1. Free the spirit READ MORE
2. A simple method to attain Self-realisation READ MORE

1. The high cost of Himalayan ruin READ MORE
2. Why re-introducing tigers to the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary in Rajasthan may not be a good idea READ MORE

1. Social media literacy to address misinformation READ MORE
2. Does increasing female representation in school management improve school quality? READ MORE
3. Delivering comprehensive primary healthcare READ MORE

1. Confidentiality ring amendment could make antitrust disputes more opaque READ MORE  
2. Has political interference eroded academic freedom? READ MORE
3. India’s steel frame stands at the crossroads READ MORE
4. Cost of justice READ MORE
5. Makeshift repairs cannot fix the IAS READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Large scale forest fires posing threat to wild animals in Jharkhand READ MORE
2. Explained: What is parboiled rice, and why Centre wants to stop purchasing it READ MORE
3. Explained: What is Twitter’s ‘poison pill’ roadblock to Elon Musk’s ‘hostile takeover’? READ MORE
4. India’s extreme poverty down by 12.3% in last decade, says World Bank READ MORE
5. Deep percolation pits in Odisha forests harmful for local flora, fauna, say experts READ MORE
6. FDA Authorises First COVID-19 Breathalyser Test READ MORE
7. Govt to organise Block Level Health Melas at more than 1 lakh Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Time for change: On IMD’s 2022 monsoon forecast READ MORE   
2. Social media literacy to address misinformation READ MORE
3. A mighty Gupta-era masterpiece from MP READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Confidentiality ring amendment could make antitrust disputes more opaque READ MORE  
2. Has political interference eroded academic freedom? READ MORE
3. India’s steel frame stands at the crossroads READ MORE
4. Cost of justice READ MORE
5. Makeshift repairs cannot fix the IAS READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Does increasing female representation in school management improve school quality? READ MORE
2. Delivering comprehensive primary healthcare READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The world must pull back from the brink READ MORE
2. Multi-alignment: Re-defining diplomacy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Standing deposit facility, a policy milestone READ MORE  
2. Divide forex reserve into two components READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 

1. The high cost of Himalayan ruin READ MORE
2. Why re-introducing tigers to the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary in Rajasthan may not be a good idea READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Explained | The status of India’s National Cyber Security Strategy READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Free the spirit READ MORE
2. A simple method to attain Self-realisation READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. India has recently had bilateral trade deals with UAE and Australia and is in talks with other countries also. How will the bilateral trade agreements help India in realizing the $5T economy dream? Substantiate.
2. No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of a lack of means. Hence, a fully publicly funded healthcare system is required. Elaborate

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The next war may well bury Western civilisation forever.
• Unlike the EU, which established rules for a confidentiality ring to protect the information provider, the Competition Commission of India seems to want to protect the defendant, which is usually a large, multimillion-dollar entity.
• SDF can absorb surplus liquidity which is transient in nature. As a non-collaterised instrument, it can absorb large volumes.
• Developing and poor nations require food, not weapons. The situation is fuelling inflation and the direct repercussions are being felt the most by developing countries.
• India must divide its forex reserve into two components — a safe component with the traditional sovereign debt plus gold and a strategic component.
• India and Pakistan have continued limited contacts, but there is clearly a need for a structured dialogue to address tensions and focus on new confidence-building measures.
• Road projects without prior green clearance will be devastating for the region’s ecology.
• A destitute person who cannot afford a lawyer is denied that equal opportunity until and unless legally assisted and for free.
• To make people knowledgeable and secure online an effective mechanism for increasing information literacy and building resilience to misinformation and disinformation within communities is required.

50-WORD TALK

• Doctrine of the bulldozer has travelled from Yogi’s Uttar Pradesh to Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Madhya Pradesh. The target almost exclusively is Muslim homes and properties. In a nation of the Constitution and the laws this medieval, partisan ‘justice’ is an abomination. And judiciary watching silently is an awful institutional shame.
• India is essentially an underachieving country in every segment of governance. Certainly, the IAS has failed, just like every other institution. But the thing one can’t take away from the IAS is the quality service delivery by several members despite resource crunch and upholding the democratic principle of conceding primacy to the political executive while being the major prop of the rule of law.

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 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 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. HOW WILL SRI LANKA OVERCOME ITS DEBT CRISIS?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Sri Lanka announced its decision to default on its foreign debt of $51 billion, tarnishing its track record of promptly servicing past loans. Citing the International Monetary Fund’s assessment that the country’s debt stock was “unsustainable”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the countries Finance Ministry said its policy of repaying foreign debt on time was “no longer tenable”. It described the default move as its “last resort” to prevent “a further deterioration” of the country’s financial position, and to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all creditors.
• Sri Lanka will hold talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, on a comprehensive debt restructuring programme.

What led to the crisis?

• Sri Lanka is experiencing one of its worst economic crises. For months now, households and businesses have had to cope with severe food and fuel shortages, while the government scrambles for dollars to pay for essential imports. Emergency financial support coming in, including from India, is barely enough to sustain the country for a month.
• With authorities sharing no road map or plan, fears of hunger and starvation are growing, and thousands of people have been voicing their anger against the government. Amid mounting protests, the government took two major decisions recently — to default on the country’s debt and to seek IMF support to restructure outstanding loans and rescue its teetering economy.

Does a debt default help?

• No middle-income country other than Sri Lanka has resorted to a debt default in recent years. Usually, creditors and investors see a defaulting country as less favorable for business. This makes it harder for the country to borrow from external sources. If domestic production is low, as is in Sri Lanka’s case, it is even harder to cope.
• Sri Lanka’s pre-emptive default takes away the pressure of having to repay some $7 billion in debt this year, giving the country some time to stabilize. Further, the default move came just ahead of Colombo’s scheduled talks with the IMF, on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the Fund and World Bank, beginning in Washington DC on April 18.
• The IMF is expected to come up with a package that will allow Sri Lanka to restructure its external debt over time. Such a programme, including immediate relief of a couple of billion dollars, will also make Sri Lanka more creditworthy in the international money market.

How is Sri Lanka coping meanwhile?

• Citizens are finding it very difficult to source essentials, including cooking gas and kerosene. Fuel is in short supply and is now being rationed to customers after long periods of waiting in queues.
• Costs of all basic commodities have risen sharply making them unaffordable for most. Colombo is sourcing fuel and food supplies for the month using external help, including credit lines from India.

How could an IMF programme bail out the country?

• The way forward is neither easy nor straightforward for Sri Lanka, even with IMF assistance. Senior Sri Lankan economists have observed that the situation would likely get worse before getting better, and that there could be no gain without pain. Much would depend on the conditions imposed by the IMF and how Sri Lanka responds to them, given the government’s political compulsion to regain lost ground.
• It is widely predicted that the Fund’s recommended reforms would include greater taxation, and a reduction in state spending. What this could mean to the average citizen reeling under the shock of this economic calamity remains to be seen.
• It would be especially challenging for the Rajapaksa regime, which has lost significant political capital in the wake of this crisis, to make and implement tough policy decisions that would be inevitable at this time.

 THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. THE GREEN AGRICULTURE PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: The Project is funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Global Environment Facility, will act as a lifeline for the Desert National Park (DNP) in western Rajasthan with the conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The environmentalists in the State have called for developing grasslands on vast tracts in the DNP area for grazing of animals, saying their neglect and conversion into irrigated and cultivated land would further endanger the rare species. The DNP is situated near Jaisalmer and Barmer, covering an area of 3,162 sq. km, while sand dunes comprise about 20% of the park.
• The village-wise action plans will support the rural population’s traditional methods of water management and agriculture.

BACKGROUND:

Green-Ag Project

• The Green-Ag project is designed to achieve multiple global environmental benefits in at least 1.8 million hectares (ha) of land in five landscapes, with mixed land-use systems.
• It aims to bring at least 104,070 ha of farms under sustainable land and water management.
• The project will also ensure 49 million Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) sequestered or reduced through sustainable land use and agricultural practices.

Implementing agencies

• The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility, while the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC & FW) is the national executing agency.
• Other key players involved in its implementation are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Environment Ministry (MoEF & CC).

Regions of implementation

The project has been launched in high-conservation-value landscapes of five States namely

1. Madhya Pradesh: Chambal Landscape
2. Mizoram: Dampa Landscape
3. Odisha: Similipal Landscape
4. Rajasthan: Desert National Park Landscape
5. Uttarakhand: Corbett-Rajaji Landscape

3. THE CENTER EXTENDS THE TENURE OF GREEN PERMITS

THE CONTEXT: The Union Environment Ministry has extended the tenure of environmental clearances (EC) granted for existing or new projects.

THE EXPLANATION:

Need of Extending Environmental clearances (EC):

• An EC is a lengthy process that is required for projects larger than a certain size. It frequently entails an environmental impact assessment of a potential project, as well as public hearings with local residents who may be impacted by the project.
• The Central Government believes it is necessary to extend the validity of such ECs due to the time it takes to address local concerns, including environmental issues related to the implementation of such projects.
• One of the conditions of an EC is that the project must start construction during the period for which the EC was granted, and if it cannot, a new process must be started. As a result, projects become financially unsustainable.
• Due to “geological surprises, delays in forest clearance, land acquisition, local issues, and other factors,” nuclear power and hydro power projects had a “long gestation” period. These factors necessitate the extension of the validity of Environmental Clearance (EC) for such projects by the Central Government.

Recent Changes in Duration of Environmental Clearances:

 VALUE ADDITION:

What is Environment Impact Assessment?

• It is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural, and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.
• EIA is a tool used to assess the positive and negative environmental, economic, and social impacts of a project. This is used to predict the environmental impacts of a project in the pre-planning stage itself so that decisions can be taken to reduce the adverse impacts.

EIA PROCESS:

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

5. FUELLING INFLATION IN RURAL INDIA

THE CONTEXT: The retail inflation rate surged to 6.95% this March 2022 — its highest level in nearly one and a half years, capping off six successive months of accelerating prices for consumers. With incremental fuel price hikes only kicking in during the latter half of March, the full impact of higher global oil prices being passed on to consumers will only begin reflecting in April.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Economists expect inflation to go past 7% and hover around that level till as far as September. However, across large parts of the country, the experienced price rise has already crossed 7.5% and even 8%. Official data pegs rural inflation in March at 7.66%, with several States reporting even higher inflation, including West Bengal (8.85%), Uttar Pradesh and Assam (8.19%) as well as Madhya Pradesh (7.89%).

What are the key drivers of higher inflation in the hinterland?

While food inflation was the key driver for the headline inflation rate jump in March, with the overall consumer food price index racing to 7.68% from 5.85% in February, the spike was far more pronounced in rural India where food inflation hit 8.04%. Food inflation in urban India was a full percentage point lower.

Which sections are affected the most, and what next?

• According to a noted economists, while high inflation affects the poor the most in general, the fact that price rise in food, the largest component of their consumption basket, is driving the current surge is particularly burdensome.
• Using data from official surveys, it has been estimated that the bottom 20% of the population in urban as well as rural India is facing the worst effects. The rural bottom 20% faced the highest inflation at 7% in March, while the upper 20% of the income segment in the hinterland experienced 7.6% inflation.
• “With upward pressure rising, inflation is becoming broad-based. Last year,(2021) low food inflation had contained the headline number, while fuel and core inflation (excluding food and energy prices) had risen. Now, food inflation is expected to rise along with both fuel and core inflation”.

VALUE ADDITION:

About Consumer Price Index (CPI):

• CPI measures changes in the price level of a basket of consumer goods and services bought by households.
• The base Year for CPI is 2012.

Types of CPI:

1. CPI for Industrial Workers (IW): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
3. CPI for Rural Labourer (RL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
4. CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined): Compiled by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Note: Changes in prices at the producer level are tracked by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

THE INTERNAL SECURITY

5. THE STATUS OF INDIA’S NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY

THE CONTEXT: The Data Security Council of India (DSCI) has prepared a report focusing on 21 areas to ensure a safe and vibrant cyberspace for India. Some of the focus areas are large-scale digitization of public services, State-level cyber security etc.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why does India need a cyber security strategy?

• As per American cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks’ 2021 report, Maharashtra was the most targeted State in India — facing 42% of all ransomware attacks. The report stated that India is among the more economically profitable regions for hacker groups and hence these hackers ask Indian firms to pay a ransom, usually using cryptocurrencies, in order to regain access to the data. One in four Indian organisations suffered a ransomware attack in 2021. Indian organizations witnessed a 218% increase in ransomware — higher than the global average of 21%.
• Software and services (26%), capital goods (14%) and the public sector (9%) were among the most targeted sectors. An increase in such attacks has brought to light the urgent need for strengthening India’s cyber security.

What is the National Cyber Security Strategy?

Conceptualized by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), the 22-page report focuses on 21 areas to ensure a safe, secure, trusted, resilient, and vibrant cyberspace for India.

The main sectors of focus of the report are:-

• Large scale digitization of public services: There needs to be a focus on security in the early stages of design in all digitization initiatives and for developing institutional capability for assessment, evaluation, certification, and rating of core devices.
• Supply chain security: There should be robust monitoring and mapping of the supply chain of the Integrated circuits (ICT) and electronics products. Product testing and certification needs to be scaled up, and the country’s semiconductor design capabilities must be leveraged globally.
• Critical information infrastructure protection: The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) security should be integrated with enterprise security. A repository of vulnerabilities should also be maintained.
• Digital payments: There should be mapping and modelling of devices and platform deployed, transacting entities, payment flows, interfaces and data exchange as well as threat research and sharing of threat intelligence.
• State-level cyber security: State-level cyber security policies and guidelines for security architecture, operations, and governance need to be developed.

What steps does the report suggest?

To implement cyber security in the above-listed focus areas, the report lists the following recommendations:

• Budgetary provisions: A minimum allocation of 0.25% of the annual budget, which can be raised up to 1% has been recommended to be set aside for cyber security. In terms of separate ministries and agencies, 15-20% of the IT/technology expenditure should be earmarked for cyber security.
• The report also suggests setting up a Fund of Funds for cyber security and providing Central funding to States to build capabilities in the same field.
• Research, innovation, skill-building and technology development: The report suggests investing in modernization and digitization of ICTs, setting up a short and long term agenda for cyber security via outcome-based programs and providing investments in deep-tech cyber security innovation.
• Furthermore, a national framework should be devised in collaboration with institutions like the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and ISEA (Information Security Education and Awareness) to provide global professional certifications in security. The DSCI further recommends creating a ‘cyber security services’ with cadre chosen from the Indian Engineering Services.
• Crisis management: For adequate preparation to handle crisis, the DSCI recommends holding cyber security drills which include real-life scenarios with their ramifications. In critical sectors, simulation exercises for cross-border scenarios must be held on an inter-country basis.
• Cyber insurance: Cyber insurance being a yet to be researched field, must have an actuarial science to address cyber security risks in business and technology scenarios as well as calculate threat exposures. The DSCI recommends developing cyber insurance products for critical information infrastructure and to quantify the risks involving them.
• Cyber diplomacy: Cyber diplomacy plays a huge role in shaping India’s global relations. To further better diplomacy, the government should promote brand India as a responsible player in cyber security and also create ‘cyber envoys’ for the key countries/regions.
• Cybercrime investigation: With the increase in cyber crime across the world, the report recommends unburdening the judicial system by creating laws to resolve spamming and fake news. It also suggests charting a five-year road map factoring possible technology transformation, setting up exclusive courts to deal with cyber crimes and remove backlog of cyber crimes by increasing centres providing opinion related to digital evidence under section 79A of the IT act.
• Moreover, the DSCI suggests advanced forensic training for agencies to keep up in the age of AI/ML, block chain, IoT, cloud, automation. Law enforcement and other agencies should partner with their counterparts abroad to seek information of service providers overseas.

 What is the progress in its implementation?

• In the recent Budget session of Parliament (2022), several MPs questioned the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEiTy) on when the Centre plans to introduce the policy.
• In response, the Centre clarified that it has “formulated a draft National Cyber Security Strategy 2021 which holistically looks at addressing the issues of security of national cyberspace.” Without mentioning a deadline for its implementation, the Centre added that it had no plans as of yet “to coordinate with other countries to develop a global legal framework on cyber terrorism.”

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q Which of the pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Palamau Tiger reserve – Jharkhand
2. Valmiki Tiger Reserve – Bihar
3. Satkoshi Tiger Reserve – Chhattisgarh

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

      a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 16TH APRIL 2022

Answer: A

The Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: India is the second-largest wheat producer in the world.
• Statement 2 incorrect: Key export destinations are Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia.

[WpProQuiz 203]

THE CONTEXT: The 14^thannual bilateral summit between India and Japan has held in New Delhi in March 2022. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida participated in the summit. This article analyses the outcomes of the summit and the recent trajectory in India-Japan relations.

THE OUTCOMES OF THE SUMMIT

FOUR-POINT PLAN ON UKRAINE: India and Japan will:

• ‘not tolerate’ any unilateral and forceful change in the status quo of Ukraine or any country in the world,
• continue to push for a peaceful settlement of the conflict,
• jointly address the situation whenever needed, and
• work together in giving humanitarian aid and assistance to Ukraine.

ON INDO-PACIFIC:

• Both countries expressed their commitment to a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the leaders showed their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

ON QUAD:

• The two PMs affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries, including the QUAD grouping between India-Australia-Japan and the United States.

ON CHINA:

• India raises China-LAC standoff with Japan.
• Japan raised the matter of the East China Sea and the South China Sea with regard to China’s growing belligerence there.

ON TERRORISM:

• Both the countries expressed deep concern about the growing threat of terrorism and underlined the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism comprehensively and sustainably.

ON INVESTMENT:

• Japan’s PMannounced an investment to the tune of $42 billion (JPY 5 trillion) in India over the next five years.

LIST OF AGREEMENTS/MOUs SIGNED

INDIA -JAPAN RELATIONS: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan.
• After World War II, in 1949, India started relations with Japan warmly.
• Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April 1952. This treaty was one of Japan’s first peace treaties after World War II.
• In the post-World War II period, India’s iron ore helped a great deal in Japan’s recovery from the devastation.
• Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by the Japanese government.
• The visit of then Japanese Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in 1960 elevated the relations to a new level. A test of the reliability of Japan as a friend was witnessed in 1991 when Japan was among the few countries that bailed India out of the balance of payment crisis.

PROGRESS IN THE RECENT PAST

RECENT RELATIONS:

• Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India in 2000 provided momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship.
• In 2005, Japan-India annual summit started.
• In December 2006, the relationship was elevated to the “Global and Strategic Partnership”.
• In September 2014, upgrade the bilateral relationship to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”
• In 2015 both countries resolved to transform the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership into a deep, broad-based, action-oriented partnership, reflecting a broad convergence of their long-term political, economic, and strategic goals.
• The announcement “Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World” started a new era in Japan-India relations.
• in October 2018, both countries reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together towards a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
• In September 2021 both countries again concurred to further develop Japan-India relations and work closely toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

COOPERATION IN SECURITY FIELDS:

• In 2008, “the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India” was issued.
• ‘2+2” meeting, annual Defense Ministerial Dialogue, and Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard dialogue.
• JIMEX, EX DHARMA GUARDIAN, SHINYUU Maitri, and Dharma Guardian are some military exercises between both countries. Apart from these, both countries are participatory in Malabar naval exercises.
• In September 2020, the Agreement concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (so-called “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement” or ACSA) was signed. ACSA came into force on July 11th, 2021

ECONOMIC RELATIONS:

• In recent years, the economic relationship between Japan and India has increased.
• India was the 18th largest trading partner for Japan, and Japan was India’s 12th largest trading partner in 2020.
• Japan was the 4th largest investor for India in FY2020.
• Japanese private-sector’s interest in India is rising, and, currently, about 1,455 Japanese companies have branches in India. Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, and Hitachi are some of the major Japanese companies operating in India.
• Currency Swap Arrangement of USD 75 billion between both countries.

ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE:

• India has been the largest recipient of Japanese (Official Development Assistance) ODA loans for the past decades.
• Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation.
• Japan continues to cooperate in supporting strategic connectivity linking South Asia to Southeast Asia through the synergy between the ”Act East” policy and ”Partnership for Quality Infrastructure.”
• Besides, Japan and India had committed to building a High-Speed Railway in India by introducing Japan’s Shinkansen System, the flagship project of Japan-India relations.

CULTURAL RELATIONS:

• The year 2022 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Various cultural events took place in Japan and India to promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF JAPAN TO INDIA?

FINANCIAL:

• Japan has invested in the $90 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (1,483km high-speed rail and road line), which will set up new cities, industrial parks, ports, and airports.
• It is also backing the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train service and has already released the first tranche of 5,500 crore rupees.
• Japan is the third-largest source of FDI ($28.160 billion between2000 June 2018) investment into India after Mauritius and Singapore.
• In Dedicated Freight Corridor, a project of close to Rs 50,000 crore of Japanese assistance has been about Rs 38,000 crore.
• A 75 Billion dollar currency swap agreement between countries is a significant step in enhancing economic ties.

DEFENCE:

• Japan is the most important partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries are the part of QUAD group.
• After the joint army, navy, and air force exercises, the two nations are looking to allow their respective naval forces to use each other’s facilities.
• Both countries have conflicts with China and to counter its behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region, they need to continue helping each other.

TECHNOLOGY:

• The introduction of  Johkasou technology in India by Japanese companies for decentralized wastewater treatment will help in sewage water management.
• The Indian PM and the then PM of Japan Mr. Abe have also announced the launch of a new digital partnership that will cover Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
• In 2018, when the Indian PM visited Japan, he made a trip to FANUC Corporation, one of the world’s largest makers of industrial robots.
• FANUC facility is important in the context of India’s move towards Industry 4.0.

INFRASTRUCTURE COOPERATION:

• In 2016, India and Japan announced joint projects in Africa as part of the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor; the main aim of this project is to counter the BRI influence in South Asia and Africa.
• Apart from it, there are many joint ventures between the two countries.

THE AREAS OF CONCERNS

TRADE BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES:

• Today, India-Japan trade languishes at around $18 billion, while Japan-China trade is around $300 billion.
• India’s major exports to Japan include petroleum products, organic chemicals, fish and aquatic invertebrates, natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, and machinery and mechanical appliances.
• India’s top import items from Japan are machinery and mechanical appliances, followed by electronics, iron and steel, plastics, copper, and its articles.

RELATIONSHIP CENTRED ON COUNTERING CHINA:

• Both countries have border issues with China. So the relations generally target China.
• It is interesting fact, that China is the biggest trading partner of Japan and India.

SECURITY TIES:

• In security ties, the Indo-Japanese relationship has remained below potential, and Japan does not accord due to importance to India in its security calculus.
• Japan has offered neither military hardware nor technology to India. There seems to be a difference in perceptions about China; Japan, while highlighting its own security concerns in the East and South China Seas, is seen to play down the multiple threats that India faces from China.
• Although both countries are members of QUAD and have 2+2 talks, there is a large scope to improve the security relations that are not developed as per the demand of time.

THE UKRAINE CRISIS:

• On the issue of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, while India took a neutral stance, Japan criticized the attack openly and followed NATO. This shows that despite being the partner of QUAD, both countries follow their independent foreign policy.
• During his visit, Japan’s Prime Minister pushed Narendra Modi to take a clear stance on Russia’s war on Ukraine. This shows a divergence between both countries but later, QUAD itself accepted India’s stand on the Ukraine-Russia war.

THE WAY FORWARD: HOW TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF INDIA-JAPAN RELATION?

SHOULD GO BEYOND COUNTERING CHINA:

• The Indo-Japan relations are oriented toward countering Chinese Influence in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea but now both the countries should go beyond.

SHOULD FOCUS ON THE BILATERAL TRADE:

• Both governments should focus on boosting trade which is standing at just $18 billion. It shows that bilateral trade needs to be increased.
• The scope in many areas for improving trade and the fourth industrial revolution can be a landmark in this regard.

LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION:

• Japan gives India an opportunity to boost its relations with Indo-Pacific countries.
• There are many other areas providing opportunities such as the African continent through the Asia Africa Growth Corridor(AAGC) whose potential needs to be utilized and scaled up.

NEED STRONG SECURITY TIES:

• India and Japan are the members of Quad and India invited Japan in Malabar Naval Exercise but these are multi-country level ventures. Both counties should focus on their own security setup in their respective regions.
• As a significant naval power with a dominant peninsular location astride shipping lanes, India plays a major role in ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean and its environs.
• Close cooperation with a democratic India, located mid-way along trade routes connecting East Asia with the Middle East and Africa, would be advantageous to Japan.
• At the same time, a technologically deficient India has much to gain from a relationship with a country like Japan.

THE CONCLUSION: No doubt, India and Japan are among the most reliable partners in bilateral relations and Japan-India relations have evolved into an inclusive and multi-layered relationship based on cultural bonds, firm friendship, and common universal values. But, there is still scope for improving the bilateral relations which should be the agenda of their future relations.

Questions

1. ‘With strong India-Japan cooperation, 21^st century will be Asia’s century. Analyze the scope for India-Japan relations in changing geopolitical scenarios.
2. Highlight the importance of strong India- Japan relations for a free and secure Indo-Pacific.
3. ‘Without enhancing trade relations, India and Japan would not be able to counter China’s influence in Indo-pacific’. Critically Analyze.