TOPIC:GS 2 Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
The surge of geopolitics in south Asia’s power trade
What is the news?
India has released new rules governing the trade of electricity across its borders
- They define the counters of south Asian electricity market , placing clear limits on who can buy from and sell into India
- This ramifications for the electricity markets of the Bangladesh , Bhutan , and Nepal which to varying degrees , have aligned their energy future with the Indian market
- It attempt to balance china’s growing influence in the region with developmental aims both own and the regions
- Rules on ownership
- The rules strongly discourage the participation of plants owned by a company situated in “ a third country with whom India shares a land ” and does not have a bilateral agreement on power sector cooperation with India
- Chinese companies hoping to establish plants in Nepal , Bhutan , or Bangladesh will presumably have a hard time making good on their investments with Indian market
- The rules establish elaborate surveillance procedures to detect changes in the ownership patterns of the entities trading with India
- India used SAARC to make historical moves towards liberalizing electricity trade through stringent restriction that dissuaded everyone other than Indian government entities from participating
- India – centricity no advantages
- The institutional structure that has emerged through this churn over the last decade is India centric
- The government of India , through ministries , regulators , planning bodies and utilities determines the rules of the road .
- India geographic centrality combines with its economic heft to give it a natural advantage in determining the shape of the market.
- It is nearly impossible to fathom in the context of an ailing south Asian project characterised by low level of trust
- India will thus enjoy preminent rule setting powers , but continually attract the ire of its smaller neighbours who feel their economic growth is being stunted by decision in Delhi
- Mega solar project
- India ambition of anchoring a global super grid called One Sun One World One Grid needs institutional aims
- It aims to begin with connections to west Asia and southeast Asia and the spread to Africa
- The south Asian lesson contained in these latest rules is that political realities will constantly collide with and damage expansive visions of borderless trade
- Renewable energy transitions benefits from the grids that cover vast areas and diverse geographic conditions
- Multi country grids allow for the unpredictable outputs from renewable energy plants to be balanced across countries , thus avoiding expensive country –specific balancing technologies such a hydro power and gas plants
Mains question
New Delhi should be planning stable electricity trading institutional model in south Asia. Discuss
TOPIC: GS 3 Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
The emerging crisis of obtaining helium in India
Properties of Helium
- Helium (He) is an inert gas of Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table.
- The second lightest element (only hydrogen is lighter), helium is a colorless, odorless, and
tasteless gas that becomes liquid at −268.9 °C .
- The boiling and freezing points of helium are lower than those of any other known substance.
- Helium is the only element that cannot be solidified by sufficient cooling at normal atmospheric pressure; it is necessary to apply pressure of 25 atmospheres at a temperature of 1 K to convert it to its solid form.
Uses of Helium
- Helium is used as a cooling medium for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the superconducting magnets in MRI scanners and NMR spectrometers.
- It is also used to keep satellite instruments cool and was used to cool the liquid oxygen and hydrogen that powered the Apollo space vehicles.
- Because of its low-density helium is often used to fill decorative balloons, weather balloons and airships.
- Because it is very unreactive, helium is used to provide an inert protective atmosphere for making fibre optics and semiconductors, and for arc welding.
- Helium is also used to detect leaks, such as in car air-conditioning systems, and because it diffuses quickly it is used to inflate car airbags after impact.
- A mixture of 80% helium and 20% oxygen is used as an artificial atmosphere for deep-sea divers and others working under pressurized conditions.
- Helium-neon gas lasers are used to scan barcodes in supermarket checkouts.
- A new use for helium is a helium-ion microscope that gives better image resolution than a scanning electron microscope.
Mains question
List out the uses of Helium in developmental science
TOPIC: GS 2 India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
Recalibrating India – Taiwan ties
What is the news?
India and Taiwan are celebrating 25years of their partnership
- Mutual efforts between Delhi and Taipei have enabled a range of bilateral agreements covering aSgriculture , investments , customs cooperation and other areas
- Both partners have increasingly deepened mutual respect underpinned by openness , with democracy and diversity as key principles for collective growth
- India and Taiwan already collaborate in the area of traditional medicine practices
- Taiwan could be the valuable partner in dealing with this challenge through its bio – friendly technologies like convert agricultural waste into value added and environmental beneficial renewable energy
- New Delhi and Taipei can also undertake joint research and developmental initiatives in field of organic farming
- Cultural exchange is the cornerstone of any civilizational exchange
- Tourism is the key tool in this exchange like Taiwan tourism bureau partnering with Mumbai metro
- There are 200 Taiwanese companies in the field of electronics , machine .ITES, information and technology
Mains question
India and Taiwan relationship have evolved over years. Analyze
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/recalibrating-india-taiwan-ties/article34144957.ece
PRELIMS PUNCHERS
- Permanent Indus commission
The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) is a bilateral commission consisting of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage the goals and objectives and outlines of the Indus Waters Treaty.
After prolonged talks between the governments of India and Pakistan, the IWT was signed in September 1960 with World Bank standing guarantee for any dispute resolution. Broadly, according to this treaty, waters of the three western rivers (the Jhelum, the Chenab, and the Indus itself) were allocated to Pakistan, and those of the three eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej) were allocated to India. All these six rivers together called as Indus System of Rivers (ISR). PIC is the channel of correspondence between the two countries for the purpose of IWT and first step for conflict resolution. If an agreement cannot be reached at the PIC level, the dispute can be referred to a Neutral Expert for the differences already identified in the treaty or referred to the two governments for approaching the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). If the governments too fail to reach an agreement, the Treaty provides an arbitration mechanism.Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/talks-between-indus-commissioners-of-india-pakistan-underway/article34138593.ece
- Anangpal II
He is popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, was an Indian king who belonged to the Tomara dynasty. He is credited to have established and populated Delhi during his reign in the 11th century. The Tomar Kingdom during the reign of Anangpal II extended over various parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The name Delhi is said to be derived from the word ‘Dhillika’. Pasanaha Chariu of Vibudh Shridhar an Apabhramsha writer, provides the first reference to the legend of the origin of the name Dhilli for Delhi.
Evidence about the early history of Delhi is inscribed on the iron pillar of Masjid Quwaatul Islam, adjacent to Qutub Minar. He had built the city from ruins and under his supervision, Anang Tal Baoli and Lal Kot were constructed.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/tomar-king-anangpal-ii-legacy-delhi-7237182/
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia
Indian politician and activist who was a prominent figure in socialist politics and in the movement towards Indian independence. Much of his career was devoted to combating injustice through the development of a distinctly Indian version of socialism.
Lohia identified five kinds of inequalities that need to be fought against Inequality between man and woman, Inequality based on skin colour, Caste-based inequality, Colonial rule of some countries over others, and Economic inequality. He has got Bachelor’s degree (1929) from the University of Calcutta and a doctorate (1932) from the University of Berlin, where he studied economics and politics.
Pre-Independence Role:
- In 1934, he became actively involved in the Congress Socialist Party (CSP), founded that year as a left-wing group within the Indian National Congress. A vehement opponent of Indian participation on the side of Great Britain in World War II (1939-45), he was arrested for anti-British remarks in 1939 and again in 1940.
- With the emergence in 1942 of the Quit India movement—a campaign initiated by Mahatma Gandhi to urge the withdrawal of British authorities from India—Lohia and other CSP leaders (such as Jaya Prakash Narayan) mobilized support from the underground. For such resistance activities, he was jailed again in 1944–46.
Post-Independence Role:
- Lohia and other CSP members left the Congress in 1948.
- He became a member of the Praja Socialist Party upon its formation in 1952 and served as general secretary for a brief period, but internal conflicts led to his resignation in 1955.
- He established a new Socialist Party (1955), for which he became chairman as well as the editor of its journal, Mankind.
- Some of his works include: ‘Wheel of History’, ‘Marx, Gandhi and Socialism’, ‘Guilty Men of India’s Partition’, etc.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1706778
- Digital green certificate
European Commission proposed to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate the safe and free movement of citizens within the European Union (EU) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Digital Green Certificate is proof that a person has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, has received a negative test result or has recovered from COVID-19. The key features of the certificate are that it will be in digital or paper format complete with a QR code and will be free of charge.
The certificate can be issued by authorities, including hospitals, testing centres and health authorities. Once the proposal for digital certificates is finalised, it will be accepted in all EU countries and will help to ensure that the restrictions imposed in different areas within the EU can be lifted in a coordinated manner.
PRELIMS QUESTION
- Consider the following statement regarding Anangpal Tomar II
- He was the founder of Dhillika Puri, which eventually became Delhi
- The early history of Delhi is inscribed on the iron pillar of Masjid Quwaatul Islam, adjacent to Qutub Minar.
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c).Both (d). None of above
Answer: C
Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, was an Indian king who belonged to the Tomara dynasty. He is credited to have established and populated Delhi during his reign in the 11th century. The Tomar Kingdom during the reign of Anangpal II extended over various parts of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The name Delhi is said to be derived from the word ‘Dhillika’. Pasanaha Chariu of Vibudh Shridhar an Apabhramsha writer, provides the first reference to the legend of the origin of the name Dhilli for Delhi.
Evidence about the early history of Delhi is inscribed on the iron pillar of Masjid Quwaatul Islam, adjacent to Qutub Minar. He had built the city from ruins and under his supervision, Anang Tal Baoli and Lal Kot were constructed.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/tomar-king-anangpal-ii-legacy-delhi-7237182/
- Digital green certificate is issued by
- European Union
- Global environment facility
- UNEP
- UNDP
Answer : A
European Commission proposed to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate the safe and free movement of citizens within the European Union (EU) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Digital Green Certificate is proof that a person has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, has received a negative test result or has recovered from COVID-19. The key features of the certificate are that it will be in digital or paper format complete with a QR code and will be free of charge.
The certificate can be issued by authorities, including hospitals, testing centres and health authorities. Once the proposal for digital certificates is finalised, it will be accepted in all EU countries and will help to ensure that the restrictions imposed in different areas within the EU can be lifted in a coordinated manner.