Babasaheb Ambedkar’s contribution towards women’s rights is often overlooked, and he needs to be recognized as a champion of social justice, a visionary, and a philosopher. He advocated for women’s equal participation in both personal and professional spheres, was instrumental in drafting legislation to protect women’s rights, and played a key role in reducing working hours and improving working conditions.
Ambedkar’s Advocacy for Women’s Rights
Equal participation of women: Ambedkar advocated for equal participation of women in both personal and professional spheres. He was the first man to raise his voice against the unequal treatment of women in factories and other workplaces.
No of legislations: Ambedkar drafted legislation such as the Mines Maternity Benefit Act, which demanded equal pay and equal rights for coal mine workers, ensuring that the question of maternity leave for women was brought up and they were protected under labor laws.
Improving working conditions: He was instrumental in reducing working hours and improving working conditions.
Reproductive rights of women: Ambedkar was a strong believer in the reproductive rights of women and urged them to make their own choices about conception.
Hindu Code Bill: Ambedkar’s most important contribution to the cause of women’s rights was the Hindu Code Bill, which revolutionized property and marriage practices and established laws of maintenance for women.
Four acts, resulting from the Bill, were passed:
The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, which gave women the right to divorce and maintenance;
The Hindu Succession Act, 1956, which gave them the legal right to inherit property;
The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, which allowed women to legally adopt a child; and
The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, which allowed women to be the natural guardian of their children.
Pro-women Acts: The influence of these reforms led to other pro-women Acts such as the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 and the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, which brightened the dark roads of women’s struggles.
Ambedkar’s Vision for Women’s Rights
Women’s right to education: Ambedkar believed that education was crucial for the country’s progress and regularly spoke up for women’s right to education, defying the Manusmriti and the Dharmashastra.
Targetedhierarchical social order: He targeted the hierarchical social order and condemned it for degrading women, and believed that endogamy was the root cause of caste consolidation.
Caste system and atrocities on women: His 1917 paper, titled ‘Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development’ outlines how atrocities on women are rooted in the caste system.
For instance: He denounced sati, child marriage, and the condemnation of widow remarriage, which were all meant to control women.
Vision of equality: Ambedkar’s vision of equality despite caste, gender, race, and ethnicity differences is a pioneering thought of social justice.
Conclusion
Ambedkar’s contribution towards women’s rights is often overlooked, and he needs to be recognized as a champion of social justice, a visionary, and a philosopher. His work to empower all sections of marginalized communities needs to be acknowledged, and his vision of equality despite caste, gender, race, and ethnicity differences is a pioneering thought of social justice. Women’s rights and their liberation are crucial for building a progressive society, and Ambedkar’s values and vision continue to guide feminist principles in India.
Mains Question
Q. Ambedkar’s contribution towards women’s rights is often overlooked. In this backdrop discuss his advocacy, contribution to Women’s Rights.
China’s mediation efforts have resulted in the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is significant in terms of regional stability and the changing dynamics of international diplomacy.
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a deliberate attempt to reconcile differences between two parties, and it plays a significant role in international relations. In this op-ed, we will discuss China’s recent mediation efforts that led to the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Background
Conflicts in GCC: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been facing several tensions and conflicts since 2016, mainly related to Yemen and Syria. However, bilateral efforts have been underway since early 2016 to ease these tensions.
Bilateral efforts: Talks were held in Baghdad and during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China in February 2023. The Emir of Kuwait and the Sultan of Oman initiated steps that were responded to by Iran. All concerned were worried about the attacks on shipping and energy facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates.
Resumption of diplomatic relations: In a joint statement on March 10, 2023, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China announced that an agreement has been reached between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran covering a resumption of diplomatic relations between them and a re-opening of their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months.
Terms of the agreement: The agreement affirmed their respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and said the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries shall meet to implement this, arrange for the return of their Ambassadors, and discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations.
For instance; One agreement and seven achievements: Iranian National Security Adviser Ali Shamkhani lent credibility to the accord. A commentary in an Iranian newspaper on March 11 depicted the event as ‘One agreement and seven achievements’; it listed the latter as
Tehran’s willingness to engage in dialogue;
Failure of the U.S.’s effort to isolate Iran;
Strengthening of the alliance of Islamic Countries;
Failure of Israeli efforts against this agreement;
Failure of U.S. effort to show the Iranian public that it has no choice but to agree to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with America;
Beijing’s successful entry in West Asian relations, and
Failure of dreams of regime change.
American and Israeli Reactions
US; Change in terms of reference in international diplomacy For US:S. reactions, apart from unconcealed surprise, reflected the change in terms of reference in international diplomacy.
Israel; a fatal blow to a regional coalition against Iran: Equally surprised was Israel, the other major player in the region, which saw it as a fatal blow to the effort to build a regional coalition against Iran.
The Indian stand
India’s reaction to this development has been restrained: Apart from historical linkages, the region is in India’s proximate neighbourhood and within its security parameters.
Trade a priority: It is the principal source of hydrocarbon imports, and increasingly of investments. It is also an important destination for manpower exports apart from being a major trading partner including projects.
Policy of avoiding interference in bilateral and regional disputes: The official policy has focused on bilateral relations and avoidance of involvement in bilateral and regional disputes.
Refrained from speculative ventures: Given these priorities, India has consciously refrained from speculative ventures in alternate security architectures apart from supporting cooperative security and freedom of waterways and of navigation.
Conclusion
China’s mediation efforts have played a significant role in bringing Saudi Arabia and Iran to the negotiating table. This development is significant in terms of regional stability and the changing dynamics of international diplomacy. India’s response to this development has been restrained, focusing on bilateral relations and avoiding involvement in regional disputes. The region should not be viewed in competition with China, and India should not consider itself a surrogate for those who have been outplayed in power games.
Mains Question
Q. Analyze the significance of China’s mediation efforts in bringing Saudi Arabia and Iran to the negotiating table and its impact on international diplomacy. Evaluate India’s response to this development.
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Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), is a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States (until 23 January 2017) and Vietnam
The TPP began as an expansion of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPSEP or P4) signed by Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore in 2005
The TPP contains measures to lower both non-tariff and tariff barriers to trade and establish an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism
The agreement will enter into force after ratification by all signatories if this occurs within two years
APEC members may accede to the TPP, as may any other jurisdiction to which existing TPP members agree. After an application for membership is received, a commission of parties to the treaty negotiates conditions for accession.
BRICS
BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Originally the first four were grouped as “BRIC” (or “the BRICs”), before the induction of South Africa in 2010.
The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs; all are members of G20.
Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits. China hosted the 9th BRICS summit in Xiamen on September 2017, while Brazil hosted the most recent 11th BRICS summit on 13-14 November 2019.
New Development Bank and the Fortaleza Declaration
During the sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014), the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB).
In the Fortaleza Declaration, the leaders stressed that the NDB will strengthen cooperation among BRICS and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development, thus contributing to collective commitments for achieving the goal of strong, sustainable and balanced growth.
The bank was established in July 2015 by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
The aim of the bank is to mobilize funding for infrastructure and sustainable development.
Its ownership structure is unique, as the BRICS countries each have an equal share and no country has any veto power.
In this sense, the bank is a physical expression of the desire of emerging markets to play a bigger role in global governance.
NDB was created to help fill the funding gap in the BRICS economies and was intended to grow its global scope over time.
The bank, with its subscribed capital base of US$50bn, is now poised to become a meaningful additional source of long-term finance for infrastructure in its member countries.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a trade deal that was being negotiated between 16 countries.
They include the 10 ASEAN members and the six countries with which the bloc has free trade agreements (FTAs) — India, Australia, China, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.
The purpose of the deal is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries.
This means that it would be easier for the products and services of each of these countries to be available across the entire region.
RCEP – India
It comprises half of the world population and accounts for nearly 40% of the global commerce and 35% of the GDP. RCEP would have become the world’s largest FTA after finalisation, with India being the third-biggest economy in it.
Without India, the RCEP does not look as attractive as it had seemed during negotiations.
Divided ASEAN – ASEAN has been keen on a diversified portfolio so that member states can deal with major powers and maintain their strategic autonomy. ASEAN member states have tried to keep the U.S. engaged in the region.
Act East policy has been well received. With China’s rise in the region, ASEAN member states have been keen on Indian involvement in the region.
Indo-Pacific – India’s entire Indo-Pacific strategy might be open to question if steps are not taken to restore India’s profile in the region.
Rejected China’s dominance – India signalled that, despite the costs, China’s rise has to be tackled both politically and economically.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority:
The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra.
Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.
India’s entry to the SCO
India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
While Central Asian countries and China were not in favour of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO. China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
The regional group constitutes a bridge between South and South-East Asia and represents a reinforcement of relations among these countries.
BIMSTEC has also established a platform for intra-regional cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN members. The BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.5 billion people which constitute around 22% of the global population with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.7 trillion economies. In the last five years, BIMSTEC Member States have been able to sustain an average 6.5% economic growth trajectory despite a global financial meltdown.
SAARC & SAARC Countries
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC was founded in Dhaka in 1985.
Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu.
The organization promotes the development of economic and regional integration.
It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.
SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nation as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities.
Observers Of SAARC: – States with observer status include Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius Myanmar, South Korea and the United States.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian countries
It promotes Pan-Asianism and intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational and socio-cultural integration amongst its members and other Asian countries
It members are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam
ASEAN shares land and maritime borders with India, China
ASEAN is an official United Nations Observer.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.
One of the critical elements for inclusion into the NSG is that the member countries need to signatories of the NPT, a proposal which India has categorically disagreed.
However considering India’s history of nuclear non-proliferation, the US and subsequently the NSG have shown some recognition and granted India with the waiver of dealing with other countries for nuclear technology.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
OPCW is an intergovernmental organization and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997
The OPCW, with its 193 member states, has its seat in The Hague, Netherlands, and oversees the global endeavour for the permanent and verifiable elimination of chemical weapons
The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction
Verification consists both of evaluation of declarations by member states and onsite inspections
The OPCW has the power to say whether chemical weapons were used in an attack it has investigated
The organization was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize “for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons”
The Australian Group
The Australia Group is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) and an informal group of countries (now joined by the European Commission) established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984) to help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons
The group, initially consisting of 15 members, held its first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in September 1989. With the incorporation of India on January 19, 2018, it now has 43 members, including Australia, the European Commission, all 28 member states of the European Union, Ukraine, and Argentina
The name comes from Australia’s initiative to create the group. Australia manages the secretariat
The initial members of the group had different assessments of which chemical precursors should be subject to export control
Later adherents initially had no such controls
Today, members of the group maintain export controls on a uniform list of 54 compounds, including several that are not prohibited for export under the Chemical Weapons Convention but can be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons
In 2002, the group took two important steps to strengthen export control
The first was the “no-undercut” requirement, which stated that any member of the group considering making an export to another state that had already been denied an export by any other member of the group must first consult with that member state before approving the export
The second was the “catch-all” provision, which requires member states to halt all exports that could be used by importers in chemical or biological weapons programs, regardless of whether the export is on the group’s control lists.
Delegations representing the members meet every year in Paris, France
WTO
US, UK and a few other countries set up, an interim organisation about trade named GATT (General Agreement on Tariff and Trade) in 1947
GATT was biased in favourof the developed countries and was called informally as the Rich men’s club.
So, the developing countries insisted on setting up the International Trade Organisation (ITO)
That’s the reason, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was set up in 1964 as an alternative, on the recommendation of the UN committee
Next development comes in Uruguay Round of GATT, it sought to expand the scope of the organisation by including, services, investment and intellectual property rights (IPR)
Agreements were ratified by the legislatures of 85 member-countries by year-end 1994.
On such rectification, the WTO started functioning from Jan 1, 1995, < Marrakesh Agreement>
Functions of WTO
The WTO deals with regulation of trade in goods, services and intellectual property between participating countries.
It provides a framework for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants’ adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments and ratified by their parliaments.
G20
Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies.
Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of the Gross World Product (GWP), 80 percent of world trade.
To tackle the problems or the address issues that plague the world, the heads of governments of the G20 nations periodically participate in summits.
In addition to it, the group also hosts separate meetings of the finance ministers and foreign ministers.
The G20 has no permanent staff of its own and its chairmanship rotates annually between nations divided into regional groupings.
Aims and objectives
The Group was formed with the aim of studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
The forum aims to pre-empt the balance of payments problems and turmoil on financial markets by improved coordination of monetary, fiscal, and financial policies.
It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organisation.
Member Countries
The members of the G20 consist of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU).
The 19 member countries of the forum are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
The European Union is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.
Who are the G20 Sherpas?
A Sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who prepares an international summit, particularly the annual G7 and G20 summits.
Between the summits, there are multiple Sherpa conferences where possible agreements are laid out.
This reduces the amount of time and resources required at the negotiations of the heads of state at the final summit.
The Sherpa is generally quite influential, although they do not have the authority to make a final decision about any given agreement.
The name is derived from the Sherpa people, a Nepalese ethnic group, who serve as guides and porters in the Himalayas, a reference to the fact that the Sherpa clears the way for a head of state at a major summit.
G7
The G7 or the Group of Seven is a group of the seven most advanced economies as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The seven countries are Canada, USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Italy. The EU is also represented in the G7.
These countries, with the seven largest IMF-described advanced economies in the world, represent 58% of the global net wealth ($317 trillion).
The G7 countries also represent more than 46% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) based on nominal values, and more than 32% of the global GDP based on purchasing power parity.
The requirements to be a member of the G7 are a high net national wealth and a high HDI (Human Development Index).
The Supreme Court has announced the formation of a new Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to hear a series of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriages.
What is a Constitution Bench?
The constitution bench is the name given to the benches of the Supreme Court of India.
The Chief Justice of India has the power to constitute a Constitution Bench and refer cases to it.
Constitution benches are set up when the following circumstances exist:
Interpretation of the Constitution: Article 145(3) provides for the constitution of at least five judges of the court which sit to decide any case “involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation” of the Constitution of India.
President of India seeking SC’s opinion: When the President has sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on a question of fact or law under Article 143 of the Constitution. Article 143 of the Constitution provides for Advisory jurisdiction to the SC. As per the provision, the President has the power to address questions to the apex Court, which he deems important for public welfare.
Conflicting Judgments: When two or more three-judge benches of the Supreme Court have delivered conflicting judgments on the same point of law, necessitating a definite understanding and interpretation of the law by a larger bench.
The Constitution benches are set up on ad hoc basis as and when the above-mentioned conditions exist.
Constitution benches have decided many of India’s best-known and most important Supreme Court cases, such as:
K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (Preventive detention)
Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (Basic structure doctrine) and
Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (OBC reservations) etc.
Why in news now?
The Centre had expressed its concern about the “psychological impact” that same-sex unions could have on children, but refused to link its worries to stigma about same-sex relationships.
The government’s recent affidavit sought to explain how same-sex marriage was antithetical to the view held by many in India that marriage was a “holy union, a sacrament and a sanskar” between a biological man and a woman.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has issued a directive to all state governments to ensure that 25% of public toilet seats added in any city or urban unit are “aspirational toilets.”
What are Aspirational Toilets?
The aspirational toilets scheme was launched in September 2022 as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, with an aim to help make cities open defecation free.
A quarter of all new public restrooms in Indian cities will soon have high-end features such as luxurious bath cubicles, touchless flushing, breast-feeding rooms, and automatic sanitary napkin incinerators.
These will be indicated as “aspirational toilets” on Google Maps.
Focus areas for constructing aspirational toilets
The focus areas for constructing these luxury toilets will be tourist and religious destinations, as well as iconic cities.
High-footfall locations such as markets, railway stations, inter-state bus depots, and national highways will be given priority.
Guidelines have been issued to the states for constructing these toilets. It also includes low-height toilets and basins for children.
Hand-dryers, paper napkins, and vending machines for sanitary napkins are proposed to be made available.
Maintenance and funding patterns
One of the business models being explored for the maintenance of these toilets is attaching them with other public services such as restaurants, shopping malls, libraries, cinema halls, or even medicine shops, to make them self-sustaining.
Experts have cautioned that a proper study must be done on the location and the way these toilets will be maintained before beginning any such project.
Back2Basics: Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0
Description
Objective
Make all cities in India “garbage-free”
Period
5 years (1st Oct 2021 – 1st Oct 2026)
Focus
Sustainable solid waste management, sustainable sanitation and treatment of used water, and promoting behavior change through citizen outreach
Segregation of waste
All households and premises required to segregate their waste into “wet waste” and “dry waste”
Collection of waste
Aims to achieve 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each household/premise
Waste management
Aims to achieve 100% scientific management of all fractions of waste, including safe disposal in scientific landfills, remediation of all legacy dumpsites, and the conversion of these sites into green zones
Sanitation
Aims to promote holistic sanitation, with end-to-end solutions, treatment of used water before discharge into water bodies, and maximum reuse of treated used water
Citizen outreach
Aims to create awareness and institutionalize “Swachh” behavior through large-scale citizen outreach
Institutional capacity
Aims to create institutional capacity to effectively implement programmatic interventions to achieve mission objectives
Central idea: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has the ability to evade CD8 T cells, which are important in reducing the viral load and clearing the infection by detecting and killing infected cells.
What is the news?
A recent study has revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has the ability to modulate MHC I expression in host cells.
MHC I is crucial in alerting the immune system to virally infected cells.
The virus has evolved multiple strategies to inhibit MHC I expression, which is not seen in the case of the influenza virus.
What is T Cell Immunity?
Like B cells, which produce antibodies, T cells are central players in the immune response to viral infection.
For your immune system to fight off any kind of invader, such as a virus, you need a kind of white blood cell called a B cell, which makes antibodies, and a similar-looking white blood cell called a T cell.
T cells can play different roles altogether.
They can act as “killer cells”, attacking cells which have been infected with a virus or another kind of pathogen, or they can act as “helper cells” by supporting B cells to produce antibodies.
How do they function?
Alongside antibodies, the immune system produces a battalion of T cells that can target viruses.
Some of these, known as killer T cells (or CD8+T cells), seek out and destroy cells that are infected with the virus.
Others, called helper T cells (or CD4+T cells) are important for various immune functions, including stimulating the production of antibodies and killer T cells.
T cells do not prevent infection, because they kick into action only after a virus has infiltrated the body. But they are important for clearing an infection that has already started.
In the case of COVID-19, killer T cells could mean the difference between a mild infection and a severe one that requires hospital treatment.
India is going to buy 250 more Pralay ballistic missiles for the services to strengthen them on the northern borders, further boosting the firepower of the defence forces.
Pralay Ballistic Missile
Pralay is a tactical missile developed from India’s K-series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
It has a range of 150-500 km and can carry warheads weighing between 350 to 700 kg.
The missile is a canisters road-mobile system, which enhances its mobility and allows for quick preparation and launch of the missile.
Pralay has the ability to perform manoeuvres in flight and follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory to maintain high speed, making it difficult for enemy missile defence systems to intercept.
Classification
The Indian Defence Ministry has classified Pralay as a “conventional Surface-to-Surface missile”.
This distinguishes it from the Agni series of missiles, which have the capability to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.
Testing and launch
The missile was launched on a quasi-ballistic trajectory in one of the two tests, which enhances its effectiveness against enemy missile defence systems.
Satellite imagery of the test shows that Pralay is a canisterised road-mobile system, which adds to its mobility and flexibility in responding to evolving threats.
