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  • [pib] National Open Access Registry (NOAR)

    National Open Access Registry (NOAR) has successfully gone live from 1st May 2022.

    What is NOAR?

    • NOAR is a centralized online platform through which the short-term open access to the inter-state transmission system is being managed in India.
    • It is an integrated platform accessible to all stakeholders in the power sector, including open access customers (both sellers and buyers), power traders, power exchanges, National/Regional/State LDCs and others.
    • The platform provides automation in the workflow to achieve shorter turnaround time for the transactions.
    • NOAR platform also has a payment gateway integrated for making payments related to interstate short-term open access transactions.
    • NOAR platform provides transparency and seamless flow of information among stakeholders of open access.

    Key features

    • Centralized System: Single point electronic platform for all the stakeholders
    • Automated Process: Automated administration process of the short-term open access
    • Common Interface: Interface with the RLDCs scheduling applications and Power Exchanges (s)
    • Payment Gateway: Make payments related to STOA transactions

     

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  • LIC

    Context

    LIC is now at a transformational moment. Its listing on the bourses should lift LIC to be a part of the elite corporate community in India.

    Insurance sector in India

    • Opening of the insurance sector: A milestone in the history of India’s insurance industry was the opening of the sector for private participation in the year 2000 and this caused widespread concern that LIC will find the competition tough and could very well be marginalised.
    • Today, there are 24 private players in the life insurance space and many of them have foreign collaborations.
    • LIC has steadily grown in the past six decades and today with over 290 million policyholders and an asset value of ₹38 lakh crore ($520 billion), it ranks as one of the largest insurance companies in the world.
    • Yet, LIC remains a colossus capturing 75% of the life insurance business in the country.
    • Its claim settlement at 99.87% is far above the industry average of 84%.

    Role of LIC in skilling and women’s employment

    • LIC created large scale employment for women right from its inception in 1956. 
    • Thousands of women became LIC agents in the 1950s and 60s, when job opportunities were scarce.
    • There was no entry barrier in terms of age or fixed time for work.
    • Education requirement was a mere high school pass.
    • Many of these women were housewives who could earn an extra income by selling LIC policies.
    • This was a period before the arrival of digital technologies and mobile phones.
    • Skill development program: LIC’s training programme with its mix of online education and real-life case studies offer the best model for India’s skill development programmes.
    •  LIC’s relevance comes from its track record of creating vast number of employment opportunities for ordinary Indians, male and female, urban and rural.

    Policies focused on savings

    • In a country of vast poverty and low income, LIC recognised from the beginning that it cannot sell insurance as a risk cover on premature death.
    • It, therefore, devised policies focussing on savings and the need for children’s education and daughter’s marriage which are fundamentals to family values in India.
    • These policies also ensured that a part of the premium paid was returned at regular intervals before the maturity period, providing liquidity for emergencies.
    • They simultaneously covered risk caused by death.
    • People-centric approach: While the private players concentrated on technology-driven marketing, LIC’s approach was significantly people-centric.
    • When Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was launched for financial inclusion of over 300 million of the rural population on August 15, 2014, LIC was already there with its policies covering a rural population of 200 million.

    Conclusion

    The nation must not forget the fact that LIC was built on sweat and tears, pain and sacrifice of ordinary Indians. It is these democratic credentials that remain LIC’s most valuable asset.

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  • Important Summits, Conventions, and Declarations

    3rd May 2022

     

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    1.RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands

    Brief Intro–

    • The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975 after UNESCO, the Convention’s depositary received the instruments of accession from the countries.
    • The RAMSAR Secretariat is based at the headquarters of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland.
    • World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd.

    Key Objectives-

    • An intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

    Year-1971

    Place – Ramasar

    Key Terms-The Montreux Record – a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character are of concern. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

    India specific – India currently has 27 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites).

    2.The World Heritage Convention

    Brief Intro–

    The Convention recognizes the way in which people interact with nature, and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two.

    Key Objectives-

    The Convention defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List under UNESCO

    Year-1972

    3.Stockholm Conference

    Brief Intro–

    Stockholm Declaration contains 26 principles. These principles provide the basis of an International Policy for the Protection and improvement of the environment.

    Key Point-The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been established by the UNGA in pursuance of the Stockholm Conference.

    Year-1972

    4.CITES

    Brief Intro–

    To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of animals and plants.

    Key Objectives-

    • It is a multilateral treaty drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
    • Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws.

    India Specific –

    The Government of India signed the Convention in July 1976, which was ratified in October 1976

    5.Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC)

    Brief Intro–

    Seeks to establish a uniform global legal regime for compensation to victims in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident. It was adopted on 12 September 1997. It can enter into force after ratification by at least 5 countries having a minimum of 400,000 units of installed nuclear capacity.

    Key Objectives-

    • It provides a uniform framework for channelling liability and providing speedy compensation after the nuclear accident.
    • Seeks to encourage regional and global co-operation to promote a higher level of nuclear safety in accordance with the principles of international partnership and solidarity.
    • All states are free to participate in it regardless of their presence of nuclear installations on their territories or involvement in existing nuclear liability conventions.
    • It has been framed inconsistent with the principles of the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (1963) and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy (1960).

    India Specific –

    India has ratified Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 which sets parameters on a nuclear operator’s financial liability.

    6.Nuclear security summit

    Brief Intro–

    The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a world summit, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe. The first summit was held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 12–13, 2010. The second summit was held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2012. The third summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on March 24–25, 2014. The fourth summit was held in Washington, D.C. on March 31–April 1, 2016.

    Key Objectives-

    Aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe.

    India specific-

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the NSS 2016 in Washington

    7.Ashgabat Agreement

    Brief Intro–

    Ashgabat Agreement is an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

    Key Objectives-

    • The transit agreement provides for a transit corridor across Central Asia and the Middle East through the continuous landmass between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran before reaching the Persian Gulf and into Oman.
    • The objective of this agreement is to enhance connectivity within Eurasian region and synchronize it with other transport corridors within that region including the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

    8.The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)

    Brief Intro–

    The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

    Key Objectives-

    It is a forum based on the recognition that there is close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world.enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

    India Specific-

    India is a member of CICA

    9.Beijing declaration

    Brief Intro–

    The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is an international declaration of women’s rights set up at the UN’s landmark Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995.

    Key Objectives-

    • The BPfA covers 12 key critical matters of concern and areas for action including women and poverty, violence against women and access to power and decision- making.
    • It was supported by 189 countries, including the UK, at the 1995 World Conference.gender equality and the empowerment of all women, everywhere.1995.
    • It was the outcome of The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace convened by UN.

    12.The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)

    Brief Intro–

    The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva,Switzerland on 21 May 2003.

    Key Objectives-

    • It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under article 19 of the WHO constitution.To protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke” by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide.
    • The FCTC established two principal bodies to oversee the functioning of the treaty: the Conference of the parties and the permanent Secretariat. In addition, there are over 50 different intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations who are official observers to the Conference of the Parties.

    India Specific-

    India has hosted 7th Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

    10.G-7

    Brief Intro–

    • The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.
    • Russia belonged to the forum from 1998 through 2014—then the Group of Eight (G8)—but was suspended after its annexation of Crimea in March of that year.

    11.G-20

    Brief Intro– It was started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Southeast Asian (Tiger economies) financial crisis.

    Key Objectives-

    • The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for its members’ international economic cooperation and decision-making.
    • It is deliberating forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies on economic issues and other important development challenges.
    • In 2008, the first G20 Leaders’ Summit was held in Washington DC, US. The group had played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis. It comprises total 19 countries plus the European Union (EU), representing 85% of global GDP, 80% of international trade, 65% of world’s population. Its members include Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, UK, US and EU. 4.The 2016 summit was held in Hangzhou China.
    • It was established for studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.

    India Specific-

    India is a founding member of G-20

    12.International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

    Brief Intro–

    It is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, which aims at guaranteeing food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), as well as the fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use.

    Key Objectives-

    • It also recognises Farmers’ Rights, subject to national laws the protection of traditional knowledge relevant to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
    • The right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from the utilisation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture;
    • The right to participate in making decisions, at the national level, on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
    • It is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity.

    India Specific-

    India has signed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

    13.Marrakesh treaty

    Brief Intro–

    • The treaty requires signatories to introduce national law provisions that facilitate the availability of published works in formats like Braille that are accessible to the blind and allow their exchange across borders by organizations working for the visually impaired.

    Key Objectives-

    • The pact will help import of accessible format copies from the member countries by the Indian authorized entities such as educational institutions, libraries and other institutions working for the welfare of the visually impaired.
    • The treaty will also ease translation of imported accessible format copies and export of accessible format copies in Indian languages.To create a set of mandatory limitations and exceptions for the benefit of the blind, visually impaired and otherwise print disabled (VIPs).

    14.London Declaration

    Brief Intro–

    • The London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases is a collaborative disease eradication programme launched on 30 January 2012 in London.
    • It was inspired by the World Health Organization 2020 roadmap to eradicate or negate transmission for neglected tropical diseases.
    • Officials from WHO, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s 13 leading pharmaceutical companies, and government representatives from US, UK, United Arab Emirate, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mozambique and Tanzania participated in a joint meeting at the Royal College of Physicians to launch this project.

    15.Declaration of Montreal

    Brief Intro–

    The Declaration of Montreal on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Human Rights is a document adopted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on July 29, 2006, by the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights which formed part of the first World Outgames.

    Key Objectives-

    • The Declaration outlines a number of rights and freedoms pertaining to LGBT and intersex people that it is proposed to be universally guaranteed.
    • It encompasses all aspects of human rights, from the guarantee of fundamental freedoms to the prevention of discrimination against LGBT people in healthcare, education and immigration.
    • The Declaration also addresses various issues that impinge on the global promotion of LGBT rights and intersex human rights.

    16. Istanbul Convention

    Brief Intro–

    • The Istanbul Convention is the first legally-binding instrument which “creates a comprehensive legal framework and approach to combat violence against women” and is focussed on preventing domestic violence, protecting victims and prosecuting accused offenders. The convention aims at prevention of violence, victim protection and “to end with the impunity of perpetrators.
    • The Council of Europe. Only European countries have signed this convention.

    17.vienna convention on diplomatic relations

    Brief Intro–

    It is a treaty that came into force in 1964 2.It lays out the rules and regulations for diplomatic relations between countries as well as the various privileges that diplomats and diplomatic missions enjoy.

    Key Objectives-

    • One of these privileges is legal immunity for diplomats so that they don’t have to face prosecution as per their host country’s laws.
    • The Vienna Convention classifies diplomats according to their posting in the embassy, consular or international organisations such as the UN. A nation has only one embassy per foreign country, usually in the capital, but may have multiple consulate offices, generally in locations where many of its citizens live or visit.
    • Diplomats posted in an embassy get immunity, along with his or her family members. While diplomats posted in consulates too get immunity, they can be prosecuted in case of serious crimes, that is, when a warrant is issued.
    • Besides, their families don’t share that immunity.It has been ratified by 187 countries, including India.

    18.Jaipur Summit

    Brief Intro–

    • The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014.
    • FIPIC includes 14 of the island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
    • The second summit of the Forum for India Pacific Cooperation (FIPIC-2) in Jaipur on 21-22 August 2015 has made significant progress in strengthening India’s engagement with the 14 Pacific Island countries. Increase Cooperation Between India and 14 Pacific Countries.

    Key Objectives-

    • Though these countries are relatively small in land area and distant from India, many have large exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and offer promising possibilities for fruitful cooperation.
    • India’s focus has largely been on the Indian Ocean where it has sought to play a major role and protect its strategic and commercial interests. The FIPIC initiative marks a serious effort to expand India’s engagement in the Pacific region.
    • At this moment, total annual trade of about $300 million between the Indian and Pacific Island countries, where as exports are around $200 million and imports are around $100 million.

    19.NPT

    Brief Intro–

    The NPT is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

    Key Objectives-

    • The Treaty represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States. Opened for signature in 1968, the Treaty entered into force in 1970.
    • To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

    India Specific-

    India has not signed the treaty as India argues that the NPT creates a club of “nuclear haves” and a larger group of “nuclear have-nots” by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967, but the treaty never explains on what ethical grounds such a distinction is valid.

    20.CTBT

    Brief Intro–

    • The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.
    • It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 but has not entered into force as eight specific states have not ratified the treaty. Nuclear weapon-free
    • The treaty thus awaits signature and ratification from India, Pakistan, and North Korea and in addition requires the United States, China, Israel, Iran and Egypt (which have already signed) to formally ratify it.

    India Specific-

    Even though it is yet to sign the CTBT, India has supported the treaty’s basic principle of banning nuclear explosions by declaring a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. India’s expressed support to the essential requirement of the treaty makes it a de facto member of the CTBT.

    21.Convention on biological diversity

    The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity has been in force since 1993.

    Objectives-

    • It has 3 main objectives: The conservation of biological diversity.
    • The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.,fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
    • The CBD, one of the key agreements adopted during the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, is the first comprehensive global agreement which addresses all aspects relating to biodiversity.

    22.International Whaling Commission (IWC)

    The IWC is an Inter-Governmental Organisation set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) signed in Washington, D.C in 1946. It aims to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry. The body is the first piece of International Environmental Legislation established in 1946.

    23.Global Digital Health Partnership Summit

    The Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) is an international collaboration of governments, government agencies and multinational organisations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of their citizens through the best use of evidence-based digital technologies.

    Objectives-

    • Governments are making significant investments to harness the power of technology and foster innovation and public-private partnerships that support high quality, sustainable health and care for all. The GDHP facilitates global collaboration and co-operation in the implementation of digital health services.The GDHP is committed to improving health and care through promoting its principles of equality, co-operation, transparency and responsibility.
    • Equality: All participants will have an equal opportunity to participate and contribute to the development of the GDHP deliverables and share in the lessons learnt and outputs of the GDHP.
    • Co-operation: Participants are helpful and supportive and participate in debates thoughtfully, constructively and respectfully.
    • Transparency: Participants act with openness in their engagement with fellow participants to contribute to improved health services, promote innovation and create safer and healthier communities.
    • Responsibility: Participants are responsible for their country’s input through their active contribution to GDHP activities that are guided by the annual work plan. Each participant shall endeavour to ensure that outcomes from meetings, such as tasks appointed to them or in general, are carried out effectively and efficiently. Participants will make decisions and participate in discussions in a transparent and fair manner, using evidence, and without discrimination or bias, ensuring they act in the public interest and not for commercial purposes.

    24.TIR

    The Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets is a multilateral treaty that was concluded at Geneva on 14 November 1975 to simplify and harmonise the administrative formalities of international road transport.

    Objectives-

    • The TIR Convention establishes an international customs transit system with maximum facility to move goods:in sealed vehicles or containers;
    • from a customs office of departure in one country to a customs office of destination in another country;
    • without requiring extensive and time-consuming border checks at intermediate borders;
    • while, at the same time, providing customs authorities with the required security and guarantees.

    25. 1 Trillion Trees Initiative

    It aims to ensure the conservation and restoration of one trillion trees within this decade. Initiative is led by UNEP and initiated by WEF.

    Objectives-

    • The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), 2015-2030, which is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda, identifies investing in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for resilience and to build back better in reconstruction as priorities for action towards reducing disaster risk.
    • Similarly, Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes disaster resilient infrastructure as a crucial driver of economic growth and development.
    • Besides reducing infrastructure losses, disaster resilient infrastructure will also help achieve targets pertaining to reduction in mortality, number of affected people and economic losses due to disasters.

    26.International Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

    The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.

    Key points of the Convention

    Objectives-

    • Prohibition of production and use of chemical weapons
    • Destruction (or monitored conversion to other functions) of chemical weapons production facilities
    • Destruction of all chemical weapons (including chemical weapons abandoned outside the state parties territory)
    • Assistance between State Parties and the OPCW in the case of use of chemical weapons
    • An OPCW inspection regime for the production of chemicals which might be converted to chemical weapons
    • International cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry in relevant areas

    27.Convention on Supplementary Compensation for nuclear Damage (CSC)

    The Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage is a 1963 treaty that governs issues of liability in cases of a nuclear accident. It was concluded at Vienna on 21 May 1963 and entered into force on 12 November 1977. The convention has been amended by a 1997 protocol. The depository is the International Atomic Energy Agency.

    Objectives-

    • The Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) aims at establishing a minimum national compensation amount and at further increasing the amount of compensation through public funds to be made available by the Contracting Parties should the national amount be insufficient to compensate the damage caused by a nuclear incident.
    • The Convention is open not only to States that are party to either the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage or the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy (including any amendments to either) but also to other States provided that their national legislation is consistent with uniform rules on civil liability laid down in the Annex to the Convention.

    28.Hague Code of Conduct

    The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, also known as the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC), was established on 25 November 2002 as an arrangement to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles.

    Objectives-

    • The HCOC is the result of international efforts to regulate access to ballistic missiles which can potentially deliver weapons of mass destruction. The HCOC is the only multilateral code in the area of disarmament which has been adopted over the last years.
    • It is the only normative instrument to verify the spread of ballistic missiles.
    • The HCOC does not ban ballistic missiles, but it does call for restraint in their production, testing, and export.

    29. Tropical Forest Alliance

    Global PPP launched at Rio+20 summit. It aims halving deforestation by 2020 and ending it by 2030 in tropical rainforest countries. The secretariat of the Alliance is hosted by the World Economic Forum.

    30.Biological weapons convention

    The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of weapons.

    Objectives-

    • Each State Party to this Convention undertakes never in any circumstances to develop, produce, stockpile or otherwise acquire or retain:
    • Microbial or other biological agents, or toxins whatever their origin or method of production, of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes;
    • Weapons, equipment or means of delivery designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.”
    • The United States Congress passed the Bioweapons Anti-Terrorism Act in 1989 to implement the Convention. The law applies the Convention’s convent to countries and private citizens, and criminalizes violations of the Convention.

    31.Sendai Framework

    The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) is an international document which was adopted by UN member states between 14th and 18th of March 2015 at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan and endorsed by the UN General Assembly in June 2015. It is the successor agreement to the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005–2015), which had been the most encompassing international accord to date on disaster risk reduction.

    Objectives-

    • The Sendai Framework sets four specific priorities for action:
    • Understanding disaster risk;
    • Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk;
    • Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience;
    • Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

    32.Outer Space Treaty

    The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer space, prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, and details legally binding rules governing the peaceful exploration and use of space.

    33.Kyoto Protocol

    The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 UNFCCC that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that

    (a) global warming exists and (b) human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.

    Objectives-

    • The main feature of the Protocol is that it established legally binding commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases for parties that ratified the Protocol.
    • The commitments were based on the Berlin Mandate, which was a part of UNFCCC negotiations leading up to the Protocol.
    • Minimizing Impacts on Developing Countries by establishing an adaptation fund for climate change.

    34.U.N. Frame Work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

    Objectives-

    • A framework for international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and coping with impacts that were inevitable.
    • The primary goals of the UNFCCC were to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at levels that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the global climate.
    • The convention embraced the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities which has guided the adoption of a regulatory structure.

    35.Basel Convention

    • The industrialized world in the 1980s had led to increasing public resistance to the disposal of hazardous wastes, in accordance with what became known as the NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) syndrome, and to an increase of disposal costs.
    • This, in turn, led some operators to seek cheap disposal options for hazardous wastes in the developing countries.
    • Environmental awareness was much less developed and regulations and enforcement mechanisms were lacking. The objectives of the convention are to reduce trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes, to minimize the creation of such wastes and to prohibit their shipment from developed countries to the LDCs.

    36.Montreal Protocol

    Objectives-

    • The protocol set targets for reducing the consumption and production of a range of ozone-depleting substances.
    • In a major innovation, the protocol recognized that all nations should not be treated equally.
    • The agreement acknowledges that certain countries have contributed to ozone depletion more than others.
    • It also recognizes that a nation‘s obligation to reduce current emissions should reflect its technological and financial ability to do so.
    • Because of this, the agreement sets more stringent standards and accelerated phase-out time tables to countries that have contributed most to ozone depletion

    37.World Conservation Strategy

    Objectives-

    • It set out fundamental principles and objectives for conservation worldwide and identified priorities for national and international action.
    • It is considered one of the most influential documents in 20th-century nature conservation and one of the first official documents to introduce the concept of sustainable development.

    38.Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)

    Objectives-

    • Aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.
    • The Convention facilitates the adoption of strict protection measures for endangered migratory species, the conclusion of multilateral agreements for the conservation and management of migratory species, and co-operative research activities.

    39.World Sustainable Development summit

    • WSDS has replaced TERI’s earlier called Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS). The first DSDS was organised in 2005. It underscored the need for businesses and the private sector to take lead in poverty reduction and to ensure rapid and sustained adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
    • It had brought together Nobel laureates, decision-makers political leaders from around the world to deliberate on issues related to sustainable development.
    • The aim of the summit is to provide various stakeholders with a single platform in order to provide long-term solutions for the benefit of the global community.

    40.Kigali Agreement

    The Kigali Amendment amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol to now include gases responsible for global warming and will be binding on countries from 2019.

    Objectives-

    • It also has provisions for penalties for non-compliance.
    • It is considered absolutely vital for reaching the Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperature rise to below 2-degree Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.
    • Under it, developed countries will also provide enhanced funding support estimated at billions of dollars globally. The exact amount of additional funding from developed countries will be agreed at the next
    • Meeting of the Parties in Montreal in 2017 to reduce the emissions of category of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which leads to hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)

    41. Glassgow Summit

    The Glasgow meeting was the 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26.

    Achievements:

    1. Mitigation: The Glasgow agreement has emphasised that stronger action in the current decade was most critical to achieving the 1.5-degree target.
    2. Adaptation: Most of the countries, especially the smaller and poorer ones, and the small island states have been demanded that at least half of all climate finance should be directed towards adaptation efforts.
    3. Finance: In 2009, developed countries had promised to mobilise at least $100 billion every year from 2020, which did not happen. The developed nations have now said that they will arrange this amount by 2023.
    4. Accounting earlier mistakes: Asked the developed countries to provide transparent information about the money they plan to provide
    5. Loss & Damage: The frequency of climate disasters has been rising rapidly, and many of these caused large scale devastation. One of the earlier drafts included a provision for setting up of a facility to coordinate loss and damage activities.
    6. Carbon markets: This meeting has allowed carbon credits to be used in meeting countries’ first NDC targets to the developing nations.

  • [Burning Issue] India-EU Relations

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    Context

    • President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen was on two–day official visit to India.
    • She has heaped all praises for the robustness of Indian democracy. She went on to say that ‘World Watches When Indians Cast Their Vote’.
    • Both sides are expected to review the progress on various aspects of the relationship and further intensify the multifaceted partnership with EU.

    About European Union (EU)

    • The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
    • The union and EU citizenship were established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993.
    • The EU grew out of a desire to strengthen international economic and political co-operation on the European continent in the wake of World War II.
    • It has often been described as a sui generis political entity (without precedent or comparison) with the characteristics of either a federation or confederation.
    • The eurozone consists of all countries that use the euro as official currency. All EU members pledge to convert to the euro, but only 19 have done so as of 2022.

    Members of the EU

    • Through successive enlargements, the European Union has grown from the six founding states (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) to 27 members.
    • This entails a partial delegation of sovereignty to the institutions in return for representation within those institutions, a practice often referred to as “pooling of sovereignty“.
    • In the 2016 ‘Brexit’ referendum, the UK voted to leave the EU. The UK officially left the EU in 2020

    India-EU Relations: A Backgrounder

    • It’s been 60 years since India accredited its first ambassador to the European Economic Community (EEC), the organisation that served as embryo for the European Union.
    • Back then, India was a protectionist economy trying to move away from the British colonial era while the EEC consisted of just six European countries.
    • Today, the relations between the EU and India are defined by the 1994 EU–India Cooperation Agreement.
    • India and the EU became “Strategic Partners” in 2004.

    [A] Political Partnership

    • The Joint Political Statement signed in 1993, opened the way for annual ministerial meetings and a broad political dialogue.
    • The Cooperation Agreement signed in 1994 took the bilateral relationship beyond trade and economic cooperation.
    • A multi-tiered institutional architecture of cooperation has since been created, presided over by the India-EU Summit since 2000.
    • Today EU stands as a major reference for India’s legislative process in the field of Data security and privacy.

    [B] Economic Ties

    • Bilateral trade: The EU is India’s largest trading partner, while India is the EU’s 9th largest trading partner. It is the second-largest destination for Indian exports after the United States.
    • Investment: The EU’s share in foreign investment inflows to India has more than doubled from 8% to 18% in the last decade. This makes the EU an important foreign investor in India.
    • Preferential treatment: India is the benefactor of the unilateral preferential tariffs under the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP).
    • Energy: Both sides have finalised civil nuclear cooperation agreement after 13 years of negotiations called as the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). It involves collaboration in the civil nuclear energy sector.
    • Development cooperation: Over €150 million worth of projects by EU are currently ongoing in India. European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing loans for Lucknow, Bangalore, and Pune Metro Projects.

    [C] Defence & Security

    • EU and India have instituted several mechanisms for greater cooperation on pressing security challenges like counterterrorism, maritime security, and nuclear non-proliferation.
    • Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region in New Delhi (IFC-IOR) has recently been linked-up with the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) established by the EU Naval Force (NAVFOR).

     [D] Climate Change

    • EU and India also underline their highest political commitment to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC despite US withdrawing from the same.
    • India-EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership was agreed at the 2016 Summit – to promote access to and disseminate clean energy and climate friendly technologies and encourage R&D.
    • Energy cooperation is now ongoing on a broad range of energy issues, like smart grids, energy efficiency, offshore wind and solar infrastructure, and research and innovation.
    • EU and India also cooperate closely on the Clean Ganga initiative and deal with other water-related challenges in coordinated manner.

    [E] Research and Development

    • India-EU Science & Technology Steering Committee meets annually to review scientific cooperation.
    • Both have official mechanisms in fields such as Digital Communications, 5G technology, Biotechnology, artificial intelligence etc.
    • ISRO has a long-standing cooperation with the European Union, since 1970s. It has contributed towards the EU’s satellite navigation system Galileo.

    Major limitations to the ties

    • Deadlock over BTIA: The negotiations for a Broad-based Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) were held between 2007 to 2013 but have remained dormant/suspended since then.
    • Export hurdles: Indian demands for ‘Data secure’ status (important for India’s IT sector) to ease norms on temporary movement of skilled workers, relaxation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS), etc. stands largely ignored.
    • Trade imbalance: This heavily leans towards China. India accounts for only 1.9% of EU total trade in goods in 2019, well behind China (13.8%).
    • Brexit altercations: In the longer term of balancing of global powers, a smaller Europe without the key military and economic force UK, is much weaker in the wake of an ambitious China and an increasingly protectionist US.
    • EU primarily remains a trade bloc: This has resulted in a lack of substantive agreements on matters such as regional security and connectivity.
    • Undue references to sovereign concerns: The European Parliament was critical of both the Indian government’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
    • China’s influence: EU’s affinity lies with China. This is because of its high dependence on the Chinese market. It is a major partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    • Ukrainian war: EAM S. Jaishankar’s witty reply about EU’s oil import from Russia has not been welcomed across the EU. It still expects India to criticize Russia.

    EU’s interests in India

    • Reducing dependence on China: It is necessary for both sides as it is making them highly vulnerable to Chinese aggression.
    • Western lobby: EU acknowledges its supply chain’s vulnerability, the risk posed by overdependence on China, and the need to strengthen the global community of democracies.
    • Healthcare: The on-going pandemic has shown the need for cooperation in global health. India and the EU have called for a reform of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
    • Perception of India as a huge market: EU still largely perceives India as huge market rather than a partner.
    • Promotion of multilateralism: Both sides are facing issues related to US-China trade war and uncertainty of the US’ policies. They have common interest in avoiding a bipolarised world and developing a rules-based order.

    India’s stakes in EU

    • Global leadership vacuum: Retreat of the U.S. from global leadership has provided opportunities for EU- India cooperation and trilateral dialogues with countries in the Middle Fast, Central Asia, and Africa.
    • Chinese Aggression: China’s increasing presence in Eurasia and South Asia is creating similar security, political and economic concerns for Europe and India.
    • Fall of the conventional global order: Trade war, crumbling WTO and break down of TPP etc. has made EU understand the economic importance of India.
    • BREXIT: Brexit is pushing India to look for new ‘gateways’ to Europe, as its traditional partner leaves the union. A renewed trade and political cooperation are the need of the hour.
    • Conformity over Indo-Pacific: The Indo-Pacific is the main conduit for global trade and energy flows. Rule-based Indo-pacific is of everyone’s interest with EU no exception.

    Way forward

    • A close bilateral relation between India and the EU has far-reaching economic, political and strategic implications on the crisis-driven international order.
    • Both sides should realise this potential and must further the growth of the bilateral ties with a strong political will.
    • As highlighted by EU strategy on India 2018, India-EU should take their relations beyond “trade lens”, recognizing their important geopolitical, strategic convergences.
    • India can pursue EU countries to engage in Indo-pacific narrative, geo-economically if not from security prism.

  • India must use markets to decarbonise

    Context

    Climate change is bound to impact human lives and the global economy at an exceptionally high scale in the not-so-distant future. The solution to the problem calls for government intervention.

    Carbon intensive nature of India’s energy ecosystem

    • After China and the United States, India, which releases 2.44 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, is the third-largest emitter of this GHG, making it a key player in emissions reduction.
    •  The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2017 Report estimates that India will account for nearly one-fourth of the global energy demand by 2040.
    • As per the IEA’s India Energy Outlook 2021 Report, India’s energy system is highly dependent on fossil fuels — coal, oil and bioenergy — that supply about 90 per cent of the country’s demand.
    • Low electrification: About 38 per cent of primary energy is consumed for power generation, implying that the level of electrification is still low in the country.
    • Power generation is highly dependent on coal — about 78 per cent of it comes from this fossil fuel — and, transportation is almost entirely dependent on oil.
    • The Indian energy ecosystem is, thus, highly carbon-intensive.

    Climate change as a feature of market failure

    • Market failure due to climate change: Economic activities by consumers (driving or air-conditioning, for instance) and by producers (such as electricity generation and manufacturing) cause emissions, leading to pollution and global warming.
    • Negative externalities: These negative externalities, causing outcomes that are not efficient, are not reflected in the costs incurred by consumers or producers.
    • The true costs to the consumers, producers and society are not reflected in the market interactions.
    • This leads to an uncontrolled rise in emissions and also breeds apathy towards mitigation efforts.

    Way forward

    • Government intervention: Achieving economic growth sustainably requires a strategy for reducing carbon emissions aggressively while also focusing on efficiency, equity, fairness and behavioural aspects.
    • The solution to the problem of market failure calls for government intervention.
    • Limits of emission: The most natural option of government intervention for reducing emissions is by fixing limits of emissions through regulation, taking into consideration the Nationally Determined Contribution targets set by the country under the Paris Agreement.
    • Experts have shown that the wrongly set emission levels could lead to cost-inefficient outcomes.
    • It makes it difficult for the regulator to obtain the information about each firm’s abatement-cost and damage-cost schedules in advance.
    • Therefore, setting emission targets and regulating emissions through command and control might be good only during the initial phase of the mitigation strategy.
    • Why Carbon tax is a better option? The carbon tax is a better option than regulating the pre-fixed levels of emissions.
    • The marginal cost of abatement rises as the firms keep on reducing the emissions further, and the firm will stop reducing emissions and choose to pay tax at the point when the cost of abatement becomes higher than the rate of tax.
    • This option will lead to near-efficient outcomes.
    •  The trading scheme will bring in higher efficiency as the price of certificates will be determined by allowing firms facing low and high abatement costs to compete in the free market as per their own abatement and damage cost schedules.
    •  The emissions trading scheme will determine the optimal and cost-efficient levels of emissions reduction by providing a choice to the firms to either mitigate or trade — the net effect of this will be a reduction in emissions.
    • The low abatement-cost firms will keep reducing emissions as they would profit by trading the certificates.
    • Equity in energy access: The issue of equity in energy access must be addressed by channelling the revenues generated from carbon pricing to households and firms impacted by the carbon trading and carbon tax — these could be through incentives or lump-sum transfers.

    Conclusion

    The socio-economic impact of decarbonising the economy and the way humans live would be crucial in setting our priorities. We have limited time and our resources are scarce.

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  • PDS has had a spectacular run. That may not last

    Context

    2020-21 was one of Indian agriculture’s finest moments, as memorable as 1967-68 that inaugurated the Green Revolution. Agriculture was the only sector to grow 3.3 per cent in 2020-21, even as the economy overall contracted by 4.8 per cent.

    Increase in grain offtake under PDS

    • NFSA along with PMGKAY has led to a massive jump in grain offtake through the PDS.
    •  More importantly, this increase has largely taken place in the poorer states.
    • UP, Bihar and Jharkhand together accounted for 21.6 per cent of national grain offtake in 2012-13, which was pre-NFSA.
    • Sales of rice and wheat under various government schemes totalled 92.9 million tonnes (mt) in 2020-21 and 105.6 mt in 2021-22.
    • This was as against an average offtake of 62.5 mt during the first seven years after the implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in 2013-14 and 48.4 mt in the seven years preceding the legislation.

    Provisions under NFSA

    • The NFSA legally entitles up to 75 per cent of India’s rural and 50 per cent of the urban population — translating into some 813.5 million people — to receive 5 kg of grain per person per month at highly subsidised rates of Rs 2/kg for wheat and Rs 3/kg for rice.
    • In the wake of the Covid-induced economic disruptions, a new Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme was launched giving NFSA beneficiaries an extra 5 kg grain per person per month free of cost.
    • PMGKAY was implemented for eight months (April-November) in 2020-21 and 11 months (May-March) of 2021-22.

    PDS reforms in states

    • Only a handful of states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh — had well-functioning PDS till the early 2000s.
    • In the late-2000s, Chhattisgarh initiated reforms to curb diversion/leakages by entrusting the running of fair price shops to cooperatives and local bodies (as against private licensees), making timely allocation and supplying grain directly to PDS outlets (bypassing middle-level distribution agencies), and using IT to track dispatches right from procurement centres to points of sale.
    • Chhattisgarh’s example was emulated by Odisha, followed by Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal — all by 2015-16.
    • The three poorest states are the latest entrants to the list.
    • The accompanying charts show the offtake of rice and wheat both at the all-India level and for the three poorest states as per the NITI Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index — Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh (UP).
    • UP particularly has seen its grain offtake soar from 9.5 mt to 17.3 mt in the last two years.
    • Out of the 17.3 mt (10.7 mt wheat and 6.6 mt rice) distributed in 2021-22, 7.8 mt comprised free grains under PMGKAY.
    • The PDS, indeed, turned out to be the only effective social safety net during the pandemic.
    • Some states went beyond rice and wheat.

    Challenges

    •  The expansion of the PDS, especially post-NFSA, was underwritten by the superabundance of rice and wheat in government granaries.
    • Official wheat procurement is likely to halve this time from last year’s record 43.3 mt, because of a poor crop singed by the abnormal spike in March temperatures.
    • Rice stocks are far more comfortable, though the precarious supply situation in fertilisers raises questions about the prospects for the coming kharif season.
    • Looking ahead, the Food Corporation of India’s stocks can probably sustain the pre-2020-21 annual offtake levels of 60-65 mt – enough for NFSA, but certainly not schemes such as PMGKAY.

    Conclusion

    The PDS was originally meant to protect ordinary people from extraordinary price rises. Whether it can do that at a time of renewed global inflation remains to be seen.

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  • Confidentiality ring amendment and its impact on antitrust disputes

    Context

    Amazon (the defendant) decided to take the confidentiality route towards its submissions in an order dated March 7 passed by the DG-CCI on the Amazon dispute.

    About the Confidentiality Ring

    • In 2015, the EU mandated the creation of a data room to respect the confidentiality of certain documents.
    • The EU has to protect this mandate to ensure that the right of defence is not prejudiced. 
    • Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty of the European Union, which states: “Through confidentiality rings, DG Competition (EU) can safeguard the rights of defence while respecting the legitimate interests in the confidentiality of the information providers.
    • In addition, confidentiality rings remove or reduce the burden of preparing non-confidential versions of documents.”

    Adoption of Confidentiality ring by CCI

    • CCI’s investigation under Sections 3, 4 or 5 of the Competition Act are related to the suo motu powers given to the director-general of the commission, which have now extended toward establishing a confidentiality ring.
    • The CCI has taken an alternative view by vaguely replacing the intent with the regulation.
    • The commission may provide the Confidentiality ring after providing a reasonable opportunity to the informant to represent its case before the Commission.
    • This casts an onus on the informant.
    • Turning to the provider of confidential information, the party seeking confidentiality has to submit reasons and the same must be rebutted by the informant, CCI or any other parties, largely driven by the CCI.

    Issues with the CCI adoption of the Confidentiality Ring

    1] Indiscriminate use of defendant’s reputation ground

    • What would happen if the informant seeks additional documents so that the agency is not prejudiced?
    • By hearing parties out, through redacted information the CCI is bound to be questioned as to the reasons for deciding in a certain manner and worse, could stifle the process at the start.
    • This is likely because the CCI has to hear the objections that the informant may have regarding the reasons for keeping information confidential.
    • The usual ground for seeking this protection is the defendant’s reputation.
    • However, this defence can be used to indiscriminately to subdue any counter that may arise from the informant, who may not possess the intricate details of how a cartel works.

    2] Rejection of informant’s right to know the information

    • The second question is about the relief under Section 35 of the Act that empowers the CCI to establish a confidentiality ring including the parties in dispute to disseminate the information for which the confidentiality clause is invoked.
    • However, this is immediately caveated by Regulation 8 of the “Confidentiality Ring” Amendment of April 8, which states that the informant shall not be part of the ring.
    • This will essentially lead the CCI to gather more information surreptitiously for the determination of the case.
    • Void the informant’s right to know information: It has also effectively rejected the informant’s right to know the information, which would be necessary to establish their claim.
    • Brings secrecy: This not only empowers the CCI to further its cause of suo motu investigation but also brings secrecy to cases of high-value disputes.

    3] It protects the defendant

    • The reason the CCI decided to establish a confidentiality ring is the opposite of the EU directive.
    • The EU would like to protect the information provider, but the CCI seems to want to protect the documents of the defendant.
    • This contradicts the intent in regulation 1 wherein the CCI intends to protect the informant and regulation 2, which gives unfettered rights to “parties” in the dispute to summarily drop the confidentiality card which, according to any reasonable person, includes the defendant.

    Conclusion

    The protection provided to the informants, unfortunately, turns out to be to the advantage of the defendants, who are usually large multi-billion dollar entities. It enables the CCI to ringfence its investigation creating legal immunity for “all” involved.

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  • Bangladesh offers Chittagong Port to India

    In a major development in India-Bangladesh ties, India has now gained access to the crucial Chittagong Port after it was offered by Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina.

    About Chittagong Port

    • The Chittagong/Chattogram Port is the main seaport of Bangladesh.
    • It is located in the port city of Chittagong and on the banks of the Karnaphuli River,
    • The port handles eighty percent of Bangladesh’s export-import trade, and has been used by India, Nepal and Bhutan for transshipment.
    • According to Lloyd’s, it ranked as the 58th busiest container port in the world in 2019. The port is one of the oldest in the world.
    • Chittagong Port is now being developed and modernized with Chinese investment and help.
    • It was widely believed that China will retain the right to use this port according to its plans and needs.

    Significance of the port

    • The use of Chattogram port was made possible under an agreement that allows the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports as transhipment hubs.
    • The port is significance for north-eastern states for enhancing connectivity between the neighboring countries.
    • This will reduce the distance, time and cost of logistics for transporting goods.
    • Currently, the road route between West Bengal to the northeast covers a distance of over 1,200 km.

    Some of the benefits India hopes from this new and shorter route are:

    • An additional connectivity route that’s economical and environment-friendly
    • States like Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya to get access to a port for transportation of goods
    • Lend a fillip to multi-modal connectivity between India and Bangladesh
    • Ease stress on supply chains that have been disrupted by the pandemic
    • Important bridge for India to reach Southeast Asia, East Asia and beyond

    Benefits for Bangladesh

    • Fresh investment flow in the logistics sector
    • New trade routes are expected to generate employment and give a fillip to transport, finance and insurance.
    • Generate revenue by way of administrative and port-related fees
    • Lead to economic transformation of cities such as Cumilla, Tamabil and Akhaura as well.

    Conclusion

    • India has settled the four-decade-old land boundary issue and also showing positive attitude towards Teesta water sharing issue.
    • At this moment, it is normal that Bangladesh would show some liberality towards use of ports.

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  • Governments ignoring court orders: CJI

    The CJI pointed to how courts had to deal with the new problem of “contempt petitions” triggered by the “deliberate inaction” of governments that chose to ignore judgments and orders.

    What did the CJI say?

    • The contempt petitions are a new category of burden on the courts, which is a direct result of the defiance by the governments.
    • Such actions show sheer defiance of governments towards judicial pronouncements.
    • There is visible inclination to pass off the responsibility of decision-making to courts.
    • The legislature’s work show ambiguity, lack of foresight and public consultation before making laws have led to docket explosion.

    What is Contempt of the Court?

    • Contempt of court is the offense of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behaviour that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the court.
    • There are broadly two categories of contempt: being disrespectful to legal authorities in the courtroom, or wilfully failing to obey a court order.

    How did the concept came into being?

    • The concept of contempt of court is several centuries old.
    • In England, it is a common law principle that seeks to protect the judicial power of the king, initially exercised by him, and later by a panel of judges who acted in his name.
    • Violation of the judges’ orders was considered an affront to the king himself.
    • Over time, any kind of disobedience to judges, or obstruction of the implementation of their directives, or comments and actions that showed disrespect towards them came to be punishable.

    What is the statutory basis for contempt of court?

    • There were pre-Independence laws of contempt in India. Besides the early High Courts, the courts of some princely states also had such laws.
    • When the Constitution was adopted, contempt of court was made one of the restrictions on freedom of speech and expression.
    • Separately, Article 129 of the Constitution conferred on the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt of itself.
    • Article 215 conferred a corresponding power on the High Courts.
    • The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, gives statutory backing to the idea.

    What are the kinds of contempt of court?

    The law codifying contempt classifies it as civil and criminal.

    • Civil contempt is fairly simple. It is committed when someone wilfully disobeys a court order or wilfully breaches an undertaking given to the court.
    • However, Criminal contempt is more complex.
    • It consists of three forms: (a) words, written or spoken, signs and actions that “scandalise” or “tend to scandalise” or “lower” or “tends to lower” the authority of any court (b) prejudices or interferes with any judicial proceeding and (c) interferes with or obstructs the administration of justice.
    • The rationale for this provision is that courts must be protected from tendentious attacks that lower its authority, defame its public image and make the public lose faith in its impartiality.
    • The punishment for contempt of court is simple imprisonment for a term up to six months and/or a fine of up to ₹. 2,000.

    What does not account to contempt?

    • Fair and accurate reporting of judicial proceedings will not amount to contempt of court.
    • Nor is any fair criticism on the merits of a judicial order after a case is heard and disposed of.

    Is truth a defence against a contempt charge?

    • For many years, the truth was seldom considered a defence against a charge of contempt.
    • There was an impression that the judiciary tended to hide any misconduct among its individual members in the name of protecting the image of the institution.
    • The Act was amended in 2006 to introduce truth as a valid defence if it was in the public interest and was invoked in a bonafide.

     

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  • Why are Electric Vehicles Catching Fire?

    The Union government has constituted an expert panel to probe the recent series of battery explosions in electric vehicles (EVs).

    Why is the world poised to transition to electric vehicles?

    • The growing concern over climate change has led to global efforts to electrify the transportation sector.
    • In parallel, cost of Li-ion (Lithium-ion) battery technology has decreased by a staggering order of magnitude in the past decade.
    • The convergence of these two factors has resulted in a unique time in our history where we are at the cusp of a dramatic transition in the transportation sector.
    • There are multiple trade-offs in this complex ecosystem: engineering higher safety often results in higher costs and lower driving range.
    • In this competitive landscape where companies are vying for market share, a race to the bottom can compromise safety.

    A race to nowhere

    • The world has taken note of this moment with governments providing incentives to usher in the transition and private industry ramping up plans for capturing the market.
    • There is a worldwide race emerging, with vehicle companies, battery manufacturers, and material suppliers vying with each other for market share.
    • However, Li-ion batteries are complex devices requiring a level of sophistication that can takes years to perfect.
    • Hurrying the development of this complex technology without careful safeguards are leading to increasing safety incidents, as evidenced recently on Indian roads.

    What goes into a Li-ion battery?

    • Every Li-ion battery consists of three active components:
    1. Anode: typically graphite
    2. Cathode: based on a nickel, cobalt, and manganese-based oxide; and
    3. Electrolyte: A salt of lithium in an inorganic solvent
    • Battery cells are assembled into modules and then further assembled into packs.
    • Li-ion batteries require tight control on the state of charge and the temperature of operation to enhance safety and increase usable life, achieved by adding multiple sensors.
    • Packs are designed to ensure uniform temperature profile with minimal thermal variation during operation.

    What is the level of precision involved?

    • Battery manufacturing is a complex operation involving forming sheets of the anode and cathode and assembling them into a sandwich structure held apart by a thin separator.
    • Separators, about 15 microns in thickness — about a fifth of the thickness of the human hair — perform the critical function of preventing the anode and cathode from shorting.
    • Accidental shorting of the electrodes is a known cause of fires in Li-ion cells.
    • It is important that the various layers are assembled with high precision with tight tolerances maintained throughout the manufacturing process.
    • Safety features, such as thermal switches that turn off if the battery overheats, are added as the sandwich is packaged into a battery cell.

    What causes battery fires?

    • Battery fires, like other fires, occur due to the convergence of three parts of the “fire triangle”: heat, oxygen, and fuel.
    • If an adverse event such as a short circuit occurs in the battery, the internal temperature can raise as the anode and cathode release their energy through the short.
    • This, in turn, can lead to a series of reactions from the battery materials, especially the cathode, that release heat in an uncontrolled manner, along with oxygen.
    • Such events also rupture the sealed battery further exposing the components to outside air and the second part of the fire triangle, namely, oxygen.
    • The final component of the triangle is the liquid electrolyte, which is highly flammable and serves as a fuel.
    • The combination leads to a catastrophic failure of the battery resulting in smoke, heat, and fire, released instantaneously and explosively.

    What triggers battery fire?

    • The trigger for such events can be a result of internal shorts (like a manufacturing defect that results in sharp objects penetrating the separator).
    • The external events may be accident leading to puncture of the cell and shorting of the electrodes, overcharging the battery.
    • Any of these triggers may cascade into a significant safety incident.

    Are battery fires inevitable?

    • Over the past three decades, Li-ion batteries have proved to be extremely safe, with the industry increasing controls as safety incidents have surfaced.
    • Safety is a must and is an important consideration that battery and vehicle manufacturers can design for at multiple levels from the choice of battery material to designs at the cell, pack, and vehicle level.
    • Protecting the cell with robust thermal management is critical, especially in India where ambient temperatures are high.
    • Finally, battery packs need to be protected from external penetration.
    • Any large-scale manufacturing process inevitably has a certain percentage of defects; therefore, such steps are needed to minimise the number of adverse events.

    Why battery safety matters?

    • Safety remains a concern for Li-ion manufacturers worldwide especially as cell sizes become larger for applications such as solar-connected storage.
    • There is a need to remove the threat of battery fires as the roll out of mass electrification takes place.

     

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