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Indonesia Relocating its Capital
• Indonesia's parliament has passed a law
approving the relocation of its capital
from slowly sinking Jakarta to a site
2,000 kilometres away on jungle-clad
Borneo island that will be named
"Nusantara".
nutsantadisland
• The move was first tipped by President
Joko Widodo in April 2019, citing rising
sea levels and severe congestion on
densely populated Java island.
• Jakarta lies on the northwest coast of Java. The largest islands in Indonesia are Sumatra,
Java, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), Sulawesi, and the Indonesian part of New Guinea
(known as Papua or Irian Jaya).
Reasons for Relocation:
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Jakarta has long been plagued by serious infrastructure problems and flooding exacerbated by
climate change, with experts predicting up to a third of the city could be underwater by 2050.
Jakarta is home to more than 30 million people in its greater metro area.
Moreover, Jakarta is the centre for administration, governance, finance and trade, it has
inevitably led to relentless construction in the city, due to which the water is not able to seep
into the ground in many areas, leading to increased run-off.
• Jakarta has been Indonesia’s capital since the country became independent in 1949. The city
has become overcrowded and extremely polluted for the last few decades.
Another important reason to shift the capital from Java island to Borneo island has been the
growing inequality – financial and otherwise.
Java Island, especially Jakarta which is spread across more than 661.5 square kilometres, is
immensely populated whereas East Kalimantan, spread across 127,346.92 square kilometres, is
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bigger than Jakarta, it is a lot less populated than the current capital.
Relocation Site:
The new capital (Nusantara) will cover about 56,180 hectares in East Kalimantan province on the
Indonesian part of Borneo, which the country shares with Malaysia and Brunei.
However, environmentalist critics of the capital's move have warned it could damage ecosystems
in the region, where mining and palm oil plantations already threaten rainforests that are home
to Borneo's endangered species.
Note
Indonesia is not the first country in the region to relocate from an overpopulated capital.
Malaysia moved its government to Putrajaya from Kuala Lumpur in 2003, while Myanmar
moved its capital to Naypyidaw from Rangoon in 2006.
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Sea Level Rise (SLR)
About: SLR is an increase in the level of the world’s oceans due to the effects of climate
change, especially global warming, induced by three primary factors:
Thermal Expansion: When water heats up, it expands. About half of the sea-level rise
over the past 25 years is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.
Melting Glaciers: Higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater-
than-average summer melting of large ice formations like mountain glaciers as well as
diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs.
That creates an imbalance between runoff and ocean evaporation, causing sea levels to rise.
Loss of Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets: As with mountain glaciers, increased
heat is causing the massive ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica to melt more quickly,
and also move more quickly into the sea.
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Rate of SLR:
Sea level is primarily measured using tide stations and satellite laser altimeters.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2021 report, sea-level rise
has tripled compared with 1901-1971. The Arctic Sea ice is the lowest it has been in 1,000 years.
Consequences of SLR:
Coastal Flooding: Globally, eight of the world's 10 largest cities are near a coast, which is
threatened by coastal flooding.
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Capitanes coast
Destruction of Coastal Biodiversity: SLR can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding,
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aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for biodiversity.
Dangerous Storm Surges: Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous hurricanes and
typhoons leading to loss of life and property.
Lateral and Inland Migration: Flooding in low-lying coastal areas is forcing people to migrate
to the higher ground causing displacement and dispossession and in turn a refugee crisis
worldwide.
Impact on Infrastructure: The prospect of higher coastal water levels threatens basic services
such as internet access.
Threat to Inland Life: Rising seas can contaminate soil and groundwater with salt threatening life
farther away from coasts.
Tourism and Military Preparedness: Tourism to coastal areas and military preparedness will also
be negatively affected by an increase in SLR.
Steps taken to Tackle SLR:
Relocation: Many coastal cities have planned to adopt relocation as a mitigation strategy. For
example, Kiribati Island has planned to shift to Fiji, while the Capital of Indonesia is being
relocated from Jakarta to Borneo.
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Kalinator
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Nusantara
Building Sea Wall: Indonesia’s government launched a coastal development project called a
Giant Sea Wall or "Giant Garuda" in 2014 meant to protect the city from floods.
Building Enclosures: Researchers have proposed Northern European Enclosure Dam (NEED),
enclosing all of the North Sea to protect 15 Northern European countries from rising seas. The
Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Red Sea were also
identified as areas that could benefit from similar mega enclosures.
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Architecture to Steer Flow of Water: Dutch City Rotterdam built barriers, drainage, and
innovative architectural features such as a "water square" with temporary ponds.
India’s Case:
Vulnerability:
India's 7,516-kilometre-long coastline includes 5,422 kilometres of coastline on the mainland
and 2,094 kilometres on the islands belonging to nine states and four Union Territories.
The coastline accounts for 90% of the country's trade and it spans 3,331 coastal villages and
1,382 islands.
Related Initiatives:
Coastal Regulation Zone
National Action Plan on Climate Change
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Davos Summit: World Economic Forum
• the Prime Minister addressed the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos Agenda via
video conferencing.
• The WEF annual meeting in Davos (Switzerland) engages the world's top leaders to shape
global, regional and industry agendas.
One Earth, One Health:
mutation
During the course of Covid-19, India saved many lives by exporting essential medicines and
vaccines by following its vision of "One Earth, One Health".
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India has delivered 1154.173 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 97 countries till 31st December
2021.
• India is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical producer and is considered 'pharmacy to
the world’.
Pro-Planet People (P3)
Approach:
• Proposed the idea of the “P3
(Pro-Planet-People)
movement” that underscores
India’s commitments to
climate change at the global
forum (UNFCCC COP 26).
• Reiterated India’s “clean,
green, sustainable, and reliable” energy goals which dwell on achieving a net-zero carbon
emission target by 2070.
• Making LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment - given by the Indian PM at UNFCCC COP 26
Conference) into a mass movement can be a strong foundation for P3.
• LIFE is a vision of a resilient and sustainable lifestyle that will come handy in dealing with
the climate crisis and other unpredictable challenges of the future.
• Throwaway culture and consumerism has enhanced the climate challenge.
New waight
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World Economic Forum
About:
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1971, based
in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Recognized by the Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private
cooperation.
Mission:
• Committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic,
and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
• Founder and Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab.
Some major reports published by WEF are:
1. Energy Transition Index.
2. Global Competitiveness Report.
3. Global IT Report
4. WEF along with INSEAD, and Cornell University publishes this report.
5. Global Gender Gap Report.
6. Global Risk Report.
7. Global Travel and Tourism Report.
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Cluster Bombs and Thermobaric Weapons
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• Human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Russia of
using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs in the ongoing war (on Ukraine).
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• Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently
indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill
or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.
• International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed
conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and
restricts the means and methods of warfare.
What are cluster munitions?
• A cluster munition means a “conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release
explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive
submunitions”.
They can be dropped from an aircraft or launched in a projectile that spins in flight, scattering
many bomblets as it travels.
• The Convention on Cluster Munitions specifically identifies “cluster munition remnants”,
which include “failed cluster munitions, abandoned cluster munitions, unexploded
submunitions and unexploded bomblets”
What is a thermobaric weapon?
• Thermobaric weapons — also known as aerosol bombs, fuel air explosives, or vaccum bombs
— use oxygen from the air for a large, high-temperature blast.
• A thermobaric weapon causes significantly greater devastation than a conventional bomb of
comparable size.
• The weapons, which go off in two separate stages, can be fired as rockets from tankmounted launchers or dropped from aircraft.
• As they hit their target, a first explosion splits open the bomb’s fuel container, releasing a
cloud of fuel and metal particles that spreads over a large area.
• A second explosion then occurs, igniting the aerosol cloud into a giant ball of fire and
sending out intense blast waves that can destroy even reinforced buildings or equipment
and vaporize human beings.
What is the Convention on Cluster Munitions?
• The Convention on Cluster Munitions is a United Nations-adopted legal instrument that
prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.
• India has not signed the convention and is not a party to it. Other countries that are not
parties are the US, Russia, China, Pakistan and Israel, among others.
• Vacuum bombs are not prohibited by any international law or agreement, but their use
against civilian populations in built-up areas, schools or hospitals, could attract action under
the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
• Hague Convention is any of a series of international treaties that were issued from
international conferences held at The Hague in the Netherlands in 1899 and 1907. They
establish the laws and customs of war in the strict sense, by defining the rules that
belligerents must follow during hostilities.
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War Crimes
• The International Criminal Court(ICC) has announced that it will open an investigation into
possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. There are specific international
standards for war crimes.
What are War Crimes?
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• War crimes are defined as serious violations of humanitarian laws during a conflict.
• The definition, established by the Rome Statute of the ICC, is derived from the 1949 Geneva
Conventions.
• It is based on the idea that individuals can be held liable for the actions of a state or its
military.
• The taking of hostages, willful killings, torture or inhuman treatment of prisoners of war,
and forcing children to fight are some of the more obvious examples.
What are the Geneva Conventions (1949)?
• The Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that
contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war.
• They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and
those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).
• The first Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war.
• The second Geneva Convention protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel
at sea during war.
• The third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war.
• The fourth Geneva Convention affords protection to civilians, including in occupied territory.
• India is a party to the Geneva Convention.
What is the difference between War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity?
• The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (or
Genocide convention) separates war crimes from genocide and crimes against humanity.
1. War crimes are defined as occurring in a domestic conflict or a war between two states.
2. While genocide and crimes against humanity can happen in peacetime or during the
unilateral aggression of a military towards a group of unarmed people.
1954 Hague Convention
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has pitched for
protective measures to preserve Ukraine’s endangered cultural heritage in light of Russia’s
invasion over Ukraine.
• To avoid deliberate or accidental damages, the agency is marking cultural sites and
monuments in Ukraine with the distinctive “Blue Shield” emblem of the 1954 Hague
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
What is the Hague Convention 1954?
Background: Through history, armed conflicts always wrought havoc on the lives of people. In
addition to its humanitarian toll, conflicts also led to the large-scale destruction of cultural
heritage, weakening the foundations of communities, lasting peace and prospects of
reconciliation.
• Origin: Considering that the preservation of cultural heritage is of great importance for all
peoples of the world and thus needs universal protection, the Convention for the Protection of
Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted in 1954 under the auspices of
UNESCO.
• This convention is referred to as the 1954 Hague Convention.
It is the first and the most comprehensive multilateral treaty dedicated exclusively to the
protection of cultural heritage in times of peace as well as during an armed conflict.
Aim: The convention aims to protect cultural property, such as monuments of architecture, art or
history, archaeological sites, works of art, manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic,
historical or archaeological interest, as well as scientific collections of any kind regardless of
their origin or ownership.
India is party to Hague Convention 1954.
What is the Blue Shield Emblem?
• Need: Article 6 of the 1954 Hague Convention states that cultural property
may bear a distinctive emblem so as to facilitate its recognition.
• Origin: In pursuance of this, the Blue Shield, formerly the International
Committee of the Blue Shield was founded in 1996.
About: It is a non-governmental, non-profit, international organisation committed to the
protection of heritage across the world.
The Blue Shield network, often referred to as the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross.
• Function: The Blue Shield is a network of committees of dedicated individuals across the
world that is committed to protect the world's cultural heritage from threats such as armed
conflict and natural disasters.
• This includes museums, monuments, archaeological sites, archives, libraries and audio-
visual material, and significant natural areas, as well as intangible heritage.
• Associated Issue: Some States have refrained from marking their cultural property, arguing
that it would make that property more vulnerable to attack by an enemy determined to
destroy its symbols of national identity.
• Unfortunately, this proved to be the case during the war in the former Yugoslavia where
cultural property marked with the Blue Shield was intentionally targeted.
Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons
Convention
What are Chemical Weapons?
About:
• A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic
properties.
• Munitions, devices and other equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals
also fall under the definition of chemical weapons.
• Related Initiatives:
• India’s:
• The Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000 was passed to implement the Chemical
Weapons Convention (CWC).
• It provided for the establishment of a National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention
or NACWC. This institution, formed in 2005, is the chief liaison between the government of
India and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
• Global:
• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes):
• The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are multilateral environmental
agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the
environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
• The Australia Group (AG) is an informal forum of countries which, through the harmonisation
of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of
chemical or biological weapons.
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What is the Chemical Weapons Convention?
About:
It is a multilateral treaty banning chemical weapons and requiring their destruction within the
stipulated time.
• Negotiations for the CWC began in 1980 at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
• The convention was drafted in September 1992 and opened for signature in January 1993. It
became effective from April 1997.
• It makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.
• Members should also declare the riot-control agents (sometimes referred to as ‘tear gas’) in
possession of them.
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an international organization
established by the CWC in 1997 to implement and enforce the terms of the CWC.
• Members:
• It has 192 state parties and 165 signatories.
• India is a signatory of the convention.
Convention Prohibits:
The development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or retention of chemical weapons.
Transferring of chemical weapons.
Using chemical weapons.
Assisting other States to indulge in activities that are prohibited by the CWC.
Using riot-control devices as ‘warfare methods’.
What is a Biological Weapon?
About:
• Biological weapons use microbiological agents (such as bacteria, viruses or fungi) or toxins
to intentionally cause death or harm to humans, animals, or plants.
• Related Initiatives:
• The 1925 Geneva Protocol banned the use of biological weapons in war.
• India ratified the Geneva Convention in 1950.
• Subsequently, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which entered into
force in 1975 prohibited the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition and retention
of biological weapons.
• India ratified this in 1974.
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Current Account Deficit
• an American financial services company Morgan Stanley has predicted that the Current
Account Deficit will widen to a 10-year high of 3% of GDP in FY23.
What are the Key Points?
• In the wake of continued geopolitical tensions, the surge in oil prices is likely to be
sustained, which would lead to deterioration in the current account deficit from a higher oil
import bill.
• The Balance of Payments (BoP) to be in deficit of approximately 0.5-1% of GDP (Gross
Domestic Product) because capital flows are likely to be lower than the current account
deficit.
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• The extent of vulnerability to funding risks will be cushioned by the large forex reserves,
which stand at USD 681 billion.
• The company expects the April 2022 policy to mark the process of policy normalization with
a reverse repo rate hike. However, if the RBI were to delay its normalization process, the
risk of disruptive policy rate hikes would rise.
• There is less room for fiscal policy stimulus to support growth given high deficit and debt
levels – it is seen that there is a possibility of a modest fuel tax cut and reliance on the
national rural employment program as an automatic stabilizer.
What is the Current Account Deficit?
• A current account deficit occurs when the total value of goods and services a country
imports exceeds the total value of goods and services it exports.
• The balance of exports and imports of goods is referred to as the trade balance. Trade
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Balance is a part of ‘Current Account Balance’.
• According to an earlier report of 2021, High Oil Imports, High Gold Imports are the major
driving force, widening the CAD.
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What is Balance of Payments?
About:
BoP of a country can be defined as a systematic statement of all economic transactions of a
country with the rest of the world during a specific period, usually one year.
• Purposes of Calculation of BoP:
• Reveals the financial and economic status of a country.
• Can be used as an indicator to determine whether the country’s currency value is
appreciating or depreciating.
• Helps the Government to decide on fiscal and trade policies.
• Provides important information to analyze and understand the economic dealings of a
country with other countries.
Components of BoP:
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• For preparing BoP accounts, economic transactions between a country and the rest of the
world are grouped under - Current account, Capital account and Errors and Omissions. It also
shows changes in Foreign Exchange Reserves.
• Current Account: It shows export and import of visibles (also called merchandise or goods
- represent trade balance) and invisibles (also called non-merchandise).
• Invisibles include services, transfers and income.
• Capital Account: It shows a capital expenditure and income for a country.
• It gives a summary of the net flow of both private and public investment into an economy.
• External Commercial Borrowing (ECB), Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Portfolio
Investment, etc form a part of capital account.
Errors and Omissions: Sometimes the balance of payments does not balance. This
imbalance is shown in the BoP as errors and omissions. It reflects the country’s inability to
record all international transactions accurately.
• Changes in Foreign Exchange Reserves: Movements in the reserves comprises changes in the
foreign currency assets held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and also in Special Drawing
Rights (SDR)balances.
• Overall the BoP account can be a surplus or a deficit. If there is a deficit then it can be
bridged by taking money from the Foreign Exchange (Forex) Account.
• If the reserves in the forex account are falling short then this scenario is referred to as BoP
crisis.
Democracy Report 2022
• According to the latest report from the V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of
Gothenburg, the level of democracy
enjoyed by the average global
citizen in 2021 is down to 1989
levels, with the democratic gains
of the post-Cold War period
eroding rapidly in the last few
years.
• The Report is titled ‘Democracy
Report 2022: Autocratisation
Changing Nature?’.
• Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) produces the largest global dataset on democracy with over
30 million data points for 202 countries from 1789 to 2021.
• Earlier, the Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 was released by the International
Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA).
What Parameters were used to Assess the Status of a Democracy?
• The report classifies countries into four regime types based on their score in the Liberal
Democratic Index (LDI):
• Liberal Democracy, Electoral Democracy, Electoral Autocracy, and Closed Autocracy.
• The LDI captures both liberal (individual and minority rights) and electoral aspects (free and
fair elections) of a democracy based on 71 indicators that make up the Liberal Component
Index (LCI) and the Electoral Democracy Index (EDI).
• The LCI measures aspects such as protection of individual liberties and legislative
constraints on the executive, while the EDI considers indicators that guarantee free and fair
elections such as freedom of expression and freedom of association.
• In addition, the LDI also uses an Egalitarian Component Index (to what extent different
social groups are equal), Participatory Component Index (health of citizen groups, civil
society organisations), and Deliberative Component Index (whether political decisions are
taken through public reasoning focused on common good or through emotional appeals,
solidarity attachments, coercion).
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What are the Main Findings of the Report?
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Top Performance:
• Sweden topped the LDI index, other Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Norway,
along with Costa Rica and New Zealand make up the top five in liberal democracy rankings.
India’s Performance:
• India is part of a broader global trend of an anti-plural political party driving a country’s
autocratisation.
• It was ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries.
• It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and even lower in the
Deliberative Component Index, at 102.
• In South Asia, India is ranked below Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (71), and Bhutan (65) and above
Pakistan (117) in the LDI.
Spreading Autocratisation:
• Autocratisation is spreading rapidly, with a record of 33 countries autocratising.
• Signaling a sharp break from an average of 1.2 coups per year, 2021 saw a record 6 coups,
resulting in 4 new autocracies: Chad, Guinea, Mali and Myanmar.
While the number of liberal democracies stood at 42 in 2012, their number has shrunk to their
lowest level in over 25 years, with just 34 countries and 13% of the world population living in
liberal democracies.
• Closed autocracies, or dictatorships, rose from 25 to 30 between 2020 and 2021.
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Electoral Autocracy Most Common Regime Type:
• The world today has 89 democracies and 90 autocracies, electoral autocracy remains the
most common regime type, accounting for 60 countries and 44% of the world population or 3.4
billion people.
• Electoral democracies were the second most common regime, accounting for 55 countries
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and 16% of the world population.
What does the report say about the Changing Nature of Autocratisation?
Biggest Drivers of Autocratisation:
• One of the biggest drivers of autocratisation is “toxic polarisation”.
• Polarisation has been defined as a phenomenon that erodes respect of counter-arguments
and associated aspects of the deliberative component of democracy.
• It is a dominant trend in 40 countries, as opposed to 5 countries that showed rising
polarisation in 2011.
Toxic levels of polarisation contribute to electoral victories of anti-pluralist leaders and the
empowerment of their autocratic agendas.
• Noting that “polarisation and autocratisation are mutually reinforcing”, the report states
that “measures of polarisation of society, political polarisation, and political parties’ use of
hate speech tend to systematically rise together to extreme levels.”
Tools used to Sharpen Polarisation:
• “Misinformation” has been identified as a key tool deployed by autocratising governments
to sharpen polarisation and shape domestic and international opinion.
• Repression of civil society and censorship of media were other favoured tools of
autocratising regimes.
While freedom of expression declined in a record 35 countries in 2021, with only 10 showing
improvement, repression of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) worsened in 44 countries over the
past ten years, “putting it at the very top of the indicators affected by autocratisation”.
• Also, in 37 countries, direct government control over CSOs’ existence moved in an
authoritarian direction — “evidence of the far-ranging weakening of civil society around the
world.”
Decisive autonomy for the Electoral Management Body (EMB) deteriorated in 25 countries.
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WPI and CPI Inflation Rates
• Data released by the government showed that wholesale inflation in India rose to 13.11%
while the retail inflation rate in India -measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)- came in
at 6.07% in February 2022.
What is the Wholesale Price Index?
• It measures the changes in the prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale
businesses to other businesses.
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• Published by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It is the most widely used inflation indicator in India.
• Major criticism for this index is that the general public does not buy products at wholesale
price.
• The base year of All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017.
What is the Consumer Price Index?
• It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer. It is released by the
National Statistical Office (NSO).
• The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food,
medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.
• The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages, fuel and light, housing and
clothing, bedding and footwear.
Four types of CPI are as follows:
• CPI for Industrial Workers (IW).
• CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL).
• CPI for Rural Labourer (RL).
• CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined).
• Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and
Employment. Fourth is compiled by the NSO in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
• Base Year for CPI is 2012.
• Recently, the Ministry of Labour and Employment released the new series of Consumer Price
Index for Industrial Worker (CPI-IW) with base year 2016.
• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) uses CPI data to control inflation. In April 2014, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had adopted the CPI as its key measure of inflation.
What is the difference between CPI and WPI?
• WPI tracks inflation at the producer level and CPI captures changes in prices levels at the
consumer level.
• WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.
• In WPI, more weightage is given to manufactured goods, while in CPI, more weightage is
given to food items.
Bahini Scheme
• The Sikkim government is set to announce a scheme (Bahini) to install vending machines to
provide free sanitary pads.
•
• This is the first time that a state government has taken a decision to cover all girls studying
in Classes 9-12.
Deep Ocean Mission
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• the Ministry of Earth Sciences has launched the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).
•
• DOM is a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government
of India.
• Earlier, the Ministry of Earth Sciences had also rolled out the draft Blue Economy Policy.
• Blue Economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved
livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
What are the Major Components of DOM?
Development of Manned Submersible Vehicle:
• A manned submersible will
be developed to carry three
people to a depth of 6,000
metres in the ocean with a
suite of scientific sensors
and tools.
• NIOT & ISRO is jointly
developing a Manned
Submersible Vehicle.
• National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT), an
autonomous institute
under the Ministry of Earth
Sciences.
Development of Technologies for Deep Sea Mining:
• An Integrated Mining System will be also developed for mining polymetallic nodules at
those depths in the central Indian Ocean.
• Polymetallic nodules are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel
and cobalt.
• The exploration studies of minerals will pave the way for commercial exploitation in the
near future, as and when commercial exploitation code is evolved by the International
Seabed Authority, a United Nations (UN) organisation.
Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration:
• It will explore and identify potential sites of multi-metal Hydrothermal Sulphides
mineralization along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.
Energy and Freshwater from the Ocean:
Studies and detailed engineering design for offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
powered desalination plants are envisaged in this proof of concept proposal.
OTEC is a technology that uses ocean temperature differences from the surface to depths lower
than 1,000 metres, to extract energy.
Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology:
It is aimed at the development of human capacity and enterprise in ocean biology and
engineering.
It will translate research into industrial application and product development through on-site
business incubator facilities.
What is the Significance of DOM?
• Leveraging Ocean Resources: Oceans, which cover 70% of the globe, remain a key part
of our life. About 95% of the Deep Ocean remains unexplored.
• Three sides of India are surrounded by the oceans and around 30% of the country's
population lives in coastal areas, the ocean is a major economic factor supporting fisheries
and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods and blue trade.
• Considering the importance of the oceans on sustainability, the UN has declared the decade,
2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
• Long Coastline: India has a unique maritime position. Its 7517 km long coastline is home to
nine coastal states and 1382 islands.
• The Government of India's Vision of New India by 2030 announced in February 2019
highlighted the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.
Technology Expertise: The technology and expertise needed in such missions are now
available in only five countries - the US, Russia, France, Japan and China.
India will now be the sixth country to have it.
What are other Blue Economy Initiatives
• India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development:
• It was inaugurated jointly by both the countries in 2020 to develop and follow up joint
initiatives between the two countries.
• Sagarmala Project:
The Sagarmala project is the strategic initiative for port-led development through the extensive
use of IT-enabled services for the modernization of ports.
O-SMART:
India has an umbrella scheme by the name of O-SMART which aims at regulated use of oceans,
marine resources for sustainable development.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management:
It focuses on the conservation of coastal and marine resources, improving livelihood
opportunities for coastal communities etc.
National Fisheries Policy:
India has a National Fisheries policy for promoting the 'Blue Growth Initiative' which focuses on
sustainable utilisation of fisheries wealth from marine and other aquatic resources.
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Permanent Normal Trade Relations
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• US and other members of the Group of Seven (G7) will revoke Russia's "Permanent Normal
Trade Relations (Pntr)" status to punish Russia for war over Ukraine.
• The move would pave the way for the US to impose tariffs on a wide range of Russian goods,
heightening pressure on an economy on the brink of deep recession.
• A recession is a period of declining economic performance across an entire economy that
lasts for several months.
• The G7 is the group of developed western countries (UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan and the US) established in 1975.
What is PNTR?
i
• The status of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) is a legal designation in the United
States for free trade with a foreign nation.
• In the United States, the name was changed from Most Favored Nation (MFN) to PNTR in
1998.
What is MFN Status?
• World Trade Organization (WTO) members commit to treating other members equally so
they can all benefit from each other's lowest tariffs, highest import quotas and fewest trade
barriers for goods and services.
• This principle of non-discrimination is known as Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment.
• This is one of the measures which ensures trade without discrimination. Another one is
'National Treatment '.
• Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1994, requires every WTO
member country to accord MFN status to all other member countries.
• There are some exceptions, such as when members strike bilateral trade agreements or
when members offer developing countries special access to their markets.
• For countries outside the WTO, such as Iran, North Korea, Syria or Belarus, WTO members
can impose whatever trade measures they wish without flouting global trading rules.
• In international trade, MFN status (or treatment) is awarded by one nation to another.
• For example, India accorded MFN status to all WTO member countries, including Pakistan,
from the date of entry into force of the so called Marrakesh Agreement, establishing the
WTO.
• A nation with MFN status will not be discriminated against and will not be treated worse
than any other nation with MFN status.
• Grant someone a special favour (such as a lower customs duty rate for one of their
products) and you have to do the same for all other WTO members.
• There is no formal procedure for suspending MFN treatment and it is not clear whether
members are obliged to inform the WTO if they do so.
• India suspended Pakistan’s MFN status in 2019 after a suicide attack by a Pakistan-based
Islamist group killed 40 police. Pakistan never applied MFN status to India.
What is National treatment?
• It means treating foreigners and locals equally.
• Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally — at least after the foreign
goods have entered the market.
• The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local
trademarks, copyrights and patents.
• This principle of “national treatment” is also found in all the three main WTO agreements
(Article 3 of GATT, Article 17 of GATS and Article 3 of TRIPS).
• National treatment only applies once a product, service or item of intellectual property has
entered the market.
• Therefore, charging customs duty on an import is not a violation of national treatment even
if locally-produced products are not charged an equivalent tax.
What does losing MFN status mean?
• Revoking Russia's MFN status sends a strong signal that the United States and its Western
allies do not consider Russia a economic partner in any way, but it does not in itself change
conditions for trade.
• It does formally allow the Western allies to increase import tariffs or impose quotas on
Russian goods, or even ban them, and to restrict services out of the country.
• They could also overlook Russian intellectual property rights.
• Ahead of MFN status removal, the United States had already announced a ban on imports of
Russian oil and gas.
• Further, the European Union has already banned about 70% of all imports, such as tobacco,
potash and products made of wood or steel, from non-WTO member Belarus (Russia’s ally in
Dollar-Rupee Swap
I
• the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted a USD 5 billion dollar-rupee swap auction as part
of its liquidity management initiative. This move will lead to infusion of dollars and sucking
out of the rupee from the financial system.
• This will reduce the pressure on inflation and strengthen the rupee.
What is a Dollar–Rupee Swap auction?
• It’s a forex tool whereby the central bank uses its currency to buy another currency or vice
versa.
• Dollar–Rupee Buy/Sell Swap: The central bank buys dollars (US dollars or USD) from banks in
exchange for Indian Rupees (INR) and immediately gets into an opposite deal with banks
promising to sell dollars at a later date.
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Dollar–Rupee Sell/Buy Swap: When the central bank sells dollars, it sucks out an equivalent
amount in rupees, thus reducing the rupee liquidity in the system.
• These swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks as transaction terms are
set in advance.
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What is the RBI Planning to do?
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• The RBI sold USD 5.135 billion to banks and simultaneously agreed to buy back the dollars at
the end of the swap settlement period.
• The intent here is that the central bank acquires dollars from the seller, charging the lowest
premium possible for the two-year tenor.
• Accordingly, banks that bid at the lower range of the auction are successful at the auction.
• Assuming a dollar rate of Rs 75, the system liquidity will shrink by Rs 37,500 crore.
Why is RBI resorting to it now?
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• Surplus liquidity in the system is pegged at Rs 7.5 lakh crore, which needs to be curbed to
keep a tab on inflation.
• Usually, the central bank will resort to traditional tools such as increasing the repo rate or
increasing the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), but this can have a negative implication on the
economy.
• This negative implication can be seen in incomplete transmission of monetary policy.
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• Therefore, the RBI used a different toolkit - Variable Rate Reverse Repo Auction (VRRR) last
year.
• However, the recent VRRR auctions were undersubscribed by banks, as the cash market
offered instant and better yields, forcing the RBI to consider a longer-term liquidity
adjustment tool such as forex auctions.
What’s the Impact of the swap?
Reducing Liquidity: The major impact will be that liquidity which currently averages around Rs
7.6 lakh crore will shrink.
Checking Depreciation of Indian Rupee: Dollar inflow into the market will strengthen the
rupee which has already hit the 77 level against the US dollar.
Containing Inflation: The RBI normally brings down liquidity in the system when inflation
threatens to rise sharply. Inflation is set to rise due to following factors:
Rise in Oil Prices: With crude oil prices rising sharply in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war,
inflation is set to rise in the coming days.
Outflow of Institutional Investments: Foreign portfolio investors have been pulling out
funds from India. They have withdrawn Rs 34,000 crore from Indian stocks in March 2022 so far,
putting severe pressure on the rupee.
What is the Liquidity Management Initiative?
• The “liquidity management” of a central bank is defined as the framework, set of
instruments and especially the rules the central bank follows in steering the amount of
bank reserves in order to control their price (i.e. short term interest rates) consistently with
its ultimate goals (e.g. price stability).
• Bank reserves are the cash minimums that financial institutions must have on hand in order
to meet central bank requirements
• Liquidity Management Initiative is a tool used in monetary policy by the RBI, that allows
banks to borrow money through repurchase agreements (repos) or for banks to make loans
to the RBI through reverse repo agreements.
Various Instruments under this framework are:
• Repo/reverse repo auction
• Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)
• Forex Swaps
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UPI123Pay and Digisaathi
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched new UPI services for feature phones called
UPI123Pay for non internet users to make digital payments, also launched a 24x7 helpline for
digital payments called 'Digisaathi'.
• 'Digisaathi' has also been set up by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to
provide users with automated responses on information related to digital payment products
and services. Presently it is available in English and Hindi language.
What is Unified Payments Interface (UPI)?
• It is an advanced version of Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)- round–the-clock funds
transfer service to make cashless payments faster, easier and smoother.
• UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any
participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant
payments into one hood.
• UPI is currently the biggest among the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
operated systems including National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Immediate
Payment Service (IMPS), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), Bharat Bill Payment
System (BBPS), RuPay etc.
• The top UPI apps today include PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, Amazon Pay and BHIM, the
latter being the Government offering.
What is UPI 123 Pay?
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It will work on simple phones that do not have an internet connection.
As of now, the UPI features are mostly available only on smartphones.
The UPI service for feature phones will leverage the RBI's regulatory Sandbox on Retail Payments.
A regulatory sandbox usually refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test
regulatory environment for which regulators may permit certain regulatory relaxations for the
limited purpose of the testing.
The UPI service will enable digital transactions through a mechanism of ‘on-device’ wallet in UPI
applications."
The users will be able to undertake a host of transactions based on four technology alternatives
including- IVR (interactive voice response) number, missed call-based approach, app functionality
in feature phones and proximity sound-based payments..
Benefits:
The new service for feature phones will enable individuals to make direct payments to others
without smartphones and internet.
Users can initiate payments to friends and family, pay utility bills, recharge the FAST Tags of their
vehicles, pay mobile bills and also allow users to check account balances.
It will allow customers to use feature phones for almost all transactions except scan and pay.
UPI123Pay will benefit an estimated 40 crore feature phone users and enable them to undertake
digital payments in a secure manner. This will bring non-smartphone users under the digital
payment system.
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Defence Space Command Agency of Australia
• Recently, Australia has announced a new Defence Space Command Agency to counter the
growing influence of Russia and China in space.
What will be the Function of the Defence Space Command Agency?
The agency will provide training to people to become space specialists, help conduct strategic
space planning, and be able to be a part of any developments regarding the refinement of space
policy.
Australia will be setting scientific and space priorities with the agency in place and will be
working towards creating an efficient space architecture.
All the operations of the agency – including design, construction, maintenance – will be within the
purview of the standards and limitations of the Defence Ministry of Australia.
What are the Space Command Structures around the World?
• Spacecom - US Space Force.
• Defence Space Agency (DSA) - India
•
•
•
•
Joint Space Command (France)
Iranian Space Command (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force)
Russian Space Forces (Russian Aerospace Forces)
United Kingdom Space Command (Royal Air Force)
What is the Concept of Militarization and Weaponization of Outer Space?
• The concept for space weaponization came up in the early 1980s through the “Strategic
Defence Initiative” (SDI) also known as the “Star Wars” programme of the United States.
• The idea was to put a large number of satellites into orbit that would detect the launch of
enemy missiles and then shoot them down.
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Militarisation Vs Weaponization of Outer Space:
• Weaponization refers to the placement in orbit of space-based devices that have destructive
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capacity.
• Militarisation of outer space refers to the use of space in support of ground, sea and airbased military operations.
What is the Issue of Militarisation and Weaponization of Space?
Global commons under threat: The Global Commons for Outer Space is under threat in the
present times. Increasing militarization of outer space has started the race of weaponizing outer
space.
For example, Anti-SAT missiles can destroy satellites in outer space.
Threat to Global Communication System: Anti-satellite missiles can destroy the
communication satellites which would bring down the communication system.
• Uplink and downlink jamming of satellites would also negatively impact the communication.
What is the Status of Outer Space Weaponization for India?
• India conducted a successful anti-satellite test in March 2019. The test placed India in the
company of China, Russia, and the United States in terms of fielding a practical anti-satellite
capability.
• In 2019, India also established two new bureaucracies for space, the Defense Space Research
Organization (DSRO) and the Defense Space Agency (DSA).
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• India conducted its first integrated space warfare exercise in July 2019, bringing together
personnel from across the services. The exercise focused on using communications and
reconnaissance satellites to integrate intelligence and fires across the range of Indian
military assets, indicating a firm understanding of the necessity of access to space.
What are the Global Rules and Demands related to Space?
Outer Space Treaty of 1967:
• The treaty prohibits countries from placing into orbit around the Earth “any objects carrying
nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”.
• It also prohibits the stationing of such weapons on celestial bodies, like the moon, or in
outer space. The moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all state parties to the
treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes.
• India is a party to the Outer Space Treaty.
• There are four more multilateral treaties that deal with specific concepts agreed to in the
Outer Space Treaty:
1. The Rescue Agreement of 1968
2. The Space Liability Convention of 1972
3. The Registration Convention of 1976
4. The Moon Treaty of 1979
• The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) oversees
these treaties and other questions of space jurisdiction. None of these, however, prohibits
the Anti-Sat missions of various countries.
• TCBMS: The international community has been debating the need to introduce Transparency
and Confidence-Building Measures in outer space activities (TCBMS).
In this regard, the European Union (EU) has also prepared a draft code of conduct (CoC). However,
major powers are yet to agree on the idea of establishing a CoC conduct.
• PPWT: Another important idea that has been put on the table jointly by Russia and China is
the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT) instead of only Weapons
of Mass Destruction which is resisted by the US and the EU.
PACER Scheme
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• Recently, the Polar Science and Cryosphere (PACER) scheme has been approved for
continuation by the Union Cabinet from 2021 to 2026.
What is PACER Scheme?
• PACER encompasses the following six
components.
1. Construction of polar research vessel
2. Construction of the third research base in
3.
4.
5.
6.
Antarctica
Indian scientific endeavours in the Arctic
Polar expeditions-Antarctica
Southern Ocean Expedition
It is implemented through the National
Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
(NCPOR).
What are the Major Works under this
Scheme?
• Understanding of Biogeochemical Processes:
Field-based studies were conducted in the
lakes of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica for
the understanding of biogeochemical
processes in supraglacial environments.
IndARC System: The IndARC mooring system
along with the Hydrophone system was
successfully retrieved and deployed in
Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.
• Research Studies in Himalayas: Glaciological field campaigns were carried out in six
benchmark glaciers in Chandra basin of Lahaul-Spiti region of Western Himalaya.
Winter snow accumulation over the glaciers was recorded using snow pits and snow corners.
• Automatic Weather Station (AWS) Systems: Two new Automatic Weather Station (AWS)
systems were installed at Baralacha La, a high elevation site in the arid Spiti region to
strengthen infrastructure across the Chandra basin.
• Southern Ocean Expedition :The 11th Indian Southern Ocean Expedition was executed
successfully
What is the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)?
• It is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Its responsibilities include:
• Management and upkeep of the Indian Antarctic Research Bases “Maitri” and “Bharati”, and
the Indian Arctic base “Himadri”.
• Management of the Ministry’s research vessel Ocean Research Vehicle (ORV) Sagar Kanya as
well as the other research vessels chartered by the Ministry.
• The ORV Sagar Kanya is a versatile ocean observing platform equipped with technologically
advanced scientific equipment and related facilities.
• Playing a facilitatory role in the scientific research activities being undertaken by several
national institutions and organisations in Antarctica, the Arctic and in the Indian Ocean
sector of the Southern Ocean.
• It is located in the state of Goa.
What are India’s Arctic Missions?
• India launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic Ocean in 2007.
• India opened a research base named “Himadri” in Svalbard, Norway in July 2008 to carry out
studies in disciplines like Glaciology, Atmospheric sciences & Biological sciences.
What are India’s Antarctic Missions?
• India officially acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System on 1st August 1983.
• On 12th September 1983, India became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic
Treaty.
• India is expanding its infrastructure development in Antarctica.
• The newest base commissioned in 2015 is Bharati.
• India is rebuilding its station, Maitri, to make it bigger and last for at least 30 more years.
• Dakshin Gangotri, the first Indian base established in 1984, has weakened and become just a
supply base.
• Sagar Nidhi: In 2008, India commissioned the Sagar Nidhi, for research.
• It is an ice-class vessel, it can cut through the thin ice of 40 cm depth and is the first Indian
vessel to navigate Antarctic waters.
Earth Hour
• Every year on 26th March, people around the planet take an hour off electricity by switching
off their lights at homes and offices as a show of support for conservation of energy during
the World Earth Hour.
• It has to be noted here that the Earth Hour is different from Earth Day (22nd April).
What is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature?
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• It is the world’s leading conservation organisation and works in more than 100 countries.
Established:
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• It was established in 1961 and is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland
Mission:
• To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
Other Initiatives of WWF:
• TX2 Goal
• TRAFFIC
• Living Planet Report
What is an Earth Hour?
About:
• Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in
2007.
• It is held every year on the last Saturday of March.
• It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to
9.30 pm as per their local time.
• The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a symbolic call
for environmental protection.
2022 Theme:
Shape Our Future
What are the Objectives and Significance?
Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature,
tackling the climate crisis, and working together to shape a brighter future for humans.
It calls for the world to unite in a moment of solidarity for people and the planet.
The practice has become a catalyst for dramatic change and collective action towards protecting
the environment.
• The symbolic lights-out Earth Hour has become the world's largest grassroots movement to
raise awareness about climate change and energy conservation and to assure a sustainable,
brighter future.
What are the Major Indian Initiatives for Energy Conservation?
Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT): It is a market based mechanism to enhance the cost
effectiveness in improving the Energy Efficiency in Energy Intensive industries through
certification of energy saving which can be traded.
Standards and Labeling: The scheme was launched in 2006 and is currently invoked for
equipment/appliances.
Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC): It was developed for new commercial
buildings in 2007.
Demand Side Management: It is the selection, planning, and implementation of measures
intended to have an influence on the demand or customer-side of the electric metre.