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  • Bureaucrats cannot be State Election Commissioners: SC

    The Supreme Court gas held that independent persons and not bureaucrats should be appointed State Election Commissioners.

    No bureaucrats in SEC

    • The judgment came on an appeal against an order of the Bombay High Court which had set aside the election notification issued by the Goa State Election Commission in some municipalities.
    • Justice F. Nariman, in a judgment, said giving government employees the additional charge of State Election Commissioners is a “mockery of the Constitution”.
    • It said government employees holding the post of State Election Commissioners as additional charge should give up the post.
    • The Supreme Court said its direction should be followed strictly.

    Why such a move?

    • Under the constitutional mandate, it is the duty of the State to not interfere with the functioning of the State Election Commission.
    • The independence of Election Commissions cannot be compromised at any cost, the Bench said.

    State Election Commission

    • Under the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment acts, State Election Commissions were created for every state to conduct elections to panchayats and municipalities.
    • The SECs came into as envisaged in Articles 243K and 243ZA of the Constitution of India.
    • The above Articles provide that the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the Conduct of all elections to the Panchayats and Municipalities shall vest in the SEC.
    • The Constitution itself has facilitated provision for smooth, free and fair, regular elections to the Local bodies and has, therefore, entrusted the SEC with the responsibility for holding such elections.
    • In the domain of the elections to the local bodies, the SEC functions independently and has the same powers and duties as that of the Election Commission of India.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The Constitution (Seventy-Third Amendment) Act, 1992, which aims at promoting the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country, provides for which of the following?

    1. Constitution of District Planning Committees.
    2. State Election Commissions to conduct all panchayat elections.
    3. Establishment of State Finance Commissions.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) Only 1

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    The Election Commissioner

    • The State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor.
    • It has the status, salary and allowance of a Judge of a High Court and cannot be removed from office except in the like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court.
    • The Election Commissioner is also the Chairman of the Delimitation Commission.

    Its duties

    • The first and foremost duty of the SEC is to prepare the elector rolls of Panchayats, Municipalities and Municipal Corporation and conduct their elections.

    In addition to the above functions, the State Election Commission has also the following functions:

    1. Conduct of elections to the offices of the Mayor/Chairman/President/Deputy Mayor/Vice Chairman/Vice President and the no-confidence motion against them.
    2. Conduct of the Elections to various Standing Committees and their Chairpersons
    3. Determination of disqualification of elected members/Councilors.
    4. Determination of disqualification of elected members on the ground of defection.

    Back2Basics: Election Commission of India (ECI)

    • ECI is an autonomous and permanent constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India at the national and state level.
    • The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, State Legislative Councils and the offices of the President and Vice President of the country.
    • The EC operates under the authority of the Constitution per Article 324 and subsequently enacted the Representation of the People Act.
    • The commission has the powers under the Constitution, to act in an appropriate manner when the enacted laws make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of an election.
    • Being a constitutional authority, EC is amongst the few institutions which function with both autonomy and freedom, along with the country’s higher judiciary, the UPSC and the CAG.

  • Places of Worship Act, 1991

    The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to respond to a plea challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The court has opened the doors for litigation in various places of worship across the country including Mathura and Varanasi.

    Take this ‘wonderful’ question from CS Mains 2019:

    Q.What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism?

    Places of Worship Act, 1991

    • It was passed in 1991 by the P V Narasimha Rao-led government.
    • The law seeks to maintain the “religious character” of places of worship as it was in 1947 — except in the case of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which was already in court.
    • The law was brought in at the peak of the Ram Mandir movement, exactly a year before the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
    • Introducing the law, then Home Minister S B Chavan said in Parliament that it was adopted to curb communal tension.

    What are its provisions?

    The objective of the law describes it as an Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship.

    • It aims to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.
    • Sections 3 and 4 of the Act declared that the religious character of a place of worship shall continue to be the same as it was on August 15, 1947.
    • No person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination into one of a different denomination or section.
    • Section 4(2) says that all suits, appeals or others regarding converting the character of a place of worship, that was pending on August 15, 1947, will stand abated when the Act commences and no fresh proceedings can be filed.
    • However, legal proceedings can be initiated after the commencement of the Act if the change of status took place after the cut-off date of August 15, 1947.

    What does it say about Ayodhya, and what else is exempted?

    • Act does not to apply to Ram Janma Bhumi Babri Masjid.

    Besides the Ayodhya dispute, the Act also exempted:

    • any place of worship that is an ancient and historical monument or an archaeological site, or is covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958;
    • a suit that has been finally settled or disposed of;
    • any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence before the Act commenced.

    What has the Supreme Court said about the Act?

    • In the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Constitution Bench led by former CJI Ranjan Gogoi referred to the law and said it manifests the secular values of the Constitution and strictly prohibits retrogression.
    • In providing a guarantee for the preservation of the religious character of places, Parliament determined that independence from colonial rule furnishes a constitutional basis for healing the injustices of the past.
    • The law addresses itself to the State as much as to every citizen of the nation. Its norms bind those who govern the affairs of the nation at every level.
    • Those norms implement the Fundamental Duties under Article 51A and are hence positive mandates to every citizen as well.

    Why is the law under challenge?

    • A politician has challenged the law on the ground that violates secularism.
    • He has also argued that the cut-off date of August 15, 1947, is “arbitrary, irrational and retrospective” and prohibits Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from approaching courts to “reclaim” their places of worship.
    • Such places, he argued, were “invaded” and “encroached” upon by “fundamentalist barbaric invaders”.
    • The right-wing politicians have opposed the law even when it was introduced, arguing that the Centre has no power to legislate on “pilgrimages” or “burial grounds” which is under the state list.
    • Another criticism against the law is that the cut-off is the date of Independence, which means that the status quo determined by a colonial power is considered final.

  • Curbing Benzene Emission

    A joint committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to study air pollution in Kerala has pointed out that petrol refuelling stations were a major source of benzene emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

    Why such a move?

    • Benzene is a major constituent of evaporative emission due to its high volatility.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Carbon monoxide
    2. Methane
    3. Ozone
    4. Sulphur dioxide

    Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    What is Benzene?

    • Benzene is a chemical that is a colourless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odour and is highly flammable.
    • It evaporates into the air very quickly. Its vapour is heavier than air and may sink into low-lying areas.
    • It dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of the water.

    Its formation and uses

    Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities.

    • Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
    • Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibres.
    • It is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.

    Benzene emission

    • The major sources of benzene exposure are tobacco smoke, automobile service stations, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions.
    • Benzene is present in both exhaust and evaporative emissions. Motor vehicles account for approximately 85% of the total benzene emissions.
    • However, ingestion and dermal absorption of benzene can also occur through contact with contaminated water.

  • 2001 FO32: the largest asteroid passing by Earth

    On March 21, the largest asteroid predicted to pass by Earth in 2021 will be at its closest. It is called 2001 FO32.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidence for the continued expansion of the universe?

    1. Detection of microwaves in space
    2. Observation of redshirt phenomenon in space
    3. Movement of asteroids in space
    4. Occurrence of supernova explosions in space

    Codes:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 3 and 4

    (d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.

    2001 FO32

    • There is no threat of a collision with our planet now or for centuries to come.
    • Scientists know its orbital path around the Sun very accurately since it was discovered 20 years ago and has been tracked ever since.
    • It won’t come closer than 2 million km to Earth, but it will present a valuable scientific opportunity for astronomers who can get a good look at a rocky relic that formed at the dawn of our Solar System.

    Proximity to Earth

    • For comparison, when it is at its closest, the distance of 2 million km is equal to 5¼ times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
    • Still, that distance is close in astronomical terms, which is why 2001 FO32 has been designated a “potentially hazardous asteroid”.
    • The reason for the asteroid’s unusually speedy close approach is its highly eccentric orbit around the Sun, an orbit that is tilted 39° to Earth’s orbital plane.
    • This orbit takes the asteroid closer to the Sun than Mercury, and twice as far from the Sun as Mars.
    • Later, the asteroid slows after being flung back out into deep space and swinging back toward the Sun. It completes one orbit every 810 days (about 2¼ years).

    Studying the visitor

    • This asteroid will provide an opportunity for astronomers to get a more precise understanding of the asteroid’s size and albedo (i.e. how bright, or reflective, its surface is), and a rough idea of its composition.
    • When sunlight hits an asteroid’s surface, minerals in the rock absorb some wavelengths while reflecting others.
    • By studying the spectrum of light reflecting off the surface, astronomers can measure the chemical “fingerprints” of the minerals on the surface of the asteroid.

  • Seabuckthorn plantations in Himachal Pradesh

    The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to start planting Seabuckthorn in the cold desert areas.

    What is Seabuckthorn?

    • It’s a shrub that produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry.
    • In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region, generally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti.
    • In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally called Himalayan chharma and grows in the wild in Lahaul and Spiti and parts of Kinnaur.
    • According to the Seabuckthorn Association of India, around 15,000 hectares in Himachal, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are covered by this plant.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:

    Q.Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of

    (a) anti-malarial drug

    (b) biodiesel

    (c) pulp for paper industry

    (d) textile fibre

    Benefits of the Seabuckthorn plant

    (1) Medicinal benefits

    • As a folk medicine, Seabuckthorn has been widely used for treating stomach, heart and skin problems.
    • In the last few decades, scientific research worldwide has backed many of its traditional uses.
    • Its fruit and leaves are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and omega fatty acids, among other substances, and it can help troops in acclimatizing to high-altitude.

    (2) Ecological benefits

    • Besides being an important source of fuelwood and fodder, Seabuckthorn is a soil-binding plant that prevents soil-erosion, checks siltation in rivers and helps preserve floral biodiversity.
    • In the Lahaul valley, where willow trees are dying in large numbers due to pest attack, this hardy shrub is a good alternative for protecting the local ecology.

    (3) Commercial benefits

    • Seabuckthorn also has commercial value, as it is used in making juices, jams, nutritional capsules etc.
    • But wild Seabuckthorn cannot sustainably supply raw material to the industry, and the plant needs to be cultivated on a large scale as is being done in China.

    What is the latest project?

    • The Seabuckthorn association wants the forest departments of various Himalayan states/UTs to plant Seabuckthorn on arid and marginal lands using compensatory afforestation or CAMPA funds.
    • Recently, the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change asked these states to submit proposals for taking up such plantations.
    • This is in the light of reduced water flow from Himalayan glaciers and their impact on ecology.

  • Working towards climate justice in a non-ideal world

    The new U.S. administration has renewed its commitment to climate actions by reconvening the Major Economies Forum. This has several implications for India and the developing countries. The article deals with this issue.

    Reconvening MEF and its implications for developing countries

    • The election of Joe Biden as U.S. President has catapulted climate change to the top of the global agenda.
    • Interestingly, the U.S. is not just striding back to the Obama signature achievement of the Paris Accord with its voluntary commitments but also to the Bush days [which was not necessarily voluntary].
    • This change is best evidenced by the presidential call to reconvene the Major Economies Forum (MEF).
    • The MEF, which was first convened in March 2009, originated in the Bush-era U.S. efforts to rope in major emitters.
    • It was also to push a way forward on climate change without heed to the principle of differentiated responsibilities and recognition of historical responsibilities.
    • These two are hallowed principles of the climate discourse given the decades of staying power of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.

    Changing approach implications for India

    • All countries have been told to commit to net zero (GHG emissions) by 2050 with credible plans to ensure meeting this domestic target.
    • Taking a cue from the new U.S. Administration, the UN Secretary-General has even called on countries to declare national climate emergencies apart from building a coalition for a carbon-neutral world by 2050.
    • As of today, countries representing around 65% of global CO2 emissions have already agreed to this.
    • These plans and their implementation will, undoubtedly, be subject to international reviews and verification.
    • Historical responsibilities and differentiation have no place in this discourse; but neither does the level of development.
    • India can easily be in the crosshairs of such a discourse no matter its extraordinarily small carbon footprint in per-capita terms and huge development imperatives.

    Possibility of carbon border levies

    • Adding to the challenges is the distinct possibility of the EU imposing carbon border levies on those who do not take on high carbon cut-down targets and do so unilaterally if there is no global agreement.
    • While as of now the U.S. Administration appears ambivalent on these border levies, the possibility of their coming around cannot be ruled out.
    • In such a scenario, World Trade Organization rules that presently exclude the use of tariffs on environmental grounds will certainly get modified.

    A fund pay-in idea

    • To deal with the issue of climate finance, Raghuram Rajan has recently put forward a proposal for India to consider.
    • The proposal calls on countries to pay into a global fund amounts based on their carbon emissions over and above the global per-capita average of five tons.
    • This obviously disincentives coal in a big way while incentivising renewables.
    • Those above the global average would pay, while those below would receive the monies.
    • While this would suggest a certain equity, it may be unacceptable to the developed countries even though Mr. Rajan has gone along with the drumbeat to forget historical responsibility.
    • For India, such a proposal may appear attractive as India today has per capita CO2 emission of only 2 tons and is a global record setter in pushing renewables.
    • The long-term implications of such a proposal require examination in detail, quite apart from factoring in the twists and turns that negotiations could give to such an idea.
    • And then, of course, there are alternatives such as emission trading. 

    Implications for developing countries

    • The proposal of fund pay-in allows practical considerations to trump fairness by not only giving a short shrift to historical responsibility but also denying priority access to the remaining carbon space for developing countries.
    • In that sense, it double penalises them while giving developed countries a certain free pass.
    • Here it bears noting that more than 75% of the carbon space available to humankind to keep global temperature rises to 1.5° C has already been taken up by the developed world and China.

    Consider the question “As the world seeks to tackle the climate change through climate action, delivering climate justice should also be the priority. In light of this, discuss the challenges faced by the developing countries in this regard.”

    Conclusion

    Climate justice is an imperative for India, which needs to leverage its green and pro-nature commitment to ensure carbon and policy space for its developmental and global aspirations. India’s diplomatic and negotiating efforts must be quickly geared to that end.

  • 5 deadly mistakes you must avoid in your UPSC IAS preparation | Fill Samanvaya for IAS 2021-22 and discuss with us.

    5 deadly mistakes you must avoid in your UPSC IAS preparation | Fill Samanvaya for IAS 2021-22 and discuss with us.

    Fill Samanvaya form given below to discuss and resolve your UPSC IAS preparation issues and doubts with us. Get FREE Tikdam e-book and IAS starter material after form submission.

    There are some fundamental mistakes that many serious aspirants make. And no, we’re not talking about ignoring daily current affairs, not writing answers, or attempting tests.

    Based on our interaction with 2500 aspirants in the past two months who have not been able to clear this exam after multiple attempts, there are five deadly mistakes for an UPSC aspirant. Before we start fill Samanvaya form if not done already.

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    Starting with our list of deadly mistakes you should avoid.

    1. Ignoring or failing to understand what UPSC expects from you.

    UPSC through this exam has to maintain the merit in the Indian administration. For that, they are constantly evolving w.r.t. the exam process – questions and the manner in which they ask questions. Just go through the last three years’ UPSC Prelims question papers and you will realize it yourself.

    Just knowing the syllabus and sources is not enough. Neither is it about finishing the syllabus only. It has to be done in a certain manner. Only when you know what UPSC wants you can make an effort in that direction. Fill Samanvaya form below to discuss the expectations of UPSC and more.

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    2. Not having a workable strategy

    Internet and youtube are flooded with IAS toppers’ strategy. While it worked for the toppers, what will work for you is a strategy that is based on your situation (UPSC experience, education, background, etc.), your learning style, the time you have, consideration for your job commitments, etc.

    In short, your strategy has to be unique. Just for you. Moreover, it has to be organic and adaptable. Else it won’t work. Let us help make one for you or improve your strategy. (Just fill in the Samanvaya form)

    3. No mechanism to identify your mistakes

    Even if you’ve taken multiple attempts you are bound to make some mistakes, much more for UPSC beginners. These are inevitable. And this makes it essential for you to put up a mechanism to find out and highlight those mistakes in your preparation on a regular basis.

    Eg. Finished Modern History (or any subject), only to realize after a month that you don’t seem to remember a thing or solve a UPSC level MCQ. This realization that you’re doing it wrong should have come to you on the first or second day itself. You could’ve saved your precious time, efforts and attempt.

    Discussing your approach with mentors is one of them. Don’t have a mentor? Yes, you have one at Civilsdaily. Fill in this Samanvaya form.

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    4. Inability to rectify your mistakes

    Maybe due to inertia or ignorance or fear of change, most of the aspirants are not able to rectify their mistakes.

    Eg. Even after finishing Laxmikant for Polity a couple of times you can’t understand why you are scoring miserably low marks in Polity pre-mocks. Or, not able to improve your mains answers.

    Only those who are able to rectify their mistakes on a frequent basis are able to clear this exam. What issues with your preparation you feel are difficult to resolve? Fill Samanvaya and let us help you resolve them.

    5. Integrate these learnings in your preparation

    After you have developed the awareness of the mistakes and what should be done, you must integrate it asap with your preparation. The required unlearning and re-learning must take on a regular basis.

    Eg. You were scoring less in answer writing and realized that it was due to either missing out on the demand of the question or not giving examples to support your arguments. Don’t stall the process of improvement. Do it asap.

    Instead of regressing or stopping, you should always be moving forward, closing the loops of progress, and returning to the most effective path.

    Whatever be the stage of your IAS exam preparation, these mistakes must be avoided at all costs and nipped-in-the-bud.

    Samanvaya: FREE 1-ON-1 MENTORSHIP SESSION (click)

    More than 10.5 lakh applied, but only 796 are going to clear UPSC IAS 2020. It is going to be much more challenging in 2021 and 2022.

    It is not just about walking. It is about walking in the right direction. If you don’t have these above issues sorted you are bound to make more mistakes.

    Fill the Samanvaya form given above to discuss your strategy and issues that you are facing.

    Why mentorship?

    See, broadly six factors determine your success in cracking this prestigious IAS exam and the most important being understanding the expectations of UPSC and according to that planning and strategizing; other being, Learning – Knowledge and information; Analyzing – making linkages, connections, etc.; Executing and utilizing information; and Constant course correction – because mistakes are inevitable, need to rectify them asap.

    These are the areas where most of the aspirants fail to create a balance. Where are you facing an issue?

    Integrate them in your preparation. We’ll tell you how to do it

    To address the problems in your preparation, guidance and mentorship are the first steps. And here comes our three tiered mentorship.

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  • [Burning Issue] Quadrilateral Security Dialogue

    In a display of multilateral bonhomie, the Quad alliance — India, US, Japan and Australia —have held its first-ever leaders’ summit with an aim to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quadrilateral Security Dialogue: A Backgrounder

    Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, India and Australia that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills between member countries.

    • The US, Japan, India and Australia came together in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to assist the devastated countries.
    • Later, officials of the four countries met in 2007 “to look at issues of common interest.” During an India visit, then Japanese PM Shinzo Abe unveiled the idea of “the Confluence of the Two Seas” that gave birth to the concept of the Indo-Pacific.
    • A decade later officials of the four countries met in the Philippines in 2017 to talk about an aggressively rising China.
    • In 2019, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries met in Washington for the first time.
    • In November, the Quad nations came together to participate in a two-phase joint military exercise, Malabar 2020, in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea.

    Now it is increasingly viewed as ‘Asian NATO’.

    Key takeaways from the PM level meet

    All the world leaders talked about the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and its development.

    • PM Modi opined the extension of India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which regards the world as one family.
    • He said that the countries are united by democratic values and commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
    • Biden committed to working with quad countries to achieve stability in the Indo-Pacific.
    • He also announced the launch of a new vaccine manufacturing pact, in which he said that the QUAD will be playing an important role.

    Focus on Indo-Pacific: For the China-wary world

    • The latest meeting of Quad comes at a time when all four countries have either trade or security disputes with China.
    • Despite not explicitly mentioning China, Quad has been openly supporting a “free and fair” Indo-Pacific which is seen as a clear message to Beijing that it needs to curb its assertive behaviour.
    • The optics were hard to miss when India, the US, Japan and Australia joined their navies for the mega Malabar military exercise late last year, an activity which raised alarm in Beijing.
    • This posturing by the Quad nations sent a strong signal to China.

    (1) US vs China

    • USA had followed a policy to contain China’s increasing influence in East Asia. Therefore, USA sees the coalition as an opportunity to regain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
    • The US has described China, along with Russia, as a strategic rival in its National Security Strategy, National Defence Strategy and the Pentagon’s report on Indo-Pacific Strategy.
    • Both are navigating intense disagreements over trade and human rights in Tibet, Hong Kong and the western Xinjiang region, as well as the coronavirus pandemic and increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.

    (2) Australia vs China

    • Australia is concerned about China’s growing interest in its land, infrastructure and politics, and influence on its universities.
    • Ties have been on a downward spiral since 2018 when Australia, accusing China of meddling in its domestic affairs, passed a new law against foreign interference and espionage.
    • It also barred Huawei from building the country’s 5G mobile network, among the first countries to do so, citing national security.
    •  The atmosphere worsened when  PM Scott Morrison’s government called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

    (3) Japan vs. China

    • Tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute have recently increased.
    • China has relentlessly continued attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion in the sea area around the Senkaku Islands.
    • The more salient indicator is the number of Chinese patrols inside the territorial sea of the islands, which Japan sees as an explicit violation of its territorial sovereignty.

    (4) India vs. Quad

    • India’s strained relations with China needs no explanation. The year long border dispute is the testimony.
    • The Quad summit is taking place in the backdrop of an ongoing military disengagement between India and China following their months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
    • China is increasing its footprint in our neighborhood through its Belt and Road policy and political coercion following the debt trap are some of the increasing concerns other than economic imbalance.

    Opportunities unveiled for India

    India’s engagement with the Quad goes back to China’s expanding footprint in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region over the last few years. India can reap some benefits as discussed below:

     (1) Checkmating the Chinese

    • The maritime sphere is wide open to India to undertake coalition building, rule sets, and other forms of strategic exploration than compared to land borders.
    • The maritime space is more important to China than engaging in land grab attempts in the Himalayas. A huge chunk of Chinese trade happens via the Indian oceanic routes that pass through maritime chokepoints.

    (2) Channelizing geo-politics

    • There is a growing great power interest in the maritime sphere, especially with the arrival of the concept of ‘Indo-Pacific’. For instance, many European countries have recently released their Indo-Pacific strategies.
    • The most recent was for France to send its warship in the international waters of the South China Sea.

    (3) Maritime domain for India

    • Above is the backdrop against which one must see the progressive evolution of Exercise “Malabar”,
    • In the beginning, it was a bilateral event involving just the Indian and US navies. It became tri-lateral with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
    • And now it has transformed into a four-cornered naval drill that will also include Australia.

    (4) Check on China’s India Ocean Ambitions

    • The Quad has a valuable role to play as a check on China’s Indian Ocean ambitions.
    • India must develop ingrained habits of interoperable cooperation with its Quad partners.
    • This interoperable cooperation could pre-emptively dissuade China from mounting a naval challenge in its backyard.

    (5) Eccentricity in South Asia

    • With India, located right at the centre of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical imagination can realize the vision of a ‘broader Asia’ that can extend its influence away from geographical boundaries.
    • Further, India with Quad countries can check the imperialist policies of China in the Indian Ocean region and ensure Security and growth for all in the region.

    Issues with Quad

    (1) Structural problems

    • The Quad has a core structural problem as its objective pivots around the U.S.
    • The Quad riles China as a hostile grouping, but hardly serves the security interests of its members.
    • Despite rhetoric relating to the promotion of a ‘rules-based’ world order, the Quad neither shares a strategic vision nor is it animated by a shared agenda.

     (2) Nature of alliance

    • Alliances involve written commitments to come to the defence of the other against a third party.
    • Despite the potential for cooperation, the Quad remains a mechanism without a defined strategic mission.

    (3) Economic alliance not feasible

    • Quad is neither a military alliance nor an economic partnership.
    • Its intention to counter China in the rare-earth sector is logical given the dominant role the country plays in supplying more than half of the world’s such key materials.
    • But, for a country like India, the lack of relevant technologies and talent pool could obstruct its progress in building up a supply chain from scratch.

     (4) Overt emphasis on Maritime domain

    • The entire focus on the Indo-Pacific makes the Quad a maritime, rather than a land-based grouping, raising questions whether the cooperation extends to the Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions.
    • India’s core concerns with China are primarily undemarcated borders and trade deficit.

     (5) Lack of existence of Indo-Pacific system

    • There has never been Indo-Pacific system ever since the rise of the port-based kingdoms of Indochina in the first half of the second millennium.
    • There were two Asian systems — an Indian Ocean system and an East Asian system — with intricate sub-regional balances.
    • The effort by a U.S. to artificially manufacture to combine the Indo and the Pacific into a unitary system is unlikely to succeed.

    (6) Indian borders can go more vulnerable

    • A lesson for India is China’s long-held and strategic interest in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
    • It is wrongly argued that it is Pakistan that is the issue in J&K.
    • China undoubtedly is as big an issue but has quietly hidden behind Pakistan’s cover.

    Challenges: China will retaliate

    (1) China’s assertiveness

    • China claims that it has historical ownership over nearly the entire region of South China Sea, which gives it the right to manufacture islands.
    • However, the International Court of Arbitration rejected the claim in 2016.
    • Since then, the incidences of Chinese transgression has only increased making China more assertive for its interest.

    (2) Preying small nations

    • The ASEAN countries have a well-knit relationship with China. So are other SAARC countries have fallen prey to Chinese debt traps.
    • The Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a recent example of China’s increasing influence over ASEAN nations to which Australia is even a forerunner.

    (3) Chinese monopoly

    • Considering the economic might of China and the dependence of Quad nations like Japan and Australia on China, the Quad nations cannot afford to have strained relations with it in the long run.
    • India too, is still very heavily dependent on Chinese exports.

    Way Forward

    • Need for a clearer vision: It is important for members of the Quad not to be reactive. It is also important to exhibit openness, and ensure that all talk of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ is more than just a mere slogan.
    • Consensus for a common objective: The Quad nations need to better explain the Indo-Pacific Vision in an overarching framework with the objective of advancing everyone’s economic and security interests.
    • Setting an agenda: This will reassure the littoral States that the Quad will be a factor for regional benefit, and a far cry from Chinese allegations that it is some sort of a military alliance. Future meetings can be an opportunity to define the idea and chart a future path.
    • Expanding Quad: India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific; therefore India should pitch for countries like Indonesia, Singapore to be invited to join in the future. There is also a vital need to economically expand the Quad.

    Conclusion

    • The Quad framework derives its geopolitical validation from India’s association and presents a unique opportunity for India to be an active participant in shaping regional security architecture with global undertones.
    • India’s moves with the Quad will be closely watched, as they bear more meaning than ever before on the path it will take to realise its strategic future.

    References

    https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/with-us-on-quad-table-heres-what-to-expect-from-its-first-online-summit-8567251.htm

    https://www.thehindu.com/podcast/what-to-expect-from-the-first-ever-quad-summit-the-hindu-in-focus-podcast/article34046589.ece

    https://www.livemint.com/news/india/what-all-to-expect-from-first-official-quad-meet-today-11615484523818.html

    https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-quadrilateral-cooperation-dialogue-china-japan-us-6106772/

    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/quad-strategic-opportunity-or-quagmire/article34029799.ece

  • India as a factory for the Quad

    The article highlights how India could offer the solution to the tactical issue faced by the Quad: matching China’s manufacturing capacity.

    Strategic case for the Quad

    • The strategic case for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as the Quad, has always been sound.
    • A rising China, with its authoritarian one-party system, is a challenge to the democratic order.
    • The strategic case for the Quad has, however, always faced a tactical hurdle.
    • China was the factory of the world.
    • It had become an almost indispensable cog in the global supply chain owing to its low-cost manufacturing prowess at a mass scale.
    • How could any grouping hope to challenge China’s power-play dynamics while at the same time being dependent on its factories to sustain its economies?

    Two recent development that changed the dynamic

    • Two recent developments have completely changed the dynamic.
    • First, Australia returned to the Malabar Naval exercises in 2020, after 13 years.
    • Second, on March 12, the first summit-level meet of the Quad — comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia — is scheduled to take place.

    Rise in India’s manufacturing ability

    • What has changed between 2007 and 2020 that Quad 2.0 has become viable is the globally visible rise in India’s manufacturing ability.
    • Consider the following examples.

    1) PPE Kit manufacturing

    • First, the success in PPE kits.
    • At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, India was manufacturing zero PPE kits.
    • India not just created an overnight world-class manufacturing capacity to meet its own needs but also started exporting PPE kits.

    2) Vaccine Maitri

    • Second, the soft power of Vaccine Maitri.
    • The developed countries are scrambling to secure vaccines for their domestic population.
    • India is not only vaccinating its own people faster than any other country but is also exporting millions of vaccines to countries in need.
    • From Canada to Pakistan and from the Caribbean Islands to Brazil — Made in India vaccines have been a life vest across the globe.

    3) India’s private industry

    • Third, the enterprise of India’s private industry — a hallmark of the deepening manufacturing base.
    • As a recent New York Times report noted, when it came to syringes — without which the vaccines were useless — the global scramble again led to Indian manufactures.
    • Hindustan Syringes alone has ramped up its manufacturing capacity to almost 6,000 syringes a minute.

    4) Precision high-end manufacturing

    • The PLI scheme launched for electronics’ manufacturing evinced unprecedented global interest with 22 top companies, including the top manufactures for Apple and Samsung mobile phones.
    • Over the next five years, a manufacturing capacity of over $150 billion and exports of $100 billion have been tied up through this scheme.

    5) Figher plane manufacturing

    • Fifth, the success of India’s fourth-generation fighter jet programme and the orders placed by the Indian Air Force for 83 Tejas jets.
    • India’s success is one more milestone in its journey towards emerging as a global manufacturing destination.

    Policy changes to make India manufacturing destination

    • Concurrently, India has been reforming its economic policies to make it even more attractive as a manufacturing destination.
    • India has the lowest tax rate anywhere in the world — 15 per cent for new manufacturing units.
    • FDI norms have been relaxed across the board and automatic approval processes instituted for FDI even up to 100 per cent.
    • Privatisation of PSUs is now an established process.
    • Labour laws have been finally reformed and compliance burdens significantly eased.
    • Taxation is now faceless, thus ending the spectre of rent-seeking.
    • A well-functioning, world-class bankruptcy law is in place. Interest rates are low.
    • And India’s digital infrastructure rivals the best in the world and in many cases beats it.

    Consider the question “India’s growing prowess as the manufacturing hub could provide the Quad tactical basis by replacing China. Comment.“

    Conclusion

    The only arrow that was missing in the quiver of the Quad has now been attained. The strategic case for the Quad was never in doubt. The dependence on China’s factories is what kept the grouping of democracies from emerging. India has raised its hand to solve that problem.

  • How to grow better colleges

    The article highlights the important role students can play in improving the quality of colleges and institution in India.

    Improving the colleges

    • The global QS ranking is out and India has 12 universities and institutions in the top-100 in particular subjects.
    • We have many colleges offering higher education but typically they are not very good.
    • Today, with a huge number of students going to college, education is tied strongly to career prospects.
    • If studying and thinking harder do not lead to even a decent chance of career improvement, it is natural for most students to lose academic ambition.

    Career prospects in various colleges

    • For admission in IIT, many work extremely hard to secure admission, but then lose motivation and drift towards near-certain graduation.
    • IIT admission is a value signal to future employers who do not see much relevance in the actual syllabus.
    • The entry wall is high, the exit wall is low, and the four-year syllabus is an obstacle course between the student and an employer with whom eye contact was made from atop the entry wall itself.
    • Students of varied subjects thus remain uninterested in their core syllabi.
    • Lower-ranked colleges may attract a slightly different mix of employment prospects, some in core areas.
    • In many colleges, both good and bad ones, high grades correlate only loosely with career outcomes. 

    Improving the college

    • Very few jobs actually require the highest quality education — the best academic and research jobs.
    • In such a system, it may not be worthwhile or even practical for a mediocre college to unilaterally improve itself.
    • Having improved, it remains to convince society that it deserves to displace the pre-eminent colleges at the top.
    • For lower-ranking colleges to improve itself, its students must first see useful value in a better education.
    • That requires system-wide growth in opportunity.

    How to achieve system-wide growth in opportunity

    • Such growth cannot be legislated from above. It must occur organically, from below.
    • There are several stakeholders involved in such transition.
    • 1) At the top are policymakers.
    • Policymakers are trying and have achieved many things.
    • In recent years, however, our demographics have caught up with us.
    • We have more than 650 million people under age 25.
    • No other country is close. We need more than policies.
    • 2) Next is industry. It faces a learning curve for technology.
    • Countries that wish to lead must develop their own technology, even at high cost.
    • Indian industry can often choose between importing slightly older technology from outside or developing things in-house.
    • A slow growth in the latter has begun and may pull our college system upward over time.
    • 3) Our next stakeholders are college teachers.
    • For a college to flourish, it needs many students who compete to enroll.
    • Our entrance exams for good engineering colleges are hard.
    • Our nationally renowned degree colleges which admit based on board marks are frequently forced to set very high cutoffs.
    • The need for more engineering colleges, for many students who are clearly good enough, has led to the creation of several private colleges that teach well in large volumes.
    • Quality of teachers’ is improving.
    • College teachers improve as their employers aim higher, and as their students bring more into the classroom.
    • 4) Finally, we have students. If students demand better instruction, colleges will sooner or later supply it.

    Way forward for students

    • Students must aim to relate their learning to society.
    • They must see their learning not as an obstacle course but as an initiation into a process that yields tangible long-term value.
    • Indian society does not merely have people looking for work.
    • It also has work looking for people: Work in food, health, design, manufacturing, transport, safety, garbage, water, energy, farming, and a hundred other things that we can do better.
    • Room for improvement is plentiful, though the market models may not be efficient or mature yet.
    • The walls between our classrooms and our lives must be broken, if our colleges are to flourish.
    • In recent decades, India has also attracted much work from overseas. Growth in that direction may well be sustained.

    Consider the question “India has many colleges and institutions offering higher education but few could get the spot in the list of top global institutes. Examine the factors responsible for this. Suggest the measures to deal with this issue.”

    Conclusion

    Such change, driven by student aspirations, will be organic, bottom-up, and unstoppable.

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