Limited peace: On UAE-Israel peace agreement (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level: UAE-Israel peace agreement
Mains level: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Context:

• The peace agreement reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has formalised the thawin Arab-Israeli relations that has been under way for a few years. 
• As part of the deal announced by U.S. President Trump on Thursday, the UAE would recognise the state of Israel and establish formal diplomatic relations. 
• Israel too would haltits controversial plan to annex swathes of the Palestinian West Bank. 

Significance of the landmark agreement:

• It is a landmark agreement given that the UAE is only the third Arab country and the first in the Gulf recognising Israel. 
• It could pave the way for the region’s Sunni Arab kingdoms and the Jewish-majority Israel enhancing regional cooperation against their common foe, Shia Iran. 
• Israel has said it would focus on “expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world”.
• The U.S. has expressed hope that more Arab countries would follow the UAE’s lead — Arab-Israeli relations have largely been conflict-ridden ever since the state of Israel was declared in 1948. 
• For Mr. Trump who played a critical role, it is a rare diplomatic victory just months before he seeks re-election. 
• His other foreign policy bets — Iran, North Korea or Afghanistan — were either disastrous or inconclusive. But in the case of Israel and the UAE, both allies of the U.S., quiet diplomacy worked. 
• The U.S. had arranged several meetings between Israeli and Emirati officials last year, which probably laid the foundations for the agreement.
• While the deal has the potential to change Arab-Israeli relations for good, it also shows how the Arab countries are gradually decoupling themselves from the Palestine question. 
• The UAE offered full diplomatic recognition in return for Israel’s suspension of a planned annexation, not for any relaxation of the actual occupation. 
• As Prime Minister Netanyahu said, Israel made peace with an Arab country without “our returning to the 1967 borders”. 
• The Arab Peace Initiative, a Saudi Arabia initiative endorsed by the Arab League, offered recognition to Israel in exchange for its full withdrawal from the occupied territories. 
• Ironically, the UAE’s peace agreement comes close on the heels of the Trump administration’s back-to-back decisions to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights. 
• Clearly, the UAE has moved away from the Arab initiative. 
• The question now is whether the Emiratis would be able to press the Jewish state to relax its inhuman and illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and start talks between the occupier and the occupied. 
• If it cannot, the UAE-Israel deal would be of little significance for the Palestinians. 

Conclusion:

• The Palestinian leadership, on its part, should understand the emerging reality in West Asia — the Arab-Israel conflict is coming to a close, but the Palestine-Israel conflict is to continue without any respite.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the National Handloom Day, consider the following statements:
1. National Handloom Day is being organised on August 7 by the Ministry of Textiles. 
2. It aims to commemorate the Quit India Movement which was launched on the same date in the year 1942.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1)Highlights the significance of the landmark agreement between Israel and UAE. Also discuss its impact on India.

Talking tough: On the Naga issue (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Security 
Prelims level: Nagaland- Isak-Muivah
Mains level: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Context:

• Five years since the signing of a framework agreement between the Indian government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), the deadlock in the talks that came about in October 2019 persists with the emergence of bottlenecks.
• The NSCN (I-M) has demanded that Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi should be removed as the interlocutorfor talks on the Naga accord. 

Parallel government:

• Talks were expanded in 2017 by including other Naga groups under the banner, the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs). 
• Clearly, the Governor’s letter in June addressed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, alleging the collapse of law and order and that armed gangs “who question the sovereignty and integrity of the nation” were engaging in “blatant extortion”, touched a sore spot for the NSCN (I-M). 
• While the group defended the practice by terming it “tax collection”, the letter was not entirely off the mark. 
• Yet, this has become an issue for the peace process with the NSCN (I-M) going on to release details of the 2015 framework agreement that has not been shared in the public domain so far. 
• While the other Naga groups also took exception to the Governor’s remarks to the Chief Minister, they have differed with the NSCN (I-M) on the demand for Mr. Ravi’s removal as interlocutor.

Greater Nagalim:

• Since 2015, the engagement with other Naga groups has increased, even if the NSCN (I-M) is perceived as the major rebel organisation. 
• The differences between the NNPGs and the NSCN (I-M) are not insignificant. 
• The NSCN (I-M) still insists on a “Greater Nagalim” beyond the boundaries of Nagaland State besides seeking a flag and constitution. 
• Most of the NNPGs based in Nagaland on the other hand have sought to settle the issue without disturbing the State boundaries while keeping the “Greater Nagalim” question in abeyance. 
• Any moves to alter boundaries will intensify ethnic conflicts and insurgencies beyond Nagaland, especially in Manipur. 
• The increasing support in Nagaland for a solution without affecting boundaries should have compelled the NSCN (I-M) to move away from its intransigent position. 
• Instead, the rebel group has sought to redefine the talks process by expressing its lack of confidence in Mr. Ravi. 
• The NNPGs, political parties and other civil society organisations also took exception to the Governor’s stern letter that went beyond raising concerns over law and order. 
• Mr. Ravi wrote that functions such as the “transfer and posting of officials” in charge of law and order above the district level would be done with his approval. 
• But they have delineated clear differences with the NSCN (I-M) on the peace talks issue. 

Conclusion:

• The Central government needs to take their concerns on board and reiterate its commitment to finalising the Naga accord while seeking to re-engage with the NSCN (I-M) without giving in to its arbitrary demands.
• The Centre must re-engage with NSCN (I-M) without giving in to its arbitrary demands

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science, consider the following statements:
1. This year the Life Time Excellence Award is being awarded to Professor Ashok Sahni. 
2. The National Award for Ocean Science & technology is being awarded to Dr. V. V. S. S. Sarma. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What was the Ceasefire Agreement which was signed in 2015?What has happened in the year’s post signing the agreement?What are the present grievances of NSCN-IM?

A self-reliant foreign policy (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level: India’s foreign policy
Mains level: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• Self-reliance is the theme of India’s 74th Independence Day. 
• This concept is commonly associated with the economy and production of key goods and services within the country in light of the global ‘supply shock’ caused by the pandemic. 
• But it also has a parallel dimension in the domain of foreign policy. 
• If the domestic goal is to reduce dependence on imports for critical commodities, the foreign policy corollaryis to recalibratethe time-tested axiom of ‘strategic autonomy’.
• India has historically prided itself as an independent developing country which does not take orders from or succumbto pressure from great powers. 
• Whether the world order was bipolar (1947 to 1991), unipolar (1991 to 2008 or multipolar (present times), the need for autonomy in making foreign policy choices has remained constant.

Showing flexibility:

• Yet, strategic autonomy has often been adjusted in India’s history as per the changing milieu.
• In moments of crisis, India has reinterpreted freedom and shown flexibility for survival. 
• During the 1962 war with China, the high priest of non-alignment, PM Nehru, had to appeal to the U.S. for emergency military aid to stave off the Chinese from “taking over the whole of Eastern India.” 
• In the build-up to the 1971 war with Pakistan, PM Indira Gandhi had to enter a Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union to ward off both China and the U.S. 
• And in Kargil in 1999, India welcomed a direct intervention by the U.S. to force Pakistan to back down. 
• In all the above examples, India did not become any less autonomous when geopolitical circumstances compelled it to enter into de facto alliance-like cooperation with major powers. 
• Rather, India secured its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity by manoeuvering the great power equations and playing the realpolitik game.
• Today, although there is no prospect of an outright war with China in the wake of its incursions across the Line of Actual Control, India is at an inflection point with regard to strategic autonomy. 
• Non-alignment 2.0 with China and the U.S., as they slide into a new Cold War, makes little sense when India’s security and sovereignty are being challenged primarily by the former rather than the latter. 
• Fears in some quarters that proximity to the U.S. will lead to loss of India’s strategic autonomy are overblown because independent India has never been subordinated to a foreign hegemon.

The essence of self-reliance:

• India should aim to have the American support as well as stay as an independent power centre by means of intensified cooperation with middle powers in Asia and around the world.
• For India, which values freedom, placing all its eggs in the U.S. basket to counterbalance China would be an error. 
• Getting too close to the U.S. can constrict India’s options in other theatres of national interest such as its ties with Iran and Russia and efforts to speed up indigenous defence modernisation.
• Diversification is the essence of self-reliance. 
• A wide basket of strategic partners, including the U.S., with a sharper focus on constraining China, is the only viable diplomatic way forward in the current emerging multipolar world order.
• It is no longer a question of picking one out of two titans or oscillating between them. 
• In an era of dense networks, India must reconfigure autonomy to mean what the American scholar Joseph Nye calls ‘power with others’ to accomplish joint goals.

Conclusion:

• We are free and self-reliant not through isolation or alliance with one great power, but only in variable combinations with several like-minded partners. 
• India is familiar with the phrase ‘multi-vector’ foreign policy.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the India Report on Digital Education, 2020, consider the following statements:
1. The report has been prepared by Digital Education Division of Ministry of HRD in consultation with Education Departments of States and UTs.
2. Kerala has launched Pariksha Vani, an exam preparation program through Doordarshan.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What are the basic objectives of the India’s foreign policy? What is the importance of self-reliant principle on the present foreign policy and how the foreign policy evolves over time?

Shutting the door on Huawei (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International 
Prelims level: Domino effect
Mains level: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Context:

• In a dramatic reversal of its decision in January allowing Huawei to have a limited role in its telecommunications network, the U.K. has finally decided to ban the Chinese company. 
• This entails banning U.K. mobile providers from buying new Huawei 5G equipment after the end of this year as well as removing all of Huawei’s 5G kit from their networks by 2027. 
• For its part, China “strongly opposed” the U.K.’s “groundless” ban and warned that it would “take measures to safeguard” the “legitimate interests” of Chinese companies as “any decisions and actions must come at a cost”. 
• The British government has been forthright about the delay in 5G’s roll-out as a consequence of its policy shift and the costs of its decision. 
• At a time when London is looking to engage with major global powers in a post-Brexit to enhance its trade ties, this decision, which is likely to alienateChina, will come with some serious strategic costs as well.

A Domino Effect across Europe:

• The U.S.’s imposition of sanctions on Huawei in May, which disrupted the company’s global supply of semiconductors, alteredthe cost calculus for the U.K. 
• The U.K. government had to go in for another round of security review which resulted in the National Security Council’s decision to finally phase off Huawei’s involvement in the country’s 5G network. 
• But the U.S.-U.K. relationship was also facing a moment of reckoningafter the U.K.’s January decision to allow Huawei. 
• At a time when the U.S.-China relationship is entering a phase of Cold War 2.0, the Trump administration had made it clear that the U.K.’s “special relationship” with the U.S. was under the scanner.
• Not only would their security and intelligence ties have been in jeopardybut crucial trade negotiations would have been hampered too. 
• For the Trump administration, the U.K.’s change of stance is a major diplomatic win as it might also convince fence sitters to make a final decision.

Domino effect:

• For Huawei, a domino effectacross Europe might pose a serious challenge given that almost a quarter of its sales come from the European market. 
• France also decided to limit the use of Huawei’s 5G kit by issuing limited term licences. 
• This is widely seen as a ban on the Chinese company though the French government has not said it in so many words. 
• Germany too is reducing its reliance on Huawei as the mood against China has soured across Europe. 
• After years of kowtowingto the Chinese, the European Union is becoming more explicit than ever in challenging China. 
• The issues range from China’s initial mishandling of COVID-19 and Beijing’s disinformation campaign in Europe to the new national security law in Hong Kong. 
• China is viewed as a “systemic rival” that is hell bent on challenging the extant global order with all its concomitanttreaties, norms and institutions. 
• And Huawei is the latest flashpoint with individual countries shunningthe company.

 Awaiting India’s response:

• So what once looked like a battle which the U.S. was waging on its own has suddenly been joined by a number of other players. 
• The Indian response is being closely watched. Last year, India had allowed Huawei to participate in 5G trials which could not happen because of the disruptions caused by the pandemic. 
• Today, India-China ties have altered due to the border crisis and Chinese insensitivity to Indian concerns. 
• New Delhi is toughening its posture across domains and it looks rather unlikely that Huawei would get to participate in the 5G network roll-out in India. 
• India is signalling that it is willing to bear economic and technological costs if it means limiting Chinese involvement in critical infrastructure. 
• But what would not be lost on Beijing is that losing such a large market might be a devastating blow to Huawei as well. 
• It is becoming increasingly clear that the decision on Huawei is not merely a technological or economic decision but a fundamentally political decision for most countries. 

 Conclusion:

• China’s decision to weaponise trade and technology ties might now come back to hauntit as other nations begin to pay back in the same coin.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the recent changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms on civil aviation, consider the following statements:
1. It will not permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 % stake of Air India.
2. The amendment removes the exception which permitted Overseas Citizens of India 100% FDI in air transport, but not Air India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What is 5G? What made UK to ban Huawei? What has been the response of China?

More than a vaccine, it is about vaccination (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Vaccines trials 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context:

• Everyone eagerly asks: will we get a COVID-19 vaccine this year or only next year? 
• During a pandemic, expecting vaccines the same year or the next, illustrates the power of technology, human hope and media hype.

Where India stands?

• Globally, innumerable vaccine trials are progressing; in India, two candidates have advanced considerably. 
• An inactivated coronavirus vaccine was created by Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech. 
• It is safe and immunogenic in laboratory animals and humans. 
• It is to be re-confirmed in a phase 2 trial; phase 3 will assess the vaccine’s safety and protective efficacy against COVID-19.
• Pune’s Serum Institute of India (SII) is testing Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
• Both company-owners have invested heavily, without extramural research support, or advance purchase contract by the government. 
• Both seem to have the best interests of fellow Indians first in their hearts; profit comes second. Risks are a part of the game. 
• Neither company has all its eggs in one basket — confidence in their flagship antigens is not absolute, both are pursuing alternate vaccine candidates also.
• Some wealthy nations made bilateral financial agreements with manufacturers in order to hogvaccines. 
• Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, created COVAX — a funding facility to ensure up-scaling vaccine production and its access to low income countries as soon as regulatory approvals emerge. 
• COVAX will support the SII with funds to bring down selling-price to $3 per dose.
• With good news on supply side, what about the delivery side? 
• India’s Universal Immunisation Programme is a vaccine-delivery platform for children and pregnant women, funded by the central government but implemented by State governments. 
• However, the COVID-19 vaccine is for all age groups, necessitating an innovative platform, prioritised on the basis of need.

Define policy for clarity:

• The first step is policy definition leading to a plan of action blueprint. The time to create them is now — it costs nothing, but will save time when a vaccine becomes available.
• Policy emerges from objective(s) for vaccine use in individuals and community. 
• Priority for individual need is to protect those at high risk of death (senior citizens and those with medical co-morbidities) and front-line workers who expose themselves to infection while providing health care. 
• Children may be vaccinated before schools reopen to protect them and prevent infection from being carried home.
• Vaccine availability will be limited at first, when we must ensure that those on the priority list receive it. 
• Those who already had COVID-19 or novel coronavirus infection require no vaccination.
• Antibody positives need not be vaccinated (no harm if vaccinated). All data should be saved permanently. 
• Area-wise estimates of the numbers who need vaccination on a priority basis are necessary. Now is the time for State governments to capture all such data.
• A community’s need for vaccination is two-fold. All those who must rebuild essential activities, i.e. economic, educational, trade, transport, sociocultural and religious, must be protected. 
• A more ambitious aim is to break the novel coronavirus transmission and eradicatethe disease altogether. 
• With India’s notable representation in decision-making bodies of the World Health Organization, India is uniquely positioned to play a crucial role in advocating global eradication of COVID-19.

Getting a plan ready:

• We need a vaccine-delivery platform to fulfil all such needs. 
• A practical method is vaccination camps, supervised by a medical officer, staffed by health management and local government, and having the list of people who need vaccination. 
• Information should be updated regularly, deleting those who got infected recently. Enumeration and registration of eligible persons can be started now. 
• Vaccination by appointments will ensure that vaccination is without overcrowding and with minimum waiting time. 
• Post-injection, vaccinated subjects should wait for half-an-hour in case of immediate side effects; emergency drugs to tackle side effects should be readily available.
• Vaccine trials document the absence of serious side effects. Minor and inconsequential reactions are self-limiting fever, pain and swelling at the injection site. 
• As it would be a new vaccine, all side effects must be documented for first and second doses.
• Medical events during the month following each dose must be captured through phone calls, and analysed to check full safety of the vaccine.
• Phase 3 trial is usually in healthy volunteers, hence efficacy and safety profile in others will not be available when a vaccine is rolled out. 
• However, senior citizens and those with co-morbiditiesmust be vaccinated by/on priority. 
• Some countries require that a proportion of volunteers should be the elderly and the vulnerable. 
• In India, careful documentation of all side effects in all individuals, senior citizens, those with co-morbidities, and children must supplement trial data on vaccine safety. 
• This ‘post-marketing surveillance’ must be built into the vaccine roll-out.

Conclusion:

• The vaccine regulatory agency should take a call on the special question of vaccine safety during pregnancy. 
• One vaccine is an inactivated virus and the second is a live virus but non-infectious. 
• Both may be assumed to be safe; yet safety in pregnancy must be ascertained in bridge studies that must be conducted as soon as possible.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the 2020 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, consider the following statements:
1. In 2013, the United Nations designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
2. The 2020 theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons will focus on the first responders to human trafficking. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What is the vaccine formation process? Also know about other key terms mentioned in the article like GAVI, Trojan horse approach etc. Discuss. 

Independent but not alone (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level: Not much 
Mains level: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• For India, August 15 is first and foremost Independence Day. 
• But, the U.K. mark 75 years since peace was achieved in Asia. This is also U.K’s opportunity to thank India for their immense contributions and, in particular, the campaign in Burma.
• From Asia to Africa, the Mediterranean to the Pacific, millions fought for freedom in the six-year long struggle to rid the world of the tyranny and evil of Axis aggressors. 

Largest All-Volunteer Force:

• The statistics alone are astonishing. On land, at sea and in the air, Indians formed the largest all-volunteer force in the world, with over 2.5 million fighting in Europe, North Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and, Burma. 
• What is more, India provided almost 200 million tonnes of coal, six million tonnes of iron ore and more than one million tonnes of steel to the Pacific war effort, and countless Indian non-combatants secured supply lines.
• Those numbers can’t possibly do justice to their bravery. At Imphal, Indian forces fought even after the siege was lifted. 
• Rao Abdul Hafiz Panwa became the youngest Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross — overrunning Japanese positions despite mortal wounds. 
• At Kohima, an Indian-British force numbering 1,500 men held its own against 15,000 enemy troops for two weeks despite phosphorous bombardments and ferocious infantry attacks. 
• The celebrated “Black Cat” 17th Infantry Division of the Indian Army were in continuous combat during the three-year long Burma Campaign. 
• In total some 87,000 Indians paid the ultimate price. But their efforts also turned the tide of the war. 
• No wonder the commander of the 14th Army in Burma, Field Marshal Slim, described his Indian divisions as “among the best in the world”.

Challenges and opportunities:

• Today’s challenges are different and our relationship has also evolved. But we face shared dangers, whether from pandemics or piracy, extremism or enemies operating below the threshold of conventional conflict. 
• We hold shared values and commitments to justice, stability and free markets. 
• We are on the same side and have a mutual interest in standing together – it is our alliances that give us the ultimate edge.
• And the India-U.K. partnership has plenty of room to grow. 
• UK has already have seven Royal Navy vessels operating in the Western Indian Ocean.
• UK and India’s Armed Forces exercise together biannually and our Defence and International Security Partnership is opening up collaborations in everything from jet engines to cyber technology. 
• And, as India pursues Atmanirbhar Bharat vision India will find Global Britain is eager to work together in a range of areas from defence modernisation to maritime technology. 
• We are determined to elevate our partnership to the next level.

Conclusion:

• We are living through a new era of uncertainty but eight decades ago, our great forebears showed us the way ahead. 
• Seventy-five years on, India is a proud independent nation but you are emphatically not alone. 
• Our common history proves that we are stronger facing adversity together and now is the time to write our shared future in the interests of peace, purpose, and prosperity.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the International Day of Friendship, consider the following statements: 
1. The International Day of Friendship is being celebrated on July 30, 2020.
2. The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1)Highlights the scenarios of India-UK bilateral relations.  What are the recent developments and challenges to their relations?

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India-South Korea ties (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International relations 
Prelims level: Indian Culture Centre
Mains level: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• India and South Korea have signed numerous bilateral agreements with the aim of taking their ties to the next level. 
• However, the economic partnership is struck at $22 billion annually, and their defence partnership appears to have recededfrom great all-round promise to the mere sale and purchase of weapon systems.

Perceptions:

• At the heart of this bilateral stasis is the fact that, Indians and South Koreans are failing to touch a mutually meaningful chord of empathy and move closer to each other as people. 
• This is at least in part due to cultural prejudices on both sides, which stands in the way of a relationship based on openness, curiosity and warmth.
• Yet, clearly, whatever bilateral progress has been made, say in the realm of trade and investment, has not lent sufficient momentum that people start building bridges in other areas. 
• So, for example, there may be a widespread perception among South Koreans of India as a third world country, rifewith poverty and hunger. 
• While it is true that India is far from eradicatingthese deprivations, their extent may be exaggerated in the minds of some. 
• On the flip side, it is often the case that Indians are unable to distinguish between the cultural and social characteristics of South Koreans and people of other East Asian nations.

 Indians in South Korea:

• Within South Korea, the integration of Indians in the local population is far from complete. 
• There have been some instances of what appears to be racial prejudice or discrimination, including toward Indians in work settings in South Korea.
• As in any relationship, mutual respect regarding cultural values is the key to building a robust partnership between two countries. 
• The means to achieving that respect is often filling the information gap that creates a chasm between two strong cultures. 
• How much do Indians based in South Korea know about how Korean culture contributed to the growth of a broader Asian view of the world? 
• It is more likely that to the average Indian mind, the defining traits of Japan’s and China’s cultures are better identified than those of Korean culture. 
• All this is to say nothing of the hostilitythat some visiting South Koreans have faced in India.

Indian culture centre in Seoul:

• This trajectory of India’s engagement with a strategically important Asian nation suggests that an urgent course correction is required. 
• The establishment of the Indian Culture Centre (ICC) in Seoul 10 years ago was a step in the right direction. 
• Its mission was to promote people-to-people contacts. 
• Yet, given the current focus on diplomatic initiatives it can sometimes be complicated for the average South Korean to access to its offices and services. 
• The ICC’s attempts to broad-base an appreciation of Indian culture by, for example, teaching south Indian dances to elementary school students in South Korea, or organising experiential sessions centred on Indian cuisine, are commendable.
• Yet, it may reach an exponentially wider audience if the focus of such efforts was the common man of South Korea, beyond the urban, English-speaking elite of Seoul. 
• The same may be applicable to South Korean culture centres in India.

 Conclusion:

• As the balance of power in the region continues to shift fast, India and South Korea may need each like never before, to protect their ways of life. 
• However, both countries will be able to help each other only if they can fill the cultural gaps. 
• A regional hegemonis already pushing hard into the ambit of the Indian Ocean. 
• The sooner these bonds are renewed the better it would be for all Asian democracies.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)K.V. Kamath committee, recently seen in news, is related to:
(a) To make recommendations on norms for the resolution of COVID-19 related stressed loans.
(b) Report on the working of capital market infrastructure institutions (MIIs)
(c) To decide the appropriate level of reserves that the RBI should hold
(d) None of the above

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1)Highlights about India- South Korea bilateral relations. Why India is important for South-Korea? Critically examine.

Calibrated balance (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International 
Prelims level: Non- Alignment Movement
Mains level: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• In separate statements this week, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar laid out India’s world view in the face of global challenges, many of which pull it in different directions. 
• Mr. Jaishankar’s contention was that non-alignment as a concept belonged to a bygoneera.

Non-alignment: Bygone era

• He held that multipolarity in the world necessitated that India would have to take a definite stand, and even take “risks” on issues such as connectivity, maritime security, terrorism and climate change. 
• However, he made it clear that India does not reject non-alignment in its entirety, and that while it would no longer remain disentangled from difficult decisions, it would not compromise on its independence. 
• More importantly, he said that India has “never been part of an alliance system, nor will it ever be”. 
• He added that even the U.S. must look beyond its present alliances, and engage with more multilateral arrangements. 
• Mr. Jaishankar explained that while non-alignment worked for India during the Cold War era. 
• He also opined the fact that India and China share a land boundary would always be a factor in a “new cold war” between the U.S. and China. 
• He spoke of Indo-U.S. cooperation in many fields, and the growing maritime collaboration in particular.
• However, he left unsaid the hard reality that military collaboration on land would prove problematic given India’s disputed boundary with China.

 Carefully calibrated balance:

• Mr. Jaishankar’s comments are a clear-eyed assessment of India’s constraints and avenues for its potential growth. 
• The assertion of India’s strategic independence and resistance to joining any alliance comes as a timely reminder amid speculation that tensions with China will push India into a stronger clinch with Washington. 
• U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referring to the India-China clashes, the deaths of Indian soldiers at Galwan Valley last month, called for India and the U.S. to jointly “counter” China.
• The government has rightly chosen not to raise its tensions with China in any forum other than bilateral talks with Beijing. 
• Equally significant is the government’s outreach to Moscow, including a visit by Defence Minister and the participation of Mr. Jaishankar in the Russia-India-China trilateral last month. 
• External Affairs Minister’s comments that India should also seek to build coalitions with “middle powers”, such as the European Union and Japan is step in the right direction.

 Conclusion:

• A time of crisis often clarifies priorities. 
• At a time of a double crisis for India — battling the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country and Chinese aggression at the border — the message from New Delhi is one of a carefully calibrated balance.
• Non-alignment as a policy must be rethought, but India must be wary of alliance systems.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Letter of Recommendation module for PM SVANidhi Scheme, consider the following statements:
1. The module is designed to give access to street vendors who do not have Identity Card and Certificate of Vending and are not in the surveyed list for availing benefits under the scheme.
2. It was launched by Union ministry of Finance. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What is Non- Alignment Movement? What are its origin and composition? What is the relevance of NAM in the multipolar world?

Science without Prejudice (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Arsenicum Album 30
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context: 

• The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered conversations on the efficacy of non-allopathic forms of medicine in combating the virus, including homoeopathy. 
• The pandemic is a challenge to the scientific community, which is dealing with an unknown pathogen. 
• However, scientists and doctors have known about viruses over the years from research literature and recurring episodes of seasonal flu-like symptoms.
• Homoeopathic practitioners too have been treating several viral diseases. This knowledge can be harnessed to combat COVID-19.

Corona virus:

• Corona virus is akin to several other pathogens that cause flu-lik1e symptoms.
• But the virus grafts itself on to human cells, making the task for the immune system more challenging.
• So COVID-19 is an infectious disorder of greater intensity than several other viral diseases.
• That is why there is no antidote to it yet. The disease is closely knitted to the patient’s fibres, which influence the body’s inner- dynamics.
• This makes it difficult to diagnose the disease early and treat it unless the dynamic principle of the body is brought in.

Highlighting the symptoms:

• We know about the symptoms caused by other SARS viruses. 
• This has given us considerable knowledge of coronaviruses and their pathogenicity.
• The past view of the virus is the sole means to know the character of the present coronavirus.
• This is an opportunity to know the individual’s suffering while allowing homoeopathy to choose possible similar remedies from within its system.
• This is actually the basis for all research work on the virus today.
• Unfortunately, there is much confusion over homoeopathy and COVID-19.
• This is reflected in the debate over the system of medicine after several states recommended a homoeopathy drug, Arsenicum Album 30, for prophylactic use.

Rationale behind homeopathic therapy:

• The therapeutic value of arsenic in homoeopathy must be appreciated in terms of principles embedded in this system of medicine.
• In its natural form, arsenic is a poison that has the capability to produce violent reactions which are similar to what it can cure.
• To judge the scale of this curative power, one must know the rationale behind homoeopathic therapy and the process by which homoeopathic medicines work.
• In this case, the transformation of crude arsenic into a dynamic energy specially adapted to harmonise the vital life forces that restore health.
• Homoeopathic therapy is based on the study of symptoms a substance causes.
• Arsenic Album has been used effectively in treating acute respiratory infections and several other conditions.
• About two months ago, the Ministry of AYUSH convened a meeting of homoeopathic experts along with members of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy.
• The experts unanimously agreed that Arsenic Album could be used as a prophylactic for COVID-19.

Proving efficacy:

• Homoeopathic remedies have usually not had the technical support to prove their efficacy.
• Remedies like Arsenic Album, Antimonium Tartaricum, Bryonia Alba and Gelsemium, have been effectively used in the past.
• The novel coronavirus’s symptoms resemble those associated with Arsenic Album as a homoeopathic remedy. 
• In recent times, it has been observed that an appropriate dose of Arsenic Album and Gelsemium can remove susceptibility to the disease-causing agent.
• These remedies stimulate the body’s defence mechanism.
• Individual practitioners have used Arsenic Album as a prophylacticin the past against virus-related signs and symptoms.

Conclusion: 

• The experiences gathered so far have provided sufficient evidence and knowledge to apply them to the present situation.
• Arsenic Album has proved effective in non-resolving conditions where other so-called proven medicines have failed.
• Of course, no science is complete and all experiments are open for discussion, provided it is without prejudice.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Consider the following statements:
1. According to a recent study by TRAFFIC on the seizure and mortality of ‘common leopards’ the highest numbers of poaching incidents were reported from the States of Kerala and Odisha. 
2. TRAFFIC is a leading wildlife trade monitoring network across the world.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What are the differences between Allopathy and Homeopathy type of medicine? What are the rationale behind homeopathy therapy to combat COVID 19?

Green and red (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Environment 
Prelims level: Draft notification of EIA
Mains level: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context:

• In March, the Union Environment Ministry invited public comments on a draft notification that seeks to overhaulthe country’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure.
• The ministry set June 30 as the deadline for the feedback. The Delhi High Court extended this window to August 11 in response to a petition by environmental activists.
• The court remarked that the “process of consultation is not an obstacle… it has some sanctity”. 

Dilution:

• In its 150-day sojournin the public sphere that ended on Tuesday, the draft has attracted, according to the ministry, “four to five lakh responses”.
• These include criticisms of environmentalists, academics and civil society groups, concerns raised by people from ecologically fragile areas such as the country’s Northeast.
• In parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, people braved the COVID pandemic to protest against the proposed changes — the Kerala government reportedly submitted its comments on Tuesday.
• Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has termed these criticisms as “premature”.
• But the public consultation process has flagged important concerns about the environmental regulatory regime. The ministry must pay heed to them, take them on board.
• Framed in 1994 to address the safety concerns raised in the decade after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the EIA is a part of the Environmental Protection Act, 1986. It was last revised in 2006. 
• Activities that “access, utilise and affect natural resources” fall under its purview.
• The regulatory regime was also framed as a social safeguard — it recognised that land sought by project developers could have economic and cultural significance for communities.
• At several places, however, authorities contrived to dilute the EIA’s public consultation process.

Public hearing:

• In 2000, in Centre for Social Justice v the Union of India, the Gujarat High Court observed, “Officials are holding public hearings at district headquarters.
• The persons who are likely to be adversely affected in environmental matters, are poor persons who would not travel a long distance between the proposed project site and the district headquarters.”
• The court also noted that “the minutes of the public hearing are either not recorded or not given to the concerned persons”.
• The Supreme Court also flagged the undermining of public hearing procedures in its Vedanta verdict of 2013.
• The proposed amendments to the EIA have invited criticism for sanctioning — and codifying — such dilutions to the regulatory mechanism.
• The period of public hearing has been reduced from 30 days to 20 days.
• The draft legitimises violations by developers who begin projects without obtaining due clearances, in apparent disregard of the SC’s reservations against post facto certificates — the latest as late as April, this year.
• Exemptions to projects that ostensibly have environmental benefits — renewable energy parks, for example — have also drawn criticism.
• Critics have pointed out that such projects involve diversion of agricultural lands and have a bearing on people’s livelihoods. 

 Conclusion: 

• The environment ministry must make sure that the final EIA draft does justice to the complex relations between environment, development and local communities that the public consultation process has brought to light.
• Environment ministry must heed criticisms of draft EIA, do justice to process of public consultation.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) monetary policy review, consider the following statements:
1. Only those companies and individuals whose loans accounts are in default for not more than 90 days as on March 1, 2020, are eligible for one-time restructuring.
2. The one-time restructuring window is available across sectors.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What are the draft provisions of the EIA Act? Also highlights the components of the Environment Impact Assessment. 

• Medium: ENGLISH
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• Philosophical Nature of Indian Music (Dr Pranshu Samdarshi)
• Northeast Relion: Unique Identity (Dr Tapati Baruah Kashyap)
• Bamboo: Rejuvenating Rural Economy (Suresh Prabhu)
• Maharashtra: Richly Diverse and Vibrant (Meenal Joglekar)
• Culture: A Unifying Force (Ashok Kalariya)
• Diverse Millet Culture (Pallavi Upadhyaya)
• Temple Inscriptions of Tamil Nadu  (Pradeep Chakravarthy)
• Harmony Through Dance (Veena Mani)
• Weaving National Honour (Basavaprabhu Hosakeri)
• Memorial Stones of Jammu & Kashmir (Dr Lalit Gupta)
• Territorial Security -  India -China Relations (Dr Srikanth Kondapalli)

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The future of Indian secularism(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 1: Society 
Prelims level:B.R. Ambedkar
Mains level: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism

Context: 

• Our public discourseis resounding with triumphalismon the one hand, and lamenton the other over the death or defeat of secularism. 
• Secularism has paid a heavy price in our country for being at the centre of public and political discourse. It has been persistently misused and abused. 

Respect and critique:

• Constitutional secularism is marked by at least two features. First, critical respect for all religions. 
• Unlike some secularisms, ours is not blindly anti-religious but respects religion. Unlike the secularisms of pre-dominantly single religious societies, it respects not one but all religions.
• However, given the virtual impossibility of distinguishing the religious from the social, as B.R. Ambedkar famously observed, every aspect of religious doctrine or practice cannot be respected. 
• Respect for religion must be accompanied by critique.
• It follows that our state must respectfully leave religion alone but also intervene whenever religious groups promote communal disharmony and discrimination on grounds of religion.
• Therefore, and this is its second feature, the Indian state abandons strict separation but keeps a principled distance from all religions. 
• For instance, it cannot tolerate untouchability or leave all personal laws as they are. Equally, it may non-preferentially subsidise schools run by religious communities. 
• Thus, it has to constantly decide when to engage or disengage, help or hinder religion depending entirely on which of these enhances our constitutional commitment to freedom, equality and fraternity. 
• This constitutional secularism cannot be sustained by governments alone but requires collective commitment from an impartial judiciary, a scrupulous media, civil society activists, and an alert citizenry.

 Advent of opportunism:

• Party-political secularism, born around 40 years ago, is a nefarious doctrine practised by all political parties, including by so-called secular forces. 
• This secularism has dispelled all values from the core idea and replaced them with opportunism. 
• Opportunistic distance (engagement or disengagement), but mainly opportunistic alliance with religious communities, particularly for the sake of immediate electoral benefit, is its unspoken slogan. 
• Today, Indian constitutional secularism is swallowed up by this party-political secularism, with not a little help from the Opposition, media and judiciary. 

Two crucial moves:

• Two crucial moves are needed to kick-start the discourse and practice of secularism. 
• First, a shift of focus from a politically-led project to a socially-driven movement for justice. 
• Second, a shift of emphasis from inter-religious to intra-religious issues. 
• I invoke the name of two great leaders, B.R. Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, to make my point. 
• B.R. Ambedkar dispassionately observed that when two roughly equal communities view each other as enemies, they get trapped in a majority-minority syndrome, a vicious cycle of spiralling political conflict and social alienation. 
• B.R. Ambedkar also claimed that when communities view each other as a menace, they tend to close ranks. 
• This has another debilitating impact: all dissent within the community is muzzled and much needed internal reforms are stalled. If so, the collapse of the syndrome unintentionally throws up an opportunity. 
• As the focus shifts from the other to oneself, it may allow deeper introspection within, multiple dissenting voices to resurface, create conditions to root out intra-religious injustices, and make its members free and equal. 
• After all, the Indian project of secularism has been thwarted as much by party-politics as by religious orthodoxy and dogma.

 Europe’s example:

• Here, Europe’s example helps. The fight against the oppression of the church was as much a popular struggle as it was driven by the state. 
• Europe’s secularism provided a principle to fight intra-religious oppressions. 
• Nehru understood this. For him, secularism was not only a project of civic friendship among religious communities but also of opposition to religion-based caste and gender oppressions. 
• For the moment, the state-driven political project of secularism and its legal constitutional form appear to have taken a hit. 
• But precisely this ‘setback’ can be turned into an opportunity to revitalise the social project of secularism. 
• Since the Indian state has failed to support victims of oppressions sanctioned by religion, a peaceful and democratic secularism from below provides a much-needed internal critique and reform of our own respective religions.
• This will enable their compatibility with constitutional values of equality, liberty and justice. 
• A collective push from young men and women untainted by the politics and ideological straitjacketing of the recent past may help strengthen the social struggle of emancipation from intra-religious injustices. 

 Conclusion:

• The political project of secularism arose precisely because religious toleration no longer worked. 
• Needed today are new forms of socio-religious reciprocity, crucial for the business of everyday life and novel ways of reducing the political alienationof citizens.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Kisan Special Parcel Train, consider the following statements:
1. The country's first Kisan Special Parcel Train or Kisan Rail will start from August 7, 2020 to provide seamless supply of perishable produce.
2. The train will transport material between Maharashtra's Devlali and Bihar's Danapur Railway station.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Highlights the key features of Indian secularism. How its different from western secularism? 

India’s population data and a tale of two projections (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 1: Society 
Prelims level:Total fertility rate
Mains level: Population and associated issues

Context: 

• A new study published in the highly regarded journal, The Lancet, has shaken up the world of population policy. 
• It argues that while India is destined to be the largest country in the world, its population will peak by mid-century. 
• And as the 21st century closes, its ultimate population will be far smaller than anyone could have anticipated, about 1.09 billion instead of approximately 1.35 billion today. It could even be as low as 724 million.
• The population projections are also subject to underlying assumptions that deserve careful scrutiny. They predict that by the year 2100, on average, Indian women will have 1.29 children. 
• Since each woman must have two children to replace herself and her husband, this will result in a sharp population decline. 
• Contrast this predicted fertility rate of 1.29 for India with the projected cohort fertility of 1.53 for the United States and 1.78 for France in the same model. 
• It is difficult to believe that Indian parents could be less committed to childbearing than American or French parents.
• The UN projects that India’s population will be 1.64 billion by 2050. 

Fertility decline:

• India’s demographic future contains a peaking and subsequently declining population driven by a sharp reduction in fertility. 
• In the 1950s, India’s Total fertility rate (TFR) was nearly six children per woman; today it is 2.2. 
• Ironically, the massive push for family planning coupled with forced sterilisation during the Emergency barely led to a 17% decline in TFR from 5.9 in 1960 to 4.9 in 1980. 
• However, between 1992 and 2015, it had fallen by 35% from 3.4 to 2.2.
• What happened to accelerate fertility decline to a level where 18 States and Union Territories have a TFR below 2, the replacement level? 
• One might attribute it to the success of the family planning programme but family planning has long lost its primacy in the Indian policy discourse. 
• Between 1975 and 1994, family planning workers had targets they were expected to meet regarding sterilisations, condom distribution and intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. 
• Often these targets led to explicit or implicitcoercion. Following the Cairo conference on Population and Development in 1994, these targets were abandoned.
• If carrots have been dropped, the stick of policies designed to punish people with large families has been largely ineffective. 
• Punitivepolicies include denial of maternity leave for third and subsequent births, limiting benefits of maternity schemes and ineligibility to contest in local body elections for individuals with large families. 

Aspirational revolution:

• If public policies to encourage the small family norm or to provide contraception have been lackadaisical, what led couples to abandon the ideal of large families?
• It seems highly probable that the socioeconomic transformation of India since the 1990s has played an important role. 
• Over this period, agriculture became an increasingly smaller part of the Indian economy.
• School and college enrolment grew sharply and individuals lucky enough to find a job in government, multinationals or software services companies reaped tremendous financial benefits. 
• Not surprisingly, parents began to rethink their family-building strategies. 
• Where farmers used to see more workers when they saw their children, the new aspirational parents see enrolment in coaching classes as a ticket to success.
• The literature on fertility decline in western countries attributes the decline in fertility to retreat from the family.
• Indian parents seem to demonstrate increased rather than decreased commitment to family by reducing the number of children and investing more in each child. 
• Research finds that small and large families do not differ in their leisure activities, women’s participation in the workforce or how many material goods they purchase. 
• However, smaller families invest more money in their children by sending them to private schools and coaching classes. It is not aspirations for self but that for children that seems to drive fertility decline.

Conclusion:

• Demographic data suggest that the aspirational revolution is already under way. 
• What we need to hasten the fertility decline is to ensure that the health and family welfare system is up to this challenge and provides contraception and sexual and reproductive health services that allow individuals to have only as many children as they want.
• The country’s demographic future will see peaking and then declining numbers driven by a sharp fertility reduction

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), consider the following statements:
1. It is for junior athletes in the country with an aim to produce Olympic champions by 2028.
2. Monthly stipend of Rs. 1, 50, 000/- to each athlete is also provided under TOPS.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2027. Discuss the challenges of rising population and suggest a way forward.

Just closure : On Italian marines case (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International 
Prelims level:Permanent Court of Arbitration
Mains level: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

Context: 

• Two Kerala fishermen were killed by the Italian marines on February 15, 2012. 
• It may seem pragmaticto keep any pending litigation alive until all dues relating to it are paid and all legal issues are settled. 
• However, it is somewhat puzzling that the Supreme Court of India has said it would keep the Italian marines’ case alive until “hefty” and “adequate” compensation is paid by Italy.

No point in delaying:

• The Court has indicated that it would not allow the closure of the trial until such compensation is paid. And it has ordered that the families of the victims be heard on this matter. 
• Union government has declared that it would abide by the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, which granted immunity to the marines.
• India also favoured Italy as the appropriate jurisdiction where the marines could be tried for the crime. 
• It does not seem proper to delay the process of bringing closure to the matter. 
• For one thing, the PCA, an arbitral tribunal that adjudicatesdisputes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has itself ruled that India is entitled to compensation. 
• Second, it hardly needs emphasis that the pendency of the matter in court should not become a bargaining point that delays the reaching of a fair settlement. 
• Continuing hearings may also be seen as India being reluctant to ceaseall criminal proceedings against the marines as per the ruling.

Needless objections:

• The Court’s resolve to obtain adequate and hefty compensation for the families of the victims is welcome, though it would be difficult to have a judicial determination of what quantum would satisfy these requirements. 
• The Centre may have approached the top court for formal permission to close the pending trial proceedings as a matter of abundant caution. 
• But as far as the law goes, it could have approached the trial court itself through the public prosecutor for withdrawal from prosecution under Section 321 of the CrPC. 
• Article 253 of the Constitution says Parliament may enact a law to give effect to any international treaty or convention.
• This has been cited by government to argue that in view of the PCA court’s finding on jurisdiction being in conflict with the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2013 that the Union government alone can try the case, a law may be needed before the trial is closed. 
• This is just needless quibblingas the conflict has ceasedafter India agreed to abide by the tribunal’s ruling in keeping with its obligations under UNCLOS. 

 Conclusion:

• India’s focus should now be on negotiating for compensation and ensuring a purposive criminal trial in Italy.
• The focus must be on adequate compensation for families of fishermen killed by marines.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the ammonium nitrate, consider the following statements:
1. In its pure form, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a white, crystalline chemical which is soluble in water. 
2. Pure ammonium nitrate is an explosive on its own and classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the United Nations classification of dangerous goods. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is the Italian Marines case? What are the Permanent Court of Arbitration said and about UNCLOS?

How digital adoption will help India get economically stronger (Financial Express)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level:Unified Payments Interface
Mains level: Role of digitalisation in Indian economy 

Context: 

• Post-demonetisation, the government’s resolve to ensure that digital payment reaches everyone got a shake-up with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• Although PayTM, by virtue of its earlier launch in 2010, had managed to penetrate the market, UPI came as a respite to those who believed in a safe and secure medium that allows them to transact from their bank account and not through a prepaid wallet. 
• The BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app later filled the void, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Increasing interest in digital transactions: 
• UPI can be construed as a path-breaking initiative that educated people about the benefits of electronic payment. Be it wallet-based providers like PayTM, MobiKwik and Amazon Pay or mobile payment apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe and BHIM, all became popular.
• Even if we simply annualise FY21 data on a conservative basis based on Q1-FY21 data, the growth trend has been phenomenal for UPI. 
• The CAGR for the last five years has been 434% on volume basis and 337% on amount basis. On a month-on-month basis, too, growth in UPI transaction has been good. The full lockdown month of April 2020 saw a sharp dip, but growth seems to be recovering again.
• The initiative of making RTGS and NEFT transactions, which form the bulk of digital transactions, free was another step towards digital economy.
• The future of digital economy appears strong, if we look into the vision document of RBI. 
• In January 2019, RBI constituted a special committee headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani with a vision to strengthen digital payments ecosystem in India. 
• The committee submitted its report in May 2019 and an important vision the committee gave was to increase the percentage of digital transaction value to 1,500% of GDP by December 2021 from 769% in 2018.

Effect of Covid-19:

• Covid-19 has taught us to focus on health, hygiene, sanitation and social distancing; I would say the usage of digital money and not relying on cash/currency is another important learning. Social distancing norms have played an important role in pushing up digital transactions, which I am sure would multiply manifold in the coming days.
• While the adoption of online payments during demonetisation was due to shortage of cash, Covid-19 is seeing increased digital penetration due to the scare of using cash. 
• One striking similarity between demonetisation and Covid-19 is that people have avoided activities such as discretionary purchases of consumer goods, real estate activity, expensive automobiles, etc.
• With real estate, hospitality, heavy purchases being virtually deferred in these times, it is the consumer good nondurables, followed by durables and FMCG that will see the maximum spend and this would bring in the use of e-commerce, other retail platforms and digital channels in a big way. 
• Even high-end shops selling apparels, footwear, personal care products, etc, have understood that recovery may take some time and it is, therefore, advisable to make a serious entry into the digital world. 
• We are witnessing times where even a vegetable vendor is using Google Forms to take orders and using wallets or UPI-based interfaces to accept payments.

Conclusion:

• India is one of the youngest countries with a favourable demographic dividend. 
• The adoption of social distancing norms, health and hygiene, the realisation by the government to increase the health expenditure from 1.28% to 2.5% of GDP by 2025, the increasing demand for self-reliance and the adoption of digital economy are key takeaways of this crisis situation, whichwould help India emerge economically stronger.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the ITER project, consider the following statements:
1. ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy. 
2. India is not part of ITER project. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) How digital adoption will help India get economically stronger? Comment with examples.

The WHO’s relevance is fading (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International 
Prelims level:World Health Organisation
Mains level: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

Context: 

• COVID-19 has infected more than 19 million people, claimed over 0.7 million lives and devastatedeconomies. 
• As the pandemic transcendsgeopolitical boundaries, one is forced to ruminateon a counterfactual with a series of timely global health interventions by the WHO duly supported by governments. 
• An early warning and timely policy measures by the WHO would have forewarned countries and set their preparatory efforts in motion for mountinga decisive response strategy.

Slow response:

• With regional offices in six geographical regions and country offices across 150 countries, the WHO was expected to play the dual role of a think tank and oversee global responses to public health emergencies. 
• It was reported that the earliest COVID-19 positive case in China was reported in November, but China informed the WHO about the disease only in January. 
• With the WHO country representative stationed in Beijing, it is unlikely that widespread transmission went unnoticed.
• Then, even though confirmed cases were reported from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. in January, the WHO continued to downplay the severity of the virus. 
• It took some inexplicabledecisions and actions such as declaring the pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern only on January 30.  
• It ignored Taiwan’s hints of human-to-human transmission and requests on sharing “relevant information”. Further, the WHO went on to praise China’s response to the pandemic.
• WHO was severely criticised for its poor handling of the Ebola outbreak in 2014 as well. Incontrovertibly, the relevance of the health agency has been fading. 
• The WHO has been reduced to a coordinating body, beholdento the interests of rich member states. 
• Its functional efficiency has been disadvantaged with organisational lethargyand absence of decisive leadership.
• The bureaucratic indolenceand underfunded programmes along with its inability to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century is harming the reputation of WHO.

Relying on rich member states:

• WHO is funded through assessed contributions made by the member states and voluntary contributions from member states and private donors. 
• While assessed contributions can be spent as per the organisation’s priorities approved at the World Health Assembly, the irregular voluntary contributions are allocated in consultation with the donors. 
• While voluntary contributions accounted for nearly 80% of the budget in 2018-19, assessed contributions merely constituted 17% of the total budgetary support. 
• The challenges owing to constrained finances encumberautonomy in decision-making by favouring a donor-driven agenda.
• While the WHO has failed in arresting the pandemic, governments across the globe are equally responsible for their inepthandling and ill-preparedness. 
• However, that does not vindicateWHO’s tardiness in handling the crisis. 
• Many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, rely predominantly on the WHO for enforcing policy decisions governing public health. 
• Political leanings and financial compulsions of WHO cannot betray that trust. 

Conclusion:

• The burden of their expectations must weigh heavily on every policy decision taken by the global health agency, for when the WHO fails, many innocent lives are lost.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Knowledge Pack, consider the following statements:
1. The Union Cabinet had approved ARHC as a sub scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to provide housing facility to migrant workers and urban poor.
2. Under the first model of ARHC, existing Government funded vacant houses will be converted into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by public agencies for a period of 25 years. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is WHO? What are its role and objectives? To what extent it’s funding mechanism and why its relevance is fading in the present context? What are the reforms needed?

The New Consumer (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level:Vocal for Local
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context:

• A “New Normal” is a term we have heard very often. But whether you like the term or not, the fact is COVID-19 is here to stay for some time and it has revolutionised the way we live and think. 
• The consumer during and post-COVID is showing remarkable flexibility, bringing about a paradigm shift in her consumption pattern. 
• I hope manufacturers, brand builders and the government are noting that the new consumer is following the “WW” curve — the “Wait and Watch” curve. 
• Whilst some state governments are busy demanding the opening up of the economy, they seem to have forgotten that the economy does not merely need opening up, but it requires urgent generation of basic demand. 
• Here is where consumer behaviour needs to be closely watched.
• Since the lockdown, the priorities of consumers have seen a drastic shift. For manufacturers, the consumer is the king — someone who can afford and buy their products. 
• For politicians, the voter is the king. Generally politicians are not really concerned with what products consumers buy, but what helps them buy their vote.
• In many cases, there is an overlap between the two but there are also differences.

 Overlap:

• First, the economy has been affected by a reduction in the purchasing power of many. Hence, the availability of money to buy products needs to be addressed. 
• The government must look at ways like a reduction in taxes which will help the common man. 
• Second, the current scenario has also made all of us go back to the basics, with food, shelter and safety being of prime importance. Luxury products hold little value. 
• Cars, air-conditioners, second houses, and branded apparel will see a fall in demand. But renting will increase. 
• Third, the emphasis will be on saving for a rainy day. Banks will have more money and cash will also be kept at home for emergencies.
• Fourth, aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors have been hit. Even if the lockdown restrictions are relaxed, people will be wary of traveling and only doing so when absolutely necessary. 
• Fifth, e-commerce has shown exponential growth and will continue to do so. Consumers would prefer making purchases online and opting for home deliveries rather than venturing out. 
• Sixth, with “Vocal for Local” gaining momentum, there’s a huge increase in local apps, local kirana stores, local artisans and brands. 
• Seventh, people are growing increasingly tired of being at home, and the urge to meet their near and dear ones is at an all-time high. 
• While a few industries like IT can work from home, most others cannot. 
• In such cases, their offices and factories will re-open, but with less staff/working hours/alternate days. 
• Eight, schools and colleges have taken a hit as e-learning and online courses are being preferred. 
• Nine, the entertainment industry has been drastically hit. Theatres too will take time to reopen and consumers will watch shows and movies at home. 
• The media and entertainment industry needs to pay heed to this and curate content accordingly. 
• Ten, with a lot of people laying emphasis on their health and immunity, there’s been a substantial rise in the consumption of organic, ayurvedic, and immunity boosting products. 
• Apart from the obvious products, financial and medical insurance will play an important role. 
• Lastly, real estate will suffer as no long-term, high investment purchases will be favoured, but renting will increase.

Key differences:

• First, voters need to be provided with their daily needs — basic essentials such as food, water, housing, and electricity. The government is already taking care of that, but money also needs to be given. 
• Second, voters need jobs through development of infrastructure projects. 
• Third, farmers need to have insurance for their crops and the infrastructure to sell at the right price. 
• Lastly, migrant workers who have faced extreme hardships with their livelihoods being disrupted are looking for support. Most are still unemployed, and many are focusing on agriculture as a means of income.

Way forward:

• Government has to generate demand for products, and create jobs by improving infrastructure. Money will be required by all groups. 
• The government must incentivise spending by offering tax benefits on the amount spent on products like white goods/travel/eating out, and provide jobs by spending on infrastructure projects. 
• They must forget about fiscal prudencethis year. Philip Kotler has predicted that the pandemic will bring about the new consumer who will shake the foundations of capitalism. 
• He believes that the new consumer will be more careful against ostentatiousconsumption, resulting in a more equitable form of capitalism. 
• Currently, rural areas seem to be the focus of companies, as the consumer there is buying more than before. Those seeking volume will find solacein growth there in the coming year or so. 
• The bulk of our needy and voters lie in rural areas and the focus of government spending must continue to be there. 
• Companies should take advantage and provide products at affordable prices and increase the width of availability to exploit this opportunity. 
• One, however, must not forget that new products must also be launched in metros. It is the urban market that will stimulate growth in the medium to long run.

Conclusion:

• The government has done well to take care of the poor and rural markets. They are aware that spending by the urban consumer is also essential for pushing the economy up. 
• The middle income group is crying for attention. The government has planned and has been successful in generating employment by attracting FDI, and developing infrastructure, among others. 
• We will have to wait and see how the “WW” curve changes to the “SS” curve — Spend and Support the growth. 
   

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Vyapar Mala Express train, consider the following statements:
1. Northern Railway recently ran its first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train. 
2. This is an express service where piece-meal stock will reach its destination in a shorter time.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Write short note on following:Moratorium period, Capital Adequacy Ratio, Regulatory capital, Nonperforming asset.

Beirut in the dark (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2: Governance 
Prelims level:Beirut Blasts 
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

• The explosion in the Beirut docks area last week has left more than 150 citizens dead and over 5,000 injured. 
• Swathesof the city levelled and the dock out of commission, which could cause a food crisis in Lebanon in the days ahead. 
• Shock and confusion over the cause of the devastating explosion has turned into public anger, bringing on the spectre of a political problem. All this damage owed to a single explosion. 
• The blast had produced a powerful shock wave and a mushroom cloud, and it was briefly mistaken for the detonation of a nuclear weapon. 
• But the explosion turned out to have involved 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been improperly stored in a densely populated area.

Dual use:

• Ammonium nitrate is best known as an agricultural fertiliser, but it is dual-use. 
• It is also an element of binary mining explosives like ANFO and the fertiliser or nitrate bomb, an improvised device used by militant organisations. 
• The same technology was also used in Oklahoma City in 1995, Bali in 2002 and Norway in 2011. 
• After a nitrate stockpile was revealed to have caused the disaster in Beirut, other nations have woken up to the risk. 
• In Australia, for instance, residents of Newcastle are concerned about a storage facility which holds about four times the volume of nitrate stockpiled in Beirut.

 Better late than never:

• In India, there is concern over 740 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a customs warehouse in Chennai since 2015, when it was apparently imported without the required licence. 
• The customs department has clarified that it is stored in a safe location far from human habitation.
• But given the hazardous nature of the chemical, which has been under the Explosives Act since 2011, it could have been disposed of. 
• In fact, in dealing with the dispute between the importer and the customs office, a court had drawn attention to the number of accidents involving ammonium nitrate across the country. 
• The fact that in a span of four years, 16,000 tonnes of the chemical went missing. 
• S Ramadoss of the PMK has suggested that the stockpile could be diverted to agricultural use, and customs officials are in a hurry to dispose of the chemical at the earliest. 

 Conclusion:

• The ammonium nitrate blast is a grimreminder: Despite the strict regulation of hazardous substances, risks remain.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3), consider the following statements:
1. It is an age-verification test.
2. TW3 essentially involves an x-ray of the left wrist to check what stage of bone fusion a child has reached.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is Ammonium Nitrate?How this can be safely stored then?

An uneven recovery (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level:Purchasing managers index
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context: 

• From the lows observed in April, economic activity in India has gradually climbed up in the weeks and months thereafter. 

Uncertainty: 

• While uncertainty looms over the pace of the recovery — some indicators suggest that economic activities have levelled off at lower levels — the picture that emerges is of an uneven, two-paced recovery. 
• The recovery in the manufacturing sector, especially in some segments, appears to be far greater as compared to the pick-up in the services sector. 
• This trend is observed in the purchasing managers index (PMI) for the two sectors. 
• After plummetingto a record low of 27.4 in April, the PMI manufacturing rose to 47.3 in June, dipping marginally thereafter to 46 in July. 
• In comparison, the PMI services, which plungedto a low of 5.4 in April, has limped thereon, touching 34.2 in July. 
• It is unlikely that the gap between the two will narrow significantly in the near term.

Grim Prospects:

• Faced with grimincome prospects, households have curbed their discretionary spending. 
• Services, non-essentials in particular, have suffered disproportionally from this fall in demand. 
• Adding to that is the fear of moving in crowded places which is also constraining consumption of services such as restaurants and hospitality, travel and tourism and others despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. 
• There are several indications to this effect. For instance, reports in this paper reveal that despite restaurants and eateries being allowed to reopen, more than 60% of licensed eateries in prominent areas of Delhi continue to remain shut and are yet to renew their trade/health licences. 
• The effects of this collapse in demand for services, and non-essential manufacturing, on jobs and incomes are quite visible. 
• 40 of the BSE 100 companies that have announced their results for the first quarter of the current financial year have seen a decline in their aggregate employee expenditure. This is indicative of a fall in both employees and employee costs. 
• Some indication of the extent of the losses incurred during this period will reflect in the quarterly GDP estimates.

 Conclusion:

• The near-term prospects don’t appear promising. 
• With income and job losses, self-imposed restrictions on movement, and localised lockdowns to deal with the spread of the pandemic continuing to influence consumption patterns, demand for services is likely to remain muted. 
• In such a scenario, both individuals and businesses are likely to continue to be risk averse. Much will depend on the success in containing the spread of the pandemic.
• Services are seeing a greater fall, with job losses, localised lockdowns holding back demand and sharpening the challenge.

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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Material

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, consider the following statements:
1. Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM) is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), in collaboration with NCERT and Vigyan Prasar. 
2. It is a national program for popularizing result oriented research in Indian Institute of Technologies. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What do you mean by the purchasing managers index? What is the process of the calculation of purchasing managers index? What are the roles of PMI in an Economy?