Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Impact of coronovirus outbreak on Education system
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in education systems across the world a/c to the latest GEM report.
Practice question for mains:
Q.Discuss the impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on India’s education sector.
About the report
- Originally the EFA Global Monitoring Report, it has been renamed as the Global Education Monitoring Report.
- It is developed by an independent team and published by UNESCO aimed to sustain commitment towards Education for All.
- The ‘UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), based in Montreal provides data for the report on students, teachers, school performance, adult literacy and education expenditure.
Highlights of the 2020 report
- The report noted that efforts to maintain learning continuity during the pandemic may have actually worsened exclusion trends.
- During the height of school closures in April 2020, almost 91% of students around the world were out of school.
- About 40% of low- and lower-middle-income countries have not supported learners at risk of exclusion during this crisis, such as the poor, linguistic minorities and learners with disabilities.
1. Risks of school closure
- School closures also interrupted support mechanisms from which many disadvantaged learners benefit.
- For poor students who depend on school for free meals or even free sanitary napkins, closures has been a major blow.
- Cancellation of examinations in many countries, including India, may result in scoring dependence on teachers’ judgements of students, which could be affected by stereotypes of certain types of students.
2. Substitutes were imperfect
- Education systems responded with distance learning solutions, all of which offered less or more imperfect substitutes for classroom instruction said the report.
- Many poorer countries opted for radio and television lessons, while some upper-middle-income countries adopted for online learning platforms for primary and secondary education.
- India has used a mix of all three systems for educational continuity.
3. The digital divide has resurfaced yet again
- Even as governments increasingly rely on technology, the digital divide lays bare the limitations of this approach.
- Not all students and teachers have access to an adequate internet connection, equipment, skills and working conditions to take advantage of available platforms.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FATF
Mains level: Wildlife trade and its prevention
A first global report on the illegal wildlife trade has been recently published by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Try this MCQ:
Q.The report “Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade” recently seen in news is released by:
A. TRAFFIC/ B. CITES/ C. IUCN/ D. FATF
Highlights of the Report
- FATF has described illegal wildlife trade as a “global threat”, which also has links with other organised crimes like modern slavery, drug trafficking and arms trade.
- The illegal trade is estimated to generate revenues of up to $23 billion a year.
- The report flagged a lack of focus on the financial aspects of wildlife crime.
(1)Economy of illicit wildlife trade
- It said that criminals are frequently misusing the legitimate wildlife trade, as well as other import-export type businesses.
- The FATF found that jurisdictions often did not have the required knowledge, legislative basis and resources to assess and combat the threat posed by the funds generated through the illegal trade.
- The study has highlighted the growing role of online marketplaces and mobile and social media-based payments to facilitate the movement of proceeds warranting a coordinated response from government bodies, the private sector and the civil society.
(2)Money laundering is prominent
- According to the report, criminal syndicates are misusing the formal financial sector to launder the proceeds.
- Funds are laundered through cash deposits, under the guise of loans or payments, e-banking platforms, licensed money value transfer systems, and third-party wire transfers via banks.
- Accounts of innocent victims are also used and high-value payments avoided evading detection.
(3)Misuse of front companies
- Another common trend is the misuse of front companies with links to the legal wildlife trade, said the report.
- Front companies, often linked to import-export industries, and shell firms are used for the movement of goods and trans-border money transfers.
Recommendations of the report
- The report says the financial probe is the key to dismantling the syndicates involved, which can in turn significantly impact the associated criminal activities.
- It recommended that jurisdictions should consider implementing good practices, as observed during the study.
- They include providing all relevant agencies with the necessary mandate and tools; and cooperating with other jurisdictions, international bodies and the private sector.
- The FATF said that legislative changes were necessary to increase the applicability of anti-money laundering laws to the illegal wildlife trade-linked offences.
Back2Basics
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ICP, PPP
Mains level: India's GDP related issues
The World Bank has released its ICP report for the reference year 2017. India has retained its position as the third-largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), behind the US and China.
Try this MCQ:
Q. The International Comparison Programme (ICP) Report recently seen in news is released by: IMF/World Bank/OECD/None.
The International Comparison Programme (ICP)
- ICP is one of the largest statistical initiatives in the world.
- It is managed by the World Bank under the auspices of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
- Globally 176 economies participated in the 2017 cycle of ICP. The next ICP comparison will be conducted for the reference year 2021.
The main objectives of the ICP are:
(i) To produce purchasing power parities (PPPs) and comparable price level indexes (PLIs) for participating economies;
(ii) To convert volume and per capita measures of gross domestic product (GDP) and its expenditure components into a common currency using PPPs.
Highlights of the report
- India accounts for 6.7% or $8,051 billion, out of the world’s total of $119,547 billion of global GDP in terms of PPP compared to 16.4 % in case of China and 16.3 % for the US.
- India is also the third-largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in global Actual Individual Consumption and Global Gross Capital Formation.
- In the Asia-Pacific Region, in 2017, India retained its regional position, as the second-largest economy, accounting for 20.83 % in terms of PPPs.
- China was first at 50.76% and Indonesia at 7.49% was third.
- India is also the second-largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in regional Actual Individual Consumption and regional Gross Capital Formation.
Trends in INR
- The PPPs of Indian Rupee per US$ at the GDP level is now 20.65 in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011.
- The Exchange Rate of US Dollar to Indian Rupee is now 65.12 from 46.67 during the same period.
Significance of PPP
- Purchasing Power Parities are vital for converting measures of economic activities to be comparable across economies.
- It is calculated based on the price of a common basket of goods and services in each participating economy and is a measure of what an economy’s local currency can buy in another economy.
- Market exchange rate-based conversions reflect both price and volume differences in expenditures and are thus inappropriate for volume comparisons.
- PPP-based conversions of expenditures eliminate the effect of price level differences between economies and reflect only differences in the volume of economies.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UN Arms Trade Treay
Mains level: Arms Trade Treay and its significance
China will join a global pact to regulate arms sales that has been rejected by the United States.
The New START, INF, Open Skies and now the ATT …. Be clear about the differences of these treaties. For example- to check if their inception was during cold war era etc.
What is the Arms Trade Treaty?
- The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons. It entered into force on 4th December 2014.
- The ATT is an attempt to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons for the purpose of contributing to international and regional peace; reducing human suffering; and promoting co-operation, transparency, and responsible action by and among states.
- 105 states have ratified the treaty, and a further 32 states have signed but not ratified it.
- India has abstained from voting for this Treaty
Highlights of the treaty
ATT requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians. The treaty would ensure that no transfer is permitted if there is a substantial risk that it is likely to:
- be used in serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law, or acts of genocide or crimes against humanity;
- facilitate terrorist attacks, a pattern of gender-based violence, violent crime, or organized crime;
- violate UN Charter obligations, including UN arms embargoes;
- be diverted from its stated recipient;
- adversely affect regional security; or
- seriously impair poverty reduction or socioeconomic development.
China’s agenda at ATT
- Beijing saying it is committed to efforts to “enhance peace and stability” in the world.
- It comes after the US announced plans last year to pull the United States out of the agreement which entered into force in 2014.
- The US Senate never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty after former president Barack Obama endorsed it, and Trump has said he would revoke his predecessor’s signature.
Why has India abstained?
- From the beginning of the ATT process, India has maintained that such a treaty should make a real impact on illicit trafficking in conventional arms and their illicit use especially by terrorists and other unauthorized and unlawful non-state actors.
- India has also stressed consistently that the ATT should ensure a balance of obligations between exporting and importing states.
- However, the ATT is weak on terrorism and non-state actors (undoubtedly Pakistan) and these concerns find no mention in the specific prohibitions of the Treaty.
- Further, India cannot accept that the Treaty is used as an instrument in the hands of exporting states to take unilateral force majeure measures against importing states parties without consequences.
Also read:
U.S. set to exit the ‘Open Skies Treaty’ Copy
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: AIIB, ADB
Mains level: Not Much
The Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has signed a $750 million agreement for “COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Programme”.
Try this question from CSP 2019
Q.With reference to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), consider the following statements
- AIIB has more than 80 member nations.
- India is the largest shareholder in AIIB.
- AIIB does not have any members from outside Asia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
What’s so special about this assistance?
- This is the first-ever budgetary support programme from the AIIB to India.
- The project is being financed by the AIIB and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the amount of $2.250 billion, of which $750 million will be provided by AIIB and $1.5 billion will be provided by ADB.
- The package aims to assist India to strengthen its response to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on poor and vulnerable households.
- The current loan will be the second to India from AIIB under its COVID-19 crisis recovery facility apart from the earlier approved $500 million loans.
- The primary beneficiaries would be families below the poverty line, farmers, healthcare workers, women, women’s SHGs, widows, PWDs, senior citizens, low wage earners etc.
About AIIB
- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia, began operations in January 2016.
- AIIB has now grown to 102 approved members worldwide.
- AIIB is a brainchild of China. The prime aim of the AIIB is infrastructure development.
- By establishing interconnectivity across Asia through advancement in the construction of infrastructure and other productive services, the AIIB can stimulate growth and economic development in the Asian Region.
Must read:
International Economic Institution’s: ADB, BRICS Bank, AIIB
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UNSC, NORMS
Mains level: Significance of UNSC membership for India
India gets re-elected as Non-permanent Members of UNSC with 184 out of the 192 valid votes polled in its favour.
Practice question for mains:
Q. United Nations is in need of structural reforms suiting to the needs of present times. Discuss.
What are ‘non-permanent seats’ at the UNSC?
- The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the US, and the UK — and 10 non-permanent members who are elected by the General Assembly.
- The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms — so every year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members out of the total 10.
- Even if a country is a “clean slate” candidate and has been endorsed by its group, it still needs to secure the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting at the General Assembly session — which is a minimum of 129 votes, if all 193 member states participate.
Sharing of seats
- These 10 seats are distributed among the regions of the world: five seats for African and Asian countries; one for Eastern European countries; two for Latin American and Caribbean countries; and two for Western European and Other Countries.
- Of the five seats for Africa and Asia, three are for Africa and two for Asia.
- Also, there is an informal understanding between the two groups to reserve one seat for an Arab country.
- The Africa and Asia Pacific group takes turns every two years to put up an Arab candidate.
- Elections for terms beginning in even-numbered years select two African members, and one each within Eastern Europe, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Terms beginning in odd-numbered years consist of two West European and Other members, and one each from the Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Current members as on today
- The current non-permanent members of the Security Council are Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa, all of whose terms end this year; and Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam, whose terms end in 2021.
- India begins its term at the beginning of 2021 and will hold the position until the end of 2022.
Has India been in the UNSC earlier?
- India’s term on the 15-member Council will be it’s eighth.
- India has earlier been a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12.
- For the 2011-12 terms, India won 187 of 190 votes after Kazakhstan stood down from its candidacy.
- Unlike Africa, which has formalized a system of rotation of its three seats, the Asia Pacific grouping has often seen contests for seats. In 2018, there was a contest between the Maldives and Indonesia.
- On the occasions when there is a contest, the elections for non-permanent seats can go on for several rounds.
- Back in 1975, there was a contest between India and Pakistan, which went into eight rounds, with Pakistan finally winning the seat. And in 1996, India lost a contest to Japan.
Significance
- Terming India’s winning of a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council one of its best performances” ever, the Union government said.
- The strong support by almost the entire U.N. membership demonstrates the goodwill that India enjoys in the U.N. and the confidence that the international community has reposed in India.
- India’s EAM gave India’s overall objective during its forthcoming UNSC tenure as an acronym ‘NORMS’ — New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
- NORMS includes the push for expanding the UNSC permanent membership.
Back2Basics: United Nations Security Council
- The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
- Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.
- It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
- The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members.
- These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
- The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
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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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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IAEA and its mandate
Mains level: Nuclear ambitions and its rise
The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA’s governing body began meeting as a row brews over Iran’s refusal to allow access to two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past.
Practice question for mains:
Q. Discuss the role of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in enhancing nuclear accountability of the world.
Concerns over Iran
- The latest row over access comes as a landmark deal between Iran and world powers in 2015 continues to unravel.
- If IAEA passes a resolution critical of Iran, it would be the first of its kind since 2012.
- Even though the two sites are not thought to be key to Iran’s current activities, the agency says it needs to know if past activities going back almost two decades have been properly declared and all materials accounted for.
About IAEA
- The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
- The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. It was established as an autonomous organisation on 29 July 1957.
- Though established independently of the UN through its own international treaty, the IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council.
Functions of IAEA
- The IAEA serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nuclear power worldwide.
- The programs of the IAEA encourage the development of the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, science and technology, provide international safeguards against misuse of nuclear technology and nuclear materials, and promote nuclear safety (including radiation protection) and nuclear security standards and their implementation.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IOC
Mains level: Indian ocean security
India is looking to post Navy Liaison Officers at the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) of IOC in Madagascar and also at the European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz.
Note the members of the IOC form map. One may get confused considering India as a permanent member.
About Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)
- The IOC is an intergovernmental organization that was created in 1982 at Port Louis, Mauritius and institutionalized in 1984 by the Victoria Agreement in Seychelles.
- The IOC is composed of five African Indian Ocean nations: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (an overseas region of France), and Seychelles.
- These five islands share geographic proximity, historical and demographic relationships, natural resources and common development issues.
Aims and Objectives of IOC
- IOC’s principal mission is to strengthen the ties of friendship between the countries and to be a platform of solidarity for the entire population of the African Indian Ocean region.
- IOC’s mission also includes development, through projects related to sustainability for the region, aimed at protecting the region, improving the living conditions of the populations and preserving the various natural resources that the countries depend on.
- Being an organisation regrouping only island states, the IOC has usually championed the cause of small island states in regional and international fora.
India and IOC
- India was accepted as an observer getting a seat at the table of the organization that handles maritime governance in the western Indian Ocean.
- India’s entry is a consequence of its deepening strategic partnership with France as well as its expanding ties with the Vanilla Islands.
- The IOC has four observers — China, EU, Malta and International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
Significance of IOC
- For India, the importance of joining this organization lies in several things.
- First, India will get an official foothold in a premier regional institution in the western Indian Ocean, boosting engagement with islands in this part of the Indian Ocean.
- These island nations are increasingly important for India’s strategic outreach as part of its Indo-Pacific policy.
- This move would enhance ties with France which is the strong global power in the western Indian Ocean.
- It lends depth to India’s SAGAR (security and growth for all in the region) policy unveiled by PM Modi in 2015.
- The move, India hopes, would lead to greater security cooperation with countries in East Africa.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nature Index
Mains level: NA
India has ranked twelfth, globally in science research output as per the recently-released Nature Index table 2020. The top five positions have gone to the United States of America, China, Germany, United Kingdom and Japan.
Note: This nature index has nothing to do with nature conservation. It has only mentioned the rankings of research institutes in natural and physical sciences.
What is the Nature Index?
- The Nature Index is a database of author affiliation information collated from research articles published in an independently selected group of 82 high-quality science journals.
- It serves as an indicator of high-quality research in the Natural and Physical Sciences.
- The database is compiled by Nature Research, a division of the international scientific publishing company Springer Nature that publishes academic journals.
- The index provides a close to the real-time proxy of high-quality research output and collaboration at the institutional, national and regional level.
India’s achievements
- Globally the top-rated Indian institutions in this list are CSIR, a group of 39 institutions at the 160th position and IISc Bangalore at the 184th
- Three of the autonomous institutions of the DST have found their place among the top 30 Indian Institutions.
- Keeping out CSIR, which is a cluster of institutions, IACS Kolkata is among the top three institutions in quality Chemistry Research in India.
- NCASR Banglore ranks 4th among academic institutions in life sciences, 10th in Chemistry and Physical Sciences, 10th among Indian academic institutions, and 469th in the global ranking.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IPAC
Mains level: Global move to curb Chinese overambitions
Senior lawmakers from eight democracies including the US have united to counter Communist China. They have launched the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
Points to ponder:
The world is growing conscious against China after its coronavirus adventure. IPAC is the first step towards the institutionalization of the Anti-China consciousness!
What should be India’s stance here?
IPAC
- IPAC is a new cross-parliamentary alliance to help counter what the threat posed by China’s growing influence on global trade, security and human rights.
- The participating nations include the US, Germany, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Norway, as well as members of the European parliament.
- It is an international cross-party group of legislators working towards reform on how democratic countries approach China.
- Comprised of legislators from eight democracies it will be led by a group of co-chairs who are senior politicians drawn from a representative cross-section of the world’s major political parties.
- The group aims to “construct appropriate and coordinated responses, and to help craft a proactive and strategic approach on issues related to China.”
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UNSC
Mains level: Significance of UNSC membership for India
India has launched its campaign brochure ahead of elections for five non-permanent members of UNSC.
Practice question for mains:
Q. By any calculus, India will qualify for UNSC permanent seat. Analyse.
India’s agenda for UNSC
The normal process of international governance has been under increasing strain as frictions have increased. Traditional and non-traditional security challenges continue to grow unchecked. India will highlight:
- International terrorism
- UN reforms and Security Council expansion, and
- Streamlining the world body’s peacekeeping operations
- Various technological initiatives
India and UNSC
- India is guaranteed a place in the UNSC as it is the sole candidate for Asia-Pacific but needs two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly to vote in its favour in a secret ballot scheduled this month in New York.
- While India is expected to sail through with the 129 votes required for the seat, the government is setting its sights on much higher numbers than that ahead of the election.
- In 2010, when India stood for the UNSC seat of 2011-2012, it won 187 of the 190 votes polled.
Streamlining new NORMS
- This will be the eighth time India will occupy a non-permanent UNSC seat, with its last stint in 2011-2012.
- India’s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
Non-permanent membership isn’t a cup of tea
- The government launched its plan for the UNSC seat as far back as 2013, officials said, with a keen eye on 2021, and the year that will mark its 75th year of Independence.
- To our good fortune, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan agreed, in a gesture to our friendship, to step aside for the 2021-22 seats.
- The next big challenge was to pursue the Asia-Pacific grouping nomination without any last-minute contenders being propped up against India.
- While diplomacy between capitals certainly helps, the vote had to be tied down by negotiations on the ground.
- India was able to win a unanimous endorsement from the 55-nation grouping that included both China and Pakistan, in June 2019.
Back2Basics: United Nations Security Council
- The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
- Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.
- It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
- The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members.
- These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
- The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
Also read:
India’s Bid to United Nations Permanent Seat
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ‘Race to Zero’ campaign, Carbon offset
Mains level: Not Much
The UN has launched the “Race to Zero” campaign ahead of delayed COP 26 Climate Talks.
Possible question for prelims:
The ‘Race to Zero’ campaign often seen in news is related to zeroing: Global Hunger/Carbon Emission/HR violations/None of these.
‘Race to Zero’ campaign
- The campaign aims to codify commitments made via the Climate Ambition Alliance (CAA), which launched ahead of last year’s COP25 in Madrid.
- It encourages countries, companies, and other entities to deliver structured net-zero greenhouse-gas emission pledges by the time the talks begin.
- This messaging for the campaign — carried out under the aegis of the UNFCCC— seeks to emphasise the potential for non-state actors to raise climate ambition.
- The campaign refers to these as ‘real economy actors’, noting they “cover just over half the gross domestic product, a quarter of global CO2 emissions and over 2.6 billion people”.
About the Climate Ambition Alliance
- The CAA currently includes 120 nations and several other private players that have committed to achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
- Signatories are responsible for 23 per cent of current greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide and 53 per cent of global GDP.
What Are the Criteria?
- The minimum criteria for establishing a recognized pledge were developed through dialogues coordinated by Oxford University.
- The pledges must include a clear net-zero target date no later than 2050, they must also begin immediately and include interim targets.
- Much like the Paris Agreement itself, the criteria are designed to strengthen over time, but they begin at a level that reflects current best practices.
Issue over offsetting
- Offsets are emission-reductions generated outside a company’s own operations, and they are used in both compliance programs to meet mandated emission caps (“cap and trade”) and involuntary programs to reduce a company’s overall impact (voluntary carbon markets).
- The Race to Zero criteria emphasizes that if offsets are ultimately recognized, they must only be used to neutralize residual emissions that can’t be eliminated internally – at least not immediately.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)
Mains level: VFA and its significance for the US
Security issue in the disputed South China Sea has helped convince the Philippines to delay quitting a key U.S. military pact called the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Practice question for mains:
Q. What’s behind diplomatic tensions in the South China Sea? How it is set to become another flashpoint between the US and China?
The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)
- A VFA is a version of a status of forces agreement that only applies to troops temporarily in a country.
- The US military operates around the world thanks to Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) in 100 or so countries.
- Similarly, the VFA spells out the rules, guidelines and legal status of the US military when operating in the Philippines.
- The VFA also affirms the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty as well as the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — agreements that enable the U.S. military to conduct joint exercises and operations in the Philippines.
- It came into force on May 27, 1999, upon ratification by the Senate of the Philippines.
- It also exempts U.S. military personnel from visa and passport regulations in the Philippines.
Significance of VFA
- Both the US and Philippines remain wary of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea (SCS). The VFA, therefore, act as an insurance policy against Chinese threats.
- Terminating the VFA would leave the U.S. military without any legal or operational standing in the Philippines — and that’s a problem for the alliance.
- Without a VFA, the U.S. military would not be able to support either of these defence agreements.
Philippines-China spat on SCS
- The Philippines has had diplomatic spats with China over the Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys in particular.
- It says China’s “nine-dash line”, which China uses to demarcate its territorial claims, is unlawful under the UNCLOS convention.
- The SCS is also a major shipping route and home to fishing grounds that supply the livelihoods of people across the region.
Back2Basics: South China Sea Row
- It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas, and the Paracels and the Spratlys – two island chains claimed in whole or in part by a number of countries.
- China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims.
- Alongside the fully-fledged islands, there are dozens of rocky outcrops, atolls, sandbanks and reefs, such as the Scarborough Shoal.
- China claims by far the largest portion of territory – an area defined by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.
- Beijing says its right to the area goes back centuries to when the Paracel and Spratly island chains were regarded as integral parts of the Chinese nation, and in 1947 it issued a map detailing its claims.
- It showed the two island groups falling entirely within its territory. Those claims are mirrored by Taiwan.
Spat over Chinese claims
- China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.
- The US says it does not take sides in territorial disputes but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands, calling them “freedom of navigation” operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.
- Both sides have accused each other of “militarizing” the South China Sea.
- There are fears that the area is becoming a flashpoint, with potentially serious global consequences.
With inputs from Washington Post
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GER
Mains level: Not Much
The World Bank has released its Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2020 report.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2019
Q.) The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the-
(a) International Monetary Fund
(b) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(c) World Economic Forum
(d) World Bank
Global Economic Prospects (GEP)
- GEP is a World Bank Group flagship report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies.
- It is issued twice a year, in January and June.
- The January edition includes in-depth analyses of topical policy challenges while the June edition contains shorter analytical pieces.
Summary of the report
In a nutshell, the outlook for the global economy for 2020 has darkened, amid slowing activity and heightened downside risks.
1) On poverty
- The scope and speed with which the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdowns have devastated the poor around the world are unprecedented in modern times.
- Current estimates show that 60 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty in 2020.
2) Policy choices
- Policy choices made today — include greater debt transparency to invite new investment, foster advances in digital connectivity, and a major expansion of cash safety nets for the poor.
- The financing and building of productive infrastructure are among the hardest-to-solve development challenges in the post-pandemic recovery.
3) Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs)
- EMDEs face health crises, restrictions and external shocks like falling trade, tourism and commodity prices, as well as capital outflows.
- These countries are expected to have a 3-8% output loss in the short term, based on studies of previous pandemics, as per the analysis.
- Growth is likely to slow more in commodity-exporting EMDEs than in commodity-importing ones.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Signs of economic slowdown in the country
The Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the Government of India’s foreign-currency and local-currency long-term issuer ratings to “Baa3” from “Baa2”. It stated that the outlook remained “negative”.
Practice question for mains:
Q. Why India’s GDP growth rate is being labelled an overestimate yet again by the global credit rating agencies? Discuss this in context to the latest downgrade of Indian Economy as highlighted by the Moody’s.
Why this matters?
- The Moody’s is historically the most optimistic rating agency about India.
- This downgrade challenges India’s policymaking institutions.
- They will be challenged in enacting and implementing policies which effectively mitigate the risks of a sustained period of relatively low growth.
What is the reason for this downgrade?
There are four main reasons why Moody’s has taken the decision:
- Weak implementation of economic reforms since 2017
- Relatively low economic growth over a sustained period
- A significant deterioration in the fiscal position of governments (central and state)
- And the rising stress in India’s financial sector
What does “negative” outlook mean?
- The negative outlook reflects dominant, mutually-reinforcing, downside risks from deeper stresses in the economy and financial system.
- These could lead to more severe and prolonged erosion in fiscal strength than Moody’s current projections.
- The ratings have highlighted persistent structural challenges to fast economic growth such as “weak infrastructure, rigidities in labour, land and product markets, and rising financial sector risks”.
- In other words, a “negative” implies India could be rated down further.
Is the downgrade because of Covid-19 impact?
No. The pandemic has amplified vulnerabilities in India’s credit profile that were present and building prior to the shock, and which motivated the assignment of a negative outlook last year.
Then why did the downgrade happen?
- More than two years ago, in November 2017, Moody’s had upgraded India’s rating to “Baa2” with a “stable” outlook.
- At that time, it expected that effective implementation of key reforms would strengthen the sovereign’s credit profile through gradual but persistent measures.
- But those hopes were belied. Since that upgrade in 2017, implementation of reforms has been relatively weak and has not resulted in material credit improvements, indicating limited policy effectiveness.
- Each year, the central government has failed to meet its fiscal deficit (essentially the total borrowings from the market) target.
- This has led to a steady accretion of total government debt.
What will be the implications of this downgrade?
- Ratings are based on the overall health of the economy and the state of government finances.
- When India’s sovereign rating is downgraded, it becomes costlier for the Indian government as well as all Indian companies to raise funds because now the world sees such debt as a riskier proposition.
- A rating downgrade means that bonds issued by the Indian governments are now “riskier” than before.
- The weaker economic growth and worsening fiscal health undermine a government’s ability to pay back.
- Lower risk is better because it allows governments and companies of that country to raise debts at a lower rate of interest.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: G-20, G-7 members
Mains level: Significance of the these groups of counries and their say in global economy
Calling the existing Group of Seven (G-7) club a “very outdated group of countries”, US Prez. Trump said that he wanted to include India, Russia, South Korea, and Australia in the group.
Note the members of G7 and G20. UPSC may puzzle you asking which G20 nation isn’t a member of G7.
The Group of 7
- The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- It is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues.
- Initially, it was formed as an effort by the US and its allies to discuss economic issues.
- The G-7 forum now discusses several challenges such as oil prices and many pressing issues such as financial crises, terrorism, arms control, and drug trafficking.
- It does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding.
- Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began attending in 1977.
Evolution of the G-7
- When it started in 1975—with six members, Canada joining a year later—it represented about 70% of the world economy.
- And it was a cosy club for tackling issues such as the response to oil shocks.
- Now it accounts for about 40% of global gdp.
- Since the global financial crisis of 2007-09 it has sometimes been overshadowed by the broader g20.
- The G-7 became the G-8 in 1997 when Russia was invited to join.
- In 2014, Russia was debarred after it took over Crimea.
Expelling Russia
- The G-7 was known as the ‘G-8’ for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997.
- The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.
- Since his election in 2016, President Trump has suggested on several occasions that Russia be added again, given what he described as Moscow’s global strategic importance.
Why Trump wants to expand the G7 group?
1.Joint front against China
- The expanded G7 is seen as an attempt by the US to form a joint front against China.
- The US President has stepped up his criticism of the Asian powerhouse over a range of issues, from initially holding back information on the coronavirus outbreak to its actions on Taiwan and changes in Hong Kong’s special status.
2.Pressure from G7 countries
- Another reason is Trump has faced heat from other G7 members in the last two summits, for various controversial decisions taken by him such as pulling out from trade deals, the Iran nuclear deal as well as the Paris climate pact.
- Trump’s “America First” policy and his attacks on key US allies over various trade and economic issues have created faultlines within the grouping.
3.Add more weight to the grouping’s profile.
The participation and eventual inclusion of Australia, South Korea, Russia (not favoured by the UK) and India could certainly add more weight to the grouping’s profile.
Why G7 needs a revival?
- The rise of India, China, and Brazil over the past few decades has reduced the G-7’s relevance, whose share in global GDP has now fallen to around 40%.
Relevance of G7 for India
- India will get more voice, more influence and more power by entering the G7.
- After UN Security Council (UNSC), this is the most influential grouping.
- If the group is expanded it will collectively address the humongous issues created by the Wuhan virus,
- Diplomatically, a seat at the high table could help New Delhi further its security and foreign policy interests, especially at the nuclear club and UN Security Council reform as well as protecting its interests in the Indian Ocean.
Challenges in India’s entry
1.Lack of consensus:
- The decision to expand the grouping cannot be taken by the US alone.
- Other members such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, have to not only agree to Trump’s proposal to expand the grouping but also on the new members that he wants to add, said a diplomatic source of one of the G7 member countries.
2.Upset China:
- China is upset at the plans to expand the G7, stating that such actions will result in the creation of a “small circle” against Beijing and thus such a plan is “doomed to fail”.
- China will put pressure on G-7 countries
Discipline China, not isolate it
- Trump’s motivation in expanding the G-7 to include India and Russia while keeping China out is transparent.
- If keeping China out was not the intention, the G-7 could easily have dissolved themselves and revitalised the presently inert G-20.
- There are, of course, good reasons why Xi Jinping’s China requires to be put on notice for its various acts of omission and commission and disrespect for international law.
- However, disciplining China is one thing, isolating it quite another.
- If the new group is viewed as yet another arrow in the China containment quiver, it would place India and most other members of the group in a spot.
- Everyone wants China disciplined, few would like to be seen seeking its isolation.
- Asia needs a law-abiding China, not a sullen China.
- Japan and Australia, have serious concerns about China’s behaviour.
- But they may not like the new group to be viewed purely as an anti-China gang-up.
- That may well be the case with South Korea too.
- Indeed, even India should tread cautiously.
- India has more issues with China than most others in the group, spanning across economic and national security issues and yet it should seek a disciplined China, not an isolated one.
So, what should be on the agenda of the new group?
- The proposed expanded G7 group should define its agenda in terms that would encourage China to return to the pre-Xi era of global good behaviour.
- The G-7 came into being in the mid-1970s against the background of shocks to the global financial and energy markets.
- The G-12(proposed expanded group) would come into being against the background of a global economic crisis and the disruption to global trade caused both by protectionism and a pandemic.
- The two items on the next summit agenda would have to be the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rising tide of protectionism and mercantilism and the global economic slowdown.
- The summit will have to come forward with some international dos and don’ts to deal with the challenge posed by these disruptions.
- New rules should apply to both the US and China: These new rules of international conduct would have to apply to both China and the US.
- Widening the agenda: To be able to alter China’s behaviour without isolating it, the expanded group will have to widen their agenda.
- Widening involves going beyond the purely economic issues that the G-7 originally focused on, and include climate change, health care and human rights.
Back2Basics: The G-20
- The G-20 is a larger group of countries, which also includes G7 members.
- The G-20 was formed in 1999, in response to a felt need to bring more countries on board to address global economic concerns.
- Apart from the G-7 countries, the G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey.
- Together, the G-20 countries make up around 80% of the world’s economy.
- As opposed to the G-7, which discusses a broad range of issues, deliberations at the G-20 are confined to those concerning the global economy and financial markets.
- India is slated to host a G-20 summit in 2022.
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The ‘International Tea Day’ gets thumbs up from the UN. Tea is the most consumed drink in the world, second only to water.
It would be no surprise to expect a question based on worldwide tea production:
Q. Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years? (CSP 2019)
(a) China
(b) India
(c) Myanmar
(d) Vietnam
International Tea Day
- While the UN has been aware of the popularity of the drink, May 21, 2020, became the first time when it recognized and gave an official nod to International Tea Day.
- The UN General Assembly proclaimed May 21 as International Tea Day.
- The day is aimed at promoting sustainable production, consumption and trade of tea.
- As part of the celebrations, key players in tea production come together and make systematic plans for expansion of demand for tea, particularly in tea producing countries where per capita consumption is relatively low.
- This day also reminds all actors at global, regional and national levels to ensure that the tea sector continues to play a role in reducing extreme poverty, fighting hunger and safeguarding natural resources.
Tea
- Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia.
- After water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world.
- There are many different types of tea; some, like Darjeeling and Chinese greens, have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour.
- Tea has a stimulating effect in humans primarily due to its caffeine content.
- China is the leading producer of tea in the world. (Ref.)
Its significance
- In 2018, over 50 lakh tonnes of tea was consumed globally, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN.
- The origin of tea plantations dates back to 5,000 years. Like many cultures, tea enjoys a special space in Indian culture.
- With more than 100 varieties being consumed in the country, India is among the top four producers of tea.
- Currently, tea is grown in more than 35 countries and supports 1.3 crore people including smallholder farmers around the globe.
Back2Basics: Tea cultivation in India
- India is the second producer of tea in the world and second in terms of land devoted to tea growing as well.
- Much of India’s tea production is concentrated in the areas of Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Dooars, and Assam, which is the single largest tea growing region in the world. The top 5 growing states in India, ranked by production, are:
1) Assam
2) West Bengal
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Kerala
5) Karnataka
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: WHO
Mains level: Losing credibility of WHO in COVID-19 times
India would now be playing a more prominent role at the World Health Organisation (WHO), with Union Health Minister taking charge as chairman of the WHO Executive Board at its 147th session. Dr Harsh Vardhan would succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan.
Practice question for Mains:
Q. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had “missed the call” on the COVID-19 pandemic. Critically comment with context to the ongoing spat between the US and China.
About WHO
- The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
- It is part of the U.N. Sustainable Development Group.
- The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency’s governing structure and principles, states its main objective as ensuring “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.”
- It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with six semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.
The WHO Executive Board
- The WHO is governed by two decision-making bodies — the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board.
- The Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health, with members being elected for three-year terms.
- The Health Assembly is the WHO’s decision-making body and consists of 194 Member States.
- The Board chairman’s post is held by rotation for one year by each of the WHO’s six regional groups: African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region.
Functions of the Board
- The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.
- The Board and the Assembly create a forum for debate on health issues and for addressing concerns raised by the Member States.
- Both the Board and the Assembly produce three kinds of documents — Resolutions and Decisions passed by the two bodies, Official Records as published in WHO Official publications, and Documents that are presented “in session” of the two bodies.
Back2Basics: India at the WHO
- India became a party to the WHO Constitution on 12 January 1948.
- The first session of the South East Asia Regional Committee was held on October 4-5, 1948 in the office of the Indian Minister of Health, and was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM.
- The first Regional Director for South-East Asia was an Indian, Dr Chandra Mani, who served between 1948-1968.
- Currently, the post has again been occupied by an Indian appointee, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, who has been in office since 2014.
- Since 2019, Dr Soumya Swaminathan has been the WHO’s, Chief Scientist.
Also read:
[Burning Issue] World Health Organization (WHO) And Coronavirus Handling
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Global Forest Resources Assessment
Mains level: Global afforrestation measures and its success
The deforestation rate globally declined between 2015 and 2020, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment, 2020. This decline is a result of sustainable management measures worldwide.
Possible prelim question:
Q. The Global Forest Resources Assessment Report recently seen in news is published by-
a) UN-FAO
b) UN Forum on Forests
c) International Union of Forest Research Organizations
d) None of these
Global Forest Resources Assessment
- The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) reports on the status and trends of the world’s forest resources.
- It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- The FRA reports the extent of the world’s forest area as well as other variables, including land tenure and access rights, sustainable forest management (SFM), legal and institutional frameworks for forest conservation, and sustainable use.
Click here for amazing visuals of the FRA
Highlights of the 2020 report
- The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015, according to the FRA 2020.
- The FRA 2020 has examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.
- The world lost 178 mha of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya, according to the report.
- However, the rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during 1990–2020 due to a reduction in deforestation in some countries, plus increases in the forest area in others through afforestation.
- The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical.
Data on losses and gains
- The world’s total forest area was 4.06 billion hectares (bha), which was 31 per cent of the total land area. This area was equivalent to 0.52 ha per person.
- Among the world’s regions, Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha.
- On the other hand, Asia had the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.
- However, both Europe and Asia recorded substantially lower rates of the net gain in 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010.
- Oceania experienced net losses of forest area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010.
- More than 54 per cent of the world’s forests were in only five countries — the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China.
- The highest per cent of plantation forests were in South America while the lowest was in Europe.
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