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  • What is Karoo-Ferrar Large Igneous Province?

    karoo

    A new study shows that a decline in continental plate movement likely controlled the onset and duration of many of the major volcanic events throughout Earth’s history.

    Why is the news?

    • Previous studies have linked major volcanic eruptions with past mass extinctions and disturbances in the global climatic, environmental and the carbon cycle.
    • Large igneous province volcanism, formations due to major volcanic eruptions occurring throughout Earth’s history, released large quantities of greenhouse gasses and toxic compounds into the atmosphere.
    • The sea warmed up by 4°C to 10°C, even at low- to mid-latitudes, the study noted.
    • Increased acidic levels and a lack of oxygen drove major ocean extinctions.
    • Large-scale volcanism took place in southern Africa, Antarctica and Australia. This is known as the Karoo-Ferrar Large Igneous Province.

    About Karoo-Ferrar Large Igneous Province

    • The Karoo and Ferrar Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are two large igneous provinces in Southern Africa and Antarctica respectively, collectively known as the Karoo-Ferrar, Gondwana, or Southeast African LIP associated with the initial break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent.
    • Its flood basalt mostly covers South Africa and Antarctica but portions extend further into southern Africa and into South America, India, Australia and New Zealand.
    • Karoo-Ferrar formed just prior to the breakup of Gondwana in the Lower Jurassic epoch, about 183 million years ago.
    • This time corresponds to the early Toarcian anoxic event and the Pliensbachian-Toarcian extinction.

     

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  • [Joining link inside] How to change your UPSC preparation strategy after failed attempts? Risk zone vs Safe side for UPSC CSE 2023-24 | FREE Webinar by PSC officer, Vikash sir, Senior IAS Mentor.

    [Joining link inside] How to change your UPSC preparation strategy after failed attempts? Risk zone vs Safe side for UPSC CSE 2023-24 | FREE Webinar by PSC officer, Vikash sir, Senior IAS Mentor.

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86804374077?pwd=YXJrMisza29oNEdmRUsvektEQ1VrUT09

    Meeting ID: 868 0437 4077

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    Important for UPSC 2023-24 aspirants! Register and discuss 1-1 with Vikash sir

    CLICK AND REGISTER FOR THE MASTERCLASS BY vikash SIR ON How to change your upsc strategy for USPC 2023-24 after Failed attempt?

    Preparing for UPSC prelims is like throwing pebbles into a pitcher partially filled with water. (Remember the story of the crow in Panchatantra?) Instant gratification and even a little lack of patience will get you nowhere. But, if you keep dropping those pebbles, you’ll see the water level rising!

    Before everything, knowing and accepting the things that you have been doing in the wrong manner, is the first step towards making the change for eventual success.

    If a pill couldn’t cure your disease, what would you do? Would you change your medicine? Or wait for the worst suffering? 

    Change is the key to success in UPSC CSE
    This was Mourya’s fifth attempt in which he secured an AIR 28

    Even UPSC toppers have failed in the past but it was their ability to evolve and re-orient their strategy as per UPSC’s expectations that helped them succeed. Similarly, at that point, you should change your strategy. But, here you have to be extremely cautious. Because success will come only if your new strategy is better than the old one.

    Ascertaining the need to ensure removing difficulties, the students face, we are conducting an on-demand Webinar by Vikash sir on How to change your UPSC Preparation strategy after a failed attempt?

    CLICK AND REGISTER FOR THE MASTERCLASS BY vikash SIR ON How to change your upsc strategy for USPC 2023-24 after Failed attempt?

    Webinar Details: 11th September (Sunday), 7 PM

    Topics to be discussed in the Webinar:

    1. Previous year UPSC CSE trend analysis. How UPSC is changing?
    2. Understanding the changing expectations of UPSC and adapting to it.
    3. Strategy for UPSC Prelims 2023
    4. What are the high potential areas in the UPSC syllabus that you should focus on?
    5. Learning from the mistakes and ‘Unlearning the common bad habits’ learned during previous attempts.
    6. Building the fundamentals for Prelims and Mains – NCERTs, and conceptual understanding.
    7. How to make and update notes from Prelims and Mains perspective?
    CLICK AND REGISTER FOR THE MASTERCLASS BY vikash SIR ON How to change your upsc strategy for USPC 2023-24 after Failed attempt?

    The heat of fire turns gold ores into pure gold, and it is your time to shine.

    About Vikash sir

    Vikash Kumar sir is a senior IAS mentor at CivilsDaily. He has attempted 6 UPSC Mains and appeared in 3 UPSC interviews. He has cleared CAPF and UPPSC 2020 final exam. He has a rich experience in UPSC preparation and has been mentoring students for 4 years now. 50 of his students are writing UPSC Mains 2022.

    From one of Vikash sir’s students

    What The Hindu mentioned about Civilsdaily Mentorship

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  • Who was Dara Shikoh?

    dara shikoh

    The Vice President has released the Arabic Version of “Majma Ul-Bahrain” of Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh.

    The course of the history of the Indian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh prevailed over Aurangzeb, has been a matter of some conjecture among historians. Critically analyse.

    Who was Dara Shikoh?

    • Dara Shikoh, who was Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s son and expected heir, was killed on the orders of his brother Aurangzeb in 1659 after losing the war of succession.
    • He was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
    • Dara was designated with the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba (Prince of High Rank) and was favored as a successor by his father and his older sister, Princess Jahanara Begum.
    • In the war of succession which ensued after Shah Jahan’s illness in 1657, Dara was defeated by his younger brother Prince Muhiuddin (Aurangzeb).
    • He was executed in 1659 on Aurangzeb’s orders in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne.

    His legacy

    • Dara was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim as opposed to the orthodox Aurangzeb.
    • He authored the work Majma Ul-Bahrain (The Confluence of the Two Seas), which argues for the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism.
    • It was Dara Shikoh who was responsible for making the Upanishads available to the West as he had them translated.
    • He had commissioned a translation of Yoga Vasistha.
    • A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy and mysticism rather than military pursuits.
    • He translated the Upanishads and other important works from Sanskrit to Persian. He was convinced that the Upanishads are what the Qur’an calls ‘Al-Kitab Al-Maknoun’ (The Hidden book).

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

    (a) Humayun

    (b) Akbar

    (c) Jahangir

    (d) Shah Jahan

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Vande Bharat production to begin in October: Minister

    vande bharat

    Indian Railways had successfully completed trials of the second generation Vande Bharat train that will come with enhanced passenger comfort and safety features.

    What is Vande Bharat Express?

    • The Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed train designed, developed, and built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF).
    • Presently there are only two Vande Bharat trains that are running — Delhi to Varanasi and Delhi to Katra.

    Key Features

    • The current Vande Bharat trains have seating only in two classes — chair car and executive chair car. But Railways is planning to upgrade it.
    • The trains have fully sealed gangways for a dust-free environment, modular bio-vacuum toilets, rotating seats in Executive Class, personalized reading lights, automatic entry/exit doors with sliding footsteps, diffused LED lighting, mini pantry, and sensor-based interconnecting doors in each coach.
    • They are self-propelled trains that do not require an engine. This feature is called a distributed traction power system.

    Benefits of Vande Bharat Trains

    • Cuts Travel Time Drastically
    • Energy Efficient
    • Reduce Turnaround Time
    • Faster Acceleration and Deceleration among others.

     

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  • Three Indian Cities are now in UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

    unesco

    Warangal, Nilambur, and Thrissur have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC).

    What does UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities mean?

    • An international policy-oriented network, the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is a network of inspiration, know-how and best practices.
    • It is coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL).
    • The Network has member cities that it supports in aspects like promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and best practices; building partnerships; capacity development; and more.

    What is a learning city?

    • According to UNESCO, a learning city is one that
    1. effectively mobilizes its resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning from basic to higher education
    2. revitalizes learning in families and communities
    3. facilitates learning for and in the workplace
    4. extends the use of modern learning technologies
    5. enhances quality and excellence in learning
    6. fosters a culture of learning throughout life
    • In doing so, the city enhances individual empowerment and social inclusion, economic development and cultural prosperity, and sustainable development

    Inclusion of Indian cities

    • The Indian cities, Nilambur and Thrissur in Kerala, and Warangal in Telangana became the nation’s first entrants in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
    • As per UNESCO, 77 cities from 44 countries across the globe have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
    • The group of global cities also includes cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hamburg, Athens, Incheon, Bristol, and Dublin.
    • The inclusion will foster sharing of ideas with other cities, provide already applied solutions to issues and much more.

    About the cities

    (1) Thrissur – the cultural capital of Kerala

    • Popularly known as the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur is home to academic and research institutions.
    • It is also known for its jewellery industry, especially gold.
    • As a member of the UNESCOI GNLC, Thrissur hopes to contribute to the intellectual and peer learning processes, focusing on equitable access to learning for all, digital learning ecosystems and skills for sustainability.
    • Thrissur ticked UNESCO’s check boxes in aspects of good practices, equity and inclusion among other factors.
    • For e.g., the presence of a MSME-Development Institute of India regional centre in Thrissur offers institutional support in promoting decent work and entrepreneurship through upskilling.

    (2) Nilambur, Kerala’s eco-tourism destination

    • Nilambur is an eco-tourism destination in the Kerala.
    • It is a city with various socio-economic patterns marked by an urban and rural mix.
    • The majority of the population depends on agriculture and allied industries.
    • The city offers free healthcare facilities to all citizens and utilizes health volunteers to provide door-to-door treatment for bedded patients.
    • It also promotes first-aid training for students and young citizens.
    • Nilambur aims to promote sustainable development, gender equality, inclusivity and democracy through community ownership.
    • Nilambur also aspires to become a women-friendly city by ensuring equal opportunities in all sectors, promoting capacity-building and reducing harassment.
    • As a learning city, Nilambur aims to work to innovate in agriculture and handicrafts, promote eco-tourism and improve water management.

    (3) Warangal, the tourism spot

    • Warangal has a rich cultural heritage. The city is a major tourism venue, welcoming 3.2 million tourists every year.
    • Warangal’s economy is primarily composed of agricultural, industrial and service sectors.
    • The city promotes equity and inclusion, for which it has implemented several strategies, including Women and Child Welfare policy, Urban Policy etc.
    • Further, it also provides free training to the transgender community which helps in employment opportunities.

     

     

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  • Cyborg Cockroaches to help in urban search-rescue missions

    cyborg

    Japanese scientists have devised a system that can create cyborg cockroaches that are part insect and part machine.

    Cyborg cockroaches

    • Cyborg cockroaches’ movements are controlled by tiny integrated circuits.
    • They will be able to conduct surveillance in procedures like urban search and rescue, environmental monitoring and inspection of areas dangerous to humans.
    • By equipping the cockroaches with small wireless control modules, handlers will be able to control the insect’s legs remotely for long periods of time.
    • The team used Madagascar cockroaches, which are not only the largest species of cockroaches, reaching an estimated 6 cm, but are also known for making hissing sounds when disturbed, which they make by expelling air from the openings on their back.

    How is it powered?

    • The researchers also designed the system to be rechargeable, by powering it with a super thin 0.004 mm solar cell module that is installed on the dorsal side of the cockroach’s abdomen.
    • This was done to ensure that the battery remains charged and the cockroach can be controlled for long periods of time, while simultaneously ensuring that the movement remains unhindered.

     

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  • TB mukt India

    TBContext

    • People’s participation in the ‘TB-Mukt India’ campaign can help eliminate the disease by 2025.

    What is TB?

    • A potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs.

    How TB is caused?

    • Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It’s spread when a person with active TB disease in their lungs coughs or sneezes and someone else inhales the expelled droplets, which contain TB bacteria.

    What does TB do to humans?

    • It mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body, including the tummy (abdomen), glands, bones and nervous system.

    TBHow long has the TB infected us?

    • TB is as old as humanity itself, infecting us for at least 5,000 years. The infecting agent, a bacterium, was identified way back in 1882, by Robert Koch, signalling one of the landmark discoveries which laid the foundation of modern medicine

    Is TB painful?

    • If TB affects your joints, you may develop pain that feels like arthritis. If TB affects your bladder, it may hurt to go to the bathroom and there may be blood in your urine. TB of the spine can cause back pain and leg paralysis. TB of the brain can cause headaches and nausea.

    Can we get TB if vaccinated?

    • BCG is a vaccine for TB. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. The BCG vaccine is not very good at protecting adults against TB. We can still get TB infection or TB disease even if you were vaccinated with BCG.

    When do TB symptoms start?

    TB

     

    • TB disease usually develops slowly, and it may take several weeks before you notice you’re unwell. Your symptoms might not begin until months or even years after you were initially infected. Sometimes the infection does not cause any symptoms. This is known as latent TB.

    Is TB curable permanently?

    • TB can usually be completely cured by the person with TB taking a combination of TB drugs. The only time that TB may not be curable is when the person has drug resistant TB.

    What are drug-resistant tuberculosis?

    • Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a form of antimicrobial resistance that is difficult and costly to treat. It is caused by TB bacteria that are resistant to at least one of the first-line existing TB medications, resulting in fewer treatment options and increasing mortality rates.

    Risk factors for TB include

    • Poverty
    • HIV infection.
    • Being in jail or prison (where close contact can spread infection)
    • Substance abuse.
    • Taking medication that weakens the immune system.
    • Kidney disease and diabetes.

    TB statistic for mains

    We are home to 1 in 4 of the world’s TB patients.

    Over 2.5 million Indians are infected.

    Government initiatives

    • Nikshay Poshan Yojana: in which TB patients receive Rs 500 every month while on treatment was launched. Nikshay Poshan Yojana ensure that the patients have economic support and nutrition during the required period.
    • TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign: was launched to accelerate the efforts to end TB by 2025. The campaign aims to initiate preventive and promotive health approaches.
    • Community-led approach: By applying “multi-sectoral and community-led” approach, the government is building a national movement to end TB by 2025.
    • Ni-kshay Mitra: Any individual or organisation can register as Ni-kshay Mitra on the Ni-kshay 2.0 portal to support people affected by the disease. The initiative intends to provide essential nutritional and social support to people with TB and root out stigma and discrimination against them.

    Some positive suggestions to eliminate TB

    • Sincere efforts need to be made to make our health systems more accessible and reliable.
    • It also required to ensure that those seeking care trust the healthcare system and get the appropriate care for completing treatment.
    • There is a need to create more labs, point of care tests, an assured drug pipeline, access to new drugs.
    • The government should also ensure counselling and support for those affected.
    • Every patient who is diagnosed late and does not receive timely treatment continues to infect others.
    • To break this cycle, government machinery at the field level should work with communities and provide free diagnosis and treatment to every affected individual.

    Conclusion

    • We have ignored TB for too long. It’s time we acknowledge the magnitude of the disease, and work harder at offering individuals equitable healthcare access and resources that the disease warrants.

    Mains question

    Q. Do you think we can eliminate TB by 2025? Discuss the roadmap and give some affirmative actions to be taken by government.

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  • Urban floods mitigation

    floods
    Context

    • Bengaluru floods are alarming us to go for robust disaster management strategies.

    What is flood?

    • Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry. Floods are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas.

    Causes of frequent urban floods

    Natural

    • Meteorological Factors:Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms and thunderstorms causes water to flow quickly through paved urban areas and impound in low lying areas.
    • Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities.
    • Climate Change: Climate change due to various anthropogenic events has led to extreme weather events.

    Anthropological

    • Unplanned Urbanization:Unplanned Urbanization is the key cause of urban flooding. A major concern is blocking of natural drainage pathways through construction activity and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds and lakebeds.
    • Destruction of lakes: A major issue in India cities. Lakes can store the excess water and regulate the flow of water. However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and converting them for development purposes has increased risk of floods.
    • Unauthorised colonies and excess construction: Reduced infiltration due paving of surfaces which decreases ground absorption and increases the speed and amount of surface flow
    • Poor Solid Waste Management System: Improper waste management system and clogging of storm-water drains because of silting, accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes and construction debris.
    • Drainage System:Old and ill maintained drainage system is another factor making cities in India vulnerable to flooding.
    • Irresponsible steps: Lack of attention to natural hydrological system and lack of flood control measures.

    floodsImpact of the devastation due to floods:

    • On economy: Damage to infrastructure, roads and settlements, industrial production, basic supplies, post disaster rehabilitation difficulties etc.
    • On human population and wildlife:Trauma, loss of life, injuries and disease outbreak, contamination of water etc.
    • On environment:Loss of habitat, tree and forest cover, biodiversity loss and large scale greenery recovery failure.
    • On transport and communication: Increased traffic congestion, disruption in rail services, disruption in communication- on telephone, internet cables causing massive public inconvenience.

    Solutions for effective flood management

    • Improved flood warning systems: effective flood warning systems can help take timely action during natural calamities and can save lives. Pre-planning can significantly reduce the effects of floods, giving people time to migrate to safer locations and stock up essentials.
    • Building flood-resilient housing systems: concreting floors can be very useful during floods. Houses should be water proofed and electric sockets should be placed at higher levels up the walls to reduce the chances of shocks.
    • Constructing buildings above flood levels: buildings should be constructed a metre above from the ground to prevent flood damage and evacuation during floods.
    • Resilience to Climate change: drastic climate changes have increased the frequency of natural disasters in many parts of the world. Governments should bring about environment-friendly policy level changes and eliminate the ones hazardous to the environment to tackle the problem of global warming.
    • Create wetlands and encourage reforestation: creating more and more wetlands can help soak up excessive moisture since wetlands act as sponges. Wooded areas can also slow down heavy water flow, minimizing the effects of floods. Reforesting upstream regions can significantly reduce the effects of flood damage.
    • Improve soil conditions: improper soil management, animal hooves, and machinery can make soil compacted. As a result, instead of holding water in and absorbing moisture, the water runs off immediately. Properly drained soil can absorb large amounts of rainwater and can prevent it from flowing into the rivers.
    • Installing flood barriers: these are flood gates designed to prevent the area behind the barrier from flooding. They can also be kept around buildings to keep floodwaters outside the boundary created.
    • Development of GIS– Geographical Information System (GIS) based National Database: for disaster management. GIS is an effective tool for emergency responders to access information in terms of crucial parameters for disaster-affected areas.
    • Developing a Federal flood management plan: with responsibilities of union and state clearly defined.
    • Creation of 2nd flood commission: (Rashtriya Barh Aayog, created in 1976) to study the flood situation in India under rising challenges of climate change and propose a national-level flood resilience and management plan.

    Way forward

    • Resilience of people: The rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demand building people’s resilience.
    • Reconsider projects: Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.
    • Use of technology: At the same time, climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies.

    Conclusion

    • We can learn to live with nature, we can regulate human conduct through the state and we can strategically design where we build. We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water without causing so much misery and so much damage to the most vulnerable of our citizens.

    Mains question

    Q. We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water. Discuss the statement in context of urban flood management strategy in India.

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  • Road safety in India

    Road SafetyContext

    • A horrific car accident killed Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole. This tragedy got plenty of people thinking about road safety measures. Sadly, neither Mistry nor Pandole was wearing their rear-seat safety belts this highlights importance of following road safety norms.

    What’s the meaning of road safety?

    • Road safety means methods and measures aimed at reducing the likelihood or the risk of persons using the road network getting involved in a collision or an incident that may cause property damages, serious injuries and/or death.

    What is road safety education?

    • The aim of education, training and encouragement in Road Safety is to educate all road users in the proper and safe use of roads in order to change user attitudes and behaviour and to stimulate an awareness of the need for improvement in road safety.

    What affects road safety?

    • Several factors most notably speed, traffic density, flow, congestion, demographics (namely age gender and deprivation), driving behaviour (involving alcohol consumption, helmet or seat belt usage) and land use, such as residential or economic zones, were found to have mixed effects on road safety.

    Road SafetyWhat are examples of road safety?

    • Pedestrian crossing warning;
    • Left turn driver assistance; and
    • Approaching emergency vehicle warning.

    Road Accidents in India A lookover

    • In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area.
    • Total 1,47,913 lives lost to road traffic accidents in 2017 as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways statistics.
    • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figure for the same year is 1,50,093 road accident deaths.

    Do you know?

    The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.

    Causes of Road Accidents in India

    • Sub-standard roads: The life of roads is not good due to the substandard raw materials and potholes accidents caused.
    • Traffic: The increasing traffic on roads and conditions of roads are not proportionate to each other.
    • Use of mobile phone: Most of the people are on call while driving thus they drive recklessly and accidents happen as most of the Indians now have mobile phones.
    • Drunk Driving: Drinking makes people lose the ability to focus and function properly. This makes it dangerous for the driver to operate the vehicle.
    • Dis-obedience for traffic rules: Indian drivers are quick to learn to drive but they don’t learn traffic rules and the purpose of such rules.
    • Malpractices: Malpractices such as over-speeding, triple riding, underage driving, etc are reducing the safety of road users.
    • Implementation drawbacks: Police are supposed to execute the rules but, it may be a lack of workforce or lack of intention, they also fail to execute.
    • Corrupt practices: Mostly police use the rules to mint money either officially by Chalan or in person.

    Key data for value addition

    Despite being home to only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India shoulders 11% of the global road crash fatality burden.

    Road SafetyVarious Policy Initiatives by government

    • Road Safety: In the area of road safety, the Act proposes to increase penalties to act as deterrent against traffic violations. Stricter provisions are being proposed in respect of offences like juvenile driving, drunken driving, driving without licence, dangerous driving, over-speeding, overloading etc. Stricter provisions for helmets have been introduced along with provisions for electronic detection of violations.
    • Vehicle Fitness: Automated fitness testing for vehicles has been made mandatory. This would reduce corruption in the transport department while improving the road worthiness of the vehicle. Penalty has been provided for deliberate violation of safety/environmental regulations as well as for body builders and spare part suppliers.
    • Recall of Vehicles: The Act allows the central government to order for recall of motor vehicles if a defect in the vehicle may cause damage to the environment, or the driver, or other road users.
    • Road Safety Board: A National Road Safety Board, to be created by the central government through a notification to advise the central and state governments on all aspects of road safety and traffic management. This would include standards of motor vehicles, registration and licensing of vehicles, standards for road safety, and promotion of new vehicle technology.
    • Protection of Good Samaritan: The Act lays down the guidelines and provides rules to prevent harassment of Good Samaritan to encourage people to help road accident victims.
    • Cashless Treatment during Golden Hour: The Act provides for a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during golden hour.

    Value addition for good marks

    The 4 ‘E’ Approach

    • The Government of India put forth Engineering, Economy, Enforcement and Education as the fundamental areas to focus on in order to ensure road safety.

    Way forward

    • Road safety education from the primary level: Those already using our roads and driving or riding on it could have formed bad habits that are difficult to change or undo. So it’s important that we catch them young and start educating children on road safety and correct behaviour on the road.
    • Better first aid and paramedic care: In most cases, the public and police are the first ones to reach the site of an accident. But sadly, neither has any first aid training and the police don’t even have even simple things like a first aid box or stretcher. This initial trauma care has to improve.
    • Stricter criteria for driving licenses: Fortunately, the government has recognized the need for this, and getting a driving license is no longer as easy as before. Lots of the process has been digitalized and made more stringent. But it’s still far from perfect and lots more needs to be done
    • Better road design, maintenance, and signage: Many of our roads are poorly designed with badly placed junctions, acute corners, uneven gradients, sudden speed-breakers, etc. And this is made worse by poor road maintenance and many accidents occur because a driver suddenly swerves to avoid a pothole.
    • Heavy crackdown against non-compliance: This is one of the leading causes of road accidents in India and while we do have strict laws, the enforcement, particularly on our highways is quite lax. Consumption of drugs by truck drivers while driving is rampant, and this needs to stop completely.
    • Stricter enforcement of traffic rules: The Amended Motor Vehicles Act has higher penalties and punishment to deter people from committing traffic offenses and driving rashly. It’s high time we enforced our traffic rules and imposed discipline while driving and using the road.
    • Encouraging better road behaviour: The people should motivate themselves to behave in a better manner on the road. The campaigns such as “Be the Better Guy”, need to be applauded, encouraged and expanded.

    Mains question

    Q. In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area. Critically analyse.

     

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  • [Burning Issue] India-Bangladesh Relationship

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    Context

    • Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has arrived in India for a four-day visit to boost bilateral ties.
    • India has marched past Britain to emerge as the fifth-largest economy and similarly, with Sheikh Hasina at the helm for over 13 years, her country has come of age. 
    • In this context, this edition of the burning issue will analyse the growing India-Bangladesh bilateral partnership, its achievements and irritants and finally conclude with a more can be achieved through this partnership.

    History of the India-Bangladesh Relationship

    • The two neighbours, India and Bangladesh, are organically linked — with their common heritage and shared history, common memories of tragic loss, and the separation of families on a massive scale following the Partition of India in 1947.
    • Also, Rabindranath Tagore created the national anthems of both Bangladesh and India in 1905 and 1911 respectively.
    • However, the bilateral relations between the two nations formally started after the Bangladesh liberation war,1971 which had played a key role along with the Mukti Bahini, thus helping East Pakistan (as called then) to separate from Pakistan and emerge as an independent nation. Bangladesh liberation day, 16th December is celebrated as “Vijay Diwas” in India.
    • India was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state and established diplomatic relations with the country immediately after its independence in December 1971.

    India-Bangladesh ties: An organic transformation

    • India’s links with Bangladesh are civilization, cultural, social and economic.
    • There is much that unites the two countries – a shared history and common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, and passion for music, literature and the arts.
    • It is also worth recalling that India shares its longest border of 4,096.7 kilometres with Bangladesh, which is also the fifth-longest border in the contemporary world.
    • With the onset of economic liberalization in South Asia, they forged greater bilateral engagement and trade.

    Significance of Bangladesh for India

    • Strategic– From the perspective of India’s Northeast, Bangladesh is India’s most strategic neighbour. The only connection between India’s mainland and the northeast was the Chicken’s Neck – a narrow strip of land that has always been a huge security concern.
    • Connectivity to East Asia– India’s dream of ‘Act East Policy’ can only be materialized with the helping hands of Dhaka. Perhaps on top of the list is connectivity between India’s mainland and the crucial northeast, which is part of India’s “Look East” Policy.
    • Internal Security– The other big security concern for India is that Bangladesh should not turn into the frontline of radical terror in the southeast. Bangladesh could turn into a launchpad for religious radical terror activities in India if relations are not maintained well.
    • Countering China– India’s relationship with Bangladesh is also linked to its relationship with China. India did not want Bangladesh to become a pearl in China’s “String of Pearls” strategy to hem in India by using its neighbours.
    • Trade- Bangladesh is currently India’s biggest trade partner in the South Asian region.

    Achievements of the relationship

    (1) Border settlements

    • In September 2011, the two countries signed a major accord on border demarcation to end the 4-decade old disputes over boundaries. This came to be known as the Tin Bigha corridor. India also granted 24-hour access to Bangladeshi citizens in the Tin Bigha Corridor.
    • On 7 May 2015 the Indian Parliament, in the presence of Bangladeshi diplomats, unanimously passed the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) as its 100th Constitutional amendment, thereby resolving all 68-year-old border disputes since the end of the British Raj.

    (2) Power cooperation

    • India’s Reliance power agreed to invest US$3 billion to set up a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant (which is the single largest foreign investment ever made in Bangladesh). Adani power will also be setting up a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant at a cost of US$1.5 billion.
    • In 2018, the leaders of both countries inaugurated the 130 km long Bangladesh-India Friendship pipeline to supply 4 lakh tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh.
    • India is also looking to export electricity from its northeastern region with the potential to generate some 58,971 MW to its eastern States through Bangladesh. Bangladesh hopes to have access to Nepal and Bhutan’s power through India. Bangladesh has formally requested a ‘power corridor’ to access the Bhutanese and Nepalese markets. 
    • Bangladesh currently imports 1160 MW of power from India.

    (3) Connectivity

    • The Modi government along with the Sheikh Hasina regime restarted that with Bandhan in 2017. The Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008.
    • In September 2018, the Bangladesh cabinet approved the draft of a proposed agreement with India to allow it to use the Chittagong and Mongla sea ports for transporting goods to and from its land-locked northeastern states.
    • Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) initiative Motor Vehicles Agreement has also been underway to promote connectivity in the region.
    • In August 2021, the two sides started a regular movement of freight trains between the newly-restored link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.

    (4) Cooperation on Rivers

    • India and Bangladesh have 54 rivers in common and a bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) has been working since June 1972 to maximize cooperation in sharing the waters of these rivers.

    (5) Defence and Security

    • The militaries of the two countries will conduct joint exercises and training, Exercise Sampriti and Navy (Exercise Milan). India will help Bangladesh set up manufacturing and service centres for defence platforms that both countries possess with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency in defence manufacturing in Bangladesh, and will also provide the Bangladesh military with expert training, and technical and logistic support.
    • India also extended its first ever defence-related line of credit to a neighbouring country, by providing Bangladesh with $500 million to purchase defence equipment.
    • Closer cooperation to fight against extremist radical groups, terrorist organisations, smuggling of arms, drugs and fake currency and also organized crime as a shared priority.
    • India and Bangladesh are also engaged in regional cooperation through multilateral forums such as SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and IORARC (Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation)
    • For the first time, a contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, comprising 122 members from its tri–services, participated in the Indian Republic Day parade.

    (6) Economic development

    • India has extended a line of credit of US$ 800 million to Bangladesh for a range of projects, including railway infrastructure, supply of Broad-Gauge microprocessor-based locomotives and passenger coaches, procurement of buses, and dredging projects.
    • The bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh stood at $10.8 billion in 2020-21, as against $9.5 billion in 2019-20. Major exports from India to Bangladesh include cotton, cereals, fuel, vehicle parts and machinery and mechanical appliances.

    (7) People’s connectivity

    • Scholarships and training programmes under ITEC, TCS of Colombo Plan, ICCR, AYUSH, Commonwealth, SAARC and IOR-ARC scholarships/ fellowship schemes are being offered to Bangladesh nationals.
    • Both countries jointly celebrated year-long celebrations of the 150th birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and the 90th Anniversary of the publication of the poem ‘Bidrohi’ by Kazi Nazrul Islam in 2011-12.
    • Also, people from Bangladesh form the biggest foreign tourists arrival in India and also the biggest benefiter of cheap Medical tourism in India.

    Issues hurting the relationship

    (1) Illegal migration

    • This has always been a primary problem for India since the partition of Bengal.
    • In view of this, recently, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to complete the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border soon to check illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam.
    • Continuous border killing of Bangladeshi people by Indian border guards, aiding illegal immigrants, helping in armed dacoity, fake money transfer and illegal drug trades by both Indian and Bangladeshi people are the major problems between Bangladesh and India.

    (2) Increasing Chinese footprint

    • In 2016 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh, the smaller country agreed to join the OBOR.
    • Bangladesh is increasingly tilting towards China due to the Asian giant’s massive trade, infrastructural and defence investments in these countries.
    • In spite of its Neighbourhood First Policy, India has been losing its influence in the region to China.

    (3) NRC conundrum

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

    (4) Rohingya Issue

    • The Rohingya issue and India’s remarks in 2017 on the issue have been upsetting for Bangladesh which has been facing the challenge of providing shelter to more than a million refugees fleeing persecution.

    (5) River disputes

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

    (5) Rising radicalization

    • Bangladesh is witnessing rising radicalization as evident from multiple attacks on religious places of Hindu minorities in the nation and also from the massive violence during PM Modi’s visit to Bangladesh last year.

    (6) Killings at the border

    • The shooting of smugglers by BSF personnel at the Indo-Bangladesh Border is often seen by Bangladesh nationals as the killing of innocent Bangladeshis and ‘Big Brother’ attitude of India. Recently, a BSF jawan was also killed by smugglers on the border.

    Outcomes from Recent PM Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India (September 2022)

    • Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ongoing state visit to India and meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi have resulted in positive outcomes and seven agreements.
    • These include the conclusion of the first water-sharing agreement in 26 years. The water sharing agreement on the Kushiyara, which was preceded by the first Joint River Commission meeting in 12 years, is a particularly hopeful sign of resolving water management, and a very contentious issue, of 54 transboundary rivers.
    • While there has been a smaller agreement on the withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs from the Feni in the interim period, the Kushiyara agreement is the first time the Centre has been able to bring on board Assam and other north-eastern States, for the agreement since the 1996 Ganga water treaty.
    • India and Bangladesh have decided to start negotiations this year on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement—a free trade agreement in goods, services, investments and other related areas—aiming to implement the pact by the time Bangladesh graduates out of its LDC status in 2026.
    • Much of her focus was also on attracting investment by Indian industry, which now constitutes a small fraction of Bangladesh’s FDI inflows. Ms. Hasina made particular mention of two dedicated Special Economic Zones for Indian companies, coming up at Mongla and Mirsarai.
    • An MoU on scientific cooperation between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific Industrial Research (BCSIR) has been signed.

    About Kushiyara- Kushiyara River is one of the transboundary rivers between India and Bangladesh. The Barak of India originates from the northern hills of Assam. The river enters Bangladesh and separates into two arms. The northwest arm is the Surma and the southwestern arm is the Kushiyara.

    Way forward

    • The future will present itself with an abundance of opportunities to help the two countries to reach a new plane of bilateral relations higher than ever before.
    • Both nations should play their diplomatic cards with more maturity and pragmatism, keeping the regional aspirations and nuances of both countries in mind.
    • A judicious aggregation of regional expectations on both sides of the border will help in achieving their mutual national objectives.
    • To make the recent gains irreversible, both countries need to continue working on the three Cs — cooperation, collaboration, and consolidation.

    Conclusion

    • After reaching a mutual understanding on issues related to maritime delimitation, land border arrangement, enclaves, short sea shipping as well as inland waterways, both countries are at a positive juncture in their diplomatic relations as called by PM Modi “Sonali Adhyaay” (Golden Chapter).
    • While cross-border sensitivities in South Asia often run high over such political rhetoric, it is necessary that New Delhi and Dhaka remain focused on their future cooperation, built on their past partnership, and what is referred to as the “Spirit of 1971”.

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