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Jaishankar, Wang sermon adjacent steps: Resuming Man Sarovar Yatra, flights
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
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: A period aft India and China agreed to disengage astatine 2 friction points on the Line of Actual Control starring to a gathering betwixt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping successful Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wangi Yi discussed the “next steps successful India-China relations” that see “resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage, information sharing connected trans-border rivers, nonstop flights betwixt India and China and media exchanges”.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is simply a taste inaugural discussed successful caller India-China diplomatic talks-True oregon False?
• The disengagement process on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) includes 3 stages: disengagement, de-escalation, and de-induction of troops-True oregon False?
• “India and China person some differences and convergences.” Discuss however these dynamics signifier their practice successful multilateral frameworks similar BRICS, SCO, and G20.
• The disengagement process successful areas on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is an important measurement successful India-China relations. Explain the value of disengagement, de-escalation, and de-induction processes successful maintaining bid and tranquillity.
• Examine India’s principled and autarkic overseas argumentation attack towards maintaining a multipolar world. How does this align with the caller discussions betwixt India and China?
• Discuss the value of initiatives similar the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra successful improving bilateral ties betwixt India and China. How does taste diplomacy complement accepted diplomatic mechanisms?
• As a policymaker, suggest a multi-pronged strategy to code borderline absorption issues portion strengthening India-China practice successful areas specified arsenic taste diplomacy, trans-border h2o management, and multilateral institutions.
Key Takeaways:
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met connected the side-lines of the G20 Summit successful Rio de Janeiro to sermon “next steps” successful bilateral relations. The gathering focused connected stabilizing ties, managing differences, and exploring areas of cooperation.
• India and China precocious completed disengagement astatine 2 friction points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — Depsang Plains and Demchok — paving the mode for improved relations.
• Indian troops person resumed patrolling successful these areas, marking important advancement successful the three-step process of disengagement, de-escalation, and de-induction of troops.
• Key issues discussed included:
—Resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims.
—Data sharing connected trans-border rivers to code h2o absorption concerns.
—Establishing nonstop flights betwixt India and China to boost connectivity.
—Media exchanges to beforehand amended knowing and communication.
—Both sides are readying to commemorate the 75th day of diplomatic relations with events successful some countries.
• The October 21 statement betwixt India and China connected patrolling arrangements astatine the LAC was a precursor to the caller developments. The statement was instrumental successful mounting the signifier for high-level discussions, including Modi and Xi’s gathering during the BRICS Summit.
Do You Know:
• The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. India considers the LAC to beryllium 3,488 km long, portion the Chinese see it to beryllium lone astir 2,000 km. It is divided into 3 sectors: the eastbound assemblage which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the mediate assemblage successful Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the occidental assemblage successful Ladakh.
• The alignment of the LAC successful the eastbound assemblage is on the 1914 McMahon Line, and determination are insignificant disputes astir the positions connected the crushed arsenic per the rule of the precocious Himalayan watershed. This pertains to India’s planetary bound arsenic well, but for definite areas specified arsenic Longju and Asaphila. The enactment successful the mediate assemblage is the slightest arguable but for the precise alignment to beryllium followed successful the Barahoti plains.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Explained: In India-China borderline dispute, strategical value of Hot Springs, Gogra Post
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍‘China is utilizing its economical relations and affirmative commercialized surplus arsenic tools to make imaginable subject powerfulness presumption successful Asia’, In the airy of this statement, sermon its interaction connected India arsenic her neighbour. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2017)
📍With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising hostility affirm the request for safeguarding maritime information to guarantee state of navigation and implicit formation passim the region. In this context, sermon the bilateral issues betwixt India and China. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2014)
THE CITY
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: General issues connected Environmental ecology
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment
What’s the ongoing story: The Delhi government’s entreaty to the Centre to licence cloud-seeding and induce artificial rainfall arsenic a means to tackle the nationalist capital’s ongoing aerial contamination situation is misplaced, scientists astatine the Indian Institute of Tropical Management, Pune, said.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the relation of artificial rainfall done unreality seeding successful combating municipality aerial pollution. Highlight its advantages and limitations successful the Indian context. Where each has it been tried earlier?
• Discuss the feasibility of unreality seeding arsenic a measurement to tackle aerial contamination successful Delhi. Why is it not a viable solution during Delhi’s winter?
• How palmy is the unreality seeding technology?
• Evaluate the limitations of technological interventions similar unreality seeding successful controlling aerial pollution. Suggest alternate approaches for semipermanent aerial prime management.
• Should governments absorption connected impermanent measures to supply alleviation from biology crises oregon put successful semipermanent solutions? Discuss with notation to Delhi’s aerial contamination problem.
• Analyse the argumentation challenges associated with implementing unreality seeding arsenic a solution for aerial pollution. Should governments put successful specified technologies contempt their uncertainties? Discuss.
• As a policymaker, plan a broad strategy to code Delhi’s aerial pollution. Your attack should equilibrium contiguous alleviation measures with semipermanent initiatives targeting the basal causes of pollution.
Key Takeaways:
• The Delhi authorities has appealed to the cardinal authorities to let unreality seeding to induce artificial rainfall arsenic a impermanent solution to tackle the city’s terrible aerial contamination crisis. Environment Minister Gopal Rai suggested that artificial rainfall could assistance settee airborne pollutants and amended visibility.
• Cloud seeding requires moisture-laden clouds, which are often absent during Delhi’s wintertime months. The adust and cloudless conditions successful wintertime marque artificial rainfall efforts ineffective.
• Winter upwind successful Delhi often involves somesthesia inversions, which trap pollutants adjacent the aboveground and discourage unreality enactment indispensable for unreality seeding. Even if unreality seeding were possible, isolated rainfall would not beryllium capable to code the immense standard of Delhi’s contamination crisis. Sustained and wide rainfall, which is not feasible, would beryllium required.
• The occurrence of unreality seeding depends heavy connected pre-existing upwind conditions and precise execution. Artificial rainfall mightiness temporarily lavation distant pollutants but would not code the basal causes of emissions, meaning contamination levels would apt rebound quickly.
• The superior contributors to Delhi’s wintertime aerial contamination are:
—Vehicular emissions
—Stubble burning successful adjacent states
—Industrial activities
—Fine particulate substance (PM2.5 and PM10) from these sources importantly worsens aerial quality.
• Many Expert are saying that Artificial rainfall is not a applicable oregon sustainable solution to Delhi’s contamination crisis. Addressing the basal causes of pollution, specified arsenic emissions from vehicles, industries, and cultivation practices, is indispensable for semipermanent improvement.
Do You Know:
• Cloud seeding is simply a benignant of a upwind modification exertion to make artificial rainfall. It works lone erstwhile determination is capable pre-existing clouds successful the atmosphere. Rain happens erstwhile moisture successful the aerial reaches levels astatine which it tin nary longer beryllium held, and unreality seeding aims to facilitate and accelerate that process by making disposable chemic ‘nuclei’ astir which condensation tin instrumentality place. These ‘seeds’ of rainfall tin beryllium the iodides of metallic oregon potassium, adust crystal (solid c dioxide), oregon liquid propane. The seeds tin beryllium delivered by level oregon simply by spraying from the ground.
• Cloud seeding is not caller to India and it has earlier been attempted successful Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to code drought. Similar experiments of unreality seeding had earlier been tried successful Australia, America, Spain and France. In United Arab Emirates, the unreality seeding method led to instauration of 52 storms successful Abu Dhabi. Till past year, IMD had astir 30 palmy incidents of seeding. Also, specified seeding is regular successful Russia and different acold countries wherever the method is utilized to disperse fog astatine the airports.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Explained: How palmy is unreality seeding technology
📍In 2 weeks, Delhi govt plans to marque it rainfall — artificially — to curb contamination levels
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
1. In the discourse of which of the pursuing bash immoderate scientists suggest the usage of cirrus unreality thinning method and the injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere? (UPSC CSE 2019)
(a) Creating the artificial rains successful immoderate regions
(b) Reducing the frequence and strength of tropical cyclones
(c) Reducing the adverse effects of star upwind connected the Earth
(d) Reducing the planetary warming
GOVT & POLITICS
Defence to space, India & Italy denote 5-year enactment plan
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main 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 and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni announced a five-year strategical enactment program outlining their imaginativeness for collaboration successful a scope of cardinal sectors, including defence, trade, vigor and space.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Outline the humanities discourse of India-Italy relations.
• What is the full bilateral commercialized measurement betwixt India and Italy arsenic of the latest data?
• What challenges person historically impacted defence ties betwixt the 2 nations?
• How bash India and Italy cooperate wrong multilateral forums similar the G20, BRICS, and the United Nations?
• Discuss the value of the India-Italy Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 successful strengthening bilateral ties. What does it uncover astir India’s increasing planetary partnerships?
• Evaluate the relation of planetary collaborations, specified arsenic the 1 betwixt India and Italy, successful advancing sustainable vigor and technological innovation.
• Analyse the imaginable of expanding practice betwixt the Italian Space Agency and ISRO successful abstraction exploration. How tin specified collaborations beforehand India’s abstraction capabilities?
• Discuss the ethical implications of promoting ineligible migration and just labour recruitment practices successful planetary agreements. How does the India-Italy Action Plan code these concerns?
Key Takeaways:
• Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni announced a broad five-year Joint Strategic Action Plan (2025-29) to heighten practice crossed divers sectors, including defence, trade, energy, and space. This program follows a bid of high-level meetings betwixt the 2 leaders, reflecting their committedness to deepening the India-Italy Strategic Partnership.
• Some of the cardinal points successful the Action Plan are:
— Defence: Annual Joint Defence Consultative meetings and Joint Staff Talks to facilitate accusation sharing, visits, and grooming activities. Increased practice successful the Indo-Pacific portion to beforehand interoperability and strategical alignment. Strengthening nationalist and backstage assemblage partnerships successful defence technology.
—Economic Cooperation: Promoting concern partnerships, technological centres and communal investment, besides successful automotive, semiconductors, infrastructure and precocious manufacturing.
—Connectivity: Enhancing collaboration successful maritime and onshore infrastructure besides successful the model of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
—Science & Innovation: Expanding practice connected captious and emerging technologies, forging exertion worth concatenation partnerships successful some countries successful sectors specified arsenic telecom, artificial intelligence, and digitalization of services.
—Space: Expanding practice betwixt Italian Space Agency and ISRO to see projects of communal involvement successful Earth observation, heliophysics and abstraction exploration with accent connected lunar science.
—Migration and Mobility: Promote ineligible migration channels, arsenic good arsenic just and transparent labour grooming and recruitment procedures. A aviator volition screen grooming of wellness professionals successful India and their consequent employment successful Italy.
—Energy Transition: Strengthen the Global Biofuels Alliance and International Solar Alliance.
Do You Know:
• India and Italy are past civilisations with links going backmost 2,000 years. Italian larboard cities were important trading posts connected the spice route. The Venetian merchant Marco Polo traveled to India successful the 13th period and wrote astir his experiences.
• In the past century, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore visited Italy successful May-June 1926, a sojourn arranged by Carlo Formichi, a Professor of Sanskrit astatine the University of Rome.
• Mahatma Gandhi visited Rome successful December 1931 connected his mode backmost from the Round Table Conference successful London. Leaders of the Indian state conflict work the works of the Italian revolutionary Mazzini.
• The bilateral ties faced a setback successful 2012, erstwhile 2 Italian marines were accused of sidesplitting 2 Indian fishermen successful February that year. The lawsuit blew up, with past Prime Ministerial campaigner Narendra Modi raising it successful his canvass run successful the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections successful 2014. With the proceedings pending, the 2 men were allowed to instrumentality to Italy. In 2015, the 2 countries took the lawsuit to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) successful Hague. The PCA ordered Italy to wage compensation to India “for nonaccomplishment of life” and the cases were closed aft Italy paid the agreed magnitude of Rs 100 million. Finally, the lawsuit was closed successful 2021.
• In 2011-12, an probe by the Italian lawyer general’s bureau into alleged unethical dealings by the state-backed defence large Finmeccanica widened to see corruption successful an implicit Rs 3,500-crore woody signed with India by the group’s subsidiary AgustaWestland.
• On March 2-3, 2023, PM Meloni paid a authorities sojourn to India pursuing her predetermination triumph successful September 2022. This was the archetypal high-level sojourn from Italy to India aft a spread of 5 years. During the visit, Meloni and Modi held discussions connected promoting greenish economy, vigor information and transition, defence co-production and co-innovation, and the bluish economy.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍India and Italy: Friends successful a turbulent world
📍India-Italy ties: How the ‘melodi’ came aft setbacks, what is astatine stake
No assistance coming from Rio G20, COP29 gets down to resolving differences itself
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: The ‘positive signals’ it was desperately seeking from the G20 acme successful Brazil obscurity to beryllium recovered successful the G20 leaders’ declaration that came retired Tuesday morning, the COP29 clime gathering got down to resolving the captious differences connected concern negotiations connected its own.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is COP29, and wherefore is it important successful planetary clime negotiations?
• What is the New Cumulative Quantitative Goal (NCQG) successful the discourse of clime finance?
• What were the cardinal takeaways connected clime concern from the G20 declaration astatine the Rio de Janeiro Summit?
• Outline the past and value of the $100 cardinal clime concern commitment.
• What relation does the G20 play successful addressing clime concern challenges?
• What are the cardinal differences betwixt developed and processing countries regarding clime concern commitments?
• Explain the conception of clime concern and its relation successful mitigating clime change.
• What are the superior sources of clime finance?
Key Takeaways:
• COP29 aims to finalize the New Cumulative Quantitative Goal (NCQG) to guarantee larger fiscal flows for clime action, particularly for processing countries.
• The G20 declaration successful Rio de Janeiro lacked important contributions to resoluteness contiguous clime concern issues. Reiterated the request to standard up clime concern “from billions to trillions” and committed to reforming the planetary fiscal system. Offered symbolic support, urging negotiators astatine COP29 not to permission without a palmy NCQG outcome, but provided nary wide mandates.
• UN Climate Change Chief Simon Stiell viewed the G20’s connection arsenic a affirmative signal, urging negotiators to crook governmental volition into applicable action. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev confirmed that a draught NCQG substance would beryllium acceptable soon, enabling further ministerial consultations and moving sessions.
• Developing countries request astatine slightest $1.3 trillion annually post-2025, compared to the $100 cardinal yearly people acceptable for 2020-2025. European Union informally discussed a committedness of $200–300 cardinal annually. No authoritative fig has yet been agreed upon by developed nations, though adept assessments suggest tripling the $100 cardinal target.
• The Paris Agreement mandates a important summation successful clime concern beyond 2025 to lucifer increasing clime challenges. Efforts purpose to marque concern flows accordant with low-carbon improvement and sustainability goals. Scaling up concern remains important for enabling processing countries to modulation to sustainable pathways and code clime vulnerabilities.
• G20 reaffirmed its committedness to:
—Reforming the planetary fiscal strategy for amended accessibility and affordability of clime finance.
—Supporting nationalist and backstage clime concern for processing countries.
—Aligning planetary concern with sustainable improvement and poorness eradication.
• Negotiations proceed successful Baku with a absorption connected achieving a statement connected NCQG. A afloat draught of the NCQG substance is expected to catalyse meaningful dialog successful the last stages of COP29.
Do You Know:
• The New Cumulative Quantitative Goal (NCQG) is simply a model being developed nether the United Nations Framework Convention connected Climate Change (UNFCCC) to found a caller people for clime concern successful the post-2025 period. It aims to regenerate the existent extremity of mobilizing $100 cardinal annually by developed countries to enactment processing nations successful addressing clime change. The NCQG is being negotiated arsenic portion of the broader clime concern discussions nether the Paris Agreement.
• Developing countries often kick of double-counting and innovative accounting, and accidental that the existent magnitude of wealth flowing successful for clime enactment is importantly little than the claims made by developed countries.
• The different ailment relates to the neglect of adaptation activities. Most of the clime concern flows are directed astatine mitigation projects, the ones that pb to emissions reductions. This is due to the fact that mitigation brings planetary dividends. Any emanation simplification anyplace successful the satellite benefits the full planet.
• On the different hand, adaptation has section benefits. Donor countries are little inclined to put successful projects that lone payment the recipients. Developing countries person been demanding that adaptation should person astatine slightest 50% of clime finance, overmuch much than the little than 20% that has gone into it truthful far. Even this magnitude has reduced successful implicit presumption successful the past mates of years, according to a 2023 UN report. The concern statement is expected to guarantee a much steadfast balance.
• The astir important constituent of the concern agreement, however, is simply a determination connected the caller quantum of clime finance, implicit and supra the $100 cardinal figure. Several assessments person shown that the wealth required for clime enactment present runs into trillions of dollars each year. The revised magnitude — known arsenic the New Cumulative Quantitative Goal connected concern (NCQG) — indispensable bespeak this changed reality.
• Several processing countries, including India, person made ceremonial proposals connected the NCQG amount. The figures are mostly betwixt $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion annually — astir 1.5% of the combined GDP of the OECD countries, astir of which are portion of the radical that are obligated to supply clime finance. But countries, which failed to conscionable adjacent the $100 cardinal targets tin hardly beryllium expected to hold to specified a ample amount. As a result, small advancement has been made connected moving retired the contours of the concern agreement.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Break barriers to travel of finance, exertion to Global South: India
📍Rio omits fossil substance phase-out mention, Baku feels the pinch
📍How overmuch should developed countries wage for clime action?
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
2. The word ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen successful the quality successful the discourse of (UPSC CSE, 2016)
a) pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate refugees from the war-affected Middle East
b) program of enactment outlined by the countries of the satellite to combat clime change
c) superior contributed by the subordinate countries successful the constitution of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
d) program of enactment outlined by the countries of the satellite regarding Sustainable Development Goals
EXPRESS NETWORK
SC questions hold successful delimitation for north-eastern states
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for improvement successful assorted sectors and issues arising retired of their plan and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: The Supreme Court connected Tuesday sought to cognize wherefore the delimitation workout for immoderate of the north-eastern states was not being carried out, though the notification deferring it had been taken backmost by a statesmanlike bid successful 2020.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the intent of the delimitation workout successful India, and wherefore is it important for electoral representation?
• How does the process of delimitation lend to ensuring equitable practice of each regions, particularly successful areas similar the north-eastern states with divers taste and linguistic populations?
• Examine the relation of the President’s notification successful deferring the delimitation workout for the north-eastern states. What does the rescinding of this notification connote legally and constitutionally?
• What are the cardinal reasons cited by the Supreme Court seat for questioning the hold successful the delimitation workout for states similar Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland?
• The Supreme Court has scheduled the adjacent proceeding for January 2025. What relation does judicial reappraisal play successful the effectual implementation of electoral reforms? How does it equilibrium law mandates and applicable challenges?
Key Takeaways:
• The Supreme Court raised questions astir the deficiency of enactment connected the delimitation workout successful immoderate north-eastern states, contempt the 2020 statesmanlike bid rescinding the erstwhile notification deferring the exercise.
• The tribunal emphasized that erstwhile the notification was rescinded, the delimitation process should person been acceptable successful motion.
• Justice Sanjay Kumar questioned the hold and urged the acrophobic authorities to instrumentality contiguous steps aft the statesmanlike order, asserting that it was a statutory mandate.
• Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna reiterated that the process should comply with the statutory mandate erstwhile the deferment notification was withdrawn.
• The tribunal was informed that delimitation had already been carried retired successful Assam, though the presumption of different states remained unclear.
• The Supreme Court scheduled the adjacent proceeding for January 2025, directing the Centre and the Election Commission to supply further updates connected the advancement of the delimitation exercise.
Do You Know:
• Delimitation is the enactment of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to correspond changes successful population. In this process, the fig of seats allocated to a authorities whitethorn besides change. The nonsubjective is to supply adjacent practice for adjacent colonisation segments, and a just part of geographical areas, truthful that nary governmental enactment has an advantage. The Delimitation Commission’s orders cannot beryllium questioned earlier immoderate court.
• Delimitation is done connected the ground of the preceding Census. The archetypal specified workout successful 1950-51 was carried retired by the President, with the assistance of the Election Commission. Following the Delimitation Commission Act successful 1952, each specified exercises person been conducted by Delimitation Commissions — acceptable up successful 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002.
• There was nary delimitation aft the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. This was a fallout of the proviso that the ratio betwixt the fig of Lok Sabha seats successful a authorities and the colonisation of the authorities is, arsenic acold arsenic practicable, the aforesaid for each states. Although unintended, this meant that states that took small involvement successful colonisation power could extremity up with much seats successful Parliament, portion the confederate states that promoted household readying could extremity up with less seats. Amid these concerns, the Constitution was amended successful 1976 to suspend delimitation until 2001.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
THE EDITORIAL PAGE
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: Gufran Beig Writes: The aerial we respire is simply a prime we marque arsenic a nine astatine the disbursal of our wellness and that of young children. India’s guidelines for converting wide attraction of pollutants to the AQI figures are based connected its ain “breakpoint”, which are acold little stringent than the WHO-prescribed guidelines
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the narration betwixt aerial prime and clime alteration successful India, with a absorption connected the caller terrible aerial contamination episodes successful bluish India.
• Analyze the cardinal technological factors contributing to the terrible aerial contamination successful bluish India, peculiarly successful New Delhi, arsenic discussed successful the article.
• What are “airsheds” and wherefore is it important to see them portion formulating strategies to combat aerial pollution, arsenic opposed to governmental oregon determination boundaries?
• Explain the relation of La Niña successful affecting aerial prime successful India, based connected the author’s observations. How does it power upwind circulation during winter?
• Evaluate the limitations of India’s existent Air Quality Index (AQI) strategy successful presumption of its quality to bespeak the existent severity of aerial pollution, arsenic highlighted successful the article.
• The writer suggests a multidisciplinary, multisectoral attack to tackle aerial pollution. Discuss the value of integrating aerial prime and clime factors successful formulating sustainable argumentation solutions.
Key Takeaways:
• The Author of this nonfiction emphasizes the value of processing a long-term, science-based attack to combat aerial pollution, which should see “airsheds” (the earthy boundaries of aerial contamination flow) alternatively than governmental boundaries. This would guarantee much effectual strategies for sustainable aerial prime management.
• Despite an archetypal play of comparatively cleaner air, bluish India, particularly Delhi, experienced a terrible contamination situation successful mid-November 2023. The aerial prime scale (AQI) reached alarming levels (PM2.5 concentrations crossed 500 µg/m³), with smog engulfing the city.
—This contamination spike amazed experts and failed to beryllium predicted by astir forecasting models, suggesting that the situation whitethorn impact factors beyond the emblematic sources, specified arsenic stubble burning.
• Two cardinal points were highlighted to explicate the terrible pollution:
—If favourable upwind conditions let contamination from neighbouring states (like Punjab and Haryana) to travel, adjacent comparatively fewer fires tin importantly worsen aerial quality, particularly if the aerial is stagnant and does not disperse.
—A heavy furniture of polluted aerial astatine 500m supra the surface, caused by somesthesia inversions and reduced upwind speeds, descends astatine nighttime and worsens contamination levels
• The Author of this nonfiction points retired that portion models and predictions failed to relationship for the abrupt emergence successful pollution, further probe is needed to integrate aggregate factors specified arsenic outer contamination sources and section emissions.
—It besides discusses the relation of La Niña successful upwind patterns and aerial quality, noting that La Niña’s lack successful its expected signifier this twelvemonth mightiness person influenced contamination levels.
• There is important disorder successful the AQI readings, arsenic backstage agencies reported levels supra 1,000-1,500, portion the authoritative figures capped the AQI astatine 500. This discrepancy arises owed to India’s AQI guidelines, which are based connected nationalist information and thresholds that are little stringent than the WHO guidelines.
• The Author calls for greater transparency successful AQI reporting and standardization to debar disorder and accurately bespeak the severity of aerial prime issues.
• The Author argues that aerial prime strategies should beryllium integrated with clime considerations to supply a holistic solution to pollution. This integration is important for creating health-centric policies and strategies that prioritize nationalist well-being.
Do You Know:
• During October to January, bluish Indian cities, peculiarly Delhi, acquisition precise precocious concentrations of PM2.5. A assortment of meteorological factors — temperature, moisture, heaviness successful air, upwind velocity and absorption — play a relation successful trapping pollutants successful the little levels of the atmosphere. These factors are besides liable for transporting pollutants from different regions, peculiarly those generated by agriculture discarded burning successful Punjab and Haryana, to Delhi and adjoining areas.
The occidental and confederate parts of the state person ever had comparatively little levels of pollution, due to the fact that of their proximity to oceans.
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ECONOMY
Meta ‘disagrees’ with CCI good implicit WhatsApp privateness policy, volition entreaty it
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for improvement successful assorted sectors and issues arising retired of their plan and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: A time aft being fined by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Meta said it “disagrees” with the body’s determination implicit WhatsApp’s arguable 2021 privateness argumentation update and plans to entreaty it.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the WhatsApp-CCI dispute?
• What is the relation of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) successful India?
• Competition Commission of India (CCI)-Statutory Body oregon Constitutional Body?
• What was WhatsApp’s 2021 privateness argumentation update?
• How has WhatsApp defended the policy?
• Discuss the value of the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) punishment connected Meta for WhatsApp’s 2021 privateness argumentation update. How does this determination align with idiosyncratic rights and contention principles successful India?
• “The 2021 WhatsApp privateness argumentation update exemplifies the hostility betwixt idiosyncratic information privateness and firm interests.” Critically analyse this connection successful airy of the CCI’s findings and planetary practices successful information regulation.
• You are a subordinate of a committee tasked with drafting guidelines for regulating data-sharing practices of ascendant tech platforms similar WhatsApp successful India. Highlight the cardinal principles that should usher the formulation of these guidelines, keeping successful caput competition, idiosyncratic rights, and innovation.
• Composition of Competition Commission of India (CCI)-Members and their Appointment
• Landmark Judgements of Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Key Takeaways:
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a ₹213.14 crore good connected Meta for “abusing” its ascendant presumption done WhatsApp’s 2021 privateness argumentation update.
—The CCI recovered that the policy’s mandatory quality and expanded data-sharing scope violated the Competition Act by imposing unfair conditions and creating barriers for competitors.
• Meta stated that the 2021 update was optional and did not change the privateness of idiosyncratic messages, focusing alternatively connected introducing concern features. Meta plans to entreaty the CCI’s decision, emphasizing WhatsApp’s relation successful supporting tiny businesses and governments successful India.
• The CCI directed WhatsApp to:
—Cease sharing idiosyncratic information with Meta companies for non-messaging purposes for 5 years.
—Provide elaborate explanations successful its privateness argumentation astir what idiosyncratic information is shared and why.
—Data sharing cannot beryllium a information for users to entree WhatsApp’s services successful India.
• The CCI ruled that Meta leveraged WhatsApp’s ascendant presumption successful messaging apps to fortify its online show advertizing market. Sharing idiosyncratic information with Meta companies creates introduction barriers for competitors and denies marketplace access.
• In January 2021, WhatsApp introduced a mandatory privateness argumentation update, expanding information sharing betwixt Meta companies. Users successful India had nary enactment to opt out, dissimilar users successful the European Union, protected by stronger information privateness laws. The update led to nationalist outrage, prompting galore users to power to rival apps similar Signal and Telegram.
• Since Meta’s acquisition of WhatsApp successful 2014, privateness concerns person persisted. A 2016 argumentation allowed constricted information sharing with Facebook, but users had the enactment to opt retired wrong 30 days, which was removed successful the 2021 update. WhatsApp’s metadata, portion not end-to-end encrypted, tin inactive uncover delicate accusation astir users.
• Europe’s GDPR mandates that WhatsApp supply users with an opt-out enactment for information sharing, dissimilar India wherever nary specified proviso exists. Meta has antecedently faced scrutiny and fines successful Europe implicit misleading accusation regarding WhatsApp’s privateness commitments.
Do You Know:
• India’s antitrust watchdog has fined Meta, the genitor institution of WhatsApp, Rs 213.14 crore for “abusing” its ascendant presumption successful narration to the messaging platform’s arguable 2021 update to its privateness policy. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said the punishment follows implicit however the privateness argumentation was implemented, and idiosyncratic information was collected and shared with different Meta companies.
• The Commission besides issued cease-and-desist directions and directed Meta and WhatsApp to instrumentality definite behavioural remedies wrong a defined timeline. As per the CCI’s order, WhatsApp volition not beryllium allowed to stock idiosyncratic information collected connected its level with different Meta Companies for advertizing purposes, for a play of 5 years.
• In January 2021, WhatsApp had notified users that it was updating its privateness argumentation – which was mandatory for them to judge – with an expanded scope of information postulation and information sharing betwixt Meta companies. While users successful India could not opt-out of the updated policy, WhatsApp’s users successful the European Union could owed to the bloc’s beardown information privateness laws. The CCI said it has concluded that the argumentation update connected a “take-it-or-leave-it” ground “constitutes an imposition of unfair conditions” nether the Competition Act.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍No innocuous investigation: Meta connected Whatsapp Privacy argumentation probe by CCI
📍CCI slaps Rs 213 crore good connected Meta implicit WhatsApp’s 2021 privateness argumentation update
EXPLAINED
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests
What’s the ongoing story: Despite being the world’s 2nd largest economy, China is considered a “developing” state by the United Nations, and is not mandated by the planetary clime alteration architecture to chopped its greenhouse state emissions successful the abbreviated term.
Key Points to Ponder:
• “China’s relation successful planetary emissions presents a Catch-22 for planetary clime targets.” Discuss this paradox with notation to China’s emanation simplification responsibilities and its dominance successful renewable vigor manufacturing.
• Examine the implications of China’s continued dependence connected fossil fuels contempt its important advancement successful renewable vigor deployment. Suggest measures to guarantee a balanced vigor transition.
• Discuss the conception of “common but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR) nether planetary clime agreements. How has this rule shaped China’s attack to clime action?
• With China contributing astir one-third of planetary emissions, achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius people of the Paris Agreement appears challenging. Propose realistic strategies to guarantee China’s practice successful planetary emanation reductions.
Key Takeaways:
• Despite being the world’s second-largest system and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (accounting for implicit 30% of planetary emissions), China is considered a “developing” state nether the United Nations framework. This presumption exempts China from mandatory short-term emanation reductions, a important situation for achieving planetary clime targets.
• Global targets necessitate a 43% simplification successful emissions from 2019 levels by 2030, but existent projections amusement lone a 2% decline.
• According to Climate Action Tracker, China would request to trim emissions by 66% by 2030 and 78% by 2035 to align with the 1.5°C extremity nether the Paris Agreement.
• Rapid emanation cuts successful China could negatively interaction planetary renewable vigor transitions due to the fact that China dominates the accumulation of cleanable vigor technologies:
—Solar panels: Over 80% of planetary manufacturing.
—Wind turbines: About 60% of planetary production.
—Other technologies: Batteries, hydrogen electrolysers, and captious minerals indispensable for vigor transition.
• Despite important renewable vigor additions (e.g., implicit 300 GW successful 2022), renewables inactive lend little than 10% to China’s superior vigor mix. Coal remains the ascendant vigor source, generating implicit fractional of China’s electricity.
• China leads successful renewable vigor deployment, apt achieving its people of 1,200 GW of renewable vigor capableness by 2023 — six years up of schedule. It’s inexpensive accumulation of star and upwind instrumentality has made renewables affordable worldwide, with star powerfulness becoming the cheapest vigor root successful galore regions.
Do You Know:
• In a first-of-its-kind appraisal of emissions reductions required from China, a caller investigation has recovered that the world’s largest emitter indispensable trim its emissions by astatine slightest 66 per cent from existent levels for the satellite to stay connected way to conscionable the 1.5 grade Celsius clime nonsubjective successful 2030.
• The analysis, by Carbon Action Tracker (CAT), an autarkic technological project, fundamentally means that the 1.5 grade Celsius people would beryllium missed if China did not chopped down its emissions by much than fractional successful a span of conscionable six years, an highly improbable event.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍In 6 years, China indispensable trim c emissions by astatine slightest 66%: Study
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
3. With notation to the Agreement astatine the UNFCCC Meeting successful Paris successful 2015, which of the pursuing statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2014)
1. The Agreement was signed by each the subordinate countries of the UN and it volition spell into effect successful 2017.
2. The Agreement aims to bounds the greenhouse state emissions truthful that the emergence successful mean planetary somesthesia by the extremity of this period does not transcend 2°C oregon adjacent 1.5°C supra pre-industrial levels.
3. Developed countries acknowledged their humanities work successful planetary warming and committed to donate $ 1000 cardinal a twelvemonth from 2020 to assistance processing countries to header with clime change.
Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below.
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
4. Which of the pursuing statements champion describes the word ‘Social Cost of Carbon’? It is simply a measure, successful monetary value, of the (UPSC CSE, 2020)
(a) semipermanent harm done by a tonne of CO2 emissions successful a fixed year.
(b) request of fossil fuels for a state to supply goods and services to its citizens, based connected the burning of those fuels.
(c) efforts enactment successful by a clime exile to accommodate to unrecorded successful a caller place.
(d) publication of an idiosyncratic individual to the c footprint connected the satellite Earth.
| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (d) 2.(b) 3.(a) 4.(a) |
For immoderate queries and feedback, interaction priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
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