💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (July Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Archives: News

  • Bustard Poaching in Pakistan

    The recent shooting of two Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has left wildlife activists in Rajasthan shocked and outraged.

    Great Indian Bustards

    • The GIB is one of the heaviest flying birds and can weigh up to 15 kg which grows up to one metre in height.
    • In July 2011, the bird was categorised as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
    • It is considered the flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
    • For a long, conservationists have been demanding to secure this population, warning that the bird might get extinct in the coming decades.
    • It would become the first mega species to disappear from India after Cheetah in recent times.
    • Till the 1980s, about 1,500-2,000 Great Indian Bustards were spread throughout the western half of India, spanning eleven states.
    • However, with rampant hunting and declining grasslands, their population dwindled.

    Why in news?

    • The GIB, which is the state bird of Rajasthan, is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.
    • It is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with less than 150 birds left in the wild.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

    (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Asiatic Wild Ass

    (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetah, Blue Bull, Great Indian Bustard.

    (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Saras (Crane)

    (d) Lion Tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, Cheetah

  • Vaccine diplomacy that needs specific clarifications

    Amid the second wave of covid pandemic, India’s decision to supply vaccine to foreign countries has been questioned from various quarters. The article deals with this issue.

    Issue of vaccine supply to foreign countries

    • While responding to a question  Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs noted that India was sending these vaccines abroad in the form of grant, commercial sales of manufacturers GAVI’s COVAX facility.
    • The supply to GAVI’s COVAX facility is an obligation since India is a member of this multilateral body and also a recipient of vaccines from this body.
    • By doing this, India wishes to signal that it is a responsible global power which does not self-obsessively think of itself alone.
    • This desire to be a good global citizen can be traced to the Objective Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Constituent Assembly on December 13, 1946.
    • The premise of the ideal ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is no different to that of the Objective Resolution.

    Factors to consider

    • The government made estimates of the vaccines that could be sent abroad on the interplay of three factors: domestic production, the demands of the national vaccine programme and requests for vaccines manufactured in India.
    • What is not known is how these factors were collectively addressed in the decision-making process.
    • It is also argued that it was obligatory to send vaccines contracted under GAVI’s COVAX facility.
    • However, sovereign states can always invoke supreme national interest to over-ride obligations.
    • Certainly, the vaccines sent as grants were voluntary and the commercial contracts of the company concerned could always be disregarded under existing laws.

    Conclusion

    The government needs to convince Indians that the vaccine exports have not been made at the cost of their health.

  • The roots of a decentred international order

    With the declining American supremacy in the global order, the world is set for new global order led by the developing countries. The article deals with this rise of alternate global order.

    Factors that explains decentred and pluralistic global order

    • The international order is under threat of the rising economic power of the BRICS nations, with China dominating in its economic and military capacity.
    • It is apparent that the future of global politics requires a significant agenda in the hands of the rising powers that are aggressively building a parallel economic order envisaging new centres of hegemonic power.
    •  It forebodes the final decline of American ascendancy.
    • It was the Bandung Conference of 1955, a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, that set the schema for the rise of Asia, politically and economically.
    • The confrontational stance was therefore the expected corollary in third world struggles to create a parallel order.
    •  America will continue to play a prime role in international affairs though its image representing universal brotherhood has sharply declined under the Trump regime.
    • The rising tide of far-right ultra-nationalism and ethnic purity experienced in the Brexit phenomena, in Trumpism and in the promotion of the right-wing agenda in India, has set in motion the wearing down of liberal democracy.
    • Other threats such as terrorism, ethnic conflicts and the warning of annihilation owing to climate change necessarily demand joint international action where American “exceptionalism” becomes an incongruity and an aberration.
    • This indeed has chipped away at the American global supremacy.
    • The world is, as a result, witness to a more decentred and pluralistic global order.

    New world order led by developing countries

    • Though pandemic has ravaged economies such as Brazil, India, Turkey and South Africa into a downward spiral, in the post-pandemic period, these economies would rise to meet the American-led liberal hegemonic world order.
    •  With China spearheading Asian regionalism, a serious challenge is possible.
    • China must strengthen the opposition to the West through the promotion of regional multilateral institutions.
    •  More than having individual partners or allies, China must embrace and give a push to multilateral affiliations in order to not further exacerbate regional tensions.
    • Power rivalry in a multipolar world would remain a possibility with military conflict not ruled out.
    • However, the capabilities of the rising economies cannot be underestimated.
    • China and India clearly have the age-old potential to lead as, historically, they have been pioneers of some of the oldest civilisations in the world.
    • China is indisputably a serious rival to the U.S. in the South China Sea, a world leader in renewable energy, and a formidable actor on the global stage of investment and trade, penetrating India, Israel, Ethiopia and Latin America.
    • Thus, a kind of dualism persists in the world order with no clear hegemony that can be bestowed on one single nation.

    Conclusion

    It is feared that there could be a possibility of a multipolar world turning disordered and unstable, but it is up to the rising nations to attempt to overcome territorial aspirations and strike a forceful note of faith on cultural mediation, worldwide legitimacy, and the appeal of each society in terms of its democratic values.

     

  • US Treasury keeps India on currency watch list

    India is one of the 11 countries on the US Treasury’s ‘Monitoring List’ with regard to their currency practices for the first time in the Biden administration.

    What is Currency Manipulation?

    • Currency manipulation refers to actions taken by governments to change the value of their currencies relative to other currencies in order to bring about some desirable objective.
    • The typical claim – often doubtful – is that countries manipulate their currencies in order to make their exports effectively cheaper on the world market and in turn make imports more expensive.

    Why do countries manipulate their currencies?

    • In general, countries prefer their currency to be weak because it makes them more competitive on the international trade front.
    • A lower currency makes a country’s exports more attractive because they are cheaper on the international market.
    • For example, a weak Rupee makes Indian exports less expensive for offshore buyers.
    • Secondly, by boosting exports, a country can use a lower currency to shrink its trade deficit.
    • Finally, a weaker currency alleviates pressure on a country’s sovereign debt obligations.
    • After issuing offshore debt, a country will make payments, and as these payments are denominated in the offshore currency, a weak local currency effectively decreases these debt payments.

    US treasury’s criteria

    To be labelled a manipulator by the U.S. Treasury:

    • Countries must at least have a $20 billion-plus bilateral trade surplus with the US
    • foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP

    Implications for India

    • India has traditionally tried to balance between preventing excess currency appreciation on the one hand and protecting domestic financial stability on the other.
    • India being on the watch list could restrict the RBI in the foreign exchange operations it needs to pursue to protect financial stability.
    • This comes when global capital flows threaten to overwhelm domestic monetary policy.
    • The two most obvious consequences could be an appreciating rupee as well as excess liquidity that messes with the interest rate policy of the RBI.
    • Indian policymakers have to be sensitive to the unpredictable nature of policy-making in the US under Trump, especially concerning global trade.

  • What is the Whitest Paint?

    Engineers in the US have created what they are calling the whitest paint yet.

    What is the whitest paint?

    • The researchers created an ultra-white paint pushing the limits of how white paint can be.
    • This older formulation was made of calcium carbonate, while the new one is made up of barium sulphate, which makes it more white.
    • The newer paint is whiter and keeps the surface areas it is painted on cooler than the formulation before this could.
    • If this new paint was used to cover a roof area of 1,000 square feet, it may be able to get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts.
    • Most ovens use up about 2.3 kilowatts to run for an hour and a 3 ton 12 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) air conditioner uses up about 3 kilowatts to run for an hour.

    The researchers have claimed that this paint may be the closest equivalent to the blackest black paint called “Vantablack” which is able to absorb up to 99.9 per cent of visible light.

    What determines if a colour absorbs or reflects light?

    • To understand how this works one needs to note that whenever an object is seen by the eye, it is either because of sunlight or the artificial light in the room.
    • This light is made up of seven different colours (Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red or VIBGYOR).
    • Specifically, light is made up of wavelengths of different colours.
    • If an individual is looking at a sofa that is green, this is because the fabric or material it is made up of is able to absorb all the colours except green.
    • This means that the molecules of the fabric reflect the green coloured wavelengths, which is what the eye sees.
    • Therefore, the colour of any object or thing is determined by the wavelength the molecules are not able to absorb.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this?

    1. Dispersion
    2. Refraction
    3. Internal reflection

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    a) 1 and 2 only

    b) 2 and 3 only

    c) 1 and 3 only

    d) 1, 2 and 3

    What determines which wavelength of light will be reflected and absorbed?

    • This is dependent on how electrons are arranged in an atom (the building block of life, an atom is made up of electrons, protons and neutrons.
    • These three particles make up everything in the known universe from mountains, planets, humans to pizza and cake).
    • In contrast, if an object is black, it is because it has absorbed all the wavelengths and therefore no light is reflected from them.
    • This is the reason that darker objects, as a result absorbing all wavelengths tend to heat up faster (during absorption the light energy is converted into heat energy).

    So, what makes the paint so white?

    There are two features:

    1. One is the paint’s high concentration of a chemical compound called barium sulfate, which is also used to make photo paper and cosmetics white.
    2. The second feature is that the team has used different sized particles of this chemical compound, which means different sizes scatter different amounts of light.

    In this way, the varying size of particles of the compound makes sure that the paint can scatter more of the light spectrum from the sun.

  • La Soufriere volcanic eruption

    Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from La Soufriere volcano eruption in the Caribbean have reached all the way to India.

    Why in news?

    • Its eruption has sparked fear of increased pollution levels in the northern parts of India and acid rain.
    • Volcanic plumes can cause aviation and air quality hazards.

    La Soufriere

    • It is an active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
    • It is the highest peak in Saint Vincent and has had five recorded explosive eruptions since 1718.

    Impact of such eruptions

    • Volcanic emissions reaching the stratosphere can have a cooling effect on global temperatures.
    • The most significant climate impacts from volcanic injections into the stratosphere come from the conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulphate aerosols.
    • The aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the Sun back into space, cooling the Earth’s lower atmosphere or troposphere.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on the planet Earth?

    1. Volcanic action
    2. Respiration
    3. Photosynthesis
    4. Decay of organic matter

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  • Tiki Formation in Madhya Pradesh

    The Tiki Formation in Madhya Pradesh, a treasure trove of vertebrate fossils, has now yielded a new species and two genera of cynodonts, small rat-like animals that lived about 220 million years ago.

    Tiki Formation

    • The Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic geologic formation in Madhya Pradesh.
    • Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.
    • Phytosaur remains attributable to the genus Volcanosuchus have also been found in the Tiki Formation.
    • The genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium and Tikisuchus and species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis and Parvodus tikiensis have been named after the Tiki Formation.

    Findings of the new study

    • The fossil teeth were studied for size, crown shape, structure of the cusps and compared with previously reported cynodonts.
    • Cynodonts are important in evolutionary studies as this group ultimately gave rise to the present-day mammals.
    • By studying their molar and premolar teeth, we see how they slowly evolved and modified.
    • Their crown shape shows that these animals are actually intermediate forms that are very near to the mammalian line of evolution.
    • Cynodonts and living mammals both belong to a group of egg-laying vertebrates (amniotes) called synapsids.
    • The close relationship of cynodonts with living mammals is seen in their bones.

  • The march towards an equitable data economy

    The article explains the data governance norms we need to adopt to secure better societal outcomes.

    Whatsapp privacy issue

    • New terms of service circulated by WhatsApp, caused a stir among the user.
    • It informed users that data about chats with business accounts would be shared with Facebook.
    • These policies seemed unfair to India as they were not applicable to the European Union (EU), given their strong data protection policies.

    Acceptable levels of data exchange

    • Default norms provide power to the tech platforms to collect, analyse and monetize data with complete control.
    • This undergirds business models that seem undesirable for society—with harms to privacy and free speech.
    • Global discussions about alternatives to the “exchange of data for free services” are becoming nuanced.

    3 Norms in the data governance

    1) Recognition of individual and collective rights related to data

    • It was generally accepted that extraction of data to access free services was a fair exchange with individuals.
    • Emergence of existential threats related to privacy and democracy have highlighted the role of guaranteeing human and civil rights.
    • There has been significant global progress through regulations on individual data rights.
    • A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report claims that 128 of 194 countries have put in place legislations for data protection and privacy.
    • However, this protection is insufficient as it is centered on individuals and does not account for safety of groups.
    • The next wave of data governance ideas will seek to protect collective harms and build on the foundation of individual agency and control.

    2) Data sovereignty

    • One-size-fits all global norms of data governance are changing and being replaced by region-specific ideas.
    • Greater acceptance for “data sovereignty” assertions across India and Europe is a welcome shift towards crafting governance that is respectful of local nuances and inclusive of civic participation.
    • The EU general data protection regulation (GDPR) had created an early lighthouse example.
    • On the other hand, the US has adopted a light regulation approach—there is no comprehensive country-wide data protection law.
    • Closer home, India is finalizing the contours of a country-wide and cross-sector personal data protection bill, which reflects local norms.

    3) Value creation for all stakeholders

    • So far, data economy has operated in a completely unregulated space, creating a “winner takes all” market, with concentrated profits and little contribution to local taxes.
    • A healthy economy requires value creation for all stakeholders.
    • As tech platforms take up the profitable role of acting as the gateway to all information and social connections, they have a greater accountability and responsibility to contribute to the economy.
    • India’s digital tax through the 2% “equalization levy” is an attempt to make the tech giants pay for revenues earned in India.

    Consider the question “What should be norms of data governance we must adopt for achieving better societal outcomes?”

    Conclusion

    Formal adoption of regulations and setting up of enforcement institutions will lead to meaningful progress in the right direction.

  • A multipolarity, scripted by the middle powers

    Four middle powers: India, Japan, China and Turkey anchor the world to multipolarity. The article deals with this issue.

    New cold war

    • In respect of three crucial relationships, namely China, Russia and Iran, Mr. Biden is following in the footsteps of his predecessor.
    • Mr. Biden has also extended his firm backing for the “Indo-Pacific” and the associated alignment — the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad for short.
    • The U.S. continues to view China as its principal adversary on the world stage and that it will use the Quad to challenge China in the Indo-Pacific.
    • The U.S.’s hostility for Russia goes back to the latter’s war with Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea in 2014, followed by allegations of Russian cyber-interference in the U.S. presidential elections of 2016.
    • U.S. animosity has encouraged China and Russia to solidify their relations.
    • The two countries have agreed to harmonise their visions under the Eurasian Economic Union sponsored by Russia and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    • This idea has now been subsumed under the ‘Greater Eurasian Partnership’ to which both are committed.
    • Thus, the new Cold War is now being reflected in a new geopolitical binary — the Indo-Pacific versus Eurasia.

    How middle powers can play an important role

    • Four nations, Japan, Iran, Turkey and India, which, as “middle powers”, have the capacity to project power regionally, build alliances, and support (or disrupt) the strategies
    • But all four seems to be already aligned.
    • Japan and India are part of the Quad and have substantial security ties with the U.S.
    • Iran has found strategic comfort with the Sino-Russian alliance.
    • Turkey, a NATO member, has found its interests better-served by Russia and China rather than the U.S. and its European allies.
    • So, why the uncertainty? The main reason is that, despite the allure, the four nations are not yet prepared to join immutable alliances.

    Why the middle powers are reluctant to join alliances

    1) India’s China concerns

    • India has been expanding defence ties with the U.S. since 2016, by massive defence purchases and agreements on inter-operability and intelligence-sharing and frequent military exercises, as also the elevation of the Quad to ministerial level.
    • This might have signalled to China that India was now irreversibly in the U.S. camp.
    • But China has a point: while the Quad has made India a valuable partner for the U.S. in the west Pacific, neither the U.S. nor the Quad can address the challenges it faces at its 3,500-kilometre land border with China. 
    • Moreover, the U.S.’s intrusive approach on human rights issues ensures that India will need to manage its ties with China largely through its own efforts while retaining Russia as its defence partner.

    2) Sino-Japan relations

    • Japan has an ongoing territorial dispute with China relating to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
    • But there is more to Sino-Japanese relations: in 2019, 24% of Japanese imports came from China, while 19% of its exports went to China, affirming the adage.

    3) Why Iran is reluctant

    • The crippling sanctions on Iran and the frequent threats of regime change make it a natural ally of the Sino-Russian axis.
    • However, its strategic culture eschews long-term security alignments.

    4) Why Turkey is reluctant to join

    • Turkey is steady distancing from its western partners and increasing geopolitical, military and economic alignment with Russia and China.
    • But Turkey still wishes to keep its ties with the U.S. intact and retain the freedom to make choices.
    • Its “New Asia” initiative involves the strengthening of east-west logistical and economic connectivity backed by western powers and China.

    Consider the question “What are the factors India need to consider as it deepens its involvement in the Quad?” 

    Conclusion

    As the clouds of the new Cold War gathers over the world, these four nations could find salvation in “strategic autonomy” — defined by flexible partnerships, with freedom to shape alliances to suit specific interests at different times.

  • How IBC is moving away from promotor averse approach

    The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code was amended recently taking into account its creditor centric approach.

    Introducing pre-packs for MSMEs

    • IBC was amended last week, through an ordinance.
    • The amendment sought to address a structural weakness in India’s resolution architecture by introducing the concept of pre-packs for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
    • The pre-packaged framework involves a privately negotiated contract between the promoters of a financially distressed firm and its financial creditors to restructure the company’s obligations.
    •  This contract is negotiated within the IBC architecture but before the commencement of insolvency proceedings.
    • Once accepted by creditors, the plan must be presented to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for approval.

    How this framework is different from the existing framework

    • A firm’s promoters could have submitted a resolution plan even after it enters the insolvency proceedings, subject to restrictions imposed under Section 29A which clarifies all those who are ineligible for submitting the resolution plan.
    • So, the difference in the new framework essentially boils down to the following.

    1) Control of the firm

    • Under the IBC, upon the initiation of insolvency proceedings, control of a firm is taken away from promoters, and a resolution professional is appointed.
    • Now, during the restructuring, the promoter, through the pre-pack, retains control over the firm.
    • So effectively, we have transitioned from a “creditor-in-control” model of resolution to a “debtor-in-control” model of restructuring.
    • This amendment, which creates a framework for restructuring, without the promoter losing control over the firm, addresses a lacuna in the IBC.

    2) Issue of price discovery

    • In this arrangement, the is an absence of an open bidding process, such as during the resolution phase.
    • This might raise questions over price discovery, especially if value maximisation for creditors is the yardstick to measure the efficacy of IBC.
    • This marks a fundamental change in the IBC framework.

    Why the changes were needed

    • The IBC, while it has strengthened the position of the creditors, had swung to an extreme.
    • The resolution architecture as it stood prior to this amendment was perceived as being too creditor-centric.
    • Wresting control from the “errant” promoter, comes with its own set of consequences.
    • The notion that all business failure is due to the connivance of promoters needs to be reconsidered.
    • Firms may be unable to pay their obligations simply because the economic cycle has turned.
    • Or projects have not materialised as expected.
    • Of the 2,422 cases closed since IBC came into being, 46.5 per cent of the firms have gone into liquidation, while a resolution plan has been accepted in only 13.1 per cent of the cases.
    • This indicates liquidation bias.
    • At a time when there aren’t enough buyers in the economy, the IBC process would lead to significant value destruction.

    How it will benefit both creditor and promotors

    • Promoters get to hold on to their firms, and exit the process with more manageable obligations, making this an attractive proposition.
    • For creditors, considering the liquidation bias in IBC, as long as the value of the restructured obligation is greater than the liquidation value it makes sense to choose this option.
    • Moreover, this entire process remains outside the restructuring framework of the central bank.
    • And, considering that the pre-packs encompass all financial creditors, as opposed to RBI’s restructuring schemes which deal only with banks.
    • This takes into account the concerns of other financial creditors as well.

    Consider the question “How far IBC has succeeded in improving the insolvency regime in India? How the concepts of pre-packs is different from the previous system?

    Conclusion

    This approach will help clarify issues, bring about greater certainty to the process. And, once the creases are ironed out, it will create a permanent mechanism for restructuring debts.