9 PM UPSC Current Affairs Articles 9^th September, 2024

Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 2

Significance of India’s PM recent visit to Brunei and Singapore

Source: The post significance of India’s PM recent visit to Brunei and Singapore has been created, based on the article “Periodic reset: India needs to engage with ASEAN consistently on trade and security” published in “The Hindu” on 9th August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS paper 2-international relations-Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context: The article discusses Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Brunei and Singapore, emphasizing India’s renewed focus on its “Act East” policy. It highlights India’s trade and strategic goals with ASEAN countries, stressing the need for stronger partnerships and regional engagement.

For detailed information on India-ASEAN Relations- Cooperation and Challenges read this article here

What is the Significance of Prime Minister Modi’s Recent Visits to Brunei and Singapore?

1. Reviving “Act East” Policy: Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brunei and Singapore emphasizes India’s commitment to strengthening ties with Southeast Asia, which aligns with the “Act East” policy initiated in 2014.
2. Strategic and Defense Discussions: In Brunei, Modi’s discussions on defense and geo-strategic issues signal a push to enhance security cooperation. Renewing space collaboration with the hosting of an ISRO station in Brunei underscores this effort.
3. Economic Partnerships: Modi’s focus in Singapore on the semiconductor industry aims to leverage Singapore’s capabilities to boost India’s technological infrastructure. This partnership could mitigate risks associated with U.S.-China tensions and enhance India’s production capabilities.

What Are the Challenges and Expectations?

1. Challenges
2. Declining Trade with Brunei: India’s trade with Brunei has declined, especially since India increased its oil imports from Russia in 2022.
3. Lack of Strategic Partnership: India and Brunei do not have a strategic partnership, even though both nations discussed defense and geo-strategic issues.
4. India’s Exit from RCEP: India’s withdrawal from the ASEAN-led RCEP in 2019 has hindered its engagement with the region, excluding it from a large regional trade agreement.
5. Expectations
6. Renewed Space Cooperation: India and Brunei renewed their space cooperation with ISRO’s presence in Brunei.
7. Improved Semiconductor Ties: Singapore and India are expected to enhance semiconductor cooperation to offset growing costs and de-risk from U.S.-China tensions.
8. Updated Trade Agreements: India is expected to update its trade agreements, like the 2009 AITIGA and the 2005 CECA with Singapore, to strengthen economic ties.

Question for practice:

Discuss the significance of Prime Minister Modi’s recent visits to Brunei and Singapore in relation to India’s “Act East” policy and regional cooperation.

India’s Push for Local Manufacturing: Balancing Chinese Dominance and Domestic Growth

Source: The post India’s push for local manufacturing: balancing Chinese dominance and domestic growth has been created, based on the article “With or without Chinese companies is the question” published in “The Hindu” on 9th August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- Internation Relations- India and its Neighborhood.

Context: The article discusses India’s efforts to become a global manufacturing hub through the “Make in India” project and PLI scheme. It highlights Chinese smartphone companies’ dominance in India and challenges in reducing their influence while developing local manufacturing expertise.

For detailed information on Trade Relationship Between India and China read this article here

What is the government’s plan for transforming India into a manufacturing hub?

1. The government launched the ‘Make in India’ project in 2014, aiming to turn India into a global manufacturing hub.
2. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was later introduced to attract both domestic and foreign investments.
3. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2024 election manifesto highlighted its focus on manufacturing across sectors.
4. In the Union Budget 2024-25, ₹6,125 crore was allocated to the PLI scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing, an increase from ₹4,499.04 crore in the 2023-24 Budget.
5. Additionally, ₹1,148 crore was allocated to research and development in the electronics and IT sectors.

For detailed information on India Struggling to become a Global Manufacturing Hub read this article here

How have Chinese smartphone companies benefited from ‘Make in India’?

1. Chinese smartphone companies, such as those with a market share of over 50%, have been major beneficiaries of the ‘Make in India’ project.
2. They have effectively capitalized on India’s large Android smartphone user base, which held a 70% market share in 2023.
3. These companies have expanded their production with support from Indian governments, employed effective marketing strategies, and penetrated non-metropolitan regions.

How has India responded to Chinese dominance in the smartphone sector?

1. India has sought to ‘Indianise’ the operations of Chinese smartphone companies after the Galwan Valley incident in 2020.
2. This includes involving Indian equity partners, appointing Indian executives, and expanding exports from India.
3. Indian companies like Tata Electronics have also begun contract manufacturing smartphones, signaling increased local involvement.

What Challenges Remain?

1. Infrastructure Deficits: India lacks the necessary infrastructure to support large-scale manufacturing, such as uninterrupted power and water supply, which are critical for production continuity.
2. Supply Chain Limitations: The absence of a robust local supplier network and ancillary industries hampers the capability to manufacture all smartphone components domestically.
3. Technology Sharing Hesitance: Chinese companies are reluctant to share technology without clear agreements on their equity participation, affecting the development of local expertise.
4. Workforce Conditions: Better working and living conditions for the workforce are required to sustain manufacturing growth and attract skilled labor.

What Should be Done?

1. Increase Funding for Local R&D: Raise allocations beyond the 2024-25 budget increase to ₹1,148 crore to foster innovation in local electronics and IT industries, which saw a rise from ₹600 crore in the previous fiscal year.
2. Promote Indian Equity and Management: Encourage the induction of Indian stakeholders and executives into foreign companies operating in India to foster better local control and benefits.
3. Balance Chinese Investments with Local Growth: While the government seeks to limit Chinese involvement, the Economic Survey suggests promoting Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). New Delhi must balance developing home-grown industries with the need for continued Chinese investments to achieve its manufacturing goals.

Question for practice:

Discuss the challenges that India faces in reducing Chinese dominance in its smartphone manufacturing sector while enhancing local expertise.

Success of the Swachh Bharat Mission

Source: The post success of the Swachh Bharat Mission has been created, based on the article “Learning from the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission” published in “Indian Express” on 9th August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- Governance-Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Context: The article highlights the success of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in reducing infant deaths by improving sanitation. It notes that SBM and the Jal Jeevan Mission, aimed at providing safe drinking water, contribute to better health outcomes. Some government schemes have been successful, while others are still developing.

For detailed information on Swachh Bharat Mission read Article 1, Article 2

What Has the Swachh Bharat Mission Achieved?

1. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), initiated by the Narendra Modi government in October 2014, has led to the construction of approximately 11 crore individual household latrines.
2. This significant effort has reduced infant deaths by 60,000-70,000 annually, as open defecation—a source of disease through water and food contamination—has been curtailed.
3. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data indicates a drop in households without toilets from 55% in 2005-06 to 19% in 2019-21.
4. Improved sanitation under SBM has not only decreased infant mortality rates but also holds the potential to reduce stunting (low height-for-age) and wasting (low weight-for-height) in children. These conditions are often caused by diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid, which are linked to contaminated food and water.

What Role Does the Jal Jeevan Mission Play?

1. Alongside SBM, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024 through tap connections.
2. The Nature study found that in districts where toilet access is over 30%, there is a significant reduction in infant and child mortality.
3. The integration of these programs is crucial as improved sanitation and access to clean water together significantly lower the rates of infant and under-five mortality.

What Are the Broader Impacts of Government Schemes?

1. The government’s approach to implementing large-scale programs like SBM and Jan Dhan (universal bank accounts) has seen mixed success.
2. While SBM has been effective in improving sanitation and reducing disease transmission, other initiatives like the Soil Health Card have not met expectations.
3. The effectiveness of these schemes largely depends on sustained efforts and the ability to meet and exceed initial targets.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the effectiveness of the Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission in improving sanitation, providing safe drinking water, and reducing disease-related mortality in India.

GS PAPER - 3

Role of Citizen Stack

Source: The post role of Citizen Stack has been created, based on the article “What we mean by good digital public infrastructure” published in “Indian Express” on 9th August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3- Economy (financial inclusion) and GS paper 2-Governance-  e-governance

Context: The article discusses India’s success in achieving financial inclusion through digital public infrastructure (DPI). It highlights the role of Citizen Stack, a regulatory body ensuring secure, reliable DPIs, based on five guiding principles for maintaining trust and integrity.

For detailed information on Digital Public Infrastructure read this article here

What is India’s Achievement in Financial Inclusion?

1. Rapid Progress: India has achieved over 80% financial inclusion in just six years, significantly impacting over a billion people.
2. Global Recognition: This success was highlighted at the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023, showcasing it as a model for the Global South.
3. Digital Framework: The foundation of this achievement is the India Stack, a comprehensive digital infrastructure that has proven its efficacy and security at a massive scale.

What is the Role of Citizen Stack?

1. Citizen Stack is based on the success of India Stack, which has already served over a billion people.
2. It acts as a regulatory body, not a manufacturer of DPIs.
3. Citizen Stack certifies and authenticates DPIs, ensuring they meet high standards of security, scalability, and inclusivity.
4. It follows five guiding principles, including privacy protection and interoperability.
5. The platform ensures that digital public infrastructure serves the public good, following India’s model of digital and financial inclusion seen at the 2023 G20 summit.
6. Standard of Excellence: Citizen Stack sets a global benchmark for DPIs, ensuring public benefit, not corporate exploitation.

What Defines a Good DPI?

A good DPI harmonizes technology with societal needs, focusing on security, scalability, and inclusivity. Citizen Stack has set five guiding principles, or sutras, to define what makes a DPI beneficial:

1. Maintain citizens’ relationship with the market and the state – Ensure digital infrastructure is free from distortions.
2. Safeguard citizen empowerment and privacy – Use a consent-based system for data sharing.
3. Prevent monopolies – Ensure interoperability to avoid monopoly lock-in.
4. Techno-legal regulation – Combine technology and law for ethical governance of tech.
5. Public-private innovation – Encourage collaboration without corporate dominance.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the role of Citizen Stack in ensuring the security and inclusivity of Digital Public Infrastructure in India.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Enemy Property Act

Source: This post, enemy property act, has been created based on the article “Pervez Musharraf’s ancestral land in UP to be auctioned under Enemy Property Act: What it means”, published in Indian Express on 9^th Sep 2024.

What is the news?

The Indian government has announced plans to auction a parcel of land in Uttar Pradesh, previously owned by the family of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. The land is being sold under the Enemy Property Act.

What are the provisions related to enemy property act?

The word “enemy” signifies any country that has committed an act of aggression or declared war against the Union of India,

The law defines enemy property as properties left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan and China and acquired their citizenship, after the 1947 partition and after subsequent wars (1965 and 1971) with these countries.

1) Initially, these properties were taken over by the Indian government Under the Defence of India Rules (1962) and vested with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI).

2) Enemy Property Act, 1968: In 1968, The Enemy Property Act was enacted to formalize the process. It allowed the government to regulate and appropriate properties belonging to those who took Pakistani or Chinese nationality.

Besides real estate, enemy property may also include bank accounts, shares, gold, and other assets of such individuals.

3) 2017 amendment: The act was amended in 2017 to expand the definition of “enemy”.

Now the definition included the legal heirs (in India) of those who migrated and the law of succession does not apply to enemy property. It means their heirs in India cannot make any claim over the enemy property. The properties remain under the Custodian’s control.

The Act also made it clear that once a property is declared ‘enemy property’, it remains so.

Sales of such properties are overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Custodian of Enemy Property of India (CEPI), as disinvestment proceeds deposited into government accounts.

India generates highest plastic pollution in world: study

Source: This post is created based on the article “India generates highest plastic pollution in world: what a new study found”, published in Indian Express on 9^th Sep 2024.

What is the news?

A recent study published in Nature reveals that India is responsible for 20% of the global plastic pollution. The study has come at a time, when negotiations for the very first legally binding international treaty on plastics pollution are ongoing.

Published by: University of Leeds researchers Joshua W Cottom, Ed Cook, and Costas A Velis.

What are the differences between managed and unmanaged?

Managed waste refers to the plastic collected by municipalities and recycled or sent to landfills.

Unmanaged waste refers to plastic left in the environment as debris or burnt in uncontrolled fires. The open burning of plastic releases harmful gases like carbon monoxide, linked to heart diseases, respiratory disorders, and neurological issues.

What are the key findings of the study?

Worldwide pollution: Around 251 mt of plastic waste is produced every year, globally. Roughly 52.1 mt, which is a fifth of this waste, is “emitted” into the environment, unmanaged.

India’s Plastic contribution: India annually contributes 9.3 million tonnes (mt) to global plastic pollution. This includes 5.8 mt of plastics being burned and 3.5 mt released into the environment.

Comparison: India’s plastic pollution significantly exceeds that of Nigeria (3.5 mt), Indonesia (3.4 mt), and China (2.8 mt).

North-South Divide: There is a distinct divide between Global North (high-income countries) and Global South (low-income countries) in plastic waste generation and management. Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-eastern Asia contribute to about 69% of the global plastic pollution.

Waste Management in High-Income Countries (HICs): Most HICs have nearly 100% waste collection and management systems, resulting in controlled plastic disposal.

How changes in the level of Arctic Sea ice can change monsoon patterns in India

Source: This post has been created based on the article “How changes in the level of Arctic Sea ice can change monsoon patterns in India”, published in The Hindu on 9^th Sep 2024.

What is the news?

Recent research has shown that fluctuations in Arctic sea ice levels are affecting the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR), making it more erratic and unpredictable.

About Study

Recently, a study has been published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment in June.

Participants: Researchers from India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and South Korea’s Korea Polar Research Institute.

Key Findings of the Study

Atmospheric Circulations: Changes in Arctic Sea ice impact large-scale atmospheric patterns such as the Rossby waves and Asian jet streams, which affect the distribution and intensity of monsoon rains.

Influence of Arctic Sea Ice: Reduced central Arctic Sea ice leads to lower rainfall in western and peninsular India but higher rainfall in central and northern India. Meanwhile, reduced sea ice in the upper latitudes like Barents-Kara Sea region delays the onset of the monsoon, making it more unpredictable.

Climate Change’s Role: The reduction of Arctic Sea ice due to climate change exacerbates these fluctuations, leading to severe droughts in some areas while causing excessive rainfall and flooding in others.

What are Rosby Waves?

Rossby waves are large-scale atmospheric waves that primarily occur in the mid-latitudes of the Earth’s atmosphere. These are also known as planetary waves.

These waves form in the jet streams—the high-altitude air currents that flow from west to east around the planet. Their meandering patterns influence the weather across regions in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

These waves are most active in regions where there is a significant temperature difference between the equator and the poles, shaping weather patterns and influencing temperature extremes and precipitation levels worldwide.

Significance: They help balance the distribution of heat across the planet, ensuring that polar regions do not become too cold and equatorial regions do not overheat.

Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES)

What is the news?

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has recently dissolved the 14 member Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES).  It said that SCES had a mandate, overlapping with the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys (NSS).

About Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES)

Established: In 2019 by the MoSPI

Nature: A temporary committee formed to address immediate and critical issues in statistics.

Funding: Funded by the Government of India through the MoSPI budget allocations.

Aims and Objectives

• To advise the Union government on survey methodology, including sampling frame, sampling design, and survey instruments, and
• To finalise a tabulation plan of surveys.

About Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys (NSS)

The Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys (NSS) was formed recently to oversee survey-related issues of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

Established: In July 2023 based on the recommendations from the National Statistical Commission (NSC).