Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Time to rethink relations with Russia
Context
Russia’s war on Ukraine has decisively shaped international opinion. Indian foreign policy is also going to be affected in a profound manner.
India’s foreign policy conundrum
- Russia’s attack on Ukraine has put New Delhi in a foreign policy conundrum that will not disappear soon because Russia’s action has changed the global order.
- India has not directly criticised Moscow’s action.
- Memories of the historic Indo-Soviet partnership still seem to tip the scales when it comes to India’s vote at the UNSC.
- Western countries have criticised India’s repeated abstentions at the UNSC on the issue of the Russian invasion.
- The Western world has imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia and banned energy imports.
- New Delhi is concerned about the impact of these sanctions on global finance, energy supplies, and transportation, amid growing signs that they will constrain India’s ability to import Russian oil.
India’s challenges
- Russia’s increasing dependence on China: What must worry India is the fact that Russia will now become increasingly dependent on Chinese support to defend its policies.
- The collapsing ruble, the punishing sanctions, and the dire state of the Russian economy will push Russia further into China’s military and economic orbit.
- China’s challenge in Indo-Pacific: India’s real strategic challenge is surfacing in the Indo-Pacific with the rise of China, as Beijing has consistently sought to expand its zone of military, economic and political influence through the Belt and Road Initiative.
- Though India would like the U.S. to continue to focus on China, it is not possible for Washington to ignore Russia’s aggression along NATO’s periphery.
How India’s ties with Russia changed over time
- Since the end of the Cold War, Indians have been debating the contours of strategic autonomy.
- For one section the doctrine of ‘multi-alignment’ is the 21st century avatar of strategic autonomy as India has been expanding its engagement with all the major powers.
- Following the disintegration of the USSR, India joined Russia and China against the unipolarity of the U.S.
- For some time, this common concern about unipolarity put the three countries on the same path towards mutual cooperation and understanding.
- Later, Brazil and South Africa were also brought into this coalition.
- However, it soon became clear that India and China did not see eye to eye.
- Moreover, India was determined to maintain its partnership with Russia, an important arms supplier.
- Its ties with the U.S. have also improved significantly since the end of the Cold War.
- But continuing dependence on Russian weaponry has become India’s strategic headache.
Way forward for India
- Under Mr. Putin, Russia is in a state of transition, swinging wildly from one crisis to another.
- Therefore, it is too risky for India to pursue vague aims vis-à-vis Russia in these uncertain times.
- A NATO-Russia Council was formed specifically to alleviate Russia’s concerns, and that Russia was recognised as one of the world’s leading industrial powers through a formal admission into the elite G-7.
- Though Moscow has drifted much closer to Beijing, and is sharply critical of India’s engagement with the U.S. and the Quad, India finds it difficult to extend support to Ukraine.
- It goes without saying that the U.S. is the country most likely to bolster India’s future as a great power.
Conclusion
It is not going to be easy for New Delhi to maintain its balancing act in the future as Washington hardens its position further. It is inevitable that during this time of diplomatic and strategic uncertainty, New Delhi needs to be ready to radically redefine its relationship with Moscow.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CCTN
Mains level: Paper 2- Use of technology in policing and issues with it
Context
On March 11, speaking at the NCRB Foundation Day, the Union Home Minister remarked that the second phase of the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) is set to be completed by 2026.
Increasing use of technology for policing
- the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), a Rs 3,500 crore project, is set to be completed by 2026 with increased use of artificial intelligence, fingerprint systems and other tools of predictive policing.
- One crore fingerprints had already been uploaded and if these were available to all police stations as part of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), there would no longer be any need to pursue criminals.
- The existing systems of ICJS and CCTNS empower the state to cross-reference data between different pillars of the criminal justice system.
- Recently, the Indore Police Commissioner unveiled a “fingerprint-based criminal record data fetching system” in which a small thumb impression machine can be added to a phone.
- If the fingerprint recorded matches with the police database, all information about a person’s criminal record will be pulled up.
Issues with the use of technologies
- Privacy concerns: The enthusiasm for generating and cross-referencing data to make policing more efficient ignores privacy concerns and structural faults of policing.
- The Supreme Court in K.S Puttaswamy declared a fundamental right to informational privacy as paramount and noted that any measure that sought to collect information or surveil must be legal, necessary, and proportionate.
- Fear of mass surveillance: Integrating “fingerprint-based criminal record data fetching system” to the list of predictive policing practices will give birth to mass surveillance, particularly of certain oppressed caste communities, based on little evidence.
- Nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes were ascribed “criminality by birth” and considered as “hereditary criminals addicted to systematic commission of non-bailable offences” under the colonial Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.
- It has been replaced with the murky Habitual Offenders (HO) provisions, which have acted as a tool for police to continue to attribute criminality to Vimukta communities, by mandating their surveillance through regular check-ins at police stations.
- Mere suspicion or FIRs filed against an individual are sufficient to trigger the discretionary powers of the police.
Consider the question “Use of technology in policing can make it better at the same time run the risk of making it more dangerous.” Critically examine.
Conclusion
With the increasing adoption of technology in policing, we must pay attention to the risks involved and the issue of misuse.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Internationalization of Kashmir Issue
Finance Minister sought to remind Parliament that it was the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who internationalized the Kashmir issue by taking it to the United Nations.
Kashmir at UN
- The United Nations has played an advisory role in maintaining peace and order in the Kashmir region soon after the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947.
- India took this matter to the UN Security Council, which passed resolution 39 (1948) and established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to investigate the issues and mediate between the two countries.
- Following the cease-fire of hostilities, it also established the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to monitor the cease-fire line.
Why did Nehru agree to these terms?
- In December 1947, because the British perhaps suggested Nehru that this matter will not be resolved unless you take it to the UN.
- British were convinced that an intermediary was needed.
- Nehru, a loyalist to the British agreed upon the terms laid by Mountbatten.
- It was Nehru who first put forth the idea of a referendum under the aegis of UN soon after independence.
- There is evidence to believe Sardar Patel was uncomfortable with Nehru taking the matter to the UN, and thought it was a mistake.
Issue: Adventurism by Pakistan
- The discussions in the Security Council on our complaint of aggression by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir took a very unfavourable turn.
- Pakistan then succeeded, with the support of the British and American members creating a western bias against India.
- Pakistan is misusing this till date paving wave for third-party intervention.
- It is an issue which should not have gone to a global forum, it is essentially an Indian issue.
Article 35 of UN Charter
- There has been some debate on whether India chose the wrong path to approach the UN.
- In 2019, Home Minister said that had Nehru taken the matter to the UN under Article 51 of the UN Charter, instead of Article 35, the outcome could have been different.
- India pointed out that J&K had acceded to India, and that the “Government of India considered the giving of this assistance by Pakistan to be an act of aggression against India.
- Articles 33-38 of the UN Charter occur in Chapter 6, titled “Pacific (peaceful) Settlement of Disputes” :
These Articles lay out that:
- the parties to a dispute that has the potential for endangering international peace and security are not able to resolve the matter through negotiations between them, or by any other peaceful means, or with the help of a “regional agency”
- the Security Council may step in, with or without the invitation of one or another of the involved parties, and recommend “appropriate procedures or methods of recommendation”
- Article 35 only says that any member of the UN may take a dispute to the Security Council or General Assembly
- Article 51, which occurs in Chapter 7, titled “Action With Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression”
- It says that a UN member has the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if attacked
Issues with the internationalization of Kashmir
- Kashmir issue no longer remains bilateral; it has thus been internationalized.
- However, India has been successful in perhaps internationalizing terrorism but not the Kashmir problem.
- But unwarranted statements against India’s sovereign concerns are increasing these days.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IAS
Mains level: Read the attached story
Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions told the Lok Sabha that as on January 1, 2021, there were 5,231 IAS officers in the country — 1,515 (22.45 per cent) fewer than the sanctioned strength of 6,746.
About IAS
- The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India.
- Considered the premier central civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service.
- Members of these three services serve the Government of India as well as the individual states.
- IAS officers may also be deployed to various public sector undertakings and international organizations.
Functions of the IAS
- Upon confirmation of service, an IAS officer serves a probationary period as a sub-divisional magistrate.
- Completion of this probation is followed by an executive administrative role in a district as a district magistrate and collector which lasts several years.
- After this tenure, an officer may be promoted to head a whole state administrative division, as a divisional commissioner.
How are officers recruited in the IAS?
- Direct recruits are selected through the Civil Service Examination (CSE) every year; the number of recruits is decided by a committee that takes several factors into account.
- Since 2012, 180 IAS officers have been recruited every year through the CSE.
- A committee has been constituted to arrive at a suitable formula to determine the intake of IAS officers every year from CSE-2022 to 2030.
- Some officers are promoted from the State Civil Services (SCS), and a limited number are promoted from among non-SCS officers.
- Filling of vacancies through induction from State Services is a continuous process.
- The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) holds Selection Committee meetings with state governments.
Is the shortage a new trend?
- The shortage has been a constant feature ever since — it was the least in 2001 (0.79 per cent), and the most in 2012 (28.87 per cent), as per available data.
How is the sanctioned strength decided?
- There is a provision for quinquennial cadre reviews for every cadre of the All India Services under the relevant Cadre Rules.
- The Cadre Review Committee (CRC) is headed by the Cabinet Secretary with the Secretary DoPT, Secretary Expenditure, Secretary Administrative Ministry, and the senior-most member of the service/cadre in question as its members.
- Cadre review is an ongoing process, and some states are taken up by rotation every year for review — in 2020-21.
- For example, it was decided to revise the strength and composition of the IAS in UP and Bihar, and of the IPS in Manipur.
- The sanctioned strength, therefore, keeps changing.
What impact can a shortage of IAS officers have?
- IAS officers are given a wide range of high-level responsibilities.
- In states, their work relates to the collection of revenue, maintenance of law and order, and supervision of policies of the central and state governments.
- They function as executive magistrates in revenue matters, and as development commissioners.
- They supervise the spending of public funds and, at a senior level, contribute to policy formulation and decision-making in consultation with Ministers.
- They serve the central government under deputation.
Other issues
- State governments have sometimes refused to send IAS/IPS/Indian Forest Service officers to the Centre saying they are short of officers.
- The Centre has recently proposed amendments to the IAS (Cadre) Rules in order to exercise greater control in central deputation of IAS officers.
Why can’t we have more IAS officers?
- The B S Baswan Committee, said in its report submitted in 2016 that “any number above 180 would
- Compromise quality
- Exceed the LBNSAA’s (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration’s) capacity and
- Lead to a distortion in the career pyramid of IAS officers, particularly for senior posts in the Government of India
- The Committee recommended that “vacant posts in the Centre and states can be filled by deputation where the number of deputationists would be less than the present.”
Issues with shortage of Officers
- Bureaucracy deficit is, perhaps, compelling states to take recourse to such means as appointing non-cadre officers to cadre posts.
- States allow them to continue in such posts beyond the permissible time limit besides giving multiple charges to serving officers.
- Such measures compromise the efficiency of administration.
Way ahead
- The DoPT should increase the annual intake of IAS officers significantly keeping in view the evolving needs of Indian administration.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Facets of Indian Diplomacy
The government has convened a multi-Ministerial group to look into how to overcome challenges in trade with Russia, including managing payments for exporters and importers.
Recent course of updates
- Many parliamentarians have raised concerns over India’s abstentions at the United Nations and the impact of Indian policy on India’s trade and ties with the US.
- Developments indicate a possible revival of “rupee-rouble trade” in the wake of economic sanctions against Russian banks and entities by more than 40 US and European allies.
- India’s position has been “steadfast and consistent”, and India has repeatedly called for the immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities.
Gearing-up for a ‘Shaky’ response
- FM responded to a question over India’s support on sanctions being “somewhat shaky” amongst Quad partners.
- Leaders asked whether there would be any “negative impact” on India’s relations with its closest allies.
India’s clear stance
- Indian foreign policy decisions are made in Indian national interest and we are guided by our thinking, our views and our interests.
- So, there is no question of linking the Ukraine situation to issues of trade, the FM clarified.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indias military satellites
Mains level: Not Much
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of a GSAT 7B satellite.
What are the GSAT 7 series satellites?
- GSAT 7 satellites are advanced satellites developed by the ISRO to meet the communication needs of the defence services.
- The satellite was injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) of 249 km perigee (nearest point to earth), 35,929 km apogee (farthest point to earth) and an inclination of 3.5 degree with respect to the equator.
- The GSAT 7 satellite was launched in August 2013 from an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from Kourou in French Guiana.
- It is a 2,650 kg satellite which has a footprint of nearly 2,000 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean region.
Utility of this satellite
- This satellite is mainly used by the Indian Navy for its communication needs.
- The GSAT 7 provides a gamut of services for military communication needs, which includes low bit voice rate to high bit rate data facilities, including multi-band communications.
- Named Rukmini, the satellite carries payloads in UHF, C-band and Ku-band, and helps the Navy to have a secure, real time communication link between its land establishments, surface ships, submarines and aircraft.
What will be the role of the GSAT 7B satellite?
- The GSAT 7B will primarily fulfil the communication needs of the Army.
- Currently, the Army is using 30 per cent of the communication capabilities of the GSAT 7A satellite, which has been designed for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
- The GSAT 7B will also help the Army enhance its surveillance in border areas.
- While many features of this satellite are still a closely guarded secret, it is expected that the state of the art, multi-band, military-grade satellite shall be a shot in the arm for the communication and surveillance needs of the Army.
What is the role of the GSAT 7A satellite, which is already operational?
- The GSAT 7A was launched in 2018 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
- It has gone a long way in boosting the connectivity between the ground radar stations, airbases and the airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) of the IAF.
- It also helps in satellite controlled operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which gives a great deal of reliability to the operations as compared to ground-controlled operations.
- This satellite has 10 channels in Ku band with switchable frequency for mobile users, one fixed Gregorian or parabolic antenna, and four steerable antennae.
Future plans
- A GSAT 7C satellite is on the cards for the IAF, and a proposal to this effect was cleared by the DAC in 2021.
- This satellite would facilitate real time communication with IAF’s software defined radio communication sets.
- It will increase the capability of the IAF to communicate beyond the line of sight in a secure mode.
What other kinds of military satellites does India have?
- An Electromagnetic Intelligence Gathering Satellite (EMISAT), developed by ISRO, was launched in April 2020 through a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C45).
- It has an Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) package called Kautilya, which allows the interception of ground-based radar and also carries out electronic surveillance across India.
- The ELINT package provides the capability in direction-finding of radar and fixing their locations.
- It is placed in a 748-km orbit, and is said to be based on the Israeli satellite system.
- This satellite circles the globe pole-to-pole, and is helpful in gathering information from radars of countries that have borders with India.
- India also has a RISAT 2BR1 synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite, which was launched in December 2019 from Sriharikota.
- It has the capability to operate in different modes including very high resolution imaging modes of 1×0.5 metre resolution and 0.5×0.3 m resolution with a swath of 5-10 km.
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