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  • RBI’s growth push

    Context

    February signalled a new dynamic-Monetary policy is no longer driven by MPC.

    What changed after December MPC review

    • Pause in the rate cut by MPC: In its December policy, the Reserve Bank of India suddenly paused on cutting rates, putting the ball in the government’s court to support growth.
    • Conservative union budget: With last week’s Union Budget belying expectations of short-term growth boosters, the ball was back in the RBI’s court.
      • The Budget opted for fiscal conservativism over activism, consolidating the fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2020-21 from 3.8 per cent in 2019-20– bypassing any ambitious expenditure boost or significant tax cuts.
    • Rise in the inflation in Dec-Feb interval: Meanwhile, the policy arithmetic turned more complicated for the MPC.
      • At the time of the December policy meeting, CPI inflation was trending close to 5 per cent (the October reading was 4.6 per cent).
      • Since then a combination of supply-side shocks, which led for example to unseasonally high vegetable and protein prices, buoyed inflation to over 7 per cent, nearly 140 basis points above the RBI’s upper bound comfort zone of 6 per cent.
      • As a primarily inflation-targeting central bank, this effectively stopped the MPC from easing further. 

    Key takeaways from February MPC meeting

    • The February policy meeting removed two key uncertainties in the current policy scenario.
    • First, the RBI is still very concerned about growth and the burgeoning negative gap between the current growth trajectory and potential growth.
    • Second, monetary policy is no longer strictly limited to the MPC’s decision-making.
      • Because of the risk of supply-side shocks hitting inflation, it is understandable that the RBI has summarised its outlook on inflation as “highly uncertain”.
      • Hence, of the policy measures that the RBI has at its disposal, the MPC’s “conventional” arrow of rate cuts was left unused.
      • Instead, the RBI has opted for macroprudential intervention, unveiling two other “unconventional” policy arrows.

    RBI opting for macroprudential intervention in two ways

    • Policy transmission via LTRO-the first arrow: The primary macro challenge has been transmission via the credit channel — banks are not lowering their deposit rates.
      • Why? This is due to competition from the small savings rate and to protect saver, and in turn are keeping lending rates high.
      • How it impacts economy: Sectors considered higher risk (real estate, MSMEs) find themselves credit-starved.
      • In a move that seems inspired by the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing in 2011, the RBI’s announcement on long term repo operations (LTROs) has been aimed at promising banks longer-duration liquidity at the repo rate, which is cheaper relative to their current deposit rates.
      • The aim is to nudge them to kick-start the credit cycle.
      • The exemption of cash reserve ratio for incremental loans to MSMEs and the retail sector is also aimed at lowering costs for banks, which ideally should be passed onto these sectors.
    • Managing the stress in financial system-the second arrow: It is aimed at managing the looming stress in the financial system from bad loans, especially as deleveraging becomes more difficult during an economic slowdown.
      • Extension to restructuring durations: The extension of the restructuring scheme on MSME loans and projects in the commercial real estate sector is aimed at releasing capital for banks in the short term.
      • Though banks will ultimately need to recognise loans that are non-performing.
      • Easing guidelines on the classification of loans: Similarly, easing guidelines on the classification of loans for projects in the commercial real estate sector that have been delayed is essentially designed to provide some breathing space to banks.

    What does this mean for the macro outlook?

    • Recovery in demand is a must: The RBI’s new macroprudential measures, its “unconventional” policy arrows, while well-meaning, are ultimately supply-side measures.
      • For the RBI to attain its goals, be it on asset quality or transmission, there eventually needs to be a recovery in demand conditions.
      • ECB’s LTRO experience: To be fair, even the ECB’s LTRO programme has had mixed success — a central bank can flood the market with liquidity, but the ultimate onus on releasing it to the real economy rests with banks.
      • So far, excess liquidity has not benefitted segments considered high risk (real estate developers, MSMEs).

    Conclusion

    The ECB introduced the LTRO programme when growth was weak and the euro area was struggling with a severe sovereign debt crisis. With the RBI embarking on something similar, albeit on a smaller scale, the niggling concern is if there is more financial instability lurking around the corner but not yet evident in the current data.

     

  • A weak rebuke: It’s unfortunate EC didn’t punish hate speech in Delhi campaign

    Context

    Campaign for the Delhi Assembly election in which the development debate was overshadowed by hate-mongering and outpouring of communal vitriol underscores need to do more.

    Understanding the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

    • Behavioural guidelines: It is a set of behavioural guidelines for political parties and candidates for-
      • The peaceful conduct of elections.
      • To prevent hate speech.
      • Malpractices.
      • Corruption and
      • Misuse of government machinery by the ruling party.
    • Not judicially enforceable: Since it is not an Act passed by Parliament, the Code is not judicially enforceable.
      • The action against a violator usually takes the form of an advice, warning or censure.
      • No punitive action can be taken.
      • No wonder, many consider the Code as toothless.
    • Moral authority: It is not toothless though. Its moral authority far outweighs its legal sanctity.
      • Political leaders worth their salt are scared of inviting a notice for a violation, as it creates negative public opinion.
      • Besides, unlike the legal processes, its impact is instant.

    The legality of the MCC

    • Test of legality in the courts: The legality of the code has been judicially tested.
      • First legal acceptance: Its first judicial acceptance came in 1997 when the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave the EC the power to enforce the code.
      • “Such a code of conduct when it is seen that it does not violate any of the statutory provisions can certainly be adopted by the Election Commission for the conduct of free and fair election, which should be pure as well,” the Court said.
      • The SC has repeatedly held that this must be enforced strictly.

    Parallels between the MCC and other legal provision

    • The first section of the MCC lays down that-Part 1 (1) “ No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”
    • “…Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.”
    • Parallels with RPA: The Representation of the People Act (1951) categorically defines the above two as corrupt practices in Section 123 (3A) and Section 123 (4) respectively.
      • Section 125 of RPA provides for punishment for similar violations.
    • Parallels with IPC: It is important to note that Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code has a similar provision:
      • Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.

     Refreshing change

    • Prompt action: It must be appreciated that the EC was prompt in its action against the leaders accused of hate speech in Delhi election campaign.
      • While it instantly, suo moto, deprived the two leaders of their star campaigner status, it also punished them with a gag order, using the ultimate weapon provided by Article 324.
      • The EC flexing its muscle outside the so-called “toothless” MCC and invoking Article 324 is indeed a refreshing change.
      • In earlier instances, it often had to let the culprits go with a mere “warning, caution or censure”.
      • In its notice to a leader, the EC cited Sections 123 and 125 of the RP Act.

    Conclusion

    • Historically, the EC has always taken simultaneous action under the Model Code of Conduct and the other two provisions. While the MCC produces instant results, the penal provisions involve endless judicial processes. Not taking action under the IPC encouraged violators to commit repeat offences.

     

  • Explained: Regulation of Parliamentary Speech and Conduct

     

    Two days of heated exchanges in Parliament have brought back recurring questions around “unparliamentarily” speech and conduct.

    No absolute privilege

    • Article 105(2) of the Constitution lays down that “no Member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof”.
    • However MPs do not enjoy the freedom to say whatever they want inside the House.

    Checks on MPs’ speech

    • Whatever an MP says is subject to the discipline of the Rules of Parliament, the “good sense” of Members, and the control of proceedings by the Speaker.
    • These checks ensure that MPs cannot use “defamatory or indecent or undignified or unparliamentary words” inside the House.
    • Rule 380 (“Expunction”) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha regulates the speech of MPs.
    • It says: “If the Speaker is of opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the Speaker may, while exercising discretion order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the House.”
    • Rule 381 says: “The portion of the proceedings of the House so expunged shall be marked by asterisks and an explanatory footnote shall be inserted in the proceedings as follows: ‘Expunged as ordered by the Chair’.”

    What are Unparliamentary expressions?

    • There are phrases and words, literally in thousands, both in English and in other Indian languages that are “unparliamentary”.
    • The Presiding Officers — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha — have the job of keeping these bad words out of Parliament’s records.
    • For their reference and help, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has brought out a bulky tome titled ‘Unparliamentary Expressions’, the 2004 edition of which ran into 900 pages.
    • The list contains several words and expressions that would probably be considered rude or offensive in most cultures; however, it also has stuff that is likely to be thought of as being fairly harmless or innocuous.
    • The state legislatures too are guided mainly by the same book, which also draws heavily from unparliamentarily words and phrases used in the Vidhan Sabhas and Vidhan Parishads of India.

    Examples of unparliamentary

    • Among the words and phrases that have been deemed unparliamentary are “scumbag”, “shit”, “badmashi”, “bad” (as in “An MP is a bad man”), and “bandicoot”, which is unparliamentary if an MP uses it for another, but which is fine if he uses it for himself.
    • If the Presiding Officer is a “lady”, no MP can address her as “beloved Chairperson”.
    • The government or another MP cannot be accused of “bluffing”. “Bribe”, “blackmail”, “bribery”, “thief”, “thieves”, “dacoits”, “bucket of shit”, “damn”, “deceive”, “degrade”, and “darling”, are all unparliamentary.
    • MPs or Presiding Officers can’t be accused of being “double minded”, having “double standards”, being of “doubtful honesty”, being “downtrodden”, indulging in “double talk”, being “lazy”, “lousy”, a “nuisance” or a “loudmouth”.
    • No Member or Minister can be accused of having “deliberately concealed”, “concocted”, of being of a “confused mind”, or being “confused and unintelligent”.
    • An illiterate MP can’t be called “angootha chhaap”, and it is unparliamentary to suggest that a member should be sent to the “ajayabghar” (museum).

  • Cancer Gene Mapping

     

    A series of new papers in the journal Nature has revealed the most comprehensive gene map ever of the genes causing cancer. It shows departures from normal behaviour i.e. mutations trigger a cascade of genetic misbehaviours that eventually lead to cancer.

    What is Mutation?

    • A mutation is a change that occurs in our DNA sequence, either due to mistakes when the DNA is copied or as the result of environmental factors such as UV light and pollution etc.
    • Structural variations mean deletion, amplification or reorganization of genomic segments that range in size from just a few bases to whole chromosomes.
    • Bases are the structural units of genes.
    • Over a lifetime our DNA can undergo changes or ‘mutations’ in the sequence of bases A, C, G and T.

    Why study cancer?

    • Cancer is known to be a disease of uncontrolled growth.
    • The growth process, like all other physiological processes, has genetic controls so that the growth is self-limiting. When one or more genes malfunction, the growth process can go out of hand.
    • Not just cancer, there are many other diseases with a genetic link in varying degrees.
    • Just a handful of “driver” mutations could explain the occurrence of a large number of cancers, the researchers said, raising hopes of a cancer cure being nearer than ever.

    How big is the cancer burden?

    • Cancer is the second most-frequent cause of death worldwide, killing more than 8 million people every year; incidence of cancer is expected to increase by more than 50% over the coming decades.
    • 1 in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in 15 Indians will die of cancer, according to the World Cancer Report by WHO.
    • The Northeastern states, UP, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh account for 44% of the cancer burden in India, says a recent analysis, published in The Lancet.

    Is the genetic link to cancer well established?

    • Yes, it is. One such association, for example, is of breast cancer with the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes; the actress Angelina Jolie, who discovered that she carried the former gene, chose to undergo a preventive double mastectomy.
    • This is personalised therapeutics where, instead of traditional toxic medications like chemotherapy, drugs that specifically target the delinquent genetic mutation are already being used.
    • Such therapy, however, remains very expensive.

    What is the new study that has oncologists around the world excited?

    • It is a major international collaboration called the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG), in which researchers has published a series of papers after analysing some whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumor types.
    • They concluded that on average, cancer genomes contained 4-5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements.
    • This is the largest genome study ever of primary cancer.
    • Various kinds of cancers required to be studied separately because cancers of different parts of the body often behave very differently from one another; so much so that it is often said that cancer is not one disease but many.

    Breakthrough achievement of the study

    • The mutations identified by the team have been catalogued. Identification and cataloguing of the genes is a very crucial step and has taken science’s understanding of cancer and its genesis ahead by several leaps.
    • The catalogue, which is already available online, allows doctors and researchers from all over the world to look things up, consult and find information about the cancer of a given patient.
    • The study has discovered causes of previously unexplained cancers, pinpointed cancer-causing events and zeroed in on mechanisms of development, opening new vistas of personalized cancer treatment to strike at the root of the problem.
    • When it comes to drug development, however, the gene mapping is but a first step.

    The next step

    • The process of drug development will have to now kick in with pharmaceutical companies first identifying the compound(s) that target these gene mutations and then it being subjected to the rigours of clinical trials to prove its safety and efficacy.
    • That could take anything from a few decades to a few years to cover all the mutations identified.

  • [pib] Regulation of Bio-Medical Waste

     

    The State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) have recently published the details of State/UT-wise quantum of bio-medical waste generation (during 2016-18) in the country.

    Bio-Medical Waste

    Biomedical waste/hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious materials.  It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical.

    • Hospital waste refers to all waste, biological or non‐ biological that is discarded and not intended for further use.
    • Bio-medical waste means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological and including categories mentioned in Schedule I, of the BMW rules, 2016.

    Who deals with Bio-medical wastes in India?

    • Central Pollution Control Board has been following up with all SPCBs/PCCs to ensure effective management of biomedical waste in States/UTs.

    Collection and disposal

    • The collection and disposal is treated and disposed as per the specified methods of disposal prescribed under Schedule I of the Rules.
    • Bio-medical waste generated from the hospitals shall be treated and disposed by Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility.
    • In case there is no common facility in the reach of a healthcare facility, then such healthcare facility should install captive treatment and disposal facility.
    • There are 200 authorized Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBWTFs) in 28 States for environmentally safe disposal of biomedical waste.
    • Remaining 7 States namely Goa, Andaman Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have CBWTFs.

    Categorization

    As informed by CPCB and as per Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, Bio-medical waste is required to be segregated in 4 color coded waste categories.

    • Common methods of treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste are by incineration/plasma pyrolysis/deep-burial for Yellow Category waste;
    • Autoclaving/microwaving/chemical disinfection for Red Category waste;
    • Sterilization and shredding, disinfection followed by burial in concrete pit/recycling through foundry/encapsulation for White Category sharps waste; and
    • Washing, disinfection followed by recycling for Blue Category glass waste.

  • [pib] Ease of Living Index and Municipal Performance Index 2019

    The surveys to determine the Ease of Living Index (EoLI) and Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2019 has been initiated by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Both these indices are designed to assess the quality of life of citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14 other Million Plus Cities.

    Municipal Performance Index

    • With the MPI 2019, the Ministry has sought to assess the performance of municipalities based on five enablers namely Service, Finance, Planning, Technology and Governance.
    • These have been further divided into 20 sectors which will be evaluated across 100 indicators.
    • This will help Municipalities in better planning and management, filling the gaps in city administration, and improving the liveability of cities for its citizens.

    Ease of Living Index

    • EOLI is aimed at providing a holistic view of Indian cities – beginning from the services provided by local bodies, the effectiveness of the administration, the outcomes generated through these services in terms of the liveability within cities and, finally, the citizen perception of these outcomes.
    • The key objectives of the EOL Index are four-folds, viz.
    1. Generate information to guide evidence-based policy making;
    2. Catalyse action to achieve broader developmental outcomes including the SDG;
    3. Assess and compare the outcomes achieved from various urban policies and schemes; and
    4. Obtain the perception of citizens about their view of the services provided by the city administration.
    • For the first time, as part of the EOLI Assessment, a Citizen Perception Survey is being conducted on behalf of the Ministry (which carries 30% of the marks of the Ease of Living Index).
    • This is a very important component of the assessment exercise as it will help in directly capturing perception of citizens with respect to quality of life in their cities.
    • This survey, which is being administered both online and offline, has commenced from 1st February 2020 and will continue till 29th February 2020.
    • The offline version involving face-to-face interviews will commence on the 1st of February and will run parallel to the on-line versions.

  • [pib] SARAS Initiative

    Coal India’s flagship subsidiary NCL (Northern Coalfields Limited) has set up a centre named SARAS.

    SARAS Initiative

    • SARAS stands for Science and Applied Research Alliance and Support.
    • It aims to promote innovation, R&D and skill development along with improving company’s operational efficiency and utilize resources at optimum level.
    • SARAS will help and enable the company in Integration of Innovation and Research for enhancing coal production, productivity, and safety in mines.
    • Besides, the SARAS would also help establish centres of excellence to ensure technical support to R&D along with thrust on quality skill development and employment to local youths in and around company’s operational area.

    About NCL

    • NCL accounts for 15 per cent of India’s coal production and 10 per cent of thermal power generation of the country is met by the coal produced by this Miniratna Company of Govt. of India.
    • The company produces more than 100 million tonnes of coal every year.
    • It has planned to produce 107 million tonnes of coal in the current fiscal.

  • Remdesivir: Under-trail vaccine against Coronavirus

    The Wuhan Institute of Virology at Wuhan, China has filed for a patent on Remdesivir, an antiviral experimental drug from the US which may help treat the novel coronavirus (nCoV-2019).

    Remdesivir

    • It is an experimental drug and has not yet been licensed or approved anywhere globally. It has not been demonstrated to be safe or effective for any use.
    • It is currently being developed for the treatment of Ebola virus infection.
    • Remdesivir and chloroquine effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in vitro.
    • Chloroquine is a “widely used” anti-malarial and autoimmune disease medicine that has recently come to light as a potential antiviral drug.

    Can Remdesivir treat coronavirus?

    • Significantly, Remdesivir has demonstrated in vivo (experimentation using a whole living organism) and in vitro (activity performed in a controlled environment) activity in animal models against viral pathogens that cause MERS and SARS.
    • Even so, the use of the experimental drug has been allowed only as an emergency treatment, which can be administered in the absence of any other approved treatment options.
    • These two diseases are also caused by coronaviruses structurally similar to the nCoV-2019.
    • Additionally, limited clinical data is available from the emergency administration of Remdesivir in patients with Ebola.
    • Even so, it is yet to be seen if Remdesivir and chloroquine can be effective against the novel coronavirus in humans.

    How can the novel coronavirus infection be treated?

    • As of now, there is no known treatment for the novel coronavirus, and an appropriate antiviral drug is required for this.
    • Ideally, a vaccine against the infection can also prove to be effective, but such a development does not seem to be in the offing for at least three-four months.

  • Sharang Artillery Gun

     

    The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has handed over Sharang, the first 130mm M-46 artillery gun upgraded to 155mm to the Indian Army.

    About Sharang

    • Sharang is the 130mm artillery gun ‘up-gunned’ to 155mm, 45 calibre up-gunning based on the Army’s tender.
    • The gun’s range has now gone from 27km to over 36km with the upgrade.
    • It also has more explosive capability and hence and more damage potential.
    • This step will reduce the logistic trail of the Army as it does away with the need to carry 130mm shells and support equipment as the mainstay of the Army’s long range artillery is 155mm guns.

    Other artilleries of Indian Army

    • After close to three decades, the Army inducted its first modern artillery guns system in November 2018.
    • These include M-777 Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH) from the U.S. and K9 Vajra-T self-propelled artillery guns from South Korea.
    • The Army has the older, battle-proven Bofors 155mm guns in service. The 155mm Dhanush towed gun system, developed based on the Bofors guns by OFB, is under induction.
    • In October last year, the Army procured and inducted 155mm Excalibur precision guided ammunition from the U.S. which gives its 155mm artillery guns extended range and also the ability to hit targets with very high accuracy.

  • [Burning Issue] West Asia Peace Plan

    Context

    • With West Asia Peace plan the US plans to revive the stalled two-state talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
    • Israel has consistently been encroaching more and more in the West Bank through its settlements.
    • Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier spoken against the two-state solution, has accepted the Trump plan.

    Background

    • After World War I, both West Bank and the Gaza Strip became part of British-mandated Palestine.
    • But by the end of World War II, there was a strong demand from Jews fleeing Nazi Europe for a homeland within Palestine, an Arab-dominated region.
    • It also had to do with Jerusalem, considered a holy city by the Jews, which was inside British-mandated Palestine.
    • When the British mandate ended in 1947, the UN proposed an Arab-Jewish partition of Palestine — between Palestine and the new state of Israel.
    • This partition plan mandated 53 per cent of the land to the Jewish-majority state (Israel) and 47 per cent to the Palestinian-majority state (Palestine).

    Birth of Israel

    • The idea of creating a new-Jewish majority state didn’t bode well for the Arab countries in the Middle East.
    • Jewish paramilitary groups, however, formed the state of Israel by force in 1948.

    Shrinking of Palestine

    • This prompted a deadly war with its Arab neighbours — Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan in 1948. This was the first Arab-Israeli war.
    • Israel won this war and ended up occupying more land than previously envisaged in the 1947 UN partition plan.
    • By the end of the war in 1949, Israel had taken up 78 per cent of what was supposed to be original Palestine. The Palestinian territory shrank to 22 per cent of what it had earlier been.
    • Meanwhile, the West Bank and East Jerusalem came under Jordan’s rule while West Jerusalem went to Israel. The Gaza Strip was under Egyptian military rule after the 1949 war.

    Six-Day War of 1967

    • In 1967, the Arab countries again refused to recognise Israel as a state, which led to another war — known as the Six-Day War.
    • Israel won this war too and occupied even more parts of Palestine.
    • The West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem — which houses the holy Old City — came under Israel’s control. It also occupied Syrian Golan Heights and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
    • With the exception of the Sinai Peninsula, all other parts remain occupied by Israel till date.
    • Since 1967, a large part of the Palestinian population had been living under Israeli-occupied territories in both West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

    The core of the dispute: West Bank & Gaza Strip

     

    West Bank

    • The West Bank is located to the west of the Jordan River.
    • It is a landlocked territory, bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel to the south, west and north.
    • Following the Oslo Accords between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during the 1990s, part of the West Bank came under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
    • With varying levels of autonomy, the Palestinian Authority controls close to 40 per cent of West Bank today, while the rest is controlled by Israel.

    Gaza Strip

    • The Gaza Strip is a small boot-shaped territory along the Mediterranean coast between Egypt and Israel.
    • A couple of years later in 2007, Hamas, an anti-Israel military group, took over Gaza Strip. The militia group is often involved in violent clashes with the Israeli Defence Forces.
    • While Palestine has staked claim to both territories — West Bank and Gaza Strip — Israel’s objective has been to keep expanding Jewish settlements in these regions.

    Both the West Bank and Gaza Strip are home to a large number of Palestinian populations. There are approximately 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 3 million in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Population Registry.

    The West Asia Peace Plan

    • The plan unveiled by Trump seeks to give the Israelis what they have long wanted — an expansive state with Jerusalem as its “undivided capital” and tight security control over a future Palestinian state.
    • The Trump Plan is a 180-page document called “Peace for Prosperity”.
    • The plan seeks to address most of the contentious issues in the conflict such as the border of Israel, the status of Palestinian refugees, Jewish settlements on the West Bank, land swap between Israel and Palestine, Israel’s security concerns and the status of the city of Jerusalem.

    Takeaways of the Plan

    The creation of a “Palestinian state” must meet a set of basic conditions where Palestinian leaders must:

    • accept peace by recognizing Israel as a Jewish national state
    • thus, Arabs with Israeli citizenship will receive the status of a national minority in Palestine, in their homeland
    • reject “terrorism” in all its forms (“In order to achieve a comprehensive peace, the Palestinian people must clearly state that they reject the ideology of destruction, terror and conflict”)
    • reach agreements that relate to the “vital” needs of Israel and the region
    • create effective institutions and choose pragmatic solutions; “pragmatic decisions” refers primarily to peace with Israel under Israeli conditions

    1) Jerusalem: The undivided Capital

    • Jerusalem, perhaps the most contentious issue, would be “the undivided capital” of Israel, with Palestine gaining its capital in the east of the city — beyond the security border Israel has already built.
    • In return, Israel would freeze further settlement activities on the West Bank for four years — the time for negotiations.

    2) Land Swap

    • According to the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three areas and only one of them is under the direct control of the Palestinian Authority.
    • The plan proposes some land swap for the Israeli annexation of the West Bank Jewish settlements.
    • It seeks to enlarge Gaza and connect the strip with the West Bank through a tunnel.
    • The Arab towns in the southeast of Israel, which are close to Gaza, could become part of a future Palestinian state.

    3) Curb on Hamas

    • During this period, the Palestinian Authority should dismiss its current complaints at the International Criminal Court against Israel and refrain itself from taking further actions.
    • It should also crackdown on “terrorist” groups such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

    4) Investment Plans

    • The US has also proposed $50 billion in investment over 10 years should Palestine accept the proposals.
    • In the final settlement, Palestine would get control over more land than what it currently controls.

    5) Security restrictions

    • Following the signing of the agreement, the State of Israel will maintain responsibility for Palestinian security.
    • The State of Israel will be responsible for the security of all international crossings of the Palestinian State.
    • The Palestinian state must be completely demilitarized.
    • A Palestinian state will be prohibited from entering into military, intelligence or security agreements with any state or organization that the State of Israel views negatively in terms of its security.

    End of the Palestinian aspirations

    • The US has proposed to almost all of these issues favour the Israeli positions.
    • For example, Israel would be allowed to annex the Jewish settlements on the West Bank as well as the Jordan Valley.
    • The Palestinian refugees, who were forced out from their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that followed the declaration of the state of Israel in historic Palestine, would not be allowed to return.
    • They could move to the future Palestinian state, be integrated into the host countries or settled in other regional countries.

    Implications for Palestine

    • The Palestine position is backed by most of the world powers is the formation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 border.
    • But the US has effectively rejected the Palestinian claims outright and asked them to make more compromises.
    • And for this, the Palestinians should take action against militant groups, stop supporting Palestinian families of those jailed or killed by Israel and refrain it from questioning the occupation in international fora.
    • As a result, from all of the above, it is clear why the Palestinians are not ready to accept such a “limited sovereignty” version of the Palestinian state.

    India’s stance

    • India has since long been maintaining that Israel-Palestine conflict should be resolved through negotiation resulting in sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
    • India has urged both countries to “engage with each other, including on the recent proposals put forward by the United States, and find an acceptable two-state solution for peaceful coexistence”.

    Conclusion

    • The plan re-iterates the ideals of US fondness of Israel. It is no way a negotiation but a dictation of the vested US interest to control the Arab region.
    • The consequences of America’s poor understanding of West Asia geopolitics are there to see in Iraq and Libya, among other states in the region.
    • Netanyahu needs the plan now because the one-sided, all-out-for-Israel US vision will divert attention from a corruption indictment that was filed against him in court a few days ago.
    • Call upon the international community to divest from, boycott and sanction Israel in order to stop the “ongoing catastrophe”. 

    Way Forward

    • The situation in Palestine is not a conflict but a struggle against settler colonialism. Not unlike the struggle against Apartheid South Africa.
    • It is a travesty of truth that the influential and all-pervasive pro-Israel lobby has stayed silent on this plan of U.S.
    • Land grabbing with force has been a fundamental element of Israel’s approach towards the Palestinians.
    • It is time for international actors who care about the situation of the Palestinians and start pushing for the latter solution.
    • The world at large needs to come together for a peaceful resolution to ensure a viable and long-lasting solution to solve this issue.
    • However, with the reluctance of the Israeli government and the US involved in this issue, it may not be possible in the near future.
    • Pressure from the outside, a continued popular struggle from the inside and a clear Palestinian vision for the future can turn this vision into reality.

     

    References

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-west-asia-peace-plan/

    https://eurasiantimes.com/why-palestine-has-rejected-the-trump-peace-plan-to-resolve-israel-palestine-conflict/

    https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/india-keeps-mum-on-east-jerusalem-reacts-cautiously-on-us-president-donald-trumps-west-asia-peace-plan-799417.html

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