12-November-2024-Daily-Current-Affairs

FINANCIAL ROADBLOCKS CONTINUE TO HINDER CONSERVATION EFFORTS

TOPIC: (GS3) ENVIRONMENT: THE HINDU

The COP16 summit on biodiversity in Cali, Colombia, aimed to advance global biodiversity conservation goals but faced challenges, particularly in financing and monitoring. However, significant financial gaps hinder progress towards meeting the 2030 biodiversity targets.

COP16

• COP16 Summary: The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity concluded with global negotiations to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
• Central Issue: The financial responsibility for implementing biodiversity conservation measures remains a key concern, as biodiversity loss impacts human well-being and societal stability.

Positive Outcomes of COP16

• Inclusive Decision-Making: A permanent body was established at COP16 to include Indigenous people and local communities in decision-making processes regarding biodiversity conservation.
• Recognition of African Heritage: COP16 recognized the role of people of African descent in biodiversity conservation and emphasized integrating their knowledge and practices into global conservation efforts.
• Biodiversity Funding – Cali Fund: The ‘Cali Fund’ was launched to support biodiversity conservation, primarily funded by major corporations in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Companies must contribute 0.1% of revenue or 1% of profits from genetic resource products.

• The fund is expected to generate over $1 billion annually, with half allocated to Indigenous communities.

• Biodiversity Defence: COP16 proposed guidelines to combat invasive alien species, including the development of databases, improved trade regulations, and collaborations with e-commerce platforms.
• Marine Conservation – EBSAs: Negotiators agreed to update and identify Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) for enhanced ocean health.
• One Health Approach: A Global Action Plan was discussed, promoting a holistic approach to ecosystem, animal, and human health, focusing on drivers of biodiversity loss and health issues like zoonotic diseases.
• Synthetic Biology: Discussions on synthetic biology highlighted its potential for conservation but underscored the need for regulatory frameworks to manage ecological risks.

Challenges and Setbacks

• Financial Gaps: The goal to mobilize $700 billion annually for biodiversity by 2030, with $30 billion from developed to developing countries, remains unmet, with only $163 million pledged.
• Monitoring and Implementation Issues: The lack of a robust monitoring framework has hindered progress, as only 44 out of 196 countries have submitted updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

India’s Role at COP16

• India presented an updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), aiming to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve coexistence with nature by 2050.
• The plan emphasizes inter-agency cooperation, financial solutions, and community involvement in restoration efforts.

CONCLUSION:

COP16 marked progress in inclusive decision-making and frameworks for benefit-sharing, but significant financial and monitoring challenges remain that could hinder the achievement of global biodiversity goals.

FIRST EVER SPACE EXERCISE ‘ANTARIKSHA ABHYAS – 2024’ HOSTED BY DEFENCE SPACE AGENCY

TOPIC: (GS3) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE HINDU

India’s first space war-game exercise, Antariksha Abhyas – 2024, aims to improve national security by addressing threats to space-based assets.

• The exercise will focus on enhancing operational resilience and promoting technological advancements through collaboration among defence and space agencies.

Overview of Antariksha Abhyas – 2024

• To simulate and address growing threats to space-based assets and services crucial for national security.
• Duration: The exercise will take place over three days, from 11 – 13 November 2024.
• Organized by: The Defence Space Agency under the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.

Key Features

• Strategic Importance: Focuses on securing India’s space-related national objectives and improving understanding of space-based assets.
• Focus Areas:
  • Assess India’s dependency on space resources.
  • Identify vulnerabilities and possible disruptions to space services.

Participation

• Stakeholders:
  • Units from the Defence Space Agency, Army, Navy, Air Force, and specialist branches like Defence Cyber Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency, and Strategic Forces Command.
• Collaboration: The exercise involves key space and defence agencies like ISRO and DRDO, promoting innovation in space defence technology.

Expected Outcomes

• Enhanced Preparedness: Boosts resilience in space operations.
• Technological Advancements: Encourages development of advanced space defence technologies and systems.Bottom of Form

THE LAC AGREEMENT

TOPIC: (GS2) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE HINDU

The India-China announced a significant moment in India-China relations. Following a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 23, 2024, the two countries seem to be easing tensions.

Key Aspects of the LAC Agreement

• Background: India and China had witnessed severe tensions over border clashes in 2020, with violent incidents such as the Galwan Valley clash, leading to significant casualties.
• Recent Developments: After years of hostility, India and China agreed to disengage their forces at critical points like Depsang and Demchok, but troop de-escalation and de-induction along the LAC remain pending and need verification.
• Uncertainty: While disengagement has been reported, the full details of the “new patrolling arrangements” agreed upon between the two sides remain unclear. This lack of transparency is concerning for many observers.

The Pattern of Opacity and Past Mistakes

• Earlier Discrepancies: Following violent clashes, the Indian government had made misleading statements regarding troop movements, such as denying that transgressions had occurred.
• Misleading Statements: After the Galwan clash, Prime Minister Modi’s statement that no Indian post was occupied by Chinese forces was found to be inaccurate, causing confusion and suspicion.
• Current Confusion: Despite progress in disengagement, reports like the alleged Chinese access to Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh remain unexplained, further adding to the ambiguity surrounding the agreement.

Questions that Need Answers

Are the New Patrolling Arrangements Effective?

• The primary question is whether the new arrangements reflect real changes or simply a temporary patch-up.
• Will these new agreements be incorporated into existing frameworks, such as the 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement?

Will India Learn from Past Mistakes?

• After the 2017 Doklam disengagement, China fortified its position rather than retreating, raising concerns about future Chinese actions.
• Will India take steps to avoid a similar situation where China could strengthen its position after any future disengagement?

Why Did China Take Aggressive Action in 2020?

• A deeper understanding of the reasons behind China’s sudden aggression in 2020 is needed.
• Scholars have suggested various theories to explain China’s motives, but clarity is still lacking.

China’s Aggression in 2020

• Chinese Expansionist Policy: China’s actions were part of a broader policy, announced by President Xi in 2014, aimed at asserting control over every inch of Chinese territory. This approach has been evident in China’s actions in Taiwan, the South China Sea, and along its borders with countries like Bhutan and India.
• A Reminder of India-China Boundaries: Another theory posits that China’s actions were a reminder that despite growing India-US ties, India must not neglect its continental realities, particularly its long border with China.
• Chinese Response to Indian Infrastructure Development: As India developed its infrastructure along the LAC, especially with airstrips and roads in strategically sensitive areas, China might have felt its security was at risk.
• India’s Reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir: A final theory suggests that China’s aggression in 2020 was a reaction to India’s decision in August 2019 to reorganize Jammu and Kashmir, including the revocation of Article 370 and the creation of Ladakh as a Union Territory.

The Road Ahead: Transparency and Accountability

• Need for Transparency: To build lasting peace and security, India needs to provide more clarity on its agreements with China, especially concerning border security and troop disengagement.
• Domestic Accountability: The government must ensure greater transparency in dealing with sensitive issues, keeping the citizens informed about the nature of agreements, especially those impacting national security.
• Lessons from the Past: Understanding the events at the LAC, including China’s unexpected actions and India’s response, is crucial to formulating a sustainable peace strategy.
• Moving Beyond Surprise Announcements: The “shock and awe” approach to foreign policy, often marked by surprise announcements, needs to be replaced by more consistent, clear, and open communication, particularly for a democratic nation like India.

Conclusion:

The détente between India and China, while promising, raises critical questions about future border security, economic cooperation, and transparency. India must ensure that past mistakes are not repeated and work towards a more sustainable and accountable peace process with China.

INDIA’S CARBON CREDIT MECHANISM

TOPIC: (GS3) ENVIRONMENT: THE HINDU

India has made significant strides in its climate action plans, focusing on developing a domestic carbon market as part of its broader strategy to meet climate goals. The updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act of 2022 aim to establish a Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).

Importance of Carbon Credit Integrity:

• The integrity of carbon credits is the core of any carbon market. Without strong verification, the risk of “greenwashing” (exaggerating environmental benefits) emerges.
• In the past, the voluntary carbon market (VCM) faced issues, especially in projects like tree plantations, where the claimed environmental benefits were sometimes overstated.
• To avoid such issues, India’s carbon credit system must incorporate strict verification protocols.
• A national registry would help track carbon credits and prevent double counting.
• Independent third-party auditors are essential to validate claims of carbon reduction and ensure the “additionality” (emission reductions above business-as-usual levels) of projects.

Aligning with Global Standards:

• International Carbon Trading: India’s carbon market must align with the global framework under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This article facilitates the transfer of emissions reductions between countries.
• Double Counting Risks: One of the challenges is preventing double counting of carbon credits. If two countries or parties claim the same emission reductions, the overall effort is undermined.

• Transparent accounting systems and clear rules for credit transfers are essential to address this issue and maintain the integrity of emissions reductions.

Ensuring Transparency and Accountability:

• Disclosure Mechanisms: Transparency is crucial to maintaining the credibility of India’s carbon credit market. Publicly accessible platforms for project details, verification reports, and emission reduction methods should be implemented.
• Continuous audits and the use of approved independent auditors (like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in India) can enhance accountability.
• Challenges in Implementing Transparency: While transparency ensures credibility, it requires significant investment in monitoring, reporting, and verification systems.
• Smaller projects might face challenges due to the high costs of these systems, which could hinder their participation in the carbon market.

Lessons from Global Practices:

• Global Best Practices: India can draw lessons from established carbon credit frameworks, such as the IETA and Gold Standard, which emphasize high governance standards and quality assurance in credit generation.

• International standards like the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) offer frameworks for ensuring that carbon credits have real value, helping to build trust in the market.

• Focus on Environmental Integrity: Global reports stress the need for strong safeguards to prevent low-quality carbon credits from entering the market.

• Ensuring that carbon reduction projects meet rigorous environmental standards and are subjected to third-party verification is vital for long-term success.

Conclusion:

India’s carbon credit market is still developing, but with stringent enforcement of transparency, accountability, and integrity, it can play a significant role in achieving the country’s climate and economic goals. By aligning with international standards and focusing on sustainable practices, India can establish a robust carbon market that attracts both domestic and global investment, ultimately contributing to the global fight against climate change.

ENDING DISCRIMINATION IN PRISONS

TOPIC: (GS2) POLITY: THE HINDU

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India (2024) addressed the issue of caste-based discrimination in Indian prisons. The Court reaffirmed that segregation based on caste or social status violates the constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Supreme Court’s Stance on Discrimination

• The Court struck down prison rules that segregated prisoners based on caste, declaring them discriminatory under Articles 14 (equality before the law) and 15 (prohibition of discrimination) of the Indian Constitution.
• This decision followed earlier rulings that had rejected arbitrary classifications in prison systems. These included decisions about economic status or social background as a basis for different treatment of prisoners.

Historical Precedents

• In Prem Shankar Shukla v. Delhi Administration (1980), the Court ruled that distinguishing prisoners based on economic status for handcuffing purposes was irrational. The state could not justify assuming that poor prisoners were more dangerous than affluent ones.
• The Bombay High Court also struck down discriminatory rules in Inacio Manuel Miranda v. State (1988), where prisoners’ rights to write welfare letters were restricted based on their ‘class’ within the prison system.

Caste Discrimination in Prisons

• In Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India, caste-based classifications were found in the labor allocation within prisons. Prisoners from marginalized castes were often assigned menial tasks like cleaning and sweeping, based solely on their caste.
• Such distinctions were held to perpetuate caste identities, limit prisoners’ opportunities, and prevent rehabilitation, as they had no connection to the prisoners’ actual skills or rehabilitation potential.

The Call for Reform

• The judgment stressed the need for reform in prison classification and conditions. It emphasized that basic human rights, including dignified treatment and access to facilities, should be ensured for all prisoners, regardless of their caste or status.
• The Court directed states to amend their prison rules to align with constitutional principles, promoting equality and fairness.

Improving Prison Conditions

• Previous cases, such as Gaur Narayan Chakraborty (2012), called attention to the rights of political prisoners. The Court suggested that amenities such as access to writing materials, books, and basic comforts should be provided to all prisoners, not just those classified as political.
• This highlights the need to update the Model Prison Manual 2016 to ensure a minimum standard of living for all inmates.

Conclusion:

India’s prison system needs to move towards a more inclusive approach that eliminates caste and class-based discrimination. Ensuring dignified conditions for all prisoners will contribute to a more just and rehabilitative correctional system.Top of Form

TOTO TRIBE

TOPIC: (GS1) GEOGRAPHY: THE HINDU

The Toto tribe is primarily found in Totopara village, located in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, India.

• Geography: Totopara lies near the border between Bhutan and West Bengal, along the Torsa River, within the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Ethnicity: The Toto people are part of the Tibetan-Mongoloid ethnic group and are considered one of the most endangered tribes in the world, with fewer than 1,600 members remaining.
• Tribal Status: They are recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) due to their small population and unique lifestyle.

Culture and Traditions

• Language: The Toto language is part of the Sino-Tibetan language family and is written using the Bengali script.
• Social Structure: Totos follow an endogamous marriage system and are divided into 13 exogamous clans. They marry outside their clan.
• Marriage Practices: Unique to the Toto culture, they practice monogamy (one wife per person) and strongly oppose the dowry system, in contrast to many neighbouring tribes.
• Housing: Toto houses are elevated bamboo huts with thatched roofs, which help them adapt to their environment.

Beliefs and Religion

• Religious Practices: The Toto people follow Hinduism but also deeply respect nature, often integrating nature worship into their religious practices.

Economy and Occupation

• Traditional Occupation: Traditionally, the Toto tribe was engaged in food gathering and practiced shifting (slash-and-burn) cultivation.
• Economic Activities: Over time, the Totos have diversified their economy. Many members now work as porters, transporting oranges from Bhutan’s gardens to Totopara.
• Current Economy: Today, the Toto tribe is mainly settled in agriculture, growing crops for sustenance and livelihood.

Conservation and Challenges

• Endangered Status: The Toto tribe is considered on the brink of extinction, with efforts needed to preserve their culture, language, and way of life.

ARROW-3 MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM

TOPIC: (GS3) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE HINDU

Israel’s Defence Ministry is collaborating with Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence to deploy the Arrow-3 missile defence system in Germany by 2025.

• Purpose: Arrow-3 is designed to protect against long-range ballistic missile threats, intercepting missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Development: It was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the U.S. Missile Defence Agency.
• Deployment: First deployed in Israel in 2017, it is part of Israel’s air defence network, alongside other systems like Arrow 2, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome.

Key Features:

• Interceptor: Uses two-stage solid-fuelled interceptors.
• Hypersonic Speed: Travels five times the speed of sound (hypersonic).
• Range: Can intercept threats at a range of up to 2,400 km and at an altitude of 100 km.
• Radar and Tracking: Equipped with early warning and fire control radar, offering multi-target acquisition and tracking capabilities.

How It Works:

• Hit-to-Kill Technology: The Arrow-3 intercepts incoming missiles by directly hitting and destroying them (no explosives).
• Launch Process: The missile is launched vertically, then redirected towards the target’s predicted interception point.
• Targeting: High-resolution electro-optical sensors guide the kill vehicle to the target for destruction.

SUTLEJ RIVER

TOPIC: (GS3) ENVIRONMENT: THE HINDU

Protests are intensifying in Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan, over suspected pollution in the Sutlej River, with locals blaming factories in neighbouring Punjab for the contamination.

About Sutlej River:

• Longest Tributary: The Sutlej is the longest of the five tributaries of the Indus River.
• Alternate Name: It is also called “Satadree.”

Course of the River:

• Origin:
  • The Sutlej rises from Lake Rakshastal in southwestern Tibet at an elevation of over 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).
  • It is one of the three Trans-Himalayan rivers originating from the Tibetan Plateau, the other two being the Indus and the Brahmaputra.
• Path Through India:
  • The river flows west and southwest through the Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, entering India at an altitude of 6,608 meters.
  • It then passes through Punjab, near Nangal, where it meets the Beas River.
  • The Sutlej and Beas merge and form a 105 km stretch of the India-Pakistan border.
  • After merging with the Beas, the river continues for 350 km before joining the Chenab River.
• Final Course:
  • The Sutlej and Chenab rivers combine to form the Panjnad River, which eventually flows into the Indus River.

Hydroelectric Projects:

• Major hydroelectric projects on the Sutlej include:
  1. Bhakra Dam (1,000 MW)
  2. Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant (1,000 MW)
  3. Nathpa Jhakri Dam (1,530 MW)