UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 May 2024

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: International relations

 Source: TH

Context: India’s global rise contrasts sharply with its regional decline, posing significant implications for its global ambitions. Despite burgeoning power on the world stage, India’s influence in South Asia has diminished due to relative power shifts, particularly vis-à-vis China.

India’s Global Rise:

India’s regional decline:

1. Diminished Influence in South Asia: India’s influence in South Asia has declined compared to previous decades, e.g., decreasing influence in Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.
2. Relative Power Shifts: The rise of China has resulted in a relative decline of India’s power in the region, as China’s expanding influence challenges India’s traditional dominance.
3. Changes in Geopolitics: India has lost primacy in South Asia, evidenced by the increasing willingness of South Asian countries to engage with China and other external powers independently of India’s preferences.
4. American Withdrawal: The withdrawal of the United States from the region has created a power vacuum that China has been quick to fill, disadvantaging India’s regional position.
5. Balancing Strategies: South Asian countries are increasingly engaging in balancing, bargaining, hedging, and bandwagoning strategies vis-à-vis India, viewing China as a useful hedge against India’s dominance.
6. China’s Rise: China’s rise in South Asia, coupled with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the region, has altered the regional balance of power in China’s favour.
7. Obsolescence of South Asia as a Geopolitical Construct: The growing obsolescence of South Asia as a geopolitical construct has further marginalized India’s role in the region, diminishing its hold and influence.

What is India’s Neighborhood First Policy?

It emphasizes peaceful relations and collaborative development with South Asian neighbours. It covers diverse areas like economics, technology, connectivity, defence, and environment. The policy complements India’s Look East and Look West Policies, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Middle East respectively. It was initiated by Narendra Modi and furthered by key figures like Sushma Swaraj and S. Jaishankar, with support from NSA Ajit Doval and successive Foreign Secretaries.

Various aspects of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy:

1. Priority to neighbouring countries: Emphasis on strong ties with immediate neighbours.
2. Mutual respect and understanding: Based on shared interests and Panchsheel principles.
3. Connectivity and infrastructure: Focus on physical and digital connectivity for trade and integration.
4. Economic cooperation: Deepening economic ties through trade facilitation and investment.
5. Security cooperation: Joint efforts to address security challenges like terrorism
6. Cultural exchanges: Promoting friendship and understanding through cultural diplomacy.

Way Forward:

1. Geopolitical Adaptation: India needs to modernize its foreign policy approach to align with the changing geopolitical landscape.
2. Recognizing Regional Shifts: Acknowledge significant changes in the region and its dynamics over the past fifteen years.
3. Leveraging Strengths: Prioritize leveraging India’s strengths instead of direct competition with China, focusing on tailored approaches to regional engagement.
4. Maritime Advantage: Capitalize on India’s maritime strengths in the Indo-Pacific to overcome continental limitations and boost trade and strategic alliances.
5. Engaging Neighbors: Integrate smaller South Asian neighbours into Indo-Pacific dialogues and initiatives to enhance regional cooperation and coordination.
6. Expanding Partnerships: Collaborate with allies to engage countries like Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh in the Indo-Pacific strategy, pulling them away from China-led initiatives.
7. Soft Power Utilization: Utilize India’s soft power assets to maintain influence, fostering informal contacts and conflict management processes.
8. Informal Diplomacy: Encourage informal engagements with civil society actors to bridge diplomatic gaps and address sensitive regional issues.
9. Diplomacy for Development: India should integrate economic diplomacy with political diplomacy to attract foreign investment, technology transfer, and support for key national development initiatives like Make in India and Smart Cities.
10. Ethical Foreign Policy: India should aim to infuse ethical principles into its foreign policy, reclaiming moral leadership globally, as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Foreign policy principles India is using:

1. India First Policy: India prioritizes its national interests in its foreign policy decisions, asserting its independence and confidence on the global stage.
2. Realistic Diplomacy: India engages with the world based on its identity and priorities, maintaining confidence in its civilizational ethos and domestic realities.
3. Balance of Power Strategy: India strategically navigates its relationships, challenging initiatives like China’s Belt and Road while engaging with the US and the West to build domestic capacities.
4. Economic Engagement: India deepens economic ties globally, seeking markets, raw materials, and recipients of foreign aid.
5. Multi-Aligned Approach: India participates in various international forums, articulating and promoting its priorities directly.
6. Non-Interference Principle: India avoids interfering in other countries’ internal affairs but intervenes if actions threaten its national interests.
7. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Principle: India embraces the concept of “The World is One Family,” promoting global harmony and growth through the principles of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.”
8. Proactive Democracy Promotion: India provides proactive assistance in capacity building and institution strengthening to promote democracy globally, with explicit consent from concerned governments (e.g., Afghanistan).
9. Global Problem Solving: India advocates for global cooperation and consensus on issues of global significance such as world trade, climate change, terrorism, intellectual property rights, global governance, and health hazards.

Conclusion:

Failure to reconcile this paradox may hinder India’s aspirations for global leadership.

Insta Links:

• Impact of Gaza conflict on India’s foreign policy

Mains Links:

1. “The long sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised nations has disappeared on account of its newfound role in the emerging global order.’ Elaborate. (UPSC 2019)
2. Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the context of the post-Cold War international scenario. (UPSC 2016)

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Source: TH

Context: Percolation wells, a solution to Bengaluru’s water crisis, capture rainwater to restore and recharge groundwater.

What are Percolation Wells?

Percolation wells are earthen dams, typically 12 feet deep and 4 feet wide, filled with gravel and lined with concrete rings. They capture rainwater, allowing it to percolate down through layers of soil, recharging natural aquifers. These wells are designed to restore and conserve groundwater, offering a sustainable solution to water scarcity in urban areas like Bengaluru.

United Way of Bengaluru (a unit of the global United Way network, a privately-funded non-profit organisation founded 132 years ago) aims to build 10,000 wells by 2026, already completing 3,600 with private funding. These wells have revived borewells in Lal Bagh and are now being adopted by local municipalities to combat water scarcity. Scientifically built, they trap rainwater and recharge aquifers, offering a sustainable approach to water management amid urbanization challenges.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: ET

Context: Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, has been appointed as President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) for a four-year term by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet.

• This move aims to expedite the establishment of GSTAT, with plans to commence its operations from July 1.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: LM

Context: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) will now exclusively have the authority to issue manufacturing licenses for new drugs intended for export, removing this power from state governments.

• This change, effective from May 15, 2024, mandates that all applications for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for export purposes be submitted to CDSCO zonal offices (through SUGAM Portal)
• Since 2018, the State Licensing Authority granted export NOCs and manufacturing licenses for unapproved, banned, or new drugs meant solely for export purposes.

Aim: This decision aims to streamline the export process and address delays highlighted by the Drug Consultative Committee (DCC).

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Reports/Study in News

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

Context: The Delhi High Court has ordered action against the use of oxytocin on cattle in city dairies, citing it as animal cruelty. It instructed the Delhi government to conduct weekly inspections and file cases against oxytocin use, with police to investigate.

Why Oxytocin use is bad for cattle and humans?

Oxytocin use leads to increased milk production but can cause health issues such as uterine ruptures and reduced lifespan in cows. Additionally, it can contaminate the milk, posing risks to human health when consumed. Oxytocin misuse in dairy farming is considered animal cruelty and poses health hazards to both cattle and consumers.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: Th

Context: The U.S. accuses Russia of using the chemical compound chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces, violating the Chemical Weapons Convention.

What is Chloropicrin?

Chloropicrin is a chemical compound ( it is a colourless to yellow oily liquid; highly volatile and is a gas at room temperature) used as both a chemical weapon and a pesticide. It poses health risks when inhaled, causing irritation, tears, and vomiting. Originally developed as a poison gas during World War I, it is also employed as an antimicrobial agent, herbicide, and nematicide. Chloropicrin is highly toxic and carcinogenic, and its use as a weapon is a violation of international conventions.

Regulations in place for Chemical Weapons:

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: IE

Context: The Eta Aquariids meteor showers, active from April 16, will peak on May 5 and 6.

This annual event, caused by debris from Halley’s Comet, peaks on May 5 and 6. It’s known for its rapid speed, producing long, glowing tails. Best observed from the Southern Hemisphere, around 30 to 40 meteors can be seen per hour during peak times.

What is a meteor shower?

A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through clouds of debris left behind by a comet or asteroid. As these tiny particles enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, creating streaks of light in the sky known as meteors or “shooting stars.” These showers are named after the constellation from which they appear to originate and can produce dozens or even hundreds of meteors per hour during their peak.

Source: Th

Context: A new marine tardigrade species discovered off the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu has been named Batillipes chandrayaani after the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission.

It is the third marine tardigrade species scientifically described from Indian waters. It features a trapezoid-shaped head and four pairs of legs with sharp-tipped sensory spines.

Mapping

Source: LM

Context: Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano recently erupted, triggering the highest level of alert.

Indonesia is home to many volcanoes due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and interact. This convergence creates intense geological activity, including the subduction of oceanic plates beneath continental plates, which leads to volcanic eruptions. Indonesia has approximately 130 active volcanoes.

Mount Ruang is a stratovolcano situated in Indonesia’s Sulawesi Islands. Other notable volcanoes in Indonesia include Krakatau, Merapi, and Semeru.

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: International relations

 Source: TH

Context: India’s global rise contrasts sharply with its regional decline, posing significant implications for its global ambitions. Despite burgeoning power on the world stage, India’s influence in South Asia has diminished due to relative power shifts, particularly vis-à-vis China.

India’s Global Rise:

India’s regional decline:

1. Diminished Influence in South Asia: India’s influence in South Asia has declined compared to previous decades, e.g., decreasing influence in Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.
2. Relative Power Shifts: The rise of China has resulted in a relative decline of India’s power in the region, as China’s expanding influence challenges India’s traditional dominance.
3. Changes in Geopolitics: India has lost primacy in South Asia, evidenced by the increasing willingness of South Asian countries to engage with China and other external powers independently of India’s preferences.
4. American Withdrawal: The withdrawal of the United States from the region has created a power vacuum that China has been quick to fill, disadvantaging India’s regional position.
5. Balancing Strategies: South Asian countries are increasingly engaging in balancing, bargaining, hedging, and bandwagoning strategies vis-à-vis India, viewing China as a useful hedge against India’s dominance.
6. China’s Rise: China’s rise in South Asia, coupled with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the region, has altered the regional balance of power in China’s favour.
7. Obsolescence of South Asia as a Geopolitical Construct: The growing obsolescence of South Asia as a geopolitical construct has further marginalized India’s role in the region, diminishing its hold and influence.

What is India’s Neighborhood First Policy?

It emphasizes peaceful relations and collaborative development with South Asian neighbours. It covers diverse areas like economics, technology, connectivity, defence, and environment. The policy complements India’s Look East and Look West Policies, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Middle East respectively. It was initiated by Narendra Modi and furthered by key figures like Sushma Swaraj and S. Jaishankar, with support from NSA Ajit Doval and successive Foreign Secretaries.

Various aspects of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy:

1. Priority to neighbouring countries: Emphasis on strong ties with immediate neighbours.
2. Mutual respect and understanding: Based on shared interests and Panchsheel principles.
3. Connectivity and infrastructure: Focus on physical and digital connectivity for trade and integration.
4. Economic cooperation: Deepening economic ties through trade facilitation and investment.
5. Security cooperation: Joint efforts to address security challenges like terrorism
6. Cultural exchanges: Promoting friendship and understanding through cultural diplomacy.

Way Forward:

1. Geopolitical Adaptation: India needs to modernize its foreign policy approach to align with the changing geopolitical landscape.
2. Recognizing Regional Shifts: Acknowledge significant changes in the region and its dynamics over the past fifteen years.
3. Leveraging Strengths: Prioritize leveraging India’s strengths instead of direct competition with China, focusing on tailored approaches to regional engagement.
4. Maritime Advantage: Capitalize on India’s maritime strengths in the Indo-Pacific to overcome continental limitations and boost trade and strategic alliances.
5. Engaging Neighbors: Integrate smaller South Asian neighbours into Indo-Pacific dialogues and initiatives to enhance regional cooperation and coordination.
6. Expanding Partnerships: Collaborate with allies to engage countries like Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh in the Indo-Pacific strategy, pulling them away from China-led initiatives.
7. Soft Power Utilization: Utilize India’s soft power assets to maintain influence, fostering informal contacts and conflict management processes.
8. Informal Diplomacy: Encourage informal engagements with civil society actors to bridge diplomatic gaps and address sensitive regional issues.
9. Diplomacy for Development: India should integrate economic diplomacy with political diplomacy to attract foreign investment, technology transfer, and support for key national development initiatives like Make in India and Smart Cities.
10. Ethical Foreign Policy: India should aim to infuse ethical principles into its foreign policy, reclaiming moral leadership globally, as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Conclusion:

Failure to reconcile this paradox may hinder India’s aspirations for global leadership.

Insta Links:

• Impact of Gaza conflict on India’s foreign policy

Mains Links:

1. “The long sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised nations has disappeared on account of its newfound role in the emerging global order.’ Elaborate. (UPSC 2019)
2. Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the context of the post-Cold War international scenario. (UPSC 2016)