GS Paper: GS2-19.Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

The evolving role of the Colombo Security Conclave
Key Highlights:
- The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) aims to promote a safe, secure, and stable Indian Ocean, with India playing a leadership role.
- The CSC’s revival in 2020, after a standstill since 2014, reflects India’s evolving strategic vision for the Indian Ocean.
- India seeks to institutionalize its role in the region, addressing security challenges and emerging threats through the CSC.
- China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean is a significant factor driving the CSC’s revival, with Beijing investing in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and establishing a presence in key locations.
Key Challenges:
- Domestic political changes in member-states can impact the CSC’s effectiveness, as seen with the Maldives’ absence from a recent meeting.
- The nationalist and pro-China sentiments in member-states may hinder collaboration, affecting the CSC’s ability to address regional challenges.
- Despite concerns about China’s actions in the Indian Ocean, some regional countries may not view China as a threat, limiting the CSC’s collective response.
Key Terms/Phrases:
- Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
- Indian Ocean
- Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
- Maritime security
- Regional collaboration
- Extra-regional powers
- Indo-Pacific
- National Security Adviser (NSA)
Key Quotes:
- “The lack of capacity of island nations to secure the seas and counter transnational threats has continued to motivate India.”
- “China’s outreach to the Indian Ocean is to control crucial sea lines of communication and trade, limiting India’s influence.”
Key Statements:
- “The CSC offers India an opportunity to institutionalize its role, shape the regional security architecture, and better address existing and emerging threats.”
- “The strategic accommodation and flexibility of the CSC contribute to the security of the Indian Ocean.”
Key Examples/References:
- China’s naval capabilities, defense relationships, and infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean.
- Maldives’ absence from a recent CSC meeting due to preferences for a close relationship with China or nationalist sentiments.
Key Facts/Data:
- The CSC was revived in 2020, with the inclusion of Mauritius, Seychelles, and Bangladesh.
- China’s investments in the Indian Ocean include the Belt and Road Initiative projects and control of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port.
Critical Analysis:
- The vulnerability of the CSC to domestic political changes highlights challenges in maintaining consistent regional collaboration.
- The balance between addressing security concerns and managing relationships with China is crucial for the CSC’s success.
Way Forward:
- Strengthen institutional mechanisms within the CSC to mitigate the impact of domestic political changes.
- Continue to focus on the five pillars of cooperation, addressing maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief.
- Enhance efforts to build trust among member-states and address concerns related to nationalist and pro-China sentiments.
December 26, 2023
The hypocrisy of Western democracy
Central idea

The article explores the tragic situation in Palestine, emphasizing the West’s complicity in enabling Israel’s actions. It highlights the suppression of freedom of expression, media bias, and challenges in Europe, calling for an exposé of Western democracies’ hypocrisies and a truthful reckoning to address the root causes of Palestinian oppression.

Key Highlights:
- Tragic Toll: The passage reveals the staggering death toll of over 17,000 Gazans since October 7, underscoring the magnitude of the ongoing tragedy.
- West’s Enabling Role: The West is implicated in enabling Israel’s actions through support, framing the conflict, and reducing Palestine to the actions of Hamas.
Key Challenges:
- Freedom of Expression Suppression: Western societies, despite professing democracy, are suppressing freedom of expression, particularly in universities, where pro-Palestine advocates face public exposure.
- Media Bias: The media, a significant influencer, is criticized for its overwhelming bias towards Israel, neglecting the historical roots and international illegality of Israeli occupation.
Key Terms and Phrases:
- Zionism and Apartheid: These terms highlight ideological aspects and the discriminatory nature of certain Israeli policies.
- Genocidal Intent and Settler Colonialism: These phrases emphasize the severity of actions and the historical context of Israeli actions in Palestinian territories.
Key Quotes:
- “The West has shockingly enabled this [tragedy] in various ways,” pointing to the culpability of Western nations.
- “The media has been key in framing the Palestine-Israel conflict for 75 years,” exposing the media’s role in shaping public perception.
Key Examples and References:
- University Actions: Instances of Harvard and Columbia exposing details of pro-Palestine students highlight the suppression faced by advocates.
- European Countries’ Stance: The passage cites bans on pro-Palestinian protests in countries like the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy as concrete examples of European support for Israel.
Key Facts and Data:
- Death Toll: Over 17,000 Gazans killed since October 7, quantifying the scale of the tragedy.
- Harvard’s Philanthropy Dependency: Highlighting that 45% of Harvard’s revenue in 2022 came from philanthropy underscores the potential influence of donors.
Critical Analysis:
- Suppression of Free Speech: The critical analysis underscores the severe impact of suppressing freedom of expression on informed dialogue.
- Media’s Role: Emphasizing media bias prompts reflection on the potential manipulation of public opinion.
Way Forward:
- Expose Hypocrisies: Advocates for change should actively expose the hypocrisies of Western democracy, challenging the status quo.
- Acknowledge Complicity: A call to acknowledge Western complicity in Palestinian oppression encourages introspection and accountability.
- Listen to Dissenting Voices: Encouraging the acknowledgment of dissenting voices, including Jewish dissenters, fosters a more inclusive dialogue.
- Truthful Reckoning: Highlighting the need for a truthful reckoning emphasizes the importance of understanding historical roots and actions for a sustainable resolution.
December 11, 2023

Is the emerging global order bipolar?

The Emerging Global Order Bipolar

Central idea

The world order is shifting, with the U.S. leading but China rising fast. India needs to navigate complex relations, address internal challenges, and focus on economic and military growth for a strong role globally. Amid global conflicts, balancing alliances is crucial for India’s position in the evolving geopolitical landscape.

Key Highlights:

Global Order Dynamics: Shifting landscape with China’s rise, Russian challenges, and the emergence of middle powers like India.
Asymmetric Bipolarity: Viewing the world order as asymmetric bipolarity, where the U.S. remains pre-eminent but China rapidly advances.
China’s Impact: Unprecedented economic and military growth redefines international power dynamics.

Key Challenges:

Russia-China Nexus: The war in Ukraine strengthens Russia-China ties, posing strategic challenges for India.
Global Security Complexities: Conflicts in Eastern Europe and West Asia contribute to a multifaceted global security landscape.
Diplomatic Maneuvering: Navigating complex relations with the U.S., China, and Russia amid evolving global power dynamics.

Key Terms and Phrases:

Asymmetric Bipolarity: Understanding the dynamics of uneven power distribution in the current world order.
People’s Power: The 21st century characterized by unprecedented connectivity, interactions, and global integration.
Military-Industrial Complex: The influence of industries producing destructive weapons on global violence.
Two-Front Dilemma: China’s strategic challenge, facing pressures in the Western Pacific and the Line of Actual Control.

Key Quotes and Anecdotes for extra marks:

“The present world order is in a state of flux, with asymmetric bipolarity as a defining feature.”

“China’s GDP growth from $300 billion in 1990 to $19.3 trillion today is a historic shift in global power dynamics.”

“India must acknowledge China as a long-term competitor, addressing power asymmetry through comprehensive national growth.”

“Global violence is fueled by the military-industrial complex spreading instruments of death and destruction.”

Key Statements and Examples:

Russia’s Pivot: Economic sanctions and the Ukraine conflict drive Russia towards closer ties with China.
India’s Diplomatic Complexities: Balancing trade ties with China and managing strategic challenges with the U.S. and Russia.
China’s Economic Surge: Unprecedented GDP growth influencing global power dynamics and necessitating India’s strategic response.

Key Facts and Data:

China’s GDP Growth: A remarkable shift from $300 billion to $19.3 trillion in the last four decades.
India-China Trade: Standing at $138 billion, showcasing the intricate nature of bilateral relations.
War in Ukraine: Ongoing for the past 20 months, contributing to evolving geopolitical dynamics.

Critical Analysis:

Recognition of Asymmetric Bipolarity: Acknowledging and adapting to the current world order’s uneven power distribution.
Comprehensive National Growth: Emphasizing India’s need to strengthen its comprehensive national power amid power asymmetry with China.
Global Relations Management: Recognizing and addressing challenges in India’s diplomatic strategy amidst evolving global dynamics.

Way Forward:

Internal Strengthening: Addressing internal fault lines, fostering societal cohesiveness, and focusing on comprehensive national growth.
Strategic External Balancing: Balancing relations with the U.S. to maintain China’s two-front dilemma and preserving India’s strategic autonomy.
Advocacy for Global Disarmament: Addressing the root issue of the military-industrial complex, promoting global disarmament for a more peaceful world.

December 2, 2023

UK’s Rwanda asylum seeker deportation plan is lawful, court rules
Britain’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda is lawful, London’s High Court ruled, in a victory for PM Rishi Sunak who has made a high-stakes political promise to tackle the record number of migrant arrivals.

Immigrant’s crisis in UK
- Since 2018, there has been a marked rise in the number of refugees and asylum seekers that undertake dangerous crossings between Calais in France and Dover in England.
- Most such migrants and asylum seekers hail from war-torn countries like Sudan, Afghanistan, and Yemen, or developing countries like Iran and Iraq.
- The Britain that has adopted a hardline stance on illegal immigration, these crossings constitute an immigration crisis.
- The Nationality and Borders Bill, 2021, which is still under consideration in the UK, allows the British government to strip anyone’s citizenship without notice under “exceptional circumstances”.
- The Rwanda deal is the operationalization of one objective in the Bill which is to deter illegal entry into the United Kingdom.
What is the Rwanda Deal?
- The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership or the Rwanda Deal is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two governments.
- Under this deal, Rwanda will commit to taking in asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on or after January 1, 2022, using illegally facilitated and unlawful cross border migration.
- Rwanda will function as the holding centre where asylum applicants will wait while the Rwandan government makes decisions about their asylum and resettlement petitions in Rwanda.
- Rwanda will, on its part, accommodate anyone who is not a minor and does not have a criminal record.
Rationale of the deal
- The deal aims to combat “people smugglers”, who often charge exorbitant prices from vulnerable migrants to put them on unseaworthy boats from France to England that often lead to mass drownings.
- The UK contends that this solution to the migrant issue is humane and meant to target the gangs that run these illegal crossings.
What will the scheme cost the UK?
- The UK will pay Rwanda £120 million as part of an “economic transformation and integration fund” and will also bear the operational costs along with an, as yet undetermined, amount for each migrant.
- Currently, the UK pays £4.7 million per day to accommodate approximately 25,000 asylum seekers.
- At the end of 2021, this amounted to £430 million annually with a projected increase of £100 million in 2022.
- The Rwanda Deal is predicted to reduce these costs by outsourcing the hosting of such migrants to a third country.
Will the Rwanda Deal solve the problem of illegal immigration?
- This deal will be implemented in a matter of weeks unless it is challenged and stayed by British courts.
- While Boris Johnson’s government is undoubtedly bracing for such legal challenges, it remains unclear if the Rwanda Deal will solve the problem of unlawful crossings.
- Evidence from similar experiences indicates that such policies do not fully combat “people smuggling”.
Criticisms of the deal
- There are dangers of transferring refugees and asylum seekers to third countries without sufficient safeguards.
- The refugees are traded like commodities and transferred abroad for processing.
- Such arrangements simply shift asylum responsibilities, evade international obligations, and are contrary to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention.
- Rwanda also has a known track record of extrajudicial killings, suspicious deaths in custody, unlawful or arbitrary detention, torture, and abusive prosecutions, particularly targeting critics and dissidents.
Do any other countries send asylum seekers overseas?
- Yes, several other countries — including Australia, Israel and Denmark — have been sending asylum seekers overseas.
- Australia has been making full use of offshore detention centres since 2001.
- Israel, too, chose to deal with a growing influx of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants from places like Sudan and Eritrea by striking deals with third countries.
- Those rejected for asylum were given the choice of returning to their home country or accepting $3,500 and a plane ticket to one of the third countries.
- They faced the threat of arrest if they chose to remain in Israel.
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December 20, 2022
End-to-end Encryption and related issues
Apple recently announced that it will be increasing the number of data points protected by end-to-end encryption on iCloud.

What is end-to-end encryption?
- End-to-end encryption is a communication process that encrypts data being shared between two devices.
- It prevents third parties like cloud service providers, internet service providers (ISPs) and cybercriminals from accessing data while it is being transferred.
- The process of end-to-end encryption uses an algorithm that transforms standard text into an unreadable format.
- This format can only be unscrambled and read by those with the decryption keys, which are only stored on endpoints and not with any third parties including companies providing the service.
- This encryption has long been used when transferring business documents, financial details, legal proceedings, and personal conversations.
- It can also be used to control users’ authorisation when accessing stored data, which seems to be what Apple intends to do.
Where is it used?
- End-to-end encryption is used to secure communications.
- Some of the popular instant-messaging apps that use it are Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Google messages.
- However, instant messaging is not the only place where user data is protected using end-to-end encryption.
- It is also used to secure passwords, protect stored data and safeguard data on cloud storage.
Why are tech companies using it?
- Preventing data breach: Tech companies often cite data breach issue.
- Extra protection: Encryption puts extra layer of protection that would protect valuable digital information against hacking attacks.
- Prevent snooping: It is also seen as a technology that secures users’ data from snooping by government agencies, making it a sought-after feature by activists, journalists, and political opponents.
- Capital generation: It showcases any company’s position as a provider of secure data storage and transfer services.
What does it mean for users?
- End-to-end encryption ensures that user data is protected from unwarranted parties including service providers, cloud storage providers, and companies that handle encrypted data.
- Encrypted data can only be decrypted by trusted devices.
- No one else can access this data and it remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud storage.
Why are government agencies unhappy with it?
- The FBI in a statement expressed displeasure at the idea of increasing use of end-to-end encryption by technology companies.
- It said that while it remains a strong advocate of encryption schemes that give “lawful access by design”, that would enable tech companies “served with a legal order” to decrypt data.
- Attempts by government agencies across the globe, in the past, to access encrypted data hosted and stored by tech companies have met with strong resistance.
- Law enforcement agencies seeks to weaken encryption with backdoors.
- Thus is considered ill-advised and could compromise the reliability of the internet.
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December 12, 2022
Price cap on Russia’s Oil and India’s contextual response
Context
- Recently, G7 proposal to impose a price cap on Russian oil came into effect. The proposal, which took months to fructify, seeks to achieve a delicate balance how to starve the Russian state of oil revenues so as to financially cripple its war against Ukraine, but without causing supply disruptions in the global oil market which would cause prices to spiral. The move, however, risks fracturing the global crude oil market.
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What is Price cap on Russian oil?
- The $60 per barrel and denial of infrastructure services to Russian oil: The $60 per barrel cap is intended to cut Russia’s oil revenues while keeping Russian crude on the market by denying insurance, maritime services, and finance provided by the Western allies for tanker cargoes priced above a fixed dollar-per-barrel cap.
- Aim to hurt Russia’s oil revenue and create a pressure: The US-proposed cap aims to hurt Moscow’s finances while avoiding a sharp oil price spike if Russia’s oil is suddenly taken off the global market.
- Impact on shipping: Without insurance, tanker owners may be reluctant to take on Russian oil and face obstacles in delivering it.
Russian response to the price cap
- Russia refused to abide by the measure: Russia has said it will not observe a cap and will halt deliveries to countries that do.
- Retaliate by shutting off the shipments: It could retaliate by shutting off shipments in hopes of profiting from a sharply higher global oil price on whatever it can sell around the sanctions.
- Russia said price cap will not hurt financing the war: Russia recently said that the cap would not hurt the financing of its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
- Others buyers may bypass the restrictions putting countries interests first: Buyers in China and India might not go along with the cap, while Russia or China could try to set up their own insurance providers to replace those barred by US, UK and Europe. It is also possible that these countries will find creative ways to bypass the restrictions imposed by the G7.
How impacts global oil supply chain?
- Russian oil can now only be shipped using G7 countries infrastructure: Broadly speaking, Russian oil can now be shipped across the world using the infrastructure of the G7 countries tankers, insurers, etc only if it is sold at a price of $60 per barrel or less.
- Higher price for buying oil from Russia: This makes buying oil from Russia at a higher price in the week prior to this announcement, Urals crude was trading in the mid-$60s range a difficult proposition as most of the companies that offer shipping and insurance services are located in these G7 nations.
- Countries wish to buy are at disadvantage but still not higher than brent crude oil: While Russia has refused to abide by this measure, and the cap will place countries that do opt for buying oil from Russia at a price higher than $60 at a disadvantage, it will still be at a considerable discount compared to Brent crude oil which is currently trading at around $81 per barrel.
- Countries that continued trade despite of objections: So far, despite objections from western nations, countries like India and China have continued to trade with Russia.
India’s response and the bilateral trade with Russia
- India’s bilateral trade with Russia has surged to an all-time high: In fact, as reported in this paper, India’s bilateral trade with Russia has surged to an all-time high in the first five months of the year (April-August).
- India putting its interests first and taking advantage of discounted price: Putting its interests first, India has raised its oil imports from Russia, taking advantage of the discounts being offered the country which used to import less than 1 per cent of its import requirement from Russia, now imports around a fifth from it.
- As India is an oil importer, the trade at discounted price will give some relief in current account deficit and economic stability: After all, for an oil importer like India, which meets an overwhelming share of its requirements through imports, lower crude oil prices will moderate the price pressures in the economy and bring relief to the current account deficit, easing risks to macroeconomic stability.
- India rejected the so-called moral duty: India has rejected any “moral” duty to join the price cap coalition.
Conclusion
- Attempts to use trade as a weapon will only distort the global market and hurt energy-poor consumers not responsible for the war. India’s response so far to the West’s retaliation against Russia for the war in Ukraine has been guided by its sovereign interests. This must continue to be the guiding principle.
Mains Question

Q. G7 recently imposed a price cap on Russian oil driven by US and west. In light of this Discuss how it disrupt the global oil supply chain and how India is responding?

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December 7, 2022
India and UNSC
Context
- There is greater support for India to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and also a broad global consensus over the need to reform the Council, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India has once again renewed its bid for permanent membership of UNSC.
What is UNSC?
- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
- Its powers include establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action. The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.
What is the composition of UNSC?
- Presently there five permanent members (P-5) with veto and 10 non-permanent members without veto elected for tenure of 2 years.
- India has been the non-permanent member multiple times. Presently India is serving its tenure that will end in December 2022.
Who are P-5 members?
- The victors of World War 2 – USA, RUSSIA, CHINA, UK, FRANCE.
What are the hurdles that India facing?
- Elite club: Most exclusive club in international relations. All other clubs have been breached. Until a quarter century ago, the nuclear weapon club had five members, the same five as the P-5.India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel have since joined the club. But UNSC is unbreachable till date.
- All are reluctant: The inescapable fact is that none of the P-5 wants the UNSC’s ranks to be increased. One or the other of them might make some noise about supporting one or more of the aspirants. Each is confident that someone among them will torpedo the enlargement of the club. Declarations of support for India’s candidature need to be taken with a fistful of salt.
- Veto issue: Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan bluntly told India not to expect to get the veto power. Though India has said it will not accept a seat without veto power.
- China-Pakistan axis: China, which has historically blocked India’s aspirations to become a permanent member of the UNSC. Beijing has an “all-weather ally” in Islamabad, another neighbour who also strongly opposes India’s candidature to the UNSC.
- Odd man out: Four out of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have bilaterally expressed official affirmations of support for India’s candidature to a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.
- Coffee club opposition: Members like Italy, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Argentina, Pakistan, and others, who have together formed the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) movement. Also known as the Coffee Club, the movement argues that bids for permanent seats by India, Japan, Germany, and Brazil (G4 countries) must not be considered without first reaching an international consensus regarding the form and size of the new Security council.
What are the Efforts taken by India?
- Text based negotiation: External affairs minister is canvassing for the country’s candidature, meeting his counterparts from several countries. He has repeated the call, made often in the past, for a text-based negotiation on what has been euphemistically referred to as the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), i.e., negotiation on a written document outlining the proposed reform instead of just holding forth verbally.
- Woking together with G-4: INDIA, JAPAN, GEMANY, BRAZIL works together to get permanent UNSC seat however these efforts are opposed by coffee club.
- Multilateral engagements: By expanding its footprint in multilateral organisations, India is gearing up to become a global rule-maker.
- Distinguished group of experts suggested a few years ago that a new category of semi-permanent members should be created. Countries would be elected for a period of eight to 10 years and would be eligible for re-election. India ought to give serious consideration to this idea.
- With or without veto: According to former foreign secretary Chinmaya gharekhan, if by some miracle we are offered or manage to obtain permanent membership without veto, we must grab it. Even a permanent membership without veto will be tremendously helpful in protecting our interests.
Conclusion
- Looking at the present geopolitical divide India’s dream of seat at the highest table is unlikely to get fulfilled in near future. India must analyse the utility of UNSC membership for securing its national interest. India should not give up anything in bargain against UNSC seat which harms its international interest.
Mains question

Q. India’s quest for UNSC is like “Sisyphus carrying the boulder just to see how it falls”. In this context Analyse the utility of Permanent seat at UNSC.

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September 28, 2022
Sports as soft power
Context
- Increased interest, especially by smaller nations in the world, in investing more and doing well in elite sports in international sporting events boosts a nation’s chances of attaining soft power.
- India’s medal tally at recent International sports events demonstrate the country’s soft power on the global stage and encourage working towards the status of a great “geopolitical actor”.
What is soft power?
- Origin:
  - As far back as the 4^th century BC, Kautilya (chankyaniti) had propounded the concept of Saam(advice or cajole),daam(pay or bribe),dand(punish),bhed(exploit secrets) which acquired western touch and can be understood by Soft power, smart power, hard power, and sharp power respectively.
  - Joseph Nye introduced the concept of “soft power” in the late 1980s. For Nye, power is the ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcomes you want.
- Meaning:
- Soft power is the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants without force or coercion.
- Soft power is the ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcomes you want.
Why Soft power is so significant?

Use of ‘Soft Power’ includes the number of cultural missions such as language schools, Olympic Medals and the quality of a country’s overall growth. Soft power produces following things:
- Familiarity: If people know more about your country, culture, sports, and its talents, businesses, and resources, then soft power is enhanced.
- Reputation: For a nation to be attractive and a role model for others, its overall reputation must be strong and positive.
- Influence: A direct measure of the perceived presence and impact that your country has in other countries
- Business/Innovation/Sports: The attractiveness of a country’s economic model, its digital engagement with the world, performance in sports etc.
- Government: Showcases the ability of country’s political leadership and what it delivers to its people in different arenas.
- Multi-Alignment: As a country rises up the ‘Soft Power’ list, more and more outside parties align themselves with the common goals of that country.
Why the Sports being used as a tool of soft power in modern international relations?

Sport can be used as tool of soft power both internationally and domestically.
- International platform: Sports provide a platform for countries to showcase their culture, values and tradition.
- Puts a Better image of a country: Sports as a tool to achieve social, political, and financial goals, and improve the image of the country.
- International exposure: The focus on culture and peaceful values in sports make it a useful tool for countries to use soft power to achieve international goals and improve their public diplomacy.
- Reducing differences: Sports provides a platform for trust-building; and reconciliation, integration and anti-racism.
- Learning from China’s Case:
- Dongfeng Liu (International Professor of Sport Management) in his survey on China’s performance in the Olympics he found that a country’s Olympic achievement has a positive effect on its national soft power.
- As china is a communist country and reputation about human rights is not good, so China uses its superiority in elite sports to build “people-to-people” relations with other countries. For example, athletes from African countries such as Madagascar are trained in swimming, badminton, table tennis, etc. in China, which helps Beijing create a positive impact on a wider population and result in better formal relations as well.
- There is also China’s memorandum of understanding with countries such as Kenya so that Chinese runners can train with Kenyan athletes, as they are among the best in the world when it comes to long-distance running.
Introspection on India’s performance at recent International Sports events
- It is being said that the golden period of Indian sports may have begun as at the Tokyo Olympics and then the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) are examples of a good performance.
- India’s medal tally in the Tokyo Olympics Games — seven — was its most decorated Olympic Games in Indian history.
- At the Commonwealth games (CWG) 2022, Indian athletes won 61 medals, including 22 gold.
- India has one of the world’s poorest population-to-medal ratios when it comes to the Olympics.
- Ensuring competent coaches, and having adequate funding and more sports academics still remain major issues even decades later
- India spends only three paise per day per capita on sports. In contrast China spends 1 per day per capita.
What can be done to increase the country’s sporting performance and soft power?
- Train Indian players overseas:
- India should concentrate on forging MoUs with nations that excel in specific sports and train Indian players overseas.
- For example, Australia and the United Kingdom can assist us in swimming given their standing here.
- When it comes to running, negotiating collaborative training agreements with African countries such as Kenya would be ideal.
- No Politics over assistance:
- There should be no politics in seeking or even offering assistance.
- For example China has requested Indian assistance in improving cricket development in China (Chongqing city).
- Private Investment:
- Private investment needs to be harnessed to develop infrastructure. The better a country performs in sporting events the greater a sports person’s interest in their sports atmosphere. This also creates a huge market for private players to invest in.
- For example, leading corporate houses in India have already shown how their active participation and investment can improve sporting performance as a result of unique corporate sports programmes.
- Public –private partnership at grass root :
- The Government should also work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model to create basic sporting infrastructure.
- As recommended by NITI Aayog, at the district level too so that talent can be captured at an early stage.
Conclusion
- Sports as a tool of soft power had always been a key element of leadership from the ancient times. Sports provide an international platform to develop an attitude of unity in a divided multi-polar modern world.
Mains Question

Q. Sports provide an international platform to develop an attitude of unity and influence others in a divided multi-polar modern world. Discuss in this context that soft power is not an end but a means to an end.
September 26, 2022
Global pandemic treaty to avert future mishap
Context
- The outline of an essential global pandemic treaty.
Purpose of the treaty
- A pandemic treaty under the umbrella of the World Health Organization would build coherence and avoid fragmentation of response.
Severity of this pandemic demands such treaty
- COVID-19 would count as being among some of the most severe pandemics the world has seen in the last 100 years. An estimated 18 million people may have died from COVID-19, according various credible estimates, a scale of loss not seen since the Second World War.
- Further, with over 120 million people pushed into extreme poverty, and a massive global recession, no single government or institution has been able to address this emergency singlehandedly.
- This has given us a larger perspective of how nobody is safe until everybody is safe.
Catchy line for value addition

Nobody is safe until everybody is safe

There is widespread inequity in healthcare
- Gross inequity in distribution: Health-care systems have been stretched beyond their capacity and gross health inequity has been observed in the distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics across the world.
- Irreversible consequences: While high-income economies are still recovering from the aftereffects, the socioeconomic consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic are irreversible in low and low middle-income countries.
- The monopolies: Held by pharma majors such as Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna created at least nine new billionaires since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and made over $1,000 a second in profits, even as fewer of their vaccines reached people in low-income countries.
- Skewed distribution: As of March 2022, only 3% of people in low-income countries had been vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to 60.18% in high-income countries. The international target to vaccinate 70% of the world’s population against COVID-19 by mid-2022 was missed because poorer countries were at the “back of the queue” when vaccines were rolled out.
India’s lead role
- Dynamic response: India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reinstating global equity by leveraging its own potential has set an example to legislators worldwide.
- Vaccine diplomacy: India produces nearly 60% of the world’s vaccines and is said to account for 60%-80% of the United Nations’ annual vaccine procurement “vaccine diplomacy” or “vaccine maitri” with a commitment against health inequity.
- We lead by example: India was unfettered in its resolve to continue the shipment of vaccines and other diagnostics even when it was experiencing a vaccine shortage for domestic use. There was only a brief period of weeks during the peak of the second wave in India when the vaccine mission was halted.
- A classic example of global cooperation: As of 2021, India shipped 594.35 lakh doses of ‘Made-in-India’ COVID-19 vaccines to 72 countries a classic example of global cooperation. Among these, 81.25 lakh doses were gifts, 339.67 lakh doses were commercially distributed and 173.43 lakh doses were delivered via the Covax programme under the aegis of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Why the treaty is needed for?
- Data sharing: A treaty should cover crucial aspects such as data sharing and genome sequencing of emerging viruses.
- Rapid response mechanism: It should formally commit governments and parliaments to implement an early warning system and a properly funded rapid response mechanism.
- Health investments: Further, it should mobilise nation states to agree on a set of common metrics that are related to health investments and a return on those investments. These investments should aim to reduce the public-private sector gap.
Conclusion
- A global pandemic treaty will not only reduce socioeconomic inequalities across nation states but also enhance a global pandemic preparedness for future health emergencies. India must take the lead in this.
Mains question

Q. Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. What do you understand by this? Why there is need of global pandemic treaty?.

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September 9, 2022
Data diplomacy
Context
- The government has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament after several amendments were proposed by the Joint-Parliamentary Committee.
Definition of data
- Data is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted.
What is Data Protection?
- Data protection refers to policies and procedures seeking to minimise intrusion into the privacy of an individual caused by collection and usage of their personal data.
What is data localisation?
- Data localization or data residency law requires data about a nation’s citizens or residents to be collected, processed, and/or stored inside the country, often before being transferred internationally.
What is Data Governance?
- Data governance is a collection of processes, roles, policies, standards, and metrics that ensure the effective and efficient use of information in enabling an organization to achieve its goals. Data governance defines who can take what action, upon what data, in what situations, using what methods.
Interesting facts
- Over 90% of all the data in the world was created in the past 2 years;
- The total amount of data being captured and stored by industry doubles every 1.2 years;
- If you burned all of the data created in just one day onto DVDs, you could stack them on top of each other and reach the moon – twice.
Data sovereignty of India
- Definition: India has placed itself at the heart of the battle, its foreign policy vision fuelled by the principle of ‘data sovereignty’—a broad notion that supports the assertion of sovereign writ over data generated by citizens within a country’s physical boundaries.
- Issues: The ideal of “data sovereignty”, and global attempts to leverage it, has come under heavy criticism from various stakeholders who are of the view that the concept violates the principle of “free and open internet”. They also argue that “data sovereignty” hampers innovation and economic growth, and is a ruse for authoritarian digital governance.
India’s Data Diplomacy: Three Pillars
- Pillar 1: India’s data for India’s development
The flagship ‘Digital India’ programme clearly views data as the cornerstone of India’s socioeconomic future—one where the government leverages the Indian citizen’s data for the benefit of the people themselves, and not solely for profit-making.
- Pillar 2: Cross-border data flows and digital trade
In keeping with its foreign policy tradition of actively shaping debates on global trade rules, India has been an active participant in the ongoing contestation on regulating cross-border data flows.
- Pillar 3: Securitising the economic
The final pillar of India’s data diplomacy has been predicated ostensibly on safeguarding its citizens’ data from external threats.

Why data is important?
- Improve People’s Lives: Data will help you to improve quality of life for people you support: Improving quality is first and foremost among the reasons why organizations should be using data.
- Make Informed Decisions: Data = Knowledge. Good data provides indisputable evidence, while anecdotal evidence, assumptions, or abstract observation might lead to wasted resources due to taking action based on an incorrect conclusion.
- Stop Molehills from Turning into Mountains: Data allows you to monitor the health of important systems in your organization: By utilizing data for quality monitoring, organizations are able to respond to challenges before they become full-blown crisis.
- Get The Results You Want: Data allows organizations to measure the effectiveness of a given strategy: When strategies are put into place to overcome a challenge, collecting data will allow you to determine how well your solution is performing, and whether or not your approach needs to be tweaked or changed over the long-term.
Conclusion
- The fulcrum of India’s data diplomacy should be predicated on the rule of law and the genuine protection of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. A commitment to the rule of law and accountability for all actors sets India apart from present adversaries like China and offers an opportunity to burnish its reputation globally.
Mains question

Q.Data is considered as new gold across the globe in this context analyse data sovereignty along with status of data diplomacy of India.

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August 24, 2022