THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.HIJAB NOT AN ESSENTIAL PRACTICE OF ISLAM: KARNATAKA HIGH COURT

THE CONTEXT: A three-judge Bench of the High Court of Karnataka pronounced its verdict on the petitions related to the row over wearing hijab in educational institutions.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the High Court of Karnataka, wearing of hijab (head scarf) by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practices in Islamic faith and it is not protected under the right to freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

The court ruled that prescription of school uniform does not violate either the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1) (a) or the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution, and the restriction against wearing of hijab in educational institutions is only a reasonable restriction constitutionally permissible, which the students cannot object to.

What are the issues?

• The main question that arises is whether students can be kept out of educational institutions merely because they are wearing a piece of clothing indicating their religion. Is the denial of entry a violation of their freedom of conscience and freedom to practise their religion under Article 25?
• The question of whether educational institutions can bar religious attire as part of their power to prescribe uniforms for students is also linked to the constitutional question of whether the ban on such attire will come within the power to restrict freedom of religion in the interest of public order, health, and morality.
• Yet another question is whether the denial of entry into schools amounts to a violation of the student’s right to education under Article 21A.
• From the Muslim students’ point of view, they have a fundamental right to wear a hijab as part of their right to practise their religion. Going by precedent on a right asserted in contrast to the general rule, as well as arguments advanced in court on their behalf, the issue may boil down to a finding on whether the wearing of hijab is essential to the practice of their faith.

How is religious freedom protected under the Constitution?

• Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the “freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion”. It is a right that guarantees negative liberty — which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercising this freedom.
• However, like all fundamental rights, the state can restrict the right for grounds of public order, decency, morality, health and other state interests.
• Over the years, the Supreme Court has evolved a practical test of sorts to determine what religious practices can be constitutionally protected and what can be ignored.
• In 1954, the Supreme Court held in the Shirur Mutt case that the term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices “integral” to a religion. The test to determine what is integral is termed the “essential religious practices” test.
• Bijou Emmanuel vs. State of Kerala (1986) pertained to three children belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect refusing to sing the national anthem during the morning assembly. The Supreme Court ruled in the students’ favour, holding that their expulsion violated their freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a).

What is the Essential Practice of Religion?

• It was held that practice is considered essential to a religion if it is essential to the community following the religion. Furthermore, Article 25(1) and 26(b) offers protection to religious practices. Affairs that are purely secular may be regulated by statute without infringing the aforesaid articles.
• In order that the practices in question should be treated as a part of the religion they must be regarded by the said religion as its essential and integral part; otherwise, even purely secular practices which are not an essential or an integral part of religion are apt to be clothed with a religious form and may make a claim for being treated as religious practices within the meaning of Article 26.

How do we draw the line between matters of religion and matters other than religion?

• In Sardar Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb vs. Bombay (1962), the Supreme Court struck down a law that prohibited the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community from excommunicating members. The majority ruled that the power of ex-communication exercised by the religious head-on religious grounds was part of the management of affairs on religious matters, and the Act infringed on the community’s rights.
• In the Sabarimala case (2018), the majority ruled that the bar on entry of women in the age group of 10 to 50 was not an essential or integral part of the religion, and denied the status of a separate religious denomination of devotees of Lord Ayyappa. However, in a dissenting judgment, Justice Indu Malhotra, said they constituted a distinct denomination and that the restriction on women of a particular age group is an essential part of their faith and is constitutionally protected.

What is the criticism against the essential practice test?

• Jurists have criticised the continuing emphasis on applying the essential practice test to determine the constitutionality of state action against any religious practice that claims protection despite being either discriminatory or exclusionary.
• The first criticism is that it was never intended to be a test to find out if a particular practice is essential to the practice of the religion but was only made to distinguish a matter of religion from a matter other than religion. However, a long line of judicial decisions seems to endorse the application of this test to dispose of cases.
• The second criticism is that the doctrine of essentiality appears to allow courts to go deeply into the scriptures and tenets of a religion or a religious denomination to find out if the practice or norm that is at the heart of the issue is essential. This is seen as a theological or ecclesiastical exercise, which courts are forced to wade into.

What is the way forward?

• A more reasonable approach will be to apply the test of constitutional morality and legitimacy to the issue at hand. Applying the principles of equality, dignity and civil rights to a particular practice may be better to decide the constitutionality of a practice than a theological enquiry.
• The action of some pre-university colleges in Karnataka refusing entry to Muslim girl students wearing hijabs, or head-scarves, has now become a national controversy
• From the Muslim students’ point of view, they have a fundamental right to wear a hijab as part of their right to practise their religion.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. EXPLAINED: INDIA’S SOLAR CAPACITY: MILESTONES AND CHALLENGES

THE CONTEXT: As on 28 February 2022, India has surpassed 50 GW of cumulative installed solar capacity. This ranks the country fifth in solar power deployment.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India added a record 10 Gigawatt (GW) of solar energy to its cumulative installed capacity in 2021. This has been the highest 12-month capacity addition, recording nearly a 200% year-on-year growth. India has now surpassed 50 GW of cumulative installed solar capacity, as on 28 February 2022. This is a milestone in India’s journey towards generating 500 GW from renewable energy by 2030, of which 300 GW is expected to come from solar power. India’s capacity additions rank the country fifth in solar power deployment, contributing nearly 6.5% to the global cumulative capacity of 709.68 GW.
• Even as India continues down this impressive journey, there are some areas of concern to highlight. First, of the 50 GW installed solar capacity, an overwhelming 42 GW comes from ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and only 6.48 GW comes from roof top solar (RTS); and 48 GW from off-grid solar PV.

Why is India falling short in roof-top solar installations?

• The large-scale solar PV focus fails to exploit the many benefits of decentralised renewable energy (DRE) options, including reduction in transmission and distribution (T&D) losses.
• One of the primary benefits of solar PV technology is that it can be installed at the point of consumption, significantly reducing the need for large capital-intensive transmission infrastructure.
• However, there is limited financing for residential consumers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who want to install RTS. Coupled with lukewarm responses from electricity distribution companies (DISCOMS) to supporting net metering, RTS continues to see low uptake across the country.

What are the challenges to India’s solar power capacity addition?

• Despite significant growth in the installed solar capacity, the contribution of solar energy to the country’s power generation has not grown at the same pace. In 2019-20, for instance, solar power contributed only 3.6% (50 billion units) of India’s total power generation of 1390 BU.
• The utility-scale solar PV sector continues to face challenges like land costs, high T&D losses and other inefficiencies, and grid integration challenges. There have also been conflicts with local communities and biodiversity protection norms. Also, while India has achieved record low tariffs for solar power generation in the utility-scale segment, this has not translated into cheaper power for end-consumers.

What’s the state of India’s domestic solar module manufacturing capacity?

• Domestic manufacturing capacities in the solar sector do not match up to the present potential demand for solar power in the country.
• Crisil’s report on the subject highlights that as on March 31, 2021, India had 3 GW capacity for solar cell production and 8 GW for solar panel production capacity. Moreover, backward integration in the solar value chain is absent as India has no capacity for manufacturing solar wafers and polysilicon.
• In 2021-22, India imported nearly $76.62 billion worth solar cells and modules from China alone, accounting for 78.6% of India’s total imports that year. Low manufacturing capacities, coupled with cheaper imports from China have rendered Indian products uncompetitive in the domestic market.
• This situation can, however, be corrected if India embraces a circular economy model for solar systems. This would allow solar PV waste to be recycled and reused in the solar PV supply chain. By the end of 2030, India will likely produce nearly 34,600 metric tonnes of solar PV waste.
• The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that the global value of recoverable materials from solar PV waste could exceed $15 billion.
• Currently, only the European Union has taken decisive steps in managing solar PV waste. India could look at developing appropriate guidelines around Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which means holding manufacturers accountable for the entire life cycle of solar PV products and creating standards for waste recycling. This could give domestic manufacturers a competitive edge and go a long way in addressing waste management and supply side constraints.

What are the key takeaways from India’s solar story?

• India has grown from strength to strength in overcoming barriers to achieve the 50 GW milestone in Feb 2022. The destination is clear, and the journey is progressing. As India attempts to deal with some of the shortcomings identified above, India’s solar story will continue to provide important lessons for other developing countries that are looking to transition to clean energy.
• In addition to an impressive domestic track record, through the International Solar Alliance (ISA) established by India and France at COP-21 in 2015, there is a global platform to bring countries together to facilitate collaboration on issues such as mobilising investments, capacity building, program support and advocacy and analytics on solar energy. Technology sharing and finance could also become important aspects of ISA in the future, allowing a meaningful cooperation between countries in the solar energy sector.

3. AN EFFORT TO SAVE THE ENIGMATIC OWLS IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: In February 2022, Traffic and WWF-India launched ID cards for owl species to highlight common threats and assist officials and other organisations working to protect the birds.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Owls are commonly found in the illegal wildlife trade in India due to various superstitions and taboos attached to them. Despite the immense ecological role of owls in our ecosystem, these endangered birds are trapped in large numbers for sacrifice and use in multiple rituals often promoted by local mystic practitioners.
• In light of this, TRAFFIC and WWF-India’s new identification (ID) tools for strengthening owl protection were launched on 3 March 2022 on the occasion of World Wildlife Day.
• The Identification (ID) cards have been issued to enable law enforcement authorities to accurately identify 16 commonly found owl species in illegal trade. The ID cards available in English and Hindi, will be distributed free to wildlife law enforcement agencies across India.

Significance:

• “India is home to about 36 species of owls, all protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. However, very little information is available on the status of species level counts, thus making them vulnerable.
• According to reports, at least 20 seizure incidences related to poaching and trafficking of owls have been reported across India since 2019. But many more go unreported. The new ID tools provide essential information related to the species’ legal status, habitat, and distribution. They provide valuable tips on identifying the owls at species level and highlight common threats.
• Through the identification tool, it highlights the need to protect these enigmatic creatures and assist officials and other organizations working for conservation in identification of owl species”.

Threats& Conservation:

• Hunting, trading, or any other form of utilization of owls is a punishable offense as per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; all owl species found in India are enlisted in Appendix IIunder the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts their international trade.
• The recently rediscovered Forest Owlet is listed under Schedule I of the Act while all other owl species are covered under Schedule IV.
• IUCN categorized Forest Owlet as

Value Addition:

Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF):

• It is international non-governmental organization working in the field of the wilderness preservation and reduction of human impact on the environment.
• It was formerly named World Wildlife Fund.
• It is world’s largest conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 1,300 conservation and environmental projects.
• It was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.
• WWF aims to stop degradation of planet’s natural environment and build future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
• Currently, its work is organized around these six areas: food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and oceans.
• It publishes Living Planet Report every two years since 1998 and it is based on Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation.

TRAFFIC

• TRAFFIC is an NGO (CITES on the other hand is a multilateral treaty) working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
• TRAFFIC is a joint programme of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and IUCN.
• Traffic is complimentary to CITES.
• The programme was founded in 1976, with headquarters now located in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
• TRAFFIC’s mission is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.
• It investigates and analyses wildlife trade trends, patterns, impacts and drivers to provide the leading knowledge base on trade in wild animals and plants.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

4. INTERNATIONAL DAY TO COMBAT ISLAMOPHOBIA

THE CONTEXT: As the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution to proclaim March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India expressed concern over phobia against one religion being elevated to the level of an international day, saying there are growing contemporary forms of religiophobia, especially anti–Hindu, anti–Buddhist and anti–Sikh phobias.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The resolution, introduced by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was co–sponsored by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mali, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
• Reacting to the adoption of the resolution, India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador noted in the General Assembly that India hopes the resolution adopted “does not set a precedent” which will lead to multiple resolutions on phobias based on selective religions and divide the United Nations into religious camps.India condemns all acts motivated by anti–semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia, such phobias are not restricted to Abrahamic religions only.
• The word ‘Islamophobia’ with meaning of ‘unseasonable and imaginary fear and hatred towards Islam’ entered into common usage in 1997. The 2004 UN conference later entitled ‘Confronting Islamophobia’, forced international recognition of ‘Islamophobia’ as a specific expression.

Value Addition:

About Organization of Islamic Cooperation:

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations, with the membership of 57 states, covering four continents. The OIC is the collective voice of the Muslim world to ensure and safeguard their interest on economic socio and political areas. Headquartered at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 16^TH MARCH  2022

Q. Consider the following statements with respect to International Solar Alliance:

1. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy the reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
2. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights
3. The ISA is headquartered in France.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1,2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 15^TH MARCH 2022

ANSWER: A

EXPLANATION:

• Tied grants are referred to projects which are earmarked for national priorities like drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and sanitation. Hence the statement 1 is correct.
• The total grant-in-aid earmarked for Panchayati Raj institutions, 60 per cent is earmarked for national priorities like drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and sanitation (referred as tied grants), while 40 per cent is untied and is to be utilised at the discretion of the Panchayati Raj institutions for location-specific felt needs.Hence the statement 2 is incorrect.

1. A Practical Formula for Peace READ MORE
2. The kindness of difficulties READ MORE

1. As oil palm cultivation expands in the North East, human-elephant conflicts are getting worse READ MORE
2. Modi Govt Slashes Wildlife Habitat Funding by 47% in 3 Years: Report READ MORE

1. Fixing Indian higher education is the ideal way to rescue students READ MORE  
2. Yes, India can prevent trafficking; here is how READ MORE

1. The problem with the hijab ruling READ MORE
2. How India Can Conduct a Caste Census READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Hijab not an essential practice of Islam, rules Karnataka High Court READ MORE
2. ‘SOPs under review after accidental missile launch’ READ MORE
3. Everyday Economics: What are WPI and CPI inflation rates? READ MORE
4. Why RBI may intervene to curb rupee volatility but not prevent depreciation, in the long run, READ MORE
5. India’s natural, organic farming strategy for rice and wheat READ MORE
6. K. raised FCRA curbs against Oxfam, Lok Sabha told READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The problem with the hijab ruling READ MORE
2. How India Can Conduct a Caste Census READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Fixing Indian higher education is the ideal way to rescue students READ MORE  
2. Yes, India can prevent trafficking; here is how READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. ‘Bharat Natyam’ in Indian diplomacy: India’s stand in the United Nations on the Ukraine war is an apt moment to reflect on the much needed Dixit principle READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India’s solar capacity: Milestones and challenges READ MORE
2. Growing price pressures: Policymakers need to tame inflation or risk it undermining the growth they seek to support READ MORE
3. Fiscal consolidation has begun too soon READ MORE
4. Crippling job losses: Tourism, manufacturing sectors need a booster shot READ MORE
5. India’s natural, organic farming strategy for rice and wheat READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. As oil palm cultivation expands in the North East, human-elephant conflicts are getting worse READ MORE
2. Modi Govt Slashes Wildlife Habitat Funding by 47% in 3 Years: Report READ MORE

SECURITY

1. IAF has a lot to answer on BrahMos firing. It has dented India’s image of being responsible READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. A Practical Formula for Peace READ MORE
2. The kindness of difficulties READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. What do you understand by Xenotransplantation? How has this process benefitted the health sector?
2. “Our actions of today will shape how people adapt and nature responds to increasing climate risks.” In the context of the above statement explain the insights provided by the Sixth Assessment Report of IPCC to mitigate the climate change risks, especially in developing countries.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Victory belongs to those that believe in it the most and believe in it the longest.
• India’s stand in the United Nations on the Ukraine war is an apt moment to reflect on the much needed Dixit principle.
• The hijab ruling privileges discipline and control over liberty and diversity, exposes limits of essential practice doctrine.
• God is great because he is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. He is great because He is all-loving and omni-benevolent.
• Indian students going abroad for education is not a new phenomenon. Enrolling in a foreign university for higher education is a well-accepted path across India.
• Quality education, global exposure, job availability and quality of life after education are key factors that drive Indian students to go abroad.
• The Centre seems to be worried about sovereign ratings. Social sector schemes deserved more funds in the Budget.
• India’s post-Covid economic recovery will remain sluggish unless sustained efforts are made to rev up the tourism and manufacturing sectors.
• The effect of the pandemic, as the employment surveys have demonstrated, is to speed up a problematic dynamic that threatens to derail India’s future.
• Voting in an election is a skill not a random intuition, and like any skill it needs to be systematically taught to the people, letting the citizenry vote without an education is almost similar to putting them in a storm

 50-WORD TALK

• Political criticism of EPFO lowering interest rate to 8.1% from 8.5% is just that, politics. Real rates have crashed and even 8.1% is high across categories. EPFO interest payments depend on its earnings and 8.5% would’ve caused a deficit. Social security is critical, but it should also make economic sense.
• The plight of Indian students in a pandemic or war-like situation has underlined the need to relook at our higher education system. It is not merely an issue of a large gap between demand and supply. A good-quality education can lead to the creation of better human resources and will be an asset for the country over the long term.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

[WpProQuiz 181]

THE CONTEXT: The Ukraine crisis has crossed a critical point, with Russia following up its recognition of rebel regions in eastern Ukraine (Donbas region)- Donetsk and Luhansk with a full-fledged invasion to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on 27 February 2022, voted to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly to consider a resolution on the situation in Ukraine, vetoed by Russia.

ABOUT UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC)

United Nations Security Council was established by 51 countries in 1945.

• It has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• The Security Council is made up of fifteen member states, consisting of five permanent members (P5)—China, France, Russia, UK, and the USA—and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly on a regional basis.
• Election of non-permanent members: Non-permanent members are elected by a two-thirds vote of the UN General Assembly. The main criterion for eligibility is contribution “to the maintenance of international peace and security,” often defined by financial or troop contributions to peacekeeping operations. Present non-permanent members are mentioned in the table.
• Subsidiary organs supporting the council’s mission include Counter-Terrorism Committee, Sanctions Committee, Peace Keeping Operations, International Courts, and Tribunals.

UNSC and UNGA

• The Council also makes recommendations to the General Assembly to appoint a new Secretary-General and to admit new members to the UN. Security Council decisions are formal expressions of the will of the Council.
• The Security Council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is empowered to impose binding obligations on the 193 UN member states to maintain peace.
• The council’s presidency rotates every month, ensuring some agenda-setting influence for its ten non-permanent members, which are elected by a two-thirds vote of the UN General Assembly.
• The unconditional veto possessed by the five permanent members has been seen as the most undemocratic character of the UN.
• “Veto power” refers to the power of the permanent member to veto (Reject) any resolution of the Security Council.
• Critics claim that veto power is the main cause for international inaction on war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Supporters of the veto power regard it as a promoter of international stability, a check against military interventions, and a critical safeguard against U.S. domination.

FOUR CASES IN RECENT PAST WHERE THE UN SYSTEM APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED QUITE VISIBLY

FIGHT AGAINST COVID:

• UNSC failed to hold China accountable; in fact WHO teams so far have not been able to conclude on the origins of the virus, particularly because they have not yet been able to get access to Chinese laboratories.
• The biggest international threat of the century, UNSC in particular is widely criticized for ‘Missing In Action in the fight against the Coronavirus.
• UN Systems failed to ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccines: many African nations (so-called third world nations) are waiting for their access to the first shot of vaccine whereas the developed countries /first world countries have already started with booster doses and are stockpiling the vaccines. It is not that they are not sharing but still they are not sharing on a scale where the entire world has access.
• As an outcome of this we see a situation where 4 million are dead and no one yet is held responsible for the origins of the virus, fear of new variants or another virus still keeps the world on toes.

COUP IN MYANMAR:

• Myanmar Military (Junta) last year February took over the democratically elected government, putting the elected leaders in prison, slapping them with national security cases, and even declaring a full emergency.
• UNSC has held at least 3 rounds of discussions on the issue but has taken no action yet against the Junta for the coup.
• All this comes against the already persisting and unresolved situation of the Rohingya Refugees and humanitarian crises.

TALIBAN TAKEOVER OF AFGHANISTAN:

• So far there have been three discussions in UNSC over the issue and one resolution but have not been able to deliver any binding or punitive statement rather at present the resolution shows the Taliban as the default force ruling the country.
• The UN has also failed to instill the idea of UN-led Transitional Council unlike in the case of East Timor where it ran the transitional council until it handed over after the independence of the country.

RUSSIA’S MILITARY ACTION ON UKRAINE:

• Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution, that would have demanded that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops.
• This significantly clears the doubt surrounding the abuse of veto powers being used by P5 countries.

ISSUES AND PROBLEMS WITH UNSC

GROUP OF ELITES:

• The winners of WW2, P5 members (France, Russia, United Kingdom, China, and United States) hold the veto powers and all the members are nuclear powers, only addressing the strategic interests and political motives of the permanent members.

ANACHRONISM OF PRESENT TIMES: 

• The veto powers that the UNSC’s five permanent members enjoy are an anachronism in this age. The UNSC in its current form has become a constraint in understanding the international changes and dynamics in the area of human security and peace.

POWER PLAY IN UNSC:

• Divisions among the P5 i.e. there is a deep polarization within the UN’s membership, so decisions are either not taken, or vetoed.
• Frequent divisions within the UNSC P5 end up blocking key decisions.
• Example: With the coronavirus pandemic emergence, the UN, the UNSC, and WHO failed to play an effective role in helping nations deal with the spread.

ABSENCE OF RECORDS AND TEXTS OF MEETINGS:

• The usual UN rules don’t apply to the UNSC deliberations, and no records are kept of its meetings.
• Additionally, there is no “text” of the meeting to discuss, amend or object.

IRONIC CONDITION:

• The main purpose of the UN in maintain peace and stability in the world. Five permanent members of the UN Security Council are the top five largest arms dealing countries in the world.

EFFECTIVENESS AND RELEVANCE:

• Unable to respond effectively to the emerging international conflicts and other humanitarian crises.

AN UNDER-REPRESENTED ORGANISATION:

• The existing gaps in terms of the under-representation of regions especially from Africa, Asia, and Latin America are crippling the UNSC as a global institution governing international peace and security.
• The absence in the UNSC of the globally important countries – India, Germany, Brazil, and South Africa – is a matter of concern.

REFORMS IN UNSC

WHAT SHOULD BE THE APPROACH:

• Reforms must reflect contemporary global realities and for this purpose, the reform of the UN including the expansion of the UNSC in both permanent and non-permanent categories is essential.

REGIONAL REPRESENTATION CHANGING GEOPOLITICS:

• European bias in P-5 due to the presence of the UK, France, and Russia while regions like Latin America, Caribbean group, Arabs and Africa do not have a single permanent member.
• There is a need to overcome the European and Western hegemony and have equitable geographical representation.
• The victors of World War II shaped the United Nations Charter in their national interests, dividing the permanent seats, and associated veto power, among themselves.
• It has been 76 years since the foundation of UNSC and the geopolitical realities have changed drastically and the structure of UNSC should also reflect the same.

QUESTION OF VETO:

• Veto power is grossly misused by the permanent members in their own interests. This also badly affects the conduct of the business of UNSC as many important proposals involving substantive issues get blocked. The Veto shall be rarely and cautiously used by world leaders.

TRANSPARENCY AND WORKING METHODS:

• While the expansion of the Security Council has been hotly debated across the world, debate on the working methods of the Council is an equally important aspect of reform to many member states.
• Participative, consultative, and democratic approaches to the functioning of the UN in general and UNSC, in particular, should be adhered to.

KOFI ANNAN MODEL FOR REFORMS – 2005:

• In 2005, the Former UN secretary-general presented two models for a total of 24 seats in the council.
• Model A: Six new permanent seats, with no veto being created, and three new two-year term non-permanent seats, to have representation from all regions.
• Model B: No new permanent seats but create a new category of eight 4-year renewable-term seats and one 2-year non-permanent and non-renewable seat.

CHALLENGES FOR REFORMS

AMENDMENT TO UN CHARTER:

This amendment involves a two-stage process:

• Stage I: General Assembly must approve the reform by a two‑thirds majority (i.e. at least 128 states).
• Stage II: amended Charter must then be ratified by at least two‑thirds of the member states, including the five permanent Council members.
• This process includes all Security Council’s permanent members, and they may not take a step to curb their own powers.

POLITICAL WILL AND INTEREST OF P5:

• Every country’s actions are based on its national interests and no one likes to get its power diluted.
• There has been no consensus reached among the UN members including the P5, on how to adjust the Security Council’s structure and in particular how to increase the number of new permanent members.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS:

• There is no coherence in the approach of supporters of UN reforms, The G4 bid has been opposed by a few countries, whereas other groups like Coffee Club opposed adding countries as permanent members.
• 13-member group that includes Pakistan and is known as United for Consensus (UfC) has been in opposition to adding more permanent members to the council.

INDIA AND UNSC

Why India should be admitted as a permanent member?

• The expansion of the Security Council, in the category of both permanent and non-permanent members, and the inclusion of countries like India as permanent members, would be a first step in the process of making the United Nations a truly representative body.
• At the core of India’s call for reformed multilateralism, lies the reform of the UN Security Council, reflective of the contemporary realities of today. When power structures continue to reflect the status quo of a bygone era, they also start reflecting a lack of appreciation of contemporary geopolitical realities.
• The Charter of the United Nations, alongside the call for a geographically balanced distribution of seats, also expressly states that countries that make considerable contributions to the UN should be members of the Security Council.
• India’s performance as a non-permanent member of the Security Council during 2011- 2012 has also significantly strengthened India’s claim to permanent membership
• By any objective criteria such as population, territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilizational legacy, cultural diversity, political system, India is eminently suited for permanent membership of an expanded UNSC.

Why should India bid for a permanent seat in UNSC?

• Largest democracy in the world.
• 3^rd largest economy.
• Home to 1/6^th of the total world population.
• One of the largest peacekeeping contributors to the UN.

INDIA IN UNSC AS A NON-PERMANENT MEMBER FOR THE EIGHTH TERM (2021-2022)

INDIA’S 5-S APPROACH:

• SAMMAN – Respect
• SAMVAD – Dialogue
• SAHYOG – Cooperation
• SHANTI – Peace
• SAMRIDDHI – Prosperity

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRESS:

• As a rule-abiding democracy and a positive contributor to the security of the global commons, India should work constructively with partners to bring innovative and inclusive solutions to foster development.
• India calls for greater involvement of women and youth to shape the new paradigm.

EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:

• Addressing the abuse of ICT by terrorists.
• Disrupting their nexus with sponsors and transnational organized criminal entities.
• Stemming the flow of terror finance.
• Strengthening normative and operative frameworks for greater coordination with other multilateral forums

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PEACE AND SECURITY:

India’s vision for international peace and security is guided by:

• Dialogue and cooperation.
• Mutual respect.
• Commitment to international law.

INDIA ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE ISSUE:

• India strongly emphasized the need for all sides to exercise the utmost restraint and intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure a mutually amicable solution.
• India abstained from voting on the UNSC resolution condemning the Russia’s aggression on Ukraine.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA?

• India should leverage its past experiences as a non-permanent member.
• India also needs to revitalise its engagement with its traditional partners in the “global south” by voicing their peace and security concerns in the UNSC. In this context, two sub-groups of the global south should be of particular interest: the Small Island States and Africa.
• The G4 nations of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have reaffirmed that it is “indispensable” to reform the Security Council through an expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats to enable the UN organ to better deal with the “ever-complex and evolving challenges” to the maintenance of international peace and security.
• It’s been clear for some time now that the global multilateral order is not fit for its purpose. The Covid pandemic, Afghan issue, Nagorno-Karabakh issue and now Russia’s military action on Ukraine have only made the world more aware of the real-time consequences of this gradual decay. The United Nations Security Council has faced a lot of flak for not representing today’s international power realities and for not being able to shape the global discourse on the changing nature of security. Reforms in the UNSC and other multilateral institutions are the need of the hour.

THE CONCLUSION: The reform of the UNSC is a crucial issue on the current international agenda. Its progress will determine the effectiveness of the work of the whole UN system for the foreseeable future. The efforts in this area should be aimed, first of all, at enhancing the Council’s ability to promptly and effectively react to emerging challenges. This becomes even more relevant today as we witness multiple crises and conflicting situations.

Mains Ques:

1. Discuss the role and functions of UNSC in present times.
2. There have been many criticisms of Veto power held by the P5 nations in UNSC. Is it undermining the mandate of UNSC? Analyse.
3. Today’s peace and security challenges require a comprehensive and integrated approach, harmonizing national choices and international priorities. Analyse in context of Russia-Ukraine crises.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.THE CENTRE RELEASES GRANT-IN-AID TO STATES FOR RURAL LOCAL BODIES

THE CONTEXT: According to data released by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance Rs 1,112.7 crore has been released to Bihar, Rs 473.9 crore to Karnataka and Rs 634.6 crore to West Bengal.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The local body grants are meant to ensure additional funds to rural local bodies over and above the funds allocated by the Centre and the State for sanitation and drinking water under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
• The 15th Finance Commission recommended tied grants are released to rural local bodies (RLBs) on the recommendations of the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation for making improvements on two critical services namely,

1. Sanitation and maintenance of open-defecation free (ODF) status
2. supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

• Untied grants are released to the rural local bodies on the recommendations of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj after satisfying the conditions stipulated by the 15th Finance Commission

• In order to be eligible for grants during the years 2021-22 and 2022-23, the rural local bodies have to fulfill certain conditions.
• These conditions have been stipulated to enhance transparency, regular conduct of elections to the local bodies and preparation of annual development plans by the local bodies.
• To receive both tied and untied grants, it is mandatory to prepare and make available online, in the public domain by at least 25 percent of the local bodies, both provisional accounts of the previous year and the audited accounts of the year before the previous year. Moreover, the accounts must be uploaded on eGramswaraj and Audit Online portal. The grant is released only to those local bodies which are duly elected.

 THE ECONOMY

2. INDIA TO ISSUE GREEN BONDS AS COUNTRY SHIFTS TO LOW-CARBON ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: According to the report, India will issue at least 240 billion rupees ($3.3 billion) in sovereign green bonds as the country marks a shift towards a low-carbon economy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The debut sale may take place in the first half of the fiscal year that starts on April 1, and a decision to sell more green debt will depend on the response to the initial issuance.
• The South Asian country’s maiden foray into the green bond space comes as it plans to fund renewable energy projects that will help meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.
• The planned issuance comes amid a global boom in sustainable investments. India is the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and plans to more than quadruple its renewable power generation capacity by 2030.
• Indian renewable energy companies raised debt worth 17.6 billion rupees in February 2021 according to the report.

Value Addition:

What are Green Bonds?

A green bond is a type of fixed-income instrument that is specifically earmarked to raise money for climate and environmental projects. These bonds are typically asset-linked and backed by the issuing entity’s balance sheet, so they usually carry the same credit rating as their issuers’ other debt obligations.​

How Are Green Bonds Different From Climate Bonds?

“Green bonds” and “climate bonds” are sometimes used interchangeably, but some authorities use the latter term specifically for projects focusing on reducing carbon emissions or alleviating the effects of climate change. The Climate Bonds Initiative is an organization that seeks to establish a standard for certifying climate bonds.

Points to remember:

• The World Bank is a major issuer of green bonds. It has issued 164 such bonds since 2008, worth a combined $14.4 billion.
• The phrase “green bond” is sometimes used interchangeably with climate bonds or sustainable bonds.
• In 2020, the total issuance of green bonds was worth almost $270 billion, according to the Climate Bond Initiative. The cumulative issuance since 2015 is over $1 trillion.

3. THYSANOLAENA MAXIMA-THE BROOM GRASS

THE CONTEXT: Karbi Anglong district of Assam is the leading producer of broom grass in India, commonly known as Jharu has been contributing to the local economy since many years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Broom grass (Thysanolaena maxima) has emerged as the most widely cultivated cash crop in the hills of the State.
• Commonly known as Jharu, it is grown in the Jhum fallow season by people of the Tiwa, Karbi and Khasi communities as a mixed crop for its inflorescence used for making brooms.
• It also provides fuel and fodder during the lean period.
• Karbi Anglong is the largest producer of brooms in India. Cultivation of broom grass is comparatively easy and requires only small financial inputs.
• It can be grown on marginal lands, wasteland and in Jhum fallow land. It grows well on a wide range of soils from sandy loam to clay loam.
• The planting can be done by seeds or rhizomes. The harvesting starts from February and continues till March-end. About 90% of the produce is sold during March and April. The rest is used by the farmers themselves.
• Broom grass cultivation has the potential to generate local employment and can be used to enhance rural income.
• It constitutes a major source of income for Assamese families in the business. This year, the villagers sold dried broom grass for ₹90 a kg on an average.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. SYLLIPSIMOPODI BIDENI: PRIMORDIAL OCTOPUS HAD TEN ARMS

THE CONTEXT: Scientists unearthed a fossil at Central Montana of a species named Syllipsimopodi bideni represents the oldest-known relative of today’s octopuses and boasts 10 arms, with two twice as long as the other eight.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to Scientists, the fossil greatly changes our understanding of how octopuses evolved and indicates that the earliest members of the group superficially resembled living squids.
• The fossil, so well preserved that it reveals two parallel rows of suckers up and down each arm, dates to about 328 million years ago.
• Octopuses, ranging from the one-inch (2.5 cm) star-sucker pygmy octopus to the 30-foot (9-meter) giant Pacific octopus, are known for their otherworldly appearance, with bulbous heads, large eyes and beak-like jaws.

Syllipsimopodi Bideni

• Syllipsimopodi, about 4-3/4 inches (12 cm) long, had a torpedo-shaped body and squid-like appearance though it was not closely related to squids, which appeared much later. It also is the oldest-known creature with suckers, which enable the arms to better grasp prey and other objects.
• Syllipsimopodi pushes back by 82 million years the origins of a group called vampyropods that includes today’s octopuses and the world’s lone species of vampire squid, a misnomer because it is not a squid but rather an octopus cousin.
• They are adept at camouflage – changing colors and even textures to mimic their surroundings – and can maneuver their bodies into tiny cracks and crevices. They also are capable of tool use and problem-solving.
• Syllipsimopodi prowled the warm waters of a tropical bay – Montana at the time was situated close to the equator. It may have been a mid-level predator, eating smaller invertebrates.
• It is lived during the Carboniferous Period, a time of important evolutionary changes in other marine life that included the appearance of more modern-looking fishes.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. RADIOCARBON DATING TO IDENTIFY FORGED PAINTINGS

THE CONTEXT: Radiocarbon dating has unmasked two forged paintings in France — probably the first time the technique has been used in a police investigation. The paintings were supposedly impressionist and pointillist works from around the early twentieth century.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A team led by heritage scientist Lucile Beck at the University of Paris-Saclay used radiocarbon levels in the fibres of their canvases to date them to sometime within the past 70 years.
• The use of radiocarbon dating is gaining steam in the forensic analysis of artwork, thanks to advances that require smaller samples than ever before. Removing tinier samples from artwork is more palatable to auction houses, museums and owners of paintings.
• Researchers typically use imaging and chemical analysis to sniff out art forgeries. These methods can peer beneath brushstrokes to see how a painting’s materials have aged, but can’t conclusively nail down a painting’s date.

What is radiocarbon Dating?

Radiocarbon dating or carbon dating or carbon-14 dating is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. Unstable carbon-14 gradually decays to carbon-12 at a steady rate

How does it work?

• Radiocarbon dating works by comparing the three different isotopes of carbon. Isotopes of a particular element have the same number of protons in their nucleus but different numbers of neutrons. This means that although they are very similar chemically, they have different masses.
• The total mass of the isotope is indicated by the numerical superscript. While the lighter isotopes 12C and 13C are stable, the heaviest isotope 14C (radiocarbon) is radioactive. This means its nucleus is so large that it is unstable.

THE SECURITY

6. MAN-PORTABLE AIR-DEFENCE SYSTEMS

THE CONTEXT: Amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the United States President approved a $200-million arms package for Ukraine, which would include U.S. made Stinger Missiles, which are a type of shoulder-fired Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS).

THE EXPLANATION:

What are MANPADS?

• Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems are short-range, lightweight and portable surface-to-air missiles that can be fired by individuals or small groups to destroy aircraft or helicopters. They help shield troops from aerial attacks and are most effective in targeting low-flying aircrafts. MANPATs or Man-Portable Anti-Tank Systems work in a similar manner but are used to destroy or incapacitate military tanks.
• MANPADS can be shoulder-fired, launched from atop a ground-vehicle, fired from a tripod or stand, and from a helicopter or boat. Weighing anywhere between 10 to 20 kilograms and not being longer than 1.8 metres, they are fairly lightweight as compared to other elaborate weapon systems, making them easy to operate by individual soldiers. Operating MANPADS requires substantially less training.
• MANPADS have a maximum range of 8 kilometres and can engage targets at altitudes of 4.5 km. Most MANPADS have passive or ‘fire and forget’ guidance systems, meaning that the operator is not required to guide the missile to its target, enabling them to run and relocate immediately after firing.
• The missile stays locked-on to the targeted object, not requiring active guidance from the soldier. The missiles are fitted with infrared (IR) seekers that identify and target the airborne vehicle through heat radiation being emitted by the latter.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 15^TH MARCH  2022

Q. Consider the following statements with respect to tied grants:

1. Tied grants are referred to projects which are earmarked for national priorities like drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and sanitation.
2. There should be 50 per cent of the grant should be utilized at the discretion of the Panchayati Raj institutions for location-specific felt needs.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 14^TH MARCH 2022

ANSWER: C

EXPLANATION:

• The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

1. Truth and Contradiction READ MORE
2. Gandhi’s morality wasn’t denial of politics. His idealism was completed by realism READ MORE

CASE STUDY

1. Times Group-owned university asks students, parents to sign form against ‘anti-national’ activities READ MORE

1. Historic drought looms for 20 million living in Horn of Africa READ MORE
2. India’s green cover rises, touches nearly one-fourth of geographical area: Report READ MORE

1. May all mothers live: Improvements in maternal mortality still have a long way to go. Assessing Covid impact is crucial READ MORE
2. Trade, internal migration, and human capital: Who gained from India’s IT boom? READ MORE

1. Delhi hate speech case: A missed opportunity for justice READ MORE
2. Law’s delay: Despite SC orders, little headway in cases against MLAs, MPs READ MORE
3. How India Can Conduct a Caste Census READ MORE
4. IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS should have specific civil service entrance exams. At least discuss it READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Maldives lifts Health Emergency, mask mandate ends READ MORE
2. RBI allows microfinance lenders to fix interest rates READ MORE
3. Explained: Why is Blinkit shutting down some dark stores? READ MORE
4. UTs without legislature used lesser funds last fiscal: report READ MORE
5. Exclusive: Centre Approved Corbevax for 12-14 Year Olds Without NTAGI Clearance READ MORE
6. India to issue green bonds worth Rs 240 billion, as country shifts to low-carbon economy READ MORE
7. India breaks into world’s top five club in terms of market capitalization READ MORE
8. Centre releases Rs 2221.2 crore grant-in-aid to states for rural local bodies READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Public participation in policymaking under Pandyas READ MORE
2. India’s green cover rises, touches nearly one-fourth of geographical area: Report READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Delhi hate speech case: A missed opportunity for justice READ MORE
2. Law’s delay: Despite SC orders, little headway in cases against MLAs, MPs READ MORE
3. How India Can Conduct a Caste Census READ MORE
4. IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS should have specific civil service entrance exams. At least discuss it READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. May all mothers live: Improvements in maternal mortality still have a long way to go. Assessing Covid impact is crucial READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Fragmenting world order, untied nations READ MORE
2. The war’s cold facts and what India needs to glean READ MORE
3. A new deal: Any delay in Iran deal will deepen security crisis in West Asia and inflate global oil prices READ MORE
4. Ukraine invasion and the great geopolitical reset READ MORE
5. Ukraine: India must look beyond Russia READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Trade, internal migration, and human capital: Who gained from India’s IT boom? READ MORE
2. Staggering unemployment READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Historic drought looms for 20 million living in Horn of Africa READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Truth and Contradiction READ MORE
2. Gandhi’s morality wasn’t denial of politics. His idealism was completed by realism READ MORE

CASE STUDY

1. Times Group-owned university asks students, parents to sign form against ‘anti-national’ activities READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Truth is contradictory; if it is not contradictory, then it is not truth’. Explain the statement with the help of relevant examples.
2. The Indian economy experienced trade expansion and an IT boom in the last three decades. Analyse the reasons why the growth of these areas is concentrated in a few big cities only?
3. ‘The Gandhian effort for non-violent politics was a cultivation of one’s capacity for ethical citizenship’. Analyse the statement.
4. How far do you agree with the view that to enhance the efficiency of Indian Civil Services, service-specific papers Should be introduced for the IAS, IPS, IFS and Revenue Services with focus on public policy and governance, criminal law and internal security issues, international affairs, and tax policy respectively? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Respect your opponent, just make them respect you more.
• The impact of the Ukraine war on global interconnectedness is a cause for worry in the post-World War order.
• India’s abstentionist responses and its desire not to be critical of any of the actions taken by the big powers might keep Indians safe in the short term.
• As hard power dictates terms in geo-politics, India’s Atmanirbhar push needs to move to mission mode.
• For a nation to have strategic autonomy in matters of national security, self-sufficiency in defence research and development and manufacturing is an inescapable imperative.
• Any delay in Iran deal will deepen security crisis in West Asia and inflate global oil prices.
• The first major conflict amongst the great powers in the 21st century has presented India with multiple challenges, including its long-standing reliance on Russian military supplies.
• Truth is contradictory; if it is not contradictory, then it is not truth.
• Equality might sound an attractive idea but people are not equal, and do not expect to be treated as such at work. Distribution of goods and services in a fair manner is important but their production is equally vital.
• The economic situation can improve only if steps are taken to revive the economy by providing timely support to the industries, agriculture and allied fields, MSMEs and informal sector which generates employment.
• The Gandhian appeal to the ethical in politics was not only a way to seek Truth, but also of coming to know oneself in ever-greater depth.

50-WORD TALK

• Political criticism of EPFO lowering interest rate to 8.1% from 8.5% is just that, politics. Real rates have crashed and even 8.1% is high across categories. EPFO interest payments depend on its earnings and 8.5% would’ve caused a deficit. Social security is critical but it should also make economic sense.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

[WpProQuiz 180]

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.