Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that India would aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. The announcement was given credence by the country’s solar achievements since 2015. India is the only major economy whose policies and actions are on track to limit global average temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, as envisioned in the Paris Agreement.

Green hydrogen

• Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis. This produces only hydrogen and oxygen. We can use the hydrogen and vent the oxygen to the atmosphere with no negative impact.
• To achieve electrolysis we need electricity, we need power. This process to make green hydrogen is powered by renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. That makes green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources without CO2 as a by-product.

Colour coding of hydrogen

• While hydrogen generated through renewable energy sources is green, it is blue when the carbon generated from the process is captured and stored without dispersing it in the atmosphere. When the carbon is not captured, the generated hydrogen is labelled grey.

According to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), less than one in 10 men use condoms in India, while nearly four in 10 women undergo sterilisation to avoid pregnancy, which also shows that female sterilisation continues to be on the rise.

Key Findings

• Only 9.5% of men used condoms but 37.9% of women underwent sterilisation, according to the NFHS.
  • Though condom use in urban India is better than rural parts, the overall trend is vastly similar — 7.6% men in rural India and 13.6% men in urban India use condoms, while 38.7% women in rural India and 36.3% in urban India underwent sterilisation.
• Female sterilisation has gone up for the entire country from 36% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 37.9% in NFHS-5.
• In 19 of the 36 States and Union Territories, female sterilisation increased in NFHS-5 from that of NFHS-4. The rise was more than 5 percentage points in 11 States and UTs.
• The States with the highest increase in female sterilisation were Bihar (14.1% points to 34.8%), Goa (13.6% points to 29.9%) and Madhya Pradesh (9.7% points to 51.9%) .
• In 23 of the 36 States and UTs for which data were available, condom use was less than 10%. The State with the highest condom use was Uttarakhand (25.6%) and the Union Territory Chandigarh (31.1%).
• The silver lining, however, is that use of condoms has gone up between the two surveys — from 5.6% to 9.5%.
• The refusal to use condoms is not due to lack of awareness — NFHS-5 data shows that 82% men were aware that consistent use of condoms can reduce the chance of getting HIV/AIDS.
• Studies, however, show that promotion of condoms for protection from HIV/AIDS creates confusion in their acceptance among married couples.

Now that the three laws are set to be withdrawn, pressure is mounting on the government to implement the other, no less vociferous, demand by the farm unions: Providing legal guarantee for the minimum support prices (MSP) of crops.

MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE

• The MSP is a guarantee that acts as a safety net for farmers while selling their crop, the minimum price for any crop that government considers remunerative for farmers.
• The Centre presently announces the MSPs of 23 crops-
• 7 cereals – paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley)
• 5 pulses- chana, tur/arhar, moong, urad and masur)
• 7 oilseeds- rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower and nigerseed)
• 4 commercial crops- sugarcane, cotton, copra and raw jute

Calculation of MSP

• The price policy reports every year are submitted as a parts of its recommendations by CACP .
• The state wise, crop specific production cost estimates provided by Directorate of Economics & Statistics in the Agriculture Ministry are used by CACP to make its projections

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

In 2016, BigBasket became one of the first companies in India to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) for last-mile deliveries. By going electric, the online supermarket successfully saved costs while being kind to the environment, and three years later, it added 1,000 more e-vans and 2,000 e-bikes to its fleet.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Electric vehicles are automobiles that are prepared by one or more electric motors using energy stored in rechargeable batteries

DATA/ REPORTS

NITI Aayog submitted a report to move out three-wheelers running on internal combustion engines

According to WHO’s  global air pollution database ,India has 14 out of 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of particulate matter concentrations (PM 2.5)

According to the Ministry of petroleum and oil, India’s oil import dependence is around 83%. It is a concern for current account deficit as well as energy security

It affects overall economic growth as well as has spill over effects on other factors as well

In the Indian transport sector, mobility market is driven by two wheelers. Policy making should focus on this aspect and also on public transport. India has merely 1.2 buses for 1000 people

BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Sunrise industry-  this is a new industry and hence has a huge potential to grow with high investment as well as employment opportunities

To become world leader- if India does not move to clean energy then there will be huge differences between developed and developing countries. 

It would help in sustainable growth and development

CHALLENGES

Import dependence

• For oil imports India is majorly dependent on OPEC countries, electrical vehicles will diversify the import of energy
• However, China controls lithium-ion battery markets directly or indirectly making it a dominant player in the battery of electric vehicles
• The move towards more electric vehicles would mean a dependence upon China which could pose a strategic challenge for the country

Shifting with respect to emissions

• Since India gets the majority of electricity from coal power thermal plants some major part of electricity for electric vehicles would come from coal
• Emissions from automobiles will be shifted to emissions from thermal power plants

Technology and funding

• To reduce our dependence on coal India needs to have better renewable energy technology and funding
• The recent Glasgow summit and India’s commitments are vital steps in this direction

Lithium and Cobalt reserves

• We do not have large reserves of lithium or Cobalt. Countries like China, Congo, Bolivia and Australia have high reserves

Pricing 

• Since it is yet a new technology price cannot be reduced beyond a certain limit since then it would become economically unviable, government has to balance this factor with incentivizing people to buy electric vehicles

New technology

• As it is said when a new technology comes out it will lead to the death of many all technologies
• When the technology of fracking came up, the US started the exploration of shale gas. This causes the issue of creative destruction which may lead to loss of jobs and other repercussions.

Lack of energy security

• India has yet not achieved 100% electrification in a real sense, it is only according to the definition that mandates only 10% electrification of households in a village

Lack of charging facilities

• India has around 150 charging stations with a target of about 5000. China has lakhs of charging facilities

PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOBILE SECTOR

At present automobile sector is experiencing a decline and it is a lead indicator of economic growth

Reasons for slow down

• Some exports of called to be a cyclic slowdown of the automobile sector
• Policy induced- high GST and adoption of Bharat stage VI norms
• Because of uncertainty in the policies that previous models will be banned and government steps of increasing re-registration charges, people are looking for a scrap value
• The gig economy- even the millennials are using ola and uber, consumption patterns of the population have shown a change
• Model fatigue theory- the new models launched by major manufacturers are not that attractive

ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESIS

• According to the curve when the country e moves from a pre-industrial economy to an industrial economy there is an increase in pollution and hence level of degradation of the environment increases. 
• When it enters the stage of the industrial economy there is a shift to service-based economy and becomes less polluting, after reaching a turning point with growth in the country it adopts mitigation and adaptation measures and becomes less polluting
• Thus, more the economic growth that is more capability and money for the protection of the environment

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

FAME- faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles

It is a part of the national electric mobility mission plan. It focuses on 4 areas

Technology development demand creation pilot projects charging infrastructure

Now phase 2 of the FAME India scheme has been extended till 2024 with the announcement of a 50% increase in incentives for electric two-wheelers

Minister of heavy industries has also mandated energy efficiency services limited to procure your 3 lakh electric three-wheelers for use by different authorities

Syllabus: General studies paper 2

Context:

In the light of the horrendous experience of the Government over the farm laws, the present practice of not referring the Bills to committees should be reviewed.

Lok Sabha Speaker has spoken about strengthening the committee system in the recent presiding officers’ conference. One way of strengthening it is by getting all the important Bills examined by them. 

A missed step of referred bills to the committees:

In fact, available data shows that Bills are very rarely referred to the committees these days.

House rules have vested the discretion in the presiding officers in the matter of referring the Bills to committees.

No reasoned decisions of the presiding officers for not referring them are available. Since detailed examination of Bills by committees result in better laws, the presiding officers may, in the public interest, refer all Bills to the committees with few exceptions.

Although the relevant rule is not happily worded, the intent is clear, namely, that the committee should examine all the important Bills.

Importance of Parliamentary committees in democracy:

The Parliamentary committees are established to study and deal with various matters that cannot be directly handled by the legislature due to their volume.

1. These committees act as a mini-parliament, as they have MPs representing different parties are elected into them through a system of the single transferable vote, in roughly the same proportion as their strength in Parliament.
2. They monitor the functioning of the executive branch and provide the legislature with various policy inputs, playing an important role in Indian democracy.
3. It scrutinises the accounts and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, thereby ensuring accountability of any misspending.
4. Parliamentary committees ensure executive accountability through scrutiny of public spending and various laws.
5. The Public Accounts Committee is concerned with the manner and results of spending public funds.
6. Although committee recommendations are not binding on the government, their reports create a public record of the consultations that took place and put pressure on the government to reconsider its stand on debatable provisions.
7. By virtue of being closed-door and away from the public eye, discussions in committee meetings are also more collaborative, with MPs feeling less pressured to posture for media galleries.

Decreasing role of Parliamentary committees:

1. In a parliamentary democracy, the bills of such significance are sent to parliamentary committees for closer scrutiny.
2. However, 71% of the bills went to parliamentary committees between 2009 and 2014, and this dipped to only 25% between 2014 and 2019.
3. Side-lining parliamentary committees are increasingly becoming the norm in India. But, given the significance of the parliamentary committee system in a democracy, it needs to be strengthened rather than rendered defunct.
4. Protection of farmers is an essential part of national interest. So, in any future legislation on farmers, it is absolutely necessary to involve the systems of Parliament fully so that a balanced approach emerges.
5. We must not forget that the farm Bills were not referred to either the standing committee or a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament as has been the practice earlier.
6. Other issues affecting the functioning of the committees are low attendance of MPs at meetings, too many ministries under a committee.
7. Norms are not followed by most political parties while nominating MPs to committees and the constitution of DRSCs for a year leaves very little time for specialisations.

Steps that need to take:

1. These farm Bills should have been referred to the standing committee on agriculture for detailed scrutiny. The committee could have held comprehensive discussions with the farmers.
2. They would have thus got an opportunity to present their views before the committee and Parliament.
3. In fact, their main complaint was that they were not consulted at any stage before the ordinances were issued.
4. Radical changes in the farm sector without having any kind of consultation with the farmers was nothing short of adventurous.
5. It is very surprising why important Bills which are coming before Parliament are not being referred to the committees.
6. The experience of centuries shows that scrutiny of Bills by the committees make better laws. The case of the farm laws holds an important lesson for this Government or any government.
7. According to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), DRSCs should be periodically reviewed so that the committees which have outlived their utility can be replaced with new ones. For example:
8. Standing Committee on National Economy to provide analysis of the national economy with resources for advisory expertise, data gathering, and research facilities.
9. Standing Constitution Committee to scrutinize Constitutional Amendment Bills before they are introduced in Parliament.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

U.S. Trade Representative recently flagged India’s ‘unpredictable’ regulatory norms, high tariffs and market access restrictions as key impediments to bilateral trade.

• The US emphasised America’s continued interest in agriculture market access and conveyed that “worker-centric” policies will be the pivot for the Joe Biden administration’s approach to trade policy.

Background 

• Recent trade visit is to revive the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) after a four-year hiatus, US stated that the relationship is a top priority for President Biden, but highlighted that bilateral trade “never seems to quite live up to its significant potential”.

Key Highlights of the Trade talk

• Signalling a major switch to a “worker-centric” focus in U.S. policy, the Representative said: “The President is convinced that the U.S. policy needs a fundamental shift to ensure that both nation’s policies and actions focus on the impact that trade and trade agreements have on the lives of real working people.”
• The US will work closely with the Indian Government ‘colleagues’ including Labour and Employment Minister on connecting trade “more directly with working people”.
• There is a huge potential for growth in our two countries, in areas like the digital economy, services, health-related trade and yes, even agriculture. The US believes that a revived TPF can help our trade relationship keep pace with our other areas of engagement.
• India and the U.S. also face shared challenges like climate change and sustainability, vulnerable supply chains and promoting market-oriented principles and structures. These are areas that are ripe for closer collaboration now, underlining that the U.S. is committed to ensuring a robust and sustainable trade partnership.
• Delivering results and further integrating our two economies will require concerted efforts from our Governments, businesses, civil society, our people as both workers and consumers.

India’s Take

• The trade policy forum is being rejuvenated after “languishing for four years”. India expressed confidence that the two sides will be able to resolve issues in an amicable manner and send a message to the world that the U.S. and India are strong partners. 
• Citizens from both our countries look towards India-U.S. partnerships with great optimism and hope. The U.S. and India share a partnership that can not only help each other but the entire world to recover if we were to work together.

India US Ties

• The relations between India and the United States have evolved in the post-Cold War era. Both countries have established strong bilateral relations and continue to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the world. 
• As two mature and vibrant democracies, the relations between the two countries are based on a foundation of shared values and common interests, including a commitment towards Democratic principles.
• As the ideological Cold War ended after a  myriad of international convergences and divergences, India was forced to look to the West given the paradigm shift in the geopolitics Of the world. Today India and the US are among the most vibrant and foreign cohorts and strategic partners.

Significance of India US relations

• Energy partnership –

• • • India and the US signed a civil nuclear deal in 2008. It provides US assistance to India’s civilian nuclear energy programme and expands India US cooperation in energy and satellite technology. This was a time when the relations between the two countries peaked and it was considered as a game-changer in Indo US relations.

• Economic relations – 

• • The trade and economic partnership between the US and India has been a key component in the bilateral relations between the two countries. In 2018, the Indian manufacturing trade in the US reached 50.1 billion U.S. dollars for the first time surging by approximately 6 billion U.S. dollars over the previous year.

• Defence Partnership- 

• • Defence relations have emerged as a major pillar in India-U.S. strategic partnership. The two countries signed the ‘New Framework for India-U.S. Defence Relations’ in 2005 and resulted in an intensification of defence trade, joint exercises, personnel exchanges, collaboration and cooperation in maritime security and counter-piracy, and exchanges between each of the three services. 
  • The Defence Framework Agreement was updated and renewed for another 10 years in 2015. 
  • The US has become India’s second-largest arms supplier. 
  • The two countries signed the Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement in 2019. Before that the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement was signed between the two. 
• Both the countries cooperate closely at multilateral organisations like the United Nations, G20, Association of Southeast Asian nations regional forum, World Bank, etc. In 2019 the US joined India’s coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure to expand cooperation on sustainable infrastructure in the Indo- Pacific region.

• Counter-terrorism and internal security cooperation

• • In counter-terrorism has seen considerable progress between the two countries with intelligence sharing, information exchange,  operational cooperation, counter-terrorism technology and equipment. 
  • The India US counter-terrorism cooperation initiative was signed in 2010 that aims to expand collaboration on counter-terrorism, information sharing and capacity building. 
  • The two sides have agreed to work on a joint plan to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices.

• Energy and climate change 

• • The US India energy dialogue was launched in 2005 to promote trade and investment in the energy sector. 
  • Currently, there are six working groups under the energy dialogue in oil and gas, coal, power and energy efficiency, new technologies and renewable energy, civil nuclear cooperation and sustainable development. As a priority initiative under the partnership to advance clean energy, 
  • The US Department of Energy and the Government of India established the joint clean energy research and development centre that has been designed to promote clean energy innovations by a team of scientists From India and the US.

• Education

• • Cooperation in the education sector has been an integral part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. 
  • The Fulbright programme was renewed in 2008, with the enhanced mandate and joint funding with the aim of providing more student and scholar exchange grants. 
  • There are about 1.5 lakh, Indian students, pursuing advanced degrees in the USA.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

Despite the announcement by the Prime Minister to repeal the three farm laws, farmers have said their protest will continue — and have written to the PM with their six remaining demands, including, most importantly, a legal mandate for minimum support prices (MSP).

Core demands of farm unions

• Minimum Support Price based on the comprehensive cost of production should be made a legal entitlement of all farmers for all agricultural produce so that every farmer of the country can be guaranteed at least the MSP announced by the government for their entire crop.
• Guaranteed MSPs
  • As the name suggests, MSPs are the prices at which, on paper, the government promises to procure agricultural produce from farmers. 
  • At present, the government announces MSPs for 23 crops, but procurement happens only for a few among them. Also, procurement varies quite a lot across states.
• While the government does announce MSPs every year, it is not required to do so by law. The compulsion to procure on MSP is political, not legal. 
• But if there were to be a law backing the MSP regime, the government would lose its existing discretion in choosing not to procure.
• A legal mandate for MSP would force the government to purchase all the produce that any farmer wants to sell at the declared MSP. It would also have to procure from all states and all crops for which MSPs are announced.

Problem with this

• India has had MSPs for several crops for several decades now, but that has not resolved the problem of agrarian distress. 
• On the other hand, a guaranteed MSP can have quite a few unintended consequences that might make the attempted cure worse than the disease. 
  • A good example is from the United States, during the presidency of Jimmy Carter between 1977 and 1981.
  • To alleviate the economic condition of dairy farmers, Carter announced that the price of milk would go up by 6 cents per gallon every 6 months. 
  • But to maintain these prices, the Carter administration had to increase the demand for milk. 
  • It chose to do so by offering to buy as much cheese as anyone would sell to the government at a predesignated price. This was, in essence, a ‘guaranteed MSP’.
  • As the months and years rolled by, more and more cheese was produced and sold to the government. 
  • But the government did not know what to do with it. It ran out of space and had to rent several caves to store the cheese. 
  • By 1981, Carter’s dairy support programme was costing American taxpayers $2 billion every year, while the government was stuck with mountains of unutilised cheese.
  • The administration of President Ronald Reagan who succeeded Carter stopped the automatic increases in prices, gave the cheese away for free, and paid dairy farmers to cut down on the production of milk.
• In India, the percentage of people involved in agriculture is far higher, and they are far more economically distressed than any Western country. 
• A legally mandated MSP regime is likely to be neither feasible nor sustainable in the long run. 
• Already grain stocks lying with the government are more than twice its buffer requirement, and sometimes end up rotting.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

On 16 November, Russia destroyed one of its old satellites by causing a tail-on collision with an ASAT rocket it had fired, at an altitude slightly higher than that of the International and Chinese space stations. The thousands of pieces of debris that resulted now pose a risk to space-station astronauts, other spacecraft that occupy low-earth orbits and launch vehicles destined for higher orbits.

• Junk from the Russian test is expected to intersect with the International Space Station’s (ISS) orbit 31 times a day, before spreading out further.
• Space debris moves faster than bullets and even tiny bits have enough kinetic energy to severely damage spacecraft.
• The lower the elevation of the fragments from the earth, the sooner the junk will fall back upon the planet and burn up in the atmosphere.
• Debris at higher altitudes can remain in space for years and decades before falling down.
• Space is vast, but the probability of collision increases with the number of objects in orbit.

INDIA’S ANTI SATELLITE TEST: MISSION SHAKTI

• India in 2019 became the fourth country after US, Russia and China to acquire the capability of space warfare after completing its first successful attempt at shooting a satellite in Low Earth orbit
• Mission Shakti is a joint indigenous program of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop high potent anti-satellite weapons (ASAT)
• It has propelled India to the coveted space super bar league and now India will have the capability to decimate satellites for military and strategic purposes.
• The ASAT missiles can be sea, air or land-based

SIGNIFICANCE  FOR INDIA

The strategic dimension of the exercise

• Earlier outer space was the preserve of great powers reflecting the bipolar dynamics of the cold war.
• However, in 21st-century space activities reflect the ongoing global power transitions particularly with the rise of China and India
• Satellites in outer space in a below range of functions influencing strategic decisions like surveillance, reconnaissance, communication, navigation,  targeting etc . Thus, the use of weapons in space marks a distinct transformation

Security concerns                                                               

• China joined the ASAT club in 2007, this also prompted the United States to conduct a reciprocal test in 2008. Hence, India was catalysed for the establishment of integrated space cells for space security in India
• China and India are perennial adversaries and political, territorial and strategic animosities continue to endure
• The use of nuclear arsenal comes under heavy cost in the case of Pakistan since it is a terrestrial power
• Pakistan presumes that no first use policy of India’s nuclear regime gives it an advantage but with the development of anti-satellite capabilities India would be in a position to destroy  any incoming Pakistani Nuclear missile

Network-centric warfare

• Outer space is integral to contemporary military operations in irreversible and multiple ways.
• Network-centric warfare implies Synergy among soldiers,weapons , commanders and support systems at all levels which is primarily achieved through satellite communication and satellite navigation

CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH ANTI SATELLITE TESTS

The concerns are twofold-

• Such tests are detrimental to space security
• A state demonstrating its capabilities can spur reactionary tests from other nations
• The geopolitical aspect of destructive ASAT testing, thus, encourages further displays and development of offensive technology
• The physical aspect of destructive ASAT testing also amplifies the critical issue that space debris constitutes a threat to states’ space systems.
• They can produce adverse changes in the space environment.
• Kessler Syndrome- due to the potential cascading effect of each of these individual pieces of debris to create further debris by colliding with each other
• While the debris from some tests may have deorbited, numerous pieces continue to pose a threat

Data

• In February 2020, the European Space Agency (ESA) estimated there are approximately 34 000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 centimetres, 900 000 objects between 1 cm and 10 cm and 128 million objects between 1 millimetre and 1 cm.
• 42 Collisions have been recorded between space debris and both active and defunct space objects.

INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 

The UN Outer Space Treaty of 1967

The 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, was the first binding multilateral space treaty and has the objective of ensuring the peaceful use and shared benefits of outer space amongst all nations

Liability Convention

Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972). There are two proposed liability schemes under the convention.

• The first scheme would apply in a situation in which the debris from an ASAT test damages a passing flight.
• The second envisaged situation is one wherein the debris damages another state’s space object.

International instruments: Non-binding and voluntary

• Political dynamics in the space arena have evolved since the space treaties were enacted. At the time, the Soviet Union and the USA were the dominant space powers, and they pursued negotiations of the treaties
• To ensure the shared and peaceful use of the space domain. Other states have, however, also developed significant spacefaring capabilities since the 1960s. These include China, France, India and the United Kingdom.

Failure of UN Regulations

• The UN has made several attempts to introduce new international regulations.
• In 1981 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the ‘prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS)
• This resolution continues to be adopted annually, but there is little substantive progress on concrete measures.
• The UN also constituted Groups of Governmental Experts (GGEs) in 1993 and 2013 to study transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space.
• However, the UN Conference on Disarmament has since struggled to develop further measures under PAROS. Progress is impeded by two opposing views.
• Some states, notably China and Russia, insist on a commitment in the form of a binding treaty (first proposed in 2008), while the USA has firmly advocated for a non-binding instrument

WAY FORWARD

Adopt an inclusive approach 

• Space security is a highly sensitive issue given the dual-use nature of space, rising competition for commercial activity and geopolitical tensions.
• States can respond negatively to one-sided framing of a new measure like developing countries that are  just starting their space programmes
• By adopting an inclusive approach, the new measure can go a long way in assuring non-Western states that dialogue for space security can be conducted on equal footing, rather than focus exclusively on the inputs of traditional space powers

Clarify enforceability

• A new policy should be clear on the enforceability of the instrument (i.e. binding or non-binding).
• A new binding multilateral space law instrument appears unlikely despite being desirable. Thus, the new measure would have to be a ‘soft’ law, one that is voluntary for states.
• If the instrument is voluntary, it will nonetheless have the ability to eventually crystallize into a binding source of customary law if it is complied with by enough countries.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

A Chinese envoy has lobbied Southeast Asian nations to let Myanmar’s military ruler attend a regional summit being hosted by China’s President next week but has met stiff opposition.

THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)

It is a regional organization established for the promotion of political & social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s states.

It is an intergovernmental organization of ten Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

PRINCIPLES OF ASEAN

• Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations
• The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion, or coercion
• Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another
• Settlement of differences or disputes in a peaceful manner
• Renunciation of the threat or use of force
• Effective cooperation among themselves

INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM

Chairmanship of ASEAN- based on the alphabetical order of the English names rotates annually among the member states.

ASEAN Summit:  It is the supreme policy-making body that sets the direction for ASEAN policies & objectives. According to the charter, it meets twice a year.

ASEAN Ministerial Councils: There are 4 ministerial councils to support ASEAN-

•  ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)
• ASEAN Political-Security Community Council
• ASEAN Economic Community Council
• ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council

Decision Making:  Consultation & consensus are primary modes of decision-making at ASEAN

ASEAN-LED FORUMS

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): the twenty-seven-member multilateral grouping was launched in 1993 to develop and facilitate cooperation on political & security issues for regional confidence-building & preventive diplomacy.

ASEAN Plus Three:  It is a consultative group consisting of ASEAN’s ten members along with China, Japan, & South Korea initiated in 1997

East Asia Summit (EAS): The summit was first held in 2005. It aims to promote security and prosperity in the region. Heads from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States usually attend this summit

SIGNIFICANCE OF ASEAN

• As compared to what its members could have achieved individually, ASEAN commands far greater influence on Asia-Pacific trade, political, and security issues
• Demographic dividend – It consists of the third-largest population in the world, of which more than half is below 30years of age.
• Economic:
• The third-largest market in the world – larger than EU and North American markets.
• The sixth-largest economy in the world, Third in Asia.
• Free-trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
• 4th  most popular investment destination globally.
• The rising importance of trade to ASEAN’s economic prospects led to increasing in its share of global exports from only 2 %  in 1967 to 7 %  by 2016
• The transport and connectivity potential has been increased by the ASEAN Single Aviation Market & Open Skies policies
• By building much-needed norms and fostering a neutral environment to address shared challenges ASEAN has contributed to regional stability 

CHALLENGES

• • Inequality between rich and poor ASEAN member states -Cambodia’s per capita GDP is the lowest at less than $1,300, while Singapore boasts the highest GDP per capita—nearly $53,000 (2016
  • The less developed countries could not incorporate many regional initiatives into national plans since they faced resource constraints to implement the regional commitments.
  • The political systems of members are equally mixed with democracies, communist, as well as authoritarian states.
  • The rifts in the organization have been exposed by the issue of the South China Sea. It has not been able to negotiate a unified approach with regards to China
  • The organization had divided opinion over some major issues of human rights like Violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar
  • The difficult problems have been avoided rather than confronted because of  emphasis on consensus which sometimes makes it a chief drawback 

• Whether it be in the economic or political spheres there is no efficient dispute-settlement mechanism

INDIA AND ASEAN

Two of the largest and most prosperous entities

•  India’s present GDP amounts to the US $3.4 trillion, while the combined GDP of the ASEAN countries is over US $4 trillion
• Both ASEAN and India reached 5-7 per cent growth rates over the past two decades, with India slightly ahead owing to its rising status.
• India’s population is approximately 1.3 trillion people, while ASEAN’s is slightly below half of India

Rising powers in the Asian regional environment

• They have the capability and the capacities to command remarkable influence, which may eventually be on par with their contemporaries such as the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan. 

Association between India and ASEAN 

• India became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, which was followed by an elevation to the apex-level full dialogue partnership, three years later. 
• India also became a member of the influential ASEAN-adjunct regional conference, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which focuses on political and security dimensions for ASEAN

Full dialogue partner status to India

• It has also  become a member of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), which  discusses defence issues of pivotal significance between ASEAN countries and all of its dialogue partners

Issues between ASEAN and India

• Asian security dilemma
• Nuclearisation of the Indian subcontinent 
• A plethora of issues concerning the implementation of an ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA)
• The balance of power that risks being left ‘off balance’ and bearing the possibility of having to assume an anarchic nature owing to the region’s delicate current balances. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

In the wake of the violence that rocked Amravati last week, the Women and Child Welfare minister said that the violence was planned. A senior Congress leader termed the happenings as an intelligence failure. Another minister rightly said that protest and expression is anyone’s right. Making it violent deliberately is not constitutional.

ARTICLE 19

• Article 19 guarantees freedom of speech and expression there are two significant aspects involved-

• Instrumental aspect- it acts as an instrument to promote democracy, truth and acts as a watchdog
• Intrinsic value- the article has value in itself in order to achieve the fullest capacity of an individual

• The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed under article 19 all fundamental rights to the citizens of the country
• It is implicit under the right to assemble peacefully without arms
• The right to associations becomes the right to associate for political purposes like to collectively challenge government decisions and to even aim peacefully and legally the displacement of government
• This is the basis of a multi-party system where opposition parties are valuable adversaries and not enemies and compete healthily for a political party
• The right to peacefully assemble allows political parties and citizenship bodies like University student groups to question and object to acts of government by demonstration, agitations and public meetings to launch the sustained protests

SUPREME COURT CASES

Shreya Singhal case

Section 66A of the Information Technology Act was declared null and void by the apex court. The Supreme Court observed that the section was vague as it had a chilling effect on freedom of speech & expression. The  court came up with the difference between discussion, advocacy and incitement

Anita Thakur case

The Supreme Court noted that organised and non-violent protests were key weapons in the struggle for independence.

A distinguishing  feature of any democracy is legitimate dissent and the court said that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right

Ramlila Maidan incident- supreme Court stated that citizens have a fundamental right to assembly and peaceful protest which cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive or legislative action

DEMOCRATIC INDEX

• The democratic index is a report published by economist intelligence unit India stands at 51st position and dropped by 10 ranks
• According to the report, the primary cause of this lowering of rank is the erosion of civil liberties in the country it also criticized the international downs and categorised India as a flawed democracy
• The report used the term democratic regression because of erosion of civil liberties, imposition of section 144

MASS MOVEMENTS IN INDIA

• The movement for India’s freedom was itself a mass movement
• India has witnessed a lot of mass movements in the past like the Jayaprakash Narayan movement, Anna Hazare’s  anti-corruption movement, Chipko movement
• New social movements Nirbhaya case farmers movement and also many leaderless movements

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIGHT TO PROTEST

• There is the instrument as well as the intrinsic value attached to freedom of speech and expression
• The right to protest is implicit in other rights like the right to associate and assemble
• It facilitates active citizenship and political freedom
• Right to protest helps in keeping a check on abuse of power
• The right exercise by citizens makes law making a more inclusive and efficient process
• Example anti-citizenship amendment protest- the process became more inclusive by the mass movement it and large scale participation of students and women
• LGBT community- the consistent peaceful protest by the community led to the transformation of the constitution in the Navtej Singh Johar case and the court has taken the counter-majoritarian role

Electoral Federalism

• Since the opposition is not having a major role to play in the parliament, states are becoming a strong opposition voice. State government surfing the opposition deficit
• Voters are voting in two different manners: general elections and state elections. The contradictory baton of voting also leads to the division of pass

2 core political rights of democracies

Right to vote – the right of every citizen to elect freely the government and when dissatisfied with its performance to vote it out of power in a legitimately held election (Article 326)

To politically participate not only during but between elections- the right to protest to publicly question and force the government to answer is a fundamental political right of people that flows directly from a democratic reading of Article 19

CHALLENGES

How are States responding?

According to experts, there is a different level of protests-

Hot clampdown

The protectors are suppressed so that they will give up, this is the nature of an authoritarian state

People’s power 

The protester succeed in resulting in the government’s backdown 

Example- India’s independence movement

A cold frizzle 

In this, the dilution of enthusiasm leads to a gradual loss of momentum among the protesters

Prolonged confrontation

Neither the protectors nor the government is backing down. It may lead to other incidents like destruction of public property change in government’s plan etc

Example Hong Kong protests