Category: Burning Issues

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Context

• Recently, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar snubbed US  (while justifying its ties with Russia) over opting for Pakistan’s Dictatorship as a reliable partner over India.
• The minister is being praised by several experts for such graceful criticism of the US and at the same time highlights the independent foreign policy conduct of India in recent times.
• Thus, this edition of the burning issue will highlight the evolution of Indian foreign policy, its current standing and its way forward. 

What are foreign policy and diplomacy?

• Foreign Policy is a framework within which the Government of a given country conducts its relations with the outside world in different formats i.e. bilateral, regional and multilateral or global.
• Diplomacy on its part is a profession, skill and art of managing a country’s relations with the rest of the world to achieve the objectives of the country’s foreign policy. Broadly, Diplomacy can be political, economic or cultural, and ideally should work in tandem.
• As a rule, diplomacy is pursued through established diplomatic channels and mechanisms. It may or may not always be transparent and in public knowledge. At times It can be pursued through back-door channels or informal Track 1.5 /Track2 mechanisms.

Objectives of Indian foreign policy

• The first and foremost objective of India’s Foreign Policy –like that of any other country is to secure its national interests.
• The scope of “national interests” is fairly wide. In our case it includes for instance: securing our borders to protect territorial integrity, countering cross-border terrorism, energy security, food security, cyber security, creation of world-class infrastructure, non-discriminatory global trade practices, equitable global responsibility for the protection of the environment, reform of institutions of global governance to reflect the contemporary realities, disarmament, regional stability, international peace and so on.
• In short, our Foreign policy has at least four important goals– To protect India from traditional and non-traditional threats; To create an external environment which is conducive to inclusive development of India so that the benefits of growth can reach the poorest of the poor in the country; To ensure that India’s voice is heard on global forums and that India can influence world opinion on issues of global dimensions such as terrorism, climate change, disarmament, reforms of institutions of global governance, and To engage and protect Indian Diaspora.

Evolution of Indian foreign policy

(A) Phase of the cold war

• Navigating the Cold War- The NAM way – The first high point of Indian diplomacy can thus be considered to be the decision of the then leadership not to take sides in the Cold War. This led to the now well-known Policy of Non-Alignment. It was a concept which was not only not understood but also fiercely opposed by the two global camps. India paid the price for it, with the West taking non-alignment as a cover for a pro-Soviet tilt, which led to its alignment with Pakistan, including militarily.
• Leading the decolonization movement– The second, somewhat linked, the high point of that era was the role India played in becoming the voice of the former colonies of Asia and Africa and the moral and political force for decolonization. Many initiatives, epitomized by the Asian Relations Conference, were taken to give Asia its rightful place in a badly divided world.
• Relation with Pakistan and China– The third high point relates to the period of the late 1950s and 1960s when India was embroiled in wars with both China and Pakistan. Indian diplomacy was called upon to rally world opinion against the aggressors and defend India’s interests bilaterally and in the United Nations. Despite the best efforts of Pakistan and China, India managed to limit the damage to its interests in the then State of J&K, and even blunt Pakistani efforts.
• Bangladesh war The liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 and the events leading to it marked a turning point in Indian diplomacy. India successfully campaigned throughout the world to highlight the atrocities, crimes and killings perpetrated by the Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. It was a particularly daunting diplomatic task because this was also the time the US was making its opening to the Peoples’s Republic of China. Pakistan was co-opted in this effort, with the result that the Indian diplomatic machinery was pitted against the powerful US-Pakistan-China axis.

(B) Post-cold war phase

• The nuclear weapon state-The the late nineties and early 2000s witnessed other major developments. India conducted its nuclear weapons tests in 1998 and became a nuclear weapon power. A major diplomatic effort was launched across the world to explain India’s security challenges. A special channel of communication was opened with the US which led to key strategic understandings between India and the US, leading to a breakthrough in the relationship.
• Neighbourhood first- the Gujral doctrine- The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbours. These five principles arise from the belief that India’s stature and strength cannot be isolated from the quality of its relations with its neighbours. Gujral’s policy of non-reciprocal accommodation led to the signing of a 30-year treaty between India and Bangladesh on December 12, 1996. NDA government (1998-2004) led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the United Progressive Alliance government led by Manmohan Singh have continued with Gujral’s foreign policy which emphasized the need to have “a peaceful, stable and constructive environment in India’s neighbourhood” which is being regarded as “vital for the goals of accelerated development for India and the region”. It, thus, recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours.
• Connection to ASEAN: The Look east policy– The period 1991-1992 saw the enunciation of India’s Look East Policy. India became a sectoral partner of ASEAN in 1992 and was upgraded to a Full Dialogue Partner in 1995. In 2005, India became a Partner of the East Asia Summit process. All these moves were meant to assert India’s natural links with the rapidly growing East Asian ‘tigers’, and establish its presence in China’s neighbourhood. The “Look East” Policy was the outcome of two major events – the strategic setback to India as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the balance of payments crisis of 1991.

(C) Post-2008 Financial Crisis

• Membership to BRICS- BRICS is a grouping of the five emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, mooted in the year 2001 by Goldman Sachs, these five emerging countries from different regions of the world are increasingly seen as the centre of global power transition. Coinciding with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008-09 the main aim of the grouping is to foster cooperation, policy coordination and political dialogue regarding international economic and financial matters. India has been an active participant in this organisation from its inception. Maintaining economic growth that benefits India’s citizens in terms of job creation, GDP growth, and poverty alleviation is in the country’s national interest.
• US partnership growth– The signing of the Indo-US Nuclear Agreement, India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the lifting of sanctions on technology transfer to India all happened in 2008. Put together these were breakthroughs with major ramifications. The Agreement on cooperation on civil nuclear energy was arrived at with bipartisan support in the US, thanks to Indian diplomatic efforts. It legitimized India’s nuclear weapon program and transformed India’s relations with the US.

(D) Current Phase (2014-Till Now)  

• Balancing divergent coalitions- India’s foreign policy has been successfully managing several divergent coalitions at the same time, hence upholding its ‘strategic Autonomy’. Coalitions like SCO, RIC are being balanced with QUAD and JAI. Similarly, the Arab world is being balanced with a growing partnership with Israel and a relationship with US and G7 nations to that with Russia and China.
• From Non-alignment to Multiple alignments– The nonaligned movement has lost its earlier relevance with the end of the Cold War and India no longer refers to nonalignment as the basis of its foreign policy. In the new context, we now speak of India pursuing a policy of multi-alignment or issue-based alignment. This explains the transformations of our ties with the US that includes the signing of various foundational defence agreements and substantial defence purchases, designation as Major Defence Partner, elaborate military exercises as well as membership of the Quad and a commitment to the Indo-Pacific concept. This explains also our membership in BRICS, the SCO and the continuation of the Russia-India-China dialogue. In other words, we are pursuing our interests in all forums without either exclusivity or entering into alliances with any set of countries.
• Soft power projection- On 11 December 2014, a record 177 countries in the UN co-sponsored and voted in favour of declaring an International Day of Yoga on June 21st every year. This was an extraordinary display of India’s soft power and acceptability cutting across regions, religions, colours, and languages. Other than this, multiple temples are being opened worldwide, cultural programmes, 150 years of MK Gandhi’s Birth celebrations around the world testimonies India’s growing Soft power.
• Aid diplomacy– The diplomatic effort launched by India to help global efforts in combatting the Covid pandemic in 2020-2021, however, was unprecedented in terms of its scale and reach. It established India’s role as the pharmacy of the world. Similarly, humanitarian operations such as Vande Bharat which brought back millions of Indians during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021 were the largest such exercise conducted. Operation Ganga was launched to bring back stranded Indian students from the war zone in Ukraine in 2022. The last few years have seen a much bigger deployment of Indian diplomatic efforts in the service of Indians overseas. Today, the interests of the almost 31 million-strong Indian diaspora are a top priority for the government.
• Taking up leadership role– India has successfully created international coalitions that contribute to global welfare based on India’s national experience and strengths. These are specific and practical initiatives that bring diplomacy and real-life challenges together. Prominent among these are the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Traditional Medicine. We have entered into an era of proactive malalignments and building international coalitions of common interest.
• Indo-pacific construct promotion– The geo-strategic events currently playing out in the Indo-Pacific region bears a resemblance to the political environment in which ancient Indian strategic thought in Kautilya’s Arthashastra took shape. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s characterisation of the region as representing the “emergence of multi-polarity and the benefits of rebalancing”, is starkly similar to how Arthashastra describes the political landscape of the ancient mahajanapada kingdoms. In many ways, the churn in the two oceans—the Indian and Pacific—symbolises a “return of history”, to borrow a phrase used by Jaishankar at the first edition of the Indo-Pacific Business Summit in June 2021. The Indo-Pacific, seen through a maritime prism, necessitates a strategic preoccupation characteristically different from a purely continental one.

Long cherished goals of Indian foreign policy: The Challenges

• Reform global political and financial system- India since the cold war phase has been trying to reform the global political system represented by the UN General assembly, its several bodies, WTO, and IMF to make them more democratic and representative thus making them work in favour of least developed nations also.
• Permanent UNSC seat- Minister Jaishankar has aptly pointed out that excluding India which will in time be the most populous state in the world and the third largest economy would call into question the representative nature of the UNSC. India has recently started putting strongly its demand for a permanent seat at UNSC and overall UNSC reforms. India has formed a grouping called ‘G4 nations’ including Germany, japan and brazil to promote the idea of UNSC reforms.
• Pakistan conundrum- India and Pakistan, the two nuclear-armed giants of South Asia. Disputes over their shared border and the territory of Kashmir have been a recurrent source of conflict between the two countries throughout their histories, and new geopolitical alignments, changes in conventional and nuclear military capabilities, and deep mistrust continue to forestall any normalization of ties. China’s rise and the attendant great power competition have complicated both Islamabad’s and New Delhi’s strategic calculus as they both look to balance relations with Washington and Beijing.

Way forward

• Adding Ethical Values to Indian Foreign Policy: Mahatma Gandhi said, politics without principles is a death trap. India should move towards ethical persuasion, thus reclaiming moral leadership on the world stage similar to NAM.
• Becoming a Rule maker and not just a rules taker: India should actively assert itself during the formulation process of world norms, from the environment to economics.
• Balancing approach: India must remain balanced in the global rivalry between China and the U.S., as what happens in Asia affects us most. At a regional level, India should hedge Chinese expansion by cementing ties with Vietnam, Japan and Australia.
• Promote world peace: The focus of India’s foreign policy should not be limited to seeking a permanent seat in Security Council or revenge for historical wrongs but welfare and peace should be given more importance.
• Finding new partners: India needs the world for energy and other resource endowments. Finding partners who share a common interest in terms of energy security, climate change, cyber security etc is the way forward
• Focusing on neighbours also: A concerted focus on the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association of Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) is needed given China’s increasing presence in both regions.

Conclusion

• Today, India is a significant player on the global stage by its strength as a rising power. It is a member of the G20, is invited to the G7 meetings and is a lead player in Climate Change negotiations through its initiatives in this area. 
• We are living in a dynamic world. India’s foreign policy is therefore geared up to be proactive, flexible as well as pragmatic to make quick adjustments to respond to evolving situations. In the implementation of its foreign policy, India, however, invariably adheres to a set of basic principles on which no compromise is made.
• As we celebrate 75 years of our Independence, the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we should be proud of our diplomatic history and the contributions to it by successive generations of Indian diplomats as well as governments. 

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Context

• Recently, a Tamil movie- Ponniyin Selvan I, based on Kalki’s wonderful creation of a world of the Cholas, has been released in Indian theatres.
• The movie has renewed the interest in knowing more about one of the oldest and longest-ruling dynasties in the history of Southern India spreading over four centuries.
• Therefore, this edition of the Burning Issue will talk about the Great Chola Empire and its achievements.

About the Cholas

• The Chola Dynasty was a Tamil empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in world history.
• The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE during the reign of Ashoka of the Maurya Empire.
• As one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, along with the Chera and Pandya, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territories until the 13th century CE.

Origin

• Little knowledge: There is very little written evidence for the Cholas before the 7th century CE. The main sources of information about the early Cholas are ancient Tamil literature of the Sangam Period, oral traditions, religious texts, and temple and copperplate inscriptions.
• From Asokan edicts: Later medieval Cholas also claimed a long and ancient lineage. The Cholas are mentioned in Ashokan Edicts (inscribed 273 BCE–232 BCE) as one of the Mauryan Empire’s neighbors to the South (Ashoka Major Rock Edict No.13), who was thought not subject to Ashoka, were on friendly terms with him.
• From Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: There are also brief references to the Chola country and its towns, ports and commerce in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and the slightly later work of the geographer Ptolemy. 
• Mahavamsa: a Buddhist text written down during the 5th century CE, recounts several conflicts between the inhabitants of Sri Lanka and Cholas in the 1st century BCE.

Territorial extent

• Kaveri and Tungabhadra valley: The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valleyofthe Kaveri river. Still, they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. They unified peninsular India, south of the Tungabhadra, and held as one state for three centuries between 907 and 1215 AD.
• Southeast Asia: The power and the prestige the Cholas had among political powers in South, South-eastern, and eastern Asia at its peak is evident through their expeditions to the Ganges, naval raids on cities of the Srivijaya empire based on the island of Sumatra, and their repeated embassies to China. The Chola fleet represented the zenith of ancient Indian maritime capacity.
• Maldives: During the period of 1010–1153 CE, the Chola territories stretched from the Maldives in the south to the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh as the northern limit. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed part of the Rajarata kingdom in present-day Sri Lanka, and occupied Maldives islands.
• North India: His son Rajendra Chola further expanded the Chola territory by sending a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala.
• Controlling Sri Vijay Empire: By 1019, he also completely conquered the Rajarata kingdom of Sri Lanka and annexed it to the Chola empire.^[6] In 1025, Rajendra Chola also successfully invaded the cities of the Srivijaya empire, based on the island of Sumatra. However, the Chola influence on Srivijava would last until 1070, when the Cholas began to lose almost all of their overseas territories. The later Cholas (1070–1279) would still rule portions of Southern India.

History of the Chola Rulers

The history of the Cholas falls into four periods:

(A) Early Cholas

• The earliest Chola kings, there is tangible evidence mentioned in the Sangam literature.
• The Sangam literature records legends about mythical Chola kings. These myths speak of the Chola king Kantaman, a supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kaveri into existence.
• Two names prominent among those Chola kings who feature in Sangam literature are Karikala and Kocengannan.
• Urayur (now a part of Thiruchirapalli) was their oldest capital. Kaveripattinam also served as an early Chola capital. 
• The Mahavamsa mentions that an ethnic Tamil adventurer, a Chola prince known as Ellalan, invaded the Rajarata kingdom of Sri Lanka and conquered it in 235 BCE with the help of a Mysore army.

(B) Medieval Cholas- The Imperial Cholas

• Little is known of the fate of the Cholas during the succeeding three centuries until the accession of Vijayalaya in the second quarter of the 9th century.
• Vijayalaya was the founder of the Imperial Chola dynasty which was the beginning of one of the most splendid empires in Indian history. He took an opportunity arising out of a conflict between the Pandya dynasty and Pallava dynasty in 850 CE, captured Thanjavur from Muttarayar, and established the imperial line of the medieval Chola Dynasty. Thanjavur became the capital of the Imperial Chola Dynasty.
• The second Chola King, Aditya I, caused the demise of the Pallava dynasty and defeated the Pandyan dynasty of Madurai in 885, occupied large parts of the Kannada country, and had marital ties with the Western Ganga dynasty.
• In 925, his son Parantaka I conquered Sri Lanka (known as Ilangai). Parantaka I also defeated the Rashtrakuta dynasty under Krishna II in the battle of Vallala.^[52]
• Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I were the greatest rulers of the Chola dynasty, extending it beyond the traditional limits of a Tamil kingdom.
• At its peak, the Chola Empire stretched from the northern parts of Sri Lanka in the south to the Godavari–Krishna river basin in the north, up to the Konkan coast in Bhatkal, the entire Malabar Coast (the Chea country) in addition to Lakshadweep, and Maldives.
• Rajendra Chola I conquered Odisha and his armies continued to march further north and defeated the forces of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal and reached the Ganges river in north India.
• Rajendra Chola I built a new capital called Gangaikonda Cholapuram to celebrate his victories in northern India. Rajendra Chola I successfully invaded the Srivijaya kingdom in Southeast Asia which led to the decline of the empire there.
• This expedition had such a great impression on the Malay people of the medieval period that his name was mentioned in the corrupted form of Raja Chulan in the medieval Malay chronicle Sejarah Melayu.

Later Cholas (1070–1279)

• The Later Chola dynasty was led by capable rulers such as Kulothunga Chola I, his son Vikrama Chola, and other successors like Rajaraja Chola II, Rajadhiraja Chola II, and Kulothunga Chola III, who conquered Kalinga, Ilam, and Kataha.
• However, the rule of the later Cholas between 1218, starting with Rajaraja Chola II, to the last emperor Rajendra Chola III was not as strong as those of the emperors between 850 and 1215.
• Around 1118, they lost control of Vengi to the Western Chalukya and Gangavadi (southern Mysore districts) to the Hoysala Empire.
• However, these were only temporary setbacks, because immediately following the accession of king Vikrama Chola, the son, and successor of Kulothunga Chola I, the Cholas lost no time in recovering the province of Vengi by defeating Chalukya Someshvara III and also recovering Gangavadi from the Hoysalas.

Administration and society

(A) General administration

• System of Government:  In the age of the Cholas, the whole of South India was for the first time brought under a single government. The king was the supreme leader and a benevolent authoritarian. The Cholas’ system of government was monarchical, as in the Sangam age. Aside from the early capital at Thanjavur and later on at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Kanchipuram and Madurai were considered to be regional capitals in which occasional courts were held.
• Division of territory: The Chola Dynasty was divided into several provinces called mandalas which were further divided into valanadus, which were subdivided into units called kottams or kutrams.
• Land assessment: There was an expansion of the administrative structure, particularly from the reign of Rajaraja Chola I onwards. The government at this time had a large land revenue department, consisting of several tiers, which was largely concerned with maintaining accounts. The assessment and collection of revenue were undertaken by corporate bodies such as the ur, nadu, sabha, nagaram and sometimes by local chieftains who passed the revenue to the centre.
• At the local government level: every village was a self-governing unit. A number of villages constituted a larger entity known as a kurram, nadu or kottam, depending on the area. A number of kurrams constituted a valanadu. These structures underwent constant change and refinement throughout the Chola period.
• Justice: was mostly a local matter in the Chola Empire; minor disputes were settled at the village level. Punishments for minor crimes were in the form of fines. Crimes of the state, such as treason, were heard and decided by the king himself.

(B) Military

• Army: The Chola dynasty had a robust military, of which the king was the supreme commander. It had four elements, comprising the cavalry, the elephant corps, several divisions of infantry and a navy. The Chola army was spread all over the country and was stationed in local garrisons or military camps known as Kodagams.
• Forts and palaces: The Chola rulers built several palaces and fortifications to protect their cities. According to the ancient Tamil text Silappadikaram, the Tamil kings defended their forts with catapults that threw stones, huge cauldrons of boiling water or molten lead, and hooks, chains and traps.
• Navy: The Chola navy was the zenith of ancient India sea power. It played a vital role in the expansion of the empire, including the conquest of the Ceylon islands and naval raids on Srivijaya.
• Patronization of martial arts: A martial art called Silambam was patronised by the Chola rulers. Ancient and medieval Tamil texts mention different forms of martial traditions but the ultimate expression of the loyalty of the warrior to his commander was a form of martial suicide called Navakandam. The medieval Kalingathu Parani text, which celebrates the victory of Kulothunga Chola I and his general in the battle for Kalinga, describes the practice in detail.

(C) Economy

• Economy structure: Land revenue and trade tax were the main sources of income. The Chola rulers issued their coins in gold, silver and copper. The Chola economy was based on three tiers—at the local level, agricultural settlements formed the foundation of commercial towns nagaram, which acted as redistribution centers.
• Exports: One of the main articles which were exported to foreign countries were cotton cloth. Uraiyur, the capital of the early Chola rulers, was a famous centre for cotton textiles which were praised by Tamil poets.
• Weaving: The Chola rulers actively encouraged the weaving industry and derived revenue from it. During the Chola period, silk weaving attained a high degree and Kanchipuram became one of the main centres for silk.
• Metal crafts: reached its zenith during the 10th to 11th centuries because the Chola rulers like Chembian Maadevi extended their patronage to metal craftsmen. Wootz steel was a major export item.
• Agriculture: was the principal occupation for many people. Besides the landowners, there were others dependent on agriculture.
• Internal trade: The metal industries and the jeweler’s art had reached a high degree of excellence. The manufacture of sea salt was carried on under government supervision and control. Trade was carried on by merchants organised in guilds. The guilds described sometimes by the terms nanadesis were a powerful autonomous corporation of merchants which visited different countries in the course of their trade.

(D) Society

• Origin of guilds: During the Chola period several guilds, communities and castes emerged. The guild was one of the most significant institutions of south India and merchants organised themselves into guilds. The best known of these were the Manigramam and Ayyavole guilds though other guilds such as Anjuvannam and Valanjiyar were also in existence.
• The Vellalar community: was the dominant secular aristocratic caste under the Chola rulers, providing the courtiers, most of the army officers, the lower ranks of the bureaucracy and the upper layer of the peasantry. 
• The Ulavar community: were working in the field which was associated with agriculture and the peasants were known as Kalamar.
• The Kaikolar community: were weavers and merchants but they also maintained armies. During the Chola period they had predominant trading and military roles. During the reign of the Imperial Chola rulers (10th–13th century) there were major changes in the temple administration and land ownership.
• Education: The quality of the inscriptions of the regime indicates a high level of literacy and education. The text in these inscriptions was written by court poets and engraved by talented artisans.

(E) Foreign trade

• Link to foreign markets: The Cholas excelled in foreign trade and maritime activity, extending their influence overseas to China and Southeast Asia. Towards the end of the 9th century, southern India had developed extensive maritime and commercial activity. The Tang dynasty of China, the Srivijaya empire under the Sailendras, and the Abbasid Kalifat at Baghdad were the main trading partners.
• Connectivity to China: Some credit for the emergence of a world market must also go to the dynasty. It played a significant role in linking the markets of China to the rest of the world. The market structure and economic policies of the Chola dynasty were more conducive to a large-scale, cross-regional market trade than those enacted by the Chinese.

(F) Canals and water tanks

• Canals: There was tremendous agrarian expansion during the rule of the imperial Chola Dynasty (c. 900–1270 AD) all over Tamil Nadu and particularly in the Kaveri Basin. Most of the canals of the Kaveri River belongs to this period e.g., Uyyakondan canal, Rajendran vaykkal, Sembian Mahadegvi vaykkal.
• Tanks: Rajendra Chola built a huge tank named Solagangam in his capital city Gangaikonda Solapuram and was described as the liquid pillar of victory. About 16 miles long, it was provided with sluices and canals for irrigating the lands in the neighbouring areas.

Cultural contribution

(A) Architecture and sculpture

• Cultural influence in South-east Asia: Examples of the Hindu cultural influence found today throughout Southeast Asia owe much to the legacy of the Cholas. For example, the great temple complex at Prambanan in Indonesia exhibit a number of similarities with South Indian architecture. According to the Malay chronicle, Chola rule is remembered in Malaysia today as many princes there have names ending with Cholan or Chulan, one such being Raja Chulan, the Raja of Perak.
• New form of architecture: The Cholas continued the temple-building traditions of the Pallava dynasty and contributed significantly to the Dravidian temple design. A new development was the addition of a huge gateway called gopuram to the enclosure of the temple. The Chola school of art also spread to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia.

• Temple building: received great impetus from the conquests and the genius of Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola I. The magnificent Shiva temple of Thanjavur, was built by Rajaraja. The temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram at Gangaikondacholapuram, the creation of Rajendra Chola. The Brihadisvara Temple, the temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram were declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO and are referred to as the Great living Chola temples.
• Sculptures: The Chola period is also remarkable for its sculptures and bronzes. Though conforming generally to the iconographic conventions established by long tradition, the sculptors worked with great freedom in the 11th and the 12th centuries to achieve a classic grace and grandeur. The best example of this can be seen in the form of Nataraja the Divine Dancer.

(B) Literature

• Tamil works: The Imperial Chola era was the golden age of Tamil culture, marked by the importance of literature. Chola records cite many works, including the Rajarajesvara Natakam, Viranukkaviyam and Kannivana Puranam.
• Jain and Buddhist: authors flourished as well, although in fewer numbers than in previous centuries.Jivaka-chintamani by Tirutakkatevar and Sulamani by Tolamoli are among notable works by non-Hindu authors. The grammarian Buddhamitra wrote a text on Tamil grammar called Virasoliyam.
• Commentaries: were written on the great text Tolkāppiyam which deals with grammar but also mentions ethics of warfare. Periapuranam was another remarkable literary piece of this period. Kamban flourished during the reign of Kulothunga III. His Ramavataram (also referred to as Kambaramayanam) is an epic of Tamil literature.
• Telugu literature: The period was in particular significant for the development of Telugu literature under the patronage of the rulers. It was the age in which the great Telugu poets Tikkana, Ketana, Marana and Somana enriched the literature with their contributions.
• Devotional literature: the arrangement of the Shaivite canon into eleven books was the work of Nambi Andar Nambi, who lived close to the end of the 10th century.

(C) Religion

• Largely Hindu: In general, Cholas were followers of Hinduism. They were not swayed by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism as were the kings of the Pallava and Pandya dynasties.
• Patronized Buddhism: The second Chola king, Aditya I (871–903 CE), built temples for Shiva and also for Vishnu. Rajaraja Chola I patronised Buddhists and provided for the construction of the Chudamani Vihara, a Buddhist monastery in Nagapattinam, at the request of Sri Chulamanivarman, the Srivijaya Sailendra king.

Decline of the Cholas

• Rise of Pandyan’s: The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyan dynasty, which ultimately caused their downfall. The Cholas, under Rajaraja Chola III and later, his successor Rajendra Chola III, were quite weak and therefore, experienced continuous trouble. During the rule of Kulothunga Chola II, the decline of the Chola power started following his defeat by Maravarman Sundara Pandiyan II in 1215–16.
• Loss of Sri Lanka: the Cholas also lost control of the island of Lanka and were driven out by the revival of Sinhala power. In continuation of the decline, also marked by the resurgence of the Pandyan dynasty as the most powerful rulers in South India.

Current significance

• Inspired tamil literature: The Chola dynasty has inspired many Tamil authors. The most important work of this genre is the popular Ponniyin Selvan (The son of Ponni), a historical novel in Tamil written by Kalki Krishnamurthy.
• Sandilyan, another popular Tamil novelist, wrote Kadal Pura in the 1960s. More recently, Balakumaran wrote the novel Udaiyar, which is based on the circumstances surrounding Rajaraja Chola’s construction of the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur. The Cholas were the subject of the 2010 Tamil-language film Aayirathil Oruvan, and the 2022 film Ponniyin Selvan: I. The 2022 movie was based on a novel of the same name.

Conclusion

• Our history books offer little to read about ancient Tamil kingdoms such as the Cholas.
• The monumental relics left behind; the majestic bronzes and 1,00,000 inscriptions and temples which are characteristic of the times, are for the eyes to feast on.

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Context

• Despite the global decline in crude oil prices over the last month and buying of cheap Russian crude oil, the retail prices of Petrol and Diesel in India have remained high. These increased prices have also caused high inflation in India, leading to an increase in key policy rates by RBI.
• In this context, in this edition of the burning issue, we will study Global fuel dynamics and how it impacts India’s energy security.

Global fuel dynamics

• Global production of oil- averaged 95.6 million barrels per day in 2021. The top producing country group was OPEC (31.7 million b/d) followed by OECD (31.0 million b/d). The top three producing countries were the United States (18.9 million b/d), Saudi Arabia (10.8 million b/d), and Russia (10.8 million b/d).
• Price of oil- The average Brent crude oil spot price declined to USD100/bbl in August from USD112/bbl in July. Brent crude oil prices have sunk by over USD20/bbl after peaking in June, pressured by tightening monetary policies and demand concerns in China
• Demand of crude oil- Global liquids demand saw a slight increase in August to 99.4 MMb/d, but remained below June’s 100 MMb/d.
• Factors impacting prices- Oilgenerates revenue for countries with enough oil reserves to produce more oil than they consume. Not surprisingly, events such as unrest in oil-producing regions, new oil field discoveries, and advances in extraction technology profoundly affect the oil industry.
• Recent decline in prices- Benchmark Brent crude oil prices dipped to USD100/bbl in August – the lowest in the past six months. Elevated inflation levels, rate hikes by major central banks, and concerns about a slowdown in the Chinese economy have impacted oil and fuel demand, leading to a price decline.
• Natural gas- accounts for 32% of primary energy consumption in the United States, the world’s largest producer. Russia is the second biggest producer, and also has at least 37 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, the most in the world. Also, there was a steep rise in the international prices of natural gas triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war disrupting global supplies

Why crude oil prices were high till last month?

(A) Limited Supply:

• Major oil-producing countries had cut oil production amid a sharp fall in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The Russian-Ukraine war has disrupted the supply chains. Also, sanctions on Russia, Iran and Venezuela by the US have reduced supplies of crude in international markets leading to price rises.
• In early October 2022, OPEC agreed to cut back on oil production to increase prices.

(B) Revival of Demand:

• Theproduction and rollout of vaccines for Covid-19 and the rising consumption post the COVID lockdowns last year have both led to a revival in international crude oil prices.

(C) Geopolitical reasons:

• Geopolitical tension has risen between Russia, which is the second largest oil producer in the world, and neighbouring Ukraine.
• In January, there were drone attacks on oil facilities in UAE, another major oil producer.
• An outage on a major oil pipeline linking Saudi Arabia and Turkey further added to the pressures.

Impacts of Global fuel dynamics on the Energy Security of India

• Energy security of India is threatened– Sanctions on Iran & Russia and the reduction of oil production by OPEC have caused prices of Crude oil to sour to record high levels, making it unbearable for the economy and common man, thus negatively impacting the energy security of India.
• Current Account Deficit: The increase in oil prices will increase the country’s import bill, and further disturb its current account deficit (excess of imports of goods and services over exports). According to estimates, a one-dollar increase in crude oil price increases the oil bill by around USD 1.6 billion per year.
• Inflation: The increase in crude prices could also further increase inflationary pressures that have been building up over the past few months. This will decrease the space for the monetary policy committee to ease policy rates further.
• Fiscal Health: If oil prices continue to increase, the government shall be forced to cut taxes on petroleum and diesel which may cause a loss of revenue and deteriorate its fiscal balance.The revenue lost will erode the government’s ability to spend or meet its fiscal commitments in the form of budgetary transfers to states, payment of dues and compensation for revenue shortfalls to state governments under the goods and services tax (GST) framework.

Reasons for recent fall in crude oil prices

• Strengthening of US Dollar: For the first time since early February, international crude benchmark Brent went below $90 a barrel last week. This level was last seen before Russia invaded Ukraine. The recent decline came amid expectations of further US dollar rise due to Fed rate hikes.
• Reducing global demand: Global energy demand is softening, especially in China, where crude oil imports fell 9.4% last month compared to a year ago, as the country’s zero-Covid policy has led to full or partial lockdowns in more than 70 cities since late August.
• Fear of global recession: US Fed has been increasing the policy rate aggressively causing the Dollar to appreciate vis-à-vis other currencies and outflow of capital thus generating fears of a global recession and thus reducing the demand for oil in the future.
• Increasing Russian oil supplies: India is buying Russian crude in defiance of Western, especially US pressure, to isolate the country economically and financially. India is buying Russia’s flagship Urals grade at discounts of as much as $35 a barrel on prices before the war

But why fuel prices are still high in India?

• Non-passing of savings: Indian refiners are not passing on the cost savings derived from declining crude oil prices since last month.
• No government support to companies: Petrol was deregulated in June 2010 and diesel in November 2014. Since then, the government does not pay oil firms any subsidy to compensate them for losses they might incur on selling fuel at rates below cost.
• High losses: The three biggest oil retailers in India posted a combined net loss of Rs 18,480 crore in the June quarter.
• Recover past losses: No revision of fuel prices by oil marketing companies is to recover the losses that state-owned fuel retailers incurred in keeping the fuel prices unchanged when international oil prices surged to multi-year highs.

Current Energy scenario in India

• Aim: Indian Government aims to increase energy in India and reduce energy poverty, with more focus on developing alternative sources of energy, particularly nuclear, solar and wind energy.  India attained 63% overall energy self-sufficiency in 2017.
• 3^rd biggest energy consumer: The primary energy consumption in India grew by 10.4% in CY2021 and is the third biggest with a 6% global share after China and USA.
• The energy basket: The total primary energy consumption from coal (452.2 Mtoe; 45.88%), crude oil (239.1 Mtoe; 29.55%), natural gas (49.9 Mtoe; 6.17%), nuclear energy (8.8 Mtoe; 1.09%), hydro-electricity (31.6 Mtoe; 3.91%) and renewable power (27.5 Mtoe; 3.40%) is 809.2 Mtoe (excluding traditional biomass use) in the calendar year 2018.
• Import dependency: In 2018, India’s net imports are nearly 205.3 million tons of crude oil and its products, 26.3 Mtoe of LNG and 141.7 Mtoe coal totalling 373.3 Mtoe of primary energy which is equal to 46.13% of total primary energy consumption. India is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports to meet its energy demands – by 2030.

Challenges to Energy security in India

• Low domestic resources: India, with 17% of the world’s population, has just 0.8% of the world’s known oil and natural gas resources.
• High domestic demand: India’s domestic production is not sufficient to meet its demand. As a result, India already imports 80% of its crude oil needs. Without new and substantial domestic discoveries, imports will continue to increase.
• Volatile energy supply regions: Problems of diversification of energy sources for India arise from the political volatility, and geopolitics of the regions from where India imports its energy products like the Persian Gulf region, and countries like Russia, Iran, etc.
• Low share of natural gas usage in India: Natural gas currently provides only 8% of India’s primary energy supply despite the fact that 50% of that gas comes from domestic sources, onshore and offshore. Today, oil accounts for 36% of the country’s primary energy use. This figure is set to rise both in absolute and in percentage terms.
• Low Private sector participation: Private sector’s Cold response to Government initiatives and policies such as HELP and mine auctions.
• Lack of holistic policy: India currently does not have a holistic National energy policy but is divided into a national electricity policy, renewable energy policy, etc. leading to a lack of coherency in all energy sectors and ministries.

Energy policy in India

• In this context, in 2017, NITI Aayog published a draft National energy policy (NEP) with four key objectives of Access at affordable prices, Improved security and Independence, Greater Sustainability and Economic Growth.
• The draft NEP proposes actions to meet the objectives in such a way that India’s economy is ‘energy ready’ in the year 2040.

Some Draft NEP proposals for the Energy Sector

• India has nearly 3.17 million square km of sedimentary area, out of which only 19% has been moderate to well-explored. To quickly appraise the entire sedimentary area, there is a need to offer geological data to prospective Exploration and Production (E&P) companies.
• Setting up of 90-day consumption requirement of strategic and commercial storage, both for crude and petroleum products through innovative private investment strategies is needed.
• To increase the penetration of natural gas, a National Gas Grid would have to be rolled out throughout the country.
• There is a need to migrate the existing hydrocarbon regime (both Nomination and PSCs) to the emerging framework of market-determined prices and marketing freedom. However, this cannot be done overnight and needs to be achieved in gradual phases.
• OMCs have done a commendable job in maintaining petroleum supplies throughout the country. The next step in this direction is to encourage competition through the entry of the private sector in a big way, to raise efficiency and consumer satisfaction levels.

India’s Quest for Energy Security: The Steps Taken

• Exploring domestic energy reserves: To promote oil and gas production at the domestic level, the Indian Government has been taking several steps which range from encouraging Indian companies to increase their domestic activities and widening its engagement with multinational companies, broadening opportunities for them to participate in oil and gas exploration in India.
• HELP policy: Government has launched an Open licensing and acreage policy under the Hydrocarbon exploration and licensing policy (HELP) in 2017. The HELP marked an important transition from regulation to liberalization of India’s E&P sector; it is a very significant upstream reform of the fiscal regime.
• Policy and operational changes: to stimulate the investments and development in the exploration of hydrocarbon sources of energy, some of the steps have focussed on regulatory changes, a transparent gas pricing policy and redevelopment of uneconomical assets.
• Exploring alternative sources: The domestic efforts have also seen a concerted focus on exploring various alternative sources of energy that are infinite, renewable and environment-friendly. The government has given a massive push in this regard in energy production through solar energy, wind power, hydroelectricity power, and biomass, and nuclear energy.
• Diversifying energy sourcing regions: Two-thirds of India’s oil imports come from Gulf region. India is following in the footsteps of other major oil-importing economies and making significant efforts to obtain supplies from sources outside the Gulf such as regions of Latin America, Africa, the Caspian Basin, Russia and the waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
• Launch of NDR: In support of the OALP, the government launched the National Data Repository in June 2017. It is a comprehensive archive of geo-scientific data for E&P activities. By allowing companies to access the data through an e-platform and consult relevant information, the government helped the interested parties in making bidding decisions.
• Small field policy launched: Discovered Small Field Policy was launched in 2016 to tap unmonetized small oil/gas discoveries in India, Discovered Small Field provides an easy and low-risk investment option for interested parties to encourage E&P activities.

Way forward

• Reinforce its oil emergency response policy- to adapt it to the expected strong growth in oil consumption, with increased dedicated emergency stocks and procedures, including demand restraint measures and a proper analysis of risks by using oil disruption scenarios.
• Strengthen the regulatory oversight- of the sector. Non-discriminatory access to oil transport and the level-playing field in the mid-and downstream oil sector.
• Promote the diversification- of oil sources and reduce India’s high oil import dependence by enhancing exploration and production activities and the development of alternative sources, such as biofuels.
• Foster the creation of a liquid market- for natural gas in India, gradually moving from gas allocation and multiple pricing regimes to the creation of a gas hub, so that domestic gas and LNG imports can be used most efficiently and competition can flourish.
• Strengthen and clarify the roles and responsibilities- of the regulatory supervision of natural gas market activities (upstream, midstream and downstream) to ensure a non-discriminatory access regime to pipeline capacity so that both LNG imports and new gas discoveries can find their way to markets and investment in gas transport and storage is encouraged.
• Ensure gas is treated on a level playing field- with other fuels for taxation and is included under the GST, as the country strives to increase the share of gas in the total energy supply.
• Enhance international engagement- by India on global oil security issues.

Conclusion

• Nation has achieved a lot in the energy sector in recent years which has propelled it to become one of the largest economies in the world.
• But to continue on this growth path, India’s energy policy needs to be pursued more inclusively in its domestic and international settings to address its fast-growing energy demand in a competitive geo-political environment.

Context

• October 1, 2022, marks an important date in the country’s history which is when telecom companies in India start rolling out 5G for users after months of testing.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the commercial rollout of 5G services in India at the India Mobile Congress 2022.
• Thus, in this edition of the Burning Issue, we will discuss the 5G technology, its rollout in India, benefits and associated concerns in detail.

What is 5G technology?

• 5G or the fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) of mobile broadband networks.
• 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything including machines, objects, and devices. 
• It’s a unified platform that is much more capable than previous mobile services with more capacity, lower latency, faster data delivery rate and better utilization of spectrum.
• It mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high-frequency spectrum — all of which have their uses as well as limitations.

The low, mid, and high-frequency spectrum

• The low band spectrum has great promise in terms of coverage and speed of internet and data exchange but the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
• So Telcos can use and install it for commercial cell phone users who may not have specific demands for very high-speed internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for the specialized needs of the industry.
• The mid-band spectrum offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals.
• This band may be used by industries and specialized factory units for building captive networks that can be molded into the needs of that particular industry.
• The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all three bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength.
• Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G have been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (gigabits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps.

Salient features of 5G technology

• Capability: 5G will provide much faster mobile broadband service as compared to the previous versions and will provide support to previous services like mission-critical communication and the massive Internet Of Things (IoT).
• Speed: With a peak delivery rate of up to 20 Gbps and an average of 100Mbps, it will be much faster as compared to its predecessors. The speed increment is partly achieved by using higher-frequency radio waves than in previous networks.
• Capacity: There will be up to 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency.
• Spectrum usage: This will provide better usage for every bit of spectrum, from low bands below 1 GHz to high bands.
• Latency: It’s expected to have lower latency with better instantaneous, real-time access of the data. The 5G, like 4G LTE, also uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) but the new 5G NR (New Radio) air interface will enhance OFDM and provide better flexibility in data delivery.
• Millimeter wave spectrum: The 5G networks will operate in the millimeter wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) which has the advantage of sending large amounts of data at very high speeds because the frequency is so high, it experiences little interference from surrounding signals.

Global situation on 5G

• More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling them out to their customers on a trial basis.
• In countries like the US, some companies have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
• China and the United States are significantly ahead of other nations in their 5G rollout, with a combined 652 cities in which 5G is available.
• A South Korean company, which had started researching 5G technology way back in 2011, has, on the other hand, taken the lead when it comes to building the hardware for 5G networks for several companies.

The recent launch of 5G in India

• 5G is officially available for commercial usage on October 1, 2022. Airtel and Jio are the only telecom players who have finalized a proper timeline for 5G services rollout in the country at the time of writing.
• Airtel will initially offer 5G services in 8 cities including four metros. Jio, on the other hand, will launch its 5G services across key metropolitan cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata to begin with.
• A government panel report points out that with 5G, the peak network data speeds are expected to be in the range of 2-20 Gigabit per second (Gbps). This can help in good governance and can lead to higher economic growth in India.
• The Ministry of Communications notes that the cumulative impact of 5G on India’s economy is expected to reach a whopping $450 Billion by 2035 opening up new opportunities and societal benefits while cutting down on conventional barriers.
• PM is pushing for Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), with the success of Digital India being a priority. India is working on technologies that would enable it to launch its Indigenous 5G. This will help run its IoT platforms on indigenous technology for civilian as well as military applications.

Standalone and Non-Standalone 5G networks

• Jio will offer stand-alone 5G services with zero dependencies on 4G network, or “true 5G”, Jio is the only player to have purchased the premium 700 megahertz low-band spectrum which would be “essential for deep indoor coverage” in addition to the 3500 MHz mid-band and the 26 GHz millimeter-wave band meant for ultra-high capacity.
• Jio claims that it would combine these frequencies into a single powerful “data highway” using Carrier Aggregation for more seamless connectivity that would help connect the remotest parts of the country in the days to come. 
• Airtel, meanwhile, has downplayed the need for the 700 MHz band saying that it would lead to additional cost and more carbon emissions (because then it would have to install large “power-guzzling” radios on this band) while giving no additional coverage compared to the 900 MHz spectrum band that it has.
• Airtel also has a contrarian view -to Jio- on using stand-alone 5G saying that non-standalone (NSA) 5G- that Airtel would be using- offers a wider coverage and can work with more devices while allowing the use of existing 4G technology at no extra cost.

What is the 5Gi Technology network?

• 5Gi is a locally designed telecommunication network that has been designed by IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras and the Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology.
• The technology developed by Indian institutions will be an alternative to the global 5G standards and has already got a thumbs up from the International Communication Unit.
• the main problem with global 5G technology is that the range of coverage goes down with an increase in frequency. This is where 5Gi steps in, as it provides a higher range at a lower frequency.
• 5Gi network technology is capable of working at a lower frequency than 5G by still providing a higher range. The technology works on a Low Mobility Large Cell method, which transmits a cell-based waveform which results in increased range.
• The TSDSi or the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India says that “Enhanced cell coverage enabled by this standard, will be of great value in countries and regions that rely heavily on mobile technologies for connectivity but cannot afford dense deployment of base stations due to lack of deep fiber penetration, poor economics and challenges of geographical terrain.”
• If implemented in the right manner, the 5Gi technology can be fruitful in a large country like India as the large-scale implications will make the technology cost-effective. Additionally, owing to its high range, 5Gi will be able to provide better network connectivity in the rural area of the country.

Opportunities with 5G Technology

• High-Speed mobile network: 5G will revolutionize the mobile experience with the supercharged wireless network. Compared to conventional mobile transmission technologies, voice and high-speed data can be simultaneously transferred efficiently in 5G.
• Entertainment and multimedia: 5G can provide 120 frames per second, high resolution and higher dynamic range video streaming without interruption. The audio-visual experience will be rewritten after the implementation of the latest technologies powered by 5G wireless. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality services will be better experienced over 5G.
• Internet of Things:  IoT applications collect a huge amount of data from millions of devices and sensors and thus require an efficient network for data collection, processing, transmission, control and real-time analytics which 5G network is a better candidate.
• Smart cities: Smart city applications like traffic management, Instant weather update, local area broadcasting, energy management, smart power grid, smart lighting of the street, water resource management, crowd management, emergency response etc can use a reliable 5G wireless network for its functioning.
• Smart farming: 5G technology will be used for agriculture and smart farming in the future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track the location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management.
• Mission critical applications: Like telemedicine services, remote control of critical infrastructure and vehicles. It has the potential to transform industries with highly reliable, low latency links.
• Better Governance: Better speed and connectivity would reduce red tapism. It will enhance the speedy completion of projects and better implementation of policies. It will enable accountability in the system through a better monitoring system and will reduce corruption.
• Employment generation: 5G wireless technology will open greater opportunities for new device manufacturers and application developers. New VoIP devices and smart devices will be introduced in the market and thus more job opportunities as well. This will help in inclusive growth reaping the demographic dividend.
• Enhanced Security: 5G wireless technology is one the best solution for security surveillance due to its higher bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum. It will enhance better coordination among various agencies. Smart appliances which can be configured and accessed from remote locations, closed circuit cameras will provide high-quality real-time video for security purposes.
• Logistics and Shipping: Logistic and shipping industry can make use of smart 5G technology for goods tracking, fleet management, centralized database management, staff scheduling and real-time delivery tracking and reporting.
• Industrial Growth: Future industries will depend on smart wireless technologies like 5G and LTE advanced for efficient automation of equipment, maintenance, safety, tracking, smart packing, shipping, logistics and energy management.
• Agricultural applications: 5g technology can be used for agriculture and smart farming in the future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track the location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control and energy management.
• Healthcare and mission-critical applications: 5G technology will support medical practitioners to perform advanced medical procedures with a reliable wireless network connected to another side of the globe. Doctors can connect with patients from anywhere anytime and advise them when necessary. Scientists are working on smart medical devices which can perform remote surgery. Smart medical devices like wearables will continuously monitor a patient’s condition and activate alerts during an emergency.

Challenges with 5G in India

• Enabling critical infrastructures: 5G will require a fundamental change to the core architecture of the communication system. The major flaw of data transfer using 5G is that it can’t carry data over longer distances. Hence, even 5G technology needs to be augmented to enable infrastructure.
• Financial liability on consumers: For a transition from 4G to 5G technology, one has to upgrade to the latest cellular technology, thereby creating financial liability for consumers.
• Capital Inadequacy: Lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with suitable telecom companies (like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea) is delaying the 5G spectrum allocation.
• Frequency allocation: Indian operators have far less spectrum in comparison to international operators. The high investment cost makes telecom companies unsure about Return on Investment.
• Pricing: The 5G spectrum is overpriced by at least 30% to 40% compared to international standards and auctions in other markets such as South Korea and the U.S. In previous auctions, the government saw no takers for the 700 MHz spectrum, which is used to offer high-speed 4G services and was put on sale for the first time, mainly due to the high reserve price.
• Network investment: In India, the telecom sector is facing capital augmentation issues that need to be resolved. Non-availability of funds for investment: Many Indian operators are also weighed down by debt.
• Regulatory restrictions: Faster rounds of new technology introduction when prior technology investments have not been recouped add further complexity.
• Technical Challenges: Designing IT architecture that can be deployed globally, while still allowing for localized technology to cater to different regions is a challenge. Though Reliance Inc. has some plans to roll out 5G.

Geopolitics related to 5g technology

• Nearly a decade ago a report by the US House Intelligence Committee flagged issues posed by Chinese telecom companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE. The US Federal Communications Commission has designated these two companies as national security threats.
• Soon after, the US, Britain and Australia announced a ban on equipment from Huawei in their country’s high-speed wireless networks.
• India along with Canada and some other countries is reviewing security implications and has yet to decide on allowing Huawei to provide equipment for them.
• Most observers see this as a ‘technological cold war’ that could extend beyond just the US and China, and compel other countries, including India, to effectively choose between one camp and the other. This could be an another challenge for India in future.

Way forward

• We should focus on strengthening our cyber infrastructure and also cyber security as the telecom networks advance to prevent cyber security breaches.
• 5G start-ups that enable this design and manufacturing capabilities should be promoted. This will spur leaps in the coverage, capacity, affordability and density of wireless networks.
• Funds should be allocated and local technology and telecom firms should be incentivized to develop their internal capacities which would in turn help 5G technology succeed in the country.
• Push for “Make in India” manufacturing for 5G equipment and handsets.
• Scientists and Industries should work together to bring 5G technology quicker to the entire nation rather than getting entangled in policy processes & bureaucratic rifts.
• Telecom companies should augment their infrastructure and capabilities to provide a true 5G experience to customers as still many parts of the country lack even a 4G network.
• The financial condition of telecom companies should be improved to maintain competition in the Indian telecom market and thus attract new companies or FDI in the sector.

Conclusion

• By acting early on adoption, India can accelerate the 5G dividends and also become an innovator in applications and this technology.
• Supreme data download rates, three times greater spectrum efficiency, and super low latency will empower India to experience cases like seamless video calls, instant downloads and uploads and seamless gaming on the cloud thus the beginning of a new era for India’s technology landscape.

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Context

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a massive nationwide search operation in connection with anti-terror activities linked to the Popular Front of India-PFI for alleged terror links.
• The PFI has been alleged with a possible connection to terror activities in the country and organized crimes such as money laundering, terror funding, etc.
• In this context, in this edition of the burning issue, we will discuss the connection between terror and organized crimes, its consequences, and the way forward.

What are organized crimes?

• Organized crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that rationally works to profit from illicit activities that are often in great public demand.
• While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, rebel forces, and separatists, are politically motivated.
• Organized crime is considered to be a changing and flexible phenomenon. Many of the benefits of globalization such as easier and faster communication, movement of finances and international travel, have also created opportunities for transnational organized criminal groups to flourish, diversify and expand their activities.

Types of Organized Crime

Types of organized crime can exist in a wide range of types. Among the most popular types of organized crime are:

• Money laundering– It is a way by which illegal money earned from sources such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, etc. are diverted to create an impression that such money comes from a legitimate source. Many criminals are engaged in this profession where they help people with an illegal income to convert it into a legitimate income.
• Smuggling– Naturally, the goods which are illegal in the territory of India or heavily taxed are smuggled to continue their trade or maintain profits. With a change in fiscal policy, the definition of smuggled goods varies but it is mostly items such as contraband substances, valuable jewels, electronics, certain fabrics, etc. which are smuggled in India.
• Drug trafficking– Drug trafficking is another major crime that poses a threat to the younger population of India, considering its drastic effects on physical and mental health. It is usually considered that the most important reason for the high rate of drug trafficking is the geographical condition of India. It is located between the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos) in the northeast and Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) in the northwest- both of which are the two largest sources of illicit drugs in Asia. Resultantly, this form of organized crime has become more prevalent and significant in the country.
• Human trafficking– Human trafficking is one of the most significant and heinous organized crimes. This involves women trafficking, child trafficking, trading in sex workers, etc. A book titled “Indian Mafia” by S.K. Ghosh has revealed that there are more than twenty-five lakh prostitutes in the country.
• Contract killings and kidnapping– Contract killings mean murdering someone for money on a contractual basis. This is usually prevalent among the highly influential and public personalities who are being murdered by their enemies/competitors through some other criminal for ransom. Similarly, kidnapping incidents are also prevalent wherein people pay a certain sum of money to get someone kidnapped or these criminals ask someone for a ransom. The recent murder of a Punjabi singer is a case of contract killing.
• Weapons Trafficking- Criminal networks and illicit arms dealers also play important roles in the black markets from which terrorists and drug traffickers procure some of their weapons. According to the head of UNODC, these “illicit arms fuel the violence that undermines security, development and justice” worldwide.
• Cybercrime. Organized crime networks are increasingly involved in cybercrime, which costs consumers billions of dollars annually, threatens sensitive corporate and government computer networks, and under­mines worldwide confidence in the international financial systems such as banking, stock markets, e-currency, and value and credit card services

Links with terrorism

• Terrorists can benefit from organized crime as a source of financing or logistical support through the illicit trafficking of arms, persons, drugs, artifacts and cultural property.
• Conceptually, terrorism does not fall in the category of organized crime, as the dominant motive behind terrorism is political and/or ideological and not the acquisition of money-power.
• Terrorist groups, whether indigenous or sponsored by outside states, need arms and money for their fight against the security forces. Organized crime conglomerates need clientele and couriers who can smuggle drugs, arms and human beings across the countries and regions.
• If we look at some of the regions in the country affected by terrorism, this linkage becomes apparent. In the Northeast, extortion is the fundamental basis for funding all forms of terrorism. In addition to this, kidnapping has been used extensively for spreading terror and raising funds. Human trafficking, drug trafficking and gun running are some of the other criminal activities that have been common in these areas.
• In J&K, the counterfeit currency has been a major source of funding for terrorism.  Money laundering plays a significant role. Hawala (money laundering) transactions take place swiftly and effectively in Kashmir. Besides, it is also believed that the ISI uses drug money to fund militant activities in Kashmir.
• In the Maoist terror movements, extortion is yet again a common phenomenon. They have also indulged in robberies of banks to fund their movement. There have also been reports of cuts being enforced on drug-yielding crops in the region.
• The Indian Mujahideen have also resorted to crime to raise funds. This includes robberies, kidnappings, etc.
• There are also several insurgent groups that over a period of time have morphed into crime syndicates.
• What began as an ideological movement is now merely a means of generating profit. This is especially the case with insurgent groups in Northeast India.

Implications

• Promote Violence- as evident from recent violence in Kerala by PFI activists after the NIA crackdown and also the Red Fort violence in Delhi by the ‘Sikh for Justice’ organization.
• Weakening of governments– as these organization tries to undermine the government by creating hatred towards national governments, and other communities and thus weakening the democratic institutions.
• Damages economy– Organized crimes cause significant damage to the world financial system through its subversion, exploi­tation, and distortion of legitimate markets and economic activity. These activities can lead to disruption of the global supply chain and impacts the ability of industry and transportation sectors to be resilient in the face of such disruption. 
• Supporting terrorists– Terrorists and insurgents increasingly are turning to organized crimes to gener­ate funding and acquire logistical support to carry out their violent acts.
• Increase in local crimes and create an atmosphere of fear– The expansion of organized crimes has a spillover effect and increases the number of local crimes in the area, political corruption formation of unholy nexuses, etc. which ultimately leads to poor social security and law and order situation.
• Social challenges– organized crimes are also used to fund organizations that promote radicalization of youth, and anger against government thus creating social tensions and rupturing the social fabric of the nation.

Why is PFI under crackdown?

(1) Links to terror outfits

• Many volunteers of PFI are allegedly involved in terror funding, organizing training camps, and radicalizing people to join proscribed organizations.
• It has been involved in carrying out social and Islamic religious work among Muslims on the lines of the work done by right-wing groups.
• The PFI does not maintain records of its members, and it has been difficult for law enforcement agencies to pin crimes on the organization after making arrests.

(2) Promoting Radicalization

• The outfit is hostile to the consolidation across the country and the rise of a single non-secular party as the nation’s pre-eminent political and ideological force.
• The post-2014 political landscape and the self-alienation of minorities have further pushed sections of the community towards groups like the PFI.
• The outfit is also said to have a large number of supporters in Gulf countries who contribute handsomely to its kitty, something which is under the scanner of investigating agencies for hawala and money laundering.

(3) Hostility against state mechanism

• Starting as an organization primarily rooted in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the PFI has spread its wings far and wide, with a presence in at least 18 states.
• It has found particularly fertile ground in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Assam.
• Authorities have accused the outfit of instigating and funding protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens.

(4) Barbarism in the name of religion

• The PFI has had the most visible presence in Kerala, where it has been repeatedly accused of murder, rioting, intimidation, and having links with terrorist organizations.
• The Kerala government affidavit said PFI activists were involved in 27 cases of MURDER, mostly of CPM and RSS cadres, and that the motives were highly communal.

Laws to counter organized crimes in India

• FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) 2000- aims to consolidate and amend the law relating to foreign exchange to facilitate external trade and payments and for promoting the orderly development and maintenance of the foreign exchange market in India. It also helps in keeping an eye on the flow of foreign contributions to domestic organizations and keeping a check on its illicit use.
• PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) 2002- The PMLA seeks to combat money laundering in India and has objectives such as preventing and controlling money laundering, Confiscating and seizing the property obtained from the laundered money and dealing with any other issue connected with money laundering in India.
• UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) 1967- The act is an Indian law aimed at the prevention of unlawful activities of associations and individuals in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.
• National Security Act, 1980- There are various preventive laws existent in India which apply to organized crimes, explicitly and implicitly.
• Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988- It is another preventive law enacted to control the actions of people engaged in the illicit trafficking of drugs and other narcotic substances. 

International efforts to curb organized terrorism

• UNSC resolution 2482- In 2019, the Security Council adopted resolution 2482, which urged Member States to address the links between terrorism and organized crime, by adopting policy measures. Great strides have been made to better understand the linkages between terrorists and organized criminal groups owing to the adoption of Resolution 2482
• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime– (UNTOC, often known as the Palermo Convention) is a multinational treaty against transnational organized crime that was established by the United Nations in 2000. The convention recognizes the threat that organized crime poses to security, sovereignty, human rights, and development. 

Challenges in tackling organized crimes

• Law-making and enforcement- There is no central legislation specifically governing organized crime in India. Different organized crimes are dealt with under different laws and with weak enforcement. 
• Slow trials– Though these organized criminals are tried under different laws, the whole process of trials is very slow and there is a very low conviction rate because in most of the cases, for such a long period, the witnesses deny to come out of fear and in some cases, the pieces of evidence are lost. For example, the conviction rate under UAPA law is just 1%.
• Obtaining proof- As mentioned earlier, most of the witnesses deny coming out of fear, so even if they are arrested, they are later acquitted because of insufficient evidence and longevity of time.
• Lack of resources- A major part of the country is still unorganized and the lack of proper resources and technology become an obstacle in way of curbing organized crime. The lower-ranked police officers are not given sufficient powers and a statement before them is not admissible evidence. Further, these officers do not have sufficient equipment to tap these criminals. 
• Lack of federal agency- Since there is no central or federal agency controlling these activities, every state has its way of functioning. These criminals do not stay for long in one place and keep migrating now and then. In such cases, due to lack of coordination, it becomes difficult and sometimes, impossible to catch them.
• Use of new technologies- organized crime criminals have started using the latest technologies such as darknet, blockchain and cryptocurrencies to operate their networks which have further reduced several state police’s abilities to tackle such crimes as they are already having a state crunch.

Way forward

• Strengthening global response- all the countries must come together and globally respond to organized crimes. INTERPOL could play an important role in it by playing the role of a global coordinating organization.
• Inter-state coordination- should be promoted among state police as the nature of these crimes is transboundary. It would help in taking faster and more effective actions against criminals.
• Introduce hi-tech software to track organized crime- since criminals are using the latest technologies to carry out their work, police also need hi-tech software to counter them. E.g CCTNS and Kerala police’s Cyberdome.
• Having a dedicated law- Specific laws are required and the executive needs to be empowered to take steps accordingly. Moreover, the enforcement should also be stringent failing which, the whole object of enacting such a law would defeat.

Conclusion

• From the above, it is clear that organized crimes have a multitude of effects and if not contained well might threaten the security and integrity of India.
• Thus, it is imperative to deal with all organized crimes holistically by promoting coordination among states and nations and capacity building of state law enforcement institutions, finally leading to the achievement of national security in its largest sense.

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Context

• India is witnessing the spread of the Lumpy Skin Disease infection which has killed nearly 75,000 cattle in India and spread to more than 10 States and UTs.
• The scale of deaths and spatial spread of the viral infection is important for the nation as India has the largest number of cattle in the world and is also the largest milk producer.
• At the same time, India also hosted the World Dairy Summit 2022 after a gap of 48 years. In both these contexts, this edition of the burning issue will deal with the Indian Dairy Sector, its contribution to the nation, its challenges and the way forward.

Indian Dairy Sector: An Overview

• India ranks 1^st in milk production and contributes 23 % of global milk production. Milk production in the country has grown at a compound annual growth rate of about 6.2 % to reach 210 million tonnes in 2020-21 from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15.
• The top 5 milk-producing states are: Uttar Pradesh (14.9%, 31.4 MMT), Rajasthan (14.6%, 30.7 MMT), Madhya Pradesh (8.6%, 18.0 MMT), Gujarat (7.6%, 15.9 MMT) and Andhra Pradesh (7.0%, 14.7 MMT).
• Dairy is the single largest agricultural commodity contributing 5% of the national economy, witnessing 6.4% (CAGR) in the past 5 years.
• Approximately 80 million people are employed in the dairy industry directly or indirectly.

Significance of the Indian dairy sector

• Acts as a buffer: Milk animals act as a buffer for farmers during droughts and flood conditions. Also, milk animals are more evenly distributed among farmers than on agricultural land.
• Not a seasonal occupation: Dairying is not a seasonal occupation like farming as milk and milk products can be produced throughout the year thus leading to the year generation of income.
• Highly nutritious: Milk is considered a ‘Whole meal’. Dairy products are highly nutritious with high amounts of proteins and calcium, thus helping tackle malnutrition in India. For this reason, several state governments are trying to add Milk to their school’s Mid-day meal scheme.
• Huge Employment Generation: the dairy sector employs around 80 million people from milk-producing farmers in rural areas to milk distributors in urban areas.
• Promotes women empowerment: most of the milking work in rural areas is done by women. They also work as collectors and suppliers of milk to village milk collection centres. This, helps rural women earn some income and automatically promotes women empowerment.
• Boosting other sectors: the dairy sector promotes the growth of multiple other sectors like fodder industries, organic manure manufacturing, and food processing industries like Curd, cheese, paneer manufacturing.

Challenges being faced by the sector

• Low productivity of Indian dairy animals: Improving the productivity of farm animals is one of the major challenges. The average annual milk yield of Indian cattle is 1172 kg which is only about 50% of the global average.
• Disease outbreaks: The Frequent outbreaks of diseases like Food and Mouth Diseases, Black Quarter infection, Influenza etc. continue to affect Livestock health and lowers productivity.
• Limited success in cross-breeding: Crossbreeding of indigenous species with exotic stocks to enhance the genetic potential of different species has been successful only to a limited extent.
• Supply Chain issues: which include collection, pasteurisation and transportation of milk in a safe environment. Since 60% of the dairy industry lies in informal dairy, it becomes difficult to ensure regular flow and quality of milk. That is why the adulteration of milk remains a perennial issue in India.
• Unorganised Nature: The unorganised nature of the dairy farming industry has resulted in minimal penetration of technological progress within the sector. This has further led to consistently high wastage as well as a lack of standardisation in terms of quality and quantity.
• Data Deficiency: Informality of the sector also leads to a lack of data regarding total milk production, wastage of milk, and financial flows in the sector which further inhibits the formalisation of the sector.
• Low returns: there have been perennial complaints from milk farmers about low milk purchase prices paid to them by milk companies as compared to the final milk price in the market. This leads to the cornering of profits by companies while actual producers get poor returns.

Latest Challenge to Indian Dairy Sector- Lumpy Skin Disease

• Lumpy skin disease is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which belongs to the genus capripoxvirus, a part of the poxviridae family (smallpox and monkeypox viruses are also a part of the same family).
• It is not a zoonotic virus, meaning the disease cannot spread to humans. It is a contagious vector-borne disease spread by vectors like mosquitoes, some biting flies, and ticks and usually affects host animals like cows and water buffaloes.
• The disease was first observed in Zambia in 1929, subsequently spreading to most African countries extensively, followed by West Asia, South-eastern Europe, and Central Asia, and more recently spreading to South Asia and China in 2019.
• There is a vaccine against viral infection. Indian scientists have developed an indigenous vaccine. The ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE) in collaboration with ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has developed a vaccine against Lumpy Skin Disease called ‘Lumpi-ProVacInd’

Economic implications of Lumpy on the Dairy Sector

• Milk reduction: Lumpy leads to reduced milk production as the animal becomes weak and also loses appetite due to mouth ulceration. Milk collection across Rajasthan is estimated to have been reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litres per day after the onset of lumpy skin disease. 
• Animal wasting: The income losses can also be due to poor growth, reduced draught power capacity and reproductive problems associated with abortions, infertility and lack of semen for artificial insemination.
• Impact of trade ban: Movement and trade bans after infection also put an economic strain on the whole value chain.

Steps needed to improve the Indian dairy sector

(A) Steps regarding animals:

• Improving artificial insemination: to improve cow breeds and thus better milk yield per animal.
• Improving animal fodder: designing animal fodder on scientific lines rather than old dry grass-based fodder.
• Improving Vaccination coverage: of milch animals against several diseases to prevent the frequent disease outbreak in an animal thus maintaining a sustained and healthy supply of milk.

(B) Steps related to dairy farmers:

• Ensuring more prices to farmers: as they are the actual producers of the milk. For this, rather than giving more weightage to fat percentage in milk as a determinant of milk price, more quantity and quality to taken as parameters.
• Price support: to farmers to improve animal fodders, ensure vaccination and afford veterinary services on time. This ensures animal health and productivity and thus farmers’ prosperity.
• More cooperatives: Forming new cooperatives of farmers to more formalization of the dairy sector and thus better milk quality and quantity in the market. It will also generate more data that can be used in further planning in the dairy sector and hence better resource mobilization.

(C) Dairy sector logistics

• Improve cold storage and transportation: more refrigerated trucks must be employed for a faster and fresh delivery of dairy products.
• More dairy sector-related research: should be promoted from production to logistics. Production data analysis and demand analysis should be done to cater better to the needs of the producers and consumers.
• Promote more start-ups: and new private dairies in the dairy industry like Country Delight, fresh to home, big basket etc. This will help increase competition in the market and thus break the monopolies of a few big names and bring down prices.

Case Study: AMUL: ‘Unity in Strength’ based Cooperative Model

• Anand Milk Union Limited or AMUL has created its name and reputation over the years delivering quality milk products to the entire country and now the world. 
• Amul’s story started in 1946 with inspiration from Sardar Patel, when farmers established a cooperative named ‘Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited’ (KDCMPUL) in a village called Anand.
• Amul has a three-tiered structure. First, every milk producer in the village is a member of the Village Dairy Cooperative Society. These members elect their representatives. These representatives together manage District Milk Unions, which form the second tier.
• These district milk unions take care of milk and milk products and their processing. They sell these products to the State Milk Federation which forms the third tier. State Milk Federation then acts as the distributor that sells or facilitates the selling of the products in the market. The revenue gets shared downwards in a similar fashion.
• The dairy is in control of the villagers themselves. Farmer organizations come together under one umbrella of Amul and directly sell products to consumers through the state milk federation.
• This elimination of intermediaries could ensure a good quality product at a competitive price. This provided a stable income for marginal farmers in lean seasons as well because there are no intermediaries to take the chunk.
• This model has become a case study in business schools. It showed the success of cooperatives. It showed how the benefits trickle down from the market to the producer at the bottom of the pyramid. Recently, Union Cooperative minister Amit Shah commented that the Amul model can go beyond the milk and dairy sector and produce great results in other sectors also.

How are Indian startups changing the dairy sector?

• Several startups are working in the dairy sector to provide solutions to several problems in this sector. Prompt Equipment is one such organisation that provides livestock management solutions. The firm teamed up with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai to design the ‘BovSmart’ wearable belt. The belt uses AI and IoT for tracking livestock breeding and delivering timely information to farmers.
• Another business, Stellapps Technologies (Stellapps), offers a similar solution, which uses a wearable gadget for cattle and a mobile application to deliver recommendations to improve herd performance. According to Stellapps, using this approach, milk yield can be raised by 20% and calf health costs can be decreased by up to 50 per cent. The Stellapps technology is currently being used to track around 4.5 lakh livestock.
• Stellapps, Mr. MilkMan, as well as Trinetra Wireless are three Indian start-ups among several others that are digitalising the dairy supply chain.
• With start-ups entering the industry and addressing gaps in livestock management and supply chain, the situation is beginning to change, ushering in a new era of growth for the industry, rooted in digitalisation.

Government schemes related to the Dairy sector

• Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund: The scheme aims to provide a subsidized loan of @6.5% to capital-stressed milk cooperatives for primarily replacing their decades-old chilling and processing plants and addition of value-added product plants.
• Animal Husbandry infrastructure development fund: This scheme aims to help to increase meat processing capacity and product diversification thereby providing greater access for unorganized Dairy producers to organise the Dairy market.
• National Programme for Dairy Development: The objective of the scheme is to create and strengthen dairy infrastructure for procurement, processing and marketing of milk and milk products by the State Implementing Agencies (SIAs) i.e. State Cooperative Dairy Federations/ District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana: PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana is a comprehensive package which will result in the creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.
• Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to Livestock Farmers: The Kisan Credit Card scheme aims at providing adequate and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window with flexible and simplified procedures to the animal husbandry and fisheries farmers for their working capital requirements. 

Conclusion

The dairy sector in India has performed well in the past but still faces several challenges.

The need of the hour is to address these challenges holistically to usher in ‘White Revolution 2.0’ in India and achieve the target of the government of a liquid milk production capacity of 255 MMT by 2022.

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Context

• The UNESCO United Nations World Water Development Report of 2022 has encapsulated global concern over the sharp rise in freshwater withdrawal from streams, lakes, aquifers and human-made reservoirs, impending water stress and also water scarcity being experienced in different parts of the world.
• A NITI Aayog report, ‘Composite Water Management Index (2018) has sounded a note of caution about the worst water crisis in the country, with more than 600 million people facing acute water shortages.
• In this context, this edition of the Burning issue will elaborate on the issue of the growing Water crisis in India (in form of water stress and scarcity), its causes, implications and possible solutions.

What Do “Water Scarcity” and “Water Stress” actually Mean?

• Water Scarcity: “Water scarcity” refers to the volumetric abundance, or lack thereof, of freshwater resources. “Scarcity” is human-driven; it is a function of the volume of human water consumption relative to the volume of water resources in a given area.
• Water Stress: “Water stress” refers to the ability, or lack thereof, to meet human and ecological demand for fresh water. Compared to scarcity, “water stress” is a more inclusive and broader concept. It considers several physical aspects related to water resources, including water availability, water quality, and the accessibility of water, which is often a function of the sufficiency of infrastructure and the affordability of water, among other things.

Current situation of the water crisis in India

• The Global Drought Risk and Water Stress map (2019): it shows that major parts of India, particularly west, central and parts of peninsular India are highly water-stressed and experience water scarcity.
• India has only 4% of the planet’s fresh-water for 16% of its population.
  The annual per capita availability of water continues to decline sharply from about 5,177 cubic meters in 1951 to about 1,720 cubic meters in 2019.
• Composite Water Management Index (2018): Released by NITI Aayog indicates that more than 600 million people are facing acute water stress.
• India is the world’s largest extractor of groundwater: Accounting for 25 percent of the total. 70 percent of our water sources are contaminated and our major rivers are dying because of pollution.
• Global Drought Risk and Water Stress map (2019) shows that major parts of India, particularly west, central and parts of peninsular India are highly water-stressed and experience water scarcity.
• According to a recent official estimate, 22 of the country’s 32 major cities are plagued with acute water shortages. NABARD study shows that around 60 percent of the country’s gross cropped area is facing a water crisis. The most serious water crisis is being faced by Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, MP, UP and Andhra Pradesh.
• The new Water Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) sounded a note of caution about this silent crisis of a global dimension, with millions of people being deprived of water to live and sustain their livelihood.

Causes of the water crisis in India

• Lack of pricing of water: There has been an effort to develop sustainable water supplies in India in recent years with water conservation legislation existing in 80 percent of the country. However, poor data management and an abject failure to properly price water have prevented the country from making any significant progress.
• Populist policy: “Policies like several states giving free electricity to farmers or giving financial support for groundwater extraction – borewells and tubewells – results in uncontrolled exploitation and wastage of resources. Also, the subsidized pricing of water in various states has resulted in non-revenue water and a sharp decline in groundwater levels in all states.
• Failure of mass adoption of drip irrigation: Drip irrigation, a method that means farmers use drastically less fertilizer and diesel, has failed to become popular and its implementation is expensive for most people with state governments providing limited support.
• Erratic monsoon and climate change: Climate change is a real global challenge today that is altering the water cycle in the worst way possible. Increased temperature, droughts, river drying and insufficient monsoon to replenish the groundwater has become one of the greatest cause of water scarcity in India.
• Poor planning and Leakage: This is one of the greatest reasons for the water crisis in Indian cities as some reports state that around 20–25% of water is wasted due to the leakage in the pipelines. India wastes considerably a lot of water as leakage in pumping and distribution.
• Improper wastewater treatment: In India, there is no policy support for recycling and reuse of industrial wastewater contrary to other countries that have proper guidelines on wastewater management. Israel uses about 86% of its treated wastewater in agriculture. 70% of urban sewage in India is untreated and is disposed of directly to the water bodies which creates quite a lot of health and environmental concerns.

Implications of Water Crisis

• Shifting to inter-city water supplies– Almost all cities in India are experiencing water stress major due to the drying up of groundwater water or local water resources. Thus, now City water supply is now a subject of inter-basin and inter-State transfers of water. For example, Ahmedabad’s 80% water supply used to be met from groundwater sources till the mid-1980s. But now the city depends on the Narmada canal for the bulk of its water supply. 
• Inter-state water disputes are growing- Rising inter-state river water disputes between states to secure their water supplies and economic growth. This is further causing federal disputes and inter-state political rivalries.
• Faster depletion of water resources- The increased pace of water resource usage to meet the growing water demand has led to faster depletion of water, crossing the sustainable replenishment rate of the resources and ultimately leading to their drying up.
• Creation of urban heat islands- water has a cooling effect on the environment, but due to the drying up of surface water resources, this cooling effect of water has reduced leading to the rise in the environmental temperatures and thus creating urban heat islands.
• “Commodification of water”- has started as evident from the growing number of water bottling plants popping up in cities, creating artificial scarcity of water and selling water at higher rates thus impacting people’s pockets negatively as well as creating a Rich-Poor divide/ inequality in water affordability and accessibility.

Some suggestions to solve the water crisis in India

• Sustainable water management: Improving water infrastructure must be a priority, as water conservation and efficiency are key components of sustainable water management.
• Restoring and reviving traditional water harvesting structures such as wetlands, lakes, Johads (earthen check dams), etc.
• Reclaimed water: Rainwater harvesting and recycled wastewater also allow to reduce scarcity and ease pressures on groundwater and other natural water bodies. 
• Pollution control & better sewage treatment: Without proper sanitation, the water becomes full of diseases and unsafe to drink. That is why addressing pollution and measuring and monitoring water quality is essential. 
• Awareness & Education: Education is critical to solving the water crisis. In fact, to cope with future water scarcity, it is necessary to radically reform all forms of consumption
• Adopting an integrated approach: A system perspective and catchment scale-based approach are necessary to link the reallocation of water with wider discussions on development, infrastructure investment, fostering a rural-urban partnership, and adopting an integrated approach in water management.

Some water management Models

• Learning from better performing states: In what could serve as an encouragement to step up the pursuit of policies to better conserve water, several water-scarce states are the best at managing the resource. Some of the best performers in the national composite water index – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana – are states that have suffered from severe droughts in recent years.
• Reviving dead rivers: Rajendra Singh, popularly known as ‘Waterman of India’ has applied the method of constructing check dams and reservoirs to revive several hundreds of dead rivers in India. His network- ‘Rashtriya Jal Biradari’ is working for the restoration of all mighty and small rivers of the country.
• Applying the ‘One Water’ Approach– ‘One Water’ is the recognition that all water has value, regardless of its source. It includes managing that source in an integrated, inclusive and sustainable manner by including the community, business leaders, industries, farmers, conservationists, policymakers, academics and others for ecological and economic benefits.
• Mihir Shah, Head of the New Water Policy formulation committee, has suggested shifting the focus of water management in India from ‘supply management’ to ‘demand management’ i.e managing the growing demand for water in India rather than focusing on supplying more and more water.

Steps taken by the government for Water Management

• The government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, a time-bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including groundwater conditions in the water-stressed blocks of 256 districts in India.
• National Water Policy (2012) has been formulated by the Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, inter-alia advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall.
• Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by Central Ground Water Authority in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), a Rs.6000 crore scheme with World Bank funding, for sustainable management of groundwater with community participation is being taken up in the identified over-exploited and water-stressed areas.
• National Water Mission had started a campaign “Sahi Fasal” to nudge farmers to favor crops that consume less water and to use water more efficiently in agriculture, as a part of demand side management.
• Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) in its report for 2021-26, has earmarked 60 per cent for national priorities like drinking water supply and rainwater harvesting and sanitation, out of the total grants earmarked for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI). For fifty Million-Plus cities, two-thirds of the allocation of funds under the Challenge Fund of Rs. 38,196 crores is meant for meeting service level benchmarks on drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting, water recycling, solid waste management and sanitation.

Way forward

• Improving traditional irrigation methods- to shift to Drip irrigation which is already in practice in India needs to be practiced efficiently across the country which will reduce the water usage in agriculture.
• Wastewater recycling to save our water bodies: As we know, most of our water bodies are polluted because of wastewater released by textile and industries which in turn got mixed up and resulted in polluting the water bodies. Like Israel, India should also take necessary steps to recycle wastewater and reuse it for agriculture and industrial activities.
• Extracting water from air and fog is a futuristic technology: the Indian government should invest in these technologies which can be implemented in suitable areas. For eg: extracting water from fog can be done in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam etc.
• To prevent leakage, a Proper team with skilled workers should be assigned the job of maintaining and repair of the pipelines. Smart metering and leakage detection systems should be designed to check the water wastage in the transmission.

Conclusion

Looking at the current situation, there is a need for a paradigm shift. We urgently require a transition from this ‘supply-and-supply-more water’ provision to measures that lead towards improving water use efficiency, reducing leakages, recharging/restoring local waterbodies as well as applying for higher tariffs and ownership by various stakeholders.

Context

• According to the latest National Health Accounts Report, India’s total health expenditure went down from 3.9 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013-14 to 3.2 per cent in 2018-19.
• The fact is alarming as it points toward the reducing health expenditure of the government at a time when the Health sector in the country is already under pressure from multiple issues such as poor infrastructure and the burden of the pandemic.
• In this context, in this edition of the burning issue, we will talk about India’s healthcare sector, issues that ail it and possible solutions to these issues.

About the National Health Accounts Report

• India’s National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates report for FY 2018-19 is the sixth in the series of NHA reports prepared by the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC).
• The report is based on the globally accepted framework of System of Health Accounts, 2011, which enables cross-comparability of estimates across time along with international comparisons.
• The NHA report presents two estimates for the expenditure incurred within the health sector during a financial year: Current Health Expenditure (CHE) and total Health Expenditure (THE).
• CHE includes the recurring expenses corresponding to the final consumption of health goods and services within a financial year. THE, on the other hand, reflects both current and capital expenditure incurred in the health sector within a financial year.

About the Healthcare Sector in India

• The Healthcare industry in India comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance, and medical equipment.

• The hospital industry in India accounts for 80% of the total healthcare market. The hospital industry is expected to reach $132 bn by 2023 from $61.8 bn in 2017; growing at a CAGR of 16-17%.
• In 2020, India’s Medical Tourism market was estimated to be worth $5-6 Bn and is expected to grow to $13 Bn by 2026.
• The primary care industry is currently valued at $13 bn. The share of the organized sector is practically negligible in this case.
• ‘Public Health’ subject comes under the state list under the 7^th schedule of the constitution.

Some Data about Healthcare Expenditure in India

• According to the latest National Health Accounts Report, the current health expenditure(CHE) for the year was Rs 5,40,246 crore or 90.58 percent, while the rest was capital expenditures. Of the government health expenditure, the Union government’s share was 34.3 percent.
• Out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare by households has declined by 16 percentage points, from 64.2 per cent to 48.2 per cent in the same period. It was even higher in 2004-2005, at 69.4 per cent. While this is a welcome improvement, the figure remains significantly higher than the global average.
• The economic burden of healthcare in India is largely borne by households that contribute Rs 3,24,717 crore to the current healthcare expenditure.
• For 2018-19, the health expenditure for India was estimated to be Rs 4, 470 per capita.
• Among the different types of healthcare providers, the major share of CHE is incurred at private hospitals (28.7 percent), followed by pharmacies (22.6 percent), and government hospitals (17.3 percent).

Challenges in the Healthcare sector in India

(A) Outdated Medical education in India

• Limited government seats: The number of seats available for medical education in India is far less than the number of aspirants who leave school with the dream of becoming doctors.
• Lack of skills: Though the institutes are managing to hire professors and lecturers, there is a lack of technical skills. Finding faculties in clinical and non-clinical disciplines is difficult and there are very few faculty development programs for upskilling the existing lot.
• Lack of digital infrastructure: The gap in digital learning infrastructure is currently the biggest challenge the sector is facing. There is an urgent need to adopt technology and have resources available to facilitate e-learning.
• Lack of research and innovation: there haven’t been much ground-breaking research in the medical field. The education system needs to focus more on increasing the quality of research. Additionally, since the industry-academia partnership is not available, hence innovation also takes a back seat.
• No. of doctors-Deficiency: The doctor-patient ratio of 1:1655 in India as against WHO norm of 1:1000 clearly shows the deficit of MBBS.
• Inadequate capacity of the health system: to cater to the healthcare demands of a large population as evident from multiple months waiting for an operation even at large healthcare centers like AIIMS.

(B) Suffering from several Paradoxes

• Healthcare is a fundamental right, but it is not fundamentally right in India: The expenditure on healthcare is one of the lowest in the world. Though our economy has grown robustly post-liberalization, investment in healthcare has consistently hovered around 1% of the GDP. In the 2020-21 Budget, it was 1.02% of overall expenditure.
• The sector attracts investments, but delivery remains contentious: India’s healthcare sector has attracted a steady stream of investments. Lack of penetration, inflated billing, opaqueness in diagnosis, and poor quality of service has ensured that most Indians get treated below the standards prescribed by the WHO.
• Among the cheapest in the world, yet unaffordable for most locally: Healthcare in India is cheap. Yet India has one of the world’s highest rates of out-of-pocket spending in healthcare. Millions in India cannot afford these procedures in their own country.
• Less health infrastructure, but medical tourism booms: There is a dearth of medical schools and clinicians. Most hospitals in India are overburdened, understaffed, and ill-equipped. However, all this has not prevented the private healthcare sector to establish sophisticated medical tourism facilities on the plank of ‘world-class service at low cost’.

(C) Rising Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases

• According to the study report ‘India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative’ in 2017 by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it is estimated that the proportion of deaths due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India has increased from 37.9% in 1990 to 61.8% in 2016.

(D) Inadequate Mother and Child Healthcare

• Maternal mortality causes 56,000 deaths every year in India, accounting for 20 percent of maternal deaths around the world.
• The inadequate healthcare system and lack of healthcare facilities in most regions have elevated the number of maternal mortality cases in India. 

(E) Receding government from the health sector

• Currently, government hospitals are having only a 30% share of the total number of hospital beds available in India.
• Also, 70% of new beds added in hospitals are coming from private hospitals rather than government hospitals. This disproportionately impacts poor people more.
• India’s rich and middle classes have opted out of public health completely, leaving the poor with unconscionably meager services.

How pandemic has further exposed the Healthcare sector in India?

 (1) Poor Infrastructure

• In the 2019 Global Health Security Index, which measures pandemic preparedness for countries based on their ability to handle the crisis, India ranked 57, lower than the US at 1, the UK at 2, Brazil at 22, and Italy at 31.
• As per the OECD data available for 2017, India reportedly has only 0.53 beds available per 1,000 people as against 0.87 in Bangladesh, 2.11 in Chile, 1.38 in Mexico, 4.34 in China, and 8.05 in Russia.

(2) Fewer doctors per thousand

• The WHO mandates that the doctor-to-population ratio should be 1:1,000, while India had a 1:1,404 ratio as of February 2020.
• In rural areas, this doctor-patient ratio is as low as 1:10,926 doctors as per National Health Profile 2019.

(3) Denial of healthcare by Private hospitals

• Despite private hospitals accounting for 62 percent of the total hospital beds as well as ICU beds and almost 56 percent of the ventilators, they are handling only around 10 percent of the workload.
• Private hospitals are reportedly denying treatment to the poor. Cases of overcharging patients are also being reported in private hospitals.

 (4) Negligence for mental healthcare

• Mental health problems were already a major contributor to the burden of illness in India which usually gets unnoticed.
• The widespread anxiety due to the lockdown has frustrated the laborers, farmers, and various vulnerable sections to a great extent due to the fear of impoverishment and loss of livelihoods.

Ayushman Bharat- A Game Changer Scheme

• Ayushman Bharat Scheme was launched in 2018, as a step toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and would provide quality health services to eligible patients and protect them from financial hardship.
• It aims to provide 110 million “poor, deprived rural families” with an annual family health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh in Secondary and tertiary healthcare.

Outcomes of the scheme

Positive outcomes

• More than 20.8 lakh people from marginalized sections received health treatment worth Rs. 5000 crores in the initial 200 days of the scheme.
• The portability of the scheme helped several migrant workers access health benefits in the state of migration during COVID times irrespective of their home states.

Negative outcomes

• One of the primary objectives of this scheme is to decrease the out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure on health in India. Multiple research studies suggest that insurance schemes for the poor in India have failed to provide the much-needed relief, with OOP figures higher for those using insurance schemes, compared to those who do not. Predominant reasons are shoddy implementation, lack of infrastructure and corruption.
• As per the latest data available, over 12.5 crore Ayushman cards have been issued and about 1.23 crore people have availed the benefit of this scheme (merely 2 percent of the 50 crore target beneficiaries).
• In addition, Ayushman beneficiaries are denied benefits they were previously entitled to under other schemes—a pregnant woman below-poverty line beneficiary of AB-PMJAY scheme, going for institutional delivery no longer receives the assistance of Rs 1,500 under Janani Surakhsa Yojana.

Some achievements in the Healthcare sector

• Out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare by households has declined by 16 percentage points, from 64.2 per cent to 48.2 per cent in the same period. It was even higher in 2004-2005, at 69.4 per cent. The decreasing share of OOPE signals the declining incidence of financial hardships faced by households while accessing healthcare in India.
• The increasing share of social security expenditure on health from 6 per cent in 2013-14 to 9.6 per cent of THE in 2018-19, indicates the increasing reach of social security measures in the country. This kind of payment mechanism enables risk protection thus preventing households from incurring catastrophic health expenditure.
• More than half of the government’s current expenditure (55 per cent) has been on strengthening primary healthcare centers. This not only ensures quality services at the grassroots level but also reduces the chances of ailments requiring secondary or tertiary health care services.
• Increasing health insurances– Health insurance contributes 20% to the non-life insurance business, making it the 2^nd largest portfolio. The gross direct premium income underwritten by health insurance grew 17.16% year on year to reach $6.87 bn in FY20

Models to improve the healthcare system in India

(A) Concept of Family Health Teams: 

• Instead of passive design of NHM, we need Family Health Teams (FHT) like in Brazil, accountable for the health and wellbeing of a dedicated population, say 2,000 families.

 (B) Move beyond doctor-led systems:

• India needs to move beyond the doctor-led system. Instead of wasting gynecologists in CHCs midwives (nurses with a BSc degree and two years of training in midwifery) can provide equally good services except surgical, and can be positioned in all CHCs and PHCs.

(C) National Health Service:

• It is based on the UK’s health model. It is similar to creating an All India Service on the lines IAS and IPS for the healthcare services in India. It would help bring uniformity in structure and services related to healthcare in India.

Other Possible solutions

 (1) Promote Universal health coverage

• As part of the SDGs, all countries have pledged to deliver universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.
• This includes India. But, sadly, nearly 50 percent of the world’s population lacks essential health services.

 (2) Increasing healthcare professionals in numbers

• Considering the rise in the population, new diseases and infections, India is in dire need of more medical staff and amenities.
• If India wants to achieve a 1:1,000 ratio, it will need an additional 2.07 million doctors by 2030. For this, the government needs to increase its spending on the health sector.

 (3) Revamping medical education

• There is a needs to rapidly build medical institutions and increase the number of doctors.
• It needs to aid attempts at constructing new medical institutes, hospitals, Primary health centers and New AIIMS.

 (4) Helping the downtrodden

• Rather than dumping them on government hospitals only, the private hospitals should be held accountable to take on their treatment.
• They can make up for the loss by cross-subsidizing treatments of patients with premium insurance policies.

(5) Enhancing future pandemic preparedness

• This can be done by strengthening the disease surveillance system, Primary health centers, and the Pharmaceutical industry for rapid production of essential medicines and testing kits.

 (6) Optimum use of technology

• The COVID-19 crisis has elevated the importance of digital tools and e-health.
• There is a growing use of mobile apps, online consultations, e-pharmacies, and other tools such as NetMeds, Dhani App and telemedicine.

 (7) Looping-in private players

• For too long, India has allowed the private health sector to grow, with little regulation.
• The lack of alignment between the public and private sectors has been exposed to COVID-19 testing and treatment in India.
• The time is ripe to loop in private players and promote the industrialization of the health sector.

(8) Review of the existing system: 

• Bringing such a transformative health system will require a comprehensive review of the existing training institutions, standardizing curricula and the qualifying criteria.
• Improving Federal cooperation in the health sector as health is a state subject.

Conclusion

• India’s healthcare system is too small for such a large population. There seems to be a long battle ahead. The public healthcare system cannot be improved overnight. 
• The country needs all hands on deck-both public and private sectors- working together and delivering the best healthcare services for all citizens.
• Ultimately, the onus of governance always rests with the government, which needs to set standards, invest resources, ensure quality, and strategically purchase services from the private sector, as needed.

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Context

• Parts of Bengaluru, India’s IT and startup capital faced unprecedented floods last week. This is not the first instance of urban flooding in India.
• In fact, urban flooding is becoming increasingly common in many parts of the country with this monsoon season itself seeing many such instances in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
• In this context, this edition of the burning issue will look at the rising problem of urban flooding in India, its causes and consequences, and finally few solutions to it.

Some major Urban Flooding incidents

• There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years whereby major cities in India have been severely affected.
• The most notable amongst them are Hyderabad in 2000, Ahmedabad in 2001, Delhi in 2002 and 2003, Chennai in 2004, Mumbai in 2005, Surat in 2006, Kolkata in 2007, Jamshedpur in 2008, Delhi in 2009 and Guwahati and Delhi in 2010. The most recent devastating ones were Srinagar in 2014 and Chennai in 2015

What is urban flooding?

• Urban flooding is the inundation of property in a built environment, particularly in more densely populated urban areas, caused by heavy rainfall on increased amounts of impervious surfaces and overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems.

• Urban floods stem from a combination of various meteorological and hydrological extremes, such as extreme precipitation and flow in short spans of time.
• Thus, flooding in urban areas is caused by intense and/or prolonged rainfall, which overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system.

Features of Urban Floods

• Faster Flow times: Consequently, flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
• Catchment destruction: Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanization leads to developed catchments which are the most vulnerable areas.

Causes of Urban Flooding

Natural factors:

• Meteorological Factors: Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms and thunderstorms cause water to flow quickly through paved urban areas and impound in low-lying areas.
• Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, the occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities.
• Climate Change: Climate change due to various anthropogenic events has led to extreme weather events.

Anthropological factors:

• Unplanned Urbanization: Unplanned Urbanization is the key cause of urban flooding. A major concern is the blocking of natural drainage pathways through construction activity and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds and lakebeds.
• Destruction of lakes: A major issue in Indian cities. Lakes can store excess water and regulate the flow of water. However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and converting them for development purposes has increased the risk of floods.
• Unauthorized colonies and excess construction: Reduced infiltration due to paving of surfaces which decreases ground absorption and increases the speed and amount of surface flow
• Poor Solid Waste Management System: Improper waste management system and clogging of storm-water drains because of silting, accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes and construction debris.
• Drainage System: Old and ill-maintained drainage system is another factor making cities in India vulnerable to flooding.
• Irresponsible steps: Lack of attention to the natural hydrological system and lack of flood control measures.

• Human determinism: The fact is that our cities have been built with little to no regard for the natural topography and severely lack holistic action.
• Weaker laws: We have in place the provisions of rainwater harvesting, sustainable urban drainage systems, etc, in regulatory mechanisms like the EIA notification 2006 but still these are on paper majorly.
• Weaker Urban bodies capacity: Public bodies’ focus is largely on de-silting of stormwater drains before monsoon and expansion of the over-burdened infrastructure, but at a crawling pace. 

Lacunae in Urban Planning

• No mapping of water bodies: The preliminary work of mapping and documentation of the surface water bodies even though mentioned by NDMA under the National Database for Mapping Attributes has not been undertaken.
• Failed early-warning system: During the floods of Uttarakhand in 2013, there were questions about the role of NDMA, where it failed to implement the early warning systems to inform people about the floods and landslides.
• Response rather than mitigation: The importance of preparedness for disaster situations like urban floods was realized by the government agencies only after the devastations during Chennai Floods in 2015 and Kerala Floods in 2018.
• Responsiveness of Local bodies: Sufficient training, equipment, and facilities for immediate response and tackling the disaster situation efficiently are not being carried out by the local governments. More onus of mitigation lies with NDMA/SDMA.
• Misutilization of Funds: NDRF/SDRF constituted by the government to deal with the disasters, were used for expenses that were not sanctioned for disaster management. There were cases of financial indiscipline in state management of funds.

Consequences of Urban Floods

• On the economy: Damage to infrastructure, roads and settlements, industrial production, basic supplies, post-disaster rehabilitation difficulties etc.
• On human population and wildlife: Trauma, loss of life, injuries and disease outbreak, contamination of water etc.

• On the environment: Loss of habitat, tree and forest cover, biodiversity loss and large-scale greenery recovery failure.
• On transport and communication: Increased traffic congestion, disruption in rail services, disruption in communication- on the telephone, internet cables causing massive public inconvenience.
• Diseases: the stagnation of flood water causes pollution of drinking water and accumulation of waste in dustbins and on the open road, thus acting as a host of several pathogens and resulting in the spread of diseases like Dengue, Malaria etc.

• Tangible losses: The losses that can be measured physically and can be assigned an economic value. These losses can be direct or indirect. Direct – Structural damage to buildings, property damage and damage to infrastructurewhereas Indirect – Economic losses, Traffic disruption, and emergency costs.

• Intangible losses: Intangible losses include loss of life, secondary health effects, and infections or damages to the environment which are difficult to assess in monetary terms since they are not traded such as Casualties, health effects, ecological losses, the Post-flood recovery process, mental damage to the people.

Solutions to Urban Flooding

• Improved flood warning systems: effective flood warning systems can help take timely action during natural calamities and can save lives. Pre-planning can significantly reduce the effects of floods, giving people time to migrate to safer locations and stock up on essentials.
• Building flood-resilient housing systems: concrete floors can be very useful during floods. Houses should be waterproofed and electric sockets should be placed at higher levels up the walls to reduce the chances of shocks.
• Constructing buildings above flood levels: buildings should be constructed a meter above the ground to prevent flood damage and evacuation during floods.
• Resilience to Climate change: drastic climate changes have increased the frequency of natural disasters in many parts of the world. Governments should bring about environment-friendly policy level changes and eliminate the ones hazardous to the environment to tackle the problem of global warming.
• Create wetlands and encourage reforestation: creating more and more wetlands can help soak up excessive moisture since wetlands act as sponges. Wooded areas can also slow down heavy water flow, minimizing the effects of floods. Reforesting upstream regions can significantly reduce the effects of flood damage.
• Installing flood barriers: these are flood gates designed to prevent the area behind the barrier from flooding. They can also be kept around buildings to keep floodwaters outside the boundary created.

Some international Models of Urban flood control

(A) To enhance Preventive measures

• It can learn a lesson or two from cities in Japan, Malaysia and Europe. These cities have well-prepared mapped flood zones.
• By combining field surveys, historical records, satellite imagery and infrastructure assessment, they have identified vulnerable areas.
• Such maps and data are shared with citizens, which help them understand the status of their neighborhoods and decide where to move or buy new homes.

(B) To enhance Mitigation

• Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo have built extensive water discharge tunnels to divert and store floodwater. This reduces the volume of water that washes the city.
• Tokyo has one of the largest underground tunnels, running to a length of 6.5 km, and the tank can hold 6,70,000 cubic metres of diverted water, which is later pumped into safe watercourses using turbines.

(C) To enhance Response measures

• As cities increasingly face natural hazards and terrorist attacks, they are investing in setting operation centers for early warning and rescue work.
• For example, Rio de Janeiro has spent $14 million and created a real-time monitoring center of infrastructure and traffic flows.
• The recent experience clearly shows the need for early warning and dissemination of reliable information about floods and rescue.

(D) The Dutch Model of Flood Management

• ‘Live with Water, Built with Nature’ sees cities as ‘waterscape’ and not ‘landscape’ as most of our cities are built along water bodies like river banks or coastal areas. The model proposes nature-based solutions for flood management in cities.

(E) Yongning River Park model

• Of China where artificial wetlands are created in and around cities to allow periodic flooding in these parks and act as a buffer for cities and thus preventing flooding.

Way forward

• Building Resilience: The rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demands building the resilience of people and urban infrastructure.
• Reconsider projects: Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.
• Use of technology: At the same time, climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies.

• Climate variability assessment: As the incidence of climate variability and extreme weather events increases, it is inevitable that we look at the issue from a broad-based perspective.
• Innovation: Water-sensitive urban design and planning techniques — especially in the context of implementation — are of utmost importance. Ex. Sponge Cities.
• Environmental determinism: Planning must take into consideration the topography, types of surfaces (pervious or impervious), and natural drainage and leave very less impact on the environment.
• Vulnerability Analysis: Vulnerability analyses and risk assessments should form part and parcel of city master plans.
• Extending IN-FLOWS flood control systems which have been installed in Chennai and Mumbai to other major cities also.

Conclusion

• A June 2020 Ministry of Earth Sciences climate change assessment report noted how the increased frequencies of heavy rainfall had enhanced flood risk all over India, particularly in urban areas. This requires an urgent fix. 
• Thus, Flooding in India is also all set to increase in magnitude and intensity. The need of the hour is to adopt the Sendai framework’s Disaster risk resilience approach in Urban flood management in India to better cope with urban floods and reduce their impact as much as possible.

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Context

• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has arrived in India for a four-day visit to boost bilateral ties.
• India has marched past Britain to emerge as the fifth-largest economy and similarly, with Sheikh Hasina at the helm for over 13 years, her country has come of age. 
• In this context, this edition of the burning issue will analyse the growing India-Bangladesh bilateral partnership, its achievements and irritants and finally conclude with a more can be achieved through this partnership.

History of the India-Bangladesh Relationship

• The two neighbours, India and Bangladesh, are organically linked — with their common heritage and shared history, common memories of tragic loss, and the separation of families on a massive scale following the Partition of India in 1947.
• Also, Rabindranath Tagore created the national anthems of both Bangladesh and India in 1905 and 1911 respectively.
• However, the bilateral relations between the two nations formally started after the Bangladesh liberation war,1971 which had played a key role along with the Mukti Bahini, thus helping East Pakistan (as called then) to separate from Pakistan and emerge as an independent nation. Bangladesh liberation day, 16^th December is celebrated as “Vijay Diwas” in India.
• India was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state and established diplomatic relations with the country immediately after its independence in December 1971.

India-Bangladesh ties: An organic transformation

• India’s links with Bangladesh are civilization, cultural, social and economic.
• There is much that unites the two countries – a shared history and common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, and passion for music, literature and the arts.
• It is also worth recalling that India shares its longest border of 4,096.7 kilometres with Bangladesh, which is also the fifth-longest border in the contemporary world.
• With the onset of economic liberalization in South Asia, they forged greater bilateral engagement and trade.

Significance of Bangladesh for India

• Strategic– From the perspective of India’s Northeast, Bangladesh is India’s most strategic neighbour. The only connection between India’s mainland and the northeast was the Chicken’s Neck – a narrow strip of land that has always been a huge security concern.
• Connectivity to East Asia– India’s dream of ‘Act East Policy’ can only be materialized with the helping hands of Dhaka. Perhaps on top of the list is connectivity between India’s mainland and the crucial northeast, which is part of India’s “Look East” Policy.
• Internal Security– The other big security concern for India is that Bangladesh should not turn into the frontline of radical terror in the southeast. Bangladesh could turn into a launchpad for religious radical terror activities in India if relations are not maintained well.
• Countering China– India’s relationship with Bangladesh is also linked to its relationship with China. India did not want Bangladesh to become a pearl in China’s “String of Pearls” strategy to hem in India by using its neighbours.
• Trade- Bangladesh is currently India’s biggest trade partner in the South Asian region.

Achievements of the relationship

(1) Border settlements

• In September 2011, the two countries signed a major accord on border demarcation to end the 4-decade old disputes over boundaries. This came to be known as the Tin Bigha corridor. India also granted 24-hour access to Bangladeshi citizens in the Tin Bigha Corridor.
• On 7 May 2015 the Indian Parliament, in the presence of Bangladeshi diplomats, unanimously passed the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) as its 100th Constitutional amendment, thereby resolving all 68-year-old border disputes since the end of the British Raj.

(2) Power cooperation

• India’s Reliance power agreed to invest US$3 billion to set up a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant (which is the single largest foreign investment ever made in Bangladesh). Adani power will also be setting up a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant at a cost of US$1.5 billion.
• In 2018, the leaders of both countries inaugurated the 130 km long Bangladesh-India Friendship pipeline to supply 4 lakh tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh.
• India is also looking to export electricity from its northeastern region with the potential to generate some 58,971 MW to its eastern States through Bangladesh. Bangladesh hopes to have access to Nepal and Bhutan’s power through India. Bangladesh has formally requested a ‘power corridor’ to access the Bhutanese and Nepalese markets. 
• Bangladesh currently imports 1160 MW of power from India.

(3) Connectivity

• The Modi government along with the Sheikh Hasina regime restarted that with Bandhan in 2017. The Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008.
• In September 2018, the Bangladesh cabinet approved the draft of a proposed agreement with India to allow it to use the Chittagong and Mongla sea ports for transporting goods to and from its land-locked northeastern states.
• Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) initiative Motor Vehicles Agreement has also been underway to promote connectivity in the region.
• In August 2021, the two sides started a regular movement of freight trains between the newly-restored link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.

(4) Cooperation on Rivers

• India and Bangladesh have 54 rivers in common and a bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) has been working since June 1972 to maximize cooperation in sharing the waters of these rivers.

(5) Defence and Security

• The militaries of the two countries will conduct joint exercises and training, Exercise Sampriti and Navy (Exercise Milan). India will help Bangladesh set up manufacturing and service centres for defence platforms that both countries possess with the aim of achieving self-sufficiency in defence manufacturing in Bangladesh, and will also provide the Bangladesh military with expert training, and technical and logistic support.
• India also extended its first ever defence-related line of credit to a neighbouring country, by providing Bangladesh with $500 million to purchase defence equipment.
• Closer cooperation to fight against extremist radical groups, terrorist organisations, smuggling of arms, drugs and fake currency and also organized crime as a shared priority.
• India and Bangladesh are also engaged in regional cooperation through multilateral forums such as SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and IORARC (Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation)
• For the first time, a contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, comprising 122 members from its tri–services, participated in the Indian Republic Day parade.

(6) Economic development

• India has extended a line of credit of US$ 800 million to Bangladesh for a range of projects, including railway infrastructure, supply of Broad-Gauge microprocessor-based locomotives and passenger coaches, procurement of buses, and dredging projects.
• The bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh stood at $10.8 billion in 2020-21, as against $9.5 billion in 2019-20. Major exports from India to Bangladesh include cotton, cereals, fuel, vehicle parts and machinery and mechanical appliances.

(7) People’s connectivity

• Scholarships and training programmes under ITEC, TCS of Colombo Plan, ICCR, AYUSH, Commonwealth, SAARC and IOR-ARC scholarships/ fellowship schemes are being offered to Bangladesh nationals.
• Both countries jointly celebrated year-long celebrations of the 150th birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and the 90th Anniversary of the publication of the poem ‘Bidrohi’ by Kazi Nazrul Islam in 2011-12.
• Also, people from Bangladesh form the biggest foreign tourists arrival in India and also the biggest benefiter of cheap Medical tourism in India.

Issues hurting the relationship

(1) Illegal migration

• This has always been a primary problem for India since the partition of Bengal.
• In view of this, recently, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to complete the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border soon to check illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam.
• Continuous border killing of Bangladeshi people by Indian border guards, aiding illegal immigrants, helping in armed dacoity, fake money transfer and illegal drug trades by both Indian and Bangladeshi people are the major problems between Bangladesh and India.

(2) Increasing Chinese footprint

• In 2016 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh, the smaller country agreed to join the OBOR.
• Bangladesh is increasingly tilting towards China due to the Asian giant’s massive trade, infrastructural and defence investments in these countries.
• In spite of its Neighbourhood First Policy, India has been losing its influence in the region to China.

(3) NRC conundrum

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) has left out 1.9 million Assamese from the list with a group labelled as “illegal immigrants from Bangladesh” living in Assam post-1971.
• India plans to seek their repatriation to Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh remains firm in its stance that no migrants travelled to Assam illegally during the 1971 war of independence and that the controversial NRC risks hurting relations.

(4) Rohingya Issue

• The Rohingya issue and India’s remarks in 2017 on the issue have been upsetting for Bangladesh which has been facing the challenge of providing shelter to more than a million refugees fleeing persecution.

(5) River disputes

• India and Bangladesh have failed to conclude a framework agreement to optimise the use of waters from six rivers including the Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar, which has been discussed for several months.
• No progress was reported on the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement either after the recent visit.

(5) Rising radicalization

• Bangladesh is witnessing rising radicalization as evident from multiple attacks on religious places of Hindu minorities in the nation and also from the massive violence during PM Modi’s visit to Bangladesh last year.

(6) Killings at the border

• The shooting of smugglers by BSF personnel at the Indo-Bangladesh Border is often seen by Bangladesh nationals as the killing of innocent Bangladeshis and ‘Big Brother’ attitude of India. Recently, a BSF jawan was also killed by smugglers on the border.

Outcomes from Recent PM Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India (September 2022)

• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ongoing state visit to India and meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi have resulted in positive outcomes and seven agreements.
• These include the conclusion of the first water-sharing agreement in 26 years. The water sharing agreement on the Kushiyara, which was preceded by the first Joint River Commission meeting in 12 years, is a particularly hopeful sign of resolving water management, and a very contentious issue, of 54 transboundary rivers.
• While there has been a smaller agreement on the withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs from the Feni in the interim period, the Kushiyara agreement is the first time the Centre has been able to bring on board Assam and other north-eastern States, for the agreement since the 1996 Ganga water treaty.
• India and Bangladesh have decided to start negotiations this year on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement—a free trade agreement in goods, services, investments and other related areas—aiming to implement the pact by the time Bangladesh graduates out of its LDC status in 2026.
• Much of her focus was also on attracting investment by Indian industry, which now constitutes a small fraction of Bangladesh’s FDI inflows. Ms. Hasina made particular mention of two dedicated Special Economic Zones for Indian companies, coming up at Mongla and Mirsarai.
• An MoU on scientific cooperation between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific Industrial Research (BCSIR) has been signed.

About Kushiyara- Kushiyara River is one of the transboundary rivers between India and Bangladesh. The Barak of India originates from the northern hills of Assam. The river enters Bangladesh and separates into two arms. The northwest arm is the Surma and the southwestern arm is the Kushiyara.

Way forward

• The future will present itself with an abundance of opportunities to help the two countries to reach a new plane of bilateral relations higher than ever before.
• Both nations should play their diplomatic cards with more maturity and pragmatism, keeping the regional aspirations and nuances of both countries in mind.
• A judicious aggregation of regional expectations on both sides of the border will help in achieving their mutual national objectives.
• To make the recent gains irreversible, both countries need to continue working on the three Cs — cooperation, collaboration, and consolidation.

Conclusion

• After reaching a mutual understanding on issues related to maritime delimitation, land border arrangement, enclaves, short sea shipping as well as inland waterways, both countries are at a positive juncture in their diplomatic relations as called by PM Modi “Sonali Adhyaay” (Golden Chapter).
• While cross-border sensitivities in South Asia often run high over such political rhetoric, it is necessary that New Delhi and Dhaka remain focused on their future cooperation, built on their past partnership, and what is referred to as the “Spirit of 1971”.

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Context: Radicalization in India

• Recently, India witnessed a series of extremist acts by some radicalized youth from different cities like Udaipur which later got extended to the “sar tan se juda” sloganeering and related controversy.
• Last year also, The NIA made multiple arrests in a suspected ISI module that was playing role in the radicalization of Indian youth and performing extremist acts in India.
• The above incidences highlight the issue of radicalization of Indian youth which could pose a serious challenge to India’s internal security. Thus, in this edition of the Burning issue, we will study radicalization in India, its causes, consequences and some way forward.

What is Radicalization?

• Radicalization is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly radical views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. It is when someone starts to believe or support extreme views and then participates in extremist groups or acts.
• It can be motivated by a range of factors, including ideologies, religious beliefs, political beliefs and prejudices against particular groups of people.

Type of Radicalization

Right-Wing Extremism

• It is mostly associated with supremacist ideas promoting the supremacy of the social identity of one class or religion over the other. The fascist, racist, and ultranationalist are types of it.

Left-Wing Extremism

• They believe in the violent overthrow of the politically established governments and aim to control the state. This type includes Maoists, anarchists (one who believes in absence of the state) and Marxist–Leninists who believe in Marx’s revolutionary theory. Example- India’s Naxal violence in Chattishgarh, Jharkhand.

Politico-Religious Extremism

• This form of radicalization generally involves a political interpretation of religion and may defend their identity and customs through violent means that they perceive to be under attack.
• It is the broader aspect of communal extremism where religion is used to politically mobilize people and in the process may turn to violent acts leading to religious extremism.

Single-Issue Extremism

• This type of radicalization uses a single issue to mobilize the masses. These can be issues of hatred against outsiders (xenophobia), feminist rights, and environmental issues. The recent post-Agniveer Scheme launch caused radicalization of youth for the job and following violence can be put under this category.

Causes of radicalization in India

• Political– Lack of civil rights or marginalization of a section of society from the political power may lead to the generation of radical ideas or dissent leading to communal mobilization by certain political groups.
• Economic– Lack or deprivation of equal economic opportunity can be a cause of radicalization. Generally, poverty and unemployment are considered a cause of it. For example, violent Pro-Reservation protests by different communities at different times.
• Cultural– It is generally seen with the communities who feel some threat to their cultural norms and practices due to the presence of outside people in their areas and attack these minorities out of fear of losing their culture.
• Social identification– People identify themselves with different groups such as caste, religion, and ethnicity and when some threat occurs to these identifications, it causes them to rise in violence.   
• Internet radicalization- uses the internet as a medium to propagate extremist views, thus provoking individuals, mainly youth, to rise against so-called injustice thus radicalizing them. Recently, the Union government asked several social media platforms to block accounts and youtube channels promoting hatred against the nation.
• Individual factors– This includes a person’s natural tendency of violent behavior, aggressive attitude and causing harm to others. It may also include a feeling of revenge, a desire to cause harm to the wrongdoer etc also.
• Faulty government policies- such as a land acquisition by the government without due compensation could lead to the generation of feelings of injustice and anger against the state, which often lead to moving towards radicalization.

Consequences of radicalization

• Ruptures the social fabric– as it promotes hatred among communities in the society and thus generation of enmity.
• Causes trust deficit– among different sections of society in the country’s social and political system.
• Breeding ground– for extremist or terrorist forces to train and recruit individuals for their motives.
• Hamper’s economic investments– in a nation as frequent radical acts generate negative sentiments in investors about the future stability of the country and thus  reduce investment.
• Threat to national security- as above all consequences finally reaches extreme levels leading to internal security challenges for the police and intelligence agencies. As Acharya Chanakya has said that “Internal threats are much more dangerous than threats outside”

Current state of radicalization in India

• India currently witnessing radicalization in form of Naxalism in central India, Ethnic insurgency in North East India and the recent new types being mob lynching (eg. Cow vigilantism) and even lone wolf attacks (Udaipur and Amravati killing).
• A number of individuals, though minuscule in number, from India, have joined terrorist organizations such ISIS, Al-Queda etc.
• Increasing threat of “Virtual Radicalisation” as evident from The Indian government recently blocking more than 100 YouTube channels as they were spreading fake information and communal hatred in India.
• There is a growing threat of hate speech, and the demonization of certain communities as anti-nationals, which further promotes radicalization and extremism.

Steps taken to counter radicalization

• Approval of study– The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered a study on ‘the status of radicalization in India’ which will be conducted under G.S. Bajpai. It will try to legally define ‘radicalization’ and suggest amendments to the UAPA Act,1967.

• Enactment of laws- Various laws such as the UAPA act, 1967; NIA act, 2008 have to be strengthened to give more power to security agencies to tackle radicalism.
• Institutions created– Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) divisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs are the key wings of the Government of India to coordinate with various law-enforcement agencies in the country.
• Cyberworld and technology mechanisms– IB launched Operation Chukravyuh in late 2014 to counter the challenges posed by online radicalization.
• Several deradicalization programs– Certain deradicalization and anti-radicalization programs are coordinated by the Union Government such as Civic Action Programs implemented by the Seema Shastra Bal (SSB) along the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan Borders.
• State-level de-radicalization programs– such as that of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) which has been quite successful in their attempts of deradicalizing numerous individuals.
• Other programs- Coverage of the government’s various welfare schemes without discrimination, special schemes for communities and areas, promotion of composite culture and coexistence among various communities and constitutional safeguards for minorities, are some of the steps the government has been taking to keep people away from radicalization

Way Forward

• Launching de-radicalization programs– which focus on states with higher intensity of radicalization and also Development of counseling and rehabilitation centers for radicalized youths under police custody.
• Adopting the holistic approach– of deradicalization, counter-radicalization and anti-radicalization at all necessary levels.
• Promoting research in the field of radicalization– concerning the different regions of India for a deeper understanding of the issue and developing a better solution.
• Ensuring adequate funds– for these programs, capability development of intelligence forces and creation of modern infrastructure to tackle radicalization, especially the virtual one.
• Capacity development of state police- as they are the first line of defense. State police forces need to work in good cooperation with central security agencies to better counter the growing radicalization.
• Increase involvement of family and religious leaders– in not only the process of rehabilitation of radicalized youths but also in preventing youth to move towards radicalized ideologies.
• Increasing awareness– in society about these threats through school and college education or through social media accounts of security agencies to prevent people from falling into trap of extremists.
• Need to de-glamourize terrorism- and also a coordinated South Asian effort in countering radicalization can go a long way for the region as all countries of the region is facing the heat of radicalization.

Conclusion

• Radicalization is an ongoing and dynamic process that needs a multifaceted approach that involves various policies and measures. Structural factors, in addition to psychological and ideological factors, go a long way in the explanation of radicalization.
• Various counter-radicalization steps such as the correct diagnosis, building a counter-narrative, having the right communication strategy, education, having a counter-radicalization law, effective oversight and accountability, regulating the media, academia and public intellectuals and learning from other countries can be deliberated upon.
• We all must work together in the ongoing “Amrit Kaal” to create a radicalization and extremism-free India by 2047, the 100^th year of Indian Independence.

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Context

• The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers will implement One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF) under the fertilizer subsidy scheme named “Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna” (PMBJP).
• In this edition of the Burning issue, we will delve deeper into the fertilizer sector of India, see its achievements, lacunas, and schemes under operation and suggest a way forward.

About Fertilizer Sector in India

• Fertilizers are substances that provide one or more of the chemicals required for plant growth. Fertilizers can be both organic and inorganic.
• The benchmark that the food industry in India has set in terms of annual production is primarily due to the many technically competent fertilizer-producing companies in the country.
• In the present scenario, niti.gov.in states that 56 large plants produce nitrogenous, phosphatic, and complex fertilizers and 72 medium and small fertilizer production units in the Indian fertilizer industry, have single super Phosphate (SSP).
• The main products manufactured by the fertilizer industry in India are phosphate-based fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizers, and complex fertilizers. With its rapid growth, the fertilizer industry in India is all set to make a long-lasting global impression.
• India is home to numerous top-class private and government fertilizer companies. Ranging from fertilizers to seeds to fungicides, the many fertilizer companies in India are the primary reason behind the success story of the sector in India.

Positive aspects of the Fertilizer Sector

• The Indian fertilizers market is estimated to record a CAGR of 11.9% during the forecast period (2021-2026). The Indian fertilizer market reached a value of INR 887 Billion in 2020.
• The Indian fertilizer industry has made good progress in the case of Nitrogen-based fertilizers. India is the 2nd largest consumer of Urea fertilizers after China. India also ranks 2nd in the production of nitrogenous fertilizers and 3rd in phosphatic fertilizers. 
• Potash requirement is met through imports since we have limited reserves of potash. Productions are largely state-controlled.
• Popular PSUs are The Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd, National fertilizers Limited, Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd., etc.

Challenges in the Fertilizer sector

1] Distortion in use due to price difference

• The shift in the composition of fertilizer used: The high price differences among fertilizers (Nitrogen is much cheaper than Potassium and Phosphorus) have disturbed the relative prices of various fertilizers and resulted in a big shift in the composition of fertilizers used in the country in favor of urea and thus Nitrogen.

• In 2019-20, fertilizer use per hectare of cultivated area varied from 70 kg of NPK in Rajasthan to 250 kg in Telangana
• Further, the composition of total plant nutrients in terms of the N, P, K ratio deviated considerably from the recommended or optimal NPK mix. It was 33.7:8.0:1 in Punjab and 1.3:0.7:1 in Kerala.

2] Increasing fertilizer subsidy

• Fertilizer subsidy has doubled in a short period of three years. For 2021-22, the Union Budget has estimated fertilizer subsidy at ₹79,530 crores (from ₹66,468 crores in 2017-18).
• The subsidy is likely to reach a much higher level due to the recent upsurge in the prices of energy, the international prices of urea and other fertilizers, and India’s dependence on imports.
• In order to minimize the impact of rising prices on farmers, the bulk of the price rise is absorbed by the government through enhanced fertilizer subsidies. This created serious fiscal challenges.
• At current prices, farmers pay about ₹268 per bag of urea and the Government of India pays an average subsidy of about ₹930 per bag.
• Thus, taxpayers bear 78% of the cost of urea and farmers pay only 22%. This is expected to increase and is not sustainable.

3] Import dependence

• Total demand for urea: The total demand for urea in the country is about 34-35 million tonnes whereas the domestic production is about 25 million tonnes.
• The requirement for Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) is about 12 million tonnes and domestic production is just 5 million tonnes.

4] Other issues

• Lesser expansion of Irrigation facilities and consequent low fertilizer consumption leads to low demand and therefore, restricts the growth of the industry.
• Use of Obsolete Technology: Most of the fertilizer industry operates under PSUs that are using decade-old technology and thus making huge losses and also the competitive edge.

Issue of fertilizer subsidy

• According to Economic Survey 2016, the fertilizer sector is highly regulated, which causes a major distortion in the sector. The subsidy which is intended to help small farmers benefits a small proportion of them.
• According to the survey, 24 per cent is spent on inefficient urea producers of the remaining, 41 per cent is diverted to non-agricultural uses and abroad; of the remaining, 24 per cent is consumed by large farmers.

• Fertilizer subsidy ultimately goes to the fertilizer company, even though it is the farmer who benefits.
• Before 2018, companies were reimbursed after the material was dispatched and received by the district railhead or designated godown.
• 2018 saw the beginning of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), which would transfer money directly to the retailer’s account. However, the companies will be paid only after the actual sale to the farmer.
• With the DBT system, each retailer — there is over 2.3 lakh of them across India — now has a point-of-sale (PoS) machine linked to the Department of Fertilizers’ e-Urvarak DBT portal.

What about non-urea fertilizers?

• Decontrolled system: The non-urea fertilizer is decontrolled or fixed by the companies.
• The non- urea fertilizers are further divided into two parts, DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) and MOP (Muriate of Phosphate).

Issues with such subsidies

• Flawed subsidy policy: This is harmful not just to the farmer, but to the environment as well.
• No permanent remedy: Indian soil has low Nitrogen use efficiency, which is the main constituent of Urea.
• Excessive use: Consequently, excess usage contaminates groundwater.
• Emission: The bulk of urea applied to the soil is lost as NH3 (Ammonia) and Nitrogen Oxides causing emissions.
• Health hazards: For human beings, “blue baby syndrome” is a common side ailment caused by Nitrate contaminated water.

Latest step: One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF)

• the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers issued a memo announcing the implementation of the “One Nation One Fertilizer” scheme under which a single brand and logo for fertilizers will have to be used by all manufacturers under the Centre’s fertilizer subsidy scheme newly renamed as a Prime Minister’s scheme- “Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna” (PMBJP).
• The single brand name for UREA, DAP, MOP and NPK etc. would be BHARAT UREA, BHARAT DAP, BHARAT MOP and BHARAT NPK etc. respectively for all Fertilizer Companies, State Trading Entities (STEs) and Fertilizer Marketing Entities (FMEs).
• Also, a logo indicating the Fertilizer subsidy scheme namely Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna will be used on said fertilizer bags.
• Under the scheme, companies are allowed to display their name, brand, logo and other relevant product information only on one-third space of their bags.
• On the remaining two-thirds space, the “Bharat” brand and Pradhanmantri Bharatiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana logo will have to be shown.

What is the government’s argument for introducing this scheme?

The government’s logic for introducing a single ‘Bharat’ brand for all subsidized fertilizers being marketed by companies is as follows:

(1) Subsidies normalization

• The maximum retail price of urea is currently fixed by the government, which compensates companies for the higher cost of manufacturing or imports incurred by them.
• The MRPs of non-urea fertilizers are decontrolled.
• But companies cannot avail of subsidy if they sell at MRPs higher than that informally indicated by the government.
• Simply put, there are some 26 fertilizers (inclusive of urea), on which government bears subsidy and also effectively decides the MRPs;

(2) Harmonizing markets

• Besides paying subsidies to companies for the cost of production, the government also pays manufacturers freight subsidies- or the cost of ferrying their products to the end-user.
• So, another argument for the launch of single-brand fertilizers is to reduce transport subsidies, estimated to be over ₹6,000 crore per year. This is done through the Fertilizer (Movement) Control Order, 1973.

 (3) Reduce specific brand demands

• Brand-wise demand for fertilizers in specific areas is one of the reasons for this movement. One rationale is that if manufacturers stop selling urea distinctively under individual brands, there would be no need for Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) to move fertilizers across states, thus reining in the fertilizer subsidy expenditure.

What can be the drawbacks of the scheme?

• It may disincentivize fertilizer companies from undertaking marketing and brand promotion activities.
• They will now be reduced to contract manufacturers and importers for the government. Any company’s strength ultimately is its brands and farmer trust built over decades.
• Currently, in case of any bag or batch of fertilizers not meeting the required standards, the blame is put on the company. But now, that may be passed on fully to the government. 
• A government brand will add another layer of regulation to the fertilizer manufacturing sector where almost every aspect- from product pricing to cost structure to geographical distribution and sale- is controlled by the government.

Other steps taken by Government in the fertilizer sector

Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme

• Under the NBS regime – fertilizers are provided to the farmers at subsidized rates based on the nutrients (N, P, K & S) contained in these fertilizers.
• Also, fertilizers that are fortified with secondary and micronutrients such as molybdenum (Mo) and zinc are given additional subsidies.
• The subsidy on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers is announced by the Government on an annual basis for each nutrient on a per kg basis – which is determined taking into account the international and domestic prices of P&K fertilizers, exchange rate, inventory level in the country etc.
• NBS policy intends to increase the consumption of P&K fertilizers so that the optimum balance (N:P:K= 4:2:1) of NPK fertilization is achieved.

More Steps that can be taken

[A] Need to shift our focus to Bio-fertilizers

• Bio-fertilizers are cheap, renewable, and eco-friendly, with great potential to supplement plant nutrients.
• The use of biofertilizers is necessary to maintain soil health as more and more use of chemical fertilizers kills all the microorganisms available in the soil, which are so essential for maintaining soil health.

[B] Reduce consumption of high-analysis fertilizers

• There is a need to cap or even reduce consumption of high-analysis fertilizers – particularly urea (46 per cent N content), DAP (18 per cent N and 46 per cent P) and MOP (60 per cent).
• Incorporate urease and inhibition compounds in urea: This can be done by incorporating urease and nitrification inhibition compounds in urea.

[C] Revise nutrient application recommendations

• Farmers need to know what is a suitable substitute for DAP and which NPK complex or organic manure can bring down their urea application from 2.5 to 1.5 bags per acre.
• It calls for agriculture departments and universities not just to revisit their existing crop-wise nutrient application recommendations, but to disseminate this information to farmers in a campaign mode.

Way forward

• Self-reliance: We need to be self-reliant and not depend on the import of fertilizers. In this way, we can escape the vagaries of high volatility in international prices. In this direction, five urea plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri, Barauni, Talcher, and Ramagundam are being revived in the public sector.

• Extend the NBS model to urea: There is a need to extend the NBS model to urea and allow for price rationalization of urea compared to non-nitrogenous fertilizers and prices of crops.
• Improve innovation: To scale up and improve innovations to develop alternative fertilizers.
• Improve fertilizer efficiency:  India should pay attention to improving fertilizer efficiency through need-based use rather than broadcasting fertilizer in the field. The recently developed Nano urea by IFFCO shows promising results in reducing the usage of urea.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that the Indian fertilizer sector needs a structural overhaul from production to prices. In the current situation, the newly launch One Nation, One Fertilizer scheme along with the above-mentioned changes will go a long way in enhancing the productivity of agriculture, mitigating climate change, providing an alternative to chemical fertilizers and balancing the fiscal impact of fertilizer subsidy on the Union Budgets in the years to come.

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Context

• Recently, the Gujarat government released 11 convicts who were sentenced to life imprisonment for the heinous murder and gang rape of women during the Gujarat communal riots of 2002.
• The action by the government has received heavy criticism from all sections of society with more than 130 former civil servants writing an open letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) against the action and asking for its revocation.
• The case has again highlighted the issues regarding crimes against women in India and prisoner’s conviction remission policies of states.

About the Bilkis Bano Case

• Bilkis Bano is a gangrape survivor of the 2002 riots in Gujarat. Rioters brutally attacked Bilkis and her family, raped the women and killed many of them.
• Her case was taken up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Supreme Court. Later, the Supreme Court transferred the investigation to the CBI and the case to Mumbai to facilitate a free and fair trial.
• Eleven men were convicted by the trial court and sentenced to life. The Bombay High Court confirmed their life terms in 2017.
• In 2019, the Supreme Court awarded compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis — the first such order in a case related to the 2002 riots.

Issues highlighted by the case

(A)Crimes against women

• Crime against women increased 7.3 per cent from 2018 to 2019 says the annual National Crime Record Bureau’s “Crime in India” 2019 report.
• Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.9%), followed by an assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (21.8%), kidnapping & abduction of women (17.9%) and ‘rape’ (7.9%).
• UP reported the highest number of crimes against women (59,853), accounting for 14.7 percent of such cases across the country.
• It was followed by Rajasthan (41,550 cases; 10.2 per cent) and Maharashtra (37,144 cases; 9.2 per cent).
• The problem of underestimation of gender-based crime is compounded by the failure of the justice system of the country in securing convictions.

Various types of crimes against women in India

[I] Domestic violence

• Domestic violence is abuse by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as dating, marriage, cohabitation or a familial relationship.
• It is also categorized as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, dating abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV).

[II] Killings

(a) Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion

• Female infanticide is the elected killing of a newborn female child or the termination of a female fetus through sex-selective abortion.
• In India, there is an incentive to have a son, because they offer security to the family in old age and can conduct rituals for deceased parents and ancestors.
• In contrast, daughters are considered to be a social and economic burden

(b) Dowry deaths

• Dowry death is the murder or suicide of a married woman caused by a dispute over her dowry.
• In some cases, husbands and in-laws will attempt to extort a greater dowry through continuous harassment and torture which sometimes results in the wife committing suicide.

(c) Honor killings

• An honor killing is a murder of a family member who has been considered to have brought dishonor and shame upon the family.
• Examples of reasons for honor killings include the refusal to enter an arranged marriage, committing adultery, choosing a partner that the family disapproves of, and becoming a victim of rape.
• Village caste councils or khap panchayats in certain regions of India regularly pass death sentences for persons who do not follow their diktats on caste or gotra.

(d) Witchcraft accusations and related murders

• Witchcraft is the practice of what the practitioner believes to be magical skills and abilities, and activities such as spells, incantations, and magical rituals.
• Murders of women accused of witchcraft still occur in India.  Poor women, widows, and women from lower castes are most at risk of such killings.

[III] Sexual Abuse/ Molestation/ Rape

• Rape is one of the most common crimes in India.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau, one woman is raped every 20 minutes in India.

• In India, marital rape is not a criminal offense.  
• India is one of fifty countries that have not yet outlawed marital rape.

(b) Forced Marriage

• Girls are vulnerable to being forced into marriage at young ages, suffering from a double vulnerability: both for being a child and for being female.
• Child brides often do not understand the meaning and responsibilities of marriage.

[V] Harassment

(a) Trafficking and forced prostitution

• Human trafficking, especially of girls and women, often leads to forced prostitution and sexual slavery.

(b) Online abuse

• As the internet becomes an increasingly important part of human existence to make their voices heard, a woman’s inability to feel safe online impedes her freedom.
• Women are regularly subject to online rape threats, online harassment, cyber-stalking, blackmail, trolling, slut-shaming and more.

(c) Harassment at the workplace

• The #MeToo movement is aimed at demonstrating how many women have survived sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.
• Scores of women, many journalists, came out with accounts of sexual harassment at the workplace, mostly comprising of indecent remarks, unwanted touches, demands for sex, and the dissemination of pornography.

(B) Issues with Remission Procedure

What is Remission?

• Life imprisonment normally means convicts remain in jail for the whole of their life. However, they can be released by the State and Central governments at some point, but not before they complete 14 years, by remitting the remaining prison term. This act by governments is called remission.
• Article 72  and Article 161 of the Constitution deals with the judicial power of the President and Governor to grant pardon. It also includes the remission of sentences by the two dignitaries.
• Judicial decisions advocate both subjective and objective norms for remission. Courts have ruled that remission should be informed, fair and reasonable, and not arbitrary; that it should not undermine the nature of the crime.
•  In Laxman Naskar vs Union of India (2000), the Supreme Court laid down five considerations: whether the offense is an individual act of crime that does not affect society; whether there is a chance of the crime being repeated in the future; whether the convict has lost the potentiality to commit a crime; whether any purpose is being served in keeping the convict in prison; and socio-economic conditions of the convict’s family.
• However, recently the Supreme Court took notice of the remission issue and referred to a seven-judge bench the issue of whether states can grant the benefit of remission to convicts under the Constitution by laying down a common policy. The bench will take into consideration whether states can use remission powers without consulting the Governor.
• The bench will also visit Section 433-A of CrPC, according to which, a person, serving a life term, cannot be granted remission benefit without completing 14 years in prison.

Remission in this case

• The outcry over the remission granted in this case is largely due to the brutal and horrific nature of the crime. However, lawyers and activists have highlighted possible legal infirmities.
• For one, the remission has been granted by the Gujarat government without consulting the Centre. Under Section 435 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), in a case investigated by the CBI, such consultation is mandatory before remission. The Supreme Court has also ruled that ‘consultation’ means ‘concurrence’ in this regard.
• The opinion of the judge who conducted the trial or in charge of the district should be taken too. But in this case, it was not taken.
• Section 432(7) of the CrPC says the appropriate government will be “the State within which the offender is sentenced or the said order is passed”. Thus, in this case, it should be Maharashtra Government.
• Commentators have also pointed out that the current remission policy of the Gujarat Government bars those found guilty of heinous crimes from being given remission. Their release under a 1992 policy (because it was the one prevailing during their conviction) may also be subjected to legal scrutiny.
• The remission policy of states was also brought under the scanner when the Tamil Nadu government passed an order for the remission of the sentence of A.G Perarivalan, a convict in former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s murder case.

Some Government initiatives for Women’s safety

• Nirbhaya Fund for projects for the safety and security of women
• One-Stop Centre Scheme to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof
• Online analytic tool for police called “Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences” to monitor and track time-bound investigations in sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018.
• National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO) to facilitate the investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies
• In order to coordinate various initiatives for women safety, MHA has set up a Women Safety Division.

Way forward

• Gender-based violence, an especially violent crime like rape, is a multifaceted problem.
• To address this, it is essential to tackle various other concurrent issues that act as contributing factors and thus play an equally important role.
• Although the incorporation of stringent laws and stricter punishments are important to deter people from committing such crimes, the solution to this is much more than just promulgation.
• It is important to acknowledge that judicial reform is only one aspect; there is a more humane side to this whole issue.
• For the remission of sentence issue, the state governments must consider the parameters given by Supreme court diligently before granting any remission.

Conclusion

Thus, the Bilkis Bano Case has multiple dimensions, especially social and legal aspects. The need is to carefully examine all aspects, strengthen our vow to secure women’s rights in the nation and at the same time make necessary changes to remission policies to not let any undeserved person set free.

Also read

[Burning Issue] Women’s Safety and India

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Context

• Power is one of the most crucial components for the economic growth and welfare of nations. The existence and development of an adequate power sector are essential for the sustainable growth of the Indian economy. 
• In this context, a report titled, “Investing for Impact: Renewable Energy & Cleantech,” released by Aspire Circle, has projected that India can generate a staggering $212 billion in revenue and create 3.4 million jobs, impacting 919 million lives by 2030 with an investment of USD 350 billion in several ventures and initiatives dedicated to renewable energy and cleantech.
• Thus, in this edition of the burning issue, we will be discussing the renewable energy sector of India, its prospects, achievements, challenges and way forward.

What is renewable energy?

• Renewable energy is defined as energy that comes from resources, which are naturally replenished on their own.
• The major renewable energy sources presently are Solar energy, Wind energy, Hydroelectric power (large and small units), Wave energy, Ocean thermal energy conversion and Tidal energy and Biomass power.

Current scenario of Renewable Energy in India

• India is the world’s 3^rd biggest renewable energy producer (136 GW out of 373 GW) of total installed energy capacity in 2021 coming from renewable sources.
• India has been ranked 5^th for installed hydroelectric power capacity. As of 31 March 2020, India’s installed utility-scale hydroelectric capacity was 45,699 MW, or 12.35% of its total utility power generation capacity. The following is the breakup of the total installed capacity for Renewables, as of 31 December 2021-

• Small Hydro Power: 4.83 GW

• Large Hydro: 46.51 GW
• Wind power: 40.08 GW
• Solar Power: 49.34 GW
• Biopower: 10.61 GW

Benefits of renewable energy:

• Private sector involvement: the set target of 450GW from renewables by the government created a huge opportunity for the private sector to get involved in the design and manufacturing of components of renewable energy technology in India only and thus book profits.
• Low cost of maintenance: Renewable energies like wind energy, biopower or solar energy requires almost zero maintenance and thus provide longer working hours and reduced labor cost.
• Environment friendly: as they have almost nil carbon footprint and does not emit any harmful pollutants like PM2.5 or PM10 or greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, NOx etc.
• Fulfill several government objectives: like achieving the Panchamrit goals, SDGs, make in India, INDC of Paris Climate Deal and employment generation.
• Decentralized: Renewable energy plants can be located near the location of demand for energy. For example, a biogas plant or a solar plant can be established near a far-off cluster of villages thus eliminating the need to connect such remote villages to the national grid. For example, UT Daman has been receiving its energy completely from solar energy generated inside and in the vicinity of the city, thus reducing its dependence on the national power grid.

Factor’s responsible for increasing demand for renewable

• Waiver of inter-state transmission charges for the sale of solar and wind power.
• The renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets state DISCOMS to boost demand for renewable energy in states.
• Permitting FDI in the renewable sector has accelerated the progress.
• Rising demand for electricity as the economy rebounds after the COVID lockdowns.
• Falling prices for renewable energy, with per unit tariff for solar energy getting reduced up to 80% from the 2008 level.
• India’s push to manufacture solar photovoltaic modules through the government support schemes aimed at boosting Indian manufacturers’ competitiveness and attracting investment (Production Linked Incentive schemes)

Need for transition to renewable energy

• Increasing climate crisis due to historic and current continuous burning of Fossil fuels for the majority of power generation in the world and India. Renewable energy can limit climate disruption and boost energy security. Renewables are the peace plan of the 21st century.

• Volatile supplies of non-renewable energy sources due to regional wars and sanctions on supplying nations. For example, Iran and Russia- the two major energy producers in the world are under various international sanctions, thus reducing the supply of energy products in international markets.
• To promote Sustainable development by reducing externalities of pollution and promoting a green economy.

• As a signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement, India is committed to increasing its share of renewable energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030. Thus, a transition to renewable is needed to fulfill our commitments to the international community.
• The government of India has set targets to reduce India’s total projected carbon emission by 1 billion tonnes by 2030, reduce the carbon intensity of the nation’s economy by less than 45% by the end of the decade, achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and expand India’s renewable energy installed capacity to 500 GW by 2030.

Prospects of Renewables in India

• Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index of EY ranked India 3^rd behind USA and China as the most attractive renewable energy destination.
• The estimation of the potential wind resources in India is 102,788 MW assessed at 80m Hub height. The installed capacity of wind power in India was 22,645 MW as of 30 March 2015.
• India has a coastline of 7,500 km with an estimated wave energy potential of about 40,000 MW.
• India has a potential of 8,000 MW of tidal energy as per the estimates. An agreement is signed to implement India’s first 3.75 MW mini-tidal power project in West Bengal.
• The total OTEC potential around India is estimated as 180,000 MW considering 40% of gross power for parasitic losses. 
• India is very rich in biomass. It has a potential of 19,500 MW (3,500 MW from biogas-based cogeneration and 16,000 MW from surplus biomass). Currently, India has 537 MW commissioned and 536 MW under construction. 
• Growing private sector interest in the renewable energy sector in India is evident from major private companies of India like Reliance Powers planning to invest Rs 5 lakh crore in green energies.

Achievements of India in the Renewable energy sector

• India has today become the most attractive destination for investment in the renewable sector.
• During the last six years, the renewable energy sector has attracted over Rs 4.7 lakh crore of investment, including FDI of about Rs 42,700 crore.
• India witnessed 20% CAGR growth in renewable generation since FY16 while total electricity generation saw 4.3% growth in the same period.
• The current cost of energy (LCOE) for large-scale solar in India has reduced to around Rs 2.5 per kWh, compared to ~Rs 12 in 2010. 
• India is now in the 4th global position for overall installed renewable energy capacity. Renewable energy has a share of 26.53% of the total installed generation capacity in the country.
• Renewable energy installed capacity increased 286% in the last 7.5 years.
• Highest ever wind capacity addition of 5.5GW in 2016-2017.
• The world’s largest renewable energy park of 30 GW capacity solar-wind hybrid project is under installation in Gujarat.

Challenges of Renewable Energy in India

• High initial cost of installation: While the development of a coal-based power plant requires around Rs 4 crore per MW, the investment required a wind-based plant, with a capacity utilization of 25%, which requires an investment of Rs 6 crore per MW.

• Reliability: By their very nature, solar and wind energy are variable in availability both spatially as well as geographically. Hence, they need to be supported by conventional sources of power.
• Creation of storage infrastructure: To overcome the variable nature of renewable sources of energy, it is vital to invest in affordable batteries of large capacity.
• Poor DISCOM’s condition: An important challenge for further scaling up renewables in India is the poor financial condition of power distribution companies (discoms), most of which are owned by state governments and are reeling under heavy debts.
• Funding: As already stated, renewable energy requires setting up large projects to harness economies of scale. This acts as a deterrent for private companies to invest initially.
• Low Social acceptance: renewable-based energy system is still not very encouraging in urban India. Despite heavy subsidies being provided by the government for the installation of solar water heaters and lighting systems, its penetration is still very low.
• Weak domestic manufacturing capability: It is important to set up manufacturing capacity in India to decrease imports and promote Atmanirbhar Bharat. It would also aid in the creation of multiple manufacturing jobs.
•  Sustainability: that is, how to expand reliable energy access and use while maintaining affordability for consumers and financial stability for the DISCOMs.
• Integration into the national grid: that is how to integrate increasing shares of renewable energy securely and reliably into the national electricity grid.

Government policies for the promotion of Renewable in India

• Renewable energy certificate: REC mechanism is a market-based instrument to promote renewable energy and facilitate the compliance of renewable purchase obligations (RPO). It aims to fix the mismatch between the availability of renewable energy resources in the state and what is required by a RPO.
• Release of Green Hydrogen mission: The Mission aims to aid the government in meeting its climate targets and making India a green hydrogen hub. This will help in meeting the target of production of 5 million tonnes of Green hydrogen by 2030 and the related development of renewable energy capacity.
• Launch of PLI scheme: A Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme ‘National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’ to promote renewable energy storage infrastructure and manufacturing capacity.
• Green term ahead market: As a first step towards Greening the Indian short-term power market, the government has launched pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity which is an alternative new model introduced for selling off the power by the renewable developers in the open market without getting into long term PPAs.

• International efforts: An India Energy Modeling Forum was launched under the US-India Energy partnership. Also, India has launched the International solar alliance which is a treaty-based international inter-governmental organization and aims to mobilize more than $1000 billion of investment needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of solar energy.

• The Setting up of the Solar Energy Corporation of India: with the mandate of the SECI allows wide-ranging activities to be undertaken with an overall view to facilitating the implementation of the National Solar Mission and the achievement of targets set therein. The SECI has the objective of developing renewable energy (RE) technologies and ensuring inclusive RE power development throughout India.
• National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015: Under this Policy, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been authorized to explore and promote the deployment of offshore wind farms in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

Way Forward

• Long-term Planning: Since renewable energy requires huge investment to achieve economies of scale, it is necessary to lay down policy direction well in advance so that the private sector can plan accordingly.
• Avoid Frequent Surprises and changes: Frequent changes inthe policy are not appreciated by the private sector. The government should involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process, wide research and suggestions must be taken before announcing new policies or amending them.
• New regulatory and policy frameworks: can activate more flexibility in the renewable energy sector. This can include steps like the creation of a single renewable energy regulator or a federal commission to manage the generation and flow of renewable energy.
• Renewable energy technology as global good: We must make renewable energy technology a global public good, including removing intellectual property barriers to technology transfer.

Conclusion

• There can be no doubt about the fact that renewable energy is the energy of the future. The current direction indicates the possibility of the elimination of fossil fuel-based energy as early as 2050. This will lead to improved environmental health.
• However, it is important that we have a clear policy guideline, wherein we explore the right mix of energy sources, integrated into the grid to achieve maximum efficiency.

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Context

• On 2nd August 2022, after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the Chinese have been conducting aggressive military drills near Taiwan. This situation is so critical that a minor miscalculation here and there could escalate this conflict to World War III itself.

• In this edition of the burning issue, we would try to delve into the possible war strategy of China to attack and acquire Taiwan. How could this little island of Taiwan with the support of the American and Japanese armies defend against the mighty Chinese army and how could this battle of Taiwan lead to the horrific World War III.

What is the issue between China and Taiwan?

• Taiwan is an island about 160 km off the coast of south-eastern China, opposite the Chinese cities of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen. It was administered by the imperial Qing dynasty, but its control was passed to the Japanese in 1895. After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the island passed back into Chinese hands.
• After the communists led by Mao Zedong won the civil war in mainland China, Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the nationalist Kuomintang party, fled to Taiwan in 1949.
• Chiang Kai-shek set up the government of the Republic of China on the island and remained President until 1975.
• Beijing has never recognized the existence of Taiwan as an independent political entity, arguing that it was always a Chinese province under its ‘One China Policy‘. The PRC considers the island as a renegade province awaiting reunification by peaceful means, if possible.
• This has generated strong opposition from the Taiwanese government and people. To protect its sovereignty, Taiwan remains closer to the US, buying weapons from it and thus irking China. This has become a major bone of contention between the two.

Importance of Taiwan to China

• TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is the largest foundry in the world and holds around 65 percent of the global production of chips.
• Any potential conflict with China would completely disrupt the entire supply chain of TSMC and labor availability and could cause a major shortage of electronic chips.
• Being in close vicinity of China, any alliance or engagement of Taiwan with any of the enemies of China would threaten its national security. Thus, it’s necessary for China to control Taiwan’s engagements with other  

Importance of Taiwan for the US

• Strategic importance– After Japan, Taiwan is the geographically closest friendly territory around China for the US in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Economic importance– US-Taiwan has a bilateral trade of $105 billion with the US high dependence on Taiwanese semiconductor chips.
• Gaining lost credibility– the current crisis is about re-establishing steadily diminishing American credibility in the eyes of friends and foes through Taiwan.

China’s War Strategy

(A) Grey-zone warfare

• The People’s Liberation Army – is waging so-called Grey-Zone warfare against Taiwan.
• This consists of an almost daily campaign of intimidating military exercises, patrols and surveillance that falls just short of armed conflict.
• The campaign has intensified, with Beijing stepping up the number of warplanes it is sending into the airspace around Taiwan. China has also used sand dredgers to swarm Taiwan’s outlying islands.
• Military strategists tell that the grey-zone strategy has the potential to grind down Taipei’s resistance – but also that it may fall short, or even backfire by strengthening the island’s resolve.

(B) Impose a blockade on Taiwan’s Matsu and Kingman islands

• If a long campaign of grey-zone warfare fails to bring Taipei to the negotiating table the next step by China would be to impose a blockade on Taiwan’s Matsu and Kinmen Island which are just a few kilometers away from mainland China.
• Since China is already facing the heat of Covid and the real estate bubble, China would plan to take Taiwan as quickly as possible and with as little damage as possible so the safest way to get Taiwan would be to intimidate them so much that they by default surrender without any bloodshed.
• Chinese navy and submarines would encircle these islands and islets hundreds of sand dredgers fishing boats and Chinese paramilitary ships would move in to surround them and the Chinese fighter jets would begin round-the-clock patrols over the Taiwanese strait.

(C) Customs quarantine strategy for mainland Taiwan

• After the above steps, China will enforce customs, maritime and airspace jurisdictions over Taiwan. The move overrides Taiwan’s existing control of its airspace and maritime boundary.
• China would ban all shipping from entering Taiwan’s territorial waters without its permission. The Chinese authorities inform all airlines and shipping companies that they must have Beijing’s official approval to enter or leave Taiwan’s airspace or ports. They also insist that all flights, ships and ferries submit passenger manifestos and customs declarations to Chinese authorities.
• A vast fleet of PLA Navy, coast guard and maritime militia ships deploy around Taiwan to enforce the quarantine, intercepting ships attempting to approach the island without approval from Beijing.
• OUTCOME: With the sudden halt to all imports and exports, Taiwan faces almost immediate shortages of essential supplies, particularly energy. The island is suddenly cut off from the world.

(D) Full blockade of mainland Taiwan

• Here’s where China uses its huge naval fleet to surround Taiwan in such a way that they take complete control over the entire water and airspace around Taiwan so this way neither ships nor planes could go in or come out.
• Warships and strike aircraft would be deployed to make sure that the American and Japanese forces are prevented from approaching Taiwan and now China and Taiwan would launch air and missile strikes on each other.
• With its blockade still in place, China may call for an immediate ceasefire, offers to allow urgently needed supplies to reach Taiwan, and invites negotiations with Washington in a bid to avert a full-scale war.

(E) Attack on Taiwan infrastructure

• Devastating air and missile attack will be launched on the island’s defenses. The aim is to smash Taiwan’s military, demoralize the population and force Taipei to the negotiating table before the United States and its allies can intervene.
• PLA forces launch massive saturation attacks on key military and civilian targets. These include airfields, ports, air-defense radars, communication nodes, military command centers and headquarters, missile batteries, navy bases, major warships, key bridges, communication networks, power stations and grids, government buildings, radio and television stations, data centers and major transport arteries.

(F) Full-fledged invasion

• Without warning, the PLA would launch massive air, missile and cyber-attacks on key military and civilian targets all over Taiwan. At the same time, the PLA attacks U.S. bases in Japan and Guam with air and missile strikes in a bid to paralyze American forces and delay any intervention.
• Within hours a major war will be raging in East Asia.

Options for Taiwan

• Fight back– Taiwan uses its full armed force to defend itself with or without US and allies. But it would be equivalent to suicide as Taiwan’s armed power is minuscule as compared to the Chinese army.
• Surrender– surrender to the Chinese PLA thus saving itself from much destruction and hence leading to the realization of a decade-old dream of China- The unification of Taiwan with mainland China.
• Buy time tactics– to keep China in a loop through diplomatic channels and negotiations till the time US and allies forces reach the Taiwan strait.

Weaknesses of Taiwan

Taiwan has three major weak points:

• Taiwan has a very small army– China has 10 times more ground force, 8 times more naval destroyers and 30 times more submarines. Thus, China is going to outright destroy them all.

• Communication cables in the South China Sea– Taiwan sends and receives 95 percent of the data and voice traffic along with these bundles of cable lines that run through this bay to different parts of the world. So, the Chinese fleet will cut these cables off and will completely disrupt the communication of Taiwan and more importantly the communication of the Taiwanese army.
• Taiwan’s energy supplies- As of 2020, about 98 percent of Taiwan’s energy was imported from foreign countries and this was in the form of coal crude oil and petroleum products and these shipments come from Australia, Qatar Indonesia and Russia.

Possible Outcomes of an invasion

• Chinese control of Taiwan would dramatically reinforce the Communist Party’s prestige at home and eliminate the island as a viable model of a democratic alternative to authoritarian Party rule.
• It would also give China a foothold in the so-called first island chain, the line which runs through the string of islands from the Japanese archipelago to Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo, which enclose China’s coastal seas.
• For China, success would translate into a commanding strategic position in Asia, undermining the security of Japan and South Korea, and allowing China to project power into the Western Pacific.
• But if China loses the war, it might cause a revolt within CPC for new leadership and anger against President Xi Jinping or the Chinese population may rise against their communist government.
• Severe sanctions by the western countries against China would further cripple its economy, making it difficult for China to regain its diplomatic might and economic status.

Possible outcomes for the US and its Allies

• If the US and its allies successfully counter China, it would be a great power booster for the US camp and the western world.
• The US would be re-established as the only Superpower in the world, with the world order becoming unipolar once again.
• However, if the US and its allies lose the war, it would be marked as the end of its hegemony as the world superpower, loss of power and prestige and would by default establish China’s dominance in the world.

Implications for India and the world

• Economic ties will be hit– Arguably more important to New Delhi is the economic component of its engagement with Taiwan. Last year, bilateral trade between India and Taiwan was estimated to be worth over $7 billion. Taiwanese firms have also invested over $2.3 billion in India. The two countries are even talking about a free trade deal and working out ways to create a semiconductor manufacturing hub in India. A war would nullify all these aspects.
• World economy to suffer badly– Experts have predicted that any escalation in the Taiwan Strait will have an impact on trade and security throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region. Also, China has been a crucial value-adder to the global supply chain. It would be very difficult for the US to replicate Russia’s sanctioning of the aggressor and resupplying the resistor strategy on China-Taiwan. 
• Semiconductor shortage– Taiwan is a small nation that has placed itself as one of the biggest manufacturers of essential semiconductors and electronic components. A blockade or slowdown of semiconductor chip shipments could be one of the many effects of a conflict between China and Taiwan, which would have an impact on many global industries, including manufacturing and internet communications technology.

Way forward

• Avoiding any escalation- both sides should maintain a restraint from further escalation of tensions keeping diplomatic channels open and actively pursuing back-channel diplomacy.
• Respecting each-others sensitivities– on important unclear matters and taking up the trust-building process.
• More Realistic approach by India– also, New Delhi must begin to deal with Taiwan as a weighty entity in its own right that offers so much to advance India’s prosperity.

Conclusion

• As Taiwan becomes the world’s most dangerous flashpoint, the geopolitical consequences for Asia and the world are real.
• Once a sane man had said,” War is a tricky game, the only way to win it is to not play it at all”. After the war with COVID and then Russia-Ukraine ongoing war, the world cannot afford another war. Thus, a restraint from all sides is thus a sine qua non.

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Context

Recently, India celebrated its 75^th Independence Day. The occasion provides us a great opportunity to delve back in time when a newly independent nation made its ‘tryst’ with political democracy and how it is faring today on key democratic factors as well as in comparison to other major democracies of the world

What is a democracy?

The word democracy comes from the Greek words “demos”, meaning people, and “kratos” meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as “power of the people”: a way of governing that depends on the will of the people.

No one is born a good citizen, no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth.   – Kofi Annan

Why choose democracy?

The idea of democracy derives its moral strength – and popular appeal – from two key principles:

• Individual autonomy: The idea that no one should be subject to rules which have been imposed by others. People should be able to control their own lives (within reason).
• Equality: The idea that everyone should have the same opportunity to influence the decisions that affect people in society.

Democracy is good. I say this because other systems are worse.

– Pt Nehry

Democracy in India

• Ancient India had a democratic republic even before the 6^th century BCE and India has seen democratic rule through ages. Vaishali (in present-day Bihar) is considered one of the first republics around 6th century BCE.
• Republics at that time were called ‘Mahajanpadas’ and Sabhas and Samitis (assemblies) existed. Panchayat systems were also used in some of these republics.
• Anti-colonial movements in India brought democracy into the picture during British rule in India. Nehru, Gandhi, Ambedkar, etc helped in bringing universal adult franchise, at a time when the literacy rate was very low in the nation.
• Government of India Act, 1935 laid the foundation for democratic rule in India.
• India’s independent modern democratic journey started in 1950 with the full implementation of the constitution of India. The constitution of India declared the nation as a sovereign democratic republic. India granted Universal Adult Franchise under Article 326 of its Constitution effective in 1950 giving a strong base for democracy.
• The general elections of 1951 were the biggest electoral exercise on such a large scale in democratic history. Since then 17 Lok Sabha have been formed, several PMs and Presidents have been elected.
•  The Indian Republic at present has a parliamentary system of democracy and a federal structure in which leaders are elected by citizens of various castes, classes, religions, etc.

How Indian Democracy has performed in past?

(A)Positive aspects

Political front

• India is the world’s largest democracy proving a success in accommodation of group and regional demands in a complex, quasi-federal, polity.
• During the first general election in 1951, India had 54 political parties and now it has grown up to 464 in the 2019 general election as evidence of the deepening of the democratic process.
• In the first General election in 1951, 173 million citizens were given the right to vote.
• In the 16^th general election in 2014, the size of the electorate had increased to 814 million.

Social front

• The democratic process has brought about a shift of political power from the middle and higher castes and classes of urban society to backward classes who are now the politically most influential ones in the country.
• They have won reservations for themselves in legislatures and government services as were accorded to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes after independence through Constitutional provisions.
• Members of marginalized sections of society and minority communities have reached the top legislative and executive positions in the country.

Economic Front

• India has become the 5^th largest economy in the world and is also the fastest growing major economy in the world.
• India has been able to emerge as a regional power in Asia and superpower in south Asia backed by its economic, military and nuclear capabilities.
• The incidence of Poverty has reduced from 70% in 1950 to around 20% at present. The economic well-being of people has improved. Incomes and living standard of people has improved substantially.

(B)Negative aspects

Political front

• Declaration of emergency- in 1975 was an aberration in India’s political democracy journey and will remain a blot on Indian democracy.
• Period of political instability– India saw the assassination of two of its Prime Ministers in the first 40 years of its democracy. The last decade of the 20^th century witnessed high political turmoil due to unstable coalition governments. In this period, India saw 5 PM’s in 10 years.

Social front

• Low women representation: the number of elected women representatives in the Indian parliament is just 16% even after 75 years of independence.
• Continuing ill social practices– like caste-based discrimination, manual scavenging etc point towards continuous breaching of fundamental rights of citizens of India. It also shows that we are still to achieve Social democracy.

Economic front

• Low per capita income– An Indian’s per capita income is one the lowest in the world, even lower than a Bangladeshi national.
• High poverty and inequality: India still has one of the world’s largest populations of poor in the world. In addition to this, income and wealth distribution is highly unequal with the top 1% of wealthy people owing 70% of the wealth in India (Source- World inequality report)

We must not to be content with mere political democracy. We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life that recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life.    – Dr. BR Ambedkar

Present situation of Indian Democracy

(A)Positive aspects

• Still continuing democracy: The Indian democracy is still continuing opposite to what was apprehended by British PM Winston Churchill at the time of independence of India.
• Public trust: The enthusiasm and trust among the Indian masses for democracy is still continuing as evident from high voting turnout during elections as compared tp developed democracies where voting percentages are declining.
• Respect for constitution: The original constitution is still intact, continuing and greatly revered by all political parties and sections of the society.
• Global reputation: At the international level, India has carved its own space as a highly diverse and largest democracy in the world,

(B) Negative Aspect

• Weakening of political democracy: Several constitutional experts have pointed toward a decline in democracy in India. It is evident from the dropping rankings of India in several key indices like the Democracy index (labelled India a ‘flawed democracy’), V-Dem report (called India ‘Electoral Autocracy’)
• Decline of Parliament: Parliament as a democratic institution is underperforming. The ability of Parliament to seek accountability of the executive has been severely hampered. Productivity of Lok Sabha in the 2021 monsoon was just 22% due to disruption by Opposition. Informed debates in parliament have also been reduced. There is high usage of ordinances and voice notes to make decisions inside parliament
• Non-Attainment of economic democracy: As evident from high economic inequality among masses [the debate of INDIA (Urban India) vs BHARAT (Rural India)], low women participation in the labour force, economic backwardness in several large states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha etc
• Weak social democracy: As evident from recent communal clashes in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, continuing of several secessionist movements like Khalistan, demand for Nagalim, high crimes against women etc this has hampered the creation of true ‘Fraternity’ which Preamble of Constitution talks about.
• Weakening of civil society: There has been a continuing phenomenon of weakening of civil society including NGO’s, academic institutions where these institutions are finding it difficult to uphold accountability of the govt.
• Growing gulf between public and their representatives: Today, elected representatives are more representatives of their political parties than the people who have elected them. Also, Older MP’s are representing young India (Average age of Indian MP’s-54) and Crorepati MP’s are representing poor Indians (88% MP’s are crorepati).

Causes of lacunas in current democracy

• Authoritarian attitude of the regime– The government due to Weak opposition and civil society, as they are failing to uphold the Government’s accountability inside and outside parliament.
• COVID-19 crisis– parliaments stopped working during the crisis which further led to reduced accountability of the executive to parliament
• Criminalization of politics– there has been a growing trend in the number of parliamentarians having criminal records with the current 17^th Lok Sabha having the highest ever (50%) of MP with criminal records of them. Thus, lawbreakers are becoming lawmakers.
• Decreasing ethical politics- The political morality and ethical conduct of elected representatives have been decreasing rapidly as evident from the frequent shifting of politicians between different political parties (‘Resort’ democracy, where the governments are being formed in resorts rather than in parliament), use of unethical language and unparliamentary conduct inside parliament.
• Strengthening of identity politics– Identity politics have been rising in India for the past few years where people are being polarized to vote for their caste or religion only.

Consequences

• Democratic backsliding or democratic deficit– all of the above causes have led to democratic deficit/backsliding which there has a growing gulf between preaching and practice of democracy in India.
• Spillover effect– with the growing power of the executive and weakening of democratic institutions like parliament, the pressure on the judiciary is increasing as evident from the fact that almost all major bills passed by parliament are being challenged in the supreme court. This is leading to Judicial activism.
• Weak social mobility and human capital development– Because of all this, the economic growth of the nation is suffering which is further leading to slow social mobility and human capital development.

Comparison with thy neighbors

• Though both India and Pakistan started their political journey under a democratic framework, both countries after 75 years stand at opposite ends. While India is considered a vibrant democracy, Pakistan is considered a failed state.
• In India, 70% of the population believes that democracy is preferable to other forms of government, whereas in Pakistan, only 37% population, believes that democracy is preferable.
• Pakistan witnessed three dictatorships regimes under different military generals and multiple suspensions of its constitution while India continued on its path of democracy and constitutionalism.
• Even during periods of civilian rule, the Pakistan army and its powerful Inter-Intelligence-Services have retained the right to set the country’s foreign and security policy.

Comparison between Bangladesh and Pakistan

• Bangladesh chose the secular democratic route after independence, but its flirtation with the secular government was brief. It soon followed in the footsteps of Pakistan, opted for authoritarian military rule and made Islam the state religion. However, under its current Sheikh Hasina regime, Bangladesh is regenerating its democracy and economy.
• Bangladesh outpaces Pakistan across all standard economic indicators, including nominal gross domestic product, GDP per capita, GDP growth rate and foreign reserves. It has now become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
• A GDP of $411 billion, compared to Pakistan’s GDP of $347 billion, makes Bangladesh the 33rd largest economy in the world. Experts forecast that the economy’s size could double by 2030.
• Bangladesh has also made more progress in human development in some areas compared to Pakistan, for example in the infant mortality rate. In 2018 there were 22 deaths per 1,000 live births in Bangladesh, compared to 57deaths in Pakistan. The current life expectancy in Bangladesh is 73, compared to 67 in Pakistan, 

Way forward

• Opposition: strong democracy requires strong opposition. Without an alternative choice, the very objective of election to provide a check on arbitrary power gets defeated.
• Need to bring in Constitutional Morality: It also makes the governing institutions and representatives accountable to the people.
•  Promoting Good Governance: Good governance enables to reach out government schemes to the needy and it entrusts the desire to do well in life.  It also helps to realize one’s duties and rights and boosts confidence in government.
• Welcoming criticism: The Government should hear criticism rather than reject it out rightly. Suggestions on eroding democratic values need a thoughtful and respectful response.
• Equality in the society: If redistributive public welfare policies are effective, the inequality in society would be reduced. Thus, it must be the priority of the government to maintain social and economic equality and inclusive growth.
• Parliamentary oversight: It is necessary to hold strong checks on the executive through parliamentary committees, question hours, etc. Separation of powers is the most important thing for a healthy democracy.

Conclusion

Until and unless we don’t realize the real sense of Democracy we can’t live with dignity. Only with people’s participation, it can be achieved.

It is important that all the government organs work in harmony to uphold the trust people of the country have held in them and ensure the objectives of true democracy.

In the upcoming “Amrit Kaal” (2022-2047), we must ensure that by the end of this period, India should have achieved its “Tryst with Destiny”- A Social, Political and Economic Democracy in the true sense.

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“Disruption is replacing discussion as the foundation of our legislative functioning”

Context

• The recently concluded monsoon session of the Parliament again witnessed a high level of ruckus from Opposition Members of Parliament leading to the suspension of several of them by the Speaker.
• Also, last month several Opposition leaders criticized the post and powers of the President as ‘Rubber Stamp’ thus dishonoring the highest executive position in the country.
• These incidences point toward the ‘crisis’ that the Opposition is facing in India at several levels. In this article, we will analyze this issue in depth, its implications and possible solutions.

What is Opposition in a democracy?

• Parliamentary democracy is based on the party system of government. It is a government by criticism and exposition and therefore, it has to be governed by two political parties – a party or parties in power and a party or parties in Opposition.
• Opposition is defined as a person or group of people opposing, criticizing, or protesting something, someone, or another group. Political Opposition is different and is defined as ‘the major political party opposed to the party in power and seeking to replace it.

Role of Opposition in a democracy

• Constructive criticism – In the legislature, Opposition Party has the role of Constructive criticism of the government and its policies.

• Check the excesses of Government– The role of the Opposition in the legislature is basically to check the excesses of the ruling or dominant party, and not to be antagonistic.
• Uphold accountability of government– Their main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public. This also helps to fix the mistakes of the Ruling Party. This is mainly done through methods like debates and bringing a no-confidence motion.
• Public welfare– The Opposition is equally responsible for upholding the best interests of the people of the country. For example, the demonstrations by the Opposition on roads against fuel price hikes or inflation.
• Safeguarding liberty and right of people– For example, Opposition member Brinda Karat filed the petition in Supreme Court against the demolition drive of Delhi Municipal corporation to protect the right to life of citizens.
• Expression of public opinion– Opposition members put forth the demands of the public and their opinion in Parliament, the highest forum of discussion.

Opposition in India

• Multi-party based– Being a multiply party system democracy, India has several political parties that form Opposition in multiple states and Parliament. For example SP in Uttar Pradesh and Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

• Official recognition– Official Opposition (recognized Opposition party) designates the political party which has secured the second largest number of seats in either upper or lower houses. To get formal recognition in either upper or lower houses, the concerned party must have at least 10% of the total strength of the house.

• 10% rule– A single party has to meet the 10% seat criterion, not an alliance. Many of the Indian state legislatures also follow this 10% rule while the rest of them prefer the single largest Opposition party according to the rules of their respective houses.

Issues with Opposition in India

• Leaderless Opposition– the Opposition today in India is leaderless. There are indeed good political leaders heading major regional political parties but there is no consensus on the name of one person or party as Opposition leader.

• Highly fragmented– Today, the Opposition is divided among several political parties and coalitions holding different ideologies and working styles leading to its fragmentation and thus hampering unity.

• Lacks an Original Agenda– the Opposition today lacks an original agenda or plan to put against the government, but is instead involved in just reacting to government actions rather than putting an alternative choice to the electorate.

• Involved in adverse politics– The opposition sees government as its adversary and remains involved in unnecessary criticism and do not support even good policies. For example, the opposition criticized Gaganyaan Mission, Construction of the New Parliament Building as wasteful expenditure.

• Not being innovative– Opposition parties remain involved in older ideologies of left and right, walk-outs from houses of Parliament and primitive methods like demonstrations and rallies, rather involving in new methods like Facebook live, virtual rallies, podcasts etc. This leads to a disconnect from the youth of the country.

• Playing the role of investigative agencies– where Opposition parties keep hunting for scams and misappropriation of funds in government schemes rather than upholding government accountability.

• Loss of credibility– continuous disruptions in Parliament proceeds, blind Opposition of government and lack of connection to ground level have led to the loss of credibility of the Opposition in the eyes of the electorate.

Issues with the regime

• Indifference attitude of government- towards Opposition leaders and parties. For example, the government did not recognize the leader of Opposition in loksabha for 1.5 years after 2019 elections and still has a vacant deputy speaker post in loksabha which usually goes to the Opposition party.
• Labeling Opposition as Anti-national and roadblock to development– if Opposition asks for details and clarification about government actions.
• Misuse of power– by using institutions like Police, CBI, ED against Opposition leaders. There are allegations against the government of using Pegasus software for snooping on Opposition leaders.
• Lack of pre-legislative discussion- with Opposition parties on legislative bills leads to the sidelining of Opposition in the legislative process and thus poor debates in Parliament.

Consequences of a weak Opposition

• Leads to Politics of enmity– as both government and Opposition see each other as rivals and indulge in ugly politics. Slogans like “Congress mukt Bharat”, “Samajvaad Mukt UP” are a manifestation of such enmity.
• Weakening of democracy– as evident from dropping rankings in several key indices like Democracy index (labeled India a ‘flawed democracy’), V-Dem report (called India ‘Electoral Autocracy’)
• Decline of Parliament– Parliament as an institution is the biggest victim of weak Opposition. The ability of Parliament to seek accountability of the executive has been severely hampered. Productivity of Loksabha in 2021 monsoon was just 22% due to disruption by Opposition. Informed debates have also reduced.

“Debates are rare, informed debates are even rare. Government and Opposition meet as two warring camps in Parliament” – Former Vice President Dr. Hamid Ansari

• Autocracy of government increased- as evident from reducing the number of bills being referred to the Parliamentary committee has reduced from 76 in the 15^th loksabha (2009-14) to 27 in 16^th loksabha(2014-19), and important bills have been passed by simple voice vote.

• Ordinance raj– Continuous disruptions by Opposition in Parliament have led the government to take up the ordinance route very frequently. From 2014 to 2021, the Government promulgated 76 ordinances which are 14 higher than UPA’s 10 years of rule.

• Side-lining of public issues– Finally, in this rivalry, important public issues such as unemployment, inflation, economic distress are side-lined and less essential topics like the arrest of any Opposition political leader takes centre stage in Parliament and leads to disruption of the house by that political party members.

How to improve the situation?

“Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive”   – JF Kennedy

• Stop unnecessary criticism-The Opposition has to complement in the running of the government. Merit-based Opposition to specific government acts is welcome, but opposing for the sake of opposing can only be counterproductive.
• Work at grassroots level– There is an imperative need for the Opposition to develop an ability to read the nation’s pulse by going in between the public and then adopt a constructive approach.
• Develop a new ideology and structure– It is necessary for a ‘New Opposition’ in India to emerge. It must have a centrist ideology that appeals to the majority of the people. It must be supported by a rank-and-file organization, with a decentralized structure.
• Bring its own house in order– It must practice internal democracy to bring up good leaders. And it must have a practical agenda, with good slogans.
• Consensus building– Government should also understand the importance of Opposition and should try to take Opposition together on important issues like national security. Pre-legislative consultations should also be promoted to improve the quality of debates in Parliament.

Good practices related to Opposition in different countries

• Shadow Cabinet system of the UK- The shadow cabinet is made up of senior members of the main Opposition party in Westminster who act as spokespeople for the Opposition in specific policy areas. Shadow ministers are appointed by the leader of the Opposition and generally take roles that mirror the current government. Their job is to scrutinize those they ‘shadow’ in government and develop policies for their party.

• The practice of Opposition day– An Opposition day is a day in a legislature in which an Opposition party sets the agenda for the whole day. Most days the Parliamentary agenda is set by the government; Opposition days allow the smaller parties to choose the subject for debate. It is a regular practice in UK and Canada where 20 days are allotted to the Opposition to set the agenda.

Way forward

• The Opposition must be tolerated because if it is left to the party in power to decide what is healthy and unhealthy criticism, then every criticism of the latter will be treated as unhealthy.
• While the Opposition must be credible and strong, it is for the Opposition to make itself credible and strong. It must feel the pulse of the people.
• Unless it makes itself respectable, it cannot demand any respect. This is the biggest challenge facing the opposition today.

Conclusion

Accommodation and understanding, not division and confrontation, lay at the heart of any Parliamentary democracy. Thus, disruption and confrontation in Parliament must be stopped.

The opposition, as well as government, must come to the table to draw a common working plan for the sake of improving the health of Indian Democracy, fulfilling our commitment to the founding fathers and making the Grand Experiment called ‘India’ a success.

Context

• With the beginning of the monsoon season in June, pictures of floods in several parts of India have started coming up.
• Recently, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Assam have witnessed floods fury. Also, cities like Hyderabad witnessed urban flooding leaving millions of people displaced.
• Thus, the flooding in India topic becomes relevant for the upcoming UPSC Mains examination 2022.

What are floods and their frequency in India?

• A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually meant to be dry. While it may occur along river banks, lakes and sea coasts, river flooding is the most common of all around the world.
• According to National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA, India is highly vulnerable to floods. Out of the total geographical area of 329 million hectares (mha), more than 40 mha is flood prone.
• On average every year, 75 lakh hectares of land is affected, 1600 lives are lost and the damage caused to crops, houses and public utilities is Rs.1805 crores due to floods. 

Why floods are becoming a cause of concern?

• Large share in total annual disasters-The Asian Development Bank has estimated that floods are the most devastating among climate-related disasters in India. They account for more than 50 per cent of all climate-related disasters in the country.
• Increasing intensification– According to a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank, Extreme precipitation and flooding cause large-scale impacts on people, and are further intensified by rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, and large numbers of people residing in informal settlements in destitute conditions
• Causes huge destruction– An analysis by the DTE-CSE Data Centre of the Central Water Commission (CWC) data showed that in the last 65 years (1952-2018, Floods killed 109,412 people in the span. Over 258 million hectares of crops were damaged and 81,187,187 houses were raged. The total economic losses due to crop, house and other property damages came to Rs 4.69 trillion.   
• Increasing financial losses– In November, 2019, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Ratan Lal Kataria told the Rajya Sabha that India suffered a loss of Rs 95,736 crore in the 2018 floods. This was 2.6 times more than the financial loss due to floods in 2017.

Causes of flooding in India

A) Man-made Reasons:

• Continued settlement in flood-prone areas: Floodplains of several rivers, especially in the northern plains like Kosi, Ghaghra, Gandak, Sarayu etc are flooded every year. Yet, these areas have been settled by people. This has led to recurring losses in the face of floods, especially in the Assam and Bihar plains.
• Encroachment over natural bodies: The destruction of natural wetlands including marshes and lakes has led to the blocking of areas that had earlier served as water sinks. This is the primary reason behind Chennai floods.
• Rapid and unplanned urbanisation: Construction of houses in a haphazard manner without getting plans approved has led to the washing away of several buildings during flash floods due to cloudbursts in the Himalayan region.
• Nature’s destruction: With increasing deforestation especially along coastal areas and river banks, the first line of defence against floods has been removed. This is the reason that cyclone caused floods result in severe destruction along the coasts.

B) Physiological Reasons:

• Heavy precipitation: Heavy rainfall is one of the major reasons for the flood in India. Over natural bank of rivers, the rainfall of about 15 cm or more in a single day exceeds the carrying capacity of rivers causes a flood in that region. Such effect can be seen in the West Coast region of the Western Ghat, Assam and sub-Himalayan West Bengal.
• Rise in river bed: The river bed rises due to large silt and sand gradients carried by the Himalayan Rivers. The deposition of silt enhances the catchment area of rivers which reduces the carrying capacity of rivers.
• The meandering tendency of river-flow: The tendency to meander or change the course within a specific boundary of rivers in the flat terrains also causes a flood in the meandering regions like the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra and Gangetic plains.
• Silting in Delta areas: The deposition of silt on the river-mouths by the sea tides deteriorates the discharging capacity of rivers which causes a flood in that region.
• Earthquake and Landslide: Sometimes it has been found that the river changes its course after natural calamities like earthquake, landslide which causes a flood in the same region.  Such instances can found in the mountain of hilly region states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand etc.
• Obstruction of free-flow of rivers: Roads, embankments, railway lines, canals etc. obstruct the free flow of rivers leading to floods in the area.
• Cloudburst: Cloud bursts lead to a high amount of rainfall within a short time leading to flash floods. Flash flood generally occurs in the Himalayan region.

Consequences of Floods

• Financial Burden: while some flood-caused damages and losses are covered by insurance, others are not. Damages incurred due to natural disasters are usually not covered by insurance companies. It is important for landlords and property owners to check and enquire with their insurance agents about their plans and coverage for natural disasters. In some cases, state-wise aid is offered by the government to flood-affected people.
• Physical loss: the effects of floods are destructive for the property. Floodwaters can disrupt vegetation by destroying land due to shoreline erosion and soil stripping. Heavy flowing water can damage natural vegetation at its roots. It can contaminate water supplies, damage drainage systems, and farm crops.
• Emotional trauma: experiencing a wide range of emotions, flood-affected people often go through anxiety, fear, sadness, grief, and frustration during and after the disaster. Such conditions are often followed by symptoms like loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and mood swings.

Another cause of concern- Rising Urban Flooding

What are Urban Floods?

• Urban floods stem from a combination of various meteorological and hydrological extremes, such as extreme precipitation and flows in short periods.
• Thus, flooding in urban areas is caused by intense and/or prolonged rainfall, which overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system.
• It increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times. Consequently, flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times.

Causes of urban floods

[A] Natural

• Meteorological Factors: Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms and thunderstorms cause water to flow quickly through paved urban areas and impound in low lying areas.
• Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, the occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities.
• Climate Change: Climate change due to various anthropogenic events has led to extreme weather events.

[B] Anthropological

• Population densities: Population density and proximity to urban centers significantly alter the dynamics and complexity when it comes to urban flooding.
• Unplanned Urbanization: This is the key cause of urban flooding. A major concern is the blocking of natural drainage pathways through construction activity and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds and lakebeds.
• Encroachment: Ideally, the natural drains should have been widened to accommodate the higher flows of stormwater. But on the contrary, there have been large-scale encroachments. Habitations started growing over them.
• Drainage System: Stormwater drainage systems in the past were designed for a rainfall intensity of 12 – 20 mm. These capacities have been getting very easily overwhelmed whenever rainfall of higher intensity has been experienced.
• Destruction of lakes: Lakes can store the excess water and regulate the flow of water. However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and converting them for development purposes has increased the risk of floods.

Flood management in India

• Federal working- The responsibility of flood management in India is divided between the Union and the State Governments with the Union Ministry of Agriculture being the central agency for coordination with states.
• Sharing of responsibilities: The role of the central government is technical and advisory in nature whereas the states are the actual implementers of the flood plans. Funds are also released by the centre to states in case of heavy flooding in any state.

Why flood management failing in India?

• New flood zones are coming up– such as drier areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan and in urban areas especially tier 1 cities like Chennai, Hyderabad. This is leading to the failure of previous flood zoning and estimates.
• Use of obsolete methods– like aerial surveys of flooded areas by PM, CM’s before releasing funds for flood management and use of decades-old flood zoning records.
• Fire fighting approach- the reaction to floods has been rather reactive than proactive. It is only after the flood has occurred that government machinery comes into action.

Possible Solutions to the flooding problem

• Improved flood warning systems: effective flood warning systems can help take timely action during natural calamities and can save lives. Pre-planning can significantly reduce the effects of floods, giving people time to migrate to safer locations and stock up essentials.
• Building flood-resilient housing systems: concreting floors can be very useful during floods. Houses should be water proofed and electric sockets should be placed at higher levels up the walls to reduce the chances of shocks.
• Constructing buildings above flood levels: buildings should be constructed a metre above from the ground to prevent flood damage and evacuation during floods.
• Resilience to Climate change: drastic climate changes have increased the frequency of natural disasters in many parts of the world. Governments should bring about environment-friendly policy level changes and eliminate the ones hazardous to the environment to tackle the problem of global warming.
• Create wetlands and encourage reforestation: creating more and more wetlands can help soak up excessive moisture since wetlands act as sponges. Wooded areas can also slow down heavy water flow, minimizing the effects of floods. Reforesting upstream regions can significantly reduce the effects of flood damage.
• Improve soil conditions: improper soil management, animal hooves, and machinery can make soil compacted. As a result, instead of holding water in and absorbing moisture, the water runs off immediately. Properly drained soil can absorb large amounts of rainwater and can prevent it from flowing into the rivers.
• Installing flood barriers: these are flood gates designed to prevent the area behind the barrier from flooding. They can also be kept around buildings to keep floodwaters outside the boundary created.
• Development of GIS– Geographical Information System (GIS) based National Database for disaster management. GIS is an effective tool for emergency responders to access information in terms of crucial parameters for disaster-affected areas.
• Developing a Federal flood management plan– with responsibilities of union and state clearly defined.
• Creation of 2^nd flood commission– (Rashtriya Barh Aayog, created in 1976) to study the flood situation in India under rising challenges of climate change and propose a national-level flood resilience and management plan.

Some international models of flood management

• The Dutch Model of Flood Management– ‘Live with Water, Built with Nature’ sees cities as ‘waterscape’ and not ‘landscape’ as most of our cities are built along water bodies like river banks or coastal areas. The model proposes nature-based solutions for flood management in cities.
• Yongning River Park model– of china where artificial wetlands are created in and around cities to allow periodic flooding in these parks and act as a buffer for cities and thus preventing flooding. 

Steps taken for flood management in India

• NDMA has released National level flood management guidelines.
• IN-FLOWS flood control systems have been installed in Chennai and Mumbai.
• National River Interlinking Project has been launched to control flooding and also to prevent droughts.
• Flood management And border area development program (FMBAP) has been launched of control of floods in border areas specially Bihar.

NITI Aayog’s Committee Recommendations on Flood Management

NITI Aayog in 2021 had constituted a committee on flood management under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar which has suggested several measures like-

• Priority to non-structural measures: The committee held the view to provide priority to non-structural measures to mitigate the floods and shall go for long term and medium-term structural measures when and where those are unavoidable.
  

“In the majority of the places, less expensive non-structural measures like flood forecasting, flood plain zoning, flood proofing etc should be adopted to accommodate high spat of water,” the report said.

• Better dam management: The report also pitched for the policy to provide flood cushion in the existing dams to accommodate peak time flood so that the tragedy like the Kerala floods doesn’t repeat itself.
• Use of advanced technology: It stressed the use of advanced technology like artificial intelligence, satellites, remote sensing and GIS for flood forecasting and warning systems.
• Creation of a national water model– to feed information that can provide support services by predicting precipitation and forecasting.

Way forward

• Creating a national body: Since flooding has been a recurring phenomenon across multiple states, the need is to create a national-level institution to promote cooperation among states and states and union.
• Developing resilience in people: The rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demands building people’s resilience.

• Reconsider projects: Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.
• Use of technology: At the same time, climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies.

Conclusion

With growing climate change impacts, flooding in India is also all set to increase in magnitude and intensity. Thus, the need of the hour is to adopt the Sendai framework’s Disaster risk resilience approach in flood management in India.

In doing so, India’s achievements in the successful management of the cyclone crisis in recent years, as recognized by the UN also, can be a torchbearer.

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Context

• The brief visit by the United States House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan, against stern warnings issued by China, has the potential to increase the already deteriorating relationship between the U.S. and China.
• The move severely undermined China’s perception of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• For the US, the visit was aimed at expressing that “America’s determination to preserve democracy in Taiwan and in the world remain iron-clad”
• This makes the topic important for the coming Mains Examination for GS-2 paper under international relations and also for Political science and international relations optional.

How did China respond to the visit?

• Increased military exercises around Taiwan: Military exercises around Taiwan have been expanded, with Chinese aircraft intruding more frequently across the informal median line which defines the zone of operations on each side.
• Increased naval presence: Chinese naval ships are cruising within the Taiwan Straits and around the island itself.
• Economic sanctions: have been announced, prohibiting imports of a whole range of foodstuffs from Taiwan.

What is the issue between China and Taiwan?

• Taiwan is an island about 160 km off the coast of south-eastern China, opposite the Chinese cities of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen.
• It was administered by the imperial Qing dynasty, but its control was passed to the Japanese in 1895.
• After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the island passed back into Chinese hands.
• After the communists led by Mao Zedong won the civil war in mainland China, Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the nationalist Kuomintang party, fled to Taiwan in 1949.
• Chiang Kai-shek set up the government of the Republic of China on the island and remained President until 1975.
• Beijing has never recognized the existence of Taiwan as an independent political entity, arguing that it was always a Chinese province under its ‘One China Policy’
• The PRC considers the island as a renegade province awaiting reunification by peaceful means, if possible.
• This has generated strong opposition from the Taiwanese government and people. To protect its sovereignty, Taiwan remains closer to the US, buying weapons from it and thus irking China.
• This has become a major bone of contention between the two.

What is the ‘One China policy?

• It is the diplomatic acknowledgment of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.
• Under the policy, a country should recognize and have formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland one day.
• The policy is also a fundamental bedrock of Chinese policy-making and diplomacy.
• However, it is distinct from the One China principle, whereby China insists Taiwan is an inalienable part of one China to be reunified one day.

How did it come about?

• The origin-The policy can be traced back to 1949 and the end of the Chinese civil war.
• The defeated Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang, retreated to Taiwan and made it their seat of government while the victorious Communists began ruling the mainland as the People’s Republic of China.
• Both sides said they represented all of China.
• Since then China’s ruling Communist Party has threatened to use force if Taiwan ever formally declares independence, but it has also pursued a softer diplomatic track with the island in recent years.
• Taiwan’s government was set up by the Kuomintang, whose party logo is reflected in Taiwan’s flag
• Initially, many governments including the US recognised Taiwan as they shied away from Communist China.
• But the diplomatic winds shifted as China and the United States saw a mutual need to develop relations beginning in the 1970s, with the US and other countries cutting ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing.

US and One-China Principle

• PREVIOUS SITUATION– Officially, the US has subscribed to PRC’s “One China Policy” which means there is only one legitimate Chinese government.

• With the shifting geopolitics of the Cold War, the PRC and the U.S. were forced to come together in the 1970s to counter the growing influence of the USSR.
• This led to the US-China rapprochement demonstrated by the historic visit of then US President Richard Nixon to PRC in 1972.
• The same year, the PRC displaced ROC as the official representative of the Chinese nation at the UN.
• Diplomatic relations with the PRC became possible only if countries abided by its “One China Principle” — recognizing PRC and not the ROC as China.
• CURRENT SITUATION– But now, the US backs Taiwan’s independence, maintains ties with Taipei, and sells weapons to it. The policy saw a shift from Donald Trump’s presidentship.
• Taiwan is entirely dependent on the US for its defence against possible Chinese aggression.
• This is why every spike in military tensions between China and Taiwan injects more hostility into the already strained relationship between Washington and Beijing.

Importance of Taiwan for China

• TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is the largest foundry in the world and holds around 65 percent of the global production of chips.
• Any potential conflict with China would completely disrupt the entire supply chain of TSMC and labor availability and could cause a major shortage of electronic chips.
• Additionally, China controls five percent of the global production of chips, which could also be affected.
• This could further impact the already existing supply-demand gap for electronic components.

Importance of Taiwan for the US

• Strategic importance– After Japan, Taiwan is the geographically closest friendly territory around China for US in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Economic importance– US-Taiwan have a bilateral trade of $105 billion with US high dependence on Taiwanese semiconductor chips.
• Gaining lost credibility– the current crisis is about re-establishing steadily diminishing American credibility in the eyes of friend and foes through Taiwan.

Importance of Taiwan for the world

• Leading semiconductor manufacturer- Taiwan is the world’s leading producer of semiconductors and other electronic components. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has more than 55 per cent of the global market share.
• It might be more accurate to say that “semiconductors are the new oil” and their production is increasingly dominated by Taiwan and the TMSC.

Impact of the crisis on US-China relations

• Cancellation of 3 key military dialogues- the theatre command meet, defence policy coordination talks and the talks under the military maritime consultative agreement.
• Further degradation of ties– the crisis would lead to further degradation of bilateral ties two super powers of the world which will also lead to spilling of consequences to other regions, countries and sectors.

India Taiwan relations

• 25^th year– India and Taiwan are celebrating 25 years of their partnership.
• Mutual efforts– efforts between Delhi and Taipei have enabled a range of bilateral agreements covering agriculture, investment, customs cooperation, civil aviation, industrial cooperation and other areas.
• Creating political framework– Both partners have increasingly deepened mutual respect underpinned by openness, with democracy and diversity as the key principles for collective growth.
• Deepening economic ties– India’s huge market provides Taiwan with investment opportunities. The signing of a bilateral trade agreement in 2018 was an important milestone.

What should be India’s approach?

• Advantageous for India- In one sense, China’s preoccupation with its eastern ocean flank of the Yellow Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea is good for India.
• Diminishes Chinese attention- toward the Indian Ocean, India’s primary security theatre.
• Adhere to One China Policy- Prudence demands that India hew closely to its consistent one China policy even while maintaining and even expanding non-official relations with Taiwan.
• QUAD factor– For the US, Japan and Australia, members of the Quad, Taiwan is a key component of the Indo-Pacific strategy.

What are the lessons for India in the crisis?

• Articulate red lines– The most important lesson from the Taiwan standoff for policymakers in New Delhi is the importance of articulating red lines and sovereign positions in an unambiguous manner.
• Avoid appeasement- Appeasement of China, Taiwan knows, is not the answer to Beijing’s aggression. India’s policy of meeting/hosting Chinese leaders while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continue(d) to violate established territorial norms on the LAC is a deeply flawed one.
• Economic relationship is a two-way process- India for sure should do business with China, but not on China’s own terms.

Way forward

• Avoiding any escalation- both sides should maintain a restraint from further escalation of tensions keeping diplomatic channels open and actively pursuing back channel diplomacy.
• Respecting each-others sensitivities– on important unclear matters like Taiwan and taking up the trust building process.

• More Realistic approach by India– also, New Delhi must begin to deal with Taiwan as a weighty entity in its own right that offers so much to advance India’s prosperity.
• Wide view– Delhi does not have to discard its “One-China policy” to recognise that Taiwan is once again becoming the lightning rod in US-China tensions.

Conclusion

• After implanting “democracy with Chinese characteristics” in Hong Kong, thus, strengthening ‘One China Policy’, Taiwan is the next target.
• As Taiwan becomes the world’s most dangerous flashpoint, the geopolitical consequences for Asia and the world are real. A restraint from all sides is thus a sine qua non.
• Although New Delhi has embraced the Indo-Pacific maritime construct, it is yet to come to terms with Taiwan’s critical role in shaping the strategic future of Asia’s waters.

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