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  • Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

    Millet-only lunch in Parliament

    | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Major Crops & Cropping Patterns

    millet

    To raise awareness on millets and prepare for 2023, PM Modi, along with fellow parliamentarians across party lines, enjoyed a sumptuous lunch where millets were front and centre.

    Why in news?

    • 2023 has been declared as the “International Year of Millets” by the United Nations, after a proposal from India in 2019.

    What are Millets?

    • Millet are small-grained cereals like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni), little millet (kutki), kodo millet, finger millet (ragi/ mandua), proso millet (cheena/ common millet), barnyard millet (sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora), and brown top millet (korale).
    • They were among the first crops to be domesticated.
    • There is evidence for consumption of millets in the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation (3,300 to 1300 BCE).
    • Several varieties that are now grown around the world were first cultivated in India.
    • West Africa, China, and Japan are also home to indigenous varieties of the crop.

    Cultivation of millets

    • Millets are now grown in more than 130 countries, and are the traditional food for more than half a billion people in Asia and Africa.
    • Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop.
    • The major producers of jowar are the US, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan.
    • Bajra is another major millet crop; India and some African countries are major producers.

    Millets in India

    millet

    • In India, millets are mainly a kharif crop.
    • During 2018-19, three millet crops — bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) — accounted for about 7 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country, Agriculture Ministry data show.

    (1) Jowar

    • Jowar is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
    • In 2020-21, the area under jowar stood at 4.24 million hectares, while production was 4.78 million tonnes.
    • Maharashtra accounted for the largest area (1.94 mn ha) and production (1.76 million tonnes) of jowar during 2020-21.

    (2) Bajra

    • Bajra is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
    • Of the total 7.75 mn ha under bajra in 2020-21, the highest (4.32 mn ha) was in Rajasthan.
    • The state also produced the most bajra in the country (4.53 million tonnes of the total 10.86 million tonnes) in 2020-21.
    • The consumption of millets was reported mainly from these states: Gujarat (jowar and bajra), Karnataka (jowar and ragi), Maharashtra (jowar and bajra), Rajasthan (bajra), and Uttarakhand (ragi).

    Benefits of Millets

    • Millets are eco-friendly crops: They require much less water than rice and wheat, and can be grown in rainfed areas without additional irrigation.
    • Lesser water footprints: Wheat and rice have the lowest green water footprints but the highest blue water footprints, while millets were exactly opposite. Green water footprint refers to water from precipitation whereas blue water refers to water from land sources.
    • Highly nutritious: Agriculture Ministry declared certain varieties of millets as “Nutri Cereals” for the purposes of production, consumption, and trade.
    • Nutrition security: Millets contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre. Small millets are more nutritious compared to fine cereals. They contain higher protein, fat and fibre content.

    Back2Basics: 2023- the Year of Millets

    • On March 3, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
    • The proposal, moved by India, was supported by 72 countries.
    • Several events and activities, including conferences and field activities, and the issuing of stamps and coins, are expected as part of the celebrations.
    • These are aimed at spreading awareness about millets, inspiring stakeholders to improve production and quality, and attracting investments.

     

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  • Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

    Anti-dumping duty on viscose fibre from Indonesia

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the levy of anti-dumping duty (ADD) on viscose staple fibre imported from Indonesia.

    What is Dumping?

    • Dumping is a process wherein a company exports a product at a price that is significantly lower than the price it normally charges in its home (or its domestic) market.
    • This is an unfair trade practice which can have a distortive effect on international trade.
    • Anti-dumping is a measure to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of goods and its trade distortive effect.

    What is Anti-Dumping Duty?

    • An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.
    • In order to protect their respective economy, many countries impose duties on products they believe are being dumped in their national market.
    • In fact, anti-dumping is an instrument for ensuring fair trade and is not a measure of protection per se for the domestic industry.
    • Such ‘dumped’ products have the potential to undercut local businesses and the local economy.
    • Anti-dumping duties provide relief to the domestic industry against the injury caused by dumping.

    Mechanism in India

    • The Department of Commerce recommends the anti-dumping duty, provisional or final.
    • The Department of Revenue in Finance Ministry acts upon the recommendation within three months and imposes such duties.

    WTO and Anti-Dumping Duties

    • The WTO operates a set of international trade rules, including the international regulation of anti-dumping measures.
    • It does NOT intervene in the activities of companies engaged in dumping.
    • Instead, it focuses on how governments can—or cannot—react to the practice of dumping.
    • In general, the WTO agreement permits governments to act against dumping if it causes or threatens material injury to an established domestic industry.

    Issues with such duties

    • Anti-dumping duties have the potential to distort the market.
    • In a free market, governments cannot normally determine what constitutes a fair market price for any good or service.

    Back2Basics: Viscose Fibre

    • Viscose is a type of rayon. Originally known as artificial silk, in the late 19th century, the term “rayon” came into effect in 1924.
    • The name “viscose” derived from the way this fibre is manufactured; a viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane.
    • It is the generalised term for a regenerated manufactured fibre, made from cellulose, obtained by the viscose process.
    • As a manufactured regenerated cellulose fibre, it is neither truly natural (like cotton, wool or silk) nor truly synthetic (like nylon or polyester) – it falls somewhere in between.
    • Chemically, viscose resembles cotton, but it can also take on many different qualities depending on how it is manufactured.

     

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Mapping: Great Lakes

    National Parks/WS | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    lake

    Scientists are building a sensor network to detect the trends in the water chemistry of Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America.

    What is the Acidification of water bodies?

    • Acidification of oceans or freshwater bodies takes place when excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere gets rapidly absorbed into them.
    • Scientists initially believed this might be a good thing, as it leaves less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
    • But in the past decade or so, it has been established that absorption of carbon dioxide leads to a lowering of the pH, which makes the water bodies more acidic.

    What are Great Lakes?

    • The Great Lakes are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River.
    • There are five lakes, which are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and are in general on or near the Canada–US border.
    • Hydrologically, lakes Michigan and Huron are a single body joined at the Straits of Mackinac.
    • By itself, Lake Huron is the world’s third largest freshwater lake, after Lake Superior and Lake Victoria.
    • The Great Lakes Waterway enables modern travel and shipping by water among the lakes.

    Why are they significant?

    • The Great Lakes contain a fifth of the world’s total freshwater, and is a crucial source of irrigation and transportation.
    • They also serve as the habitat for more than 3,500 species of plants and animals.

    Acidification of Great Lakes

    • Scientists are developing a system that would be capable of measuring the carbon dioxide and pH levels of the Great Lakes over several years.
    • It is known that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has caused the world’s oceans to turn more acidic.
    • Recently, it has been observed that by 2100, even the Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — might approach acidity at around the same rate as the oceans.
    • Researchers hope the data from the Lake Huron project would add to scientific information on the subject.

    Consequences of acidification

    • The Great Lakes are believed to have been born some 20,000 years ago, when the Earth started to warm and water from melting glaciers filled the basins on its surface.
    • However, this rich ecosphere is under threat as the five lakes would witness a pH decline of 0.29-0.49 pH units — meaning they would become more acidic — by 2100.
    • This may lead to a decrease in native biodiversity, create physiological challenges for organisms, and permanently alter the structure of the ecosystem, scientists say.
    • It would also severely impact the hundreds of wooden shipwrecks that are believed to be resting at the bottom of these lakes.

     

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Dhokra Art of West Bengal

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    dhokra

    This newscard is an excerpt from the articles published in TH.

    Do you know?

    The dancing girl from Mohenjo-Daro (c. 2300 – 1750 BCE) is not just the most famous piece of art from the Harappan Civilisation, it is also one of the finest examples of metal art from that period.

    dhokra

    But did you know that this world-famous figurine is also the oldest example of a unique metal casting tradition called Dhokra that survives to this day in parts of India?

    Dhokra Art

    • Named after a nomadic tribe called ‘Dhokra Damar’, the art of Dhokra was originally found in the region from Bankura to Dariapur in Bengal, and across the metal-rich regions of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
    • Today, it is practiced in the tribal belt across present-day Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
    • The Dhokra artistes first make a clay model out of wax, which is then replaced with molten metal, either brass or bronze, through a lost-wax metal cast.

    What is Dhokra?

    • Dhokra is a metal casted art that uses the ancient lost-wax casting technique.
    • This art is said to be the first of its kind to use a non-ferrous metal like copper and its alloys – brass (a mix of zinc and copper) or bronze (tin and copper) which do not contain iron.
    • It uses the process of annealing, where a metal is heated to very high temperatures and allowed to cool slowly.
    • The casting is done using two kinds of processes – the traditional, hollow-casting method and solid casting. Solid casting is predominant in Telangana, whereas hollow casting is used in Central and Eastern India.

    Symbolism of Dhokra

    • With its roots in ancient civilisations, Dhokra represents a primitive lifestyle and the beliefs of people, going back to the age of hunting.
    • This is why figures of elephants, owls, horses and tortoises are commonly seen in Dhokra art.
    • The elephant symbolises wisdom and masculinity; the horse motion; owl prosperity and death; and the tortoise femininity.
    • In Hindu mythology, these iconic symbols also have stories behind them.
    • The world is imagined to rest on four elephants, standing on the shell of a tortoise.
    • The tortoise, considered as an avatar of Lord Vishnu, carries the world on his back, holding up the earth and the sea.

     

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  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    Rule 267 becomes the bone of contention in Rajya Sabha

    | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

    rajya-sabha

    Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook, which allows for suspension of day’s business to debate the issue suggested by a Member, has become a bone of contention in the Upper House.

    What is Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha?

    • The Rule gives special power to a Rajya Sabha member to suspend the pre-decided agenda of the House, with the approval of the Chairman.
    • The Rajya Sabha Rule Book says, “Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day.
    • If the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being: provided further that this rule shall not apply where specific provision already exists for suspension of a rule under a particular chapter of the Rules”.

    Why this rule has become important?

    • In the Upper House, the Opposition members have been consistent in demanding a debate on the India-China border situation.
    • There have been hundreds of notices by Members to invoke Rule 267 in the past eight years.
    • After the latest clash between the two sides in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, the Opposition members have become more vocal with their demand.
    • Every day, Opposition leaders are demanding that the Chair suspends all other business and allow a discussion on the latest situation in India-China border by applying Rule 267.

    Is Rule 267 the only way to raise important issues in the House?

    In Parliament, a member has a number of ways to flag issues and seek the government’s reply.

    • Question Hour: An MP can ask questions related to any issue during the Question Hour in which the concerned minister has to provide oral or written answers.
    • Zero Hour: An MP can raise the issue during Zero Hour. Every day, 15 MPs are allowed to raise issues of their choice in the Zero Hour.
    • Special Mention: An MP can even raise it during Special Mention. A Chairman can allow up to 7 Special Mentions daily.
    • Debate over president’s address: An MP can try to bring the issue to the government’s notice during other discussions such as the debate on the President’s speech.
    • Budget speech: Opposition leaders have also used the Budget debate to attack the government politically.

    Why the Opposition is insisting on Rule 267?

    • Any discussion under Rule 267 assumes great significance in Parliament simply because all other business would be put on hold to discuss the issue of national importance.
    • No other form of discussion entails suspension of other business.
    • If an issue is admitted under Rule 267, it signifies it’s the most important national issue of the day.
    • Also, the government will have to respond to the matter by replying during the discussions under Rule 267.

    What is the current controversy over Rule 267?

    • Opposition members have alleged that the Rajya Sabha chairman has consistently refused to allow any discussion under Rule 267 for a long time.
    • While Dhankhar has not allowed any matter under Rule 267, his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu too didn’t allow any admission under Rule 267 during his entire five years.

    Has the Rule been ever used?

    • The rule has been used several times.
    • The Chair had agreed to suspend the business to discuss urgent national issues in the past.
    • The last time it was used was in November 2016, when the Upper House invoked Rule 267 to discuss demonetization.

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    3 more sites added to UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.

    What is UNESCO tentative list?

    • The UNESCO tentative list is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination.
    • With these 3 sites, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List.

    About the sites

    (1) Sun Temple, Modhera

    unesco

    • The Sun Temple at Modhera is located on the left bank of the river Pushpavati, a tributary of river Rupan in Becharaji taluka of Mehsana district.
    • The temple description states that it is built in Maru-gurjara architectural style, consists of the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an outer hall or assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa) and a sacred pool (Kunda), which is now called Ramakunda.
    • This east-facing temple is built with bright yellow sandstone.
    • It is the earliest of such temples which set trends in architectural and decorative details, representing the Solanki style at its best.

    (2) Vadnagar

    unesco

    • Vadnagar is a historic town, which had continuous habitation for more than 2,700 years.
    • A multi-layered historic town, the history of Vadnagar stretches back to nearly 8th century BCE.
    • The town still retains a large number of historic buildings that are primarily religious and residential in nature.
    • It has evolved with time and has an early historic fortified settlement, hinterland port, centre for industries of shells and beads, late medieval town, religious centre/temple town, a significant junction on trade routes and mercantile town.
    • Rampart datable to second century BCE, fortification along the lake from third-fourth century CE, findings of Indo-Pacific glass beads and marine shells, palaeo-seismic evidence evidently point towards historical authenticity of the town.

    (3) Unakoti

    unesco

    • Located in the northeastern region of Tripura, Unakoti is known as an ancient holy place associated with Shaiva worship.
    • It is famously known as the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’
    • The structures of the rock-cut sculptures are gigantic and have distinct mongoloid features and display almost the same mystical charm as the spellbinding figures in the Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia.

    Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    • A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
    • The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
    • To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
    • It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
    • The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
    • The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.

    UNESCO World Heritage Committee

    • The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    • It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
    • It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
    • India is NOT a member of this Committee.

     

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  • Global Geological And Climatic Events

    What is Winter Solstice?

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    solstice

    Today, December 21, is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, conversely, it was Summer Solstice, the year’s longest day.

    What is Winter Solstice?

    • The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
    • This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.

    What are Solstices?

    • Solstices occur because Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.
    • This tilt drives our planet’s seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year.
    • From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer.
    • From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels like autumn and winter.
    • The Southern Hemisphere’s seasons are reversed.
    • On two moments each year—what are called solstices—Earth’s axis is tilted most closely toward the sun.

    Impact on day-time

    • The hemisphere tilted most toward our home star sees its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night.
    • During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice—which always falls around June 21—the Southern Hemisphere gets its winter solstice.
    • Likewise, during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice—which always falls around December 22—the Southern Hemisphere gets its summer solstice.

    Impact of the tilted axis

    • The Northern Hemisphere spends half the year tilted in the direction of the Sun, getting direct sunlight during long summer days.
    • During the other half of the year, it tilts away from the Sun, and the days are shorter.
    • Winter Solstice, December 21, is the day when the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun.
    • The tilt is also responsible for the different seasons that we see on Earth.
    • The side facing the Sun experiences day, which changes to night as Earth continues to spin on its axis.

    Un-impacted regions

    • On the Equator, day and night are equal. The closer one moves towards the poles, the more extreme the variation.
    • During summer in either hemisphere, that pole is tilted towards the Sun and the polar region receives 24 hours of daylight for months.
    • Likewise, during winter, the region is in total darkness for months.

    Celebrations associated with the Winter Solstice

    • For centuries, this day has had a special place in several communities due to its astronomical significance and is celebrated in many ways across the world.
    • Jewish people call the Winter Solstice ‘Tekufat Tevet’, which marks the start of winter.
    • Ancient Egyptians celebrated the birth of Horus, the son of Isis (divine mother goddess) for 12 days during mid-winter.
    • In China, the day is celebrated by families coming together for a special meal.
    • In the Persian region, it is celebrated as Yalda or Shab-e-Yalda. The festival marks the last day of the Persian month of Azar and is seen as the victory of light over darkness.
    • Families celebrate Yalda late into the night with special foods such as ajeel nuts, pomegranates and watermelon, and recite works of the 14th-century Sufi poet Hafiz Shirazi.

    In Vedic tradition

    • In Vedic tradition, the northern movement of the Earth on the celestial sphere is implicitly acknowledged in the Surya Siddhanta.
    • It outlines the Uttarayana (the period between Makar Sankranti and Karka Sankranti). Hence, Winter Solstice is the first day of Uttarayana.

     

    Try this MCQ:

    Q. On 21st June, the Sun

    (a) Does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

    (b) Does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle

    (c) Shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator

    (d) Shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn

     

    Post your answers here.

     

     

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  • Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

    Credit Ratings Agency and their Significance

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    credit

    Fitch Ratings on December 20, 2022, retained its rating for India at ‘BBB’-with a stable outlook.

    What does BBB mean?

    • A ‘BBB’ rating indicates that expectations of default risk are currently low.
    • The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

    What is a Rating Agency?

    • Rating agencies assess the creditworthiness or potential of an equity, debt or country.
    • Their reports are read by investors to make an informed decision on whether or not to invest in a particular country or companies in that geography.
    • They assess if a country, equity or debt is financially stable and whether it at a low/high default risk.
    • In simpler terms, these reports help investors gauge if they would get a return on their investment.

    What do they do?

    credit

    • The agencies periodically re-evaluate previously assigned ratings after new developments geopolitical events or a significant economic announcement by the concerned entity.
    • Their reports are sold and published in financial and daily newspapers.

    What grading pattern do they follow?

    • The three prominent ratings agencies, viz., Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch subscribe to largely similar grading patterns.
    • Standard & Poor’s accord their highest grade, that is, AAA, to countries, equity or debt with the exceedingly high capacity to meet their financial commitments.
    • Its grading slab includes letters A, B and C with an addition a single or double letter denoting a higher grade.
    • Moody’s separates ratings into short and long-term definitions. Its longer-term grading ranges from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest.
    • Fitch, too, rates from AAA to D, with D being the lowest. It follows the same succession scheme as Moody’s and Fitch.

    Criticism of rating agencies

    • Popular ratings agencies publicly reveal their methodology, which is based on macroeconomic data publicly made available by a country, to lend credibility to their inferences.
    • However, credit rating agencies were subjected to severe criticism for allegedly spurring the financial crisis in the United States, which began in 2017.
    • The agencies underestimated the credit risk associated with structured credit products and failed to adjust their ratings quickly enough to deteriorating market conditions.
    • They were charged for methodological errors and conflict of interest on multiple counts.

    Do countries pay attention to ratings agencies?

    • Lowered rating of a country can potentially cause panic selling or offloading of investment by a foreign investor.
    • In 2013, the European Union opted for regulating the agencies.
    • Over reliance on credit ratings may reduce incentives for investor to develop their own capacity for credit risk assessment.
    • Ratings Agencies in the EU are now permitted to issue ratings for a country only thrice a year, and after close of trade in the entire Union.

     

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  • Indian Missile Program Updates

    A resolution to ban kinetic ASAT tests

    op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    resolution

    Context

    • There is growing momentum behind a global moratorium on destructive kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) tests. A few days ago, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution calling for a ban on kinetic ASAT tests.

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    What the resolution is all about?

    • Sponsored by United states: The resolution was sponsored by the United States along with a number of other countries that have been concerned about the consequences of ASAT tests on the safety and sustainability of outer space.
    • Majority voted in support: As many as 155 countries voted in support of the resolution, nine voted against it, and nine others abstained.
    • Those who voted against the resolution: Belarus, Bolivia, Central African Republic, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria.
    • Countries with abstention: The nine abstentions were India, Laos, Madagascar, Pakistan, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Togo, and Zimbabwe.

    resolution

    Provisions of the resolution over the ban of ASAT

    • No binding effect but urges to prevent arms race in outer space: The ASAT test-ban resolution has no binding effect on states and simply calls on states to put a stop to ASAT tests and to develop further practical steps and contribute to legally binding instruments on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
    • Other space related resolutions also passed: Along with the ASAT test-ban resolution that was passed on December 7, there were several more space- and nuclear-related resolutions, including No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (NFP).
    • Support to minimize risks in space: Indeed, the resolution continues to support the broader efforts at developing “further practical steps” to minimize risks in space.

    What is ASAT?

    • ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons): According to a document of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons) are aimed at destroying or disabling space assets, whether military or civilian, offensive or defensive.
    • They are generally of two types: kinetic and non-kinetic.
    1. Kinetic ASATs: They must physically strike an object in order to destroy it. Examples of kinetic ASATs include ballistic missiles, drones or any item launched to coincide with the passage of a target satellite. This means any space asset, even a communications satellite, could become an ASAT if it is used to physically destroy another space object.
    2. Non-kinetic ASATs: A variety of nonphysical means can be used to disable or destroy a space object. These include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyberattacks. These methods can also render an object useless without causing the target to break up and fragment absent additional forces intervening.

    resolution

    Why ASAT tests are to be banned?

    • Threat to peaceful utilization of outer space: ASAT tests represent a direct threat to peaceful utilization of outer space on which everyone in the global community depends.
    • Threat to safety of satellites: In recent years, there has been a spurt in activities that threaten the safety and functioning of satellites. The November 15, 2021, ASAT test by Russia, which destroyed the Cosmos 1408 satellite, is a case in point.
    • Space debris a potential hazard to Space station: The test created about 1,800 tracked pieces of space debris and possibly many more pieces that are difficult to track, and a hazard for astronauts aboard the International Space Station
    • Rare, high-tech, and risky to test: ASAT is an anti-satellite weapon that can target enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications besides providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.

    resolution

    Way ahead

    • There are other initiatives underway in the U.N., such as the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on reducing space threats through norms, rules, and principles of responsible behaviours.
    • Like the ASAT test ban, these are needed to make progress on the broader space security agenda.
    • Whether a legal measure or a norm, states have to take small preventative steps before space becomes completely a warfighting domain.

    Conclusion

    • Given the worsening space security conditions, with more countries pursuing development of ASATs and other counterspace capabilities, it is time that more countries join the current initiative to stop further ASAT tests. Unless countries can make a conscious decision to come together and work on ways to halt the current trends with regard to space weaponization, continued access to outer space is not a given.

    Mains question

    Q. What are ASATs? There is growing momentum behind a global moratorium on destructive kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) tests. In light of this discuss Why ASAT must be banned?

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Climate Change Induced Migration

    op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    Climate Change

    Context

    • Climate-induced displacements have increased both in numbers and magnitude worldwide. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s (IDMC) report, 23.7 million people experienced displacements in 2021 as a result of cyclones and floods.

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    Climate Change

    Estimates about Migration

    • IOM estimates: The International Organisation on Migration (IOM) estimates that on a global scale, between 25 million and 1 billion people would be compelled to migrate from their homes because of climate change and environmental degradation by 2050.
    • Situation in south Asia: South Asia is no exception to it. Disasters cause most of the internal displacements occurring in South Asia every year, and in the year 2021, nearly 5.3 million disaster displacements were reported.
    • CANSA Report: The Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) reports that approximately 45 million people in India alone, shall be compelled to migrate by 2050 due to climate disasters, with a threefold increase in current figures.

    Climate change

    How women and children are most vulnerable?

    • UN report: The United Nations asserts that around 80 percent of climate change displaces include women.
    • Global International Migrant Stock: The present share of women migrants in the Global International Migrant Stock oscillates between 48 percent and 52 percent, as they frequently experience ‘triple discrimination’ given their positions as women, unprotected workers and migrants.
    • Developing countries are most vulnerable: The situation becomes even more precarious in developing countries like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and several small island nations in the Pacific Ocean.
    • Violence is likely: Women uprooted due to climate change become more vulnerable to violence, human trafficking, and armed conflicts. For instance, a study by the Sierra Club (2018) revealed how women impacted by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar witnessed increased occurrences of sexual and domestic abuse, forced prostitution, and sex and labour trafficking.

    What is the New York Declaration on international Migration?

    • Global compact for migration (GCM): It mandated the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in 2018 and for the first time, a comprehensive framework recognising the concept of climate change-induced migration within the broader concept of international migration was developed.
    • Global compact on refugee: The Declaration also paved the way for an adoption of a Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) in the same year, but an extension of refugee law to cater to the needs of those displaced by the forces of climate change does not really resolve this humanitarian concern.
    • More investment in research: It also highlights the need for pumping in more investments towards research to tackle the challenges of environmental migration and rests on important climate change mitigation instruments like the Paris Climate Agreement, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
    • Share responsibility on states: The Zero Draft of the GCM itself highlights how it sets out shared responsibilities of the states in commitment to the causes of migration– showing how the GCM relies on the countries having a sense of moral responsibility for the fulfilment of its goals and objectives.

    Discussion in COP27 about climate migration

    • Global goal on adaptation: The 2022 Conference of the Parties’ (or COP27) summit was seen as a platform that would lend visibility to the concept of climate migration, especially in light of how a work programme for defining a Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) towards identifying collective needs and solutions in light of the ongoing climate crisis that has already affected so many countries around the world, was established in the 2021 COP26 summit.
    • Lack of progress on migration: While COP27 established a framework towards the attainment of the GGA (likely to be adopted in 2023 at COP28), its progress towards protecting and assisting climate migrants remains in a state of limbo.
    • Task force on displacement: As highlighted in a study by the ECDM, the key problem lies in how the Task Force on Displacement has projected climate-induced mobility as a “loss and damage” concern, in turn putting forth the idea that this kind of human mobility stands as a failed adoption strategy.

    What role India can play on climate-induced migration?

    • No clear reference to climate migration: Paragraph 40 of the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration talks about preventing irregular migration flows, the trafficking of migrants and holding such talks in the future G20 summits to come, but the term “climate migration” fails to make an appearance.
    • Leverage G20 for climate migration consensus: India seeks to play a significant role in the international efforts for climate action, and its commitment can be reflected in it being party to the UNFCCC and its instruments–the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Its presidency could provide a platform for the G20 countries to work together in addressing the growing concerns of human mobility in forms of both migration and displacements.
    • Intergovernmental dialogue: Also, knowledge gaps pertaining to human mobility because of climate change and environmental degradation can be addressed through intergovernmental dialogues to be held at the G20 platform under India’s Presidency.

    Climate change

    Conclusion

    • Policymakers meet to discuss the several concerns of climate change at various platforms, progress concerning any support for the climate migrants remain insufficient till date, resting on goodwill gestures instead. World must pay attention and money to firmly address the climate migration issue.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is climate induced migration? How women and children are most vulnerable to climate migration? What role India can play to address the issue?

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