Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

For the first time since the Taliban takeover, India has sent an official delegation to Afghanistan, led by Joint secretary at Ministry of External Affairs.

Areas of discussion:

Resumption of stalled infrastructure projects, activation of diplomatic ties, and restarting the issue of visas for Afghan students and patients.

India’s assistance so far:

• In terms of humanitarian assistance, India has sent 20,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicines, 500,000 doses of Covid vaccines, and winter clothing for the Afghan people so far.
• This aid has been distributed through international organisations like the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, and UNICEF because India doesn’t have people on the ground to distribute it.

 India’s stand on Afghanistan after Taliban takeover:

• • Under India’s presidency, UNSC adopted resolution 2593. It stated that the territory of Afghanistan is not to be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists.
  • Participated in the UN High-Level Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan held in September. In this meeting, India called for normalisation of regular commercial operations of Kabul airport which could help the flow of relief material to Afghans.

• India hosted the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan in November 2021.

Issue 

Taliban has taken full control of Afghanistan. People have no jobs and incomes. Over 22 million Afghans will suffer food insecurity last winter as a drought driven by climate change adds to their woes. This will force them to choose between migration and starvation.

Significance of Afghan Stability

• Can have spill over to Neighbouring central Asian countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan etc
• Taliban resurgence will revive extremism in the region and the region can become a safe sanctuary for Let,ISIS etc.
• Civil war in Afghanistan will lead to a refugee crisis in Central Asia and beyond.
• Afghanistan’s stability will help the Central Asian countries with the shortest access to the seaports of the Indian ocean.
• Afghanistan has been an important link in the regional trade, cultural, playing the role of a connecting bridge for Central and the rest of the world.

Need of India to engage with Taliban

• Taliban is now having a significant presence in Afghanistan.
• India is already having huge investment in Afghanistan. To secure assets worth $3 billion, India should engage with all parties in Afghanistan.
• Taliban engaging with Pakistan deep state will not be in India’s best interest.
• If India does not engage now Russia, Iran, Pakistan and China will emerge as the shapers of Afghanistan’s political and geopolitical destiny, which for sure will be detrimental to Indian interests.

Need of the hour:

• Urgent need to collectively act for the safety of Afghan civilians by checking violence by Taliban
• Afghanistan should be given enough space in Central Asian architectures like SCO (Shanghai cooperation organisation)
• The USA, Iran, China, and Russia should actively involve India to maintain stability in Afghanistan.
• Unified action for the refugee crisis if it arises.
• Indian engagement with Taliban to maintain peace with immediate neighbours.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Illegal variety occupies about a fifth of GM cotton seed market

• A flourishing illegal trade in a new unapproved herbicide-tolerant variety has come to occupy nearly a fifth of the genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds market in India.
• Farmers’ organizations say since the unapproved seeds help them in weed management and cut costs, they would continue to use it.
• The illegal seed manufacturers claim the presence of herbicide trait (HT Bt) in the seeds they sell are capable of controlling pink bollworm.
• Bayer-Mahyco has submitted the application for the approval for HT Bt cotton last year, the regulator (GEAC) is yet to take a call.

Why HTBt?

• Since its introduction two decades ago, Bt cotton has led to a dramatic rise in India’s cotton yield and thereby, production but over the last two-three years, the yield has come down marginally.
• Since the introduction of Bollgard-I, which was the country’s first GM crop approved for commercialisation in 2002, followed by Bollgard II, a pest-resistant variety which protects the crop from bollworm, in 2006, the GEAC has not approved any new varieties.
• HTBt plants allow farmers to spray herbicides to get rid of weeds without harming the plants
• Cotton production in the 2021-22 crop years (July-June) declined 5% to 34 million bales (MB) from its peak of 35.9 MB in 2013-14.

What should be done?

• Since the illegal seeds contain unknown and unapproved traits, these could contaminate regular seeds, thereby putting legitimate seed growers at risk
• The government should facilitate faster approval of newly-developed seeds so that farmers get access to quality seeds and thereby, reduce the labour cost

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee

• GEAC is India’s top biotech regulatory agency and a statutory organization under the Environment Protection Act, 1986
• It functions under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• It is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
• The committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.
• GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF & CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

• The Foreign Minister of China, is currently on an eight-day visit to ten Pacific Island Countries (PICs), and has co-hosted with Fiji the Second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers Meeting
• During the meeting, China’s effort to push through a comprehensive framework deal failed to gain consensus among the PICs.
• Though this has raised regional concerns about China’s growing footprint in the Pacific islands, it has also been seen as a demonstration of China’s limitations in the region.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

IIM-Ahmedabad launches agri land price index

• The index is aimed at removing uncertainty in the agricultural land valuation.
• The index, a prelude to a nationwide gauge to monitor farm land prices, was developed for 107 districts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, benchmarking land prices for rural and semi-urban areas.
• It would be reliable source in terms of benchmarking land prices and help in conversion of agricultural land into real estate or for industrial use.
• The index would help the government in adopting more scientific measures for providing compensation for land acquisition besides helping financial institutions in underwriting of loan and insurance contracts.
• It would also ensure visibility in movement of agricultural land prices across the country.
• The factors identified for determining the agricultural land price include irrigation facilities, distance to nearest town or airport and proximity to international airport.

Findings

• Agriculture land in Karnataka is the most expensive followed by Telangana
• Average agricultural land prices in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, are reported at Rs 0.93 crore, Rs 0.81 crore and Rs 0.77 crore per acre, respectively, while prices in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are Rs 0.58 crore, Rs 0.49 crore and Rs 0.47 crore, respectively.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The forest department of Bihar has established an elephant rescue centre at Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) to rehabilitate stray, abandoned and injured elephants

• The facility is in the process of getting approval from the central government
• VTR is spread over 899 square kilometres in West Champaran district, with Nepal to its north and Uttar Pradesh to its west.
• VTR provides the perfect atmosphere for elephant habitation
• Several elephants stray into VTR from neighboring Chitwan National Park in Nepal
• The plan is not without drawbacks: The risk of human-animal conflicts, though not new, will remain high

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve is the only tiger reserve in Bihar and forms the easternmost limit of India’s Himalayan Terai forests.
• The forest contains a mix of bhabar and terai tracts and is located in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone.
• In 1978, it was designated as a Wildlife Sanctuary.
• In 1990, Valmiki National Park was established.
• The Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is the country’s 18th Tiger Reserve. Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Wild Sanctuary make up the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
• The tiger reserve shares a border with Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.
• The park is bisected by two rivers: the Gandak and the Masan River. Valmiki wildlife sanctuary is bordered on the west by the River Gandak.
• It enters India at Valmikinagar, where it is joined by two rivulets, Sonha and Pachnad, to form the holy Triveni confluence.
• A diverse range of flora and fauna can be found in the Valmiki National Park. Moisture-bearing Sal forests, dry-bearing Sal forests, moist mixed deciduous forests without Sal, cane, and tropical seasonal swamp forests with reed beds and wet grasslands make up the park.
• Fauna includes – Mammals: tiger, rhinoceros, black bear, leopard, wild dog, wild buffalo, wild boar, hyena, leopard cat, wild cat, etc
• Reptiles – Python, Cobra, King cobra, Krait, Banded krait, Sand boa, Crocodiles, etc
• Indian bison and one-horned rhinoceros frequently migrate from Chitwan to Valmikinagar.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper c

The Unique Identification Development Authority of India (UIDAI) chose to withdraw its advisory two days after it was issued, encouraging users to desist from distributing photocopies of their Aadhaar Card. The notification has been withdrawn to avoid any misinterpretation.

What did the UIDAI advisory say?

• Holders should utilise a masked Aadhaar card instead of the traditional photocopy.
• The document must not be downloaded from a cybercafe or a public computer, and if it is, it must be wiped from the system permanently.
• The first eight numbers of the twelve-digit ID are hidden behind ‘XXXX’ characters in ‘Masked Aadhaar.’

What does the law say on usage of Aadhar and its safety?

• The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 makes it clear that Aadhaar authentication is necessary for availing subsidies, benefits and services that are financed from the Consolidated Fund of India.
• The requesting entity would have to obtain the consent of the individual before collecting his/her identity and ensure that the information is only used for authentication purposes on the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).
• The Act makes it clear that confidentiality needs to be maintained and the authenticated information cannot be used for anything other than the specified purpose.
• Identity information or authentication records would only be liable to be produced pursuant to an order of the High Court or Supreme Court, or by someone of the Secretary rank or above in the interest of national security.

 About UIDAI:

• The UIDAI is a statutory authority established on 12th July 2016.
• Parent body: Works under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Initially, the UIDAI was set up by the Government of India in January 2009, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission.
• Mandate: The UIDAI is mandated to assign a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India.
• Total: As of 31st October 2021, UIDAI had issued 131.68 crore Aadhaar numbers.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd) issued a renewed Biodiversity Policy 2022.

• It is an integral part of NTPC’s Environmental Policy and its objectives are aligned with environmental and sustainability policies.

Objectives of the Policy:

• To support all the professionals of the NTPC Group to help them contribute toward the achievement of the targets set in this field.
• To achieve a ’no net loss’ of biodiversity at all of its currently operating sites and ensure there is a net positive balance wherever applicable.
• To mainstream the concept of biodiversity across NTPC’s value chain and adopt a precautionary approach for sustainable management of biodiversity in all the decision-making processes.

Expected outcomes of the policy:

• Overall conservation will increase with participation from business/firm’s side.
• Better practices of conservation will be known and will yield better results.
• Grass root participation will make people feel more connected to the cause.

About NTPC

• NTPC Ltd. is a central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
• It is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power development in India.
• It became a Maharatna company in 2010.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Naga rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN(IM) has stuck to its demands for a separate flag and a constitution in an indication that the deadlock in the peace talks with the central government, aimed at bringing an end to India’s oldest insurgency, is likely to continue.

Background

The process has been ongoing since mid-1997 when the NSCN (I-M) declared a ceasefire with the armed forces. Other groups began opting for talks in 2001. However, it has been put in a cold storage since the Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015.

Naga Political Issue

Pre- Independence:

• The British annexed Assam in 1826, and in 1881, the Naga Hills too became part of British India. The first sign of Naga resistance was seen in the formation of the Naga Club in 1918, which told the Simon Commission in 1929 “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”.
• In 1946 came the Naga National Council (NNC), which declared Nagaland an independent state on August 14, 1947.
• The NNC resolved to establish a “sovereign Naga state” and conducted a “referendum” in 1951, in which “99 per cent” supported an “independent” Nagaland.

Post- Independence:

• On March 22, 1952, the Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army (NFA) were formed. The Government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and, in 1958, enacted Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA).

Agreement in this regard:

• The NSCN (IM) entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997 and the two have been holding talks since then, while a conglomerate of seven different Naga national political groups (NNPGs) also got into separate talks with the Centre since 2017.
• The Centre signed a “framework agreement” with NSCN (IM) in 2015, and an “agreed position” with the NNPGs in 2017. However, the NSCN (IM)’s demand for a separate Naga flag and constitution has been a delaying factor in signing a final deal on the protracted Naga political issue.

The 2015 ‘agreement’:

After years of negotiations with successive governments, the NSCN(IM) had on August 3, 2015 signed a framework agreement with the BJP-led Centre.

The “agreement” was based on the idea of “shared sovereignty” for the Naga’s a community comprising more than 60 tribes (the exact number is unclear) spread across the Northeast and parts of neighbouring Myanmar.

• Shared sovereignty denotes sharing of administrative and legislative power between India and ‘Nagalim’.

Under this arrangement, the Naga Hoho, the apex body of all Naga tribes, would look after the welfare of all Naga-inhabited areas, irrespective of their integration with the proposed Nagalim.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The US is sending four HIMAR systems to Ukraine

• An artillery rocket is a weapon that is typically propelled by a solid-fuel motor and can carry a variety of warheads.
• In the 1970s, USA developed a new weapon called MLRS, for Multiple Launch Rocket System, designed for use in the event that Russian armored vehicles massed for World War III on the border of Western Europe.
• Pentagon developed the more advanced version of MLRS, a more easily transportable version called HIMARS, for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which is based on a wheeled truck that is much lighter.
• Unlike its predecessor, the M142 HIMARS truck carries only one pod of munitions, but it can move much faster on and off-road, and can be shipped on a C-130 cargo plane.
• US is sending four HIMAR systems to Ukraine.

The difference between a rocket and a missile

• Generally the word “rocket” is used in a military context to refer to relatively inexpensive unguided weapons powered by solid-fuel motors, while “missile” is generally shorthand for “guided missiles,” more expensive and complicated weapons that use movable fins to steer themselves to their targets and can fly much farther.
• The Pentagon has already sent short-range, inexpensive and unguided anti-tank weapons that are classified as rockets to Ukraine, like the AT-4, and the longer-range Javelin, which is a guided missile.
• But in more recent years the military has built weapons it calls “guided rockets” — like GMLRS — which are often older rocket designs upgraded to have guidance systems and movable fins on their nose to steer them.

How powerful are these rockets?

• Using the HIMARS and GMLRS together can offer an amount of firepower that is similar to an airstrike — all from a mobile platform.
• The upgrade in explosive power for the Ukrainian military will be profound.

Does Russia have anything similar?

• The Russian military has primarily used three types of unguided artillery rockets during the war in Ukraine.
• The largest, the 300 mm Smerch, can fire a guided rocket, which makes it more accurate, and has a range similar to the GMLRS

Do the U.S. rockets have other advantages?

• There’s one major advantage to the MLRS and HIMARS launchers: They can be fully reloaded within minutes.
• Both vehicles have a winch that allows them to lower an empty pod to the ground, pick up a new, loaded pod, and pull it into place. The Russian launchers must be manually loaded, tube by tube.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The recent incident in the Texas school massacre, Gun Control Legislation in India came into news. 

Arms Act, 1959

• The Arms Act, 1959 governs matters related to acquisition, possession, manufacture, sale, transportation, import and export of arms and ammunition.
• It defines a specific class of ‘prohibited’ arms and ammunitions, restricts their use and prescribes penalties for contravention of its provisions.

Key Provisions

• Gun license applicants in India must be at least 21 years and not convicted of any offence involving violence, of ‘unsound mind’ or a threat to public safety and peace.
• Upon receiving an application, the licensing authority (i.e., the Home Ministry), asks the officer in-charge of the nearest police station to submit a report about the applicant after thorough vetting.
• It also enlists specific provisions on curtailing the use of licensed weapons to ensure social harmony.
• No entity is permitted to sell or transfer any firearm which does not bear the name of the maker, manufacturer’s number or any other visible or stamped identification mark.
• Any act of conversion (such as shortening the barrel of a firearm or converting an imitation firearm into a firearm) or unlawful import-export is punishable with an imprisonment term of seven years, which may extend to life imprisonment and be liable to monetary fines.

The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019

• The Arms Act amended in 2019 reduces the number of firearms that an individual can procure from three to two.
• The Amended Act also increases the duration of the validity of a firearm license from three years to five years.