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  • Rhino population up by 200 in Kaziranga

    The population of the greater one-horned or Indian rhinoceros in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has increased by 200 (from 2413 in 2018) in four years, the latest census of the flagship animal has revealed.

    About Indian Rhino

    • The Indian rhinoceros also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and Schedule I animal in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
    • It once ranged across the entire northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, from Pakistan to the Indian-Myanmar border.
    • Poaching for rhinoceros horn became the single most important reason for the decline of the Indian rhino.

    Why are Rhinos poached for horns?

    • Ground rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers, and also as an aphrodisiac.
    • In Vietnam, possessing a rhino horn is considered a status symbol.
    • Due to demand in these countries, poaching pressure on rhinos is ever persistent against which one cannot let the guard down.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    Post your answers here.

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  • Places in news: Sariska Tiger Reserve

    A massive fire has broken out in the Sariska Tiger Reserve and Air Force helicopters equipped with water sprays are battling to bring it under control.

    Sariska Tiger Reserve

    • Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan.
    • It stretches over an area of 881 sq km comprising scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills.
    • This area was a hunting preserve of the Alwar state and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958.
    • It was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India’s Project Tiger in 1978.
    • It is the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers.
    • It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests eco-region.

    Existential threats

    • It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper.
    • In spite of the Supreme Court’s 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment.

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  • [Sansad TV] Perspective – NLMC: Utilising Unused Land

  • Prelims Spotlight: Important Straits

    Dear Aspirants,

    This Spotlight is a part of our Mission Nikaalo Prelims-2022.

    You can check the broad timetable of Nikaalo Prelims here

    Session Details

    Morning 12 PM  – Prelims Spotlight Session

    Evening 06:30  PM  – TIKDAM/MCQs Session

    Noon 03:00 PM – CSAT Google Meet Session

    Evening 08 PM  – Tests on Alternate Days

    Join our Official telegram channel for Study material for GS and CSAT Here

    30th Mar 2022

    Important straits in the news.

    A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. Most commonly it is a channel of water that lies between two landmasses. Some straits are not navigable, for example, because they are too shallow, or because of an unnavigable reef or archipelago.

    Strait of Hormuz

     

    • In NEWS – Denmark is leading a six-month joint European mission ‘EMASOH’ in the strait.
    • It links the Persian Gulf (west) with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea (southeast).
    • On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman. 
    • The strait is 35 to 60 miles (55 to 95 km) wide and separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula.
    • It contains the islands of Qeshm (Qishm), Hormuz, and Hengām (Henjām) and is of great strategic and economic importance, especially as oil tankers collecting from various ports on the Persian Gulf must pass through the strait.
    • OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the Strait
    • Qatar, the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, sends almost all of its LNG through the Strait
    • The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the Strait, including building pipelines.

    2. Strait of Malacca

    • Strait of Malacca connects the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).  Always in the news.
    • Stretching about 800km, it is the longest straits in the world and facilitates not just shipping and the movement of people in the surrounding communities but is a confluence of trade, cultures, ideas, and knowledge between the East and West.
    • It runs between the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the west and peninsular (West) Malaysia and extreme southern Thailand to the east and has an area of about 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km).
    • The strait derived its name from the trading port of Melaka (formerly Malacca)—which was of importance in the 16th and 17th centuries—on the Malay coast.
    • As the link between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca is the shortest sea route between India and China and hence is one of the most heavily travelled shipping channels in the world.
    • Singapore, one of the world’s most important ports, is situated at the strait’s southern end.
    • The global shift in economic power from the West to the East coupled with burgeoning trade, investments, and production in areas spanning the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions has given increasing importance to this region.

    3. Bab-el-Mandab

    • AMAN, Multinational Navy exercise of US, China and Russia was held.
    • The Bab al-Mandab strait is the narrow waterway that separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.
    • It links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
    • At its narrowest point, the strait is only 29 km wide between Yemen on one side and Djibouti and Eritrea on the other.
    • It is a key strategic channel for commerce and trade, with an estimated 4 percent of global oil supply passing through it.

    4. Palk Strait

    • It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with Palk Bay in the southwest. Always in news.
    • The strait is 40 to 85 miles (64 to 137 km) wide, 85 miles long, and less than 330 feet (100 metres) deep.
    • It receives several rivers, including the Vaigai (India), and it contains many islands on the Sri Lankan side.
    • The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) is a 167 km long shipping canal, and envisages the creation of a navigable canal from the Gulf of. Mannar to the Bay of Bengal to facilitate the movement of ships.
    • The Adam’s Bridge is a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation over a period of time.
    • All islands are made up of a calcareous framework of dead reef and sand.
    • In India, the Gulf of Mannar region in Tamil Nadu is one of the four major coral reef areas and the others are Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, Lakhsadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
    • With its rich biodiversity of over 4,000 species of various flora and fauna, part of this Gulf of Mannar between Rameswaram and Tuticoirin covering 21 islands and the surrounding shallow coastal waters was declared as a Marine National Park in 1986.

    5.Sunda Strait

    • Frequently in the news due to China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
    • It links the Java Sea (Pacific Ocean) with the Indian Ocean (south).
    • Sunda Strait, Indonesian Selat Sunda, is a channel, 16–70 miles (26–110 km) wide, between the islands of Java (east) and Sumatra.
    • The Sunda Strait is an important passage connecting the Indian Ocean with eastern Asia.
    • The strait stretches in a roughly northeast/southwest orientation, with a minimum width of 24 km (15 mi) at its northeastern end between Cape Tua on Sumatra and Cape Pujat on Java.
    • It is very deep at its western end, but as it narrows to the east it becomes much shallower, with a depth of only 20 m (65 feet) in parts of the eastern end.
    • It is notoriously difficult to navigate because of this shallowness, very strong tidal currents, sandbanks, and man-made obstructions such as oil platforms off the Java coast.
    • The strait’s narrowness, shallowness, and lack of accurate charting make it unsuitable for many modern, large ships, most of which use the Strait of Malacca instead.

    6.Mozambique Channel

    • In the news due to Tropical storm Gombe.
    • It is located between the island nation of Madagascar on the east and Mozambique on the African mainland (west).
    • About 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long, it varies in width from 250 to 600 miles (400 to 950 km) and reaches a maximum depth of 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
    • The Comoro Archipelago marks the northern entrance, and the islands of Bassas da India and Europa lie in the south.
    • An important route for shipping in eastern Africa, it receives all major Madagascar rivers and has the ports of Mahajanga (Majunga) and Toliary (Tuléar) on the same coast.
    • Along the opposite coast are the mouth of the Zambezi River and the ports of Maputo (formerly Lourenço Marques), Moçambique, and Beira.
    • The Mozambique Current passes through the strait.

    7.Gibraltar Strait

    • It was in the news due to smuggling boats.
    • It is a channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, lying between southernmost Spain and northwesternmost Africa.
    • It is 36 miles (58 km) long and narrows to 8 miles (13 km) in width between Point Marroquí (Spain) and Point Cires (Morocco).
    • It is one of the most significant global sea lanes because it provides a means of seaborne transit for shipping between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and via the Suez Canal into the Indian Ocean and beyond.
    • After the English Channel, the Strait is the world’s busiest shipping lane.

    8. Bosphorus strait and Dardanelles strait

    • Bosphorus,also known as the Strait of Istanbul, is a narrow, natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in northwestern Turkey.
    • The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
    • It is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation.
    • Dardanelles is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey that forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey.
    • The Dardanelles connects the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, while also allowing passage to the Black Sea by extension via the Bosphorus.
    • The Dardanelles is 61 kilometres (38 mi) long, and 1.2 to 6 kilometres (0.75 to 3.73 mi) wide, averaging 55 metres (180 ft) deep with a maximum depth of 103 metres (338 ft) at its narrowest point abreast the city of Çanakkale

    9. Yucatan Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies : Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

    Location: Mexico-Cuba

    10. Mesina Strait  

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies : Mediterranean Sea

    Location: Italy-Sicily

    11. Otranto Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies :Adriatic Sea & Ionian Sea

    Location: Italy-Albania

    12. Cook Strait 

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies :South Pacific Ocean

    Location:  New Zealand (North & South Islands)

    13. North Channel

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies :Irish Sea & Atlantic Ocean

    Location: Ireland-England

    14. Hudson strait     

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies : Gulf of Hudson & Atlantic Ocean

    Location: Canada

    15. Magellan strait   

    Join: Pacific and South Atlantic Ocean

    Location: Chile

    16. Makassar Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: the Java Sea & Celebes Sea

    Location: Indonesia

    17. Tsugaru Strait 

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean

    Location: Japan (Hokkaido-Honshu Island)

    18. Tatar Strait  

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: Japan Sea & Okhotsk Sea

    Location: Russia (East Russia-Sakhalin Islands)

    19. Fovex Strait 

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: South Pacific Ocean

    Location: New Zealand (South Island- Stewart Island)

    20. Formosa Strait  

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: the South China Sea & East China Sea

    Location: China-Taiwan

    21. Taurus Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies:Arafura Sea & Gulf of Papua

    Location: Papua New Guinea — Australia

    22. Bass Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: the Tasman Sea & South Sea

    Location: Australia

    23. Bering Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: the Bering Sea & Chukchi Sea

    Location: Alaska-Russia

    24. Bonne-Fasio Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: Mediterranean Sea

    Location: Corsica — Sardinia

    25. Davis Strait  

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies : the Baffin Bay & Atlantic Ocean

    Location: Greenland-Canada

    26. Denmark Strait 

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean

    Location: Greenland-Iceland

    27. Dover strait  

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: The English Channel & North Sea

    Location: England-France

    28. Florida Strait

    Joining seas/ Water Bodies: Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean

    Location: USA-Cuba

  • [Sansad TV] Perspective: India-Australia Ties

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    Context

    • Earlier this week, PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison held a virtual summit – the second one since June 2020.
    • Both nations agreed to unlock the untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment.
    • They highlighted the need to conclude the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) at the earliest.

    India-Australia Relations: A Backgrounder

    • The India-Australia bilateral relationship has undergone evolution in recent years, developing along a positive track, into a friendly partnership.
    • The two nations have much in common, underpinned by shared values of a pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies, Commonwealth traditions, expanding economic engagement etc.
    • Several commonalities include strong, vibrant, secular and multicultural democracies, free press, independent judicial system and English language.

    Historical Perspective

    • The historical ties between India and Australia started immediately following European settlement in Australia from 1788.
    • All trade, to and fro from the penal colony of New South Wales was controlled by the British East India Company through Kolkata.
    • India and Australia established diplomatic relations in the pre-Independence period, with the establishment of India Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.
    • The end of the Cold War and simultaneously, India’s decision to launch major economic reforms in 1991 provided the first positive move towards development of bilateral ties.

    Various dimensions of ties

    [A] Political partnership

    • Both the countries are members of G-20, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development, East Asia Summit and the Commonwealth.
    • Australia has been extremely supportive of India’s quest for membership of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation).
    • Australia whole-heartedly welcomed India’s joining of the MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime).

    [B] Trade and Economy

    • India is the 5th largest trade partner of Australia with trade in goods and services.
    • Two-way trade between India and Australia was worth A$24.3 billion ($18.3 billion) in 2020, up from just $13.6 billion in 2007, according to the Australian government.
    • After a series of attempts, in 2016, Australia opened the door for uranium exports to India.
    • An Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) which was established in 2006, supports collaboration between scientists in India and Australia on cutting-edge research.

    [C] Cultural ties

    • There is a longstanding people-to-people ties, ever increasing Indian students coming to Australia for higher education.
    • Growing tourism and sporting links, especially Cricket and Hockey, have played a significant role in further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
    • India is one of the top sources of skilled immigrants to Australia.
    • The number of Indian students continue to grow with approximately 105,000 students presently studying in Australian universities.
    • After England, India is the second largest migrant group in Australia in 2020.

    [D] Strategic Partnership

    • In 2009, India and Australia established a ‘Strategic Partnership’, including a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation which has been further elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020.
    • The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement has been signed during the summit that should enhance defence cooperation and ease the conduct of large-scale joint military exercises.
    • There is a technical Agreement on White Shipping Information Exchange.
    • Both nations conduct bilateral maritime exercise AUSINDEX. In 2018, Indian Air Force participated for the first time in the Exercise Pitch Black in Australia.
    • Foreign and Defence Ministers of both countries agreed to meet in a ‘2+2’ format biennially.
    • The first-ever Quad Leaders’ Virtual Summit held on 12 March 2021 saw the participation of Prime Ministers of India, Australia, Japan and President of USA.
    • A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the two countries was signed in September 2014 during the visit of then PM Tony Abbott to India.

    Significance of the ties

    • COVID Management: Australia is one of the few countries that has managed to combat COVID-19 so far through “controlled adaptation” by which the coronavirus has been suppressed to very low levels.
    • STEM: From farming practices through food processing, supply and distribution to consumers, the Australian agribusiness sector has the desired R&D capacity, experience and technical knowledge.
    • Natural resources: Australia is rich in natural resources that India’s growing economy needs. It also has huge reservoirs of strength in higher education, scientific and technological research.
    • Alliance with US: The two countries also have increasingly common military platforms as India’s defence purchases from the US continue to grow.
    • Affinity with ASEAN: Australia has deep economic, political and security connections with the ASEAN and a strategic partnership with one of the leading non-aligned nations, Indonesia.
    • Containing China: The Indo-Pacific region has the potential to facilitate connectivity and trade between India and Australia. Both nations can leverage their equation in QUAD to contain China.

    International cooperation

    • Support at UNSC: Australia supports India’s candidature in an expanded UN Security Council.
    • APEC: Australia   is   an   important   player   in   APEC   and   supports   India’s membership of the organisation. In 2008, Australia became an Observer in SAARC.

    Some irritants in ties

    • Trade imbalance: India’s trade deficit with Australia has been increasing since 2001-02 due to India-Australia Free Trade Agreement. It is also a contentious issue in the ongoing RCEP negotiations which India left.
    • High tariff on agri products in India: India has a high tariff for agriculture and dairy products which makes it difficult for Australian exporters to export these items to India.
    • Non-tariff barriers in Australia: At the same time, India facesnon-tariff barriers and its skilled professionals in the Australian labour market face discrimination.
    • Visa Policy: India wants greater free movement and relaxed visa norms for its IT professionals, on which Australia is reluctant.
    • Future of QUAD: Australian lobby has sparked speculation over the fate of the Quadrilateral Consultative Dialogue (the ‘Quad) involving India, Australia, Japan and the United States.
    • Nuclear reluctance: Building consensus on non-nuclear proliferation and disarmament has been a major hurdle given India’s status as a nuclear power.     
    • Racism against Indians: Increasing Racist attacks on Indians in Australia has been a major issue.  

    Way forward

    • Upgradation of 2+2 format: It is prudent too for New Delhi and Canberra to elevate the ‘two plus two’ format for talks from the Secretary level to the level of Foreign and Defence Ministers.
    • Removal of trade barriers: Both nations need to resolve disputes at the WTO with regard to the Australian sector can act as a serious impediment.
    • Balancing China: An ‘engage and balance’ China strategy is the best alternative to the dead end of containment.

    Conclusion

    • Given the changing geopolitics, both Canberra and New Delhi are keen to move beyond mere rhetoric and build a robust partnership
    • The key is to keep the Australia story thriving in India, and India story thriving in Australia on a consistent basis in public memory.
    • This involves a holistic multi-stakeholder strategy and approach which deepens understanding and appreciation of each other.

  • BIMSTEC must get back on course

    Context

    As world attention remains focused on the war in Ukraine, leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will attend a summit meeting of the regional organisation.

    Fourteen pillars for special focus

    • Founded in 1997, the seven-member BIMSTEC includes the littoral states of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Thailand is a member too) and the land-locked states of Nepal and Bhutan.
    • BIMSTEC has identified 14 pillars for special focus.
    • These are trade and investment, transport and communication, energy, tourism, technology, fisheries, agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter terrorism and transnational crime, environment and disaster management, people-to-people contact, cultural cooperation and climate change.
    • While each sector is important, the segmented approach has resulted in aspirations rather than action.
    • The upcoming summit is an opportunity to take concrete steps to address critical challenges confronting the region.

    Challenges facing Bay of Benga

    1] Threat facing marine ecosystem

    • The Bay is an important source of natural resources for a coastal population of approximately 185 million people.
    • The Bay of Bengal is home to a large network of beautiful yet fragile estuaries, mangrove forests of around 15,792 square kilometres, coral reefs of around 8,471 sq.km, sea grass meadows and mass nesting sites of sea turtles.
    • Loss of mangrove and coral reefs: The annual loss of mangrove areas is estimated at 0.4% to 1.7% and coral reefs at 0.7%. I
    • Increasing sea levels: It is predicted that the sea level will increase 0.5 metres in the next 50 years.
    • Cyclonic storms: Moreover, there have been 13 cyclonic storms in the last five years.
    • According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Bay of Bengal is one of IUU fishing hotspots in the Asia-Pacific.
    • The pressing challenges that confront the Bay of Bengal include the emergence of a dead zone with zero oxygen where no fish survive;
    • Leaching of plastic from rivers as well as the Indian Ocean;
    • Destruction of natural protection against floods such as mangroves; sea erosion;
    • Growing population pressure and industrial growth in the coastal areas and consequently, huge quantities of untreated waste flow.

    2] Security threats

    • Security threats such as terrorism, piracy and tensions between countries caused by the arrests of fishermen who cross maritime boundaries are additional problems.
    • The problem of fishermen crossing into the territorial waters of neighbouring countries affect India and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and Myanmar (also Pakistan on the west coast).

    Way forward

    1] Tap the blue economy potential of Bay of Bengal by creating a regional mechanism

    • There are many opportunities to develop maritime trade, shipping, aquaculture and tourism.
    • The BIMSTEC Summit must create a new regional mechanism for coordinated activities on maritime issues of a transboundary nature.
    • There is also a need for greater scientific research on the impact of climate change in general and on fisheries in particular.
    • Cooperation on marine research: At present, there is limited cooperation between countries of the region in marine research.
    • The use of modern technology and improved fishing practices can go a long way in restoring the health of the Bay.

    2] Focus on the marine environmental protection

    • Marine environmental protection must become a priority area for cooperation in the Bay of Bengal.
    • Develop regional protocols: Regional protocols need to be developed and guidelines and standards on pollution control established.
    • Need for home-grown solutions: There is a need for home-grown solutions based on the capabilities of local institutions and for mutual learning through regional success stories.
    • Regional framework for data collection: There is a need to create regional frameworks for data collection.
    • Participatory approaches must be evolved for near-real-time stock assessment and the creation of a regional open fisheries data alliance.
    • The Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), an inter-governmental organisation based in Chennai, is doing good work to promote sustainable fishing.
    • A Bay Of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project is also being launched by the FAO with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and others.
    • The BIMSTEC summit must express full support for both BOBP and BOBLME.
    • The summit must mandate officials to come up with measures to curtail unsustainable as well as IUU fishing.
    • Harmonisation of laws in littoral states: Laws and policies in littoral states must be harmonised and the humanitarian treatment of fishermen ensured during any encounter with maritime law enforcement agencies.

    Conclusion

    The challenges that confront the Bay of Bengal region brook no more delay. BIMSTEC must arise, awake and act before it is too late.

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  • A good foreign policy must also make a difference at home

    Context

    This is the edited excerpts from the lecture delivered by India’s External Affairs Minister at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi on March 24.

    Relevance of foreign policy at personal level

    • Through a good foreign policy, our everyday needs from the world must be better met.
    • And since we are a collective as a country, our national security must be assured.
    • Foreign policy being the link to the outside, it should enable us to draw what we seek.
    • This could be in terms of technology or capital, best practices, or even work opportunities.
    • And obviously, we would all like to be strong; we would like to look good and we would like to feel appreciated.

    Recent instances in which India’s foreign policy directly influence the common man

    • Through Operation Ganga, Indian students stuck in Ukraine were brought home.
    • It was the result of intervention by India’s foreign policy apparatus at the highest levels in Russia and Ukraine to ensure the ceasing of fire for safe passage.
    •  When the first wave of Covid hit India in 2020, we scrambled across the world to secure PPEs, masks and ventilators.
    • And we did so in a seller’s market as the demand far exceeded supply.
    •  The second wave in 2021 saw a similar spike in demand for oxygen and specialised medicines from abroad.
    • Locating, negotiating and contracting supplies became the priority for Indian diplomacy. And it bent its back to deliver.

    Influence of foreign policy at the collective level

    • When it comes to security, external or internal, diplomacy could be a preventive, a mitigator or a problem-solver.
    • It can help raise awareness of a shared threat, just as it can find partners against common dangers.
    •  And then there is the economy, with its search for investment, technology and best practices.
    • In each of these sectors, foreign relationships can accelerate India’s progress.
    • And cumulatively, they expand employment and improve your quality of life.
    • It also matters to all of us what other nations think of India, our culture and our way of life.

    Role of foreign policy in delivering on development

    • The most effective foreign policy is one that delivers on development.
    • In Asia, all modernising economies have single-mindedly focused their external interactions on obtaining capital, technology and best practices from abroad.
    • It may be information technology or auto manufacturing, food production or food processing, metros or bullet trains, space capabilities or nuclear energy; the fruits of foreign collaboration are there today for all of us to see.
    • Newer challenges like green growth and climate action have started to open up still more possibilities.
    • All this happens because of our ability to identify, engage, negotiate and leverage opportunities of interest abroad across many many domains.

    Building blocks of India’s foreign policy

    • The six broad objectives that were spelt out to the policy-makers and implementers were clear.
    • 1] Shaping global perception: We must bring about a change of thinking in the world about us.
    • 2] Partnership on equal terms: The partnerships we should create should be on more equal terms, and with smaller countries, more generous.
    • 3] Shaping the global agenda: The global agenda and the big issues of our times should be shaped by India as much as possible.
    • 4] Leveraging foreign policy for domestic progress: Foreign relationships should be actively explored and leveraged for domestic development and progress.
    • 5] People-centric foreign policy: The very conceptualisation of foreign policy should be more people-centric.
    • 6] Our culture, traditions and thoughts should percolate our own articulation as well as influence international debates and initiatives.
    • Yoga and Ayurveda were obvious examples in this regard.

    Conclusion

    As we mark 75 years of independence, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, there is good cause to be confident about our prospects. But to be so, it is equally important to be aware of the opportunities and challenges that the world currently presents. And surely, we can be so once we appreciate how much foreign policy really matters.

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  • Common University Entrance Test

    Context

    UGC introduced the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admissions in undergraduate courses in 45 central universities in the country.

    Benefits of Common University Entrance Test (CUET)

    • Deals with the issue of uneven quality of different boards: In a country like ours, because of the uneven quality of different school boards, there is a huge trust deficit and suspicion about the academic quality of even the “toppers”.
    • Eliminate the need for multiple exams: Furthermore, this centralised test would free the tension-ridden youngsters from the pressure of writing multiple entrance tests in different colleges/universities.
    • Eliminate the inflated cut-off: Likewise, the supremacy of the CUET score/ranking in the selection process would invariably eliminate inflated cut-offs for admissions in “branded” colleges.
    • It would avoid subjective biases, cherish objectivity, and quantify and measure one’s mental aptitude and domain knowledge in a specific discipline.

    Issues with the CUET

    • 1] Impact on true learning: the dominant structure of education prevalent in the country is essentially book-centric and exam-oriented.
    • Either rote learning or strategic learning (a gift of coaching centres) is its essence; and far from learning and unlearning with joy, wonder and creativity, young students become strategists or exam-warriors.
    • In the coming years, schools are going to lose their relevance as students and parents are likely to rely primarily on gigantic coaching centres and fancy Ed Tech companies.
    • 2] No scope for subjective interpretation:  The MCQ-centric “objective” tests diminishes what every genuine learner needs — creative exploration, interpretative understanding and self-reflexivity.
    • In the name of “objective” tests, our students are deprived of the hermeneutic art of interpretation and skill of argumentation and compelled to reduce everything into an “objective” fact, we would do great damage to their creativity.

    Conclusion

    For real transformation, we have to see beyond the CUET, work on the quality of schools and creatively nuanced life-affirming pedagogy; and we must think of honest and fair recruitment of spirited teachers, and relative autonomy of academic institutions.

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  • RBI cannot ignore inflation

    Context

    Despite being legally mandated to keep inflation in check, RBI has persisted with easy monetary policy, even as inflationary pressures have increased. We need to understand why, and what could be the repercussions.

    Inflation problem in India

    • For most of the past two years, CPI (consumer price index) inflation has been hovering close to the 6 per cent upper threshold of the RBI’s target band.
    • Inflation averaged 6.1 per cent during the pandemic period (April 2020 to June 2021), despite a massive collapse in aggregate demand.
    • Then in January 2022, as food prices recovered, headline inflation once again crossed the upper threshold of the inflation targeting band.
    • Inflationary pressures do not seem to be diminishing either. Instead, they continue to build up.
    • The standard measure of inflation “in the pipeline” is WPI (wholesale price index) inflation, since price increases at the wholesale level tend to translate into retail inflation in due course.
    •  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a sharp increase in global commodity prices, including prices of crude oil, edible oils, and fertilisers.
    • Indian firms are already adapting to this situation, passing on commodity price increase to retail prices.

    Issues with RBI’s stance

    • Standard economics gives us a guide for how central banks should react in a situation like this.
    • Two conditions: It says that monetary policy should accommodate the first round of commodity price increase, but only under certain conditions, notably that inflation is initially on target, and expectations are firmly anchored.
    • But neither condition holds at present. Inflation is already too high, and so are expectations.
    • An argument is nonetheless being made that monetary policy should not be tightened when inflation is driven by supply-side factors, as it can adversely impact growth.
    • This is fallacious. When there are supply constraints, using easy monetary policy to boost demand is not going to boost output.
    • And if firms are expecting high inflation, this will send things into a vicious spiral, as they will increase their prices even more in advance of any input price pressures.
    • Surely the RBI is aware of all of this. So why is it still not acting on it?

    Why RBI is ignoring inflationary pressure?

    • Growth concerns: The problem seems to be that governments all over the world are worried about growth.
    • The US Federal Reserve has been slow to raise rates even as inflation has reached a four-decade high. The European Central Bank has been even slower to react.
    • Fiscal dominance in India: In India, monetary policy also suffers from a strong fiscal dominance.
    • As a result, not only is the RBI expected to support growth, it is also expected to keep the government’s borrowing costs in check, which is in direct conflict with its inflation targeting objective.

    Implications of RBI ignoring inflationary pressure

    • Aggressive reduction in interest rates: A decade ago, we were in a similar situation when RBI delayed its response because it was focusing on growth.
    • When inflation subsequently took off, it reached double digits and the RBI had to raise interest rates aggressively to bring it down.
    • That was a very painful adjustment.
    • Impact on credibility of the RBI: In addition, if the RBI does allow inflation to take off, there will be long-lasting repercussions for its credibility.
    • Unachrored expectation:  if the public sees the RBI consistently ignoring inflation, expectations can rapidly get unanchored, and then it becomes very costly to bring it down.

    Conclusion

    To conclude, inflation is best addressed by the central bank using monetary policy, not by the government adjusting taxes. The RBI needs to urgently revisit its inflation forecast and its monetary policy stance in order to avoid potentially painful adjustments down the road.

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  • 29th March 2022 | Nikaalo Prelims-Economy Test 1: National Income; Accounting; Banking system; Inflation

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