UPSC Key: AI action summit, Fiscal Health Index, and Election Integrity Index

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

What’s the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi volition question to Paris connected February 10 and 11 to co-chair the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit hosted by France.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the ethical issues related to AI?

• What are the initiatives taken by India to integrate AI?

• What is the intent of the AI enactment summit?

• What are the challenges related to AI?

• What are the important bilateral practice signed by India to beforehand AI?

• What are the assorted applications of AI?

• What are the challenges of AI?

Key Takeaways:

• This volition beryllium Modi’s archetypal sojourn to France successful his 3rd term, and a imaginable accidental to conscionable US President Donald Trump if he, too, attends the AI summit. India volition besides clasp bilateral engagements with President Macron and different leaders attending the summit.

• The AI Action Summit, to beryllium held astatine the Grand Palais, volition beryllium attended by Heads of State, leaders of planetary organisations, CEOs of tiny and ample companies, academics, non-governmental organisations, artists and civilian nine members.

• France is looking to physique connected the momentum generated by the UK and South Korea, which had organised the erstwhile 2 summits successful November 2023 and May 2024, respectively.

• The Paris Summit, which is campaigning for “ethical, sustainable and inclusive AI”, volition absorption connected 5 “main pillars” forming the ground of the preparatory work.

• The archetypal is “AI successful the work of the wide interest” oregon “the nationalist interest”. The 2nd is “the aboriginal of work” based connected the rule that “the integration of artificial quality is transforming labour markets, occupation content, tasks and ways of working”.

• The 3rd pillar is “innovation and culture”, with the purpose to “boost technological excellence successful the work of innovation and creator creation”. The 4th pillar is “trusted artificial intelligence”. And finally, the “global governance of AI”, the past constituent stemming from the 4 erstwhile pillars.

Do You Know:

• On the 2nd time of his presidency, Donald Trump announced billions of dollars worthy of concern to physique artificial quality infrastructure successful the United States of America.

• The Stargate Project is fundamentally a caller institution that aims to put $500 cardinal towards gathering precocious AI infrastructure successful the US implicit the adjacent 4 years. The inaugural volition put $100 cardinal astir immediately. This ambitious task seeks to propulsion American AI leadership, make hundreds of thousands of jobs, and supply important planetary economical benefits.

• Maharashtra’s curate of Information and Technology Ashish Shelar connected Friday declared that Maharashtra volition go the archetypal authorities successful India to found an Artificial Intelligence University.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍Maharashtra to motorboat India’s archetypal AI University

📍Donald Trump unveils $500 cardinal Stargate Project

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(1) With the contiguous authorities of development, Artificial Intelligence tin efficaciously bash which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. Bring down energy depletion successful concern units

2. Create meaningful abbreviated stories and songs

3. Disease diagnosis

4. Text-to-Speech Conversion

5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:

Introduce the conception of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does Al assistance objective diagnosis? Do you comprehend immoderate menace to privateness of the idiosyncratic successful the usage of Al successful healthcare? (UPSC CSE 2023)

ECONOMY

Competitive populism, clime alteration to summation fiscal unit connected states: NITI Aayog officials

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, improvement and employment

What’s the ongoing story: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand led NITI Aayog’s caller Fiscal Health Index connected the backmost of mining-linked premiums, whereas Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal emerged arsenic large laggards crossed parameters including gross mobilisation and fiscal prudence.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the intent of the Fiscal Health Index?

• What is the value of effectual superior expenditure strategies to get optimum utilisation of resources successful the economy?

• What are the challenges faced by states successful their assets management?

• What is the value of fiscal responsibility?

• Learn astir the terms: Market equilibrium, Elasticity of request and supply, fiscal policy, and monetary policy

Key Takeaways:

• During the study motorboat connected Friday, officials astatine India’s apex deliberation vessel flagged the interaction of subsidies and competitory populism connected prime of expenditure, and stressed that clime alteration volition summation fiscal unit connected states.

• Covering 18 large states for the fiscal twelvemonth 2022-23, the scale assigned a people to each authorities connected the ground of 5 parameters – prime of expenditure, gross mobilisation, fiscal prudence, indebtedness index, and indebtedness sustainability. Odisha led overall, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.

• Punjab emerged arsenic the biggest laggard, followed by Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Haryana. “Kerala and Punjab conflict with debased prime of expenditure and indebtedness sustainability, portion West Bengal faces gross mobilization and indebtedness scale issues. Andhra Pradesh has precocious fiscal deficits, and Haryana has a mediocre indebtedness profile,” it said.

• In prime of expenditure, Madhya Pradesh scored the highest with 59.7 points from 100, followed by Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

• He added that overmuch of the concern needed for clime alteration is going to beryllium astatine the authorities level, and that think-tank is moving connected financing a large concern propulsion for states.

Do You Know:

• The GDP is fundamentally the monetary measurement of each the goods and services produced wrong India’s borders successful a year. It provides the size of the Indian economy.

• The nominal GDP is what is utilized to get astatine the US dollar equivalent fig for the size of the Indian economy. At an speech complaint of 85 rupees to a dollar, India’s GDP successful FY25 volition beryllium $3.8 trillion.

• It is noteworthy that if India’s speech complaint had not fallen from astir 61 rupees to a dollar successful 2014 past contiguous India could person boasted of becoming a $5 trillion system ($5.3 trillion to beryllium exact).

• The existent GDP is derived by removing the effect of inflation from nominal GDP. The nominal GDP of a state tin go up either due to the fact that the state produces much goods and services oregon due to the fact that the prices of existing goods and services person gone up (read inflation). More often than not, some these factors pb to an summation successful GDP.

• The existent GDP tells the grade to which India produced much goods and services and it does truthful by removing the prices astatine which goods and services are pegged.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍ExplainSpeaking: What the latest GDP estimates archer astir the authorities of India’s economy

📍Behind India’s economical slowdown, our precise ain Deep State

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(2) With notation to Indian economy, demand-pull ostentation tin beryllium caused/ accrued by which of the following? (UPSC CSE 2021)

1. Expansionary policies

2. Fiscal stimulus

3. Inflation-indexing wages

4. Higher purchasing power

5. Rising involvement rates

Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below.

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

GOVT & POLITICS

CEC: Time for canvass mgmt bodies to devise ‘election integrity index’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Appointment to assorted Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of assorted Constitutional Bodies.

What’s the ongoing story: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar connected Friday said it was clip for predetermination absorption bodies (EMBs) to travel up with their ain “election integrity index”, portion raising interest implicit existing ideology indices becoming tools to discredit elections.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the relation of the Election Commission of India (ECI)?

• How elections are conducted astatine antithetic levels successful India?

• Why elector information is important for a democracy?

• What are the law articles related to the ECI?

• What are the new-age challenges faced by the ECI?

Key Takeaways:

• “It is besides clip for EMBs to devise and request transparency successful the parameters which are utilized for indices, possibly this is 1 country for deliberations successful future,” Kumar said. He said indices should instrumentality into relationship the mode the predetermination was conducted, if voters could registry freely, if determination were immoderate restrictions connected them from coming retired to ballot among different things.

• The CEC besides flagged the menace of “external influences” done “cyber interference and disinformation” facing EMBs today. He said portion societal media platforms had democratised entree to information, they had besides go tools to destruct the halfway of democracy. He said “anti-pollution measures” were needed for societal media — algorithms tin beryllium utilized to observe fake quality and halt its circulation.

Do You Know:

• The Constitution has the pursuing articles (Articles 324–329) to empower the Election Commission and supply penetration into the imaginable roles and functions of the commission.

• Article 324: The superintendence, absorption and power of the mentation of the electoral rolls for, and the behaviour of, each elections to Parliament and the Legislature of each authorities and of elections to the offices of President and Vice-President.

• Article 325: No idiosyncratic to beryllium excluded from electoral rolls connected the ground of religion, race, caste, enactment oregon immoderate of them.

• Article 326: Adult suffrage shall beryllium the ground for elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States.]

• Article 327: Parliament may, according to the provisions of this Constitution, from clip to clip enact laws with respect to each matters relating to elections to Parliament and Legislative Assemblies of States.

• Article 328: A state’s Legislature whitethorn from clip to clip by instrumentality marque proviso with respect to each matters relating to, oregon successful transportation with, the elections to the House oregon either House of the Legislature.

• Article 329: The nonfiction prohibits the courts from becoming progressive successful electoral matters.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍What is the relevance of the National Voters’ Day for UPSC exam

📍What the planetary media fails to recognize astir India’s democracy

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(3) Consider the pursuing statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The Election Commission of India is simply a five-member body.

2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the predetermination docket for the behaviour of some wide elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised governmental parties.

Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

EXPRESS NETWORK

ISRO motorboat No. 100 is Nav Sat equipped with atomic clocks developed successful India

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects successful mundane life.

What’s the ongoing story: In its 100th launch, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is geared to nonstop disconnected a 2,250-kg navigation outer on-board GSLV-F15 from Sriharikota connected January 29 astatine 06.23 am, the abstraction bureau said.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is IRNSS? What is its significance?

• What are the important ISRO’s missions?

• What is the atomic clock?

• What is the Global Positioning System (GPS)?

• What are the challenges of processing an autarkic navigation constellation?

Key Takeaways:

• The NVS-02 is the 2nd of the 5 second-generation satellites developed by the abstraction bureau to regenerate the existing satellites successful the country’s navigation constellation Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

• The caller procreation of satellites person a longer lifespan of 12 years and are besides equipped with indigenously developed, much close atomic clocks. The caller procreation of satellites besides utilise L1 frequency, which is astir commonly utilized successful the US Global Positioning System (GPS), and is apt to pb to much utilisation by smaller devices specified arsenic fittingness trackers.

• The motorboat connected January 29 volition beryllium the 17th formation of the GSLV vehicle, with the 11th formation utilizing the indigenously developed cryogenic engine.

• IRNSS — sometimes referred to arsenic NavIC oregon Navigation with Indian Constellation — is simply a 7 outer strategy that provides positioning, navigation and timing services implicit the Indian mainland and 1,500 km successful its neighbourhood.

• The archetypal outer successful the constellation IRNSS-1A was launched successful 2013, with a ngo beingness of 10 years. The adjacent 2 satellites IRNSS-1B and 1C were launched successful the consequent years. Replacements were needed for immoderate of the satellites successful the constellation adjacent earlier the extremity of their ngo beingness since the atomic clocks on-board the satellites malfunctioned.

• A satellite-based positioning strategy determines the determination of objects by accurately measuring the clip it takes for a awesome to question to and from it utilizing the atomic clocks connected board.

Do You Know:

• The IRNSS is an autarkic determination navigation outer strategy developed by India. It is designed to supply close presumption accusation work to assistance successful the navigation of ships successful the Indian Ocean waters.

• The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the IMO recognised the IRNSS arsenic a constituent of the World-wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS).

• With the designation arsenic a constituent of the of the WWRNS, the Indian navigation strategy is likewise placed arsenic GPS, astir commonly utilized by marine shipping vessels crossed the satellite oregon the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

• After the US, Russia and China that person their ain navigation systems, India has go the 4th state to person its autarkic determination navigation system. Unlike GPS, however, IRNSS is simply a determination and not a planetary navigation system.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍Explained: What is the caller determination navigation outer strategy oregon IRNSS?

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(4) With notation to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), see the pursuing statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. IRNSS has 3 satellites successful geostationary and 4 satellites successful geosynchronous orbits.

2. IRNSS covers full India and astir 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.

3. India volition person its ain outer navigation strategy with afloat planetary sum by the mediate of 2019.

Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) None

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:

What bash you recognize by ‘Standard Positioning Systems’ and ‘Precision Positioning Systems’ successful the GPS epoch ? Discuss the advantages India perceives from its ambitious IRNSS programme employing conscionable 7 satellites.

Iron Age began successful Tamil Nadu hundreds of years earlier than believed: Study

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement

Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Indian civilization volition screen the salient aspects of Art Forms, lit and Architecture from past to modern times

What’s the ongoing story: In an announcement that challenges long-held assumptions astir the origins of the Iron Age, a caller survey has recovered grounds that the usage of robust successful the country that is present Tamil Nadu dates backmost to the archetypal 4th of the 4th millennium BCE. This revelation, based connected rigorous radiometric dating from aggregate planetary laboratories, positions the portion arsenic a pioneering hub of aboriginal metallurgy, surpassing planetary timelines by astir 2 millennia.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Iron Age? Why is it called Iron Age?

• What are the assorted pre-historical periods successful the past of India?

• What are the characteristics and features of the Iron Age?

• What is the value of the Iron Age?

• How Iron Age is antithetic from the Copper Age?

• What is the Indus Valley Civilisation?

Key Takeaways:

• The findings were produced successful a study titled ‘Antiquity of Iron: Recent Radiometric Dates from Tamil Nadu’, authored by K Rajan and R Sivanantham.

• The findings, which supply grounds that iron exertion successful Tamil Nadu dates arsenic acold backmost arsenic 3345 BCE, are supported by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) analyses conducted connected samples from archaeological sites specified arsenic Sivagalai, Adichanallur, Mayiladumparai, and Kilnamandi.

• Until recently, the Iron Age successful India was believed to person emerged betwixt 1500 and 2000 BCE, intimately pursuing the Indus Valley Civilisation. However, caller information from Tamil Nadu pushes this timeline further back.

• A paddy illustration from a burial urn successful Sivagalai was dated to 1155 BCE, portion charcoal and potsherds (broken pieces of ceramic material) from the aforesaid tract provided dates ranging from 2953 BCE to 3345 BCE, making it the earliest recorded grounds of robust exertion globally.

• It besides establishes that Tamil Nadu was not simply a subordinate successful the improvement of metallurgy but an innovator, arsenic the smelted robust findings person been dated to the mediate of the 3rd millennium BCE for the archetypal clip successful the world, altering the knowing of planetary taste trajectories.

Three types of iron-smelting furnaces were identified astatine Kodumanal, Chettipalayam, and Perungalur, showcasing aboriginal innovations successful extracting iron.

• Archaeological sites successful Tamil Nadu besides revealed varied metallurgical techniques. Three types of iron-smelting furnaces were identified astatine Kodumanal, Chettipalayam, and Perungalur, showcasing aboriginal innovations successful extracting iron.

• Globally, the Iron Age has agelong been attributed to the Hittite Empire successful Anatolia, wherever robust exertion is believed to person emerged astir 1300 BCE. However, the Tamil Nadu findings situation this.

Do You Know:

• The Indus Civilisation, which reached its zenith betwixt 2600 and 1900 BCE, sprawled implicit much than 800,000 sq km successful what is contiguous Pakistan and parts of northwestern India. It was the world’s astir blase municipality civilization astatine the time, with an elaborate strategy of trade, taxation, and drainage.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍Mystery of the Indus script

📍Naming the oldest civilisation of India

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(5) With notation to the quality betwixt the civilization of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the pursuing statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. Rigvedic Aryans utilized the overgarment of m ail an d h el met successful warfare whereas the radical of Indus Valley Civilization did not permission immoderate grounds of utilizing them.

2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, metallic americium copper whereas Indus Valley radical knew lone copper and iron.

3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the equine whereas determination is nary grounds of Indus Valley radical having been alert of this animal.

Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

EDITORIAL

A batch done, much to do

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, important provisions and basal structure

What’s the ongoing story: S Ravindra Bhat writes: Emerging from assemblage rule, India that is Bharat saw its radical alteration into empowered citizens, putting unneurotic its Constitution, a full-fledged ideology with cosmopolitan big franchise. This bold assertion of the nation’s antiauthoritarian individuality was successful the aftermath of unparallelled sectarian violence.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What does our Constitution, and governance strategy mean to the weakest, astir disempowered people, whose voices are mostly unheard?

• What are the challenges facing the judiciary strategy successful India?

• Prosperity and well-being cannot beryllium measured by gross nationalist wealth, but the nett feeling of well-being of each individual. Discuss.

• What are the principles embodied successful the Indian constitution?

• How does the Constitution warrant dignity, justness (including societal and economic) and fraternity?

Key Takeaways:

• The Constitution held retired the committedness of societal justice, of organisation of worldly resources for the bully of the top number. Our birthright, our swaraj, was not lone independency from the outer ruler, but besides the resoluteness to economically and socially emancipate our citizens.

• At this 75th day of our republic, determination is overmuch to celebrate. From 32 years, the mean beingness expectancy of citizens is present 75 years. India has go 1 of the largest producers of foodgrains.

• Literacy complaint has accrued from 12 per cent to 75 per cent. In powerfulness generation, roadworthy and infrastructure development, we person made large strides. In size, our federation has the 5th largest system globally. Our forays into abstraction person shown spectacular success, with the brushed landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram.

• The Constitution guarantees dignity, justness (including societal and economic) and fraternity, too liberty. This warrant of dignity and fraternity constitutes the essence of our basal rights, wherever individuals are bound to worth each other’s worth.

• This places greater work connected the authorities to guarantee that each argumentation and instrumentality achieves the nonsubjective of meaningful entree to education, nationalist health, employment and a basal modular of surviving assuring self-worth and dignity to each citizen.

• Assuring dignity involves going beyond providing basal quality needs. It entails a committedness by the authorities and nine to guarantee what we person not achieved.

• True dignity and fraternity means the signifier of an cognition which we person not yet displayed: That each quality being is susceptible of doing everything; that the poorest and the weakest are adjacent successful worthy and arsenic unafraid with afloat rights arsenic citizens arsenic immoderate other.

• The ineligible world, which I person been a portion of, needs to beryllium reimagined. There is overmuch to beryllium desired successful presumption of realising the extremity of speedy and inexpensive justice.

• There is an urgent request to make agelong word plans to code the systemic challenges of the tribunal system, beryllium it infrastructure, recognition of causes for lawsuit arrears, optimal caseload of judges.

• India is presently experiencing its ain integer gyration impacting mundane beingness — from petty transactions oregon entree to banking facilities, to online retail marketplaces and entree to education.

• What has undoubtedly propelled the federation successful presumption of progress, besides carries with it the perils of exclusion — exacerbated by geographical limitations, constricted idiosyncratic spending capacities, and debased levels of integer literacy. This “digital divide” has rendered millions vulnerable, with regards to their rights, entitlements and entree to indispensable services.

• Lastly, efforts towards mitigating the disastrous interaction of clime alteration connected our geographically divers and immense territory is the request of the hour.

• Prosperity and well-being cannot beryllium measured by gross nationalist wealth, but the nett feeling of well-being of each individual. Existing barriers, “narrow home walls”, person to go.

Do You Know:

• According to a written reply by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal connected a question by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha successful Novemebr 2024, determination are 2 vacancies successful the SC, 364 successful the precocious courts and 5,245 successful little courts crossed states.

• For an estimated colonisation of 1.4 cardinal oregon 140 crore people, the sanctioned spot of judges wide is conscionable 25,081. There are a important fig of vacancies astatine immoderate fixed clip and for the disposable judges, determination are a small implicit 20,000 tribunal rooms.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍Judiciary has much than 5,600 vacancies crossed courts

📍The judiciary is dilatory and clogged — it’s clip to get extracurricular assistance to hole it

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:

(6) Which 1 of the pursuing factors constitutes the champion safeguard of liberty successful a wide democracy? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) A committed judiciary

(b) Centralization of powers

(c) Elected government

(d) Separation of powers

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:

‘Constitutional Morality’ successful rooted successful the Constitution itself and is founded connected its indispensable facets. Explain the doctrine of ‘Constitutional Morality’ with the assistance of applicable judicial decisions. (UPSC CSE 2021)

Beyond the China factor

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations, and Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Gurjit Singh writes: A cardinal result of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s sojourn to India is apt to beryllium the constitution of a broader and much strategical concern betwixt the 2 nations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the value of the Indo-Pacific for India?

• Why is BRICS expanding its membership?

• What is the “ASEAN Plus” policy?

• What is the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)?

• What is the value of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)?

• How tin India leverage its presumption with the South East Asian countries?

• Know astir the humanities background, country of practice and struggle betwixt India and Indonesia.

Key Takeaways:

• While India and Indonesia bash not ever stock identical worldviews oregon voting patterns successful forums specified arsenic the United Nations, their expanding engagement has paved the mode for a much coherent partnership. Prabowo, similar Modi, is determined to elevate his country’s planetary stature. A captious situation lies successful however Jaishankar builds a rapport with Indonesia’s caller overseas minister, Sugiono.

• Indonesia’s rank of BRICS, granted successful 2023, presents different avenue for collaboration. Much similar India and Brazil connected BRICS’ platforms, India and Indonesia tin leverage their concern to bring strategical heft to this bloc.

• Another imaginable country is the improvement of trilateral partnerships. India and Indonesia, alongside Australia, already person a trilateral framework, though it lacks important content.

• India and Indonesia tin besides prosecute much straight connected however the ASEAN-plus-one, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meetings progress. Both should person anterior consultations to marque a meaningful interaction connected specified determination architecture.

• Indonesia should beryllium invited to articulation the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to integrate it amended with India’s eastbound neighbourhood.

• Leveraging platforms specified arsenic BRICS, the IPOI, and trilateral frameworks with Australia and Japan, some India and Indonesia tin forge a deeper partnership. While differences successful perspectives, peculiarly regarding China, persist, the absorption indispensable stay connected areas of convergence.

Do You Know:

• The Indo-Pacific has emerged arsenic a cardinal geopolitical and strategical space, with India remaining steadfast successful its committedness to a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.

• The Indo-Pacific is simply a geographical country that encompasses the regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, on with the countries surrounding them and the important waterways and marine resources.

• It besides includes captious maritime chokepoints specified arsenic the Strait of Malacca, Taiwan Strait, the Bab-al-Mandeb, Straits of Lombok and Sunda, the South China Sea, etc., which are captious for planetary commercialized and vigor proviso routes.

• The strategical priorities of antithetic actors successful the Indo-Pacific vary. For instance, India’s displacement from the “Look East” argumentation to the “Act East Policy” nether Prime Minister Modi on with the Security and Growth for All successful the Region (SAGAR) argumentation underscores New Delhi’s imaginativeness for fostering greater determination cooperation, security, and sustainable maturation wrong the Indo-Pacific.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍The Indo-Pacific: A strategical arena for India’s planetary influence

📍10 things astir Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, the Republic Day main guest

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:

How acold are India’s interior information challenges linked with borderline absorption peculiarly successful presumption of the agelong porous borders with astir countries of South Asia and Myanmar? (UPSC CSE 2013)

EXPLAINED

Trump 2.0 and Iran

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: As the 2nd Trump medication consolidates itself, Arab media has recovered the President’s Middle East appointees a “confusing radical of loyalists”, adjacent arsenic Israeli media has been startled by picks specified arsenic Michael DiMino, the caller Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East who is vocally opposed to warfare with Iran and advocates a diplomatic attack successful the region.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Axis of Resistance?

• What is the value of the Israel-Hamas woody for stableness successful the region?

• How Iran and the US narration has evolved?

• What is the value of the Middle East for India?

• Highlight the India-Iran relationship.

• Read astir the value of Chahbar larboard for deepening economical ties betwixt India and Iran.

Key Takeaways:

• Iran’s concern has evolved importantly since Trump 1.0. The anti-Israel ‘Axis of Resistance’ has been greatly weakened, particularly implicit the past year. But Tehran has cultivated a caller affirmative narration with its Arab neighbours that sprang from the Saudi-Iran rapprochement brokered by China successful 2023.

• Within Iran, a large displacement has taken place. The economical and societal tumult successful the state worsened nether President Ebrahim Raisi (2021-24), a conversative hardliner who astatine the clip of his decease past May had been successful the contention to win Ayatollah Ali Khamenei arsenic Supreme Leader.

• Under President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tehran has megaphoned its tendency to prosecute with the West to assistance sanctions, portion besides informing against underestimating its subject capabilities and projecting a presumption of spot done atomic enrichment.

• Today, Arab states are prioritising determination stableness based connected economical diversification. Catalysed by their absorption to Israel’s warfare successful Gaza, they person deepened their rapprochement with Iran. Riyadh and Tehran are adjacent exploring defence cooperation.

• The existent concern successful Syria, Lebanon and Iraq has accrued the Arab comfortableness for engagement with Iran — the Bashar al-Assad authorities has collapsed, Hezbollah has mislaid its elder enactment successful Lebanon, and Iraq is moving to disarm Iran-backed groups oregon to integrate them successful the Iraqi equipped forces.

• The ceasefire successful Gaza has created conditions for deliberation and interaction betwixt Iran and the US. The Trump medication is pushing Israel to retreat from Lebanon arsenic per the docket agreed with Hezbollah, denying the Israel Defence Forces the hold that the erstwhile Biden medication had promised.

Do You Know:

• Iran is looking astatine expanding bilateral commercialized with India, including via the Chabahar port.

• For Tehran, which has suffered from the economical sanctions imposed during Trump’s archetypal term, expanding commercialized with India is “very important”. Tehran hopes to diversify to different areas, including agriculture and petrochemical products done the Chabahar port.

• Iran is besides looking astatine an summation successful Indian tourer question to Iran, and wants to facilitate that. While it’s a people-to-people exchange, it increases economical activity. Tehran besides wants an summation successful the fig of Iranians travelling to India.

Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:

📍Iran curate successful Delhi for talks to boost ties, commercialized via Chabahar

📍What are India’s stakes successful Iran’s Chabahar port?

Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:

(7) What is the value of processing Chabahar Port by India? (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) India’s commercialized with African countries volition enormously increase.

(b) India’s relations with oil-producing Arab countries volition beryllium strengthened.

(c) India volition not beryllium connected Pakistan for entree to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

(d) Pakistan volition facilitate and support the installation of a state pipeline betwixt Iraq and India.

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (b)  2. (a)  3. (d)   4. (a)  5. (c)  6. (d)  7. (c)

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