THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS THE INTER-STATE COUNCIL?

THE CONTEXT: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister, asking that at least three meetings of the Inter-State Council should be held every year to “strengthen the spirit of cooperative federalism”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• He also suggested that bills of national importance should be placed before the Council before being tabled in Parliament. He also stated that there is no “effective and interactive communication” between the states and the Centre on issues of common interest.

What is the Inter-State Council?

• It is a mechanism that was constituted “to support Centre-State and Inter-State coordination and cooperation in India”. The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution, which states that the President may constitute such a body if a need is felt for it. The Council is basically meant to serve as a forum for discussions among various governments.
• In 1988, the Sarkaria Commission suggested the Council should exist as a permanent body, and in 1990 it came into existence through a Presidential Order.
• The main functions of the Council are inquiring into and advising on disputes between states, investigating and discussing subjects in which two states or states and the Union have a common interest, and making recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action.
• The Prime Minister is the chairman of the Council, whose members include the Chief Ministers of all states and UTs with legislative assemblies, and Administrators of other UTs. Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Centre’s Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister, are also its members.

What issues has Chief Minister raised?

• Mainly, the DMK chief has flagged the lack of regular meetings, saying the Council has met only once in the last six years — and that there has been no meeting since July 2016. Since its constitution in 1990, the body has met only 11 times, although its procedure states it should meet at least three times every year.
• TN Chief Minister appreciated the reconstitution of the Council, carried out last month. The body will now have 10 Union Ministers as permanent invitees, and the standing committee of the Council has been reconstituted with Home Minister as Chairman. Finance and the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, UP, and Gujarat are some of the other standing committee members.

What happened in the last meeting of the Inter-State Council?

• In 2016, the meeting included consideration of the Punchhi Commission’s recommendations on Centre-State Relations that were published in 2010. At the time, M Karunanidhi had criticised then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for not personally attending the meeting.
• The meeting saw a detailed discussion on the recommendations. States asked for maintaining the federal structure amid growing “centralisation”. The imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution, which deals with the imposition of President’s Rule in states, was a matter of concern. Bihar Chief Minister, who was then with the Opposition, demanded that the post of Governor should be abolished.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

WHAT DRIVES SUSTAINED GROWTH OF MONKEYPOX CASES

THE CONTEXT: According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, As of June 15, 1,882 monkeypox cases have been lab-confirmed from more than 30 countries worldwide. With 1,158 confirmed cases from 22 countries, Europe has reported the highest number of cases so far.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Monkeypox Disease?

• Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirusgenus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus.
• While monkeypox has been endemic in about a dozen countries in Central and West Africa, the virus is not endemic in people.
• In contrast, the current outbreak in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Australia has shown a clear trend of sustained spread among people, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Before this outbreak, there have been about 100 cases of monkeypox cases outside Africa, with the outbreak in the U.S in 2003 being the biggest with over 70 people infected by the virus.
• But all 70 cases were due to exposure to imported animals with no human-to-human transmission reported back then. In the past, outside Africa, the virus had spread to just one healthcare worker and two household contacts, a far cry from the sustained human-to-human transmission now being reported.

TRANSMISSION:

• Monkeypox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person to person through:
  • direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
  • respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex
  • touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
  • pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta
  • It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. This can take several weeks. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. At this time, it is not known if monkeypox can spread through semen or vaginal fluids.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

EXPLAINED: UKRAINE IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO JOINING THE EU

THE CONTEXT: The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, recommended that Ukraine be formally granted candidate status in the EU, the first step in the long journey to become a member state of the bloc.

THE EXPLANATION:

The announcement by EU President Ursula von der Leyen, who was dressed in yellow and blue, the colours of the Ukrainian flag, came a day after representatives of France, Germany, and Italy, the most powerful member states of the organisation, visited Kyiv for the first time, where they backed Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc.

• What is the current relationship between Ukraine and the EU?
• Four days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Zelenskyy requested the EU on February 28 to allow his country to become a member through a special procedure immediately, after which he officially signed an application for Ukraine’s membership.
• Currently, Ukraine, along with Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Moldova are categorised under the Eastern Partnership, which was formed in 2009. This joint policy partnership seeks to strengthen and deepen political and economic ties between the EU member states and the six “partner countries”.

What is the requirement for joining the EU?

• Article 49 of the EU treaties state that any European nations that seek to join the bloc, must be committed to respecting and promoting the EU’s fundamental values set out in Article 2. These include respect for freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, etc. After the application is received, the EU members judge the suitability of the nation on the basis of these terms.
• The European Council meeting in Copenhagen in 1993 set out more specific criteria. Called the Copenhagen Criteria, these include essential conditions that all candidate countries must satisfy. Among them are a functioning market economy, a stable democracy and rule of law, and the acceptance of all EU legislation, including that of the Euro.

What is the process of joining the EU?

• The procedure to gain membership of the EU consists of three stages.
• In the first stage, the country is given the status of an official candidate.
• In the second stage, formal membership negotiations with the candidate begin, which involves the adoption of EU law into national law, and the implementation of judicial, administrative, economic and other reforms, called the accession criteria.
• Once the negotiations are completed and the candidate has met all the accession criteria, they can join the EU.
• Becoming a member of the bloc involves a long and complex process. Even after candidate status is granted, the rest of the process takes years to complete. The negotiation in particular goes on for long, and its duration can vary from country to country. The EU’s most recent member Croatia joined the EU in 2013, and it took 10 years to complete the process.

EXPLAINED: THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 12TH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference 2022 concluded in Geneva where a number of deals relating to many issues including waiver of COVID-19 vaccines, and food security, were signed.

WHAT IS THE WTO AND THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE?

The World Trade Organization is the only international organization that deals with the rules of trade between countries. Founded in 1995, the WTO is run by its 164 members, and according to its rules, all decisions are taken through consensus and any member can exercise a veto.

• Its aim is to promote free trade, which is done through trade agreements that are discussed and signed by the member states. The WTO also provides a forum for countries to negotiate trade rules and settle economic disputes between them.
• The Ministerial Conference is the WTO’s top decision-making body and usually meets every two years. All members of the WTO are involved in the MC and they can take decisions on all matters covered under any multilateral trade agreements.
• The WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference was held in Geneva from 12-17 June. It was supposed to end on 15 June, but with intensifying negotiations, the conference was extended by two days.

What were the debates around agriculture at the MC?

• The agreements on the subject are of particular significance to India. Referring to its status as a significant contributor to the World Food Programme (WFP), India had earlier stated that it had never imposed export restrictions for procurement under the programme.
• It put forth that a blanket exemption could constrain its work in ensuring food security back home. In such a situation, it would have to keep its WFP commitments irrespective of its domestic needs. Negotiators agreed that member countries would not impose export prohibitions or restrictions on foodstuffs purchased for humanitarian purposes of the WFP.
• The decision would however not prevent member countries from adopting measures for ensuring domestic food security.
• Negotiators could not reach agreements on issues such as permissible public stockholding threshold for domestic food security, domestic support to agriculture, cotton, and market access.
• The central premise of the agreements was to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of food to those in need, especially in humanitarian emergencies. It encouraged member countries with available surplus to release them on international markets in compliance with WTO regulations. Moreover, it instituted a work programme to come up with measures to help LDCs (least-developed countries) and NFIDCs (Net Food Importing Developing Countries) enhance their domestic food security and bolster agricultural production.

What about fisheries-related agreements?

• India successfully managed to carve out an agreement on eliminating subsidies to those engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The only exception for continuing subsidies for the overfished stock is when they are deemed essential to rebuild them to a biologically sustainable level.
• Overfishing refers to exploiting fishes at a pace faster than they could replenish themselves — currently standing at 34% as per the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Declining fish stocks threaten to worsen poverty and endanger communities that rely on aquatic creatures for their livelihood and food security.
• Further, the agreements hold that there would be no limitation on subsidies granted or maintained by developing or least-developed countries for fishing within their exclusive economic zones (EEZ).

Have the current moratoriums on electronic transmissions been extended?

• Member countries agreed to extend the current moratorium on not imposing customs duties on electronic transmission (ET) until MC13 — scheduled to take place in December 2023. 105 countries which including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, China and Japan among others, had sought an extension of the moratorium, with India and South Africa being in opposition.
• Broadly, ETs consist of online deliveries such as music, e-books, films, software and video games. They differ from other cross-border e-commerce since they are ordered online but not delivered physically.
• Proponents had put forth that the moratorium would help maintain certainty and predictability for businesses and consumers particularly in the context of the pandemic. On the other hand, India and South Africa, citing data from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (which calculates the amount of printed matter, music and video downloads, software and video games), submitted that extending duty-free market access due to the moratorium resulted in a loss of $10 billion per annum globally — 95% of which was borne by developing countries. Additionally, they had also sought more clarity on what constitutes electronic transmission.
• Customs duties have been traditionally used to avert an undesired surge in imports, allowing nascent domestic industries to remain competitive. Developing countries would need to import sizeable equipment and services for upscaling their digital capabilities.
• Customs duties provide the necessary capital infusion for capacity building and in turn, attempt to address the digital divide — particularly high in low-income and developing countries, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It is in this context that India and South Africa had sought to preserve policy space for the digital advancement of developing countries by letting them generate more revenues from customs and thereby facilitate more investment.

What were the discussions on patent relaxations?

• Member countries agreed on authorising the use of the subject matter of a patent for producing COVID-19 vaccines by a member country, without the consent of the rights holder. Further, it asks member countries to waive requirements, including export restrictions, set forth by WTO regulations to supply domestic markets and member countries with any number of vaccines. The agreement, however, comes too little, too late for economically poorer countries.
• Several LDCs have suffered in their efforts to combat the now nearly three-year-old pandemic, owing to factors such as a stressed balance of payments situation , different levels of development, financial capabilities and varying degrees of import dependence on those products.
• Within the next six months, members are expected to decide on increasing the scope of the agreement to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics as well.

 

WHAT WEST SETI POWER PROJECT CAN MEAN FOR INDIA-NEPAL TIES

THE CONTEXT: India will be taking over an ambitious hydropower project in Nepal — West Seti — nearly four years after China withdrew from it, ending a six-year engagement between 2012 and 2018.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India’s National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) has already begun preliminary engagement of the site in far-western Nepal following the Indian Prime Minister visit to Lumbini on May 16. in fact, the groundwork and informal discussion seem to have begun much earlier when Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited India in April. During a local bodies election campaign in early May, Deuba had declared that since India was Nepal’s power market and it had a policy of not buying power from China-executed projects, West Seti would be given to India.
• Four days prior to the Lumbini visit, the NHPC’s intent in writing had reached the headquarters of the Investment board headed by the Prime Minister. The board is likely to clear it soon and formally ask the NHPC to handle the project.

• The CWE Investment Corporation, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation, had informed the Nepal Government in August 2018 that it would not be able to execute the 750-MW West Seti Hydropower Project it had undertaken on the ground that it was “financially unfeasible and its resettlement and rehabilitation costs were too high”.
• Prior to that, the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) had been refused renewal of its licence following its failure to begin the work “convincingly” during an entire decade from the mid-1990s. The Australian company had been given a generation licence for 30 years under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) scheme.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2021

THE CONTEXT: Recently, India ranked 46^th in Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021, released by  WIPO.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This finding corroborates an earlier one by UNCTAD in its Digital Economy Report 2021 where India was seen as exceeding expectations. While these findings are encouraging, India, which aspires to emerge as one of the largest economies of the world, needs to move up further in the innovation rankings, for building self-reliance in technology, especially in the context of the incipient digital revolution.
• China occupies the 12th rank in GII, ahead of Japan at 13th. This shows that it is possible to move up the ladder with sustained effort.

Boosting R&D activities

• India has much room for enhancing its innovative activity. Among the key indicators, gross R&D expenditure (GERD) as a percentage of GDP at 0.7% is low. It needs to rise to upwards of 2% of GDP, as in the leading innovative nations.
• Furthermore, only about 30% of the GERD is spent by business enterprises, despite the generous tax incentives offered by the government. This suggests that Indian enterprises have not got into an R&D culture, not to talk of innovative rivalry. The bulk of innovative activity is conducted by a handful of companies in the pharma and auto sectors.

The patent system

• The number of patents registered by residents is another indicator of innovative activity. The patent filings by Indian enterprises and other institutions have increased from 8,841 in 2011 to 23,141 in 2020 (WIPO).
• However, patents granted have been only 776 and 4,988 respectively. Although the ratio of applications to grants has gone up over the years, many patent applications fail to satisfy the three-pronged test of novelty, inventive step and utility.
• In that context, another policy to promote local innovation could be to protect minor innovations through the so-called utility models or petty patents, as has been done by several East Asian countries.

About World intellectual property organization: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Formation: 14th July 1967. It began operations on 26 April 1970 when the convention entered into force Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland WIPO also works with governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and individuals to utilize IP for socioeconomic development. WIPO currently has 193 member states, including 190 UN member states and the Cook Islands, Holy See and Niue; Palestine has permanent observer status. The only non-members are the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and South Sudan. India joined WIPO in 1975.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 20TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Teesta River:

1. It originates in Tibet and flows into India in the state of West Bengal.
2. It joins the Padma River in Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 17^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Spending through the use of credit cards is more than on debit cards in India.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: RuPay credit cards are issued by the RBI-promoted National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Statement 3 is correct: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform is managed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

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