Author: CD Staff

Context

• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was in Delhi for a four day visit to address the World Economic Forum India summit and has signed series of agreement on various matters.
• However bilateral relations between the two have witnessed unprecedented tensions over the last few years owing to certain issues.

An Overview

• India’s links with Bangladesh are civilization, cultural, social and economic.
• There is much that unites the two countries – a shared history and common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, passion for music, literature and the arts.
• The two nations were strong allies during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
• However, they developed different Cold War alliances in the late 1970s and 80s.
• With the onset of economic liberalization in South Asia, they forged greater bilateral engagement and trade.

India’s relation with Bangladesh

Connectivity

• Perhaps on top of the list is connectivity between India’s mainland and the crucial northeast, which is part of India’s “Look East” Policy.
• The only connection between India’s mainland and the northeast was the Chicken’s Neck – a narrow strip of land that has always been a huge security concern.
• India and Bangladesh have signed several pacts, so India can actually send goods and passengers over land across Bangladesh, connecting Bengal to Tripura.
• Chittagong port, too, is now open to Indian vessels and will ease supply of goods, meaning India is much more connected to the northeast than before.

Security

• The other part of ensuring the security of the northeast is by ensuring that Bangladesh does not become a shelter for its insurgents.
• The other big security concern for India is that Bangladesh should not turn into the frontline of radical terror in the southeast.
• Bangladesh could turn into a launchpad for religious radical terror activities in India.
• India’s relationship with Bangladesh is also linked to its relationship with China.
• India did not want Bangladesh to become a pearl in China’s “String of Pearls” strategy to hem in India by using its neighbours.

Trade and Industry

• Given Bangladesh’s GDP and economic growth, the Indian industry is taking a serious interest in investing in the country.
• Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia.
• India’s exports to Bangladesh for financial year 2018-19 (April-March) stood at US $ 9.21 bn and imports from Bangladesh for the same period stood at US $ 1.22 bn.
• India has ensured duty-free access of Bangladeshi goods to Indian market esp. the ready-made garments exports to India.

Energy Cooperation

• Energy cooperation between the two sides has also shown a lot of positivity with Indian state Tripura supplying a total of 160 MW of power to Bangladesh in addition to the 500 MW the country is receiving from West Bengal since 2013.

Defence Cooperation

• India and Bangladesh share the historical legacy of cooperation and support during the Liberation War of 1971.
• Various Joint exercises of Army (Exercise Sampriti) and Navy (Exercise Milan) take place between the two countries.

Issues in the Bilateral Relations

Illegal migration

• This has always been a primary problem for India since the partition of Bengal.
• In view of this, recently, the Supreme Court asked the Centre complete the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border soon to check illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam.

Cattle smuggling

• It is considered to be one of the losses for India of losing its indigenous variety and trade.
• Cattle haats along the India-Bangladesh border are becoming a source of cattle for smuggling

Counterfeit currency smuggling

• Dumping of Fake Indian Currency Notes, recently several duplicate notes have been found along the border, which cripple the Indian Economy severely.

Joining Belt and Road initiative

• In 2016 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh, the smaller country agreed to join the OBOR.
• China is already investing in a number of infrastructure projects in the country including the deep sea port at Chittagong.
• It is likely that these projects will now be subsumed under the OBOR project.

River Water Sharing

• India and Bangladesh, as good neighbours, have moved forward on other sectors like power, investment and security but the Teesta waters issue remains a big problem due to continuous protest by the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government.
• Bangladesh is unhappy about the lack of resolution on all the common rivers.

Factors attributing to furtherance of tensions

Repatriation of illegal migrants

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) has left out 1.9 million Assamese from the list with a group labelled as “illegal immigrants from Bangladesh” living in Assam post-1971.
• India plans to seek their repatriation to Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh remains firm in its stance that no migrants travelled to Assam illegally during the 1971 war of independence and that the controversial NRC risks hurting relations.

Rohingya Issue

• The Rohingya issue and India’s remarks in 2017 on the issue have been upsetting for Bangladesh which has been facing the challenge of providing shelter to more than a million refugees fleeing persecution.
• The recent visit to Dhaka by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (August 19-21), saw a marked departure in India’s position.
• He had said then: “We agreed that safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons (Rohingyas) is in the national interest of all three countries – Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India.”
• However, it is China that is mediating when, given its geographical proximity, it is India which is ideally positioned to play a positive role in regional leadership.

Unresolved river disputes

• India and Bangladesh have failed to conclude a framework agreement to optimise the use of waters from six rivers including the Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar, which has been discussed for several months.
• No progress was reported on the long pending Teesta water sharing agreement either after the recent visit.

Indian faults

• Bangladesh would seem to have comprehensively addressed Indian concerns with regard to support to militant elements in the North-east, for long an area of Indian concern.
• On its part, India continues to be unable to deliver on Teesta.
• The Ganga Barrage project in Bangladesh carries economic advantages as well as political overtones, but has not been addressed with suitable despatch by India to enable Bangladesh to obtain external funding.
• Delay in implementation of the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal initiative) is inexplicable.
• Even if India is not chiefly responsible, one may have expected greater attention.

Still India needs Bangladesh

South Asian geopolitics

• Bangladesh has emerged as one of India’s closest partners and second to Bhutan in South Asia.The role of Bangladesh is critical for India’s Act East Policy.
• India counts on Dhaka’s support in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) initiatives.
• These collectively complement New Delhi’s Southeast Asia outreach.

Connectivity

• Bangladesh’s location is a strategic wedge between mainland India and NE seven states. Each of these states is land-locked and has shorter route to the sea through Bangladesh.
• Transit agreement with Bangladesh will spur the socio-economic development of North-East India.

Countering China

• Bangladesh uses China card to supplement its bargaining capacity against India.
• A ‘neutral’ Bangladesh thus ensures containment of an assertive China in this region.

Fight against terror

• Bangladesh has emerged as a key element in sub-regional connectivity initiatives with Pakistan refusing to play ball rendering SAARC ineffective.
• In 2016, when India decided to skip the SAARC Summit in Islamabad following spike in cross-border terror attacks, Bangladesh and Bhutan wasted no time in joining ranks in solidarity with India

Outcomes of the recent visit by PM Sheikh Hasina

India and Bangladesh signed seven agreements and also inaugurated three projects to deepen their partnership. The Seven Agreements include:

1. The use of the Chattogram and Mongla ports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India, particularly from Northeastern India.
2. Use of Bangladesh’s Feni river for drinking water supply in Tripura.
3. However, no progress was reported on the long pending Teesta water sharing agreement.
4. Exchange of data and information to prepare a framework of interim sharing agreements for six rivers — Manu, Muhuri, Khowai and Gomati rivers of Tripura and Dharla river of Bangladesh and Dudhkumar river of West Bengal.
5. Daudkanti (Bangladesh)-Sonamura (Tripura) inland water trade route to be included under Protocol of the Inland Water Transit and Trade.
6. Consensus on lifting restrictions on entry and exit from land ports in India for Bangladeshi citizens travelling on valid documents.
7. Implementation of the Lines of Credit (LoCs) committed by India to Bangladesh.

New bilateral development projects

• Import of bulk Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Bangladesh
• Inauguration of Vivekananda Bhaban (students hostel) at Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka.
• Inauguration of Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSDI) at the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), Khulna, Bangladesh.

Security engagement

• Both sides noted the progress made in finalization of a MoU on Establishment of Coastal Surveillance Radar System in Bangladesh.

Way Forward

• In a neighbourhood where distrust and cynicism prevail over friendship and hope, the relationship between the two countries has given hope for optimism.
• India-Bangladesh relations have matured in the last decade with development in many areas of cooperation.
• The shared colonial legacy, history and socio-cultural bonds demand that the political leadership of the two countries inject momentum into India-Bangladesh relations.
• Sheikh Hasina’s trip to India has helped relations graduate to the next level of strengthening the three Cs: cooperation, coordination, and consolidation.
• In due course of time rest of the issues will be sorted. But the sooner existing challenges are resolved, the better it is.

References

https://www.civilsdaily.com/india-and-bangladesh-relations/

https://www.civilsdaily.com/india-bangladesh-relations/

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-bangladesh

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-bangladesh-relations-shiekh-hasina-narendra-modi-6058161/

https://www.firstpost.com/india/india-bangladesh-sign-seven-pacts-during-sheikh-hasinas-visit-coastal-surveillance-river-water-sharing-improving-connectivity-among-key-takeaways-7464291.html

https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-in-india-to-bolster-trade-connectivity/a-50708175

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/furthering-this-neighbourhood-friendship/article29577509.ece

Plastic ban delayed

• A blanket ban though would not take place, contrary to expectations that were raised after the PM mentioned of single-use plastics in his August 15^th
• India would phase out single-use plastics by 2022, PM Modi announced at the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad on October 2, 2019.

Single Use Plastics

• As the name suggests, single-use plastics (SUPs) are those that are discarded after one-time use.
• Besides the ubiquitous plastic bags, SUPs include water and flavoured/aerated drinks bottles, takeaway food containers, disposable cutlery, straws, and stirrers, processed food packets and wrappers, cotton bud sticks, etc.
• Of these, foamed products such as cutlery, plates, and cups are considered the most lethal to the environment.

Missed the date. Why?

• With several crises on the economic front and fears in the plastic industry due to the proposed ban, the government is not too keen on taking any rushed decision on a blanket ban. This has been for various reasons:

1) Fear of Job losses

• Experts and people related to the plastic industry feared severe job losses in the industry due to the proposed ban.
• There are over 50,000 plastic manufacturing industrial units functional in the country currently, providing employment opportunities to 4 to 5 million people.
• A blanket ban on single-use plastic could lead to closure of about 10,000 industrial units and over half a million people would be out of jobs.

2) No definition of single-use plastic yet

• The major bone of contention remains the fact that there is no central definition of what comprises single-use plastics, which may adversely affect any sort of ban.
• The PM defined them as plastics which are used only once and then discarded.
• At times, it is misunderstood to mean only polythene bags. For any ban to be successful, we need a clear definition of single-use.

3) Poor response from states

• The 2019 CPCB report remarked that states/UTs were not furnishing information regarding Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 in their jurisdiction.
• This included PW generation records, creating state level advisory body, framing bylaws, marking and labelling of MPLs, plastic manufacturing/recycling units etc.
• States/UTs were not taking concrete steps to take preventive and regulatory measures envisaged under the rules.

4) No clarity on policy move

• Stakeholders in the plastic industry have been also holding meetings with the government seeking clarity in its policy on single-use plastic.
• Various stakeholders demand that the government should promptly come up with a clear cut policy towards implementation of plastic ban and then it should be carried out in a phased manner.
• This will also help the industry in understanding its impact and then they might be able to accept it.

Why is ban needed?

1) Pollution

• India generated 26,000 tonnes per day (TPD) of plastic waste in 2017-18, the latest year for which data is available, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
• Of that, 15,600 TPD, or 60 per cent , was recycled.
• The rest ended up as litter on roads, in landfills or in streams. Uncollected plastic waste poses a huge threat to species on land and in water.

 2) Non-renewable and non-biodegradable

• Unlike scrap metal that’s recycled almost entirely, about 90% of the plastic the world has produced so far has been discarded as waste.
• This is resulting in global environmental and social damage of more than $2.2 trillion every year.

 3) Energy intensive

• Production of plastic material is very energy intensive.
• They require a lot of water for their production. Thus using plastic bags is not advisable.

4) Threat to aquatic life

• Being non-recyclable, plastic bags end up in the oceans. While they reach, they break up into tiny little pieces and are consumed by wildlife.
• Thereby leading to health issues or even death. Many animals also get entangled or trapped in plastic bags.

5) Health hazard

• Toxic chemicals from plastic bags can damage the blood and tissues.
• Frequent exposures can lead to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, hormone changes, endocrine disruption and other serious ailments.

Phasing out SUPs. How?

1) Baseline and inventory analysis

• There is a need for a thorough analysis of environmental, social and economic impacts of SUPs.
• Inventorization studies in order to estimate how much fraction of single use plastics is there in our plastic waste, how much of this fraction comprises packaging waste, cutlery items, carry bags, PET bottles, etc., are to be done.
• These numbers shall help assess the scale of such waste and look for a clear alternative.
• There needs to be an initiative at state level to push cities to inventorize their dry waste. Since the composition of our waste has changed drastically with more plastics, it is important that this be done.
• Only then we can assess the extent of their impact before imposing bans. Such a study has not been done so far and has now become the need of the hour.

2) Clearly defining of SUPs

• For this ban to be successful, we need a clear definition of SUPs. Currently, different definitions are used by governments.
• Single use simply means products that are used once and then discarded. This includes a huge amount of packaging waste, including water bottles and so a clear definition is critical.
• Any plastic that is made from polymers of HDPE, LDPE, PET, PS, PP, EPS is single use plastics, according to the United Nations.
• The definition in Australia is that single-use plastic includes shopping bags, cups, straws and packaging.
• The IEEP’s and European Commission’s definition says single-use plastics can include any disposable plastic item designed to be used only once.
• Therefore, specific definitions pertaining to the composition, uses and categories of single-use plastics should be framed.

3) Categorization of plastics

• There are three elementary steps for successfully banning plastic products. The government first needs to prepare a list of items that cannot be recycled.
• It must then ascertain what available alternatives can be provided for them.
• Only if these items are readily available should the ban be implemented. Otherwise, the industry must be provided a “transition period”.

4) National Action Plan for phasing out SUPs

• There is a need for a National Action Plan or guidelines that should focus to implement plastic ban in a phase-wise manner in terms of urgency.
• This means products that have alternatives available should be phased out earlier than those that don’t have alternatives, simultaneously reinforcing R&D funding for different alternatives and eco-friendly products.
• The phase-wise banning should be developed based on materials, recyclability, availability of alternatives and livelihood security to the informal sector.
• Keeping this and current post-consumption patterns in mind, a framework indicating range of SUP products needs to be devised to assist the policy makers in ideating, planning and executing the phase-wise SUP ban.

5) Strengthening waste management systems

• Imposing a ban on SUPs is only a part and not the whole solution. However, better waste management systems with focus on segregation incentive models can help achieve long-term impacts.
• If cities segregate waste into three fractions — wet, dry, and domestic hazardous waste — and if municipalities create infrastructure in terms of material recovery facilities or sorting stations, dry waste can be sorted into different fractions.
• This then has value and a market and will not end up as litter. We need to source segregate.

6) Recycling

• Establishing and monitoring domestic recycling units in every state and Union territory, incentivising the recyclers in the unorganised sectors should be promoted.
• There should be training of low-skilled recyclers, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanisms, life cycle and cost analysis of plastic alternatives should be formulated and explored by the legislative bodies.
• This is to increase the recycling efficiency in the country and implement effective and sustainable solutions at every stage of banning single-use plastics.

7) Effective EPR implementation

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy tools and its implementation is still lax in the country.
• An effective EPR framework, therefore, should be formulated keeping into context the applicability of EPR for certain items like PET, PP or dairy industry.
• However, EPR implementation for multi-layered plastic (MLP) can still be a constraint considering the vast unorganised industry and present waste management systems.
• The roadmap can, therefore, let producers implement their EPR obligations utilising the flexibility of brand and geography neutrality.

8) Discourage small pack MLP sachets

• Lighter, portable and cost-effective nature of single serve sachets/pouches makes them a major environmental menace as it is one of the major sources of plastic waste and litter, as their collection is economically non-viable.
• Hence, the production of small packs such as single-use pouches and sachets should be discouraged and a regulation be enforced.
• Instead Polypropylene packaged items can be brought into the stream to cater to low-income groups and also have a high recyclability.

9) Reducing plastic content in MLP

• Ideal packaging materials were tailored by combining different materials with customised functionality to sufficiently protect sensitive food products and thus obtain extended shelf life.
• Latest feasible techniques and technologies may be employed to cut down the use of multiple polymers/plastics.
• More research in this area must be done. Use of single polymer/layer recyclable packaging materials should be encouraged.

Getting started

Making it people’s movement

• Presently, consumer awareness about negative impacts of littering single-use plastics and available reuse systems and waste management options for all these products are still limited.
• There is a lack of widespread awareness among citizens about the magnitude of harm caused by single-use plastic as was in the case for Swachhata.
• Focus must be laid on educating people to take personal responsibility for plastic pollution by choosing to reject, reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.

Using alternatives

• Devising feasible alternatives for single-use plastic items and targeting consumers and retailers for better marketing is needed.
• However, their availability and affordability remain a challenge.
• Solutions: providing robust infrastructures, strengthening market, innovation and entrepreneurship, subsidy or incentives to consumers at domestic level.
• For instance, cotton bags sourced from virgin cotton, kulhad cups baked in kilns have a higher environmental footprint than plastics.
• In the present context, jute and upcycled cloth bags, bamboo and wooden cutlery, leaf-based plates, glass and metal containers etc. are some of the immediate alternatives available.

Way Forward

• With no plastic ban in effect, raising awareness, promoting eco-friendly alternatives and strengthening the recycling mechanism can allow India to handle the plastic problem.
• While it is clear that a ban is not entirely a solution, the government must move quickly on measures to phase out and finally impose a plastic ban on problematic SUP items.
• It is clear that we cannot lose the momentum. Thus a phased ban on single-use plastic would help.
• Government should educate the public and trade bodies to achieve the benefits of the ban.
• Since long term benefits of plastic bag ban use will benefit the economy and also save taxpayer money can lead to plastic bag cleanup.

References:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/

https://theprint.in/india/why-single-use-plastic-ban-missed-gandhi-jayanti-date/300105/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-30/modi-wants-to-take-away-india-s-plastic-bags-and-spoons

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-phasing-out-single-use-plastics-prospects-and-challenges/

Introduction

• Modern space research in India is traced to the 1920s, when scientist S. K. Mitra conducted a series of experiments leading to the sounding of the ionosphere by applying ground-based radio methods in Kolkata.
• Later, Indian scientists like C.V. Raman and Meghnad Saha contributed to scientific principles applicable in space sciences.
• However, it was the period after 1945 that saw important developments being made in coordinated space research in India.
• Organized space research in India was spearheaded by two scientists: Vikram Sarabhai—founder of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad—and Homi Bhabha, who established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1945.

Vision

• The Indian space program is driven by the vision of Vikram Sarabhai, considered the father of the Indian space program.
• Throughout the years, ISRO has upheld its mission of bringing space to the service of the common man, to the service of the Nation.
• In the process, it has become one of the six largest space agencies in the world.

Making of ISRO

• India’s space program began with a vision to harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration
• In this view, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established in the tenure of PM Nehru under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1962.
• INCOSPAR grew and became ISRO in 1969, also under the DAE. This was done keeping in view the urge of scientist Vikram Sarabhai recognizing the need in space research.
• In 1972, GoI set up a Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS) bringing ISRO under the DOS.
• The establishment of ISRO thus institutionalized space research activities in India. It is managed by the DOS, which reports to the PM of India.

Applications of India’s space asset

India’s space mission can be broadly categorized into the following categories:

1. Launch vehicle fleet like PSLV, GSLV etc,
2. Satellite programs ex. INSAT,
3. Satellite Navigation program ex. IRNSSS and NAVIC
4. Extraterrestrial exploration like Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission
5. Human Spaceflight Programme viz. Gaganyaan

Telecommunication

• India uses its satellite communication network – one of the largest in the world – for applications such as land management, water resources management, natural disaster forecasting, radio networking, weather forecasting, etc.
• Business, administrative services, and schemes such as the National Informatics Centre (NIC) are direct beneficiaries of applied satellite technology

Military

• Integrated Space Cell, under the Integrated Defence Staff of the Ministry of Defence, has been set up to utilize more effectively the country’s space-based assets for military purposes and to look into threats to these assets.
• This command leverages space technology including satellites.

Telemedicine

• ISRO has applied its technology for telemedicine, directly connecting patients in rural areas to medical professionals in urban locations via satellites.
• Since high-quality healthcare is not universally available in some of the remote areas of India, the patients in remote areas are diagnosed and analyzed by doctors in urban centers in real-time via video conferencing.

Biodiversity Information System

• ISRO has also helped implement India’s Biodiversity Information System, completed in October 2002.
• Based on intensive field sampling and mapping using satellite remote sensing and geospatial modeling tools, maps have been made of vegetation cover on a 1: 250,000 scale.

Significant feats

Disaster Management Support (DMS)

• ISRO’s technologies and applications have always proved useful during natural calamities.
• In 2016, ISRO’s support on this front was significant during the Uttarakhand Forest Fires and floods in the north-eastern states of Manipur and Assam.

Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

• RLV-TD was successfully flight-tested on May 23, 2016.
• Critical technologies such as reusable thermal protection system, re-entry mission management, guidance & control along with autonomous navigation were tested during the flight.

Launch of Cartosat series

• On June 22, 2016, ISRO put into orbit, India’s Cartosat (Cartosat-2C) earth observation satellite along with 19 other satellites using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C34) in a single mission.
• Cartosat series of satellites will be used for various strategic and civilian applications. It includes Geographical Information System (GIS), Land Information System (LIS), utility management and precision studies.
• The satellite which has been called ‘India’s eyes in the sky’ by experts due to its high surveillance and monitoring capabilities will assist the other military satellites in the Cartosat series.

104 satellites launch

• India created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014.
• PSLV-C37 successfully carried and deployed a record of 104 satellites in sun-synchronous orbits.

Towards Scramjet Engine Technology

• On August 28, 2016, ISRO successfully conducted its first experimental mission of the Scramjet Engine at SDSRC, Sriharikota.
• The flight testing of the Scramjet Engine made India the fourth country to demonstrate such capabilities.
• The technology is expected to radically change the future space transportation systems by ISRO.
• A fully functional Scramjet Engine is expected to reduce the launch costs by half and minimize the chance of engine failure.

Important missions

I. Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

• The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) – launched on November 05, 2013 and successfully inserted into Mars orbit on September 24, 2014, has various achievements to its credit.
• It is the first interplanetary mission realized by India and the first Indian spacecraft to incorporate full-scale onboard autonomy to overcome the long distances and the communication gaps due to non-visibility periods.
• Marking India’s first venture into the interplanetary space, MOM will explore and observe Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and the Martian atmosphere.
• Further, a specific search for methane in the Martian atmosphere will provide information about the possibility or the past existence of life on the planet.

II. Chandrayaan Mission

• Chandrayaan Mission-I in 2008 – discovered the presence of water on the surface of the Moon and turned a new chapter in the world’s understanding of Moon.
• Chandrayaan-2 which consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, was all equipped with scientific instruments to study the moon.
• However, a part of the mission failed as the Vikram lander crash-landed on the lunar surface.

III. Solar Mission

• Aditya-L1 is India’s first dedicated scientific mission to study the sun.
• It is meant to observe only the solar corona- the outer layers of the Sun, extending to thousands of km above the disc (photosphere).

IV. Gaganyaan Mission

• The human spaceflight program will provide a unique micro-gravity platform in space for conducting experiments and testbed for future technologies.
• The program is expected to give impetus to economic activities within the country in terms of employment generation, human resource development, and enhanced industrial capabilities.
• Human Spaceflight capability will enable India to participate as a collaborating partner in future Global space exploration initiatives with long term national benefits.

Developments so far

• ISRO has completed the development of launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III which has the necessary payload capability to launch a 3-member crew module in low earth orbit.
• It has also tested the crew escape system which is an essential technology for human space flight.
• Elements of the life support system and Space suit also have been realized and tested.
• In addition, the orbital & re-entry mission and recovery operations have been flight demonstrated in Space Capsule Re-entry experiment (SRE) mission.

VI. Building own Space station

• India plans to build a space station as a follow-up programme of the Gaganyaan mission.
• ISRO chairman K. Sivan has said that India will not join the International Space Station program and will instead build a 20-tonne space station on its own.

Criticisms of Space Programmes

• For long, India is known to be making investments in the space arena for social, scientific and security purposes. However many fundamentalists see investment in space as a waste of money.
• All previous missions of ISRO are about race for planetary resources. Unfortunately, it has not planned for any missions to asteroids, an ideal bed for mineral mining.
• After Chandrayaan 2 failure there is a danger that future ambitious missions could also end up only as a ‘feel-good program’ with Gaganyaan coming ahead.

A wise investment

• Ironically, one of India’s current challenges is the trickling down effect of investments in technology by the ISRO.
• Many people myopic vision questioned the relevance of space activities in a newly independent nation which was finding it difficult to feed its population.
• Any space exploration mission undertaken by a developing country like India is likely to prompt the argument that such investments need to be redirected in areas that need immediate intervention (ex. education, health).
• One of the simplest ways of resolving this debate is to concretely showcase how technologies developed for space missions like Chandrayaan 2 find their way into the daily lives of citizens.
• However former President APJ Abdul Kalam opined that if Indians were to play a meaningful role in the community of nations, they must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to their real-life problems.

Why we must explore?

• Curiosity and exploration are vital to the human spirit and accepting the challenge of going deeper into space is the way ahead.
• The intangible desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know and where we have been has provided benefits to our society for centuries.
• Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system.
• Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations.

Way Forward

• Future readiness is the key to maintaining an edge in technology and ISRO endeavors to optimize and enhance its technologies as the needs and ambitions of the country evolve.
• Thus, ISRO is moving forward with the development of heavy lift launchers, human spaceflight projects, reusable launch vehicles, semi-cryogenic engines, single and two stage to orbit (SSTO and TSTO) vehicles, development and use of composite materials for space applications, etc.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Space_Research_Organisation#Applications

http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?title=Space_Programme_in_India

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/expanding-indias-share-in-global-space-economy/article28286469.ece

https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/future-of-space-programme-why-india-needs-to-build-its-own-space-station/1590324/

https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/jKaufXMBRvrTDZ9oSoH4NL/Isro-A-world-class-Make-in-India-example.html

https://www.dailyo.in/politics/isro-space-research-chandrayaan-antrix/story/1/25922.html

https://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/chandrayaan-2-what-isro-must-do-to-make-benefits-of-the-moon-mission-accessible-to-the-common-man-7053791.html

https://hindustan360.in/the-name-isro-and-global-launch-pad-for-socio-economic-development-hindustan360/

https://debatewise.org/debates/137-space-exploration-is-a-waste-of-money/#yes2

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/268062-5-reasons-space-exploration-is-more-important-than-ever

Context

• Despite the Russia-India-China triangle reconciling on a shared vision and responsibility for the future of Eurasia, watchfulness resurfaces behind the curtains.
• Unveiling the Russian edition of India’s ‘Look East, Act East’ policy, PM Modi pledged to extend a $1 billion Line of Credit to Russia’s Far East region (RFE).

History of the duo

• The relations between Russia and India are an important and privileged strategic partnership.
• The relationship began with a visit by Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru to the Soviet Union in June 1955.
• During the Cold War, India and the Soviet Union (USSR) had a strong strategic, military, economic and diplomatic relationship.
• After the collapse of the USSR, Russia inherited its close relationship with India resulted in the special relationship.

The Partnership

• Traditionally, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership has been built on five major components: politics, defence, civil nuclear energy, anti-terrorism co-operation and space.

1. Strategic Relations

• India is the second-largest market for the Russian defence industry.
  In 2017, approximately 68% of the Indian Military’s hardware import came from Russia, making Russia the chief supplier of defence equipment.
• The co-operation is not limited to a buyer-seller relationship but includes joint research and development, training, service to service contacts, including joint exercises.
• It has risen above a buyer-seller relationship with the joint ventures projects to develop and produce the
• Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the Multirole Transport Aircraft.
  In October 2018, India inked the historic agreement worth US$5.43 billion with Russia to procure four S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile defence system, the most powerful missile defence system in the world ignoring America’s CAATSA act.

2. Economic Relations

• Bilateral trade between both countries is concentrated in key value-chain sectors.
• These sectors include highly diversified segments such as machinery, electronics, aerospace, automobile, commercial shipping, chemicals, pharmaceuticals etc.
• Both countries set a target of reaching US$30 billion in bilateral trade by 2025.

3. North-South Transport Corridor

• The North-South Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
• The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.
• The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali etc.

4. Energy Sector

• Energy sector is an important area in Indo-Russian bilateral relations.
• In 2001, ONGC-Videsh acquired stakes in the Sakhalin-I oil and gas project in the Russian Federation and has invested about US $1.7 billion in the project.
• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project with two units of 1000 MW each is a good example of Indo-Russian nuclear energy co-operation.
• Both sides are considering the possibilities of building a hydrocarbon pipeline system, connecting the Russian Federation with India.

5. Space Sector

• Historically, there has been a long history of cooperation between the Soviet Union and India in space. Ex. Aryabhatta, India’s first satellite.
• In Nov 2007, the two countries have signed an agreement on joint lunar exploration.
• Chandrayaan-2 was a joint lunar exploration mission proposed by the ISRO and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA).
• Both are collaborating for the scheduled Gaganyaan Mission.

Recent trends in bilateral ties

• Despite the best efforts divergences are growing in this bilateral relationship as the underlying structural changes in the international environment are pulling the two nations apart.
• Even in the past, the duo have tried to ground their bilateral relations in the wider realities of changing global balance of power.
• Now with the US under Trump upending the rules of global governance, there is renewed concern in the three capitals that their foreign policies need greater coordination, if only to preserve their equities in the global order.
• India, of course, has a long-standing relationship with Russia but that is undergoing a shift in light of rapidly evolving geopolitical realities.

Bilateral divergence

• While the top leadership of the two nations have continued to engage with each other, divergences have been cropping up with disturbing regularity.
• For India, what should be concerning is Russia’s increasing tilt towards Pakistan as it seeks to curry favour with China.
• Moscow had historically supported New Delhi at the United Nations Security Council by repeatedly vetoing resolutions on the Kashmir issue.

1. Military-defense Complex

• Russia is the dominant supplier of arms to India, with the historic military and defense ties between the two countries continuing to serve as one of the cornerstones of the India-Russia relationship.
• Strains are becoming apparent as India moves further along the path of military indigenization and import diversification.
• India’s procurement from the US and France has also been seen as a heated divergence between the two.
• This was a result of the unreliability of Russian supplies, as manifested in late arrivals, defective parts, and perennial conflicts overpricing and warranties.

2. Cultural Vacuum

• On an everyday level, while India films and yoga are popular in Russia, no parallel exposure to any aspect of Russian popular culture exists among Indians.
• This is the most woefully neglected aspect of their relationship, suffering on both sides from lack of funding and, no less important, a shortage of political will.
• Another aspect of ties is tourism which could be much more vigorous between the two countries than present India’s US affinity

3. India-US ties

• India’s engagement with the US addresses its core concerns regarding regional security.
• The signing of the long-awaited Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) is set to elevate the bilateral defence partnership and give India access to advanced U.S. defence systems.
• Another successful deliverable for India is Washington’s solidarity on the issue of terrorism expressed during the talks.
• The two sides “called on Pakistan to ensure that the territory under its control is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries.
• However, a closer engagement with the U.S. is a challenge for India, as this relationship is not likely to be a partnership of equals, for the foreseeable future.

Russia needs India as:

• A market for its goods to bypass Western sanctions imposed after its power push in Ukraine.
• The forthcoming Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership driven by the US will also force Russia to eye markets beyond Europe. India is a natural partner.
• Despite its renewed friendship with China, Russia will soon find itself in competition with it as Beijing regards itself as the new G2 along with the US.
• India can help provide the multi-polarity that Russia fiercely seeks.

India needs Russia because

• It can meet its abundant energy requirements at a cost-effective price.
• Despite expanding its defence purchases from the US, Israel and Europe, India still needs to collaborate with Russia to master future technology including for space.
• It improves India’s bargaining power when it negotiates arms sales with the West.
• Russia can be a major market for Indian industry such as pharmaceuticals, manufactured goods, dairy
• Products, bovine meat and frozen seafood.
• Geopolitically, Russia continues to be a balancing force against any designs China and Pakistan may have in our region.
• India is interested in expanding the level of trade between the two countries.
• An area of special interest for India is the exploration of hydrocarbon reserves along the coast of Russia’s Far East where India has decided to extend a $1 billion Line of Credit.
• This interest is seen as India’s attempts to not only keep a traditional friend close but to ensure some space in the current clinch between Russia and China.
• This act will be a powerful catalyzer to boost more fruitful cooperation between the two nations on a number of areas.
• New Delhi needs Moscow’s support in the former’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council

Recent Development:

• The Plenary Session of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) was recently held in Vladivostok, Russia.

Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)

• The EEF was established by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2015.
• It aimed for supporting the economic development of Russia’s Far East, and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The recently held EEF Summit on September 2019 at the Far Eastern Federal University is the fifth in its history.
• Among the participants in the Summit are India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and South Korea.
• The Summits have roundtable conferences, panel sessions, business breakfasts, besides business dialogues and bilateral talks and agreements.

Achievements of EEF

• In the last five years, as many as 17 different countries have invested in the Far East, according to the EEF website.
• These include regional and global heavyweights like China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam.
• As a result, 20 advanced special economic zones and five free ports have been put in place.
• A total of 1,780 new investment projects, worth over 3.8 trillion rubles, and 230 new enterprises have become functional, the EEF website says.

India’s interest in the EEF

• PM Modi has described the EEF as a “historic opportunity” to give new impetus to the cooperation between India and Russia.
• He has said that the relationship between the two countries has “special chemistry, special ease”, even pointing out that Siberian cranes migrate to “my home state Gujarat”.

Line Of Credit for Russia’s Far East

• Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Prime Minister Mr Modi made the announcement of extending a $1 billion Line of Credit to Russia’s Far East region (RFE).
• It expected to help finance Indian business projects in the region, will be the “take-off point for Act Far East”, and will further strengthen bilateral ties.

How Far East is game-changer?

• The Far East has the potential to become an anchor in deepening India-Russia cooperation; more so considering that New Delhi has expanded the scope of its ‘Act East policy’ to also include Moscow.
• The area has the potential to strengthen India-Russia economic partnership in areas like energy, tourism, agriculture, diamond mining and alternative energy.

Extending to Act Far East Policy

• The PM recalled that India was the first country in the world to open a consulate in Vladivostok, and underlined the age and depth of the country’s relations with the Far East.
• Engaging closely with East Asia was in line with India’s policy goal of “Act East”.
• PM also unveiled the “Act Far East” policy to boost India’s engagement with Russia’s Far East region.
• This will also give a new dimension to our economic diplomacy.

Sea route from Chennai to Vladivostok

• During PM’s visit to Vladivostok this week, an MoU was signed to open a full-fledged maritime route between Russia’s eastern port city and Chennai on India’s eastern seaboard.
• Located on the Golden Horn Bay north of North Korea and a short distance from Russia’s border with China, Vladivostok is the largest port on Russia’s Pacific coast, and home to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy.
• It is the eastern railhead of the legendary Trans Siberian Railway, which connects the far east of Russia to the capital Moscow, and further west to the countries of Europe.
• At Vladivostok’s massive port, shipping and commercial fishing are the main commercial activities.
• Automobiles are a major item of import at the port, from where they are often transported further inland.

To Chennai, by sea

• An ocean liner travelling from Vladivostok to Chennai would sail southward on the Sea of Japan past the Korean peninsula, Taiwan and the Philippines in the South China Sea, past Singapore and through the Strait of Malacca.
• It will emerge into the Bay of Bengal and then cut across through the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to Chennai.
• This sea route covers a distance of approximately 5,600 nautical miles or about 10,300 km.
• A large container ship travelling at the normal cruising speed of 20-25 knots, or 37-46 km/hour, should be able to cover the distance in 10-12 days.
• At suboptimal “slow steaming” speeds of 18-20 knots (33-37 km/hour), at which long-distance vessels sometimes travel to in order to save fuel, it might take slightly longer — 12-13 days.

Need for a reset

• For India, the prism is different as it has to manage the negative externalities emerging from the rise of China in its vicinity.
• China-Pakistan nexus is proving difficult to contain as India gets ready to face a two-front challenge.
• China refuses to recognise Indian global power aspirations and has not yielded on key Indian security demands.
• As a result, while Russia may find cooperation with China as a perfectly legitimate response to its problems with the West, India does not have that luxury.
• Meanwhile India’s concerns are timely addressed by Russia its stated policy supports India receiving a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

What needs to be done?

• First and foremost, judging from a track record of multiple agreements and MoUs that have not led to tangible results.
• The recent comprehensive U.S.-India Strategic 2+2 Dialogue is a model to follow.
• There should be more meetings at the highest state level, regular annual reports on the progress of the working groups, and reinvigorated interactions.
• India’s cores strength is that it follows an independent foreign policy
• On its long way to become a global power, it will likely have to follow a zigzag course, balancing between American demands, long-term friendship with Russia and its own strategic necessities.
• It will sign defence pacts and conduct military drills with both the U.S. and Russia in an attempt to seize maximum opportunities from its relations with global powers.

Just relying on sentimentalism of the past won’t work anymore as new challenges confront India and Russia and the global geostrategic environment undergoes a profound reordering. Otherwise, putting all eggs in one basket might create overdependence on one partner and ultimately not serve Indian interests well.

References

https://www.civilsdaily.com/india-russia-relations/https://www.orfonline.org/research/russia-and-india-difficult-times-ahead/
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/looming-challenges-to-indias-standing/article28429662.ece
http://www.jsia.edu.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/katherine-re-energizing_0.pdf
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/bear-hug-on-india-strengthening-relations-with-
russia/article29355066.ece
https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/eastern-economic-forum/

https://idsa.in/idsacomments/the-arithmetic-of-india-u.s.-relations-azakharov-170918

Context

• The Centre announced a mega amalgamation plan, the third in a row, that merged ten public sector banks into four larger entities.
• With these series of mergers, the number of state-owned banks is down to 12 from 27.

Bank Merger

• A merger is simply the combining of two business entities to form a larger one but with no explicit change in ownership.
• This is in contrast to an acquisition where one business entity takes ownership control over another by paying for the ownership privilege in cash, stock, or other means.
• In the case of state-owned banks that are being merged now, where the government is the majority shareholder, there will be no change in ownership but merely a restructuring of how these banks are organised.
• Mergers of banks began in India in the 1960s in order to bail out the weaker banks and protect the customer interests.

Why merger?

• There are various reasons cited by the government for its decision to merge state-owned banks.
• One of them is that large banks will be able to lend more money and help revive the slowing economy.
• The government also believes that increased credit growth is essential in order to achieve its target of growing India into a $5-trillion economy in the next few years.
• It is also of the view that the merger will lead to increased operational efficiency that will help these banks lower their costs, thus enabling them to lower their lending rates.
• State-owned banks have been reeling under a bad loan crisis for years now.
• Although the government has not projected the present merger as a measure to tackle bad loans, bank mergers in the past have been carried out simply to bail out struggling banks.
• However the government, after consultations, decided that amalgamation is the “best route” to achieve banking sector scale and to support the target of achieving a $5 trillion economic size for India in five years.

Logic behind the move

• For years, expert committees starting from the M Narasimham Committee have recommended that India should have fewer but bigger and better-managed banks to ensure optimal use of capital, efficiency, wider reach and greater profitability.
• The logic is that rather than having several of its own banks competing for the same pie (in terms of deposits or loans) in the same narrow geographies, leading to each one incurring costs, it would make sense to have large-sized banks.
• It has also been argued that such an entity will then be able to respond better to emerging market trends or shifts and compete more with private banks.
• The proposed big banks would be able to compete globally and improve their operational efficiency once they lower their cost of lending and improve lending.
• But none of India’s banks including the largest, SBI, figures in the list of the top 50 global banks. So that may be a long way away.

Will the move help make banks stronger?

• The banks that have been merged by the government exhibit varying financial strength.
• It remains to be seen whether the operational benefits that the government believes will come about through the merger will compensate for the deterioration in the financials of the stronger banks.
• Critics doubt whether the government has any similar incentive to look for synergies that can boost the profits of its banks.
• Given this, it seems unlikely that state-owned banks will be able to become more efficient after the merger by getting rid of redundant labour.

How does it help the government?

• For over decades starting from 1992, the government as the biggest shareholder of over 25 banks had to provide capital for them.
• To grow and lend more, the banks often need a higher amount of capital to set aside also for loans that could go bad.
• With the government not willing to lower its equity holdings and with a large slice of the capital being set aside to cover for bad loans, the burden of infusing capital rests on the majority shareholder.
• This means marking a large amount of money almost every year during the last few years in the Budget for capital infusion at many banks at a time when there is a huge demand for social sector.
• By reducing the number of banks to a manageable count, the government hopes that the demands for such capital infusion will be lower progressively with increased efficiencies and with more well capitalised banks.
• It will also help that the government can focus now on fewer banks than in the past.

Pros of the merger

Some of the pros of the mergers are:

• a large capital base would equip the merged entities to disburse a larger number of loans and of higher magnitude,
• operational efficiency will reduce costs,
• the need for recapitalization from the government will reduce, and
• better adoption of technology.

Limitations

The cons of the amalgamation are:

• it would be tough to manage issues pertaining to human resources,
• having only a few large, inter-linked banks can expose the broader economy to enhanced financial risks, and
• the local identity of small banks will be lost, leading to ramifications in the social and cultural space that are often not recognised or understood.

Implications of the merger

Bad Loans

• The merger of banks per se will not lead to a decrease in the absolute size of bad loans in their books.
• The size of bad loans in bank books can drop only if banks manage to improve the recovery of these loans, or if these loans are written off their balance sheets.
• The bad loan recovery process remains slow due to the inefficient judicial system in the country and banks have been unwilling to aggressively write off bad loans since that would require recognising greater losses.

Structural problems

• The present merger, many believe, also does not address the issue of political interference in the management of state-owned banks that is at the root of the bad loan crisis.
• The stated purpose of the nationalization of banks in 1969 was to use bank credit to fund the various development goals of the government.
• Towards this end, over the years, various state-owned banks have been forced to extend loans under political pressure even though such loans did not always make business sense.
• This is in contrast to private banks that are allowed to operate simply as pure businesses seeking profits.

Funding for growth

• Finally, when it comes to funding the growth needs of the economy, large banks may be able to lend more money than smaller banks due to the size of their capital base.
• However, some argue that large banks may not really be essential when it comes to funding big-ticket business projects.
• In the past, several smaller banks have come together to extend large loans. Further, companies themselves might prefer to seek funds from multiple sources.

Critical opinion on merger

• The merging of healthy banks with weak banks may not really improve the health of the banking system as a whole.
• In fact, many believe, by diluting the management of strong banks, forced mergers may lead to a significant deterioration in the overall health of the banking system.
• Last but not least, if the managers of efficient banks are punished for their good performance by being asked to share the burden of weaker banks, many fear that there will be fewer incentives for managers to manage well.
• This can further negatively affect the long-term performance of state-owned banks.

More thrust is on RBI

• The RBI keeps monitoring large institutions whose potential failure can impact other institutions or banks and the financial sector, and which could have a contagion effect and erode confidence in other banks.
• A case in point is the recent instance of IL&FS Group, which defaulted on repayments hitting many lenders and investors.
• The creation of more large-sized banks will mean the RBI will have to improve its supervisory and monitoring processes to address increased risks.

Conclusion

• The finance minister has quoted that the proposed big banks would be able to compete globally and improve their operational efficiency once they lower their cost of lending and improve lending.
•  But none of India’s banks including the largest, SBI, figures in the list of the top 50 global banks. So that may be a long way away.
• While the announced consolidation of PSU banks is a credit positive as it enables the consolidated entities to meaningfully improve scale of operations and help their competitive position.
• At the same time, there will not be any immediate improvement in their credit metrics as all of them have relatively weak solvency profiles.

References

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-mergers-of-public-sector-banks/

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/how-will-mergers-affect-public-banks/article29363041.ece

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/mergers-acquisitions/digging-deeper-the-big-bank-merger-what-why-and-what-next-4411711.html

https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/sunday-spotlight/the-big-bank-theory-759842.html