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  • What is Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)?

    The Agreement on Agriculture at the WTO is riddled with deep imbalances, which favour the developed countries and have tilted the rules against many developing countries, a Union Minister has said.

    Agreement on Agriculture

    • The AoA is an international treaty of the World Trade Organization.
    • It was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995.

    Three pillars of AoA

    The Agreement on Agriculture consists of three pillars—domestic support, market access, and export subsidies.

    (1) Domestic support

    • AoA divides domestic support into two categories: trade-distorting and non-trade-distorting (or minimally trade-distorting).
    • It the classification of subsidies by “boxes” depending on consequences of production and trade:
    1. Amber (most directly linked to production levels)
    2. Blue (production-limiting programs that still distort trade)
    3. Green (minimal distortion)

    (2) Market access

    • Market access refers to the reduction of tariff (or non-tariff) barriers to trade by WTO members.
    • The 1995 AoA consists of tariff reductions of:
    1. 36% average reduction – developed countries – with a minimum of 15% per-tariff line reduction in next six years.
    2. 24% average reduction – developing countries – with a minimum of 10% per-tariff line reduction in next ten years.
    • Least developed countries (LDCs) were exempt from tariff reductions, but they either had to convert non-tariff barriers to tariffs—a process called tariffication—or “bind” their tariffs, creating a ceiling that could not be increased in future.

    (3) Export subsidies

    • The AoA required developed countries to reduce export subsidies by at least 36% (by value) or by 21% (by volume) over six years.
    • For developing countries, the agreement required cuts were 24% (by value) and 14% (by volume) over ten years.

    Criticism of AoA

    • AoA has been criticized for reducing tariff protections for small farmers, a key source of income in developing countries, while simultaneously allowing rich countries to continue subsidizing agriculture at home.
    • In 2017 India and China jointly submitted a proposal to the WTO calling for the elimination – by developed countries – of the most trade-distorting form of farm subsidies,
    • They are known in WTO parlance as Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) or ‘Amber Box’ support as a prerequisite for consideration of other reforms in domestic support negotiations.

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  • GST Council not for inclusion of Petroleum Products

    The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has decided to keep petroleum products out of the GST regime.

    Present taxation of Fuels

    • Currently, taxes on petroleum products are levied by both the Centre and the states.
    • While the Centre levies excise duty, states levy value added tax (VAT).
    • For instance, VAT on petroleum products is as high as 40% in Maharashtra, contributing over ₹25,000 crore annually.
    • By being able to levy VAT on these products, the state governments have control over their revenues.

    Impact of inclusion of fuel under GST

    • If petroleum products are included under the GST, there will be a uniform price of fuel across the country.
    • However, petroleum products coming under GST not necessarily means that taxes or prices will come down.
    • If the GST council decides to opt for a lower slab, taxes may come down.
    • At present, India has four primary GST rates – 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent.
    • Levying a standard rate of GST on petrol would mean that the prices increase dramatically in Andaman and Nicobar, but on the flip side, they would fall in Maharashtra if the cumulative rate is lower than the current rate.

    Key takeaways from States VAT

    • Among the states, Rajasthan levies the highest tax across the country keeping VAT on petrol at 36 percent, followed by Telangana at 35.2 percent.
    • Other states with more than 30 per cent VAT on petrol include Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
    • On diesel, the highest VAT rates are charged by states like Odisha, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
    • So far, five states, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland have cut taxes on fuel this year.

    Back2Basics: Petroleum Pricing Mechanism

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  • Pseudo-melanism in Tigers of Simlipal

    A team of scientists has resolved the genetic mystery of Simlipal’s so-called black tigers.

    What are Black Tigers?

    • Tigers have a distinctive dark stripe pattern on a light background of white or golden.
    • A rare pattern variant, distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together, is also observed in both wild and captive populations.
    • This is known as pseudo-melanism, which is different from true melanism, a condition characterized by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment.
    • This pseudo-melanism is linked to a single mutation in Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep), a gene responsible for similar traits in other cat species.

    Where are they mostly found?

    • While truly melanistic tigers are yet to be recorded, pseudo-melanistic ones have been camera-trapped repeatedly, and only, in Simlipal, a 2,750-km tiger reserve in Odisha, since 2007.
    • Launched in 2017, the study was the first attempt to investigate the genetic basis for this unusual phenotype (appearance).

    Why they are rare?

    • Mutants are genetic variations which may occur spontaneously, but not frequently, in nature.
    • A cub gets two copies of each gene from both parents, and a recessive gene can show up only in the absence of the dominant one.
    • So, two normal-pattern tigers carrying the recessive pseudo-melanism gene will have to breed together for a one-in-four probability of giving birth to a black cub.
    • But recessive genes are rare and it is unlikely that two unrelated tigers will carry the same one and pass it on together to a cub.

    Connection with Simlipal TR

    • In an ideal tiger world, where far-ranging individuals are never short of choices for partners, that makes succession of black tigers a rarity.
    • Under exceptional circumstances, a black tiger may succeed as part of a very small population that is forced to inbreed in isolation for generations.
    • As it turned out, that is what happened at Simlipal.
    • Pseudo-melanistic tigers are also present in three zoos in India — Nandankanan (Bhubaneswar), Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Chennai) and Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park (Ranchi) — where they were born in captivity.
    • All of them have ancestral links to one individual from Simlipal.

    What about natural selection?

    • Natural selection eliminates the weakest from a gene pool, and the traits of the more successful get passed on.
    • Niche modelling, the study said, shows higher frequency of melanistic leopards in darker tropical and subtropical forests than in drier open habitats.
    • Likewise, darker coats may confer a selective advantage in both hunting and avoiding hunters in Simlipal’s tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen closed-canopy forest, with a relatively darker understory.

    Try this PYQ:

    Two important rivers – one with its source in Jharkhand (and known by a different name in Odisha), and another, with its source in Odisha – merge at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a protected area.

     

    Which one of the following could be this?
    (a) Bhitarkanika
    (b) Chandipur-on-sea
    (c) Gopalpur-on-sea
    (d) Simlipal

     

    Post your answers here.[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”plpfw4ge94″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation program launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

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  • [pib] Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)

    The Prime Minister has participated virtually in the Joint SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization)-CSTO Outreach Session on Afghanistan.

    What is CSTO?

    • The CSTO is a Russia-led military alliance of seven former Soviet states that was created in 2002.
    • Current CSTO members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan. Afghanistan and Serbia hold observer status in the CSTO.
    • Its purpose is to ensure the collective defence of any member that faces external aggression.
    • It has been described by political scientists as the Eurasian counterpart of NATO, which has 29 member states, while the CSTO has just six.

    Outlined functions of CSTO

    • CSTO supports arms sales and manufacturing as well as military training and exercises, making the CSTO the most important multilateral defence organization in the former Soviet Union.
    • Beyond mutual defence, the CSTO also coordinates efforts in fighting the illegal circulation of weapons among member states and has developed law enforcement training for its members in pursuit of these aims.

    What does CSTO membership provide?

    • While CSTO membership means that member states are barred from joining other military alliances, limiting, for example, their relationship with NATO.
    • Its members receive discounts, subsidies, and other incentives to buy Russian arms, facilitating military cooperation.
    • Most importantly, membership presumes certain key security assurances – the most significant of which is deterring military aggression by third countries.
    • In the CSTO, aggression against one signatory is perceived as aggression against all.
    • It however remains unclear whether this feature works in practice.

    Back2Basics: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

    • NATO was found in the aftermath of the Second World War.
    • Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.
    • It is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.
    • It sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.
    • Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
    • NATO has spread a web of partners, namely Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.

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  • General Sherman: World’s largest tree

    Two wildfires in California are burning through the Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada that is home to some of the largest trees in the world.

    Among these trees is the world’s largest tree popularly known as General Sherman, which firefighters are now trying to protect from the blaze.

    About General Sherman

    • The General Sherman tree is the world’s largest in terms of volume and exists in the Giant Forest sequoia grove of the national park.
    • As per recent estimates, General Sherman is about 2,200 years old.
    • It stands at a height of 275 feet (taller than the leaning tower of Pisa) and has a diameter of 36 feet at the base.
    • Even 60 feet above the base, the tree has a diameter of 17.5 feet.
    • Giant sequoia trees have existed in the national park for thousands of years and there are an estimated 2,000 such trees in the park.

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  • Improve your Prelims score by 30-35 marks with last-minute FREE session by Arpit sir | Envt. and S&T | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Improve your Prelims score by 30-35 marks with last-minute FREE session by Arpit sir | Envt. and S&T | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Dear aspirants,

    In the past few years, UPSC has been asking a number of questions from subjects like – Environment and Science, and Technology consistently in both Preliminary and Main Exam. This Webinar has very clear objectives to streamline your preparation in these subjects if you have started it, and to guide you if you are going to start now.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

    Why is this session important?

    Environment and S&T make up 20% of the paper. You cannot afford to miss a single question.

    What can you learn in this webinar?

    1. The contour of syllabus: What to read – implicit and explicit decoding of the syllabus (for both static and current affairs).
    2. Confidence Building in subjects – Environment and S&T for Prelims 2021/22. This is essential for those done with at least one reading of the basic material.
    3. Process Orientation: The right methodology to reach to a logical conclusion while solving MCQs in Environment and S&T questions.
    4. Integration: Static + Dynamic And Knowledge + Reasoning
    5. Answer Writing: Outlining the importance and approach towards answer writing in these subjects. 
    6. Managing With Work: Discussion on approach towards the exam for working professionals to utilise their time better.

    Dedicated Q&A session for specific queries.

    This live webinar is going to be one of the best ways to start or rejuvenate your preparation in these subjects. 

    Overall, this is the first step to rationalize your preparation and maximize the probability of cracking UPSC CSE.

    The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 19/9/21 (Sunday)

    Time: 7:00 P.M.

    register here for the free webinar | Limited slots available

    About your Mentor – Arpit Verma
    Arpit is an Engineer by qualification and a teacher by inclination. He has experience in all the stages of UPSC and is in the coaching industry for about 8 years with diverse exposure. For him, the process is more important than instant gratification as once learned, it is the process that will ensure exam outcome.

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  • [Burning Issue] India – Sri Lanka relations in recent times

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    India and Sri Lanka have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious, and linguistic interaction, and the relationship between the two countries is more than 2500 years old. Trade and investment have grown and there is cooperation in the fields of development, education, culture, and defense.

    India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy towards Sri Lanka had resonated with Sri Lanka’s ‘India First’ foreign and security policy in 2020.

    However in recent times, due to Chinese intervention, the ties between the two countries have plummeted. The condition is likely to worsen with Sri Lanka declaring a state of emergency in the country.

    Brief background of India-SL relations

    • India is the only neighbor of Sri Lanka, separated by the Palk Strait; both nations occupy a strategic position in South Asia and have sought to build a common security umbrella in the Indian Ocean.
    • There are deep racial and cultural links between the two countries. Both share a maritime border.
    • The India- SL relations have been however tested by the Sri Lankan Civil War and by the controversy of Indian intervention during the war.
    • In recent years Sri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of naval agreements.
    • India has signed a nuclear energy deal to improve relations and made a nuclear energy pact with Sri Lanka in 2015.

    India’s role in the Lankan Civil War

    • In the 1970s–1980s, the RAW and the state government of Tamil Nadu were believed to be encouraging the funding and training for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist insurgent force.
    • In 1987, faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, and a flood of refugees India intervened directly in the conflict for the first time.
    • This was after the Sri Lankan government attempted to regain control of the northern Jaffna region by means of an economic blockade and military assaults; India supplied food and medicine by air and sea.

    Why did India intervene?

    • Indian intervention in Sri Lankan civil war became inevitable as that civil war threatened India’s unity, national interest and territorial integrity.

    Outcomes

    • The peace accord assigned a certain degree of regional autonomy in the Tamil areas with a body controlling the regional council and called for the Tamil militant groups to lay down their arms.
    • Further India was to send a peacekeeping force, named the IPKF to Sri Lanka to enforce the disarmament and to watch over the regional council.
    • The accord failed over the issue of representations. The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict with the Indian Army.

    Areas of cooperation

    Economic Relations
    • India and Sri Lanka enjoy a vibrant and growing economic and commercial partnership, which has witnessed considerable expansion over the years.
    • India and Sri Lanka are member nations of several regional and multilateral organizations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, South Asian Economic Union and BIMSTEC.
    • India is Sri Lanka’s third largest export destination, after the US and UK.
    • India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA): More than 60% of Sri Lanka’s exports enjoy the benefits of the agreement, which came into effect in March 2000.
      • Sri Lanka remains among the largest trade partners of India in the SAARC.
    Development co-operation
    • Line of Credit: India is active in a number of areas of development activity in Sri Lanka. About one-sixth of the total development credit granted by India is made available to Sri Lanka.
    • Development Partnership: India’s development partnership with Colombo has always been demand-driven, with projects covering social infrastructure like education, health, housing, access to clean water and sanitation, besides industrial development.
    • Concessional financing of about $2 billion has been provided to Sri Lanka through various Indian government-supported Lines of Credit across sectors for railway connectivity, infrastructure, etc.
    • Foreign direct investment (FDI) from India amounted to around $ 1.7 billion over the years from 2005 to 2019.
    • Fishing Sector: Projects for providing fishing equipment to the fishermen in the East of Sri Lanka and solar energy aided computer education in 25 rural schools in Eastern Sri Lanka are under consideration.
    • Healthcare: India has supplied medical equipment to hospitals at Hambantota and Point Pedro, supplied 4 state-of-the-art ambulances to the Central Province etc.
    • Tourism: Indian governments have also showed interest in collaborating with their Sri Lankan counterparts on building tourism between the two countries based on shared religious heritage.
    Defense and strategic cooperation
    • India and Sri Lanka conducts one of the largest joint Military exercises called ‘Mitra Shakti’. Both conducts joint naval exercise called ‘SLINEX’.
    • India is the largest provider of defense training program to Sri Lankan soldiers and Defence officials
    • India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives have signed trilateral maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
      • The cooperation aims at improving surveillance, anti-piracy operations and reducing maritime pollution
    Cultural relations
    • India and Sri Lanka have a shared legacy of historical, cultural, religious, spiritual and linguistic ties that is more than 2,500 years old.
    • In contemporary times, the Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed between the two governments forms the basis for periodic Cultural Exchange Programmes between the two countries.
    People-to-people ties
    • Buddhism is one of the strongest pillars connecting the two nations and civilizations from the time when the Great Indian Emperor Ashoka sent his children Arhat Mahinda and Their Sangamitta to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka.
    • Underlining the deep people-to-people connect and shared Buddhist heritage, the venerated relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilawasthu discovered in 1970 in India have been exhibited two times in Sri Lanka.
    • India in 2020, announced USD 15 million grant assistance for protection and promotion of Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka.
      • It may be utilized for construction/renovation of Buddhist monasteries, education of young monks, strengthening engagement of Buddhist scholars and clergy, development of Buddhist heritage museums, etc.
    Plummeting relations
    • The ties began to worsen between the two since February, 2021 when Sri Lanka backed out from a tripartite partnership with India and Japan for its East Container Terminal Project at the Colombo Port, citing domestic issues.
      • However, later, the West Coast Terminal was offered under a public private partnership arrangement to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Ltd.
    • Sri Lanka in a state of economic emergency: Sri Lanka is running out of foreign exchange reserves for essential imports like food. It has recently declared a state of economic emergency.
      • Covid Impact:
        • Sri Lanka increased policy rates after the covid pandemic in response to rising inflation in August 2021 caused by currency depreciation.
        • Tourism sector has suffered since the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, followed by the pandemic.
        • Earnings fell from $3.6 billion in 2019 to $0.7 billion in 2020, even as FDI inflows halved from $1.2 billion to $670 million over the same period.
        • Sri Lanka’s fragile liquidity situation has put it at high risk of debt distress. Its public debt-to-GDP ratio was at 109.7% in 2020, and its gross financing needs remain high at 18% of GDP.
        • Its gross official reserves slipped to $2.8 billion, which is equivalent to just 1.8 months of imports. More than $2.7 billion of foreign currency debt will be due in the next two years.

    Major outstanding issues

     Fishing disputes
    • There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait, where India and Sri Lanka are only separated by 12 nautical miles.
    • The issue started because of Indian fishermen having used mechanized trawlers, which deprived the Sri Lankan fishermen (including Tamils) of their catch and damaged their fishing boats.
    • The Sri Lankan government wants India to ban use of mechanized trawlers in the Palk Strait region, and negotiations on this subject are undergoing.
    • So far, no concrete agreement has been reached since India favors regulating these trawlers instead of banning them altogether.
    Alleged political interference
    • A media report from Colombo soon after Rajapaksa’s defeat in the January 8 elections of 2015 had said that an Indian Intelligence official was instrumental in uniting rival political parties — the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) — against him during the polls.
    • In October 2018, President Sirisena alleged that Indian intelligence agencies were plotting his assassination.
    Katchatheevu Island
    • It is an uninhabited island that India ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 based on a conditional agreement called “Kachchativu island pact”.
    • Later on, Sri Lanka declared Katchatheevu, a sacred land given the presence of a Catholic shrine.
    • But Tamil Nadu claimed that Katchatheevu falls under the Indian Territory and Tamil fishermen have traditionally believed that it belongs to them and therefore want to preserve the right to fish there.
    China factor
    • Sri Lanka has a history of taking independent decisions even if they cause misgivings in India.
    • In the period of low profile relationship between the two nations, Sri Lanka apparently started favoring China over India.
    • China is Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor: China’s loans to the Sri Lankan public sector amounted to 15% of the central government’s external debt, making China the largest bilateral creditor to the country.
      • Sri Lanka has increasingly relied on Chinese credit to address its foreign debt burden.
    • China’s Exports surpasses India: China’s exports to Sri Lanka surpassed those of India in 2020 and stood at $3.8 billion.
      • India’s exports were $3.2 billion.
    • Infrastructural Investment by China: Owing to Sri Lanka’s strategic location at the intersection of major shipping routes, China’s investment stands at $12 billion between 2006 and 2019.
      • Unable to service its debt, in 2017, Sri Lanka lost the unviable Hambantota port to China for a 99-year lease.
      • Sri Lanka passed the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, which provides for establishing a special economic zone around the port and also a new economic commission, to be funded by China.
      • The Colombo port is crucial for India as it handles 60% of India’s trans-shipment cargo.
    • Shifting interests due to economic crisis: Sri Lanka’s economic crisis may further push it to align its policies with Beijing’s interests.
      • This comes at a time when India is already on a diplomatic tightrope with Afghanistan and Myanmar.
      • Other South Asian nations like Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives have also been turning to China to finance large-scale infrastructure projects.

    Why is Sri Lanka important to India?

    • India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbor. Both sides have built upon a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction.
    • Sri Lanka has always been politically and economically important to India given its strategic geographical position in the Indian Ocean. The relationship has been marked by close contacts at all levels.
    • Sri Lanka sits at the epicenter of the arc connecting the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca. An island nation with an economy that’s mainly reliant on tourism and tea exports, Sri Lanka’s blessed geography puts it at a crucial juncture of the busy shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.
    • India also has a vital strategic stake in Sri Lanka for its own security interests. An unfriendly Sri Lanka or a Sri Lanka under influence of a power unfriendly to India would strategically discomfit India.
    • For the Indian Navy, Sri Lanka is important as the switching of naval fleets from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea and vice versa requires the fleets to go around the island nation.
    • Both countries share a common broad understanding on major issues of international interest and experience common social-political problems relating to community divides.

    What does Sri Lanka expect from India?

    • The humanitarian work by Indian agencies like supplies of medicines, doctors and providing refuge to more than 3 lakhs IDP’s during the decade-old civil war has created a sense of mutual cooperation among the countries natives.
    • SL is one of the leading recipients of India’s Line of Credits.
    • India has always rushed for the relief at the first signs of the rains and floods in SL recently. SL still commends the post-tsunami HADR relief operations carried out by India in the end-2004.
    • India’s military, intelligence and security establishment has maintained its relations with its Sri Lankan counterpart, and both sides have been on the same page at all times.
    • The security environment in the neighborhood will be discussed in light of the 21 April Easter Church bombings, and lessons learned from it.
    • India is also the largest provider of defense training programs for Sri Lankan soldiers and Defence officials.

    A greater role for India

     Gathering convergence towards SL

    • Delhi needs to invest some political capital in resolving problems such as the long-standing dispute over fisheries.
    • Beyond its objection to China’s BRI projects, Delhi, either alone or in partnership with like-minded countries like Japan, should offer sustainable terms for infrastructure development.
    • Delhi also needs to contribute more to the development of Colombo’s defence and counter-terror capabilities.

    Answering the Tamil Question

    • The second structural factor shaping India’s relations with Sri Lanka is the Tamil question.
    • Delhi has certainly learned the dangers of being drawn too deep into the domestic conflicts of neighboring countries.
    • If the new government in Colombo can advance reconciliation with the Tamil minority, it will be easier for India to strengthen ties with the Gotabaya government.

    No china factor indeed

    • Labeling governments in Sri Lanka as “pro-China” or “pro-India” is irrelevant. It is evident that China’s economic and strategic salience in the subcontinent is not tied to the regime leadership.
    • Previous Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena who considered as pro-India came to power criticizing the Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, but within two years into power, it extended full backing to the Chinese projects.

    Harnessing the ray of hope

    • Our challenges in Sri Lanka will continue, but we are off to a good start with the new government.
    • The new president has made repeated statements that his government would like Sri Lanka to be a “neutral country” and that “Sri Lanka won’t do anything that will harm India’s interests.”
    • Gotabaya was also critical of the previous government giving Hambantota Port on a 99-year lease to China.
    • He went on to add that giving land as investment for developing a hotel or a commercial property was not a problem but the strategically important, economically important harbor, giving that is not acceptable.
    • The Rajapaksas have acknowledged that India has not interfered in the recent elections.
    • The first visit abroad by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to India has its own symbolic significance, translating into a diplomatic gesture his statement to the EAM that while China is a trade partner, India is a relative.

    Way Forward

    • Nurturing the Neighborhood First policy with Sri Lanka will therefore be important for India, albeit with due caution, to preserve its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region.
    • Regional platforms like the BIMSTEC, SAARC, SAGAR and the IORA could be leveraged to foster cooperation in common areas of interest like technology-driven agriculture and marine sector development, IT and communication infrastructure, renewable energy, and transport and connectivity.
    • Both countries could also cooperate on enhancing private sector investments to create economic resilience.
    • This stability in the Indian government should find synergy with the new Sri Lankan president policy which includes “neutrality” and “non-alignment” between major powers.
    • Rather than focusing on building the case against China, New Delhi must step up its efforts to show what it is for.
    • India can never match Beijing’s economic wherewithal to make a difference to Colombo’s developmental requirements.
    • But it can carve out a niche role in some areas and also partner smartly with likeminded strategic partners like Japan to make an economic and strategic difference in Sri Lanka and make use of and leverage India’s soft power.

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  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 17, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

    Please register for Streak Initiative (free) through this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/streak-daily-initiative/

    You will get following study material:-

    1. Questions (PDF).
    2. RSTV/Yojana monthly notes (PDF).
    3. Burning issue (PDF).
    4. Subject specific (PDF).
    5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

    _____________________________________________

    Daily Study Plan with Answer Writing Challenge || STREAK FREE INITIATIVE FOR UPSC IAS – by Ravi Ranjan

    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on International Relations – by Sukanya Rana

    Q1) Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) which aims to build resilient supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region was launched by which of the following countries? 

    1. India 

    2. China 

    3. Australia 

    4. Sri Lanka 

    5. New Zealand 

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

    a. 1 and 3 only 

    b. 1, 2 and 4 only 

    c. 1, 2 and 4 only 

    d. All of the above

    Q2) Global EV Outlook 2021 is published by which of the following organisations? 

    a. International Energy Agency 

    b. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

    c. International Atomic Energy Agency 

    d. International Renewable Energy Agency

    Q3) With respect to India-UK bilateral relations, consider the following statements: 

    1. India and the United Kingdom have enjoyed a Strategic Partnership since 2004. 

    2. The UK is the 3rd largest inward investor in India, after Mauritius, and Singapore. 

    3. Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) was jointly initiated by India and the United Kingdom. 

    Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    a. 1 and 2 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Q4) With respect to One Health, sometimes seen in the news recently, consider the following statements: 

    1. It is a high-level expert panel formed by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

    2. It will study the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and advise global agencies on how future outbreaks, especially due to zoonotic diseases, can be averted. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q5) Consider the following statements with respective to Open Skies Treaty Arms Control Pact 

    1. Under the treaty, a member state can “spy” on any part of the host nation, with the latter’s consent. 

    2. Both the U.S and India are members of the treaty and Russia is not a member of the treaty. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

  • Building a resilient economy

    Context

    To revive and sustain growth, action is needed both at the international and national levels.

    Hopes of V-shaped recovery of Indian economy

    • The National Statistical Office (NSO) had recently estimated that India’s economic growth has surged to 20.1% in the April-June quarter.
    • In its recently launched Trade and Development Report 2021, UNCTAD has estimated global growth to hit 5.3% in 2021 and growth in India to hit 7.2%.
    • According to the report, India showed strong quarterly growth of 1.9% in the first quarter of 2021, on the back of the momentum of the second half of 2020 and supported by government spending in goods and services.
    • Given the inherent fragilities, India’s growth in 2021 as a whole is estimated at 7.2%, which is one of the fastest compared to most countries in the analysis.
    • But it is still not sufficient to regain the pre-COVID-19 income level.
    • However, going forward, the economy is likely to experience a deceleration of growth to 6.7% growth in 2022.

    Ways to sustain growth

    1) Efforts at the International level

    • To revive and sustain growth, action is needed both at the international and national levels.
    • TRIPS waiver: The report strongly supports India’s proposed temporary suspension of the World Trade Organization TRIPS waiver.
    • Waiver is considered as a necessary step to enable the local manufacture of vaccines in developing countries

    2) Steps to be taken at the national level

    • Resilience: At the national level, COVID-19 has reinforced the idea that resilience is a public good and responsibility of the state.
    • It has to be delivered through a robust public sector with the resources to make the necessary investments, provide the complementary services and coordinate the multiple activities that building resilience involves.
    • Mobilising financial resources: We need a financial system that accords a more significant role to public banks, breaks up and guards against the emergence of megabanks, and exercises stronger regulatory oversight is more likely to deliver a healthier investment climate.
    • Minimum wage:  Wages are a critical source of demand and their growth can stimulate productivity and underpin a strong social contract.
    • Minimum wages and related labour legislation are needed for appropriate protection against abusive practices.
    • Policies for informal sector: Policies targeting informality are of particular importance, especially for a country like India with a large informal economy.

    Conclusion

    It is important to build a healthy, diversified economy. For this, a strong industrial policy focusing on building digital capacities is needed. A resilient economy goes beyond offering a residual category of safety nets designed to stop those left behind from falling further.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • How to Prepare Environment and S&T holistically| Free Session by Arpit sir | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    How to Prepare Environment and S&T holistically| Free Session by Arpit sir | For Prelims 2021 and UPSC 2022 aspirants | Limited slots available

    Dear aspirants,

    In the past few years, UPSC has been asking a number of questions from subjects like – Environment and Science, and Technology consistently in both Preliminary and Main Exam. This Webinar has very clear objectives to streamline your preparation in these subjects if you have started it, and to guide you if you are going to start now.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

    Why is this session important?

    Environment and S&T make up 20% of the paper. You cannot afford to miss a single question.

    What can you learn in this webinar?

    1. The contour of syllabus: What to read – implicit and explicit decoding of the syllabus (for both static and current affairs).
    2. Confidence Building in subjects – Environment and S&T for Prelims 2021/22. This is essential for those done with at least one reading of the basic material.
    3. Process Orientation: The right methodology to reach to a logical conclusion while solving MCQs in Environment and S&T questions.
    4. Integration: Static + Dynamic And Knowledge + Reasoning
    5. Answer Writing: Outlining the importance and approach towards answer writing in these subjects. 
    6. Managing With Work: Discussion on approach towards the exam for working professionals to utilise their time better.

    Dedicated Q&A session for specific queries.

    This live webinar is going to be one of the best ways to start or rejuvenate your preparation in these subjects. 

    Overall, this is the first step to rationalize your preparation and maximize the probability of cracking UPSC CSE.

    The webinar is absolutely free. 

    Date: 19/9/21 (Sunday)

    Time: 7:00 P.M.

    register here for the free webinar | Limited slots available

    About your Mentor – Arpit Verma
    Arpit is an Engineer by qualification and a teacher by inclination. He has experience in all the stages of UPSC and is in the coaching industry for about 8 years with diverse exposure. For him, the process is more important than instant gratification as once learned, it is the process that will ensure exam outcome.

    REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE WEBINAR | LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE

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