1. ETHICS CANNOT BE SEEN IN BLACK AND WHITE READ MORE
2. Festival of destroying vices, earning virtues READ MORE
3. Opinion: How some people die before dying READ MORE

1. Wetlands must form part of biodiversity framework READ MORE  
2. India’s new climate targets make no mention of some of the commitments made to the world in Glasgow READ MORE

1. Demographic benefit waning: India will start ageing soon, with average age slated to reach 38.1 years in 2050 READ MORE
2. COVID-19, arguably, has become endemic in India READ MORE
3. Closing the learning gaps left by Covid READ MORE

1. State-level OBC groups must be included in central list READ MORE
2. Handle personal data with care READ MORE
3. Illegal mining, indeed: Government’s admission must spur regulatory change READ MORE
4. In the Supreme Court of Erehwon: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Silent marches to recall Partition Mexico president wants PM Modi in panel for ‘global truce’ READ MORE
2. Corbevax gets nod as booster after Covishield, Covaxin shots READ MORE
3. Union Cabinet approves extension for PMAY-Urban READ MORE
4. Digital lending norms: Direct credit to a/c, sans third party READ MORE
5. Explained: Flying abroad, why Customs wants your PNR data READ MORE
6. Air pollution will harm brain development, 9 of 10 people breathe polluted air READ MORE
7. Thousands More Species at Risk of Extinction Than Currently Recorded: New Study READ MORE

Main Exam

1. Demographic benefit waning: India will start ageing soon, with average age slated to reach 38.1 years in 2050 READ MORE

 GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. State-level OBC groups must be included in central list READ MORE
2. Handle personal data with care READ MORE
3. Illegal mining, indeed: Government’s admission must spur regulatory change READ MORE
4. In the Supreme Court of Erehwon: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. COVID-19, arguably, has become endemic in India READ MORE
2. Closing the learning gaps left by Covid READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A new global vision for G20: A shift is required from commitments on aid and trade to collaboration around science and technology READ MORE
2. SCO summit: as a researcher with the Mumbai[1]based think-tank Gateway House has pointed out in a recent article, there were two anomalies this time around. READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India must spend more on agri research READ MORE
2. Some economic hurdles crossed, many ahead READ MORE
3. Fair share: Dependence on cess and surcharge must come down READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Wetlands must form part of biodiversity framework READ MORE  
2. India’s new climate targets make no mention of some of the commitments made to the world in Glasgow READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. ‘A multi-sectoral approach to adaptation finance would help strengthen allied sectors’ READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. ETHICS CANNOT BE SEEN IN BLACK AND WHITE READ MORE
2. Festival of destroying vices, earning virtues READ MORE
3. Opinion: How some people die before dying READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. With the help of the relevant examples discuss why India has a golden opportunity to leverage a favourable geopolitical moment into a long-term economic opportunity?
2. ‘Ethics is not something that can be seen in black and white. It is the conscientiousness that is the final arbiter’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• We can’t always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.
• A shift is required from commitments on aid and trade to collaboration around science and technology.
• A Global Financial Transaction Tax, considered by the G20 in 2011, needs to be revived to be paid to a Green Technology Fund for Least Developed Countries.
• The G20 plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
• It is time to deal with COVID-19 just like any other health condition and integrate interventions in general health service.
• Before the government thinks of any sub-categorisation among the OBCs, it should give proportional representation to the OBCs after conducting an extensive caste census.
• But it must first end the discriminatory non-inclusion of hundreds of state-level OBC groups in the central OBC list.
• Investment in research delivers higher returns than any other form of support to farmers, including subsidies.
• The substantive figures presented by the state government to show its seriousness in checking illegal mining negate its contention that there is no organised illegal mining activity in Haryana, but only stray incidents which are being dealt with strictly as per law.
• India needs a healthier and more educated workforce so that those seeking jobs can handle modern technology without which the economy cannot become more productive.
• India will also need to ensure that its economic strategy is environmentally sustainable and does not risk running into an ecological dead-end.
• The outcome of the act is not the sole determinant. In one word, it is the conscientiousness that is the final arbiter. This is the reason why even the actions of Gods are interpreted differently. Lord Ram’s killing of Bali or Lord Krishna’s actions in Mahabharata war can all be open to interpretation. Ethics is not something that can be seen in black and white.

50 WORD TALK

• Government has done well to remove the regressive caps on airfares. It should also rationalise taxes and levies on the sector to make it more competitive and allow airlines to invest in growing the pandemic-hit business and safety. Civil aviation is no longer a luxury but a critical public-facing service.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and 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 INDIAN HISTORY

1. THE REMAINS OF CANNON FOUND IN KERALA’S TALIPARAMBA

THE CONTEXT: An ancient cannon was found half submerged in a private property at Taliparamba near the National Highway. The workers, who were clearing the shrub jungle from the property, discovered the cannon, which is believed to be from the time of Tipu Sultan’s invasion of Malabar.

THE EXPLANATION:
• The cannon was found facing the Koppam river, probably installed to prevent invasions through the riverfront. This place is believed to be part of the Sultan’s invasion route, though historically not proven.
• There is also another place, locally referred to as the remains of a Tipu fort. Further studies would be conducted on the discovered cannon to establish its age. The archaeological department is probing the incident for further information.

VALUE ADDITION:
Who was Tipu Sultan?
• He was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore.
• In the wider national narrative, Tipu has so far been seen as a man of imagination and courage, a brilliant military strategist who, in a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most serious challenge the Company faced in India.

Contributions of Tipu Sultan:
1. Fought the first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69) at the age of 17 and subsequently, against the Marathas and in the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84).
2. He fought Company forces four times during 1767-99 and was killed defending his capital Srirangapatnam in the Fourth Anglo Mysore War.
3. Tipu reorganised his army along European lines, using new technology, including what is considered the first war rocket.
4. Devised a land revenue system based on detailed surveys and classification, in which the tax was imposed directly on the peasant, and collected through salaried agents in cash, widening the state’s resource base.
5. Modernised agriculture, gave tax breaks for developing wasteland, built irrigation infrastructure and repaired old dams, and promoted agricultural manufacturing and sericulture. Built a navy to support trade.
6. Commissioned a “state commercial corporation” to set up factories.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. THE ELECTRICITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

THE CONTEXT: The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 8, 2022. The Bill amends the Electricity Act, 2003. The Act regulates the electricity sector in India. It sets up the Central and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (CERC and SERCs) to regulate inter-state and intra-state matters, respectively.
THE EXPLANATION:
Key provisions under the Bill are:
• Multiple discoms in the same area: The Act provides for multiple distribution licensees (discoms) to operate in the same area of supply. The Act requires discoms to distribute electricity through their own network. The Bill removes this requirement. It adds that a discom must provide non-discriminatory open access to its network to all other discoms operating in the same area, on payment of certain charges. The central government may prescribe the criteria for determining the area of supply.
• Power procurement and tariff: Upon grant of multiple licenses for the same area, the power and associated costs as per the existing power purchase agreements (PPAs) of the existing discoms will be shared between all discoms.
• To meet any additional power requirements, a discom may enter into additional PPAs after meeting the obligations of existing agreements. Such additional power need not be shared with other discoms. Under the Act, in case of multiple discoms in the same area of supply, the SERC is required to specify the maximum ceiling for tariff. The Bill adds that the SERC will also specify a minimum tariff for such cases.
• Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund: The Bill adds that upon grant of multiple licenses for the same area, the state government will set up a Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund. Cross-subsidy refers to the arrangement of one consumer category subsidising the consumption of another consumer category. Any surplus with a distribution licensee on account of cross-subsidy will be deposited into the fund. The fund will be used to finance deficits in cross-subsidy for other discoms in the same area or any other area.
• The Bill specifies that the above matters related to the operation of multiple discoms in the same area will be regulated in accordance with the rules made by the central government under the Act.
• License for distribution in multiple states: As per the Bill, the CERC will grant licenses for distribution of electricity in more than one state.
• Payment security: The Bill provides that electricity will not be scheduled or despatched if adequate payment security is not provided by the discom. The central government may prescribe rules regarding payment security.
• Contract enforcement: The Bill empowers the CERC and SERCs to adjudicate disputes related to the performance of contracts. These refer to contracts related to the sale, purchase, or transmission of electricity. Further, the Commissions will have powers of a Civil Court.
• Renewable purchase obligation: The Act empowers SERCs to specify renewable purchase obligations (RPO) for discoms. RPO refers to the mandate to procure a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources. The Bill adds that RPO should not be below a minimum percentage prescribed by the central government. Failure to meet RPO will be punishable with a penalty between 25 paise and 50 paise per kilowatt of the shortfall.
• Selection committee for SERCs: Under the Act, the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority or the Chairperson of the CERC is one of the members of the selection committee to recommend appointments to the SERCs. Under the Bill, instead of this person, the central government will nominate a member to the selection committee. The nominee should not be below the rank of Additional Secretary to the central government.
• Composition of Commissions and APTEL: The Bill increases the number of members (including the chairperson) in SERCs from three to four. Further, at least one member in both the CERC and SERCs must be from law background. Under the Act, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) consists of a chairperson and three other members. The Bill instead provides that the APTEL will have three or more members, as may be prescribed by the central government.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS LANGYA, THE NEW ZOONOTIC VIRUS THAT HAS INFECTED 35 PEOPLE IN CHINA?

THE CONTEXT: Almost three years after the novel coronavirus was detected in China, a new zoonotic virus has been discovered in the country’s two eastern provinces with 35 infections identified so far. This new type of Henipavirus is also being called Langya Henipavirus or the LayV.
THE EXPLANATION:
Henipaviruses are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogens. They can cause severe illness in animals and humans, and as of now there are no licensed drugs or vaccines meant for humans.
What is Langya virus?
• The newly discovered virus is a “phylogenetically distinct Henipavirus”, according to a recent study — A Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China — published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
• The types of Henipaviruses that had been identified prior to this included Hendra, Nipah, Cedar, Mojiang and the Ghanaian bat virus. According to the US CDC, the Cedar virus, Ghanaian bat virus, and Mojiang virus are not known to cause human disease. But Hendra and Nipah infect humans and can cause fatal illness.
• Langya, meanwhile, is known to cause fever, with the NEJM study calling for a deeper investigation of associated human illness.
• The study adds that Langya’s genome organization is “identical to that of other Henipaviruses”, and that it is closely related to the “Mojiang Henipavirus, which was discovered in southern China”.
How was Langya virus discovered?
• Langya was discovered in eastern China during surveillance testing of patients who had fever along with a recent history of animal exposure. It was identified and isolated from the throat swab sample of one of those patients.
• According to the NEJM study, 35 patients with LayV infection were found in Shandong and Henan provinces, out of which 26 were only infected with this new virus and no other pathogen.
What are the symptoms of Langya virus?
• The study looked at the 26 patients with only LayV infection to identify the associated symptoms. While all 26 had fever, 54% reported fatigue, 50% had cough, 38% complained of nausea. Also, 35% of the total 26, complained of headache and vomiting. The study found that 35% had impaired liver function, while 8% had their kidney function impacted.
• The patients were accompanied by abnormalities of “thrombocytopenia (35%), leukopenia (54%), impaired liver (35%) and kidney (8%) function”, the study noted. Thrombocytopenia is low platelet count, while leukopenia means a fall in the white blood cell count, in turn reducing the body’s disease-fighting capability.
Where has Langya virus come from?
• In all likelihood, the new virus has jumped from an animal to humans. The LayV virus RNA has been predominantly found in shrews, which may be its natural hosts. The study zeroed in on shrews after conducting a serosurvey of domestic and wild animals. Among domestic animals, seropositivity was detected in goats and dogs.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSIAL ‘BUTTERFLY MINE’ RUSSIA HAS ALLEGEDLY USED IN UKRAINE?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the UK Ministry of Defence, in its intelligence assessment of the ongoing war in Ukraine, has and sounded an alarm on the possible use of PFM-1 series ‘Butterfly Mines’ by the Russian military in Donetsk and Kramatorsk.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is the intelligence assessment put out by UK ?
• As per an intelligence bulletin put out by UK Ministry of Defence a few days back on the security situation in Ukraine, Russia is likely to have deployed anti-personnel mines to deter freedom of movement along its defensive lines in the Donbas.
• As per the bulletin, these mines have the potential to inflict widespread casualties amongst both the military and the local civilian population.
• In Donetsk and Kramatorsk, Russia has highly likely attempted employment of PFM-1 and PFM-1S scatterable anti-personnel mines. Commonly called the ‘butterfly mine’, the PFM-1 series are deeply controversial, indiscriminate weapons.
• According to sources, the PFM-1s were used to devastating effect in the Soviet-Afghan War where they allegedly maimed high numbers of children who “mistook them for toys”.
It added that it is highly likely that the Soviet-era stock being used by Russia will have degraded over time and is now unreliable and unpredictable. This poses a threat to both the local population and humanitarian mine clearance operations, the bulletin says.
What is the ‘Butterfly Mine’ and why is it called so?
• The PFM-1 and PFM-1S are two kinds of anti-personnel landmines that are commonly referred to as ‘Butterfly mines’ or ‘Green Parrots’. These names are derived from the shape and colour of the mines. The main difference between the PFM-1 and PFM-1S mine is that the latter comes with a self destruction mechanism which gets activated within one to 40 hours.
• The ‘Butterfly mine’ has earned a reputation for being particularly attractive to children because it looks like a coloured toy. It is very sensitive to touch and just the act of picking it up can set it off. Because of the relatively lesser explosive packed in this small mine, it often injures and maims the handler rather than killing them. These mines are also difficult to detect because they are made of plastic and can evade metal detectors.
• These mines can be deployed in the field of action through several means, which include being dropped from helicopters or through ballistic dispersion using artillery and mortar shells. These mines glide to the ground without exploding and later explode on coming in contact. Since these mines were green in colour when they were first put to use they also earned the name ‘Green Parrots’.
How are these mines associated with Soviet Union and Afghanistan?
• By some estimates more than a million ‘Butterfly mines’ litter Afghanistan and were airdropped in valleys and mountain passes to impede the movement of the Afghan Mujahideen. More than 30,000 Afghans are believed to have been victims of these mines and a large number of children were among the casualties.
What are the technical specifications of this mine?
• The PFM series mines are moulded in polythene plastic and have two wings, one of which is heavier than the other. The thicker wing is the pressure activation for the main fuse which is contained in the central body. The thinner wing acts as a stabiliser for the mine when it is air-dropped, thus giving it the name ‘butterfly’. As per data available on the mine, a pressure exceeding 5 kg will activate the mine which contains 40g of explosive.
• The rapid means of deployment of the mine and the fact that it can be indiscriminately scattered to impede the advance of an enemy makes it an attractive option for a field commander, regardless of the danger that these can pose for non-combatants living in the area.
Are these kind of mines allowed by international law?
• The anti personal mines are banned by international convention on land lines but Russia and Ukraine are not signatories to it. However, there is a 1996 Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons-the Landlines Protocol to which Russia and Ukraine are signatories.
In the ongoing conflict, both countries have accused each other of having used these mines, since both posses them in sufficient numbers. Allegations and counter-allegations of the use of these mines have been made in Mariupol, Kharkiv and now Donetsk

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

5. RBI TARGETS UNFAIR METHODS IN DIGITAL LENDING WITH NEW NORMS

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the first set of guidelines for digital lending, to crack down on illegal activities by certain players. This follows the recommendation of a Working Group on Digital Lending that had submitted its report recently.
THE EXPLANATION:
• As per the new norms, all loan disbursals and repayments will be required to be executed only between the bank accounts of the borrower and the Regulated Entities (RE) – such as a bank or a non-banking financial company – without any pass-through or pool account of the Lending Service Providers or any third party.
• Stating that digital lending channels had become prominent recently, the RBI said concerns had also emerged which, “if not mitigated, may erode the confidence of members of the public in the digital lending ecosystem.”
• The concerns relate to ‘unbridled engagement of third parties, mis-selling, breach of data privacy, unfair business conduct, charging of exorbitant interest rates, and unethical recovery practices.
• “A standardised Key Fact Statement must be provided to the borrower before executing the loan contract”. The norms prohibit any automatic increase in credit limit without borrowers’ consent.
• They also allow a cooling-off period in which borrowers can exit loans by paying the principal and the proportionate annual percentage rate (APR) sans penalty.
• According to RBI, the framework is based on the principle that the lending business can be carried out only by entities regulated either by the Reserve Bank or entities permitted to do so under any other law.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

6. THE RISE IN HEINOUS CRIMES

According to Delhi Police data 3,140 of heinous crime cases reported in Delhi till July 15 2022, a 13% rise compared to the corresponding period 2021. The number of heinous crime cases in the first six months of 2021 were 2,790. The national capital witnessed 277 cases of murder, an almost 18% rise from the 235 cases in 2021. In the category of non-heinous cases, house theft incidents have increased by 553% from 1,158 in 2021 to 7,561 in 2022.

7. VIRUS PRONE HABITATS

500 In million, the number of people in South Asia living near habitats where bats host SARS-related coronaviruses, according to research published by Nature Communications. About 66,000 people in this region are infected each year with the same. The research focussed on 26 species of bats in a region of 5.1 million square kilometres stretching from China to Southeast and South Asia. The study said that viral transmission from bats to humans may have been “substantially underestimated”.

8. AIDING UKRAINE

5.5 In $ billion, the additional aid the U.S. will send Ukraine, with $4.5 billion in budgetary support and $1 billion in military assistance, to help the country overcome the turmoil of the Russian invasion. The grant will fund urgent government needs including payments for pensions, social welfare and healthcare costs, bringing the total U.S. fiscal aid to $8.5 billion. The funding, coordinated with the U.S. Treasury Department through the World Bank, will reach the Ukraine government in tranches.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

9. DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS IN CHINA: THE DISCOVERY AND ITS IMPORTANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the scientists have discovered over 4,300 dinosaur footprints in Hebei province of Zhangjiakou in northern China. This is the largest number of footprint fossils found in one spot in the country, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The footprints were made between the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages, around 150 million years ago.
THE EXPLANATION:
Dinosaur footprints in China: the discovery and its importance
• The largest number of dinosaur footprint fossils located in northern China, these cover an area of 9,000 square metres.
• According to news reports, the footprints show four different dinosaur species, one of which might be undiscovered.
• The report, published last month in the South China Morning Post, states that the footprints belong to herbivores and carnivores dinosaurs; while the former could reach lengths of nearly 15 metres, the latter was four to five metres.
• Scientists believe the area may have attracted dinosaurs due to the availability of water and trees at the time.
• Though announced last month, the discovery was made in 2020, and since then, scientists have been carrying out 3D imaging of the footprints and casting molds of them.
How did the dinosaur footprints become fossils?
• Preserved footprints, also known as ichnites, are trace fossils that have survived millions of years. These are found in earthen materials that were soft enough to form the foot impression and hard enough to retain it.
• Over time, the material dried, hardened, and was covered with layers of sediment, helping the impression become fossilised. In numerous instances, soil erosion is now bringing them to the surface.
What do dinosaur footprints tell us?
Dinosaur tracks denote the activity of an animal when it was alive.
• In the South China Morning Post report, Michael Pittman, paleontologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says, “Trackway sites tell us about the types of dinosaurs that lived in the original ecosystems, and they can also preserve the tracks of other animals, like lizards and insects. They tell us about the behaviour of the track maker… For example, they tell us how dinosaurs ran and walked, and some seem to record them swimming.”
• Paleontologists also study dinosaur gait and speed from the footprint tracks. For instance, footprints close together indicate the animals were running, while spaced footprints mean they were walking. While it is difficult to identify the exact species of dinosaur that made a track, trackways do help determine if it was made by a bipedal or quadrupedal dinosaur, which moves on two or four legs, respectively.
• In instances where the remains are intact, scientists are also able to examine skin impressions of the animals and details of the claw marks.

[WpProQuiz 308]

THE CONTEXT: The 14th BRICS Summit concluded on 24 June 2022. It was hosted by China and was held virtually. This was the first time after February 2022 when the Russian president participated in a multilateral meeting. Though the grouping as envisaged in the beginning was that of an economic group lately its relevance has also been felt in other geopolitical affairs, more so after the Russian military action on Ukraine. This article analyses the relevance of the grouping in present times and in what direction the group is moving.

THE 14^TH BRICS SUMMIT

THEME

• Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development.

BRICS PLUS

• ‘BRICS Plus’ was first mooted by China in March 2017 with the objective of widening the “circle of friends” of BRICS that can bring unity among developing countries and enhance South-South cooperation. The initiative is aimed at upping the outreach activities of the BRICS countries with the Global South and building wider partnerships with emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs).
• 14th BRICS Summit virtual conference of BRICS PLUS was also held as part of the main meeting with ministers from countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Argentina, Nigeria, Senegal, and Thailand.

EXPANSION

• Two new countries – Iran and Argentina – have applied to join the BRICS grouping.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT

ADOPTING THE BEIJING DECLARATION

All the participants of the 14th BRICS Summit adopted a final declaration recording the key agreements reached during the discussions, which are:

• The intention to strengthen and reform the multilateral system, which includes the use of innovative and inclusive solutions, capacity building for both states themselves and international organisations, and using inclusive consultation and cooperation for the benefit of all while respecting sovereign independence.
• Leaders of the association states have pledged to promote international and regional peace and security, social and economic development as well as the preservation of the natural balance.
• In addition, participating countries advocated promoting greater participation of developing countries in global processes.
• Heads of the BRICS states stressed the need to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN UKRAINE

• Concerns over the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine and expressed their support for efforts of the UN Secretary-General, UN Agencies and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide humanitarian assistance in accordance with the basic principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.

TERRORISM

• While discussing terrorism and terror cooperation, the BRICS countries said that only the UN Security Council has the authority for imposing sanctions.
• On Afghanistan, BRICS countries called for “Afghanistan authorities to achieve national reconciliation through dialogue and negotiation, and to establish a broad-based and inclusive and representative political structure”, adding that Afghan territory must not be used to shelter terrorists or attack any other country.

INITIATIVE ON DENIAL OF SAFE HAVEN TO CORRUPTION

• The BRICS Initiative on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption aims to further strengthen anti-corruption capacity building through education and training programs and enhance anti-corruption exchanges and cooperation within multilateral frameworks.

FRAMEWORK FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION IN E-COMMERCE 

• The declaration welcomed the establishment of the Digital Economy Working Group by upgrading the E-commerce Working Group.
• And the BRICS nations have agreed to promote consumer protection in e-commerce by advancing the implementation of the BRICS Framework for Consumer Protection in E-commerce.

MORE FOCUS ON COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING

• The summit also expressed concern over the serious drug situation in the world. BRICS declaration appreciates the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group’s active role in combating transnational drug trafficking and promoting global drug governance and will further strengthen drug control cooperation.

VARIOUS COOPERATION ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE IN THE SUMMIT

• Members will cooperate to strengthen and reform global governance. They will work in solidarity to combat Covid-19, safeguard peace and security, promote economic recovery, expedite implementation of the 2030 SDGs, deepen people-to-people exchanges, and promote institutional development.
• Members have converging interests on critical issues such as counter-terrorism; trade; health; traditional medicine; environment; science technology and innovation; the reform of the multilateral system etc.

INDIA’S PROPOSALS AT THE SUMMIT

• India proposed strengthening the BRICS Identity system and creating an online database for BRICS documents.
• India proposed the establishment of a BRICS Railways Research Network and strengthening cooperation between MSMEs to improve connectivity and supply chains between member states.
• India will hold a BRICS start-up event this year because India has become the 3rd largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Therefore, it is in the right position to lead a global South.
• India advocated for strengthening civil society organisations and think tanks.
• India highlighted the significance of building people-to-people connections within BRICS, cooperation in the post-Covid global recovery etc.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 14th BRICS SUMMIT

• The summit was the first meeting since the invasion of Ukraine- giving the message that Russia is not isolated, economically or otherwise. The BRICS member countries are aware of their food and energy security needs and also of the world and it will send a message that the economic sanctions by the west are not called for and debate and discussions are the best way forward.
• The leaders held discussions on Counter-terrorism, trade, health, traditional medicine, environment, science, technology & innovation, agriculture, and technical and vocational education & training which may lead to greater cooperation among the BRICS Nations.
• The leaders adopted the ‘Beijing Declaration’ that referred to the need to avoid politicisation of the work of the UNSC sanctions committee, it is necessary that the UNSC Sanctions committee works in an unbiased manner and BRICS Grouping can act as a pressure point in order to depoliticize UNSC.
• The basic trend of BRICS countries participating in global economic governance is to carry out reforms while maintaining the stability of old governance mechanisms and build a new governance mechanism according to new objective requirements. The proposed BRICS payment system as an alternative to the SWIFT payment system and Contingent Reserve Arrangement as a counter to the Dollar based system are much welcomed initiatives to break away from western hegemony.

THE FRICTION POINTS WITHIN THE GROUPING

BILATERAL ISSUES

• BRICS members don’t discuss bilateral issues, but issues like the India-China border dispute and PLA transgressions over the LAC are bound to have an impact on BRICS solidarity in the long run. At the summit, all five nations articulated their priorities, which indicate towards diverging national interests which may hamper the greater cooperation among the nations.

o   India highlighted the need for greater sensitivity among BRICS members to each other’s security concerns, like terrorism. For example, China blocked the US-India joint move to list Pakistan-based terrorists as a global terrorist.

BRI

• China’s big infrastructure push, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has not been accepted well by India and even Russia while Brazil and South Africa are. This may pose challenge in bilateral issues as well as global supply chains.

UKRAINE ISSUE

• BRICS member countries have diverging opinions regarding the Russia’s military action on Ukraine. While China and Russia have come closer, especially with the announcement of a No-Limits Partnership, India, Brazil and South Africa have been cautious in making any statements at the global platform.

CONCERNS OF THE RISE OF RIC WITHIN BRICS

• There are concerns of the rise of RIC within BRICS. This could mean greater industrial and energy cross investments between Russia and India as well as between Russia and China. This will create a north Eurasian integrationist core within BRICS (RIC controls 22 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of global exports of goods and services.) However other member countries might feel alleviated.

UN REFORMS

• India and Brazil pushed for an expanded UN Security Council (UNSC). However, China is certainly not in favor of a permanent seat for India. Politically, the member countries are not all on the same page at the same time. Lack of a binding ideology, bilateral differences, diversity in terms of socio-cultural lead to differences which results in disagreements at multilateral platforms.

NATO

• The different members of the grouping have different views on condemning NATO. These differences certainly create doubt on the grouping’s tall goals of reorienting the global order.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE 14^th BRICS SUMMIT

The most remarkable thing about the BRICS summit 2022 was that its five members managed to negotiate their way through the meeting in a way that sent no ripples of surprise through the post-February 24, 2022 world; for India, BRICS was always about its commitment to building non-western alliances, but this time it was, more, an international balancing act. BRICS is actively involved in the efforts to change the world economic system by increasing the number of non-Western states in international financial institutes. India will also be organizing BRICS Startup event this year to strengthen connection between Startups in BRICS countries, a step in the right direction for economic cooperation. The 14th BRICS Summit can be expected to contribute to the construction of a fair, democratic and multipolar system of international relations and to forcefully represent the voice of the developing and emerging countries on the crucial questions facing humanity. A new platform to bridge the vaccine divide, new plan to ensure food security, managing the new forms of business in the era of digital economy are the potential areas where the nations have agreed to collaborate and cooperate. BRICS PLUS though at a nascent stage, in future could be a food exchange platform where Indian rice and wheat, Russian barley and sunflower oil, Chinese cotton and Brazilian soybeans could create a food basket that the whole world wants.

 RELEVANCE OF THE BRICS

• Economically, militarily, technologically, socially and culturally, BRICS nations represent a powerful bloc. They have an estimated combined population of 3.23 billion people, which is over 40 per cent of the world’s population. They account for over more than a quarter of the world’s land area over three continents, and for more than 25 per cent of the global GDP. The grouping comprises two of the fastest-growing nations, India and China. As the world today witnesses increasing factors of instability, uncertainty and insecurity, the consequences of the Ukraine crisis for BRICS and the world also presents an opportunity for the member nations to come together on various issues, be it global food crises, supply chains and or even world peace and order. Even with the disagreements over various issues within the grouping they should try and leverage the opportunity and should be the builders of the universal peace and security.
• BRICS members have similar approach regarding the governance of the global economy. The BRICS countries should continue to cooperate on issues where interests align. There remains a strong convergence of interests amid undeniable differences, like financing projects by the NDB, working on climate change, or space cooperation where the five countries have also agreed to create a joint constellation of remote sensing satellites.

THE WAY FORWARD

• The new geopolitical reality, where so much is in flux and unclear, creates a space for powerful new narratives. Some of the BRICS members could be potential targets of the kind of economic warfare deployed by the West against Russia. It is time that BRICS and other like-minded countries seriously work toward the creation of a parallel economic bloc that doesn’t rely on US-led institutions.
• BRICS requires a recalibration of its structure and agenda. Creating financial mechanisms and technological institutions could turn BRICS into a G20 for developing nations. It’s time to revisit the idea of expanding the grouping by inviting new members. This could also impart new vigour to the BRICS’s developmental goals.
• Deepening strategic commitment: BRICS countries need to strengthen political mutual trust and security cooperation, maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, accommodate each other’s core interests to keep the group relevant in present times.
• Post-pandemic world: There is a strong need for “equity and justice” in multilateral organisations with more investment in poverty alleviation, education, health and food security. The world is not the same as it was before the pandemic. The group should harness its position to bring changes in the governance of the developing world so that they can effectively recover from the pandemic after effects. The whole world is focusing on post-Covid recovery and the role of BRICS countries will continue to remain very important again. BRICS Business Forum is a novel idea and shall be pursued proactively by the member nations.
• Facing the rising tide of de-globalisation and the increase of unilateral sanctions and technology barriers, BRICS countries should enhance mutually-beneficial cooperation in supply chains, energy, food and financial resilience.

THE CONCLUSION: The emergence of an alliance of nations in the global south, that breaks the West’s hegemony, could be a game-changer in geopolitics. The Ukraine crisis could be an occasion for the leaders of BRICS nations to commit themselves to the original goal of the bloc. It’s an opportunity they shouldn’t let go of. BRICS also requires a recalibration of its structure and agenda. Creating financial mechanisms and technological institutions could turn BRICS into a G20 for developing nations. It’s time to revisit the idea of expanding the grouping by inviting/admitting new members. This could also impart new vigour to the BRICS’s developmental goals.

Mains Practice Questions:

• Is the BRICS grouping relevant in present times? Justify your stand.
• What are the possible areas of cooperation discussed in the 14^th BRICS Summit, 2022? How relevant is the idea of BRICS Start-up event.
• Whether BRICS could be an effective anti-thesis to the G-7 grouping of developed nations. Analyse.

BACK TO BASICS

BRICS

ABOUT

BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers’ in 2006.

South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.

SHARE OF BRICS

The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global trade.

CHAIRMANSHIP

The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.

India hosted in 2021.

INITIATIVES OF THE BRICS

• New Development Bank:

o   During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB – Shanghai, China).

o   It has so far approved 70 infrastructure and sustainable development projects worth.

• Contingent Reserve Arrangement

o   In 2014, the BRICS governments signed a treaty on the setting up of the contingent reserve arrangement

o   The arrangement is aimed at forestalling short-term balance of payments pressures, providing mutual support and strengthening financial stability of the BRICS nations.

• BRICS Payment System

o   BRICS countries are trying to create a payment system as an alternative to the SWIFT payment system.

o   This has taken on a new urgency as post-Ukraine war, Russia has been frozen out of SWIFT.

• Customs Agreements

o   Customs agreements were signed to coordinate and ease trade transport between BRICS countries

• Remote Sensing Satellite:

o   A Remote Sensing constellation of satellites has been launched – with 6 satellites including 2 from India, 2 from China, 1 from Russia, and 1 Brazil-China collaboration