Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: WIPO, UNIDO
Mains level: Paper 2-Multilateralism in the post-Covid world
What is the future of multilateralism? This is the question we have come across many times recently. Given the chaos that we are witnessing in the global order, multilateral seems to be headed for either collapse or capture by China. But, the author of this article suggests that it would be a mistake to consider the choice as binary. Between the collapse and the capture, there are many stakeholders working for its sustenance. So, multilateralism will endure.
International institutions performing below par
- The COVID-19 outbreak has placed all international institutions under a magnifying glass.
- By any measure, most have performed below par.
- Such is the caution espoused that multilateralism today seems to have reverted to its version 0.1.
- The General Assembly now passes resolutions through no-objection procedure.
- The Security Council has been found wanting in no small measure.
- The 75th session’s ‘leaders week’ runs the risk of being reduced to a video playback session.
Pursuit of change by threatening to leave
- It is true that functioning of multilateral institutions requires reform.
- They need to adapt to new realities.
- However, the pursuit of change by threatening to leave multilateral institutions is a phenomenon we witnessed only during the period of the League of Nations.
- One state followed another in bidding goodbye, until the League’s final demise.
Why post Second World War institutions survived departures
- The post Second World War multilateral institutions have survived such departures.
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris and the Human Rights Council in Geneva have survived the departure of the U.S.
- The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna continues despite the withdrawal of the U.S. and many others.
- The World Health Organization (WHO), notwithstanding its visible shortcomings, will survive U.S. threats.
- The reasons are simple.
- Multilateral organisations serve desperately felt global needs of the vast membership.
- The pandemic has reinforced the desire for greater global cooperation amongst most states.
So, will the current multi-lateral order survive China’s onslaught?
- It is true that Chinese nationals head four multilateral organisations.
- It is also true that Chinese nationals have failed in campaigns to head UNESCO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- Despite contributing nearly 10% of the UN’s budget, Chinese nationals are not exactly over-represented in terms of staff positions.
- China has certainly risen up the multilateral pantheon and is able to better promote its interests.
- It has warded off attacks against it in multilateral fora, at times with the aid of the heads of these organisations.
- However, it is yet to display an ability to set the multilateral agenda and dominate the discourse on an array of issues, in the manner that the U.S. once indispensably did.
- China’s flagship venture, the Belt and Road Initiative, remains only on the fringes of multilateral fora.
- Neither in monetary terms nor in substantive inputs are there portents of a ‘Chinese takeover’.
- Amidst this, multilateral bodies are populated by a plethora of small and middle states quietly working to restore equilibrium, when the balance tends to shift.
- The capture of the existing multilateral order by a new hegemon is antithetical to the ethos of multilateralism.
- Multilateralism thrives on the notion of the Lilliputians tying up Gulliver — old or new.
Evolving multilateralism is not a choice between collapse and capture
- Between collapse and capture, there are other pathways.
- Multilateral architecture places a premium on structures over functions, processes over substance.
- It slows down the change of any sort.
- The same processes that have stalled change in the past will militate against a takeover in the future.
- Does that mean that multilateralism will meander meaninglessly?
- It will meander, but perhaps not meaninglessly.
- The ‘pluri-laterals’ and the emerging ‘mini-laterals’ each have their place in terms of international agenda-setting, but global norm-setting requires inclusivity that they lack.
Opportunity for India
- Being able to shape the discourse at an incipient stage is a good perch to be on.
- Issue-specific ‘coalitions of the willing’ are catalysts.
- As a growing power, India needs to avail of such avenues.
- However, by themselves, these will not do justice to the depth and variety of India’s interests and our stakes in global cooperation.
- Also, they are not holistic solutions in ensuring global acceptance of norms.
Understanding the essence of multilateralism
- Responses of states during the COVID-19 crisis point to more emphasis on sovereign decision making than before.
- The imprimatur for acting on behalf of the global community is not going to be available easily.
- On myriad issues, from sustainable development to the environment, from climate change to pandemics and cyberspace to outer space, the demands for ‘nothing about us without us’ are likely to increase.
- Since stakeholders perceive that their stakes have risen, they will call for enhanced engagement.
- Convening such stakeholders in pursuit of global goals is the essence of multilateralism.
Consider the question “In the world afflicted by Covid, multilateralism seems to be headed for collapse or capture by a hegemon. Critically examine.”
Conclusion
We need to patiently promote reforms while building partnerships to avail opportunities which may arise for more fundamental change. We need to bide our time without hiding our intent.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: DMZ, Armstice Agreement
Mains level: Read the attached story
North Korea blew up the joint liaison office with South Korea in Kaesong, an industrial township on its side of the border, becoming one of the most serious incidents to have occurred between the two countries, without them actually going to war.
Must read:
What is the Korean Armistice Agreement?
Practice question for mains:
Q. What is the Korean Armstice Agreement? Discuss the concept of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)?
What is this liaison office?
- In 2003, North Korea and South Korea jointly set up a liaison office at Kaesong in North Korea.
- It was set up in 2018 to facilitate communication between North Korea and South Korea.
- The Kaesong Industrial Complex is a joint industrial zone where factories are operated and run by both North Koreans and South Koreans.
- At its height, approximately 120 factories were operating in this industrial zone with more than 50,000 North Korean employees and several hundred managers.
Why did Pyongyang demolish it?
- Since the past week, tensions between the two countries had increased after Pyongyang objected to activists and defectors in South Korea sending anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets, rice and Bibles using balloons.
- Experts believe that these moves come after North Korea’s frustrations at South Korea’s inability to revive inter-Korean economic projects under pressure from the US, along with UN sanctions.
What’s next?
- The demolition occurred just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong had threatened to destroy the liaison office.
- Following the demolition, North Korean said that it would be deploying troops in demilitarized areas, including in the Kaesong industrial zone.
Are they heading towards war?
- Observers say that these actions by North Korea have been the most provocative in recent years.
- Experts believe these provocations may have occurred because Pyongyang is hoping to pressure Seoul into giving it more concessions that would be economically beneficial for North Korea that has been hit hard by sanctions.
- Experts believe these actions, however provocative, are not severe enough for Seoul to contemplate military aggression in retaliation.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ECA, APMC Act
Mains level: Paper 3- Agri-marketing and issues with it
Following the announcement of reforms in the agri-sector, the government issued ordinances to make good on its promise. These ordinances deal with- ECA-1955, APMC Act and Contract farming. The author in this article examines whether these ordinances deliver on the promises made or not.
1) Ordinance for amendment of APMC Act
- ‘Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020.’ seek to address the problems farmers face in selling their produce.
- Due to the unionisation of middlemen (arhatias) and their financial clout, politicians in the states have been reluctant to amend agriculture marketing laws which are exploitative and don’t allow farmers to receive a fair price.
- Rather than coax the states financially to correct the markets, an unregulated marketplace has been created where 15 crore farmers will be exposed to the skulduggery of traders.
- Imagine the mayhem in stock markets if ROC and SEBI were similarly made redundant.
Issues and benefits
- Rather than replicate Punjab’s successful agriculture mandi model, now states will lose vital revenue to even upgrade and repair rural infrastructure.
- The ordinance may be challenged by the states for its constitutional overreach.
- But, on the flip side, over time, the largest informal sector in the country will begin to get formalised and new business models will develop.
- A different breed of aggregators will create the much-needed competition to the existing monopoly of local traders.
- Additionally, henceforth, when farmers sell agricultural produce outside of APMC market yards, they cannot legally be charged commission on the sale of farm produce.
- To survive, the APMCs across the nation will have to radically standardise and rationalise their mandi fee structure and limit the commission charged by traders on sale of farmers’ produce.
2) ECA 1955: Not enough has been done
- Here, the amendment was supposed to allay the genuine fears of traders emitting from the bureaucracy’s draconian powers to arbitrarily evoke stockholding limits etc.
- Rather than forego its own powers for the larger good, the amendment’s fine print makes it ambiguous and leaves space for whimsical interpretations as before.
- The trader’s uncertainty is compounded by the arbitrary import-export policy decisions which dilute the purpose of the amendment itself.
3) Ordinance on Contract farming
- “The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020” tries to placate the fears of both the farmer and the contractor when they sign an agreement.
- For the farmer, the legal recourse is never a practical choice as the persuasive powers of the aggregators’ deep pockets cast a dark shadow over the redressal process.
- Likewise, the tediously stretched legal proceedings are dissuasion enough to either not seek redressal or settle for unfavourable terms.
- That produce derived from contract farming operations will not be subject to any obstructionist laws is a very good step.
- Farmer-producer organisations and new aggregators will get a boost with these laws, and become harbingers of prosperity in some small corners of the countryside.
- There are green shoots in the ordinances, but the downside dwarfs the upside.
So, what are the implications of these 3 reforms?
- The union of the three ordinances appears to be a precursor to implementing the Shanta Kumar Committee recommendations to dilute and dismantle FCI, MSP & PDS which will push farmers from the frying into the fire.
- It may also be interpreted to mean that now the sugar industry needn’t pay farmers the central government FRP or the state government SAP price for sugarcane.
Consider the question ” There was a mention of reforms related to agri-sector in the recently announced stimulus package. Examine the issues with segments of agri-sector which necessitated these reforms.”
Conclusion
The reforms in these 3 areas if carried out earnestly could go a long way in helping the farmers get out of the misery and help achieve the goal of doubling of farmers income in the set time frame.
Back2Basics: Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Regulation (APMC) Act.
- All wholesale markets for agricultural produce in states that have adopted the Agricultural Produce Market Regulation Act (APMRA) are termed as “regulated markets”.
- With the exception of Kerala, J & K, and Manipur, all other states have enacted the APMC Act.
- It mandates that the sale/purchase of agricultural commodities notified under it are to be carried out in specified market areas, yards or sub-yards. These markets are required to have the proper infrastructure for the sale of farmers’ produce.
- Prices in them are to be determined by open auction, conducted in a transparent manner in the presence of an official of the market committee.
- Market charges for various agencies, such as commissions for commission agents (arhtiyas); statutory charges, such as market fees and taxes; and produce-handling charges, such as for cleaning of produce, and loading and unloading, are clearly defined, and no other deduction can be made from the sale proceeds of farmers.
- Market charges, costs, and taxes vary across states and commodities.
Essential Commodities Act 1955
- The ECA is an act which was established to ensure the delivery of certain commodities or products, the supply of which if obstructed owing to hoarding or black-marketing would affect the normal life of the people.
- The ECA was enacted in 1955. This includes foodstuff, drugs, fuel (petroleum products) etc.
- It has since been used by the Government to regulate the production, supply and distribution of a whole host of commodities it declares ‘essential’ in order to make them available to consumers at fair prices.
- Additionally, the government can also fix the maximum retail price (MRP) of any packaged product that it declares an “essential commodity”.
- The list of items under the Act includes drugs, fertilizers, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and petroleum products.
- The Centre can include new commodities as and when the need arises, and takes them off the list once the situation improves.
How ECA works?
- If the Centre finds that a certain commodity is in short supply and its price is spiking, it can notify stock-holding limits on it for a specified period.
- The States act on this notification to specify limits and take steps to ensure that these are adhered to.
- Anybody trading or dealing in the commodity, be it wholesalers, retailers or even importers are prevented from stockpiling it beyond a certain quantity.
- A State can, however, choose not to impose any restrictions. But once it does, traders have to immediately sell into the market any stocks held beyond the mandated quantity.
- This improves supplies and brings down prices. As not all shopkeepers and traders comply, State agencies conduct raids to get everyone to toe the line and the errant are punished.
- The excess stocks are auctioned or sold through fair price shops.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Himlayan mountain ranges
Mains level: Landslides in India
This newscard talks about the city of Dharamshala where landslides occur frequently.
Practice question for mains:
Q.“Himalayan region is more susceptible to floods and flood induced landslides than the Western Ghats”. Discuss.
Why is Dharamshala more vulnerable to landslides?
- Dharamshala has a slope varying from gentle to steep, depending on different parts of the city.
- It is located in Zone V in the earthquake hazard zoning map of India.
- The large differences in slope between different parts of the city make it more susceptible to critical hazards like landslides.
- The vulnerability of the geologically young steep slopes of Dhauladhar has increased because of anthropogenic activities and illegal construction due to the lack of availability of land.
Why do landslides occur?
- Increasing urbanisation, deforestation and encroachment of areas at high hill slopes, unscientific road cutting and water-intensive agricultural practices contributed to the increase in intensity and frequency of landslides.
- The situation is worse during the monsoon when landslide-prone areas are washed away due to exposure.
- This is due to the demand for living within the city. It is not just the difference between slopes, but also anthropogenic causes that lead to the emergence of hazards like landslides.
Why tourist spots are more vulnerable?
1) Road traffic is high
- During the peak tourist season, the road is marred with traffic jams due to continuous sinking.
- Several factors have continuously contributed to an increase in the road’s vulnerability. The first is Illegal construction and uncontrolled levelling of hillocks along the roads.
- Hillocks are flattened to accommodate housing projects, commercial establishments, etc. The informal sector often starts residing in these areas which are more vulnerable to risks.
- These areas have comparatively lower land values and fewer people come to settle here.
2) Loss in green cover
- The second is a loss in green cover, something that occurs as more people reside within the city, increasing soil erosion, risking the further vulnerability to landslides.
- Due to the loss of green cover and steep gradient of the slope, water is not absorbed in the soil and washed away very quickly.
3) Damaged topography
- The third is the unscientific manner of cutting hills for widening roads and construction.
- This causes the sinking of roads, which affects road width and causes traffic interruptions.
4) Sewage failures
- The fourth is the absence of a sewerage system in the area. Due to unavailability of sewerage systems, people construct septic tanks that are unsafe for soil strata.
- Water from septic tanks drains to the upper layer of soil that has loose soil, making areas more vulnerable to damage from landslides.
Also read
The Northern and Northeastern Mountains | Part 1
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Vaccine nationalism
Hundreds of COVID-19 vaccine candidates are currently being developed. Many countries are securing priority access to doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Practice question for Mains:
Q. What is Vaccine Nationalism? Discuss various ethical issues involved and its impact on vulnerable populations across the globe.
Vaccine nationalism during COVID-19
- Vaccine nationalism occurs when a country manages to secure doses of vaccine for its own citizens or residents before they are made available in other countries.
- This is done through pre-purchase agreements between a government and a vaccine manufacturer.
- Vaccine nationalism is harmful to equitable access to vaccines.
US begins to secure
- In India, the privately held Serum Institute is developing one of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
- The Serum Institute signalled that, if the development of the vaccine succeeds, most of the initial batches of the vaccine will be distributed within India.
- At the same time, India, alongside the US and Russia, chose not to join the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
- This was a WHO moves to promote collaboration among countries in the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
Vaccine nationalism is not new
- During the early stages of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, some of the wealthiest countries entered into pre-purchase agreements with several pharmaceutical companies working on H1N1 vaccines.
- At that time, it was estimated that, in the best-case scenario, the maximum number of vaccine doses that could be produced globally was two billion.
- The US alone negotiated and obtained the right to buy 600,000 doses. All the countries that negotiated pre-purchase orders were developed economies.
- Only when the 2009 pandemic began to unwind and demand for a vaccine dropped did developed countries offer to donate vaccine doses to poorer economies.
Issues with such nationalism
- The most immediate effect of vaccine nationalism is that it further disadvantages countries with fewer resources and bargaining power.
- It deprives populations in the Global South from timely access to vital public health goods.
- Taken to its extreme, it allocates vaccines to moderately at-risk populations in wealthy countries over populations at higher risk in developing economies.
- Vaccine nationalism also runs against the fundamental principles of vaccine development and global public health.
Why it is unethical?
- Most vaccine development projects involve several parties from multiple countries.
- With modern vaccines, there are very few instances in which a single country can claim to be the sole developer of a vaccine.
- And even if that were possible, global public health is borderless. As COVID-19 is illustrating, viruses can travel the globe.
Its impacts
- If COVID-19 vaccines are not made available affordably to those who need them, the consequences will likely be disproportionately severe for poorer or otherwise vulnerable and marginalised populations.
- Without broad access to a vaccine, these populations will likely continue to suffer more than others, leading to unnecessary disease burden, continued economic problems and potential loss of life.
Conclusion
- Nationalism is at odds with global public health principles. Yet, there are no provisions in international laws that prevent pre-purchase agreements like the ones described above.
- There is nothing inherently wrong with pre-purchase agreements of pharmaceutical products.
- Vaccines typically do not generate as much in sales as other medical products.
- If used correctly, pre-purchase agreements can even be an incentive for companies to manufacture vaccines that otherwise would not be commercialized.
Way forward
- Equity entails both, affordability of vaccines and access opportunities for populations across the world, irrespective of geography and geopolitics.
- Contracts should not trump equitable access to global public health goods.
- Developed countries should pledge to refrain from reserving vaccines for their populations during public health crises.
- The WHO’s Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator is a starting point for countries to test collaborative approaches during the current pandemic.
- International institutions — including the WHO — should coordinate negotiations ahead of the next pandemic to produce a framework for equitable access to vaccines during public health crises.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Axone
Mains level: NA
A movie named Axone — also spelt akhuni —soya bean dish of Nagaland has been recently released.
The traditional ‘Axone’ dish is very unique in itself. However, one must note that it does NOT carry any GI tag. Still, there is a possibility of it being asked in match the pair type questions.
What is Axone?
- Axone — also spelt akhuni — is a fermented soya bean of Nagaland, known for its distinctive flavour and smell.
- As much an ingredient as it is a condiment, Axone used to make pickles and chutneys, or curries of pork, fish, chicken, beef etc.
- While it is called ‘axone’ in parts of Nagaland, fermented soya bean is cooked with, eaten and known by different names in different parts of Northeast India, including Meghalaya and Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur as well in other South, Southeast and East Asian countries.
- Axone is prepared and eaten across Nagaland but is particularly popular among the Sumi (also Sema) tribe. They use it in every meal.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nathu La and Cho La
Mains level: Paper 2- India-China border dispute
This article chronicles the border dispute between the two countries. It began in 1914 and ever after more than a hundred years it still continues. But the latest clash was the deadliest after 1967. Let’s go through past incidents over the border issue.
1914: A border China never agreed to
- The conflict stretches back to at least 1914.
- In 2014 representatives from Britain, the Republic of China and Tibet gathered in Simla to negotiate a treaty that would determine the status of Tibet and effectively settle the borders between China and British India.
- The Chinese, unhappy at proposed terms that would have allowed Tibet to be autonomous and remain under Chinese control, refused to sign the deal.
- But Britain and Tibet signed a treaty establishing what would be called the McMahon Line, named after a British colonial official, Henry McMahon, who proposed the border.
- India maintains that the McMahon Line, a 550-mile frontier that extends through the Himalayas, is the official legal border between China and India.
- But China has never accepted it.
1962: India-China War and origin of LAC
- Tensions rose throughout the 1950s.
- The Chinese insisted that Tibet was never independent and could not have signed a treaty creating an international border.
- There were several failed attempts at peaceful negotiation.
- China sought to control critical roadways near its western frontier in Xinjiang.
- India and its Western allies saw any attempts at Chinese incursion as part of a wider plot to export Maoist-style Communism across the region.
- By 1962, war had broken out.
- Chinese troops crossed the McMahon Line and took up positions deep in Indian territory, capturing mountain passes and towns.
- By November China declared a cease-fire, unofficially redrawing the border near where Chinese troops had conquered territory.
- It was the so-called Line of Actual Control.
1967: In Sikkim, India pushes China back
- Tensions came to a head again in 1967 along two mountain passes, Nathu La and Cho La, that connected Sikkim — then a kingdom and a protectorate of India — and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
- A scuffle broke out when Indian troops began laying barbed wire along what they recognized as the border.
- The scuffles soon escalated when a Chinese military unit began firing artillery shells at the Indians.
- In the ensuing conflict, more than 150 Indians and 340 Chinese were killed.
- The clashes in September and October 1967 in those passes would later be considered the second all-out war between China and India.
- But India prevailed, destroying Chinese fortifications in Nathu La and pushing them farther back into their territory near Cho La.
- The change in positions, however, meant that China and India each had different and conflicting ideas about the location of the Line of Actual Control.
- The fighting was the last time that troops on either side would be killed. — until the skirmishes in the Galwan Valley on Tuesday.
1987: A crisis averted
- In 1987, the Indian military was conducting a training operation to see how fast it could move troops to the border.
- The large number of troops and material arriving next to Chinese outposts surprised Chinese commanders — who responded by advancing toward what they considered the Line of Actual Control.
- Realizing the potential to inadvertently start a war, both India and China de-escalated, and a crisis was averted.
2013: Stand-off at Daulat Beg Oldi
- After decades of patrolling the border, a Chinese platoon pitched a camp near Daulat Beg Oldi in April 2013.
- The Indians soon followed, setting up their own base fewer than 1,000 feet away.
- The camps were later fortified by troops and heavy equipment.
- By May, the sides had agreed to dismantle both encampments, but disputes about the location of the Line of Actual Control persisted.
2017: Doklam Stand-off
- In June 2017, the Chinese set to work building a road in the Doklam Plateau, an area of the Himalayas controlled not by India, but by its ally Bhutan.
- Indian troops carrying weapons and operating bulldozers confronted the Chinese with the intention of destroying the road.
- A standoff ensued, soldiers threw rocks at each other, and troops from both sides suffered injuries.
- In August, the countries agreed to withdraw from the area, and China stopped construction on the road.
2020: Ladakh stand-off
- In May, melees broke out several times.
- In one clash at the glacial lake Pangong Tso, Indian troops were badly injured and had to be evacuated by helicopter.
- China bolstered its forces with dump trucks, excavators, troop carriers, artillery and armored vehicles, Indian experts said.
- What was clear was that it was the most serious series of clashes between the two sides since 2017 — and a harbinger of the deadly confrontation to come.
Consider the question “Examine the elements that make the border dispute between India and China difficult to resolve.”
Conclusion
Border dispute in two giants could easily escalate into a full-blown war. India has to recalibrate the policy approach after the recent clash and take steps that would prepare it for such an eventuality.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indian states sharing border with Nepal
Mains level: Paper 2- India-Nepal ties and border issue
Of late, India’s bilateral relations with Nepal has been going south. The latest trigger has been the changes made by Nepal in the map. This article explores the transformation of Nepal and its impact on India-Nepal relations. Despite the efforts by Nepal to explore the options beyond India, ties are still robust between the two countries and this is reflected in more than one ways.
Let’s map the changes in Nepal with one constant factor: nationalism
1. Democracy
- The obvious change in Nepal is that it is now a democratic republic after nearly 250 years of being a monarchy.
- The Nepali Congress and Maoist leader, Prachanda, claim democracy (1990) and the abolition of monarchy (2008) as their legacies.
2. Societal change due to exposure to globalisation
- More pervasive is the societal change from Nepal’s exposure to globalisation.
- Geography, too, stands to change, with the Chinese now having the potential to bore through the Himalayas and exhibiting their presence in Kathmandu in economics and politics.
3. Nationalism
- The constant in Nepal is nationalism which is really a mask for anti-India sentiment.
- Politicians use it for personal gain, and it is deeply ingrained in the bureaucracy, academia and the media.
- Today, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is cementing his legacy as a nationalist by extending Nepal’s map into Indian territory.
- The cartographic aggression and the embedding of the new map in the country’s national emblem and Constitution are untenable and should have been avoided under all circumstances.
- In 2015, the Nepali Congress government adopted the new Constitution, ignoring India’s concerns.
4. Identity politics
- Identity politics with India is also visible within the country.
- Nepali citizens from the Terai (Madhesis) feel discriminated as being “Indian”.
To Nepal, their attitudes reflect the angst of a small state. To India, Nepal appears incorrigible.
Let’s understand how globalisation changed Nepal
- After democracy was restored in 1990, passports were more liberally issued, and Nepalis began looking for work opportunities globally, beyond just India.
- West Asia and South-East Asia specifically became major destinations for labour migration.
- Security uncertainties with the Maoist insurgency at home also propelled the trend of migration.
- Students and skilled personnel began moving to Europe, the United States, Australia, Thailand and even to Japan and South Korea.
- As of 2019, nearly a fifth of Nepal’s population, from all parts of the country, were reportedly overseas.
- At an estimated $8 billion, global remittances account for nearly 30% of Nepal’s nominal GDP.
- This makes Nepal one of the most remittance-dependent countries in the world.
- Leftist ideology and the prominent presence of international non-governmental organisations — ostensibly there to resolve conflict and alleviate poverty — have added to Nepal’s exposure to the world.
- Nepal’s 2011 Census shows that over 80% of its 28 million-strong population were Hindus, and since 1962, it had formally been a Hindu kingdom.
- The new Constitution in 2015 makes Nepal a secular country.
- The proliferation of communication technology has also spread a certain cosmopolitanism but without the accompanying metropolitanism.
Nepal exploring options beyond India
- Kathmandu has continued its long-standing efforts to spread Nepal’s options beyond India.
- Multilateral development banks are by far the biggest lenders and players in the country’s development efforts.
- And in fact, one of Nepal’s largest aid donors is the European Union.
- India and China are not the only players for big projects either.
- A long-delayed project to pipe water into Kathmandu was with an Italian company.
- Major investments in the telecom sector are coming from Malaysia, and the largest international carrier in Nepal is Qatar Airways.
Weakening of natural bond and responsible factors
- The outward movement of students, along with with the growth of institutions of higher learning at home, has meant that most young people in Nepal, including emerging contemporary leaders in politics, business or academics, have not studied in India.
- This lack of common collegiate roots removes a natural bond of previous generations that had provided for better understanding and even empathy.
- While most Nepalis understand Hindi, because of the popularity of Bollywood, articulation is quite another matter.
Robust ties with India, despite diversification
- Despite Nepal’s efforts to diversify its options globally, its linkages with India remain robust.
- Nepal’s trade with India has grown in absolute terms and continues to account for more than two-thirds of Nepal’s external trade of around $12 billion annually.
- This clearly reflects the advantages of geography, both physical and societal.
- India continues to be the largest aggregate investor in Nepal.
- The massive under-construction Arun-III 900 MW hydro-electric project is slated to singly produce as much power, when completed in five years, as Nepal produces today.
- Moreover, the peg with the Indian Rupee provides unique stability to the Nepali Rupee.
Unique advantage to Nepal
- Nepal’s per-capita income is just above $1,000.
- While the huge remittance economy has brought a semblance of well-being, the country has a long way to go in reaching prosperity.
- The relationship with India, with open borders and Nepalis being allowed to live and work freely, provides Nepal a unique advantage and an economic cushion.
- The latter is particularly important today with COVID-19-caused global contraction positioned to pop the remittance bubble.
- Neither the Chinese nor any others are likely to write blank cheques.
- India for its part should also focus on developing its border areas with Nepal, with better roads and amenities of interest (such as shopping malls) to the burgeoning Nepali middle class.
- This would have economic plusses for both sides and keep ties strong at the people’s level. It would also be an image makeover.
Consider the question “Despite intermittent disagreements over certain issues, India-Nepal ties remain robust. In light of this, elaborate on the ties between the two countries and suggest ways to find the solution to the latest border dispute between the two countries.”
Conclusion
It is important that we update the prism through which we view our relationship with our Himalayan neighbour. We must not forget the past nor turn away from it but, instead, must be mindful of the realities of a changing India and a changing Nepal.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Representative Concentration Pathway
Mains level: Climate change assessment for India
The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has released the “Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region” Report.
This newscard discusses a very important concept: the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP). Note its definition. It can be directly asked as a statement based on prelims MCQ.
Highlights of the report
- Average surface air temperatures over India could rise by up to 4.4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century as compared to the period between 1976 and 2005, according to the MoES report.
- The rise in temperatures will be even more pronounced in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region where the average could reach 5.2°C.
- The region is already highly vulnerable to climate-related variability in temperatures, rainfall and snowfall.
- By 2100, the frequency of warm days and warm nights might also increase by 55 per cent and 70 per cent respectively, as compared to the period 1976-2005 under the RCP 8.5 scenario.
- The incidences of heat waves over the country could also increase by three to four times. Their duration of occurrence might also increase which was already witnessed by the country in 2019.
A 100-year record
- Between 1900 and 2018, the average temperatures of India rose by 0.7°C.
- This rise in temperatures has been largely attributed to global warming due to GHG emissions and land use and land cover changes.
- But it has also been slightly reduced by the rising aerosol emissions in the atmosphere that have an overall cooling characteristic.
- The report predicts that monsoon rainfall could change by an average of 14 per cent by 2100 that could go as high as 22.5 per cent.
- The report does not mention if this change will be an increase or a decrease but still represents variability.
- It further says that the overall rainfall during the monsoon season has decreased by six per cent between 1950 and 2015.
Data on dry spells
- The assessment also says that in the past few decades, there has been an increased frequency of dry spells during the monsoon season that has increased by 27 per cent between 1981-2011, as compared to 1951-1980.
- The intensity of wet spells has also increased over the country, with central India receiving 75 per cent more extreme rainfall events between 1950 and 2015. This means that it either rains too little or too much.
- One of the primary examples of this was the monsoon seasons of 2018 and 2019 where dry spells were broken by extremely heavy rainfall spells, creating a flood and drought cycle in many regions in India.
What is Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)?
- A Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) is a greenhouse gas concentration (not emissions) trajectory adopted by the IPCC.
- It is defined as a radiative force in watt per square metre due to the rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere.
- Four pathways were used for climate modelling and research for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in 2014.
- The pathways describe different climate futures, all of which are considered possible depending on the volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted in the years to come.
- The RCPs – originally RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6, and RCP8.5 – are labelled after a possible range of radiative forcing values in the year 2100 (2.6, 4.5, 6, and 8.5 W/m2, respectively).
- Since AR5 the original pathways are being considered together with Shared Socioeconomic Pathways: as are new RCPs such as RCP1.9, RCP3.4 and RCP7.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: COVID Isolation Coaches
Mains level: Not Much
The Union govt. has declared that 500 COVID isolation coaches would be deployed in Delhi. So far, over 5,000 coaches have been converted into COVID isolation coaches across India.
Practice question for mains:
Q. Health infrastructure in India is hardly capable of handling any pandemic. Critically comment.
What are these COVID Isolation Coaches?
- In March, Railways was sounded out by the PMO and the government’s multi-ministerial outbreak-containment apparatus that train coaches could also be used as a last resort to keep isolated patients.
- So far, 5,321 non-AC sleeper class coaches of ICF variety (older design) have been converted by the 16 zonal railways through their workshops spread across India.
- These are developed as COVID Care Level 1 centres—as per the Health Ministry classification of COVID facilities—where suspected cases or those with mild symptoms are to be kept.
- Suspected and confirmed cases will be kept in separate coaches.
How were these coaches selected?
- Early into the pandemic, health experts were of the view that air-conditioned environments might aid the spread of the virus.
- Well-ventilated, airy environments were thought to be safer. India’s decision to use non-AC coaches for isolation has to be viewed in that context.
- As per targets given to the 16 zonal railways, 5,000 older coaches, surplus to Railways’ operational needs, were marked for conversion.
What were the challenges faced?
- The summer heat in the coach was always a matter of discussion.
- Several ideas were discussed, including erecting shamianas over the coaches or painting the roof with “solar reflective” paints.
- Another question was how to dispose of toilet waste if the coaches were in remote areas and whether such waste was potentially infectious.
- It was agreed that since chlorine tablets are placed in the chambers of the bio toilets, the risk was neutralised.
- In any case, bio-enzymes in the toilet tanks take care of human waste.
- Another question was the placement. The batteries of the coaches need to be charged and the water needs to be replenished. Not all areas in India might have such facilities.
- The idea was that being mobile units, they could be dispatched to any part of the country to pick up patients and come back to their bases.
Deployment of such train
- Each isolation train will be tied to the nearest hospital.
- The Centre will not deploy these coaches at will; states will have to request for them.
- At least 10 coaches, or one train, will have to be deployed in one place. States can request for more.
- Besides the 500 being deployed in Delhi, Telangana has requested for 60 coaches in three locations, and UP has requested in 24 locations.
- Many states are said to be informally enquiring about the coaches in zones.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CO2 assessment
Mains level: Not Much
Carbon dioxide was always essential for our planet. This newscard discusses when did it become too much.
Try this question from CSP 2017:
Q. In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites for carbon sequestration?
- Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams
- Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
- Subterranean deep saline formations
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
GHGs in atmosphere
- The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of different gases. The temperature of the atmosphere depends on a balance between the incoming energy from the sun and the energy that bounces back into space.
- Greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide play an important role in the atmosphere.
- They absorb some of the sun’s heat and release it back in all directions, including back to the atmosphere.
- Through this process, CO2 and other GHGs keep the atmosphere warmer than it would be without them.
- However, fossil fuel-run industries and other human activities add GHGs to the atmosphere. This, in turn, increases atmospheric temperature, causing global warming.
Assessing the carbon level
- In 1958, American scientist Charles David Keeling calculated the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere.
- When he started his measurements in 1958, the CO2 levels were around 315 parts per million (PPM).
- When he died in 2005, the project was taken over by his son Ralph Keeling. By 2014, CO2 levels had increased to about 400 PPM.
- With his systematic study of atmospheric CO2, Keeling became the first person to alert the world about the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Reasons for rising CO2 levels
- Scientists first argued that the increasing release of methane and CO2 was due to agriculture and livestock.
- But, with the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the use of fossil fuels and CO2 levels rose simultaneously.
- Nations that underwent the Industrial Revolution used huge amounts of fossil fuels and became centres of high CO2 emissions, while nations with an agrarian economy emitted less GHGs.
- Over the years, as CO2 levels increased, it sparked off debates and arguments between the GHG-emitting rich industrial nations and the victims of global warming — the poorer nations.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Hilsa Fish`
Mains level: NA
Fishermen in West Bengal are in for a pleasant surprise amid the COVID-19 gloom as they have exuded hope of a bumper yield of Hilsa, known as “maacher rani” (queen of fish).
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Q. Consider the following pairs:
| Wildlife |
Naturally found in |
| 1. Blue-finned Mahseer |
Cauvery River |
| 2. Irrawaddy Dolphin |
Chambal River |
| 3. Rusty-spotted Cat |
Eastern Ghats |
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Hilsa Fish
IUCN status: Least Concerned
- The Hilsa is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae.
- It is a very popular and sought-after food fish in the Indian Subcontinent.
- It is the national fish of Bangladesh and state symbol in the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura.
- The fish contributes about 12% of the total fish production and about 1.15% of GDP in Bangladesh.
What’s so special about Hilsa?
- Hilsa has a history of migrating to Allahabad in the Ganga river system from Bangladesh.
- Though it’s a saltwater fish, it migrates to sweet waters of the Ganges from the Bay of Bengal.
- It travels upstream of the river during the mating seasons and returns to its natural abode after spawning.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Yakshagana, Talamaddale
Mains level: NA
The traditional art of ‘Talamaddale’, a variant of Yakshagana theatre, has gone virtual in times of COVID-19.
Try this question from CSP 2017:
Q.With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:
- It is a song and dance performance.
- Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
- It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3.
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only
Talamaddale theatre
- Tala-Maddale is an ancient form of performance dialogue or debate performance in Southern India in the Karavali and Malnad regions of Karnataka and Kerala.
- The plot and content of the conversation is drawn from popular mythology but the performance mainly consists of an impromptu debate between characters involving sarcasm, puns, philosophy positions and humour.
- The main plot is sung from the same oral texts used for the Yakshgana form of dance- drama.
- Performers claim that this was a more intellectual rendition of the dance during the monsoon season.
How it is different from Yakshagana?
- Unlike the Yakshagana performance, in the conventional ‘talamaddale,’ the artists sit across in a place without any costumes and engage in testing their oratory skills based on the episode chosen.
- If music is common for both Yakshagana performance and ‘talamaddale’, the latter has only spoken word without any dance or costumes.
- Hence it is an art form minus dance, costumes and stage conventions.
- It has an ‘arthadhari’ who is an orator, a ‘bhagavatha’ (singer-cum-director), and a ‘maddale’ player.
Back2Basics: Yakshagana
- It is the oldest theatre form popular in Karnataka.
- It emerged in the Vijayanagara Empire and was performed by Jakkula Varu
- It is a descriptive dance drama.
- It is presented from dusk to dawn.
- The stories are drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata and other epics from both Hindu and Jain tradition.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Forex reserves and exchange rates
Mains level: Paper 3- India's Forex reserves touched ceiling of half-trillion
At first, it seems almost contradictory. And so it is. Our foreign exchange reserves touched new high of $500 billion for the first time, but the time in which this has happened makes it paradoxical. At the time when economies around the world are touching new lows, this rise in the Forex seems all but usual. In this article, you’ll learn about the 4 factors that made it happen.
1. Decreased oil imports
- Usually, we import a lot of oil.
- But the payment here is dollar-denominated since very few countries are going to accept our currency (Rupee) as is.
- So, you have to expend dollars i.e. the foreign exchange reserves to keep the flow of crude oil intact.
- However, with the nationwide lockdown in place, our import bill has reduced drastically.
- We simply don’t need as much oil anymore.
- And considering oil prices have also taken a beating simultaneously, our Forex Reserves have been piling up.
- Less oil import. More Forex reserves.
2. Dollars coming with foreign investors
- Contrary to popular opinion, foreign investors have been pouring money into India of late.
- You could attribute a bulk of these inflows to Reliance Jio.
- They’ve been enticing investors all over the world and they’ve been doing it at a pace that belies all rational expectations.
- They’ve raised close to $15 Bn over the course of a few months and it doesn’t look like they’re stopping anytime soon.
- So technically, dollar inflows have spiked and therefore, Forex reserves get a boost once again.
3. RBI preparing itself for a bad time
- Another popular explanation is that the RBI is preparing a war chest to stave off future uncertainties.
- At a time when the world economy is reeling from an unprecedented crisis, it’s perhaps prudent to build up reserves for a rainy day.
- So the RBI buys gold and dollar-denominated assets using our national currency and builds up the foreign exchange reserves.
- Inadvertently, this increases the money supply within the economy.
- There will be more “Rupees” floating around.
- As more Indian currency keeps entering the ecosystem, the value of the rupee depreciates.
- And yes, the value of rupee has tumbled recently, but we are not in dire straits yet.
- But if India’s economy takes a turn for the worse, it becomes incumbent on the RBI to ensure price stability.
- Imagine the value of the rupee starts fluctuating wildly because of economic uncertainties.
- The RBI has to intervene.
- It has to exchange the foreign reserves for the Indian currency.
- If they keep mopping up the excess Rupees floating in the system, they could ensure the value of the rupee remains stable.
- So long as the value of the rupee remains stable, prices of commodities will follow the same cue, all things remaining equal that is.
- Now, there’s still no clear consensus on what kind of reserves we might need if things do go south.
- Although there have been recommendations made in the past about hoarding too much, it’s still the RBI’s call at the end of the day.
4. The RBI is doing it for the government
- The RBI can turn a profit if it wants to.
- And once it does turn a profit, it can transfer a part of the surplus to the government — as dividends.
- Now if the RBI wanted to offer the government a higher dividend, it has to simply turn a higher profit.
- One way to accomplish this is to simply let the value of the rupee depreciate. Do not intervene.
- Do not forego the reserves. Let the rupee tumble.
- And so long as you don’t intervene, all the dollar-denominated assets you own will be worth more in rupee terms.
- Consider the hypothetical example-suppose the exchange rate was 1$= Rs. 71 in March 2020, then the rupee loses value and you see the same line item once again in June 2020 will be 1$=Rs. 76.
- The extra ₹ 5 is treated as a profit. And this profit could be ploughed back to the government.
Consider the question “With the economy in the tailspin amid pandemic, the news of India’s Forex reserves touching the $500 billion mark for the first time provided the semblance of solace. Examine the factors that could explain this increase.”
Conclusion
Though there will always be the debate over the optimum value of the Forex reserves, the new level it reached in such an uncertain time for the economy is, nonetheless, a cause for celebration.
Reference Source : https://finshots.in/archive/india-foreign-exchange-reserves/
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Shaksgam valley
Mains level: Paper 2- India-China border dispute
The latest stand-off in Ladakh triggered a debate over the reasons for Chinese actions. While many attribute it to India’s decision to change the constitutional status of J&K, the author of this article points to the widening power differential. So, what are the implications of it? Read the article to know…
What is argument from China’s side over growing Chinese assertiveness
- India’s decision to change the constitutional status of J&K is cited as the reason for Chinesé growing assertiveness in the Ladakh.
- The Chinese arguments proffered on various occasions since last August have been summarised by Wang Shida, a Chinese scholar in Beijing.
- Wang argues that India’s move last August has forced China into the Kashmir dispute.
- The move stimulated China and Pakistan to take counter-actions on the Kashmir issue, and dramatically increased the difficulty in resolving the border issue between China and India.
And what is India’s stand over this explanation
- Official Delhi rejects the argument that India’s action has “posed a challenge to the sovereignty of China and Pakistan”.
- It points out that the constitutional changes altered the nature of the relationship between Delhi and Kashmir within the Indian Union, and that it has no impact on the current territorial disposition with China and Pakistan.
- The government’s renewed claim over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and China-occupied Aksai Chin is simply a restatement of long-standing Indian positions.
China: Part of Kashmir dispute or not?
- It might be baffling to hear the argument that Delhi has “forced” Beijing into the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.
- China is very much part of the Kashmir dispute.
- After all, China occupies large parts of Kashmir, including Aksai Chin and parts of Ladakh and sits on the Shaksgam valley ceded to Beijing by Pakistan in 1963.
- It is important to note a nuance in China’s articulation.
- The competing claims of Delhi and Islamabad over Kashmir are rooted in their shared understanding that there was a princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in undivided India.
- For Beijing, the territories it claims have never been part of J&K but belonged to Tibet and Xinjiang.
Pakistan agreeing to China’s claim
- That Pakistan has largely swallowed the Chinese argument is reflected in the 1963 agreement on the boundary between “China’s Sinkiang and the contiguous areas the defence of which is under the actual control of Pakistan”.
- Not entirely surprising, since Pakistan’s primary focus is on getting the Indian-controlled areas of Kashmir rather than claim all the original lands of J&K.
China’s changing approach to the Kashmir question
- While its claim to be outside the dispute has been consistent, China’s approach to the Kashmir question has seen considerable variation over the last seven decades and more.
- Some recent research has delved into Nationalist China’s active efforts to draw the Hunza region of the Gilgit district into a union with China during 1947-48.
- The Mir of Hunza, Jamal Khan, opened negotiations with officials of Xinjiang, but in the end, opted to accede to Pakistan.
- Communist China did not abandon the efforts of the Nationalist government and continued to show Hunza as part of its territory until the early 1960s.
- In the 1950s, at the height of the “Bhai-Bhai” phase, China avoided taking a position on the Kashmir question.
- After the 1962 war, China’s position aligned with Pakistan’s as Beijing called for “self-determination” in Kashmir.
- After the Maoist era came to a close and Deng Xiaoping took charge in the late 1980s, China began to moderate its Kashmir position and find a better balance in its bilateral relations with India and Pakistan.
- In the mid-1990s, in a significant setback to Islamabad, Beijing urged both India and Pakistan to put aside the Kashmir issue and focus on developmental cooperation.
- But China’s position on the boundary dispute in general and the Kashmir question in particular tended to harden against India since the late 2000s.
- That’s when Beijing became more conscious of the widening power differential with all its neighbours, including India.
So, what explains China’s latest move?
- The ground reality has not been altered by India’s constitutional changes.
- It is being changed by the PLA’s growing military capabilities and the political will to use them.
- India’s constitutional changes might, in the end, look like a minor defensive move amid China’s continuing gains in Kashmir across the India-Pakistan divide.
- Although Beijing has let Pakistan keep Hunza for now, it has not really given up its claims on the region under the 1963 agreement.
- The CPEC, which enters Pakistan through Hunza, has laid the foundation for ever-larger Chinese economic influence in Gilgit-Baltistan.
What is the implication of this in the future?
- China’s ability to nibble away at the LAC in Ladakh will only grow as the military balance continues to shift in the PLA’s favour.
- While India’s significant current military deployment to counter Chinese mobilisation may yet help persuade Beijing to step back, there is no escaping the longer-term trend.
- If Delhi can’t redress the growing military imbalance and as Islamabad becomes even more dependent on Beijing, China will loom larger than ever on the entire Kashmir region.
- That is the real message from the new Chinese affirmation that it is now part of the Kashmir question.
Consider the question “Rather than Indian’s action in its internal matters, it’s China’s widening power differential with India that explains the Chinese assertive actions on the disputed border locations. Comment.
Conclusion
In raking up the issue at the UNSC, raising economic presence in the Northern Areas and probing India’s military and political vulnerabilities, China is highlighting its new salience for Kashmir. This is part of China’s growing geopolitical impact all across the Great Himalayas. And India must prepare itself to face this changing reality.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: South China Sea
Mains level: Paper 2-South China Sea dispute and impact on India
What happens in the South China Sea has bearing on India. So far, the U.S. played a major role in the prosperity and security of the Indo-Pacific, but after the Covid, it may be forced to reconsider its stand over the region. So, what is at stake for India? And what are the options available with ASEAN countries and Indian in such a situation? Read to know…
Dilemma the Indo-Pacific countries faces
- As the two most consequential powers of the world, the United States and China which are engaged in a fundamental transformation of their relationship rest of the countries in the region face a dilemma.
- Almost nobody any longer thinks that China will conform to the US worldview, or that China’s rise from hereon will be unchallenged.
- The Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s essay in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs cogently spells out this dilemma.
How the U.S. contributed to the region’s prosperity
- The Indo-Pacific has prospered under American hegemony for the previous 40 years not just because of their huge investments.
- U.S. invested $328.8 billion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) alone and a further $107 billion in China.
- However, it’s not the investment but also because of the security blanket that it provides.
- China might have replaced the US as the primary engine of growth in the last decade, but it has come with a cost — the assertion of Chinese power.
- The benign American military presence has afforded countries the opportunity to pursue economic prosperity without substantial increases in their own defence expenditures or having to look over their shoulders.
- No group of nations has benefitted more from the presence of the US than the ASEAN.
How Chinese military posture is different from the U.S.
- Chinese military postures, on the other hand, give cause for concern ever since they unilaterally put forward the Nine-Dash Line in 2009 to declare the South China Sea as territorial waters.
- Their territorial claim itself is tenuous, neither treaty-based nor legally sound.
- They act in ways that are neither benign nor helpful for long-term peace and stability.
- In the first half of 2020 alone, Chinese naval or militia forces have rammed a Vietnamese fishing boat, “buzzed” a Philippines naval vessel and harassed a Malaysian oil drilling operation, all within their respective EEZs.
- Since 2015, they have built a runway and underground storage facilities on the Subi Reef and Thitu Island as well as radar sites and missile shelters on Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef.
- They conducted ballistic missile tests in the South China Sea in June 2019 and continue to enhance naval patrols to enforce area denial for others.
Fundamental choices the region faces
- Going forward, the US and China face fundamental choices.
- But then, so do the rest of us living in the Indo-Pacific.
- America’s role in the preservation of the region’s peace and security should not be taken for granted.
- As COVID imposes crushing costs on all economies, the US may also be weighing its options.
- Finding justification for Chinese actions in the South China Sea, even as countries in the region help themselves to Chinese economic opportunities while sheltering under the US security blanket, is also fraught with risk.
- Accommodation may have worked thus far but regional prosperity has come at a mounting cost in geo-strategic terms.
- The South China Sea is effectively militarised. In the post-COVID age, enjoying the best of both worlds may no longer be an option.
But, ASEAN won’t change the course suddenly
- Nobody should expect that ASEAN will suddenly reverse course when faced with possibly heightened Sino-US competition.
- China is a major power that will continue to receive the respect of ASEAN and, for that matter, many others in the Indo-Pacific, especially in a post-COVID world where they are struggling to revive their economies.
- ASEAN overtook the European Union to become China’s largest trading partner in the first quarter of 2020, and China is the third-largest investor ($150 billion) in ASEAN.
- The South East Asians are skilled at finding the wiggle room to accommodate competing hegemons while advancing their interests.
- This does not, however, mean that they are not concerned over Chinese behaviour in the South China Sea.
- They need others to help them in managing the situation.
Validation of the US military presence and collective efforts of stakeholders
- A robust US military presence is one guarantee.
- A stronger validation by the littoral states of the South China Sea helps the US Administration in justifying their presence to the American tax-payer.
- Others who have stakes in the region also need to collectively encourage an increasingly powerful China to pursue strategic interests in a legitimate way, and on the basis of respect for international law, in the South China Sea.
- The real choice is not between China and America — it is between keeping the global commons open for all or surrendering the right to choose one’s partners for the foreseeable future.
What is at stake for India?
- How the South China Sea situation plays out will be critical for our security and well-being.
- India must consider the following factors while calibrating its approach.
- 1) The South China Sea is not China’s sea but a global common.
- 2) It has been an important sea-lane of communication since the very beginning, and passage has been unimpeded over the centuries.
- 3) Indians have sailed these waters for well over 1,500 years — there is ample historical and archaeological proof of a continuous Indian trading presence from Kedah in Malaysia to Quanzhou in China.
- 4) Nearly $200 billion of our trade passes through the South China Sea and thousands of our citizens study, work and invest in ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
- 5) We have stakes in the peace and security of this region in common with others who reside there, and freedom of navigation, as well as other normal activities with friendly countries, are essential for our economic well-being. In short, the South China Sea is our business.
- We have historical rights established by practice and tradition to traverse the South China Sea without impediment.
- We have mutually contributed to each other’s prosperity for two thousand years.
- We continue to do so.
- The proposition that nations that have plied these waters in the centuries past for trade and other peaceful purposes are somehow outsiders who should not be permitted to engage in legitimate activity in the South China Sea, or have a voice without China’s say, should be firmly resisted.
India needs to be responsive to ASEAN
- India needs to be responsive to ASEAN’s expectations.
- While strategic partnerships and high-level engagements are important, ASEAN expects longer-lasting buy-ins by India in their future.
- They have taken the initiative time and again to involve India in Indo-Pacific affairs.
- It is not as if our current level of trade or investment with ASEAN makes a compelling argument for them to automatically involve us.
- They have deliberately taken a longer-term view.
- A restructuring of global trade is unlikely to happen any time soon in the post-COVID context.
- Regional arrangements will become even more important for our economic recovery and rejuvenation.
- If we intend to heed the clarion call of “Think Global Act Local”, India has to be part of the global supply chains in the world’s leading growth region for the next half-century.
- It is worth paying heed to the words from Singapore’s prime minister, who writes that something significant is lost in an RCEP without India.
- And urges us to recognise that the value of such agreements goes beyond the economic gains they generate.
- Singapore is playing the long game. Are we willing to do so, even if it imposes some costs in the short-term?
Consider the question “The South China Sea has been witnessing growing militarisation day by day. And how the South China Sea situation plays out will be critical for our security and well-being. In light of this, examine the basis on which India should contest China’s unilateral claims in the area and scope of engagement with the ASEAN countries in this regard.”
Conclusion
Indian is a stakeholder in the South China Sea. What happens there have implications for us. In such a scenario, India must form a partnership with other players in the region and should attempt to make China follow international laws and global order.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Biosimilars
Mains level: Paper 3- What are the bio-similar molecules and their applications in the pharma sector?
Recently an Indian pharma company has been granted a USFDA approval for Insulin Glargine, a biosimilar. This article briefly introduces us to this term, complexities involved in its manufacturing and also explains why the USFDA approval create hype.
The story of simple molecules and some difficult diseases
- Ever since modern medicine started to emerge post the Industrial Revolution, simple molecules have been used to treat most diseases.
- While these formulations are highly effective against some illnesses, they aren’t particularly effective against more complex diseases like cancer.
- Our immune system has evolved over millions of years to specifically defend against outside intruders.
- But cancer isn’t like most diseases.
- It’s not caused by an invasion of a foreign pathogen.
- Instead, it’s a byproduct of rogue cells that destroy our bodies from within.
- To this end, using simple molecules to defend against a barrage of mutating versions of our own cells is an exercise in futility.
What is biologic?
- A biologic is manufactured in a living system such as a microorganism, or plant or animal cells. Most biologics are very large, complex molecules or mixtures of molecules. Many biologics are produced using recombinant DNA technology.
- What we probably need is a biologic or a complex protein isolated from natural sources that can mimic our immune cells.
- Maybe this would help us in fighting cancer.
So, Biosimilars are..
- A biosimilar is a biological product that is developed to be similar to an already FDA-approved biologic, known as the reference product. It can be tempting to think of a biosimilar as a “generic” version of the reference product.
- But biosimilar is not an exact duplicate of another biologic. There is a degree of natural variability in all biological products; it is not possible to generate a precise copy of a product that comes from living cells. All biologics—including reference products—show some batch-to-batch variation.
Utility of patents in the pharmaceutical industry
- Success in this market is deeply intertwined with the research and development process that characterizes the pharmaceutical industry.
- It might take 5 years for you to develop a new drug and you might still need another 10 years to clinically test the product and get the necessary approvals from the regulatory agencies.
- This is a capital intensive process and the only way to remunerate the pharma company’s contribution is to protect their investment through patent laws.
- This way the companies can be incentivised to invest more in research and we can ensure a steady supply of new drugs that could cure the greatest maladies of modern time.
What happens when the patent expires?
- Once the patent expires, other companies can market their own version of the drug (copycats) if they can figure out how to synthesize it.
- Consider — Aspirin. It’s a simple molecule drug and it’s quite easy to replicate the manufacturing process.
Why biologics would be difficult to replicate after the patent expires
- Biologics are harvested from living cells and are often produced using complicated manufacturing processes.
- Most modern biologics are assembled inside vats — or bioreactors — that house genetically engineered microbes or cell cultures and can often take a whole decade of research to perfect.
- So replicating the process isn’t exactly a cakewalk.
- Meaning if you want to market your own version of a “biologic” once all the patents expire, you need some expertise and India’s Biocon is at the forefront of this revolution.
- For the past few years, they’ve been building a “biosimilar pipeline” — copycats of famous biologics and they’ve been using it to fight cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.
- And it’s not all that easy for most pharma companies to enter this market.
Why marketing a drug in the US gather headline?
- Because the US provides an opportunity like no other.
- Buying drugs here is expensive and pharmaceutical companies make a killing in the process.
- It might not necessarily bode well for consumers.
- But it does provide a lucrative market for potential Indian manufacturers who are looking to sell their products elsewhere.
Consider the question “What is biosimilar technology? How is it different from generic medicine? Discuss its application.”
Conclusion
Growing expertise of Indian pharmaceutical companies in the complex research area bodes well for the Indian pharma sector which is known otherwise for the manufacturing of generic medicines.
Reference Source: https://finshots.in/archive/biocon-and-the-world-of-biosimilars/
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GPAI and its members
Mains level: GPAI
India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as a founding member to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI.
Practice question for mains:
Q. Discuss India’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) unveiled by the NITI Aayog.
About GPAI
- GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.
- It is the league of leading economies including India, USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, and Singapore.
- GPAI will be supported by a Secretariat, to be hosted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris.
- This is also the first initiative of its type for evolving better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating countries.
- In order to achieve this goal, the initiative will look to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
Aims and Objectives
- In collaboration with partners and international organizations, GPAI will bring together leading experts from industry, civil society, governments, and academia to collaborate to promote responsible evolution of AI.
- It will also help evolve methodologies to show how AI can be leveraged to better respond to the present global crisis around COVID-19.
India and AI
- It is pertinent to note that India has recently launched the National AI Strategy and National AI Portal.
- It has also started leveraging AI across various sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, e-commerce, finance, telecommunications, etc. with inclusion and empowerment of human being approach by supplementing growth and development.
- By joining GPAI as a founding member, India will actively participate in the global development of Artificial Intelligence, leveraging upon its experience around the use of digital technologies for inclusive growth.
Also read:
https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/op-ed-snap-india-takes-the-first-step-to-building-an-ai-vision/
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IGX
Mains level: Utility of the IGX
India’s first gas exchange — the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) — was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum. The exchange is expected to facilitate transparent price discovery in natural gas, and facilitate the growth of the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket.
Note the following things with caution from the newscard:
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IGX allows only imported LNG and not domestically produced natural gas.
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India’s import of LNG
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GAIL
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Taxation of LNG
What is IGX?
- The IGX is a digital trading platform that will allow buyers and sellers of natural gas to trade both in the spot market and in the forward market for imported natural gas.
- It will allow trading across three hubs —Dahej and Hazira in Gujarat, and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
- Imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) will be regassified and sold to buyers through the exchange, removing the requirement for buyers and sellers to find each other.
- The exchange also allows much shorter contracts – for delivery on the next day, and up to a month – while ordinarily contracts for natural gas supply are as long as six months to a year.
- This will mean that buyers do not have to contact multiple dealers to ensure they find a fair price.
Will domestically produced natural gas also be bought and sold on the exchange?
- The price of domestically produced natural gas is decided by the government. It will not be sold on the gas exchange.
- However, following appeals by domestic producers that the prices set by the government are not viable given the cost of exploration and production in India.
- A new gas policy will include reforms in domestic gas pricing and will move towards more market-oriented pricing.
Will this make India more import-dependent?
- Domestic production of gas has been falling over the past two fiscals as current sources of natural gas have become less productive.
- Domestically produced natural gas currently accounts for less than half the country’s natural gas consumption; imported LNG accounts for the other half.
- LNG imports are set to become a larger proportion of domestic gas consumption as India moves to increase the proportion of natural gas in the energy basket from 6.2% in 2018 to 15% by 2030.
What regulatory change is required?
- Currently, the pipeline infrastructure necessary for the transportation of natural gas is controlled by the companies that own the network.
- State-owned GAIL owns and operates India’s largest gas pipeline network, spanning over 12,000 km.
- An independent system operator for natural gas pipelines would help ensure transparent allocation of pipeline usage, and build confidence in the minds of buyers and sellers about neutrality in the allocation of pipeline capacity.
- Experts have also called for natural gas to be included in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to avoid buyers having to deal with different levies such as VAT across states when purchasing natural gas from the exchange.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: OST, INF Treaty, New START policy
Mains level: Global nuclear stockpiles and its threats
All nations that have nuclear weapons continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals, while India and China increased their nuclear warheads in the last one year, according to a latest report by Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
About SIPRI
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Sweden, dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
- Established in 1966, the Stockholm based SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
Practice question for Mains:
Q.“Nuclear disarmament of the world seems a distant dream”. Comment.
Nuclear arsenals are on rise in ‘thy neighbourhood’
- China is in the middle of a significant modernization of its nuclear arsenal.
- It is developing a so-called nuclear triad for the first time, made up of new land and sea-based missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft.
- China’s nuclear arsenal had gone up from 290 warheads in 2019 to 320 in 2020, while India’s went up from 130-140 in 2019 to 150 in 2020.
- Pakistan’s arsenal was estimated to be between 150-160 in 2019 and has reached 160 in 2020.
- Both China and Pakistan continue to have larger nuclear arsenals than India.
A general decline across the globe
- Together with the nine nuclear-armed states — the U.S., Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea — possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020.
- This marked a decrease from an estimated 13,865 nuclear weapons at the beginning of 2019.
- The decrease in the overall numbers was largely due to the dismantlement of old nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S., which together possess over 90% of the global nuclear weapons.
Major issue in reporting: Low levels of disclosure
- The availability of reliable information on the status of the nuclear arsenals and capabilities of the nuclear-armed states varied considerably, the report noted.
- The U.S. had disclosed important information about its stockpile and nuclear capabilities, but in 2019, the administration ended the practice of publicly disclosing the size of its stockpile.
- The governments of India and Pakistan make statements about some of their missile tests but provide little information about the status or size of their arsenals, the report said.
New START seems to ‘STOP’ very soon
- The U.S. and Russia have reduced their nuclear arsenals under the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) but it will lapse in February 2021 unless both parties agree to prolong it.
- However, discussions to extend the New START or negotiate a new treaty made no progress with the U.S.’s insistence that China must join any future nuclear arms reduction talks, which China has categorically ruled out.
- The deadlock over the New START and the collapse of the 1987 Soviet–U.S. Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) in 2019 suggest that the era of bilateral nuclear arms control agreements between Russia and the U.S. might be coming to an end.
- Russia and the U.S. have already announced extensive plans to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads and delivery systems.
- Both countries have also given new or expanded roles to nuclear weapons in their military plans and doctrines, which marks a significant reversal of the post-Cold War trend towards the gradual marginalisation of nuclear weapons.
Back2Basics: INF Treaty
- Under the INF treaty, the US and Soviet Union agreed not to develop, produce, possess or deploy any ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles that have a range between 500 and 5,500 km.
- It exempted the air-launched and sea-based missile systems in the same range.
- The INF treaty helped address the fears of an imminent nuclear war in Europe.
- It also built some trust between Washington and Moscow and contributed to the end of the Cold War.
New START Policy
- The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) pact limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and is due to expire in 2021 unless renewed.
- The treaty limits the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, well below Cold War caps.
- It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
- It is one of the key controls on superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.
- If it falls, it will be the second nuclear weapons treaty to collapse under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.
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