PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2024] The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain and as a strategic ally to counter China’s political and economic dominance. Explain this statement with examples.
Linkage: This question is relevant as the article highlights India’s discomfort with Western strategic pressure and the U.S. attempt to position India as a counter-weight to China. It directly links to the theme that India must prioritise Asian partnerships based on autonomy rather than being shaped by Western geopolitical expectations. |
Mentor’s Comment
India’s foreign policy stands at its most decisive turning point in decades. Recent global summits have marked a visible discomfort in Western partnerships and a stronger inclination toward Asian platforms such as SCO, BRICS, and ASEAN. If sustained, this pivot could influence not only India’s security and economy but also the balance of power across the 21st century.
Introduction
India is emerging as a global economic heavyweight. At a time when geopolitical polarization between the West and China is intensifying, India is being pushed to define where its long-term interests lie. The article argues that India’s most strategic future lies within the Asian ecosystem, economically, technologically and militarily, rather than within Western-led institutional frameworks.
Why in the News
Diplomatic signals at recent top summits have shown a clear turning point: India expressed discomfort with the U.S. stance on Russia-China while showing greater comfort engaging Asian multilateral platforms. This reverses decades of Western strategic centrality and marks the first open debate about whether India should integrate with a U.S.-dominated global order or anchor its future with Asia’s rapidly rising power architecture.
Is India undergoing a decisive Asian pivot?
- Growing tilt toward Asian blocs: India’s policy space is increasingly shaped by negotiations with China and Russia rather than the U.S. and Europe.
- Limits of multialignment exposed: External pressure from the U.S. forces India to re-evaluate whether neutrality remains viable.
Why is Western strategic centrality fading for India?
- Summit unease and leadership signalling: Interactions at the G-7 and Busan Summit highlighted visible discomfort between Indian and U.S. leadership.
- U.S. pressure on trade and Russia policy: Washington expects India to align its tariff playbook and Russian relations to Western priorities.
- Security divergence: U.S.-driven defence expectations conflict with India’s commitment to independent threat assessment.
Why does Asia offer a stronger pathway for India’s growth?
- Demographic and economic centre of gravity: Two-thirds of global population and global wealth lie in Asia, creating large consumer and innovation markets.
- Rise of continental and maritime platforms: BRICS, SCO and ASEAN integrate security with economic restructuring outside WTO constraints.
- Technological and industrial complementarities: Asian RCEP supply chains, semiconductor hubs, manufacturing and defence technologies align with India’s development goals.
What hard decisions are demanded from India now?
- Strategic autonomy based on Indian capacity: Policy alignment must reflect national strengths rather than expectations of great powers.
- Growth-labour dynamic within Asia: Asia offers the highest growth rate and workforce depth but demands competitiveness and industrial performance from India.
- Reducing dependency on imported defence systems: Innovation in AI, cyber capability, missiles and marine strength becomes essential.
How does the global AI and military innovation race shape India’s choices?
- Shift from land-based warfare to technology-centric warfare: Cyber, naval and AI superiority determine 21st-century power projection.
- Asian innovation ecosystem more open than Western models: Western blocs impose regulatory constraints while Asia prioritises co-development and technology transfer.
- Defence industrialisation as a growth multiplier: AI-driven defence manufacturing advances both national security and economic output.
Conclusion
India is not compelled to choose between the West and Asia, but strategic realities suggest that Asia provides the most fertile ground for technological development, economic partnerships and military advancement. A calibrated pivot anchored in strategic autonomy and innovation may be the key to India becoming a rule-shaping, rather than rule-following, global power by mid-century.
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Introduction
The Government has introduced the second iteration of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) in response to escalating resistance to antibiotics across sectors. While version 1 generated marginal gains and placed AMR on India’s health agenda, its sluggish implementation led to persistent misuse of antibiotics, weak state collaboration, and rising resistance. New evidence, including the 2023 WHO Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance report, confirms the urgency for renewed stewardship and a strengthened One Health strategy.
Why in the News?
 India has launched Version 2 of the National Action Plan on AMR amid alarming data that in 2023, one in three bacterial infections in India showed resistance to commonly used antibiotics, against one in six globally. The spike comes despite NAP-AMR (2017–21), revealing that implementation, not intent, is the major roadblock. The new plan is a crucial attempt to arrest a humongous health, veterinary and environmental crisis before last-line antibiotics become fully ineffective.
Why did Version 1 of NAP-AMR fall short?
- Sluggish implementation: Raised the profile of AMR nationally but failed to translate into coordinated ground-level action.
- Weak state participation: Only a few states formulated policies; Kerala alone implemented effectively, registering a slight drop in AMR levels.
- Narrow ecosystem focus: Neglect of veterinary, environment, agriculture and aquaculture vectors.
- Enforcement gaps: Despite a ban on Colistin as a growth promoter in the husbandry sector, misuse continued in varying degrees.
How serious is AMR in India today?
- High disease burden: High infectious disease load increases antibiotic exposure and accelerates resistance.
- Overuse and misuse: Indiscriminate use in healthcare and self-medication remain widespread.
- Critical pathogens advancing: E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae show high resistance to critical antibiotics, rendering last-line drugs ineffective.
Why has AMR become a multi-sectoral challenge?
- Agriculture & husbandry: Growth promoters and preventive antibiotic usage fuel microbial resistance.
- Veterinary medicine: Improper prescription and uncontrolled access to antibiotics.
- Soil & water contamination: Antibiotic residues affect ecosystems and re-enter human food chains.
- Aquaculture & food processing: Residues facilitate community-level resistance.
Why is One Health no longer optional?
- Integrates human, animal and environmental health to handle widespread resistance emerging across the food chain and biosphere.
- Breaks inter-sectoral silos to ensure synchronised surveillance and regulation.
- Guides community-level resistance mitigation, not just tertiary hospitals.
What must Version 2 achieve to succeed?
- Strong antibiotics stewardship programmes across community and hospital settings.
- Reliable nationwide surveillance network beyond pandemic-led laboratory expansion.
- State partnership and compliance mechanisms rather than voluntary policy uptake.
- Accountability measures for misuse in human healthcare, veterinary practice and agriculture.
Conclusion
India stands at a critical point where policy intent must translate into enforceable implementation. The success of NAP-AMR (Version 2) depends on strong stewardship, inter-state coordination, and an uncompromising One Health approach. Without systemic commitment, antibiotic resistance risks becoming the defining public health disaster of the decade.
Value Addition
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What is AMR?Â
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) refers to a biological phenomenon in which microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the action of antimicrobial drugs. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist, and the risk of spread, severe illness, and mortality increases.
India AMR data cue:
- WHO Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report (2023): 1 in 3 bacterial infections in India resistant to commonly used antibiotics, compared to 1 in 6 globally.
Kerala as a Model StateÂ
- Kerala is often cited as the only state that implemented its state-level action plan on AMR effectively enough to show measurable impact.
- Key success factors:
- Strong state-led antibiotic stewardship programme
- Mandatory prescription audits and regulation of over-the-counter sales
- Hospital-level AMR surveillance linked to community-level action
- Training of medical and veterinary practitioners
- Public awareness + behavioural campaigns
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PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2014] Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor’s prescription, be contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
Linkage: This question is directly relevant as India faces one of the world’s highest AMR burdens driven by misuse and over-the-counter sale of antibiotics. It links to National Action Plan on AMR (Version 2), antibiotic stewardship, surveillance gaps, and public health governance.
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Introduction
Agriculture continues to be a critical pillar of India’s external trade. Despite restrictions on cereals in recent years, India is witnessing robust export performance driven by meat, rice, spices, fruits-vegetables, tobacco, and marine products. Import trends indicate rising edible oil dependence and inflation moderation.
Why in the News?
India’s agricultural exports have surged faster than overall merchandise exports, reaching $25.9 billion in April-September 2024, a 25.8% jump over the previous year, compared to a marginal 0.1% rise in total exports. This turnaround comes after a period of contraction due to export curbs (2022-23) on key items like wheat and non-basmati rice. The renewed momentum signals policy success, global demand recovery, and diversification beyond the US market.
What is driving the recent surge in agri exports?
- Policy relaxation: Lifting of post-Ukraine export curbs on wheat, rice, sugar, etc., improved outbound shipments.
- Market diversification: Growth in demand from Latin America, Africa, Middle-East reduced dependency on the US.
- Production rebound: Normal monsoon boosted availability of sugar, spices, seafood, fruit-veg.
- High-value product focus: Marine goods ($4.8 bn), non-basmati rice ($2.85 bn), and cotton ($1.6 bn) led performance.
Which products are leading the export spike?
- Marine products: Largest export category at $4.8 bn Apr-Sep 2024.
- Rice (Non-basmati): Strong recovery despite earlier restrictions ( $2.85 bn ).
- Buffalo meat & poultry: $2.25 bn & $0.414 bn exports supported by West Asia.
- Fresh fruits & vegetables: Jump to $1.49 bn due to tomato, onion shipments.
- Sugar & tobacco: Robust global prices drove exports above $0.9 bn and $0.82 bn respectively.
How have imports behaved during the same period?
- Edible oils dominate: $7.3 bn, showing structural import dependence.
- Cashew, pulses, fresh fruits: Rising imports due to domestic shortfalls.
- Wheat trade flip: Exports rose post-2022 restrictions but imports revived due to domestic price pressures.
- India remains a net agri-exporter, but oil imports remain a vulnerability.
What are the key factors shaping fluctuations in exports?
- Geopolitics & tariffs:
- US-China trade tensions: Opened new windows for India.
- Trump-era duties impacted Indian produce.
- Russia war disrupted sunflower oil & grain flows.
- Commodity price volatility: FAO Index declined and this led to lower export values for wheat, sugar.
- Logistics: Container shortages & high freight (2022-23) stabilised by 2024.
What are the major challenges ahead?
- Export restrictions continue on items like wheat, some rice variants.
- Quality & traceability issues: Growing scrutiny by EU/Australia.
- Climate shocks impacting horticulture and cash crops.
- Overdependence on 2-3 markets for meat, marine products.
Conclusion
India’s recent agricultural export growth reflects policy easing, supply recovery, and expanding market access. However, sustaining competitiveness demands edible oil self-reliance, quality upgrades, logistics reforms, and stable export policies. Balanced agri-trade will support farmer income and strengthen India’s role in global food value chains.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2022] What are the main bottlenecks in the upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?
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