THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 19 June 2020 (The red line (Indian Express))

The red line (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations
Prelims level: Galwan Valley
Mains level: India and its neighbourhood relations

Context:

As the details of Monday night’s encounter in the Galwan Valley come into view, there is growing national outrage at the killing of the Indian soldiers who went on a disengagement mission.
Adding insult to injury, senior Chinese military officials, diplomats and the political leadership have put the blame squarely on India.
But as the South Block statement put it, it was the PLA that sought to alter the status quo.
And a more responsible approach on Beijing’s part would have avoided significant number of deaths on both sides.

Blame game:

Chinese soldiers took “pre-meditated and planned action” that was directly responsible for Monday’s clash, EAM Jaishankar has told his China counterpart in a phone conversation.
While blaming the Indian Army for the unfortunate confrontation on Monday night and warning Delhi that it is prepared for further escalation, Beijing continues to offer talks to defuse the situation.
This classic Chinese ploy that combines military aggression with appearances of political moderation calls for a sophisticated Indian response.

Prudence:

Modi’s brief remarks on Wednesday sought to balance India’s desire for peace and de-escalation on the one hand and its determination to vigorously respond to Chinese provocations on the border.
India’s leadership is fully conscious of the demands at home for retributionsimilar to the Indian bombing of a terror camp at Balakot in Pakistan.
But it understands that reactions .......................

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Weighing options:

A rash military response to the unacceptable incident at Galwan could inevitably lead to military escalation at multiple points on the contested frontier where the two armies are standing toe to toe.
The economic costs of such an escalation would indeed be substantive and the political consequences severe.
That does not mean Delhi should accept the new facts on the ground created by the People’s Liberation Army.
The principal political objective of the Indian statecraft today is to restore the status quo that prevailed in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere before China’s expansive forward push in April.

Way ahead:

A three-fold strategy is critical for the realisation of that goal.
One is the political will to escalate the military confrontation if it becomes necessary;
second is the closing of domestic ranks and the demonstration of national resolve to bear the economic and political costs of escalation; and;
finally, the commitment to a sustained dialogue to complete the process of disengagement that was agreed upon earlier this month.

Conclusion:

• In short, Delhi’s message to domestic and international audiences must be a simple yet credible one that India will do whatever it takes to restore the status quo anteon the northern frontiers.

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Prelims Questions:

Q1. With reference to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2021, consider the following statements:
1. No Indian institute secured a position among the top 100 universities of the world.
2. The total number of Indian institutions in the top 1,000 global list has also fallen from 24 to 21.

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