1. How disasters, poverty fuel human trafficking READ MORE
2. Lahbera: how the last santhal settlement of dhanbad is fighting for survival READ MORE
3. Ground Report: Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics READ MORE
4. In Uttarakhand School, Students Once Again Boycott Midday Meals Cooked by Dalit Woman READ MORE

1. Frequent extreme weather events may lead to decline in Olive Ridley turtle population: Experts READ MORE
2. International Day For Biological Diversity 2022: Theme, History And Significanc READ MORE
3. Frequent extreme weather events may lead to decline in Olive Ridley turtle population: Experts READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Frequent extreme weather events may lead to decline in Olive Ridley turtle population: Experts READ MORE
2. On Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s 250th birth anniversary, remembering the legacy of the father of Modern Indian Renaissance READ MORE
3. International Day For Biological Diversity 2022: Theme, History And Significance READ MORE
4. Understanding the process of issuing LOCs READ MORE
5. Food security does not need this ‘surgical strike’ READ MORE
6. How disasters, poverty fuel human trafficking READ MORE
   

   Main exam   

   GS 1

1. On Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s 250th birth anniversary, remembering the legacy of the father of the Modern Indian Renaissance READ MORE

2. Frequent extreme weather events may lead to decline in Olive Ridley turtle population: Experts READ MORE

GS 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Understanding the process of issuing LOCs READ MORE
2. Sedition and the Law READ MORE
3. What the Supreme Court Said About Those Promoting Hatred in the ‘Guise of Historical Truth’ READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. How disasters and  poverty fuel human trafficking READ MORE
2. Lahbera: how the last Santhal settlement of Dhanbad is fighting for survival READ MORE
3. Ground Report: Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics READ MORE
4. In Uttarakhand School, Students Once Again Boycott Midday Meals Cooked by Dalit Woman READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

 PM to attend Tokyo launch of U.S. trade initiative

1. PM to attend Tokyo launch of U.S. trade initiative  READ MORE
2. Pangong Tso Bridge Built by China Is in ‘Area Under Illegal Chinese Occupation Since 1960’: MEA READ MORE
3. How Can India Fulfil its Defence Requirements in a Post-Ukraine War Arms Bazaar? READ MORE

GS 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Food security does not need this ‘surgical strike’ READ MORE
2. Wheat confusion: On India’s export restriction READ MORE
3. Take proactive mitigating measures, RBI tells banks amid global turmoil READ MORE
4. Centre’s excise duty cut on petrol, and diesel to cost Rs 60,000 crore to the exchequer READMORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. International Day For Biological Diversity 2022: Theme, History And Significance READ MORE
2. Frequent extreme weather events may lead to decline in Olive Ridley turtle population: Experts READ MORE

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Let the wide universe be your place of worship READ MORE
2. Connecting with the unified consciousness READ MORE
3. Everybody’s talented but talent remains latent if not showcased READMORE
4. Bring out your best READMORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

Q1. Reform movements in religion were largely responsible for social reform movements in India. In this context, discuss the contribution of various socio-cultural reformers in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Q2. India’s engagement in the QUAD is a reflection of its evolving multi-polar foreign policy. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Apart from developing compassion towards others, empathy can bring out the best possible trait lying deep within us.
• Man’s freedom is not curbed by prescribed rituals or customs. The wide universe is his temple, a pure heart is his holy shrine, and the truth is the most infallible scripture, believed Raja Rammohan Roy, an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer.
• After several businessmen fled the country after defaulting on loans, the MHA in 2018 brought changes to the 2010 guidelines authorising executives of all public sector banks to generate LOCs against persons who could be detrimental to the economic interests of the country.

50-WORD TALK

• The government’s decision to cut petrol and diesel taxes, among other steps to fight inflation, is a pleasant surprise. This is the kind of monetary and fiscal tango India needs to manage economic headwinds hurting recovery. States need to match these cuts with their own before RBI raises rates again.

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 on 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 CONTEXT: Relations between India and Russia are a strategic partnership that has withstood the test of time, and which enjoys the support of the people of both countries. While their bilateral relationship is free of active conflict, the repercussions of external factors can no longer be ignored or underestimated. On the recent visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Delhi the areas of divergence over their worldview seemed to emerge with reference to the changing geopolitical scenarios.

These trends combined with bilateral economic ties well below their potential would suggest that India-Russia relations are likely to face some turbulence ahead.

CHANGING GEOPOLITICS

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

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

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

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

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

The Quad and the Indo-Pacific

Russia has been critical of the Quad grouping that has been aimed at ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China’s growing assertiveness in the region. Russia has taken a harsh posture towards the Indo-Pacific, with the Russian Foreign Minister characterising the Quad as Asian NATO. Russia asserts that the US-led West is pushing India to join the anti-China camp and also undermine New Delhi’s relations with Moscow.

Despite Moscow’s opposition, India clearly sees the grouping as a necessary response to China. India has firmly stated that contemporary challenges require countries to work together in new and different ways and that such cooperation also reflects the rebalanced character of global politics. India has assured Russia that its own vision for the region remained inclusive in nature, not targeted at any country, but supportive of freedom of navigation and overflight and peaceful settlement of territorial disputes.

Afghanistan

During the 1990s and 2000s, Moscow and New Delhi regarded the Taliban as a threat to their domestic security. However, since 2013, Russia’s stance on the situation in Afghanistan began to change. Moscow reached out to Pakistan and later established “limited” contacts with the Taliban. The Russian approach identifies ISIS, not the Taliban, as the most immediate threat and considers Pakistan a partner for security in the region, along with coordinating its actions in the region with Pakistan and China.

This worries India, which maintains that there can be no choice between the ISKP and Taliban, and views Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. New  Delhi has been a  consistent proponent of  “zero tolerance”  toward terrorist groups.  Another important challenge for New Delhi is preventing Islamabad from playing a greater role in Kabul’s domestic affairs. Given these concerns, Russia’s outreach to Islamabad and the Taliban was unfavorable for India’s interests.

THE FUTURE OF TIES

Both India and Russia are calibrating their foreign policies to adapt to the challenges created by the changes in global politics and economics. Given the disparate challenges faced by India and Russia, it is not surprising that differences have emerged between them. Incidentally, such divergences exist in India’s relations with all great powers and are probably wider in its ties with the United States rather than Russia. The Indo-Pacific and Quad, developments in Afghanistan, Russian arms supplies to Pakistan, Russia’s growing closeness to China, and India gravitating towards the US are the areas of concern in ties between New Delhi and Moscow.

In Afghanistan, the differences are mainly tactical differences and some of these may have been addressed by Lavrov. The broader strategic picture, however, indicates the virtual inevitability of India, Russia, and possibly Iran collaborating closely. The prospect of the reemergence of an Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan will compel India and Russia to align their views and actions.

In Pakistan, it is believed that India’s concerns about Russia’sgrowing ties with Pakistan were adequately addressed by Lavrov.  Russia has reiterated its support for India in Kashmir. On arms sales to Pakistan, Russia reiterated assurances given earlier.

On China-Russia ties, there is enough divergence between Moscow and Beijing to believe that Russia is unlikely to seal an alliance any time soon or take hostile positions vis-à-vis India. Russian actions in 2020 should have been adequate to allay any fears of a China-Russia alliance. Russia expeditiously addressed India’s defence requirements at the height of the stand-off with China. Additionally, Russia played a discreet but important role in getting India and China to talk both in 2017 and 2020 when the two were locked in tense standoffs.

On the Indo-Pacific and Quad, Russia fears that containment of China through the concept of Indo-Pacific and the Quad may extend to the containment of Russia. India is attempting to allay these fears by pushing for greater Russian involvement in the Indo-Pacific. It is enhancing ties with the Russian Far East, promoting the Chennai-Vladivostok corridor, seeking to establish India-Japan-Russia trilateral collaboration in the Far East, and energise India-ASEAN-Russia cooperation. On the Quad, Russia seems satisfied with India’s assertions that New Delhi is not seeking to convert it into a security alliance.

Although there appears to be a satisfactory diversification of economic ties, volumes of trade are still below potential. Both countries are hoping that cooperation in the Far East will provide the necessary fillip to economic ties. Russia is also hoping for greater Indian involvement in the Far East and the Arctic to reduce its dependence on China in developing the region.

Looking at the broader context of Russian foreign policy and pragmatically assessing the bilateral ties offers India a chance to focus on promoting mutual interests. While there is no denying the divergences in the relationship, both sides still have significant areas of cooperation — in the bilateral, regional and global arenas — which must be harnessed. There are too many imponderables at this stage to predict with certainty how Indo-Russian relations will evolve. It most certainly needs careful nurturing.

WAY FORWARD

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

CONCLUSION: While India and Russia have successfully addressed divergences between them, even deep, traditional, and “time-tested relations” of the kind they have shared for decades cannot be taken for granted. Both Russia and India find themselves in a complicated situation that requires both countries to maintain a neat balance in their foreign policies. In fact, the future dynamics of their relationship will be, to a great extent, defined by external factors: the state of the Russia-US dialogue as well as the overall geopolitical environment in Eurasia, where China steps up to dominate the ongoing narrative. The navigation between conflicting interests across Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific will define the trajectory of India-Russia ties in the near term.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES

1. HOW DISASTERS, AND POVERTY FUEL HUMAN TRAFFICKING

THE CONTEXT: The World Migration Report 2022noted that more people across the world are now displaced due to climate change-induced disasters than conflicts, reversing a historical trend. This has created a vulnerable group of the population that is targeted for trafficking, studies have shown.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Human trafficking is the result of the exploitation of existing vulnerabilities in society such as gender, poverty, place of residence, and geographical locations. These vulnerabilities are aggravated during natural disasters. The devastating situation acts as a breeding ground for traffickers.
• Some 30.7 million displacements in 2020 were triggered by natural disasters in 145 countries and territories, according to the report published every other year by the United Nations International Organisation for Migration.
• Storms accounted for 14.6 million displacements globally, floods for 14.1 million, extreme temperatures for 46,000 and droughts for 32,000, it added. India reported nearly 4 million new displacements due to climate-induced disasters in 2020, the UN migration data showed.
• Total internal displacement across the world due to disasters, conflicts, and violence increased to 40.5 million in 2020 from 31.5 million in 2019, despite containment measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the study added.
• Women and children are primarily trafficked in the garb of employment opportunities, assuring safe habitats, among others.
• Around 143 million people will migrate to their countries by 2050 due to climate change-related events in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the World Bank estimated in September 2021.
• Droughts could lead to the migration of 22 million more people in Africa, 12 million in South America and 10 million in Asia by 2059 (in comparison to the 2000-15 period), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification estimated.
• Such displacement after disasters leads to people becoming easy targets for traffickers, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees noted.
• The link of trafficking with extreme weather events has been observed across the globe in the past decades. Rising incidents of trafficking were first noticed in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, showed a 2016 report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). In Indonesia, children were abducted and then put up for adoption.
• In Haiti, the 2010 earthquake exacerbated cases of trafficking, according to IOM. In the Philippines — where poverty and trafficking were already rampant — cases increased in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the organization mentioned.
• Thailand also saw a rise in human trafficking after this typhoon hit. Drought-affected migrants have also reportedly been smuggled from Cambodia to Thailand, the IOM report showed.
• Droughts in African nations have resulted in a rise in marriages of children as young as nine years old, solely because their parents don’t have the money to feed another mouth.
• Young girls of age 13-18 years were sexually exploited “by some members of a non-governmental organization, humanitarian staff, security forces and men in positions of power and influence in exchange for money, food or other goods,” a 2002 study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), citing a survey by UNHCR and Save the Children, the UK showed.
• Evidence of forced early marriages were found in Iran after an earthquake and floods hit Bushehr and Mazandaran. In Fiji, after a flood wreaked havoc, children were forced to stay home to look after their younger siblings during the day and indulge in sex work at night, as per the IUCN study.
• The Pacific Islands, where erratic rainfall, droughts, floods, and cyclones occur frequently, combined with persisting gender-based violence, is another place where crime has gone up, but evidence remains thin.
• Modern slavery and human trafficking are on the rise in India, among other countries, warn the UK-based non-profits International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Anti-Slavery International in a recent report.

2. LAHBERA: HOW THE LAST SANTHAL SETTLEMENT OF DHANBAD IS FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL

THE CONTEXT: The Santhals of Lahbera are fighting for their identity, ancestral land, and survival amid the dust-laden air of coal mines in what used to be their ancestral homeland once.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The settlement of Lahberabasti, surrounded by coal mines, has 50 shanties that are home to almost 500 people. It is the last stronghold of the Santhal tribe in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district.
• The Santhals are fighting for their identity, ancestral land, and survival amid the dust-laden air of the mines in what used to be their ancestral homeland once.
• The district of Dhanbad was a part of the region of Manbhum in the province of Bengal during the British Raj and was home to the Santhals and Mundas. Today, though, it looks like any other locality, with hardly any traces of Santhal identity as one enters it.
• But on going further, a temple dedicated to Marang Buru, the Santhal god of forests, appears. The shrine is simple and plain, with just a few percussion instruments hung on the wall and an image of the deity.
• The Santhals in the basti are gripped by an identity crisis, which they blame on its close proximity to Dhanbad, the second-largest city in Jharkhand.
• Many of them are gradually forgetting their own traditions, torn between ‘mainstream’ culture and their traditional practices.
• Their food habits, art and dressing style has also undergone major changes in the last 50 years, alienating them from their own culture.

FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS

• The Santhals’ struggle for rights to their ancestral land and their daily survival is, however, their top priority.
• Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, started mining the area in the 1980s. They employed people from the tribe and changed their means of livelihood forever after acquiring their land.
• The new generation of Lahbera Santhals is also now completely dependent on the coal economy, as they have no more farmland to practice agriculture.
• The Vishwakarma Project began here in 2008, converting the underground mines under the Dhansar Project to open cast, giving 37 jobs to local youth in exchange for land.
• Since the mines around the locality are active, the temperature in the area soars 8-9 degrees Celsius above the city temperature. The people of the locality face several problems and have to breathe polluted air every day.
• There is a severe water crisis in the area. There is no scope of digging wells or bore wells for water since the area is surrounded by mines on three sides.

THE POLITY

3. UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF ISSUING LOCS

THE CONTEXT: On April 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed omnibus instructions to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) to serve a copy of an issued LOC to the affected person, state the reasons for issuing the LOC and provide a “post-decisional opportunity”. The Supreme Court, however, stayed this particular paragraph of the High Court order.

THE EXPLANATION:

• After several businessmen fled the country after defaulting on loans, the MHA in 2018 brought changes to the 2010 guidelines authorising executives of all public sector banks to generate LOCs against persons who could be detrimental to the economic interests of the country.
• Many citizens have moved courts to get the LOC quashed.
• A large number of agencies which includes the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Income Tax, State police and intelligence agencies are authorised to generate LOCs. The officer should not be below the rank of a district magistrate or superintendent of police or a deputy secretary in the Union Government.
• According to a 2010 official memorandum of the Ministry, details such as First Information Report (FIR) number, and court case number are to be mandatorily provided with name, passport number and other details. The BOI under the MHA is only the executing agency.
• They generate LOCs based on requests by different agencies. Since immigration posts are manned by the BOI officials, they are the first responders to execute LOCs by stopping or detaining, or informing about an individual of the issuing agency. The LOCs can be modified; deleted or withdrawn only at the request of the originator. Further, the legal liability of the action taken by immigration authorities in pursuance of LOC rests with the originating agency.
• After several businessmen including liquor baron Vijay Mallya, businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi fled the country after defaulting on loans, the MHA in 2018 brought changes to the 2010 guidelines authorising the chairman, managing director and chief executives of all public sector banks to generate LOCs against persons who could be detrimental to economic interests of the country.
• Though an LOC generated by the CBI on October 16, 2015 to “detain” Mr. Mallya existed based on the preliminary enquiry in a ₹900 crore loan default case, it was downgraded to “inform only” on November 23, 2015 as there was no FIR yet against him. Mr. Mallya who was a Rajya Sabha member then was a frequent flyer and he fled to the U.K in March 2016.
• The Ministry recently told the Delhi High Court that banks were authorised to generate LOCs as “in the recent past there have been incidents where the willful defaulters or economic offenders of public financial institutions have left the country after usurping public money or defrauding such public financial institutions.”
• The 2010 Ministry guidelines give sweeping powers to police and intelligence agencies to generate LOCs in “exceptional cases” without keying incomplete parameters or case details against “suspects, terrorists, anti-national elements, etc, in larger national interest.” In 2015, Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was stopped from travelling to London on a request by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) based on the “etc” provision in the 2010 order. The LOC was later quashed by the Delhi High Court.
• After the special status of J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution was read down by the Parliament in August 2019, LOCs were opened against several politicians, human rights activists, journalists and social activists to bar them from flying out of the country. The number of persons and the crime for which they have been placed under the list is unknown.
• Many citizens have moved courts to get the LOC quashed. The MHA has asserted that “LOCs cannot be shown to the subject” at the time of detention nor can any prior intimation be provided. The Ministry recently informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the LOC guidelines are a secret document and the same cannot be shared with the ‘accused’ or any unauthorised stakeholder; it cannot be provided or shown to the subject at the time of detention by the BOI since it defeats the purpose of LOC and no accused or subject of LOC can be provided any opportunity of hearing before the issuance of the LOC.
• On January 12, a Delhi High Court bench led by Justice Rekha Palli had quashed a LOC against a Delhi businessman Vikas Chaudhary generated at the instance of the Income Tax department. The court said “no proceedings under any penal law had been initiated against the petitioner” and the LOC was “wholly unsustainable.”
• A Delhi court on April 8 while quashing a LOC against Aakar Patel, chair, of Amnesty International India said that “there cannot be any unfettered control or restriction on the right to travel” and that it was part of the fundamental rights and asked the Director of the CBI to tender a written apology.
• As per norms, a LOC will stay valid for a maximum period of 12 months and if there is no fresh request from the agency then it will not be automatically revived.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. PM TO ATTEND TOKYO LAUNCH OF U.S. TRADE INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: India is yet to take a decision on joining the trade partnership framework but is keen to understand the ‘contours’ of the plan.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Prime Minister on May 23, 2022arrived in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders which is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Prime Minister will participate in U.S. President Joseph Biden’s unveiling of the “Indo-Pacific Economic Framework” (IPEF) in Tokyo o, a US initiative for trade partnerships in the region.
• Sources confirmed PM’s attendance of the event is a significant step towards building economic ties amongst Quad countries in the Indo-Pacific, although officials were hesitant to bill the IPEF as a counter the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the 17-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that China is a member of.
• The Quad will organise a special session on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on May 24, where the four countries will jointly tackle issues of disinformation during the pandemic and boosting vaccine confidence.
• The grouping is also expected to discuss and possibly review its Quad Vaccine Initiative project to disburse US-developed and funded, India-made distributed by Japan and Australia amongst Indo-Pacific countries that has been stuck due to what Mr. Sullivan called “regulatory issues” with India.
• The first Quad interaction last year had committed to distributing one billion of the vaccines, made at Hyderabad-based Biological-E by the end of 2022, but has made no headway on the project yet.
• Another issue the Quad is divided over whether to support Taiwan’s request to be included as an observer at the WHA, something China opposes. While the US, Australia and Japan have backed the Taiwanese request, India has made no statement thus far, and MEA officials did not confirm whether India would endorse it.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

5. WHEAT CONFUSION: ON INDIA’S EXPORT RESTRICTION

THE CONTEXT: Apprehensions of shortage in India are misplaced, and the Government must allow export.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India, which surprised the world with its decision to bar wheat export with immediate effect, appears to be on the defensive now after its May 13 announcement. Initially, the Centre had amended the order by allowing export consignments registered in the Customs Department’s systems and handed over for examination on or prior to May 13.
• From the start, indications of a mismatch in demand and supply were evident. Rising levels of wholesale and retail inflation, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and a lower opening balance of wheat (on April 1, 2022) in the Central pool for the public distribution system than a year ago were well known.
• After several parts of wheat-producing States in the north experienced unusually warm weather in March-April, the Government lowered marginally, early this month, the estimated wheat production, from 111.32 million tonnes to 105 million tonnes.
• As for international food prices, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said that even before the war, prices had reached an all-time high due to market conditions and the high prices of energy, fertilizers and other agricultural services.
• By May 4, the Centre clarified that there was no move to curb wheat export, the reasoning being that this was the opportune moment for exporters to sell in the international market as wheat from Argentina and Australia would begin arriving next month. The higher prices in the domestic market compared to the minimum support price offered by the Government were projected as favourable for farmers.
• Also, just days before the Government’s decision, an official announcement was made that trade delegations would be sent to countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Indonesia to explore possibilities for wheat export.
• In addition to Egypt, Turkey had given its approval for the import of Indian wheat, and an announcement had been made that the current year’s target for wheat export had been fixed at 10 million tonnes, three million tonnes higher than last year.
• India’s decision has faced criticism from the G-7’s Agriculture Ministers. After its U-turn, the Government should not persist for too long with its current position of “restrictions” on the export of wheat, as the move seems to have hit the farmers, if reports of a fall in the price are any indication.
• Lessons must be gleaned from the experience 15 years ago when India took about two years to lift its ban on the export of non-basmati rice, by which time Thailand and Vietnam had moved in to take full advantage. Apprehensions of a food shortage are misplaced, and the Government would do well to lift the “restrictions” sooner rather than later.

6. WHY TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRIES WANT A BAN ON COTTON EXPORTS

THE CONTEXT: Domestic cotton prices have doubled compared to last year. But does that justify a ban on shipment similar to that on wheat, especially ahead of the new planting season.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Cotton prices have nearly doubled compared to last year. The average modal or most-quoted price of kapas (raw un-ginned cotton) at Rajkot APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandi was Rs 12,250 per quintal, as against around Rs 6,300 this time last year. This was also way above the government’s minimum support price of Rs 6,025 per quintal for long-staple cotton varieties.
• Basically, three reasons: The first is lower production. In 2020-21, India’s total cotton lint fibre output was 353 lakh bales (lb) of 170 kg each.
• The second reason is international prices. The Cotlook ‘A’ Index price – an average of representative quotes in the Far East destination markets – is currently ruling at 167 cents per pound, up from 92 cents a year ago. India is the world’s second-largest cotton producer (after China) and third-largest exporter (after the US and Brazil). High global prices have made exports attractive. Also, they have pushed up domestic prices closer to export parity levels, while simultaneously making imports more expensive.
• The third reason is consumption. In the state-owned Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), in March, projected total domestic consumption for 2021-22 at 345 lb, compared to 334.87 lb, 269.19 lb and 311.21 lb in the preceding three marketing years. “Demand has significantly increased, as mills and other users were operating at sub-optimal levels in the past few years. Even during the pandemic, demand for bedsheets and towels had zoomed, translating into higher consumption of cotton and yarn”.
• The area sown under cotton in India has reduced from 134.77 lakh hectares (lh) in 2019-20 to 132.85 lh in 2020-21 and 123.5 lh in 2021-22. This has been largely due to the diminishing benefits from the genetically modified Bt cotton, which helped almost treble the country’s production from 136 lb to 398 lb between 2002-03 and 2013-14.
• Over a period, Bt cotton has become increasingly susceptible to pink bollworm and white-fly insect pest attacks, making it riskier for farmers to grow the crop. Besides, the government does not permit the testing or commercialization of next-generation transgenic breeding technologies.
• This time, the crop was also affected by unseasonal rains in November-December, which affected yields as well as the quality of the bolls from the second and third “flushes” (cotton is generally harvested over three or even four pickings, with the first one in October-November and the subsequent ones every following 20-30 days).
• India’s cotton exports are actually projected at 40 lb this year, down from the 78 lb of 2020-21. At the same time, imports are likely to be higher, at 15 lb, from last year’s 10 lb. Moreover, on April 13, the Centre slashed the import duty on cotton from 11% to nil. Given the anyway lower exports and duty-free imports – which have for now been allowed until September 30, before the next marketing season – there may be no strong case for an outright ban on shipments.
• Further, with domestic prices already rising to international parity levels, exports would slow down in the natural course. Advocates of an export ban say it would not impact farmers, as they have already sold their crop. However, a ban can also send wrong signals ahead of the planting season, which will take off next month with the arrival of the southwest monsoon rains.
• Lint, the white fibre that mills spin into yarn, constitutes only about 34% of kapas. The balance is seed (65%) and moisture. The seed further yields both oil (used for cooking) and de-oiled cake (used as a protein ingredient by livestock feed manufacturers). Kapas rates have firmed up not only because of export and domestic demand for lint, but also due to rising vegetable oil prices. Cottonseed oil is, in fact, India’s third-largest domestically produced vegetable oil. Its estimated output, at 12.49 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2020-21, was next only to mustard (27.39 lt) and soybean (13.29 lt), out of a total of 93.18 lt, according to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.
• Kapas is mostly bought by traders and ginning units that separate the cotton fibre from the seeds. The fibre is sold to spinning mills and seed to oil mills for crushing and producing vegetable oil. From every one kilo of lint, mills obtain 700-800 grams of yarn.
• The yarn is further woven or knitted into fabric and garments. India in 2021-22 not only exported raw cotton valued at $2.8 billion but also cotton yarn worth $5.5 billion and fabrics and made-ups worth $8.2 billion. Every part of the value chain, thus, involves exports.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 23rd MAY 2022

Q1.Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is a trade initiative of which the following country?

a) Japan

b) Australia

c) China

d) USA

ANSWER FOR THE21^stMAY

Answer: B

Explanation:

• It evaluates research into GM plants and recommends, or disapproves, their release into farmer fields.
• It is a statutory body.
• It functions under the Environment Ministry.

1. Insights from the Economics of Jainism READ MORE
2. Truly righteous living brings happiness to all READ MORE
3. Let the wide universe be your place of worship READ MORE

A timely reminder: On Supreme Court’s GST verdict READ MORE

Act early, decisively: On the bid to change nature of places of worship READ MORE  

29 phones tested for Pegasus spyware: SC READ MORE

Fiscal federalism READ MORE

Justice at last READ MORE

DA fundamental right & legal, rules Calcutta HC READ MORE

1. Severe hepatitis in children: Why COVID-link hasn’t been ruled out READ MORE
2. Food crisis: Food-insecure population doubled in 2 years, says UN Secretary-General READ MORE

1. How to fight desertification: Here’s what the 15th COP to UNCCD agreed on READ MORE
2. 20% ethanol in petrol READ MORE
3. Green signal for NGT READ MORE
4. Assam reflects the world’s protracted disaster-induced displacement READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. A timely reminder: On Supreme Court’s GST verdict READ MORE
2. Act early, decisively: On the bid to change nature of places of worship READ MORE  
3. 29 phones tested for Pegasus spyware: SC READ MORE
4. Green signal for NGT READ MORE
5. How to fight desertification: Here’s what the 15th COP to UNCCD agreed on READ MORE  

Main exam   

GS 1

1. Insights from the Economics of Jainism READ MORE
2. How to fight desertification: Here’s what the 15th COP to UNCCD agreed on READ MORE

GS 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Fiscal federalism READ MORE
2. Justice at last READ MORE
3. DA fundamental right & legal, rules Calcutta HC READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Severe hepatitis in children: Why COVID-link hasn’t been ruled out READ MORE
2. Food crisis: Food-insecure population doubled in 2 years, says UN Secretary-General READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The neighbourhood in turmoil, lessons for India READ MORE
2. Crisis-hit Sri Lanka lifts state of emergency READ MORE
3. Neighbourhood first policy of India-Nepal READ MORE
4. India Asks BRICS to ‘Live Up’ to Commitments on Territorial Integrity READ MORE

GS 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Regulatory reboot READ MORE
2. Foreign Direct Investment inflow at all-time high of $83.57 billion READ MORE
3. Cartelisation going to be a challenge READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. 20% ethanol in petrol READ MORE
2. Green signal for NGT READ MORE
3. Assam reflects world’s protracted disaster-induced displacement READ MORE

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Insights from the Economics of Jainism READ MORE
2. Truly righteous living brings happiness to all READ MORE
3. Let the wide universe be your place of worship READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss the mandate of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). What are the challenges associated with the efficient functioning of the NGT? Examine.
2. The economics of Jainism prescribes the principles of limiting desires and wants. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Nations, especially democracies run on many engines — not just the single monolithic one of the party or people in power. As India essays its role as a regional leader, the Government would be wise to study the impact of changes in the neighbourhood on Indian policy and look into the mirror the neighbours hold up to India to better understand its future challenges within the country.
• Mahavira’s principles state that desire is endless like the sky and hence, focuses on controlling desires and limiting needs.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The neighbourhood in turmoil, lessons for India

50-WORD TALK

The Supreme Court jails Navjot Singh Sidhu after 34 years. It gives bail to Indrani Mukerjea’s daughter’s 2012 murder saying the trial will take time. Why do criminal cases face endless delays? And in ‘terror’ cases, people are acquitted after two decades in jail. Our judicial process is grossly unjust.

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 on 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 POLITY

1. 29 PHONES TESTED FOR PEGASUS SPYWARE: SUPREME COURT

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court on Friday gave more time to the technical committee appointed by it to finalise and submit its report with regard to the probe into allegations of Pegasus software’s use for unauthorized surveillance.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Chief Justice of India N V Ramana presiding a three-judge bench said the judge overseeing the inquiry, Justice R V Raveendran (retd), “has submitted an Interim Report requesting therein for extension of time to submit the final report, till 20.06.2022”.
• The CJI pointed out that the committee had informed that 29 mobile devices are being examined and would need time till the end of this month to finalise it. The report would then be submitted to the overseeing judge who would need a few more days to add his comments.
• According to CJI “29 mobile devices are being examined. They have developed their own software. They have also issued notices to agencies, including government and journalists, and invited objections, too…It has prayed for time to submit its report. Now, it is under process. We will give them time,”

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN TURMOIL, LESSONS FOR INDIA

THE CONTEXT: The impact of the changes on Indian policy will offer New Delhi a better understanding of future domestic challenges.

THE EXPLANATION:

A NEUTRAL POSITION WILL NOT DO

• A silent or “neutral” position cannot mark the present government’s response to the changes in the way it has with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or China’s moves in Hong Kong or the South China Sea region.
• India faces the direct impact of almost every South Asian country in crisis, in terms of the need for aid and loans or a possible influx of refugees, as movements that develop in one neighboring country are often mirrored in another. Therefore, they must be watched more closely.
• The first lesson to be learned is that populism does not pay in the long run. While the potent combination of hyper-nationalism, religious majoritarianism, and a strident anti-elitism can bring “men of the masses” such as Mahinda Rajapaksa, K.P. Oli, and Imran Khan to power (as they promise an alternative to corrupt, dynasty regimes), it does not necessarily keep them there.
• It is a mistake for any government to conflate an electoral win and a mandate for governance with a carte blanche for ruling a country.
• The second is that the popularity of a leader can decline sharply and suddenly for one or a combination of reasons: K.P. Oli won a landslide victory in 2017 where his Left Alliance secured majorities in both houses, and formed governments in six of seven provinces; Imran Khan won all five National Assembly seats he fought in the 2018 elections, and while his party did not win a majority of seats, it won the popular vote; and the Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) ruling coalition won 150 of 225 parliamentary seats in 2020.
• That these popular mandates could be cast aside in just a few years is a stark reminder that nothing is forever, especially in a democracy.

THE ECONOMY MATTERS

• In Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the defeat of populists has come not so much at the hand of the Opposition parties, but by the slowdown in growth, jobs and rising inflation.
• India had already seen six successive quarters of straight losses in December 2019, and most of the neighborhood was floundering as well, when COVID-19 was first reported. In the years that followed, the COVID-19 pandemic enforced lock downs, and the resultant slowdown in the global economy made GDP figures in the region plummet.
• More recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions by the West have made food and fuel prices soar.
• In such a situation, the change in power in these three countries took only a small push, from the military, the courts, or from street protests.
• New Delhi must not only study the causes of the economic mismanagement that brought change in the neighborhood but must also survey the impact of new vulnerabilities on smaller neighboring countries that could be exploited by global powers as they seek a more direct influence in the region.
• Given the common challenges the region faces, New Delhi must find newer ways to energise regional groupings such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative, and even to reconsider SAARC, in order to discuss shared approaches to reviving tourism and exports, supporting South Asian expatriate labour abroad, and building common pools of food and fuel stocks to soften inflationary blows on the South Asian economy.

CONSENSUS NEEDED

• The government need to learn from the lessons in political culture that let down the “alpha leaders” in neighbouring democracies.
• One of the common threads in each of the governments (Rajapaksa, Oli and Khan) was an abhorrence for consensus building. In various ways, each of them turned their opposition into “the enemy”, and froze out the media, non-governmental organisations, and any voting constituency other than their own.
• Nations, especially democracies run on many engines — not just the single monolithic one of the party or people in power.
• As India essays its role as a regional leader, the Government would be wise to not only study the impact of changes in the neighborhood on Indian policy but also to look into the mirror the neighbors hold up to India, for a better understanding of its future challenges within the country.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. THE SC RULING THAT GST COUNCIL DECISIONS ARE NOT BINDING ON THE CENTRE OR STATES

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court ruled on  May 19 that recommendations of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council only have persuasive value, and cannot be biding on the Centre and States.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The apex court added that the Parliament and state legislatures possess equal powers to legislate on Goods and Services Tax (GST) and it is for the GST Council to advise suitably.
• The Centre along with several importers had been fighting a battle in the apex court over applicability of GST on transportation of imported goods through sea route.
• The SC dismissed an appeal by the Central government against an earlier Gujarat High Court judgement that said that Integrated GST (IGST) on ocean freight is unconstitutional.
• The bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said that Parliament intended that the recommendations of the GST Council will have persuasive value.
• Reading the operative portion of the ruling in the Government vs Mohit Minerals case, Justice DY Chandrachud said that recommendations of the GST council are a product of collaborative discussion. It is not imperative that federal units must always possess a higher share.
• Justice Chandrachud observed that GST council is an area of political contestations as well and it impacts federalism. “The Union and states have simultaneous powers to legislate on GST and the constitution does not envisage a repugnancy provision and GST council must work in harmonious manner to achieve workable solution,”.
• Citing 246A and 279A of the Constitution, Justice Chandrachud said that 246A treats state and Centre as equal while 279A says that state and Centre cannot act independent of each other. This also points towards competitive federalism.
• This judgement may change the landscape of those provisions under GST which are subject to judicial review. As the court has gone ahead to categorically hold that the GST Council recommendations have only persuasive value, there will be pragmatic approach to the provisions which are subject to judicial review by way of challenge to the constitutionality of such provisions based on GST Council recommendations.
• GST Council is an apex member committee to modify, reconcile or to procure any law or regulation based on the context of GST in India. The council is headed by the Union Finance Minister, who is assisted by all state finance ministers.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. HOW TO FIGHT DESERTIFICATION: HERE’S WHAT THE 15TH COP TO UNCCD AGREED ON

THE CONTEXT: The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), concluded on May 20,2022 in Abidjan with a global pledge to boost drought resilience and invest in land restoration for future prosperity.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The UNCCD COP15 adopted 38 decisions, including on tenure, migration and gender, that highlight the role of land in addressing multiple crises.
• The global leaders representing UN member state agreed to establish an Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought for 2022-2024 to look into possible options, including global policy instruments and regional policy frameworks, to support a shift from reactive to proactive drought management.
• According to the most recent UN estimates, up to 40 percent of our planet’s land is degraded. This will directly affect half of humanity and is a threat to about 50 percent of global GDP or around $44 trillion.
• The world has is slow on restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. So, the UN members also agreed and committed to accelerating the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.
• The UN member states will focus on improving data gathering and monitoring to track progress against the achievement of land restoration commitments.They committed to establishing a new partnership model for large-scale integrated landscape investment programmes, according to the UN statement released, May 20, 2022.
• The “Drought in Numbers, 2022” released, May 12, 2022 at the COP15 had called upon the world to prioritise drought preparedness and resilience.
• In this context, another important global consensus emerged on boosting drought resilience by identifying the expansion of dry lands, improving national policies and early warning. For this, mobilising drought finance will be critical.
• The leaders came on board and also committed to prioritise and ensure women’s involvement in land management for effective land restoration.
• Other significant outcomes of the COP 15 included three key declarations: Abidjan Call issued by the Heads of State and Government to boost long-term environmental sustainability, Abidjan Declaration on achieving gender equality for successful land restoration and the COP15 “Land, Life and Legacy” Declaration, which responds to the findings of the UNCCD’s flagship report, Global Land Outlook 2.
• UNCCD’s COP15 is the first Conference of the Parties of the three Rio Conventions taking place in 2022, ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP27 and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15.
• There is a need to ensure greater synergies among the three Rio Conventions, including complementarities in the implementation of these treaties through nature-based solutions and target-setting at the national level, said the leaders representing the UN member states.
• When barely 18 per cent of the Great Green Wall’s objectives for 2030 have been achieved, with just 18 million hectares restored out of a goal of 100 million according to Green wall accelerator programme, regional initiatives too were launched in support of the Africa-led Great Green Wall at COP 15.

5. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION THROUGH BIOSPHERES

THE CONTEXT: According to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike.
• Because of our collective excesses, the ecological carrying capacity of planet earth has largely been exceeded.
• This trend needs to be redressed, with cleaner air, high quality drinking water, and enough food and healthy habitats to ensure that ecosystem services continue to benefit humanity without critically affecting nature’s balance.
• Whether we look at nature from an environmental, from a cultural or even from a religious point of view, it is our responsibility and clearly in our interest to respect the environment.
• In fact, the possibilities exist, and all is not lost. In the last 50 years or so, much has been accomplished for the protection of nature, including the establishment of conservation areas, and a number of international conventions have been signed and ratified.
• One of the best mechanisms that has been created is the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, created in 1971 by UNESCO.
• Biosphere reserves are places where humans live in harmony with nature, and where there is an effective combination of sustainable development and nature conservation. They represent pockets of hope and proof that we are not inexorably headed towards a doomsday ecological scenario, provided we take appropriate action.
• In South Asia, over 30 biosphere reserves have been established. The first one was the Hurulu Biosphere Reserve in Sri Lanka, which was designated in 1977 and comprises 25,500 hectares within the tropical dry evergreen forest.
• In India, the first biosphere reserve was designated by UNESCO in 2000 within the blue mountains of the Nilgiris. It stretches across the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The network has gone from strength to strength, and it now counts 12 sites, with Panna, in the State of Madhya Pradesh, as the latest inscription in 2020. We need many more biosphere reserves and pockets of hope, and the region offers countless options.
• UNESCO Biosphere Reserves have all developed science-based management plans, where local solutions for sustainable human living and nature conservation are being tested and best practices applied. Issues of concern include biodiversity, clean energy, climate, environmental education, and water and waste management, supported by scientific research and monitoring. The aim is to detect changes and find solutions to increase climate resilience.
• All biosphere reserves are internationally recognised sites on land, at the coast, or in the oceans. Governments alone decide which areas to nominate. Before approval by UNESCO, the sites are externally examined. If approved, they will be managed based on an agreed plan, reinforced by routine checks to ensure credibility, but all remain under the sovereignty of their national government.
• Some of the countries in South Asia do not yet have any or enough biosphere reserves. In most if not all cases, the political will is certainly there but there is a lack of know-how and financial resources. Of course, more financial support from richer nations and from the private sector would be desirable for establishing biosphere reserves in these countries.
• Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal are on the priority list of UNESCO, because they do not yet have any biosphere reserves. Their governments are already working on their first nomination files. Our organisation also believes that it would be important to increase the number of biosphere reserves in India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
• The point is that if these pockets of hope can expand, with at least one biosphere reserve per country, and with more and larger sites covering the terrestrial surface, including coastal areas with their offshore islands, it will give the realisation to millions of people that a better future is truly possible, one where we can truly live in harmony with nature.
• On May 22 and on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, let us do what is right. Now is the time to act for biodiversity.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. NORMS EASED FOR GM CROP RESEARCH

THE CONTEXT: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has issued guidelines easing norms for research into genetically modified (GM) crops and circumventing challenges of using foreign genes to change crops profile.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The ‘Guidelines for Safety Assessment of Genome Edited Plants, 2022’ exempt researchers who use gene-editing technology to modify the genome of the plant from seeking approvals from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), an expert body of the Environment Ministry.
• The GEAC evaluates research into GM plants and recommends, or disapproves, their release into farmer fields. The final call is taken by the Environment Minister as well as States where such plants could be cultivated. The Environment Ministry too has sanctioned this exemption.
• The GM plants that have usually come for such scrutiny are those that involve transgenic technology or introducing a gene from a different species into a plant, for instance, Bt-cotton, where a gene from soil bacterium is used to protect a plant from pest attack.

• The worry around this method is that these genes may spread to neighboring plants, where such effects are not intended and so their applications have been controversial.
• Despite several kinds of transgenic crops having been researched and approved by scientific committees, none, save BT cotton, has made it to fields because of stringent opposition from environmental activists as well as farmer organisations.
• Genome editing involves the use of technologies that allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome. Several approaches to genome editing have been developed.
• A well-known one is called CRISPR-Cas9, which is short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9.
• Just as foreign genes can be used to add properties to plants, gene editing too can be used to make plants express properties not native to them.
• The guidelines say that all requirements that researchers must adhere to develop transgenic seeds will apply to gene-edited seeds except clauses that require permission from the GEAC.
• Environmentalist groups have opposed this exception for gene-edited crops. “Gene editing is included in genetic engineering. Therefore, there is no question of giving exemptions to particular kinds of genome-edited plants from the regulatory purview.
• Gene editing techniques, the letter alleges, involve altering the function of genes and can cause “large and unintended consequences” that can change the “toxicity and allergenicity” of plants.
• “Without the necessary regulatory oversight, how will regulators and the public know about such changes? Who will be responsible for the resultant risk implications?” their letter queries. They have demanded that these exemptions be withdrawn.
• There were a great many similarities in the techniques employed in transgenic technology and gene-editing technology. “Gene-editing is getting quite popular in biotechnology labs across the country.
• Gene editing can address some of the fears around the use of ‘foreign genes’ but it can only be used to express genes already present in a plant’s genome that are not manifest.
• But more importantly, it is not about technology but about how plants developed thus are sold or made available to farmers.”

 THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 21st MAY 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC):

1. It evaluates research into GM plants and recommends, or disapproves, their release into farmer fields.
2. It is a statutory body.
3. It functions under the Department of Biotechnology.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

           a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR THE 19^th MAY

Answer: B

Explanation:

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO)

• It is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), the roots of which were planted at the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
• Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology, and related geophysical sciences a year later.
• The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General.
• Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress.

THE CONTEXT: The government of India has been collecting a myriad of data from various sources and using them for multiple purposes. But hardly these data are shared with the citizens or placed in the public domain. It is also seen that many critical data have not been either published or delayed. This creates a digital divide between the state and the citizenry having implications for governance, privacy, and accountability. This article analyses these issues in detail.

HOW IS THE DATA BEING COLLECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT?

The government collects the data of citizens through various mechanisms that it uses for multiple purposes. The Census, the sample surveys by the NSS, the expenditure surveys, the survey on industries, family, labour, etc., are some ubiquitous instruments for data collection. The govt also collects regular administrative data while providing services to the citizens like licensing, permits, provision of records, etc. Since 2014, the UIDAI and Aadhaar systems have been expanded in scope, and the government is able to collect the biometric and demographic data of people on a large scale. However, there are many grey areas in this whole process having implications for democracy itself.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFICIENT DATA MANAGEMENT?

EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING:

• In government, the most traditional use of data analysis has been the statistical analysis of data collected through various surveys, Census, indices, etc.
• In the traditional methodology, the insights generated from the analysis of the available data were provided to government authorities for effective policy formulation or planning of new programmes, and schemes as well as preparation of the budget for the government.
• For instance, data is at the core of many flagship programmes such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Housing for all, One Nation One Ration Card, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, and Fertilizers Distribution, to name a few.

INFORMED DECISIONS BY STAKEHOLDERS:

• The data on various sectors of the economy like employment, consumption expenditure, investment, etc. is crucial for business groups and investors to make informed decisions.

DRIVER OF DIGITAL ECONOMY:

• In this 21st century of Digital Transformation, data is the new oil; data is the new fuel, and data is the oxygen that holds immense untapped potential in it.
• Over a period, data has emerged as an important asset for the development of any country and is also the driver for a digital economy.
  

TARGETED APPROACH TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

• The prowess of data influences almost every sector of the socio-economic development of our country.
• For instance, data can prove to be highly useful for the formulation of poverty alleviation schemes and subsidy distribution schemes.
• Various schemes of the government, such as the MGNREGA, Pensions Scheme, Farmers Subsidy, Benefits for unorganized labour, Scholarships, etc. can make use of data analytics to identify the right beneficiary, understand their socio-economic status, and use technology solutions for timely dissemination of benefits, etc

APPLICATION IN DIVERSE FIELDS:

• Fields like Criminal Justice and Judiciary can consume data to analyze crime patterns, locate the criminal networks and hotspots of potential crimes, etc.
• This would help the authorities take corrective measures and prevent such incidents from happening.
• Data is precious in fraud prevention also.
• Many financial systems today employ data to detect fraudulent activities, and it is now suggested to integrate a fraud detection module while setting up any financial system.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND COVID-19 PANDEMIC:

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, data has been extensively used for contact tracing, prediction of hotspots, trend analysis, and taking appropriate measures to curb the spread of the virus.
• Data was also used for the management of hospitals and the supply of essential medicines and essential goods to citizens at large.

DATA AND DEMOCRACY:

• Access to the data by citizens is critical for a healthy and informed public discourse on issues of policy relevance.
• The mere fact that people have access to data is likely to pressurize the government to improve performance in many areas.
• However, data generation doesn’t guarantee seamless access to people whose lives matter most in a democracy.
• Informed public discourse in any democracy is critical for accountable and transparent governance.

OPEN GOVERNMENT DATA (OGD) PLATFORM INDIA – AN OVERVIEW

WHAT IS IT?:

• The Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India (https://data.gov.in) has been set up by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in compliance with the Open Data Policy (NDSAP) of India.
• The objective of the policy is to provide proactive access to government-owned shareable data along with its usage information in open/machine-readable format through a wide area of the network across the country.
• This data,  periodically updated, will be shared within the framework of various related policies, rules, and acts of the government.

PART OF DIGITAL INDIA:

• Developed using Open Source Stack, the project is one of the initiatives under Pillar 6 (Information for All) of the Digital India initiative.
• It facilitates community participation for further development of the product with Visualizations, Alerts, etc.
• It has an easy-to-use and user-friendly interface with dynamic/pull-down menus, search-based reports, secured web access, a bulletin board, etc.

EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT AND CITIZEN COLLABORATION:

• The platform reflects how the innovative use of information technology has led to a paradigm shift in accommodating the huge data potential of the country.
• The platform has a rich mechanism for citizen engagement, which could help Ministries/Departments/Organizations prioritize the release of Government Datasets.
• Besides enabling citizens to express their need for specific datasets or apps, it also allows them to rate the quality of datasets and seek clarification or information from nodal officers of participating government entities.

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE OGD PLATFORM

• Ministry/Department/State contributes/publishes resources in open format either directly or by Web Services through workflow-based Data Management System.
• Provides single window access to the datasets and apps published by different Ministries/Departments/Organizations/States in open format. –
• Suggestions and requirements of data can be submitted by citizens/ community to help prioritize data sharing by participating ministries/ departments. Anyone can endorse already submitted suggestions.
• People can directly write to Chief Data Officer seeking any further clarification/information on the released resources or related requirements.
• The platform enables better discovery and usage of Government datasets through visualizations and development of apps, mash-ups, etc. Visualization Platform with the facility to create maps as well as different chart options like radar, bar, line, area, pie, column, etc.
• A separate Community portal (http://community.data.gov.in) has been launched to provide a common platform for knowledge sharing through discussion and contribution through Blogs, Infographics, Visualizations, etc., using data available on the platform.
• People can rate the resources (datasets/apps) on three aspects i.e. Quality, Accessibility, and Usability on a scale of 5.
• A separate Event portal for management of workshops, hackathons, challenges, etc. has been created.

THE LIMITATIONS OF THE NDSAP AND OGD

• A large volume of existing government data is still not accessible in digital formats. NDASP is still a policy but not a mandatory policy. As a result, a lot of departments are reluctant or slow to share their respective datasets.
• ​Even when data is made available in a machine-readable format, in most cases, the reliability is questionable; the raw data needs to go through rigorous editing and aggregation before it can be used.
• Different departments collect and collate information in their respective silos using diverse formats and terminology, making it tough to use that data effectively.
• Adoption of data sharing at the state level has also been slow, with only four out of 29 Indian states contributing data to the national portal.
• The granularity of open government data in India has been a concern, as it fails to satisfy the users to access and use only micro-level data.
• The unavailability of official map data due to the conservative map policy of the government and lack of interoperability in sharing this data has discouraged a discourse about better planning, tracking progress in the ‘real space’ and pushing the government to take remedial steps.

DATA PRODUCTION AND GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE-AN ILLUSTRATION

CONSUMPTION SURVEY AND PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY:

• The data produced by the government’s statistical wings, which have a reputation for being independent and credible, can be used to assess the effectiveness of state policies.
• Recent events, however, have severely harmed this perception. Data from the 2017-18 consumption survey, for example, has yet to be released.
• The survey’s leaked summary results reveal some troubling facts that may not be politically reassuring to the government.
• Similarly, the first Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2017-18) was not made public until after the 2019 general election.

REPLACING THE ANNUAL SURVEY OF INDUSTRIES:

• Furthermore, rather than relying on the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), a systematically designed survey for estimating industrial sector GDP, the government has begun to rely on self-reported, unverified data submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs since 2011 obscuring the true state of Indian industry.
• The future of this database is uncertain now that ASI is nearly obsolete for official estimation purposes.
• To date, the ASI is the most dependable and comprehensive source of data for research on industrial productivity and regional patterns.

DATA ON SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN MISSION:

• Another example of undermining the scientific database is the delay in the release of Water and Sanitation Survey data 2018.
• The prime minister declared India open defecation free in October 2019, while the data was released much later, depriving people of an opportunity to assess the status of the Swachh Bharat mission in a scientific manner.

RESIGNATION OF OFFICIALS:

• The autonomy of statistical agencies is compromised for immediate political gains at the cost of sustainability and the quality of democratic governance.
• This is seen in the manner of restructuring the NSO and the resignation of top non-official members from the National Statistical Commission.

OTHERS:

• The government’s refusal to conduct a  caste census, a migrant survey, poverty enumeration, controversy over the death count during the pandemic, etc are some other instances that reflect very poorly on the state of the Indian data ecosystem.

DATA AND DEMOCRACY-AN ANALYSIS

Democracy is the government by consent, and this consent requires reliable and authentic information that enables the citizens to make an informed choice at the ballot box. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of a functioning democracy and the elections cannot be held to be free or fair if the citizens are deprived of real and real-time data on the government, political parties, and the administration, among others. Democracy is also a form of accountable government, and accountability demands access to what the government is doing and how it is doing it. This is necessary for ensuring answerability and the rule of law. In fact, in a democracy citizens are the masters and the government, the servant, and philosophically put, the master has the full right to know what the servant is doing or not doing. This is the spirit in which the freedom of information legislations are being brought by nations. Additionally, the notion of privacy has assumed huge significance, which is being expanded by progressive jurisprudence like India’s Puttaswamy judgment. It is also true that the government should have some elbow room to maneuver with respect to the collection and keeping of sensitive data dealing with national security. But, in other cases, the policy of the government should be based on open data access which will have inherent and instrumental benefits for democracy.

THE POWER OF DATA- THE NEWZEALAND CASE STUDY

The key to the New Zealand government’s success is that it treats data as a strategic asset committed to igniting proactive information sharing to drive better decision-making.

A great example is how accurate diabetes data has helped the New Zealand Ministry of Health provide appropriate and timely care. New Zealand’s Ministry of Health found it difficult to accurately estimate the number of cases in the country since there was no consistent data collection across all general practices and hospitals. With the help of data analysis capabilities, the ministry created a register to accurately predict the prevalence of the condition and help design effective public health policies to support quality clinical improvements.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health was able to integrate information from six different data sources and use Advanced Analytics to identify both those with diabetes and those with the highest prevalence rate. These insights enabled the Ministry of Health to focus its policies on the health policies for these groups.

The exceptional work done by the New Zealand government is being copied around the globe as governments everywhere are looking to provide similar results to their citizens. In fact, the Ontario Government has pledged its “commitment to the people of Ontario to engage, collaborate and

innovate” as it looks to build a “government that freely shares information, unlocks the power of data in a digital age, and brings more voices to the decision-making table through its Open Ontario initiative.

As the New Zealand government has demonstrated, analytics can help save money, drive efficiency, and improve citizen services, all while protecting sensitive data. The possibilities are truly endless; however, the power of analytics can only be unleashed once governments realize the importance of information sharing to enrich the lives of citizens and transform the way the government is run. And that starts with breaking down the culture of data ownership and building a proper infrastructure to securely manage data as an asset.

THE WAY FORWARD

• The government needs to ensure the independence of the statistical agencies and also should timely conduct and release the crucial data even though the results may not be politically palatable.
• The Open Data Policy needs to be implemented in letter and spirit for good governance and participative democracy.
• There must be a comprehensive data protection law in place to protect citizens’ privacy and to prevent India from being slid into a surveillance state.
• RTI is one of the best tools for distributing and sharing data the government has, and the governments should suo motu put these data in the public domain.
• Lack of access to data can increase the distance between the governors and the government, which will have serious consequences on the outcomes of policies and can hamper developmental objectives.
• Various researches also suggest that much of the data is still not analyzed and has huge untapped potential. One of the major challenges right now is the fact that data is currently residing in silos, and thus to unleash the true potential of this data, various IT systems must collaborate and operate in a symbiotic fashion.
• There are certain challenges that are currently preventing these opportunities from being tapped. Issues of privacy and data anonymization are a concern. There is also a lack of standardization of data collection formats that makes it difficult to aggregate and make sense of data The infrastructure to support efficient data collection, processing, and management needs to be strengthened.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), on February 21, 2022, released a policy proposal titled “Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy, 2022”. The policy aims to “radically transform India’s ability to harness public sector data and aim to sell it to the private sector. This can be the beginning of sharing government-owned citizens’ data with relevant stakeholders. Although the market mechanism may be questionable, so is privacy concerns.

THE CONCLUSION: Data is emerging as the key resource of a Digital Economy. Citizens, organizations, and society at large will benefit from the democratization of data as it will become usable to anyone to derive insights and build inclusive solutions for the development of our society. However, the government, while harvesting the citizens’ data for better governance, should not monopolize it and must share them with people, which will improve democratic outcomes in the true sense.

QUESTIONS:

1. Data is the lifeblood of a democratic government. Comment
2. What is an Open Government Data Platform? How far do you agree with the view that democratizing data ownership will help in improving governance outcomes?
3. Critically analyse the relationship between data and democracy.

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Earth Science unveiled India’s Arctic Policy on 17 March 2022, titled “India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development”, with the aim of enhancing the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region. The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. This article explains the need for an Arctic Policy for India, looks into the gaps in India’s present engagement in the Arctic, and analyses the features of India’s Arctic Policy released recently.

WHAT AND WHERE IS THE ARCTIC?

• It is commonly understood to refer to the region above the Arctic Circle, north of latitude 66° 34′ N, which includes the Arctic Ocean with the North Pole at its centre.
• The Arctic is a vast and varied region whose annual cycle is influenced by the strong variation in the amount of light. The further north you are, the more there are daylight hours in winter and nightless nights in summer. In the Arctic, winters are long, and the growing season is short. The Arctic land area comprises only about 5% of the land surface of Earth.
• The Arctic is home to almost four million inhabitants, of which approximately one-tenth are considered indigenous people.
• The Arctic Ocean and its surrounding landmass have been a topic of immense interest and a high-priority area of research among the global scientific fraternity, as well as of importance to policymakers.
• The Arctic influences the atmospheric, oceanographic and bio-geo-chemical cycles of the Earth’s ecosystem.

WHAT IS ARCTIC COUNCIL?

• The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. It was formally established in 1996.
• It is not a treaty-based international legal entity like the UN organizations or trade or regional groupings such as NATO or ASEAN.
• It was set up by the 8 Arctic countries by means of the Ottawa Declaration of 1996. These countries are the US, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
• In addition to these countries, 6 organizations representing the indigenous people of the Arctic region have also been given the status of permanent participants.
• India holds one of the 13 positions as the Observer in the Arctic Council.

What is the observer status of the Council?

• The observer status is provided to countries or entities that support the objectives of the Arctic Council through financial or other contributions.
• Observers cannot participate in the decision-making process.
• They are invited to participate only in the meetings of the Council, particularly at the level of the working groups.
• The renewal of the observer status is just a formality. The status, once given, continues until the entity carries out any activities that run against the objectives of the Council.

INDIA’S JOURNEY AT THE ARCTIC COUNCIL

1920: India’s engagement with the Arctic began when it signed the Svalbard Treaty in Paris between Norway, the US, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Ireland, and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen.

2007: India initiated its Arctic research program in 2007 with a focus on climate change in the region.

2008: India established Himadri- India’s first permanent Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.

2013: India was first granted the Observer status in 2013, along with five other nations.

2014: India deployed IndARC it is India’s first underwater moored observatory in the Arctic region 2014 at Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, Norway. Its research goal is to study the Arctic climate and its influence on the monsoon.

2016: Another atmospheric laboratory was established in 2016 at Gruvebadet in Ny-Alesund with the aim of initiating studies on clouds, precipitation, long-range pollutants, and other background atmospheric parameters.

2019: India was re-elected as an Observer to the Arctic Council.

ABOUT: INDIA’S ARCTIC POLICY

India’s Arctic Policy aims to enhance the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming Arctic region. The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. It was released by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

OBJECTIVES OF INDIA’S ARCTIC POLICY

• It aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate and environmental protection, and maritime and economic cooperation with the Arctic region.
• To strengthen institutional and human resource capacities within the government and academic, research and business institutions through inter-ministerial coordination in pursuit of India’s interests in the Arctic.
• To enhance understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic region on India’s climate, economic, and energy security.
• To promote better analysis, prediction, and coordinated policymaking on the implications of ice melting in the Arctic on India’s economic, military and strategic interests related to global shipping routes, energy security, and exploitation of mineral wealth.
• To study the linkages between polar regions and the Himalayas and deepen the cooperation between India and the countries of the Arctic region under various Arctic forums, drawing expertise from scientific and traditional knowledge.
• To increase India’s participation in the Arctic Council and improve understanding of the complex governance structures in the Arctic, relevant international laws, and geopolitics of the region.

RELEVANCE OF ARCTIC POLICY FOR INDIA?

The relevance of the Arctic for India can be broadly explained under three categories:

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Under the banner of science and research, the Indian government hopes to build its research capabilities in the region by strengthening existing facilities, such as the Himadri Arctic station in Svalbard.
• It also hopes to align Indian research with international Arctic priorities. The policy further lays down plans to deploy space technology to better study the Arctic region.
  

 ECONOMIC AND HUMAN RESOURCES:

• The Arctic region has rich deposits of coal, gypsum and diamonds and also substantial reserves of zinc, lead, placer gold and quartz. Greenland alone possesses about a quarter of the world’s rare earth reserves.
• The Arctic contains a wealth of hydrocarbon resources.
• Arctic also has the potential to address India’s energy security needs and deficiency of strategic and rare earth minerals.

GEOPOLITICAL AND STRATEGIC:

• The Arctic region is significant due to the shipping routes that run through it.
• According to an analysis published by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, the adverse effects of the Arctic are not just impacting the availability of mineral and hydrocarbon resources but also transforming global shipping routes.
• According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India can play a constructive role in securing a stable Arctic.
• The region holds immense geopolitical importance as the Arctic is projected to be ice-free by 2050, and world powers are making a beeline to exploit the region rich in natural resources.

GAP IN INDIA’S APPROACH

LACK OF AN ARTICULATED POLICY: 

• Even though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of the Government of India has listed India’s interests in the Arctic to be “scientific, environmental, commercial as well as strategic”, till recently, India was one among the four of the 13 Observer nations of the Arctic Council that did not have a nationally articulated Arctic Policy.

SCIENTIFIC ORIENTATION:

• India needs to go beyond the purely scientific approach in the Arctic. In keeping with its growing stature and consequent say in world affairs, India ought to be better equipped to understand the dynamics of the Arctic geo-politics and governance.

INADEQUATE FUNDING:

• Presently, India’s polar research for the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean and Himalayas is budgeted under the umbrella Polar Science and Cryosphere (PACER) programme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Considering that India’s Antarctic Programme is about five times bigger than its Arctic programme.

POLAR RESEARCH VESSEL (PRV):

• The lack of a dedicated PRV is considered to be a serious impediment to the growth of India’s polar activities.

WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT FOCUS:

• Presently, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the MoES, is the nodal agency for India’s polar research programme, which includes Arctic studies.
• The MEA provides the external interface to the Arctic Council through the United Nations Economic & Social (UNES) Division.
• However, the eight countries of the Arctic Council are divided between the Americas, Eurasia and Central Europe Divisions, possibly preventing a region-wide focus on the fast-changing geophysical and geopolitical Arctic landscape.
• Further, there is no nodal body to coordinate all the activities of the Government of India relating to the Arctic region.

AWARENESS AND CAPACITY:

• The Arctic has largely been ignored in India on the ground that it is far away and does not have a direct impact on India. This has resulted in a lack of national capacity on Arctic issues.
• As the Arctic opens up, India needs to expand domestic capability and capacity by building a wide-ranging institutional base on Arctic maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy and governance issues.
• This can only happen through the introduction of an Arctic-related curriculum in our education system at all levels. India’s engagement with the Arctic needs to be built on sound augmentation of its domestic capacity.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Expand the capacity and awareness of Arctic-related scientific research by strengthening the NCPOR, involving other relevant academic and scientific institutions in India, identifying nodal institutes and promoting partnerships among institutions and agencies.
• Promote research capacities in Indian Universities in the fields of earth sciences, biological sciences, geosciences, climate change and space-related programmes relevant to the Arctic.
• Widen the pool of experts in sectors such as mineral, oil and gas exploration, blue-bio economy and tourism relevant to the Arctic.
• Strengthen training institutions for training seafarers in Polar/Ice-Navigation and build region-specific hydrographic capacity and skills necessary to undertake Arctic transits.
• Build indigenous capacity in building ships of Ice-class standards, including for research.
• Expand India’s trained manpower in maritime insurance, chartering, arbitration and brokerage for potential usage in the Arctic region.
• Build wide-ranging institutional capacity for the study of Arctic maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy and governance issues, including the application of UNCLOS and other Treaties governing the Arctic region.

THE CONCLUSION: India’s Arctic Policy is aimed to prepare the country for a future where the biggest challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, can be successfully addressed through, Collective will and effort. India can and is ready to play its part and contribute to the global good. Close partnership with countries of the Arctic region and other international partners to ensure sustainable development, peace and stability in the Arctic region will also be essential for the realization of India’s national development plans and priorities. This approach is in accordance with the challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, which can be successfully addressed only through the Indian philosophy of VasudhaivaKutumbakam-The world is one family.

 Questions for Mains:

1. India’s Arctic Policy is aimed to prepare the country for a future where the biggest challenge of climate change. Comment.
2. In the changing geopolitics, initiatives such as New Arctic Policy can be vital to address the emerging energy challenges experienced by India in the recent past. Explain.
3. How far do you agree with this view that India’s New Arctic is less about energy needs and more about being competitive in geopolitics? Justify your view.

1. Law and public opinion: The release of Perarivalan is no endorsement of any claim of his innocence READ MORE
2. Governor is but a Shorthand Expression for the State Government: Supreme Court READ MORE
3. Venerating the law: Supreme Court must ensure that 1992 is not repeated READ MORE
4. Beyond pandemic numbers: The promise of a transparent data system right response to WHO estimates READ MORE

1. Scientifically Speaking | Our schools are destroying children’s curiosity READ MORE
2. Tobacco: worst enemy of women and kids READ MORE

1. Ethanol blend in petrol to be raised to 20% in 3 years READ MORE
2. Why Sustainable Land Use Is Key To Achieve Our Carbon Neutrality Targets READ MORE
3. Sea levels along Indian coast rising at faster rate than global average: WMO report READ MORE
4. Urban forestry or unplanned forestry READ MORE

1. Light of darkness, darkness of light READ MORE
2. Children Need Your Time READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Cabinet approves Amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels -2018 READ MORE
2. Wholesale price rise hits record high of 15.1% in April READ MORE
3. Explained | The UN report that highlights India’s vulnerability to drought READ MORE
4. 2021 joins top 7 warmest years on record: WMO READ MORE
5. NGT orders stay on Draft Shimla Development Plan 2041 READ MORE
6. India has world’s highest number of children with severe acute malnutrition: UNICEF READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS 1

1. The historical significance of Lumbini, the birthplace of The Buddha READ MORE
2. Urban forestry or unplanned forestry READ MORE

GS 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Law and public opinion: The release of Perarivalan is no endorsement of any claim of his innocence READ MORE
2. Governor is but a Shorthand Expression for the State Government: Supreme Court READ MORE
3. Venerating the law: Supreme Court must ensure that 1992 is not repeated READ MORE
4. Beyond pandemic numbers: The promise of a transparent data system right response to WHO estimates READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Scientifically Speaking | Our schools are destroying children’s curiosity READ MORE
2. Tobacco: worst enemy of women and kids READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Help Afghans: India’s Afghanistan strategy must prioritise giving emergency visas to those suffering under Taliban READ MORE
2. What’s behind India’s Ukraine policy, Western hypocrisy & how nations act in self-interest READ MORE
3. The world’s nasties READ MORE
4. How the long-term China challenge has put India in a diplomatic sweet spot amid the Ukraine crisis READ MORE

GS 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Lessons for today from India’s 2006 wheat crisis READ MORE
2. The Sela Tunnel – importance and the strategic edge it promises READ MORE
3. Take proactive mitigating measures, RBI tells banks amid global turmoil READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Ethanol blend in petrol to be raised to 20% in 3 years READ MORE
2. Why Sustainable Land Use Is Key To Achieve Our Carbon Neutrality Targets READ MORE
3. Sea levels along Indian coast rising at faster rate than global average: WMO report READ MORE

GS 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Light of darkness, darkness of light READ MORE
2. Children Need Your Time READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Data will talk to you if you are willing to listen’. In the light of this statement discuss the importance of data in governance in contemporary times.
2. ‘Urban forestry is the only plausible and most effective nature-based solution for building green, sustainable and resilient cities’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Data will talk to you if you are willing to listen.
• It is impractical for every matter to be escalated to the point that the Supreme Court needs to invoke its extraordinary powers under Article 142.
• With the expertise available in the country now, algorithms can be built to assess the impact of weather and pest events on crop size and quality.
• After a long gap, wheat farmers were getting remunerative prices for their produce. The export ban will now push down market prices.
• Inadequacy in reporting deaths is one of the several gaps exposed in the health system during the past two years.
• A proper response to the WHO data should be the promise of a robust, transparent and professional health data system, and not shrilled name-calling.
• Urban forestry is the only plausible and most effective nature-based solution for building green, sustainable and resilient cities.

ESSAY TOPIC

• ‘Data will talk to you if you are willing to listen.

50-WORD TALK

• The issue at Gyanvapi Masjid isn’t whether the ancient Vishveshvara linga, reputedly hidden from Aurangzeb’s armies, has been rediscovered. It’s whether India can address historical hurt without creating new hatreds. Islamic rulers inflicted terrible violence on Hindus. But that can’t be undone by targeting their places of worship centuries later.

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 POLITY

1. ON MARITAL RAPE, REGRESSIVE NOTIONS UNDERMINE THE AUTONOMY OF WOMEN

THE CONTEXT: Being raped by someone in whom you have reposed trust is likely to have an indelible emotional impact. Marriage does not change that.

THE EXPLANATION:

• On 11 May, two judges of the Delhi High Court handed down separate judgments in RIT Foundation v Union of India. The issue before the Court was straightforward. Section 375 of the IPC defines “rape” as when a man has sex with a woman without her consent. However, an exception to Section 375 provides that it is not raped for a husband to have sex with his wife, regardless of consent.
• The effect of the law is that no husband can be prosecuted for the rape of his adult wife. Four petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the “marital rape exception” were filed at the Delhi HC.
• In his judgment, Justice Rajiv Shakdher concluded that the marital rape exception violated the rights to life, equality, non-discrimination, and freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution. His analysis is sound, even if not surprising.
• There is no reasonable basis to distinguish between married and unmarried women. Marriage is a relationship of equals, and women do not forfeit their agency and sexual autonomy upon marriage. It is no answer to say that a man who rapes his wife may be prosecuted for other offences, such as cruelty. Rape must be called out for what it is.
• Justice C Hari Shankar took a different view, concluding that the marital rape exception is constitutionally valid. Five aspects of his opinion are particularly striking. First, the judge held that it is the wrong starting point to assume that a husband who has sex with his wife without her consent “commits rape”.
• The judge noted that the effect of the exception to Section 375 of the IPC is that any sex between a husband and wife, whether or not consensual, is excluded from the definition of rape. That analysis does not bear scrutiny. Sex within marriage is carved out (by exception) from the definition of rape. It follows that, in the absence of that exception, non-consensual sex within marriage would be rape.
• More fundamentally, the judge allowed semantics to impede robust constitutional analysis. It makes little difference whether the starting point is that non-consensual sex within marriage should be characterized as rape or, for example, sexual assault. The critical question is whether it is unconstitutional to exclude non-consensual sex from the definition of rape.
• Second, Justice Shankar’s opinion elevates marriage to a status that is anachronistic. The judge held that the marital rape exception was “aimed at preservation of the marital institution, on which the entire bedrock of society rests”.
• The difficulty with that proposition is obvious — is it the policy of the law that marriage is to be preserved at all costs, even when a man has non-consensual sex with his wife? If so, does that withstand constitutional scrutiny? The judge then observed, on a lighter note, that neither lawyers nor judges would be around to examine this issue absent the institution of marriage. Scientists might disagree.
• Third, the judge rejected the challenge to the martial rape exception based on the right to equality on the spurious assumption that the impact on a woman who is raped by her husband cannot “be equated with the impact of a woman who is raped by a stranger”.
• Indeed, he goes so far as to say that “disagreements” (a euphemism for non-consensual sex) in marriage are “but natural” and “may even lend strength to the marital bond”. No evidence is cited in support of those claims. They also defy logic. Being raped by someone in whom you have reposed trust is likely to have an indelible emotional impact. Sadly, it is relatively easy to find many first-hand accounts that confirm this. It is perplexing to understand how non-consensual sex can ever strengthen a marriage.
• Fourth, the judge concluded that, as a practical matter, a “majority of Indian women” would be reluctant to file a complaint of rape against their husbands in any event. Even if that were true, it is no reason to disempower, by the operation of the law, women who do have the resolve to make a rape complaint against their husbands from doing so. No one expects tens of thousands of rape complaints to come out of the woodwork after the marital rape exception is declared unconstitutional. But some will, and they will inspire others.
• Fifth, Justice Shankar held that it is not within the court’s power to create a new offence, and striking down the marital rape exception would have that effect. There is no question of creating a new offence — the court would simply be striking down an exception carved out of an existing offence.
• The only principled basis for the judge’s objection is that it may be unfair to punish someone for rape for conduct that was excluded from the definition of rape when it was undertaken. But that is not a reason to avoid striking down the marital rape exception. The easy solution is for the court to declare that its judgment will apply only to conduct after the date of the judgment.
• An appeal is now pending before the Supreme Court. Asking Parliament to revisit the marital rape exception may be the path of least resistance. However, as Justice Rajiv Shakdher observed in his judgment, “it is incumbent on courts to take decisions concerning complex social issues and not dribble past them”.
• Whether the marital rape exception violates fundamental rights under the Constitution is a question that falls within the Court’s core competency. There is only one reasonable answer to that question.

 2. JUSTICE DELIVERY IN INDIA IS INDEED LOOKING ‘HOPELESS’

THE CONTEXT: The Attorney General Is Right, Justice Delivery in India Is Indeed Looking ‘Hopeless’.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Justice P.N. Bhagwati said in his Law Day address in 1985 that our judicial system is on the verge of collapse. In 1996, Justice Bhagwati said that the Supreme Court of India is the most powerful court in the world. I wonder what made him change his opinion. Assuming what he said in 1996 is correct, please compare it with the situation today.
• Recently, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana addressed a very high powered conference in which he said that decisions of the courts are “not implemented by government for years together” resulting in a rise in contempt of court petitions. Has our justice delivery system now collapsed or is it teetering and still on the verge of collapse? I am reminded of Mark Antony’s: “O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!”
• The recruitment of judicial officers at the district level is through an examination conducted under the aegis of the high court. The Supreme Court has laid down a yearly calendar of events for the recruitment process with timelines. This is undoubtedly well-intentioned, but does the Supreme Court have administrative control over the high court through prescriptive guidelines? Do we know how many high courts are actually following the schedule? I would be surprised if even a handful are following the mandate. The fault lies with the system that is not able to ensure filling up vacancies.
• The situation with regard to high court vacancies is worse. This is where the almighty political executive comes into the picture. The CJI rightly said that judges do not appoint judges – they only recommend candidates for appointment. The president makes the appointment when the papers are put up to him for issuing the necessary warrants by the political executive. This can take months and years in most cases, because of the government’s whims and fancies. Recently, Aditya Sondhi of the Karnataka high court withdrew his consent for an appointment after having waited for a year for the government to decide. Eventually, the government took a decision but bypassed the recommendation of the Supreme Court. There’s not to reason why.
• The problem of plenty (of cases) is not necessarily linked to judicial vacancies. A former CJI boasted that he ensured there is no vacancy of judges in his parent high court. He was right, but did it have any impact on the pendency of cases? A casual study of the information available in the National Judicial Data Grid reveals that it made no positive difference to the pendency of cases in that high court.
• The solution? Even though I agree that the justice delivery system is in a “hopeless situation” and beyond repair, a few steps might mitigate the problems of millions of litigants. First, every case filed by the Union of India or any state government should be accompanied with a demand draft of Rs 1 lakh to take care of litigation expenses of the citizen who is dragged to court. If the court declines to issue notice to the citizen, the amount should be kept in a reserve fund for future utilisation. The governments must pay, period. The governments must also pay Rs 1 lakh for every adjournment sought – after all, the litigant has to pay his or her lawyer an appearance fee even if the case is adjourned. Actually, even governments pay their lawyers a fee for every adjournment.
• The CJI has said that governments are the biggest litigants, accounting for nearly 50% of pending cases. If courts are imposing heavy costs on individual litigants, why are governments or government departments treated with kid gloves? Governments must be held accountable for litigation. The sooner the courts realise it, the better.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. ETHANOL BLEND IN PETROL TO BE RAISED TO 20% IN 3 YEARS

THE CONTEXT: The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, to advance the date by which fuel companies have to increase the percentage of ethanol in petrol to 20%, from 2030 to 2025. The policy of introducing 20% ethanol will take effect from April 1, 2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A press statement from the government said the new policy would allow more feed stock for producing biofuel and foster the development of indigenous technologies.
• A 2021 report by the NITI Aayog said that “immense benefits” could accrue to the country by 20% ethanol blending by 2025, such as saving ₹30,000 crore of foreign exchange per year, increased energy security, lowered carbon emissions, better air quality, self-reliance, better use of damaged food grains, increased farmers’ incomes and greater investment opportunities.
• India achieved 9.45% ethanol blending as on March 13, 2022, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). The Centre projects that this will reach 10% by the end of financial year 2022. The government first announced its plans of advancing the 20% blending target in December 2020.
• A 10% blending of petrol does not require major changes to engines but a 20% blend could require some changes and may even drive up the prices of vehicles. A greater percentage of blending could also mean more land being diverted for water-intensive crops such as sugar cane, which the government currently subsidises.
• The NITI Aayog projects an ethanol demand of 10.16 billion litres by 2025, based on the adoption of vehicles. The current ethanol production capacity in India of 4.26 billion litres derives from molasses-based distilleries, and 2.58 billion litres from grain-based distilleries.
• This is expected to expand to 7.6 billion litres and 7.4 billion litres respectively and will require six million tonnes of sugar and 16.5 million tonnes of grains per annum by 2025.
• The increased allocation of land also puts into question the actual reduction in emissions that blending ethanol with petrol brings about.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. NGT ORDERS STAY ON DRAFT SHIMLA DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2041

THE CONTEXT: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) May 12 asked the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Department to put on hold the Draft Development Plan, Shimla Planning Area 2041.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The plan proposes to permit the construction of more floors, new constructions in core area, constructions in the green area, and development in the sinking and sliding area in violation of the NGT orders.
• If the State proceeds in such a manner, not only will it damage rule of law, it may result in disastrous consequences for the environment and public safety, said the green court bench led by Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel, Sudhir Agarwal and Arun Kumar Tyagi.
• Yogendra Mohan Sengupta, an environmental activist had filed the application in the NGT on April 20, 2022 against the draft development plan on the ground that such a plan is contrary to the sustainable development principle and destructive of the environment and public safety.
• The application said that NGT had already issued regulatory measures on November 16, 2017 to be adopted in terms of the number of floors, and restrictions on constructions in core and green areas of Shimla.
• The NGT in its November 2017 judgement had warned that if unplanned and indiscriminate development was allowed, there would be “irreparable loss and damage to the environment, ecology and natural resources on one hand and inevitable disaster on the other”.
• To prevent such untoward disasters, the court had prohibited new construction of any kind (residential, institutional and commercial) in any part of the core and green / forest areas “as defined under the various notifications issued under the Interim Development Plan as well by the State Government.”
• The order also said that even beyond the core and forest areas and the areas falling under the authorities of the Shimla Planning Area – construction would be permitted strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, Development Plan and the municipal laws in force. Even in these areas, construction would not be permitted beyond two storeys plus attic floor.
• The project background of the Draft Development Plan-Shimla Planning Area 2041, which was published in February 2022, read: There is an urgent need of a development plan for Shimla in order to revive the growth regulators with the vision for a well-regulated and planned Shimla and its peri-urban areas, best capturing the urbanisation trend and aspiration of the city and its fringes.
• The Development Plan was prepared under the AMRUT sub-scheme of the Government of India by the Town and Country Planning Department, Himachal Pradesh. A geographic information system-based development plan formulation for Shimla Planning Area comprises Shimla Municipal Corporation and its surrounding areas, including Kufri, Shoghi and Ghanahatti Special Areas and Additional villages, under the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977.
• It is interesting to note that the Draft Development Plan said that “town planning does not come under the purview of the NGT,” and that the orders of the National Green Tribunal on “height restriction in Shimla Planning Area is a dent on meeting the future urbanisation challenges.”
• The Tribunal directed that the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Department should not proceed from taking any further step in pursuance of the Draft Development Plan 2041.

5. INDIA’S VULNERABILITY TO DROUGHT

THE CONTEXT: A United Nations report has revealed that many parts of India fall under the list of regions that are vulnerable to drought globally.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The report stated that India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reduced by 2 to 5 percent between 1998 and 2017 due to severe droughts in the country.
• An upward trajectory in the duration of droughts and the severity of impacts, not only affecting human societies but also the ecological systems upon which the survival of all life depends, including that of our own species.
• UNCCD’s COP15 focuses on desertification, land degradation, and drought, with the theme for the conference being “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.” The conference has brought together government representatives, private sector members, and civil society stakeholders to ensure that land continues to benefit present and future generations.
• It proposes to tackle “the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss” as we move into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• The UNCCD’s 197 parties, which includes 196 member States as well as the European Union, are expected to brainstorm sustainable ideas to further land restoration and drought resilience, focusing on “future-proofing land use.” The UNCCD envisions restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, creating a land degradation-neutral world.
• According to World Bank estimates, drought conditions can force up to 216 million people to migrate by 2050. Other factors at play along with drought could be water scarcity, declining crop productivity, rise in sea levels, and overpopulation.
• Weather, climate and water hazards have accounted for 50 percent of all disasters and 45 percent of all reported deaths since 1970, World Meteorological Organisation data has revealed. Nine in ten of these deaths have occurred in developing countries.
• Between 2020 and 2022, 23 countries have faced drought emergencies. These are Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, United States, and Zambia. According to the report, climate change alone will cause 129 countries to experience an increase in drought exposure in the next few decades.
• More than a billion people around the world were affected by drought in 2000-19, making it the second-worst disaster after flooding. Africa was the worst hit, with 134 droughts, of which 70 occurred in East Africa.
• The World Health Organisation has noted that approximately 55 million people globally are directly affected by droughts annually, making it the most serious hazards to livestock and crops in almost every part of the world.
• The impact of drought is, however, not uniform across genders. Research shows that women and girls in emerging and developing countries suffer more in terms of education levels, nutrition, health, sanitation, and safety as a result of droughts. The burden of water collection also disproportionately falls on women (72 percent) and girls (9 percent). The report notes that they may spend up to 40 per cent of their caloric intake fetching water.
• In 2022, over 2.3 billion people are facing water stress. Almost 160 million children are exposed to severe and prolonged droughts.
• According to the report, if predictions are correct and global warming reaches 3° C by 2100, drought losses could be five times higher than today’s levels. The largest increase in drought losses is projected in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic regions of Europe.
• Australia’s megadrought in 2019-2020 contributed to “megafires” resulting in one of the most extensive losses of habitat for threatened species. About three billion animals were killed or displaced in the Australian wildfires. On a related note, 84 percent of all terrestrial ecosystems are threatened by changing and intensifying wildfires.
• According to a 2017 report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the percentage of plants affected by drought has more than doubled in the last 40 years. Around 12 million hectares of land are lost each year due to drought and desertification.

6. SEA LEVELS ALONG INDIAN COAST RISING AT FASTER RATE THAN GLOBAL AVERAGE: WMO REPORT

THE CONTEXT: According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of the Global Climate in 2021 report released May 18, 2022. Sea levels along almost the entire Indian coast are rising faster than the global average.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Globally, the rate of sea-level rise was 4.5 millimetres per year between 2013 and 2021. This was more than twice the rate between 1993 and 2002.
• The major reason for the increase in sea levels is the accelerated loss of ice from the ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The increase happened despite the La Nina phenomenon being prevalent during the beginning and the end of 2021.
• La Nina is the cooler-than-normal phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Usually during La Nina years, sea levels are less than the mean.
• During El Nino (warmer-than-normal phase) years, they are higher than the mean. In 2021, the global mean sea level rise was close to the long-term trend.
• The increase in sea levels is not happening uniformly in all parts of the global oceans. In the Indian Ocean region, the rate of sea-level rise is the fastest in the south western part, where it is faster by 2.5 mm/year than the global average.
• In other parts of the Indian Ocean region, including the coastlines, the rate is between 0 and 2.5 mm / year, faster than the global average.
• Other regions where the rate is faster than the global average are the western Tropical Pacific, the South-west Pacific, the North Pacific and the South Atlantic.
• “Regional patterns of sea-level change are dominated by local changes in ocean heat content and salinity,” the report pointed out.
• The Indian Ocean region has previously been described as the fastest-warming ocean in the world, with an increase in temperature of one degree Celsius as against the global average of 0.7°C between 1951 and 2015. Ocean heat content had already reached record levels in 2021 globally.
• Such a sea-level rise could have major consequences for the millions of people living along the Indian coastline. While gradual erosion of the coastline, subsidence and inundation of deltas is a long-term concern for the people living close to the sea, the immediate concern is to do with the combined impact of tropical cyclones and sea-level rise.
• For instance, when a tropical cyclone occurs, the storm surge along with heavier rainfall, sea-level rise and high tides could make the resultant flooding much more intense and hence difficult to manage.
• Storm surge is the increase in the height and energy of sea waves during a cyclone which depends on the wind speeds of the cyclone. The higher the wind speeds of a cyclone, the more is their ability to pile up water towards the centre of the cyclone; hence a stronger storm surge.
• Storm surges may also get intensified if there is a high tide during the time of the cyclone. The combined effect of a storm surge and a high tide is known as a storm tide.
• Storm surges and tides bring saline water into agricultural fields and people’s homes, leading to long-term damage, including a decrease in soil quality.
• Recent cyclones in the Indian Ocean region have increased in intensity, with greater wind speeds than before which has meant higher storm surges. As sea levels rise, the storm surges will become even stronger and take more seawater onto land, causing inundation.
• In the case of Super Cyclone Amphan in 2020, seawater had come in 25 kilometres inland, inundating large parts of the Sunderbans delta which is already the most vulnerable to both, cyclones and sea-level rise in India.
• A cyclonic storm hits the Sunderbans every 1.67 years, according to the analysis by India Meteorological Department, Pune. Shorter return periods indicate more frequent cyclones. The researchers studied cyclonic storms passing within about 90 kilometres of the coastal districts between 1961 and 2020.
• Sea levels have risen at a rate of 30 mm per year in the Sunderbans delta in the last two decades, with a 12 percent loss in the shoreline, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Landsat satellite imagery.
• This is more than six times the global average and has already led to the displacement of around 1.5 million people from the delta.
• If global warming is not kept under the 1.5°C mark as agreed to by countries under the Paris Agreement by rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the rise in sea levels and intense cyclones will make places like the Sunderbans unlivable, causing a huge migration of people inland and a cascade of other socio-economic problems.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 19th MAY 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about World Meteorological Organization (WMO):

1. It was established in 1950 through WMO Convention.
2. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
3. Its secretariat is headquartered in Rome.
4. India is a founding member of WMO.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1, 2 and 4 only

c) 2, 3 and 4 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR THE 18^th MAY

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: WPI is used as a measure to understand inflation at the producer level.
• Statement 2 is correct: It is compiled by the Office of Economic Advisor.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: It considers the price changes only in goods and not in services.

[WpProQuiz 226]

THE CONTEXT: The Russian-Ukraine war has disrupted the prevailing global order. The war is threatening to divide the world into two blocs reminiscent of the cold war. However, India committed to its principled position of non-alignment, with its huge demography and economy can be the fulcrum of shaping the post-war world order. This article examines the challenges the country faces and the strengths it carries to be the pivot of this new world order.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING WORLD ORDER

THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a model of free societies, frictionless borders, and an open economy has emerged as the standard in many countries, which has become a governing order.

FREE TRADE AND PROSPERITY: People, products, services, and capital were able to move more freely around the world as a result of this. During this time, global trade and per capita GDP nearly doubled, signalling a period of universal peace and prosperity.

INTEGRATION AND PEACE: With the goal of shared global prosperity, the world’s societies and economics have become increasingly interconnected. The conventional belief was that such close interdependence among nations would lead to fewer conflicts and promote peace.

IDEA OF GLOBAL VILLAGE: ‘Global Village’ of around 8 billion inhabitants of the world was established on top of modern transportation networks, with the US dollar serving as the reserve currency and integrated payment systems around it.

HOW IS THE GLOBAL ORDER CHANGING?

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a global geo-economic conflict that threatens to go back to the Cold War era of two dominant power blocs. The Russo-Sino bloc is the producer powerhouse while the Western bloc is a large consumer and hence the conflict between them harms both the blocs significantly. If interconnection and trade between states are mutually beneficial, then its disruption and blockade will be mutually destructive. Economic sanctions enacted in retaliation for Russian actions have harmed all nations, albeit some have suffered more than others. Egyptians are facing food shortages as a result of their reliance on Russian and Ukrainian wheat, Germans face high winter heating costs as a result of their reliance on Russian gas, and Americans face a shortage of electric cars due to the unavailability of car batteries reliant on Russian nickel, Sri Lankans have taken to the streets as a result of economic woes, and Indian farmers face high fertilizer prices triggered by a global shortage.

CAN INDIA BE THE EPICENTRE OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER?

THE CHALLENGES:

• A forced and hurried dismantling of the international dollar-based currency order and replacing it with bilateral local currency arrangements are problematic.
• Buying discounted oil or commodities if it entails a departure from the established order of dollar-based trade settlement or jeopardizes established trading relationships with western bloc markets, can have longer-term implications for India’s export potential.
• India needs not just cordial relationships with nations on either side of the new divide but also a stable and established global economic environment.
• Social harmony is the edifice of economic prosperity. Fanning mutual distrust, hate and anger among citizens, causing social disharmony is a huge challenge to India.
• The communal divide that the country is facing today will affect the growth prospect of the country.

THE OPPORTUNITIES:

• India has benefited enormously from being an active participant in this interconnected world, with a tripling of trade (as a share of GDP) in the last three decades and providing vast numbers of jobs.
• Trade with other nations will always be an integral cornerstone of India’s economic future.
• India’s trade is dependent on both these power blocs and on the current global economic structures of free trade, established reserve currency and transaction systems.
• As the western bloc of nations looks to reduce dependence on the Russia-China bloc of nations, it presents newer avenues for India to expand trade.
• India, as the largest peace-loving democracy, stands to gain enormously from the ‘principled trade’ aspiration of the western bloc that values both morals and money.
• It presents a tremendous opportunity for India to become a large producing nation for the world and a global economic powerhouse.
• By dint of its sheer size and scale, India can be both a large producer and a consumer.

HOW DID INDIA RESPOND TO THE CRISIS?

EMPHASIZED DIALOGUE AND DIPLOMACY: 

• Right from the beginning, India called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the dispute. On many occasions, the country has asked for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities.

PROTECTED NATIONAL INTEREST:

• Russia is a very important partner in a variety of areas for India; similarly, fertilizer prices have a direct implication on the livelihood of a majority of our population and food prices.
• Even the security of the nation is at stake as India maintains its defence posture in the manner that the current security challenges warrant.
• All these are legitimate pursuits of national interest by India.

DESISTED FROM TAKING SIDES:

• While India was at the forefront of addressing the fallout of the war, it has been careful not to take sides despite the push by the West owing to its peculiar circumstances. This has been manifested in India’s abstention in the resolutions in UNGA, UNSC, UNHRC etc.

PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE:

• India has sent humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland and Romania. The consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment, and other relief material.

INFLATION, LOW GROWTH AND EXPORT POTENTIAL

New Delhi is already bearing the brunt of high global crude oil prices (about $110-120 a barrel as against $70 at the beginning of November) as well as rising mineral, metal and edible oil prices, indicating a possible scenario of high inflation and low growth — stagflation. Ukraine has created an unlikely opportunity for select Indian Agri-exporters who trade in wheat, maize, millet, and processed food. Since the crisis unfolded last month, the world has been looking to Indian wheat to fill the huge void in stocks caused by the turbulence in Europe’s breadbasket. Ukraine is one of the world’s top wheat exporters, and Russia and Ukraine together have a 25% share in the global wheat market.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• India thus needs not just a nonaligned doctrine for the new world order but also a nondisruptive geo-economic policy that seeks to maintain the current global economic equilibrium.
• India needs to balance domestic compulsions with its international commitments without being pulled into any bloc.
• India needs to address the domestic problems of social divisions and economic boycotts, and issues of freedom to trade.
• India needs to arrest the slide in democracy being felt in multiple areas lest its credentials will be impacted.
• A new paradigm of emerging global order and India’s role in shaping it need a clear articulation of the contours of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

THE CONCLUSION: The reshaping and readjustment of world order will be a unique opportunity for India to reassess foreign policy, economic policy and geopolitical strategy and develop a mantle of global leadership. The strengthening of India’s global economic power through a cautious post-conflict geoeconomics strategy between Russia and Ukraine could represent a decisive turning point in India’s economic history. India could be the cornerstone of this new world order as a peaceful democracy with economic prosperity. But this requires India to first contain the division of the raging community within the country.

QUESTIONS:

1. “To be the fulcrum of the new paradigm of the world order, India needs to address its domestic social divisions “Explain
2. In order to be the pivot of an emerging global order post the Russian-Ukraine conflict, India needs to surpass multiple challenges. Critically Analyze.