

IMPACTS ON OTHER INDUSTRIES:

• Russia is a major exporter of rare-earth minerals and heavy metals such as titanium used in airplanes. Russia supplies about a third of the world’s palladium, a rare metal used in catalytic converters, and its price has soared after
• Ukrainian is a major source of neon, which is used in manufacturing semiconductors.
• Fertilizer is produced in major quantities in both Ukraine and Russia. Disruptions to those exports would mostly affect agriculture in the world and as a result, the price of food could rise.

GLOBAL MARKETS COULD DROP:

• The invasion rattled investors Wednesday, with Dow futures down more than 2% before the markets opened in the United States. Markets across Asia also dropped. The invasion sent the prices of traditional investment safe havens higher, with gold up more than 1.5% on the first night.
• The crisis is deeply impacting the stock market around.

RUSSIA COULD LAUNCH DISRUPTIVE CYBERATTACKS:

• Russia could respond to U.S. sanctions is through cyberattacks and influence campaigns.
• Russian cyberattacks have targeted Ukraine relentlessly in recent years, including attacks on the capital
• Power grids, hospitals, and local governments could all be targets.

A MAJOR INVASION WOULD LIKELY SPARK A REFUGEE CRISIS:

• The invasion could send 1 million to 5 million refugees fleeing Ukraine, as more than one million people were already displaced after the first day of the war.
• Europe and other parts of the world will see another refugee crisis. Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine and is already home to more than a million Ukrainians, would likely see the most refugees.
• At the largest scale, a refugee crisis would not be contained to Europe.

THREAT FOR FURTHER INVASION: 

• After the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, China can also gather strength to claim Taiwan and other territorial disputes around the world may occur.

POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF THE RUSSIAN INVASION

THERE COULD BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE FROM SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA:

• In February, President Biden announced economic sanctions on two Russian banks with about $80 billion in assets and five Russian oligarchs and their families, and prohibited U.S. entities from purchasing Russian sovereign debt. More sanctions are expected to follow in the future.
• Severe U.S. sanctions could drive up prices for everyday Russians or cause Russia’s currency or markets to crash.

ENERGY PRICES COULD RISE: 

• At the end of February 2022, crude oil was trading at more than $117 per barrel for the first time since 2014, rising nearly 20% to more than $96 per barrel.
• Russia is a major exporter of oil and natural gas, especially to Europe. As a result, the price of fuel is going up continuously.
• Russia could choose to cut off or limit oil and gas exports to Europe as retaliation for sanctions. Nearly 40% of the natural gas used by the European Union comes from Russia and Germany is the largest importer.

IMPACTS ON OTHER INDUSTRIES: 

• Russia is a major exporter of rare-earth minerals and heavy metals such as titanium used in airplanes. Russia supplies about a third of the world’s palladium, a rare metal used in catalytic converters, and its price has soared after
• Ukrainian is a major source of neon, which is used in manufacturing semiconductors.
• Fertilizer is produced in major quantities in both Ukraine and Russia. Disruptions to those exports would mostly affect agriculture in the world and as a result, the price of food could rise.

GLOBAL MARKETS COULD DROP:

• The invasion rattled investors Wednesday, with Dow futures down more than 2% before the markets opened in the United States. Markets across Asia also dropped. The invasion sent the prices of traditional investment safe havens higher, with gold up more than 1.5% on the first night.
• The crisis is deeply impacting the stock market around.

RUSSIA COULD LAUNCH DISRUPTIVE CYBERATTACKS:

• Russia could respond to U.S. sanctions is through cyberattacks and influence campaigns.
• Russian cyberattacks have targeted Ukraine relentlessly in recent years, including attacks on the capital
• Power grids, hospitals, and local governments could all be targets.

A MAJOR INVASION WOULD LIKELY SPARK A REFUGEE CRISIS: 

• The invasion could send 1 million to 5 million refugees fleeing Ukraine, as more than one million people were already displaced after the first day of the war.
• Europe and other parts of the world will see another refugee crisis. Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine and is already home to more than a million Ukrainians, would likely see the most refugees.
• At the largest scale, a refugee crisis would not be contained to Europe.

THREAT FOR FURTHER INVASION: 

• After the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, China can also gather strength to claim Taiwan and other territorial disputes around the world may occur.

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 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:

• China has become the biggest threat for India in recent years—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.
• After the war, 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.

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.
• To avoid any perception of proximity to the emerging Sino-Russian axis.

LESSONS FOR INDIA

INDIA, HELP YOURSELF:

• The big takeaway for India from the ongoing Ukraine crisis is that no third country will come to New Delhi’s aid, militarily, in case China forces upon a war. Pakistan is a different case, and India has enough military-strategic depth to counter the western neighbor.
• The Americans are not going to war with China over India. While a lot of global verbal condemnation can be expected in favor of India.
• While Russia has been a close ally of India for decades, Moscow and Beijing are enjoying proximity in the new global scenario.
• Hence, any possibility of the Russians playing an active role on behalf of India cannot be expected. It may very well even abstain from any resolution passed in the United Nations Security Council or the General Assembly, reciprocating India’s position vis a vis Russia on Ukraine.

ATMANIRBHARTA: THE WAY FORWARD:

• The Russia-Ukraine crisis has clearly shown the importance of not being dependent on a second country for military equipment.
• The way ahead is increased focus on enhancing our own capabilities both in terms of spending more on defense and making indigenous equipment. We cannot be relying on a second country to cater to our defense needs, both in terms of war-fighting and equipment.
• The government should strongly push for its R&D in the military and a preference should be given to such products and companies developing systems based on their own research and technology.

FOCUS ON FUTURE TECH:

• The Russia-Ukraine war has also shown how reliance on traditional warfighting machines such as tanks and attack helicopters will not win you battles. This was also evident in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict.
• This has primarily been achieved by using armed drones, loitering munitions, and stinger man-portable air defense systems that can easily take out fully equipped and menacing attack helicopters and other aircraft swiftly without much cost.
• The war dynamics have changed and it is important to focus more on new military technology and not waste time in re-inventing the wheel.

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 neighbors, 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.

Questions:

1. How far do you agree that the Russia-Ukraine crisis is a collective failure of the international community and is a result of the lethargic approach of the world community? Analyze your view.
2. The divide between Russia and the West over Ukraine presents a complicated challenge against India and this time, India needs to be very clear about its position. Do you agree with this view? Argue your view.
3. Russia-Ukraine Crisis has many lessons for India and the most important is that India needs to re-invent its foreign policy. Examine the statement.