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25 04 20Notes

Title PM’s help sought to bring bodies from GCC nations (Page number 5)

Syllabus GS II: International Relations

Theme Understanding GCC as an organizations

Highlights Context:

SL. NO. TOPICS

THE HINDUPAGE NO.

1 PM’s help sought to bring bodies from GCC nations 05

2 We will build ties in the neighbourhood: Taliban 14

3 No plan to ease fiscal deficit targets 08

4 Troughs and crests in the pandemic response 06

5 Wildlife Board nod for mining in Assam elephant reserve 11

Dated: 25. Apr. 2020DNS Notes - Revision

Chief Minister of Kerala has sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the return of the remains of Keralites who died in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to reasons other than COVID-19. GCC countries need clearance certificate by Indian Embassies to the local authorities in these countries as a precursor to allowing the return of the mortal remains. Gulf Co-operation Council Countries becomes important from the perspective of UPSC examination. Let us understand few basic points about GCC.

About GCC The member states of GCC includes:

One of the unique aspects of GCC is that it is the only international organisation where all members have monarchy governments.

GCC is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Iraq is the only country bordering the Persian Gulf which is not a member of GCC. The main objectives of GCC include

i. Political, defence and economic co-operation among member nationsii. Counter balance Iranian influence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Cooperation_Council


Personal Notes

Title We will build ties in the neighbourhood: Taliban (Page Number 14)

Syllabus GS II: International Relations


Theme Taliban coming back to power in Afghanistan and its likely implications for India

Highlights

Context: The spoke person of Taliban said that they would like to build ties with all neighbouring countries, including India. He also claimed that if Taliban comes back to power, it will also enact a law against foreign terror groups conducting operations against any other country.

Background:In order to find a lasting peace in Afghanistan, the US has negotiated peace talks between Afghanistan and Taliban. Through this the US agreed to:

Within the first 135 days of the deal the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600, with allies also drawing down their forces proportionately.

The deal also provides for a prisoner swap arrangement. Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners were to be exchanged in March when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were due to start.

The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group.

At the same time this peace talk deal has many problems:

It has left the democratically elected government with little or no support to deal with Taliban.

It is quite evident, if the peace deal goes through then the democratically elected government will cease to be in power and fresh election (it is believed as there no mechanism which is discussed for the formation of government).

Taliban has been treated as a political group and many of its fighters are released from jail.

One of the primary condition of the US was that Taliban and its allies will not attach US and NATO led forces in Afghanistan. But this seems very difficult to realize on ground as there are many groups in the Taliban itself and these are known to operate on autonomous basis.

In a nutshell, the peace talk deal is a win-win situation for Taliban but at the same time it means end of road for the democratically elected Afghan government. This has led to crack in the government itself. So, why this positive indication from the Taliban? The reasons are simple to understand:

(i) Taliban wants itself to be recognized a political entity and not a terrorist organization.

(ii) It wants to showcase the world that they have a positive agenda to engage with Afghanistan govt.

(iii) Neighbouring countries like Pakistan, India, China, Iran and Russia are major stake holders in the peace in Afghanistan.


Implications for India: India has thus far not recognised the Taliban, which has had links with terror

groups like the Lashkar – e - Toiba and Jaish - e - Mohammad, who have targeted Indians in Afghanistan. India was also not invited to a UN-led regional conference on the peace process last week.

India wants the democratically elected government of Ashraf Ghani government to continue in office as it is more friendly towards India.

Taliban as an organization gets a lot of support from Pakistan and ISI and hence, Taliban, victory in the peace deal would be a blow to India’s effort to reach to Central Asia and positively engage Afghan government.

If Taliban comes to power then there is a high chance that China will get free access to Afghanistan and this will be another blow to India’s strategic interests.

Above all if Taliban comes to power then India’s effort to fight terrorism in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir may also suffer a blow.


Personal Notes


Title No plan to ease fiscal deficit targets (Page Number 08)

Syllabus GS III: Economy

Theme Implications arising from COvid-19 situation on Fiscal targets

Highlights Context:

Despite the strain on government finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no credible proposal to amend the legislation meant to control the fiscal deficit, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N.K. Singh said.

The government was currently looking to see how to ameliorate economic hardship while staying within the broad framework of the existing law.

While presenting the Union Budget in February, the Finance Minister had invoked the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act’s escape clause to relax the fiscal deficit target for 2020-21 by 0.5% percentage points to 3.5% of the GDP. If the government wishes to increase spending further in light of the current crisis, as many economists have recommended, it may need to amend the Act.


Personal Notes

Title Troughs and crests in the pandemic response (Page Number 06)


Syllabus GS II: Polity and Governance GS I: Social Issues

Theme Issues related to the way in which the central government chose to respond to the Covid-19 crises.

Highlights Context: This article highlights that despite knowing about the lethality of COVID-19 Virus, there has been a governance failure to tackle its containment nationally as well as internationally.

The Known Three Phases in tackling COVID-19 according to the Authors are:1st Phase 2nd Phase 3rd Phase

It is the recognition of the incoming threat and taking suitable action to prevent the spread of the disease. Accordingly India went for national lockdown.

This is a phase aimed at buying time, of flattening the epidemic curve, so that public health facilities could be ramped up with necessary medical equipments required to tackle the crisis.

The second phase response is mainly to ease out economic burden of people by permitting a measured return of economic activity.

This ensured livelihoods and supply chains continuity of essential items necessary for day to day life.

Economic relief must be accompanied by war footing expansion of mass testing for the virus.

This also allows for contact tracing to be done in communities.

The final stage is to find a cure, apply it to the mass and then rebuild economic and social life.

Despite these known phases, there have been failures by governments to implement them in right earnest. Let us go through the reasons highlighted by the Author:1. Failure to collaborate internationally

Rather than finding a solution, governments were initially busy in blaming other countries for the spread of COVID-19. Thus, there was lack of international co-ordination among countries to understand the consequences of the virus and its impact in terms of deaths.

Tackling the crisis of this proportion needs multi-dimensional international cooperation between important institutions and professionals of different nations of the world. There was a need for collaboration of

Epidemiologists whose data-driven models inform policy debates about how and when to lift quarantines,

Medical community identifying more effective treatments, Research scientists trying to find a vaccine.

Thus, the benefits of intellectual collaboration that does not stop at national


borders. Lack of co-operation between India and Pakistan on SAARC front due to their

rivalries. US threatening to end funding to World Health Organisation not only endangers So, the author highlights that nationalistic turn in global politics over the past

two decades has reduced investment and undermined legitimacy of those institutions that facilitate international partnership in times of crisis.

2. Government strategy in such crisis needs political will and legitimate Leadership

In this regard, the author has given two examples of Germany and State of Kerala. Germany despite having high level of federalism, has given enough power to states to tackle COVID-19 situation.

Kerala has utilised efforts of state response team through a coordinated public health strategy and has been successful and duly supported by the residents.

In comparison, some states in US has not even issued lock down notice and rather eager to open the economy against the advice of health experts.

3. State should not leave public health services solely in private hands Governments should invest in their health care system and should not leave it

entirely in private hands.

The author has taken the example of Kerala as it consistently ranked at the top of State rankings for health expenditures and this has resulted in a well-functioning local public health system capable of implementing the test-isolate-trace protocols critical for fighting COVID-19.

Personal Notes

Title Wildlife Board nod for mining in Assam elephant reserve (Page Number 11)


Syllabus Prelims: Environment and Ecology

Theme Elephant conservation

Highlights Context:

Amid the countrywide lockdown, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in a part of an elephant reserve in Assam.

The NBWL’s Standing Committee had on April 7 discussed a proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of land from the Saleki proposed reserve forest land for a coal mining project by North-Easter Coal Field (NECF), a unit of Coal India Limited.

Since Elephant is a key jungle species, it is important for us to understand how is it being protected in the country right now.

So in this regard we will discus Indian actions as well an initiative of CITES which are important from the perspective of UPSC examination.

Elephant in Indian conservation scheme: The species is included in the list of protected species according to the Schedule

I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).

What Is Project Elephant? Project Elephant is a Central Government sponsored scheme launched in

February 1992. Through the Project Elephant scheme, the government helps in the protection

and management of elephants to the states having wild elephants in a free-ranging population.

It ensures the protection of elephant corridors and elephant habitat for the survival of the elephant population in the wild.

Obligations of the central govt:o The union government provides technical and financial help to these

states to carry out and achieve the goals of project elephant. Not just that, assistance for the purpose of the census, training of field officials is also provided to ensure the mitigation and prevention of man-elephant conflict.

Central agencies along with state officials coordinate to prevent illegal trade of ivory and ensure elephant protection from hunters and poachers.

Elephant – The National Heritage Animal The government of India in the year 2010 declared Elephant as the national

heritage animal of the country on the recommendations of the standing committee of the national board for wildlife. This was done to make sure that sufficient protection to elephants was provided before their numbers fall to panic levels like in the case of tigers.

Elephant Reserves In India As notified by the government, there are around 32 elephant Reserves in India.

The very first elephant reserve or elephant sanctuary was the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve of Jharkhand.


MIKE Programme (CITES program) MIKE the abbreviation of the Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants program

was started in South Asia in 2003 after the conference of parties a resolution of CITES.

The aim of MIKE was to provide information required by the elephant range countries for proper management and long-term protection of their elephant populations.

The objectives of the MIKE program is as follows:o To measure the levels and trends in the illegal poaching and ensure

changes in the trends for elephant protection. o To determine the factors responsible for such changes, and to assess the

impact of decisions by the conference of parties to CITES.


Personal Notes

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