Sakshi Education
- Australia rejects China’s sea claims
Australia’s formal declaration to the UN on the South China Sea dispute.
Details:
In a formal declaration to the UN, Australia has rejected China’s territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. Australia has held that there is no legal basis for China’s historic claims in the South China Sea.
Australia- U.S. compact:
Australia’s declaration to the UN comes after the U.S. Secretary of State declared China’s pursuit of territory and resources in the South China Sea as illegal, backing the claims of Southeast Asian countries against China’s claims.
Through this move, Australia seems to be aligning itself more closely with the U.S. in the escalating tensions between China and the U.S.
U.S. relations with China have markedly deteriorated in recent months, especially over trade disputes, the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong.
The latest escalation comes ahead of annual talks between Australia and the U.S.
- The confluence of four powers and two seas: Quad
The article analyzes India’s dilemma with respect to closer co-ordination with the Quad.
Background:
Evolution of the Quad:
The Quad was born out of the crisis that followed the Tsunami in December 2004. India’s humanitarian and disaster relief effort in the Indian Ocean was coordinated with the three other naval powers engaged in similar efforts — U.S., Australia and Japan.
Since then the idea of the Indo-Pacific as a larger maritime strategic community, and the Quad as an effective instrument in it, has gained credence among the four nations.
In 2007, the annual India-U.S. ‘Malabar’ exercises included Japan, Australia and Singapore.
After being neglected for about a decade due to strategic reasons, in 2017, the Quad returned, coinciding with the revision in U.S.’s assessment of the challenge from China, and similar reassessments in India, Japan and Australia.
In November 2017, just months after the Doklam stand-off between the Indian Army and the PLA, officials from all four countries met in Manila for the ‘India-Australia-Japan-U.S.’ dialogue.
There have been increasing naval exercises between the nations in the region. Recently, a trilateral exercise between the U.S., Australia and Japan was held in the Philippines Sea, There has been speculation that Quadrilateral (Quad) exercises will be launched soon between all four navies.
Significance:
The Quad grouping primary objectives include connectivity, sustainable development, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and maritime and cybersecurity, with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad has been coordinating efforts to provide financing and sustainable alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Notable among these initiatives being the India and Australian efforts in the Pacific islands, India-U.S. coordination in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, and India-Japan joint efforts to develop projects in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The military aspect of the Quad has also grown. India has strengthened its naval ties with each of the other Quad countries, and there have been more interactions, formal and informal at the official, political and military levels.
- Russia Accused of Testing Anti-Satellite Weapon
Recently, the USA and the UK have accused Russia of test-firing a space-based anti-satellite weapon.
Key Points
USA’s Claims:
The test consisted of Russia’s satellite called Cosmos 2543 injecting an object into orbit.
Cosmos 2543 operated in abnormally close proximity to a USA government satellite in low-earth orbit (LEO) before it manoeuvred away and over to another Russian satellite.
This test is inconsistent with the intended purpose of the satellite as an inspector system.
It is evidence of Russia’s continuing efforts to develop and test space-based systems to put USA’s weapons and allied space assets at risk.
The USA will discuss the issue during the talks for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
It is a treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms.
The USA Space Force was created for the defence of its satellites in December 2019.
Russia’s Clarifications:
The Russian defence ministry said that Cosmos-2543 is an inspector satellite, meant to monitor the condition of Russian satellites.
Cosmos-2543 was deployed by another satellite, Cosmos-2542, which was launched on 25th November 2019 by the Russian military.
Russia held that it is fully committed to obligations on the non-discriminatory use and study of space with peaceful aims.
It has asked the USA and the UK to be professional and refrain from propagandistic information attacks.
Anti-Satellite Capability: Only four countries which are Russia, the USA, China and India, have demonstrated an anti-satellite capability over the past decades.
In March 2019, India under the Mission Shakti, successfully tested the Anti-Satellite System (A-SAT) System making it the fourth country to acquire the capability of space warfare.
A-SAT System is a missile-based system to attack moving satellites and successfully destroyed a live satellite in the LEO.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed the system completely indigenously.
International Treaties Regarding Outer Space:
UN Outer Space Treaty 1967: It prohibits weapons of mass destruction in outer space and not the ordinary weapons. India ratified it in 1982.
UN Transparency and Confidence Building Measures (TCBMs): It includes registering space objects with the UN register, pre-launch notifications etc. India shares these details with the UN.
Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC): It is an international governmental forum for the worldwide coordination of activities related to the issues of man-made and natural debris in space.
India has supported the UN resolution on No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space.
- UK Suspends Extradition Treaty with Hong Kong
Recently, the UK government has suspended its extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong, in response to China's introduction of a new security law in the territory.
Earlier, Australia and Canada had suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong.
Key Points
UK’s Latest Moves:
Suspension of Extradition Treaty:
The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is suspected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities can ask Hong Kong to hand them over to face justice - and vice versa. The UK fears the arrangement - which has been in place for more than 30 years - could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China. Under the national security law, it is quite possible that Hong Kong residents are being sent to mainland China for trial. Arms Embargo: The UK government has also decided to extend its arms embargo (ban) - which has been in place with China since 1989 - to Hong Kong, stopping the UK exporting equipment, such as firearms, smoke grenades and shackles, to the region. Citizenship for the Hong Kong People: Plans for UK citizenship to around three million Hong Kong people by early 2021, in response to the security law. Chinese Company removed out of 5G Network: China’s Huawei Technologies will be removed completely from Britain’s 5G network by the end of 2027.
Reasons Behind the Moves:
China did not tell the whole truth over the Covid-19 outbreak.
The new national security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an independent judiciary, that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world’s most important trade and financial centres since 1997.
The national security law breaches an agreement made with the UK before Hong Kong - a former British colony - was handed over to China in 1997.
Under the 50-year agreement, China enshrined civil liberties - including the right to protest, freedom of speech and the independence of the judiciary - in Hong Kong's Basic Law, an approach which came to be known as "one country, two systems".
Treatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in China.
The actions of the Chinese government in the South China Sea.
The USA sanctions against Huawei due to national security risk.
China’s Stand:
China has accused Britain of going along with the United States.
Officials in Hong Kong and Beijing have said the law is vital to plug gaps in national security exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests.
China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs.
- World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28 July
World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28 July every year. The aim is to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and encourage a public from all over the world to eliminate hepatitis. The day aims to find the undiagnosed millions who suffer Hepatitis.
Theme:
The theme of 2020 World Hepatitis Day is "Find the Missing Millions." The theme focuses on the people from across the world to take action and raise awareness to the 290 million people who are living with viral hepatitis unaware.
Hepatitis:
Hepatitis is a liver inflammatory condition. It is caused by a viral infection. Also, some other potential causes of hepatitis including autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occur as a side-effect of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol are present. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease that happens when the body develops antibodies against the liver tissue.
There are five types of Hepatitis namely A, B, C, D, and E. Among the 5 types, Type A, B, and C are most common.
History:
World Hepatitis Day was initiated as a global awareness campaign by WHO. It was aimed at eradicating hepatitis completely across the globe. Patient groups of European and Middle Eastern regions, earlier in 2004, observed it as International Hepatitis C Awareness Day.
The World Hepatitis Alliance proclaimed 19 May as the first World Hepatitis Day in 2008, which was later changed by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2010, to 28 July.
The aim was to spread national and international level awareness about hepatitis. The day, July 28, was chosen to honor Nobel laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg on his birthday, who discovered the virus of Hepatitis B
- Protesting Peacefully is a Fundamental Human Right: UN
Recently, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee has reaffirmed that protesting peacefully, online or in person, is a fundamental human right.
This statement has come in the backdrop of increasing demonstrations over issues like political rights and racial justice.
Key Points
UN Human Rights Committee: It is tasked with monitoring how countries implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1976, which under Article 21 guarantees the right to peaceful assembly.
Latest Interpretation of the Right to Peaceful Assembly:
Fundamental Human Right for People: To gather to celebrate or to air grievances in public and in private spaces, outdoors, indoors and online is a fundamental human right.
Protesters: Everyone, including children, foreign nationals, women, migrant workers, asylum seekers and refugees, can exercise the right of peaceful assembly.
Protection: Protesters have the right to wear masks or hoods to cover their face and that Governments should not collect personal data to harass or intimidate participants.
Role of Journalists and Human Rights Observers: They have the right to monitor and document any assembly, including violent and unlawful ones.
Government Obligations:
Governments could not prohibit protests by making “generalised references to public order or public safety, or an unspecified risk of potential violence”.
Governments cannot block internet networks or close down any website because of their roles in organising or soliciting a peaceful assembly.
Significance: The Committee’s interpretation will be important guidance for judges in national and regional courts around the world, as it now forms part of what is known as ‘soft law’.
The interpretation is a form of legal advice (not mandatory) from the Committee that monitors the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1976.
Indian Scenario:
India is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The right to protest, to publicly question and force the government to answer, is a fundamental political right of the people that flows directly from a democratic reading of Article 19 of the Constitution of India.
Article 19 (1) (a) states that all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Article 19 (1) (b) states that all citizens shall have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.
However, the State can impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of right of assembly on two grounds, namely, sovereignty and integrity of India and public order including the maintenance of traffic in the area concerned.
Further, Indian courts have reiterated that the right to protest is a fundamental right (Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union Of India &Ors. case -2012).
- ISA amends framework agreement to enable UN member states to join grouping
In a major development and push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of achieving universalization of membership of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the requisite numbers of member countries have given the go-ahead.
After ratification to the amendment of the ISA framework, all the Member States of the United Nations will now be able to join the International Solar Alliance, including those countries which are beyond the Tropics.
The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by Prime Minister Modi and the President of France during COP21 in Paris. The alliance aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy. It also brings together countries to provide a collective response to the main common obstacles to the massive deployment of solar energy in terms of technology, finance and capacity.
- US urges Pak to reform blasphemy laws
Expressing shock and outrage at the killing of American citizen Tahir Naseem inside a courtroom in Pakistan, the US has urged Islamabad to immediately reform its often-abused blasphemy laws and bring the culprit to justice.
Naseem, 57, accused of blasphemy, was shot multiple times at close range inside Peshawar's Judicial Complex on Wednesday as he awaited to be shifted to prison. He died on the spot.
The US government has been providing consular assistance to Naseem and his family since his detention in 2018
Pakistan's blasphemy laws are indefensible, to begin with, but it is outrageous beyond belief that the Pakistani government was incapable of keeping an individual from being murdered within a court of law for his faith, and a US citizen, nonetheless, said United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Johnnie Moore in a statement.
As USCIRF has noted countless times, Pakistan's blasphemy law inflames inter-religious tensions and too often leads to violence.
Govt steps up efforts to create robust health infrastructure in the country
Government has stepped up its efforts to create a robust health infrastructure in the country. In the last six years, the government has taken several major steps to provide affordable and quality healthcare to the people.
Building a New India where every person gets affordable healthcare services is the primary goal of the central government. To achieve this target, the government has taken several historic decisions in the last few years which proved instrumental in creating the modern health care system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to provide 15 thousand crore rupees for building the health infrastructure in the country. Over 30 thousand crore rupees were spent on setting up new AIIMS in the country.
Besides, 75 new government medical colleges have also been approved by the government. Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana has also proved to be a new lifeline in the lives of poor people. Under this scheme, over one crore hospital treatments have been provided to the poor people so far.
Women and Child health care is one of the key focus areas of the government. To provide healthy nutrition and treatment to women and children, several schemes like Poshan Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri SurakshitMatritav Abhiyan were initiated which resulted in low maternal and child mortality rate.
- ADB signs Dollar 200 million financing deal with Reliance for power plant in Bangladesh
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a dollar 200 million financing deal with the Reliance Bangladesh LNG and Power Limited (RBLPL) to build and operate a 718 megawatt combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Bangladesh. Announcing the deal in a press release on Friday, the ADB said that the project will ease ongoing energy shortages and drive further private sector investments in the country’s power sector.
A combined-cycle power plant is a relatively more efficient way of producing electricity. It uses both a gas and a steam turbine together to produce up to 50 percent more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple-cycle plant.
The financing deal has two components of dollar 100 million each. While ADB will provide dollar 100 million, it will also administer the other part worth dollar 100 million from the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).
LEAP was set up in 2016 with a dollar 1.5 billion capital commitment for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The plant is proposed to be located on land allotted by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), in Meghnaghat, Narayanganj District near Dhaka.
The power plant will reduce dependence of Bangladesh on electricity imports. It will also reduce the share of environmentally harmful and expensive fuels like coal and oil in the energy mix of the country.
- US imposes sanctions on Chinese company over human rights abuse in Xinjiang
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has said that sanctions have been imposed on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps of China and two of its officials for their connection to serious human rights abuse on the Uyghur community in Xinjiang. After the sanctions imposed by the US Department of Treasury, Mr Pompeo urged countries worldwide to condemn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for their continuous human rights abuse against its own citizens.
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and two current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The entity and officials are being designated for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. These include mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse, among other serious abuses targeting Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim population indigenous to Xinjiang, and other ethnic minorities in the region.
- 3rd G20 FMCBG Meeting
Recently India has virtually participated in the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Presidency of Saudi Arabia.
It discussed the global economic outlook amid evolving Covid-19 pandemic crisis along with other G20 finance track priorities for the year 2020.
The First meeting was held in February 2020 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Key Points
G20 Action Plan: The importance and relevance of the G20 action plan was highlighted.
It was endorsed in response to Covid-19 in April 2020.
It has a list of collective commitments under the pillars of Health Response, Economic Response, Strong and Sustainable Recovery and International Financial Coordination, aimed at coordinating G20 efforts to fight the pandemic.
India's Response:
India emphasised the need to balance supply side and demand side measures in response to Covid-19.
It also spoke about the procyclicality of credit rating downgrades by the rating agencies and its deterrent impact on policy options, particularly for Emerging Market Economy (EMEs).
Procyclic ratings are stricter during an economic downturn than an expansion. As a result, firms receive overly pessimistic ratings in a recession, relative to during an expansion.
International coordination required in addressing the spill-over effects of exit strategies related to covid-19 lockdowns.
Spillover effect refers to the impact of unrelated events in one nation on the economies of other nations.
G20 Finance Track deliverables: FMCBG discussed the developments on G20 Finance Track deliverables under the Saudi Arabian Presidency. India discussed two such deliverables:
First, Enhancing access to opportunities for Women, Youth and Small Market Economies (SMEs) and a menu of policy options on access to opportunity.
Second, International Taxation agenda and the intended deliverable of formulating a solution for addressing challenges related to digital taxation.
India said that the consensus based solution should be simple, inclusive and based on a robust economic impact assessment.
It is in line with the recent decision of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to initiate an investigation into taxes adopted or under consideration by 10 nations, including India, on revenues of American digital service companies like Netflix, Airbnb etc.
Digital taxation or Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) are the adopted taxes on revenues that certain companies generate from providing certain digital services. E.g. digital multinationals like Google, Amazon and Apple etc.
In response to it the central government has stated that it will not extend the deadline for payment of equalisation levy by non-resident e-commerce players, even though a majority of them are yet to deposit the first installment of the tax.
The equalization levy is aimed at taxing foreign companies which have a significant local client base in India but are billing them through their offshore units, effectively escaping the country’s tax system.
- China Crossed its 1960’s LAC Claims
According to the records of 1960 boundary talks, the Chinese troops have gone beyond China’s own territorial claims at Pangong Tso Lake and Galwan Valley.
The records also raise questions on recent statements from Indian officials that China is not present anywhere on Indian territory.
Key Points
Official Records:
The 1960’s documents show that the Chinese claim over the Pangong Tso Lake was at near Finger 8, around 8 km east of where China now says the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is. Now the Chinese troops are at Finger 4.
The Fingers refer to mountain spurs on the bank of the Lake, and run from 1 to 8, west to east.
The documents show that, in the Galwan Valley, the LAC ran east of the bend of the Galwan river, called the Y-nallah, which is now claimed by China.
The Y-nallah was the site of the recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops.
The clash took place following a dispute during the de-escalation process, triggered when the Chinese troops put up a tent near the bend.
Reason for Increased Claims:
The Chinese are now likely interpreting their perception of the LAC in a manner that seeks to redefine or maximise old claims along new lines, as cartography and terrain knowledge have improved, which offer them tactical advantage and more ‘domination’ in key areas along the LAC.
Strengthening of India’s border infrastructure (e.g. construction of Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road) may also be the reason.
- ICJ on Qatar Blockade
Recently, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) refused an appeal by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which challenged the authority of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to adjudicate on the legality of the Qatar blockade.
ICJ is the top United Nations (UN) court and ICAO is the international aviation agency of the UN.
UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are located in the Persian Gulf Region and are the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Key Points
Qatar Blockade:
In June 2017, Qatar’s neighbouring Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt shut off shipping routes and air space with Qatar for its alleged support for terrorism and its ties with Iran.
It severed their diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar.
However, Qatar denied supporting Islamic extremism and has openly condemned its isolation as a clear attack on its sovereignty.
All four neighbours issued a 13-point list of demands for Doha (capital of Qatar) to comply with in order to restore erstwhile relations.
Some of the demands included Qatar closing down news outlets such as Al-Jazeera, end ties with radical Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, scale down ties with Shia-majority Iran and remove Turkish troops stationed in the country.
Since 2017, the blockade of Qatar has included:
Closing of its only land border with Saudi Arabia.
Stopping Qatari ships from entering ports anywhere in the Saudi coalition.
Blocking Qatari planes from flying in their airspace.
Expelling Qatari citizens from these countries as part of the measures.
Dispute at the ICJ:
Qatar approached the ICAO, alleging that its rights of free passage under the 1944 Convention on Civil Aviation were violated by the blockade.
Saudi Arabia and its allies argued that the ICJ should have the authority to settle the dispute instead of the ICAO because the dispute goes beyond the aviation matters.
In 2018, the ICAO ruled against the Saudi coalition, holding that it did have jurisdiction to hear the case and its ruling was recently backed by the ICJ too.
The blockade still remains in force and the ICAO is expected to deliver its verdict in 2021. The ruling will be in Qatar’s favour and will be a major win for the country and its national carrier, Qatar Airways.
- PASSEX with the U.S.A
Recently, Indian Naval ships conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the U.S. Navy’s USS Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills.
Recently, the Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEXs with the Japanese Navy and the French Navy.
Key Points
PASSEX:
Four frontline Indian naval ships which included INS Shivalik, INS Sahyadri, INS Kamorta and INS Rana, teamed up with carrier USS Nimitz and three other U.S. ships to conduct the exercise.
USS Nimitz is the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier.
Aim:
To improve the cooperation between the U.S. and Indian maritime forces and to maximize training and interoperability, which also include air defence.
Impact:
It will enhance both sides' ability to counter threats at sea, from piracy to violent extremism.
A free and open sea promotes an international rules-based order wherein each country can reach its potential without sacrificing national sovereignty.
It will also present opportunities to build upon the pre-existing strong relationship between the United States and India and allow both countries to learn from each other.
China Factor:
PASSEX comes amid a high alert by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) due to the stand-off with China along the border in Ladakh.
The exercise also came amidst mounting tensions in the South China Sea where the U.S Navy just conducted a major exercise involving USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan.
The Indian Navy is keeping a close watch on the movement of Chinese naval ships in the IOR, whose presence has gone up considerably over the years in the name of anti-piracy patrols.
In 2017, China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
- World Chess Day was observed on 20 July
World Chess Day was observed on 20 July. The day is to celebrate the founding day of Federation Internationale des Echecs (International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation).
The day also celebrate the game of Chess and encourages more people to play and enjoy the game amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events:
On 20 July 2020, Chess players, United Nations and governments officials, permanent missions to the UN, representatives of civil society, academia and other relevant stakeholders attended and participated in a High-Level Virtual Event title "Chess for Recovering Better".
History:
On December 2019, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 20 July as World Chess Day to mark the date of the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924.
FIDE initiatde to observe 20 July as International Chess Day by chess players around the world since 1966. The UN designated the observation of the Day to recognize the important role of the FIDE in supporting international cooperation for chess activity.
It also aim to improve friendly harmony among all peoples of the world, but also to provide an important platform to foster, dialogue, solidarity, and a culture of peace.
The game Chess is encouraged as it offers important opportunities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including strengthening education, realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
- Tech Cold War Between U.S.A and China
Recently, the U.S.A blocked China's access to chip making tools and designated Chinese telecom giants Huawei, ZTE as national security threats. However, with the 5G rollout approaching, the move will impact several countries including India.
Recently, the United Kingdom also reversed its earlier decision and blocked Huawei from its 5G network rollout.
Key Points
U.S.A-China Tech Relation:
China has traditionally resisted against American big-data companies such as Facebook and Google to operate within its jurisdiction.
However, both the Countries still have significant dealings on the technology side.
Last year, Apple recorded USD 100 million of daily sales in China, while Huawei Technologies reported record revenues primarily from its exposure in western markets, including the U.S.A.
The latest steps by U.S.A against Huawei mark the first real prohibitory action by a western government in the nearly two decades.
This has been done on the ground that China’s equipment is designed to aid snooping.
There have been apprehensions that American telecoms players are too much dependent on subsidised Chinese technology.
Impact of Ban on Chip Making Tools:
Huawei could face shortages in its supply of specialist chips for which it relies on the U.S.A.
Technological cold war could extend beyond the U.S.A and China, and compel other countries, including India, to effectively choose between one of the camps.
Some of the countries perceive the same threat as that of the U.S.A, and others are wary of trade sanctions by the U.S.A.
This could have a bearing on the growing competition to dominate next-generation technologies such as 5G networks and artificial intelligence.
Impact the plans of most countries preparing to transition to a 5G regime, including India.
India’s Position:
In 2009, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had advised Indian mobile companies to suspend deals with Chinese equipment makers after fears that Chinese equipment were being used for hacking and spying.
However, India did not took strong actions on any of DoT’s recommendations. Indeed, much of India’s telecom growth story has been supported by Chinese companies in both hardware and software.
The approach changed after the standoff in Ladakh, wherein India has asked state-owned telecom service providers to exclude Chinese companies from the scope of their network upgrade contracts.
India also justified the ban on 59 mobile apps with Chinese links on grounds of a threat to national security.
This was part of the wider decision to signal curbs on Chinese investments and tech companies in the country.
The border clashes and the U.S.A action could now force India into the anti-China camp.
- China Proposes Territory Swap with Bhutan
Recently, China has offered Bhutan a “package solution” to its boundary dispute. Although the package solution is not specified, it may be seen as a revival of the 1996 proposal by China for a territory swap.
Key Points
Territory Swap:
In 1996, China wanted to exchange the valleys to the north of Bhutan (an area of 495 square kilometres), with the pasture land to the west (including Doklam), totalling 269 square kilometres.
The deal would have benefited Bhutan by giving it the larger chunk of land, and resolving its tensions with China.
However it was a big worry for India, as the Doklam swap would have given China access to the strategically sensitive “chicken neck” of the Siliguri corridor.
Repeated Claim Over Sakteng:
China also repeated its claim on Bhutan’s eastern boundary at Sakteng.
Earlier, China has made the claim over Sakteng at an online meeting of the 58th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, while unsuccessfully objecting to the funding request to develop the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary project in eastern Bhutan.
China claims that the boundary between China and Bhutan has never been delimited. It has had disputes over the eastern, central and western sectors of Bhutan.
However, Bhutan outrightly rejected the claim made by China by saying that Sakteng is an integral and sovereign territory of Bhutan.
According to Bhutan, China and Bhutan have a dispute in only two sectors of the border, one in the north (central) – Pasamlung and Jakarlung, and second in the west – Doklam.
There has been no mention of eastern Bhutan, where Sakteng is based, in 24 previous rounds of boundary negotiations held between the two countries between 1984 and 2016.
Reason Behind the New Offer:
The aim may be to pressure Bhutan into concluding a deal quickly on terms on offer, otherwise the claims may keep increasing.
The similar offer was made to India on Arunachal Pradesh, which subsequently expanded to include a Chinese claim on Tawang in 1985.
Concerns for India:
In 2017 China had intruded into Doklam plateau, which is claimed by Bhutan, leading to a standoff between Indian and Chinese Armies.
Even after the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007, Indian military is virtually responsible for protecting Bhutan from the kind of external threat that the Chinese military poses.
According to the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 1949, Bhutan allowed India to "guide" its foreign policy and defence affairs.
However, the 1949 treaty was amended in 2007 to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty.
Under the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007, the two sides have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests.
Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.
China has said that a third party should not point fingers in the China-Bhutan border issue, which is an apparent reference to India.
- South Korea launched its first-ever military communications satellite
South Korea launched its first-ever military communications satellite "ANASIS-II" by private operator SpaceX on 21 July 2020.
The information was passed by Seoul's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The move by the country aims to build up its defence capabilities.
ANASIS-II:
ANASIS-II is aimed to enhance the South's defence against the nuclear-armed North Korea, which invaded in 1950.
The satellite was carried by Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
ANASIS-II will reach its orbit of 36,000 kilometres and South Korea's military will take over the system in October after testing.
South Korea and the United States are security allies. The US has stationed 28,500 troops in the country.
- Supply of DDT to South Africa for Malaria Control Program
Recently, HIL (India) Limited has supplied 20.60 Metric tonne of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a fertilizer to South Africa for their malaria control program.
The Company is further in the process of supplying DDT to Zimbabwe and Zambia in the current Financial Year 2020-21.
Key Points
DDT:
It is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound.
It was first synthesized in 1874 by the Austrian chemist OthmarZeidler.
Its insecticidal action was discovered by the Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller in 1939.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1948 "for his discovery of the high efficiency of DDT as a contact poison against several arthropods.
Arthropods are invertebrate species which include insects (Mosquitos), arachnids (Spiders), and crustaceans (Crabs) etc.
Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts.
A worldwide ban on agricultural use was formalized under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
However, its limited use in disease vector control continues, because of its effectiveness in reducing malarial infections.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends DDT as one of the efficient Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) chemicals to curb mosquito menace and it is widely used by Southern African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique and India.
IRS is a core vector control intervention that involves the application of a residual insecticide to internal walls and ceilings of housing structures where malaria vectors may come into contact with the insecticide.
Supply to South Africa: South Africa will be utilising DDT in three provinces bordering Mozambique.
The region is highly affected with Malaria and it has reported maximum morbidity and mortality.
Supply to Other Countries: HIL (India) Limited has recently exported Malathion Technical 95% to Iran under Government-to-Government initiative for the Locust Control Programme and also exported Agrochemical-fungicide to Latin American region.
Malaria
Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors".
Impact: Malaria continues to be one of the major public health problems globally.
In 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide.
Most of the cases and deaths (93%) were reported from African Region.
In the South East Asia Region, India accounts for the majority of cases and death.
According to World Malaria Report 2019, India reported 2.6 million fewer cases in 2018 compared to 2017. Thus the overall incidence of malaria in the country has reduced.
However, 7 states (Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh) account for about 90% of the burden of malaria cases in India.
- Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Recently, ‘key populations affected by HIV/AIDS (or KPs)’ have protested for being ignored by governments and multilateral agencies (including United Nations) in Covid-19 related emergency relief efforts.
They have petitioned the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply the Global Fund), demanding allocation to meet their basic survival needs of food, shelter, and emergency medical care.
KPs include sex workers, transpeople, gay and bisexual men, drug users, and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
The Global Fund is an international financing and partnership organization.
It was created in 2000 and its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Global Fund aims to attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is designed to promote innovative solutions to global health challenges. It works in partnership with governments, civil society, technical agencies, and people affected by the diseases.
India joined the Global Fund as a donor in 2006, and has contributed a total USD 46.5 million to date.
In 2019, the Government of India pledged USD 22 million to the Global Fund's Sixth Replenishment for 2020-22, demonstrating shared commitment toward ending the epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria.
- World Population Day
World Population Day is observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989
Key Points
Theme for 2020: How to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Various reports have shown that domestic violence has increased globally amid the lockdown.
The National Commission for Women in India reported a huge rise in the number of complaints related to domestic violence.
A study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says, "47 million women in low- and middle-income countries may not be able to access modern contraceptives" if the lockdown-like disruptions continue for six months.
This could result in millions of unintended pregnancies and gender-based violence.
Women are also hit harder economically due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Around 60% of women across the world earn their livelihood by working in the informal sector, according to the report.
Background:
In 1989, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recommended that 11th July be observed by the international community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
UNDP was inspired by the public interest and awareness that was created by "Five Billion Day" on 11th July 1987 when the world's population reached 5 billion.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) seeks to create awareness about the issues associated with the population.
India’s Concerns:
India has just 2% of the world’s landmass and 16% of the global population. It is the second-most populous country in the world with an estimated population of around 1.37 billion by 2019.
It has been reported that India will soon surpass China’s population.
Mismatch in birth and death rate resulted in faster growth of population in the past few decades.
Poverty and illiteracy contribute immensely to the population explosion.
Children in rural areas are considered as assets, who will take care of parents at old age, also more children mean more earnings.
The level of female education has a direct impact on fertility, as it is evidenced that the fertility rate of illiterate women tends to be higher than those who are literate.
Lack of education prevents women from having full knowledge about the use of contraceptives, of the consequences of frequent childbirth.
Although the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is declining in India, poorer states like Bihar (3.2), Uttar Pradesh (3.0), Rajasthan (2.6) and Jharkhand (2.5) still have TFRs above the national average of 2.2.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children born to women during their reproductive years. For the population to remain stable, an overall total fertility rate of 2.1 is needed.
High youth unemployment in India is turning demographic dividend into a demographic disaster for India.
This youth potential is often referred to as the ‘demographic dividend’ which means that if the youth available in the country are equipped with quality education and skills training, then they will not only get suitable employment but can also contribute effectively towards the economic development of the country.
- Polish President Andrzej Duda wins the 2020 Presidential Election of Poland
Polish President Andrzej Duda won the 2020 Presidential Election of Poland on 12 July 2020. He has secured another five-year in office.
Andrzej Duda’s current term will expire on 6 August 2020. Duda aligned with the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and won 51.2% of the votes and RafalTrzaskowski from the main opposition center-right Civic Platform party secured 48.7%.
2020 Presidential Election of Poland:
The First Round of the 2020 Presidential Election of Poland was conducted on 28 June 2020. A total of 11 candidates contested for the post of President.
In the first round, Andrzej Duda gained the highest 43.50% of the total valid vote share followed by RafalTrzaskowski with 30.46% in the second place. On 12 July 2020, the Second-Round election was conducted in Poland.
- World Youth Skills Day
15th July is marked as World Youth Skills Day. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.
Key Points
Aim: To achieve better socio-economic conditions for today's youth in terms of challenges of unemployment and under-employment.
Theme for 2020: "Skills for a Resilient Youth".
According to UNGA, Covid-19 has led to the worldwide closure of training institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development.
Nearly 70% of the world’s youth are affected by school closures.
According to the Global Trends for Youth 2020 report, since 2017, there has been an upward trend in the number of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Global Trends for Youth report is released by International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Thus it has become important to impart relevant skills to the youth which can help them in the long run and successfully manage evolving challenges.
2030 Agenda: Education and training are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The vision of the Incheon Declaration: Education 2030 is fully captured by Sustainable Development Goal-4, which aims to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
Education 2030 devotes attention to technical and vocational skills development, acquisition of technical and vocational skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
It also focuses on the elimination of gender disparity.
Skill India Mission: The day also marks the 5th anniversary of the launch of Skill India Mission.
Skill India is an initiative of the Government of India which has been launched to empower the youth of the country with skill sets which make them more employable and more productive in their work environment.
Skill India offers courses across several sectors which are aligned to the standards recognised by both, the industry and the government under the National Skill Qualification Framework.
- China making deep inroads into Iran
At a time when the U.S. is targeting both China and Iran through a host of economic measures, both the countries are taking their partnership to a new level through a $400-billion long-term agreement.
This topic has been covered in the 14th July 2020 Comprehensive News Analysis. Click here to read.
China-Iran Partnership:
The partnership was first proposed by China’s President Xi Jinping during a visit to Iran in 2016. The Iranian Government cleared it in June 2020.
It is a long-term strategic partnership agreement with energy, economic, logistical and military aspects.
China will also offer its GPS to Iran, build infrastructure for 5G rollout and develop free trade zones.
Also, Iran has a very crucial place in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
According to Iran’s Ambassador, “A new multipolar world order is emerging in which China is playing a crucial role. China has already cemented ties with Russia in this emerging order. Iran has joined this bloc.”
The US Sanctions:
The U.S. State Department has already said it would target Chinese companies if they make investments in Iran defying American sanctions.
But China, which is already in a trade and technological war with the U.S., seems determined to go ahead with its partnership.
Concerns for India:
China continued to buy Iranian oil over the past year even after the U.S. sanctions waivers expired in May 2019, although in smaller volumes. In contrast, India stopped buying Iranian oil after U.S. waivers ended.
At a time when Iran and China are finalising this partnership agreement, Iran has dropped India from a project to build a rail line from the Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan.
Iran has stated the absence of active Indian engagement, as the reason for its move.
China is now likely to play a role in the Chabahar port.
- U.S. rejects Beijing’s claims in South China Sea
The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the United States would treat Beijing’s pursuit of resources in the dispute-rife South China Sea as illegal.
Details:
Pompeo said, “The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire.”
He issued this statement to mark the fourth anniversary of a tribunal decision that sided with the Philippines against the nine-dash line.
The statement goes further by explicitly siding with Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, after years of the U.S. saying it took no position on individual claims.
The United States has long rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea is both a home to valuable oil and gas deposits and a vital waterway for the world’s commerce.
South China Sea Dispute:
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea through a so-called nine-dash line, a vague delineation based on maps from the 1940s.
It has spent years building military bases on artificial islands in the contested areas to cement its claims, while dragging out a diplomatic process to resolve the disputes for nearly two decades.
According to the 2016 decision issued by a tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China cannot make claims based on the Scarborough Reef or the Spratly Islands, a vast uninhabited archipelago.
The United States, as a result, now rejects Beijing’s claims in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, Lucania Shoals off Malaysia, waters considered in Brunei’s exclusive economic zone and NatunaBesar off Indonesia.
Beijing’s southernmost claim of Malaysian-administered James Shoal, which is 1,800 km from the Chinese mainland, has also been rejected by the US.
- Britain bans Huawei from future role in 5G network
Britain’s government has backtracked on plans to give the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, a limited role in the U.K.’s new high-speed mobile phone network.
Background:
In January 2020, Britain sought to balance economic and security pressures by agreeing to give Huawei a limited role in Britain’s so-called 5G network, excluding the company from core components of the system and restricting its involvement to 35% of the overall project.
But the move set up a diplomatic clash with the Americans, who threatened to cut off security cooperation unless Britain dumped Huawei.
Details:
The U.S. threatened to sever an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the U.K. because of concerns Huawei equipment could allow the Chinese Government to infiltrate U.K. networks.
Britain said it imposed the ban after U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the security of Huawei equipment, forcing it to start turning to other suppliers for components.
The decision gives British telecom operators until 2027 to remove Huawei equipment already in Britain’s 5G network. The operators must stop buying 5G equipment from Huawei by the end of 2020.
This has broad implications for relations between London and Beijing.
- USA Ends Hong Kong’s Special Status
Recently, the President of the USA has issued an order to end Hong Kong’s special status and signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, a legislation that would sanction banks doing business with Chinese officials.
Key Points
Reasons Behind the Move:
China’s imposition of national security law in Hong Kong.
USA’s blame on China for mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and not informing the world about its severity.
China's military buildup in the South China Sea and its treatment of Uighur Muslims.
Ending the Special Status:
Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China without any special privileges, special economic treatment or exports of sensitive technologies.
Under the USA’s Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, the USA treats Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous part of China with its own legal and economic system, differently than the Chinese mainland in trade, commerce and other areas.
Sanctions on Banks:
The legislation would penalize banks doing business with Chinese officials involved in the national security law which China has imposed on Hong Kong.
Under the legislation, banks are granted a kind of year-long grace period to stop doing business with entities and individuals (primary offenders) undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy.
After that period, a variety of penalties will be imposed like seizing their assets, barring top executives from entering the USA and restricting the ability to engage in USA dollar-denominated transactions.
Possible Outcomes:
The new law will force all but provincial Chinese banks to choose between assisting Beijing’s efforts in Hong Kong or being able to conduct transactions in USA dollars and operate in the world’s largest economy.
It will have a devastating impact on Hong Kong as the financial gateway to Western markets.
Completely ending Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating for the USA because it was the source of the largest bilateral US goods trade surplus last year, at USD 26.1 billion.
Hong Kong is a major destination for USA’s legal and accounting services. Around 85,000 USA citizens lived in Hong Kong in 2018 and more than 1,300 USA companies operate there, including nearly every major financial firm.
China’s Response:
China has held that the Hong Kong Autonomy Act “maliciously slanders” its legislation in Hong Kong and has vowed to retaliate.
It will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests and impose sanctions on relevant USA personnel and entities.
- Azad Pattan: PoK Hydel Project
Recently, Pakistan and China have signed an agreement for the 700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project on the Jhelum river in Sudhnoti district of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The 1.5-billion USD project is under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Key Points
Description:
The Azad Pattan project is one of five hydropower schemes on the Jhelum, the other four are Mahl, Kohala, Chakothi Hattian and Karot projects.
Azad Pattan, Kohala and Karot are being developed under the CPEC framework.
It is a run-of-the-river scheme with a 90-metre-high dam, and a 3.8 sq km reservoir.
It will be developed on the ‘Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT)’ model.
It is expected to be commissioned by 2024.
The project will be transferred to the government of Pakistan after 30 years.
Concerns for India:
Territorial Integrity: India has protested the construction of dams and other infrastructure in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are territories claimed by it as part of Jammu & Kashmir.
Earlier India had also objected to the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam (on Indus river) in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the PoK.
Conflict With China: The signing of the Hydel project comes at a time when India and China have been involved in military conflicts following the Galwan Valley incident in the Ladakh region.
Through these projects, China and Pakistan have been consolidating their presence in the Indian region.
Chabahar Rail Project: Recently, Iran along with China has gone ahead with the construction of the Chabahar rail project without India's assistance citing funding delay.
Chabahar has been considered as India’s strategic response to counter China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Not Based on International Norms: These projects do not follow the principles of openness, transparency and financial responsibility given by the International agencies.
Security Concerns: China may use its economic power to increase its geopolitical leverage as these projects give a hold to China in the western Indian Ocean with the Gwadar port, located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vulnerable point for India, which sources more than 60% of its oil supplies from the Middle East.
- World Day for International Justice is observed on 17 July
World Day for International Justice is observed on 17 July across the world. The aim is to recognize the strengthening system of international justice. The day also promotes international criminal justice.
History:
World Day for International Justice is observed on 17th July as the day commemorates the historic adoption of the Rome Statute in the year 1998.
It also marks the importance of continuing the fight against impunity and bringing justice for the victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
World Day for International Justice is observed because it is necessary to make people aware and united to support justice and also to promote the rights of the victims.
The day also attracts people around the world to pay attention to serious issues. It also protects people from several crimes and also warns those people who affect the peace, security, and well being of the nation at risk.
- Hagia Sophia Museum: Turkey
Recently, the government of Turkey has decided to convert Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque.
Key Points
Turkey’s Stand:
Superiority of the Islamic World: For the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Justice and Development Party (AKP), and his supporters who tend to have nationalist-Islamist sympathies, it symbolises the conquest of Christian Constantinople by the Ottomans, and the superiority of the Islamic world.
Political Symbol: Hagia Sophia is not only the symbol of Turkey’s most popular tourist attraction but also acts as a political symbol.
The plan of conversion is also an attempt to gain political support as AKP has lost many municipal elections.
USA Recognition of Jerusalem: It also coincided with USA recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Jerusalem which has a significant population of Arab-muslims who are becoming more and more hostile because of the USA's recent stand on Israel-Palestine issue. This step of conversion of mosque would gain support of Arab countries for Turkey.
Less Opposition: It has also been believed that the government does not need the courts to decide on the fate of the Hagia Sophia as legal rulings will add legitimacy to his proposals.
Also, there has been less opposition within Turkey because religious minorities do not wish to be involved in such polarising subjects
Domestic Matter: Turkey considers the status of the Hagia Sophia as a domestic matter and interference of international players is not required as Greece objected to the conversion of the museum into a mosque.
Greece’s Stand:
Diplomatic Tension: There have been diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Greece over many issues related to Hagia Sophia.
According to Greece, the museum which has been designated a world cultural heritage is currently being used to promote other purposes.
Earlier, Greece objected to the reading of passages from the Quran inside the Hagia Sophia on the 567th anniversary of the Ottoman invasion of the former Byzantine capital.
Role of UNESCO: Greece had appealed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), objecting to Turkey’s moves on grounds that the conversion is a violation of UNESCO’s ‘Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
UNESCO too has objected to Turkey's plans.
USA’s Stand: It has expressed that by the conversion the Hagia Sophia would not be able to serve humanity as a bridge between those of differing faith and cultures.
Background
Hagia Sophia is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum located in Istanbul, Turkey.
Built in AD 537 (Byzantine architecture), during the reign of Justinian 1, the Eastern Roman emperor, it is famous for its large dome.
In 1453, when Constantinople (capital city of the Roman Empire) fell to Sultan Mehmet II’s Ottoman forces, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque.
For a long time, the Hagia Sophia was Istanbul’s most important mosque.
In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, converted the mosque into a museum in an attempt to make the country more secular.
The 1,500-year-old structure has been listed as a UNESCO'S World Heritage site.
A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance.
- Natanz: Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran
Recently, a fire broke out at Natanz, an Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran used for enriching uranium.
Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 is increased.
Key Points
Natanz:
Located in Iran’s central Isfahan province in Tehran, Natanz hosts the country’s main uranium enrichment facility.
It is known as the first Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant of Iran.
Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) is Iran's second pilot enrichment plant.
It is among the sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers i.e. the USA ,UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany.
Controversy:
IAEA Inspection: Natanz became a point of controversy as Iran refused to allow an IAEA inspector into the facility in October 2019, after allegedly testing positive for suspected traces of explosive nitrates.
Nitrates are a common fertilizer, however, when mixed with proper amounts of fuel, the material can become an explosive as powerful as Trinitrotoluene (TNT).
TNT is also known as 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene and does not occur naturally in the environment.
It is an explosive used in military shells, bombs, and grenades, and in underwater blasting.
Stuxnet Computer Virus: The Stuxnet computer virus, believed to be an American and Israeli creation, disrupted and destroyed centrifuges at Natanz amid the height of Western concerns over Iran’s nuclear program in 2010.
USA’s Response: The USA has unilaterally withdrawn from the nuclear deal in May 2018 as Iran has continuously been breaking all the production limits set by the deal.
According to the IAEA Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5 % purity, above the terms of the nuclear deal.
- International Day of Cooperatives is observed on 4 July
International Day of Cooperatives is observed on 4 July. The day is observed on the first Saturday of July every year.
The day aims to raise awareness of cooperatives and extend the partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other organizations. Read information about the history, about ICA, the significance of celebrating this day.
Theme:
The theme of 2020 International Day of Cooperatives 2020 is "Cooperatives for Climate Action". It focussed to support the Sustainable Development Goal-13 (SDG-13) on climate action. It will focus on the cooperatives' contribution to the fight against climate change.
History:
Cooperatives are vital for economic and social development around the world. Based on the principle of cooperation, the cooperatives help to create new ethics and values in economics. The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) was formed in 1895 and the first Saturday of July is observed as International Cooperative Day since 1923.
In December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the International Day of Cooperatives by UN Resolution 47/90. The move by UNGA was followed after an initiative by the cooperative movements caused by a member of the International Co-operating Alliance and members of the Committee for the Promotion and Development of Cooperatives (COPAC). The date was chosen to coincide with the already existing ICA International Co-operative Day which is the first Saturday of July.
- 244th Independence Day of USA
The USA celebrated the 244th anniversary of American Independence Day on 4th July 2020.
Key Points
Background:
Throughout the 1760s and early 1770s, the American colonies found themselves increasingly at odds with British imperial policies regarding taxation and frontier policy.
When repeated protests failed to influence British policies the Continental Congress worked with local groups, originally intended to enforce the boycott, to coordinate resistance against the British.
British officials throughout the colonies increasingly found their authority challenged by informal local governments, although loyalist sentiment remained strong in some areas.
Finally, the United States was founded on an ideal of democracy on the 4th July 1776 by adopting the Declaration of Independence from the 13 colonies.
Declaration of Independence:
The Declaration of Independence was a one-page document, but it laid the foundation for other documents that followed, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
It contains three main ideas:
All men are created equal.
All men have certain inalienable rights, which include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
People have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and for others.
- New Bhutanese Territory Claimed by China
Recently, China has made new territorial claims in the eastern sector of Bhutan’s Trashigang district.
Key Points
Territorial Claim of China:
China made this claim at an online meeting of the 58th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, while objecting to the funding request to develop the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary project in eastern Bhutan.
However, GEF cleared the funding to the project after Bhutan protested against the Chinese claims.
Set up in 1992, GEF is a US-based global body to finance projects in the environment sector.
According to China, the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the China-Bhutan disputed areas which is on the agenda of China-Bhutan boundary talk.
China claims that the boundary between China and Bhutan has never been delimited. It has had disputes over the eastern, central and western sectors of Bhutan.
Bhutan’s Position:
Bhutan totally rejected the claim made by China. It said that Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral and sovereign territory of Bhutan.
Also, Sakteng Sanctuary in the past too has received such grants, including in 2018-2019, for a project on preventing soil erosion, without any objection from China.
Bhutan has conveyed its position to China through its embassy in New Delhi— since both countries don’t have embassies in each other’s countries.
Bhutan and China do not have any formal diplomatic relations, both the countries conduct their diplomatic communication through their missions in Delhi.
China and Bhutan have a dispute in only two sectors of the border, one in the north (central) – Pasamlung and Jakarlung, and second in the west – Doklam.
There has been no mention of eastern Bhutan, or Trashigang district, where Sakteng is based, in 24 previous rounds of boundary negotiations held between the two countries between 1984 and 2016.
Concerns for India:
China’s new territorial claim is a part of the larger Chinese tactics of putting pressure on India’s smaller neighbours, to punish them for any closeness to India.
In 2017 China had intruded into Doklam plateau, which is claimed by Bhutan, leading to a standoff between Indian and Chinese Armies.
China might be doing this to put a pressure on India, or to divert India’s attention from its aggression at Ladakh.
Sakteng is situated along the border with Arunachal Pradesh, some part of which is also claimed by China.
Even after the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007, Indian military is virtually responsible for protecting Bhutan from the kind of external threat that the Chinese military poses.
According to the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 1949, Bhutan allowed India to "guide" its foreign policy and defence affairs.
However, the 1949 treaty was amended in 2007 to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty.
Under the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007, the two sides have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests.
Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.
China has said that a third party should not point fingers in the China-Bhutan border issue, which is an apparent reference to India.
- Global Response to China's Security Law on Hong Kong
Recently, several countries have proposed measures to protect Hong Kong residents fleeing potential political persecution from China's new National Security Law.
China’s new security law criminalizes what it deems secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country.
Key Points
United Kingdom’s Response:
It has described the security law as a clear and serious violation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration under which it handed back its colony to China in 1997.
Under the Joint Declaration, China had promised to maintain Hong Kong’s capitalist and more open political system for 50 years under "one country, two systems".
Since the handover, Hong Kong residents have accused China of overstepping its authority.
The Umbrella Movement was a series of protests in 2014 that called for more transparent elections for the city’s chief executive.
In 2019 protests erupted in Hong Kong over a proposed bill to allow extradition to mainland China.
It has decided to offer British citizenship to around three million residents of Hong Kong.
It is also rethinking its provisional decision to allow Huawei (China’s Company) to be involved in the development of Britain's 5G infrastructure.
Taiwan’s Response:
It has opened the Taiwan-Hong Kong Services and Exchange Office in order to help facilitate asylum for people fleeing Hong Kong.
Taiwan was the first state which pledged to support Hong Kong residents seeking asylum, in May 2020.
China also claims Taiwan to be part of China and threatens to use force to take over the island.
China has proposed to Taiwan that it follow the “one country, two systems” model to unite with China. But the Taiwanese reject any idea of uniting with mainland China.
Other Country’s Response:
The USA has passed a Bipartisan Bill to sanction Chinese officials who violate Hong Kong's freedoms.
It is also planning to bring the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, which would open up a route for asylum for Hong Kong’s frontline activists in immediate danger.
Australia is considering offering Hong Kong residents temporary protection visas that will allow refugees to live in the country for up to three years.
Japan said that it is seriously concerned about China’s decision toward Hong Kong.
India has been keeping a close watch on recent developments in Hong Kong.
Chinese Reaction to Global Response:
It has said that the security law issue is purely China's internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere.
It has condemned the UK’s citizenship offer to Hong Kongers and warned the UK for serious consequences.
It considers all residents living in Hong Kong, including those with British National Overseas passports, as Chinese nationals.
It has said that the UK's U-turn on its Huawei decision would damage the UK's image as an open, business-friendly environment.
It has accused Taiwan administration of nurturing a separatist plot in Hong Kong and warned for a military response.
- Expat Quota Bill Approved in Kuwait
Recently, the legal and legislative committee of Kuwait’s National Assembly has approved the draft expat (expatriate) quota bill.
According to the bill, Indians should not exceed 15% of the population and if it is enacted into law, over 8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait.
Kuwait is a country located in the Persian Gulf region.
Key Points
The draft expat quota bill has been deemed constitutional and will be transferred to the respective committee so that a comprehensive plan is created.
Lawmakers and government officials including the Prime Minister of Kuwait have been calling to reduce the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the population.
The draft law will impose a cap on the number of expats and gradually reduce them by almost 5% on a yearly basis.
For example, if expats constitute 70% of the population this year, next year it will 65% and 60% in the following year.
Reasons Behind the Move:
Anti-expat aspirations have been rising in Kuwait since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Foreigners have accounted for the majority of Kuwait’s virus cases as the disease spread among migrant workers living in overcrowded housing.
Kuwait has been working to reduce its dependence on foreign workers. It no longer wants to remain an expat-majority nation with its own citizens turning into a minority.
This move is similar to the USA’s decision to extend the 60-day ban on immigrant and non-immigrant worker visas till the end of 2020.
Kuwait faces problems in its population structure due to huge numbers of expats.
Almost one-third of the expats are either illiterate or can merely read and write. They do not contribute to the country’s growth and hence, are not needed.
The oil-price crash has also affected the country's economic conditions.
- World Zoonoses Day is annually observed on 6th July
World Zoonoses Day is annually observed on 6 July. The day is observed with an aim to create awareness on zoonotic diseases, measures to prevent them, and how to treat it if exposed.
The day is observed to honor Louis Pasteur who successfully administered the first Rabies virus vaccine, a zoonotic disease.
Zoonoses:
The word 'Zoonoses' is derived from the Greek words zoon (animal) and nosos (ailment). Zoonoses is all about the spread of infectious disease between species, done by a vector from animals to humans and from human to other animals. There about 150 known zoonotic diseases.
People who work with wildlife are exposed to the potential for disease transmission from animals. People get infected with zoonotic diseases from contact with infected live poultry, reptiles, rodents, insects, amphibians, and other domestic and wild animals.
- USA’s Position on CAATSA
Recently, the USA has reiterated its position and asked all its allies and partners, including India, to stop transactions with Russia.
It can risk triggering sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
CAATSA is a United States federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
It includes sanctions against countries that engage in significant transactions with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors.
Key Points
USA’s Stand: The USA has reiterated its position on CAATSA in the context of India’s planned jet fighter deal with Russia at an estimated Rs. 18,148 crore.
Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council had approved the procurement of 21 MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), an upgrade for 59 of these Russian aircraft and the acquisition of 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft.
India could also face USA sanctions for purchasing the S-400 Triumf missile defense system from Russia under the CAATSA.
The USA suspended Turkey from its F-35 aircraft programme and barred it from purchasing the jet, following Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 from Russia.
However, this was done without invoking CAATSA.
Major Defence Partner: The USA recognised India as a Major Defence Partner in 2016.
The designation allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America at par with that of the USA’s closest allies and partners.
Issues with Purchase from Adversary: The USA fears that acquisitions by countries like India on significant systems would either expose or put at risk platforms and its technologies to an adversary.
It has declared that the S-400 purchase by Turkey from Russia has put a risk to its F-35 aircraft system.
Waiver Criteria under CAATSA: The USA President was given the authority in 2018 to waive CAATSA sanctions on a case-by-case basis.
However, the USA has repeatedly stated that India should not assume it will get a waiver.
- Hurdles for F-1 and M-1 Visa Holders in USA
Recently, the USA has announced that F-1 and M-1 visa holders who are planning to take online only models will not be allowed to stay in the USA.
Many universities in the USA are planning to shift all their classes online for the fall semester due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Fall semester starts in late August and ends in late December or early January whereas the Spring semester begins in January and ends in early May.
F-1 visas are issued to study in the USA for full-time students whereas M-1 visas are issued to students engaging in vocational or non-academic studies.
The announcement comes weeks after the USA President suspended H1-B highly skilled worker visas through the end of the year. Most of these visas go to Indian citizens each year.
Key Points
Announcements Made:
The students outside the USA planning to take all courses online in the fall semester would not be permitted entry into the country.
The USA would not issue visas to students who are going to take all their classes online due to the pandemic.
It also stated that the active students under F-1 and M-1 visas in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.
The USA regulations do not allow students in F-1 status to be in online classes but normally F-1 students are allowed to take one class or three credit hours online.
Affected Population:
There were more than one million international students in the United States for the 2018-19 academic year. That accounted for 5.5% of the total USA’s higher education population.
Also, international students contributed $44.7 billion to the USA’s economy in 2018.
India is the second largest source of the foreign students in the USA after China.
The largest number of international students come from China, followed by India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada.
Consequences:
If alternative measures are not opted then these students may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.
It is a difficult situation for students as international travel already faces disruption due to Covid-19.
Available Alternatives:
Affected students may switch to visitor status but it is not a long term solution as visitor status is short term and there is no guarantee that it will be approved.
- WHO sets up independent panel to review its handling of COVID-19 pandemic
World Health Organization (WHO) has set up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments. The announcement follows strong criticism by US President Donald Trump, which accused the WHO of being China-centric.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have agreed to head the panel. The co-chairs will select the other members.
The panel will then provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers in November and present a substantive report next May.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the magnitude of this pandemic has virtually touched everyone and deserved a commensurate evaluation.
More than 1.2 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and over 5.48 lakh have died.
US has formally informed WHO that it is withdrawing from the UN agency in a year’s time.
- Colombo plea for postponing debt repayment hangs fire
Sri Lanka has been witnessing an economic crisis.
Sri Lanka’s foreign reserve which was already in peril due to economic troubles and 2019’s Easter Sunday terror attacks are being further drained after the pandemic.
The critical aspects of the Sri Lankan economy involving exports (tea and garments), labour remittances and tourism sectors have been badly hit.
Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt is approximately $55 billion, which accounts for nearly 80% of its GDP. Sri Lanka is scheduled to repay $2.9 billion of its total external debt in 2020. Sri Lanka has an outstanding payment of about $960 million to India.
Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has put on hold funding for a proposed light rail transit system, because of concerns over Sri Lanka’s rising debt.
Debt moratorium requests:
Sri Lanka has renewed calls for international monetary organisations to provide debt relief for developing countries and has also made an appeal to all its debt partners, including India.
Sri Lanka has requested India for a debt moratorium and has also made two separate requests for a currency swap facility.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has also sought a $400 million currency swap with the RBI under the SAARC facility and another request was made from the visiting Sri Lankan President seeking a “special” $1.1 billion currency swap facility from India.
Details:
Sri Lanka’s request to India for a postponement of its debt repayment has been under consideration and no decision has been taken even after more than four months have passed since the formal request was made.
- NASA headquarters to be renamed as Mary W. Jackson
The US Space Agency, NASA has announced that its headquarters in Washington, D.C., will be named after Mary W. Jackson, one of its history-making engineers. The information was passed by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Mary W. Jackson:
In 1942, Mary W. Jackson graduated with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physical science from Hampton University, which is a historically Black university. She was a mathematician & aerospace engineer.
She started the NASA career in the segregated West Area Computing Unit of the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. In the year 1951, she was recruited by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which was succeeded in 1958 by NASA, where she worked until her retirement in 1985.
She worked along with Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, two other history-making Black mathematicians, during the space race. The women’s stories were described in Margot Lee Shetterly’s 2016 nonfiction book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race.” The movie was adapted into a motion picture titled “Hidden Figures”. It was nominated for three Academy Awards.
- South China Sea rights should be rooted in UN treaty: ASEAN
South China Sea rights should be rooted in UN treaty. Statement issued at the end of the ASEAN leaders’ annual summit.
Details:
Southeast Asian leaders have called for the 1982 UN oceans treaty to be the basis for determining maritime entitlements and sovereign rights in the South China Sea.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a 1982 international agreement that defines the rights of nations to the world’s oceans.
The statement calls for adherence to the rule of law in a disputed region that has long been regarded as an Asian flashpoint.
This marks one of the strongest remarks of the member nations, opposing China’s claim to the entire disputed South China Sea waters based on historical grounds. While it has criticised aggressive behaviour in the disputed waters, ASEAN has not named China in its post-summit communique.
- 36th ASEAN Summit
Recently, the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held via video conference to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic response, post-pandemic recovery and further cooperation with partner countries.
The theme for the Summit was "Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN".
The Summit was chaired by Vietnam which is also holding the chairmanship of ASEAN currently.
Key Points
ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund:
The summit has decided to establish the ASEAN Covid-19 response fund with a reserve for medical supplies to meet urgent needs during epidemics.
A special ASEAN meeting convened in April to tackle the pandemic had failed to agree on an emergency fund.
It has also decided to build the ASEAN standard procedures of epidemic response in case of health emergencies.
Crippling Economies:
The Summit has stated that the ASEAN region's economy is expected to contract for the first time in 22 years.
It has also focussed on the crippling cost of the coronavirus, which has ravaged the economies of tourism and export-reliant countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.
South China Sea Issue:
The Summit noted concerns over land reclamations and recent developments in the South China Sea.
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea but is also contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Vietnam had also accused China of sinking its trawler. This incident had prompted the USA to warn that China is trying to exploit the pandemic situations of other states to expand its unlawful claims.
The USA is not a claimant to any territories in the South China Sea but has sent its navy to patrol the area in support of freedom of navigation, while China had slammed this move as an interference in regional affairs by an outside power.
Both Vietnam and Philippines lodged protests with China after it unilaterally declared the creation of new administrative districts on islands.
Also, in April China has officially named 80 islands and other geographical features in the disputed waters to which Vietnam and the Philippines also have competing claims.
The Summit has also called on parties to refrain from escalating tensions and abide by responsibilities under international laws.
- The World Drug Report 2020: UN
Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its 2020 World Drug Report, has highlighted the possible consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on Illegal Drug Production, Supply and Consumption.
According to it, due to economic hardship, people may resort to illicit activities linked to drugs to make a living.
The report further revealed that the measures taken by governments to counter the pandemic inevitably had double-edged consequences on large-scale drug supply.
Key Points
Economic Crisis and Diverted Focus:
There would be reductions in drug-related budgets of the governments due to Covid-19 and overall increase in drug use, with a shift towards cheaper and more harmful drugs.
Some countries, such as Italy, the Niger and countries in Central Asia, have experienced a sharp decrease in drug seizures, as drug traffickers have diverted their attention to other illegal activities, including cybercrime and trafficking in falsified medicines (in Balkan countries).
Other countries, including Morocco and Iran, have reported huge drug seizures, indicating large-scale drug trafficking.
Impact of Lockdown:
The lockdown could hinder the production and sale of opiates in major producing countries as the key months for the opium harvest in Afghanistan are March to June.
The decline in international trade resulting from the pandemic could lead to a shortage in the supply of acetic anhydride, a precursor vital to the manufacture of heroin
A shortage of poppy lancers was observed in the western and southern provinces of the country, mainly due to the closure of a border crossing with Pakistan. However, the shortage of lancers was eventually overcome due to women workers increasingly engaged in the poppy-lancing process, therefore
The report also Indicated that the lockdown is increasing demand for cannabis, given that its production often takes place near consumer markets and traffickers.
Drug trafficking by air is likely to be completely disrupted by the restrictions on air travel. There are signs of increased use of maritime routes.
Maritime Routes:
The recent heroin seizures in the Indian Ocean could be interpreted as an indication of an increase in the use of maritime routes for trafficking heroin to Europe along the ‘southern route’.
While border measures appear to be hindering trafficking in opiates, large shipments of cocaine are still being trafficked but by alternative means, via sea routes.
India and Illicit Drug Trade
Major Hub of Illicit Drug Trade: According to a report by the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), India is one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old cannabis to newer prescription drugs like tramadol, and designer drugs like methamphetamine.
Drug Trafficking Routes: India is in the middle of two major illicit opium production regions in the world, the Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan) in the west and the Golden Triangle (South-East Asia) in the east.
- UN 75 Declaration delayed
Recently, a commemorative declaration marking the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations (UN) Charter was delayed as member states could not reach an agreement on phraseology.
Key Points
The Five Eyes (FVEY)— Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States— along with India, objected to the use of a phrase “shared vision of a common future”, which is associated with China.
The Five Eyes (FVEY) network is an intelligence sharing alliance between these five countries.
The ‘silence’ process was broken at the request of the U.K’s Ambassador to the UN, who wrote a letter on behalf of the six countries to the President of the 74th General Assembly, suggesting alternative wording.
Silence process is a procedure by which a resolution passes if no formal objections are raised within a stipulated time.
However, China, on behalf of itself and Russia, Syria and Pakistan raised objections to the silence being broken.
The current impasse comes at a time when China’s relationships with a number of countries, including India, Australia and the U.S.A, are strained.
Given the impasse, the UN General Assembly President has suggested an alternatively phrased declaration, which he has placed under the silence procedure.
- 26.9 crore people used drugs in 2018: UN report
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) World Drug Report.
Details:
Increased usage:
The report notes that about 26.9 crore people used drugs in 2018, which 30% is more than the 2009 figure, with adolescents and young adults accounting for the largest share of users.
Compared with earlier estimates from a survey done in 2004, overall opioid use in India is estimated to have increased fivefold.
The stimulant scene is dominated by cocaine and methamphetamine, and the use of both substances is rising in their main markets. Production of heroin and cocaine remains among the highest levels recorded in modern times.
Expanding markets:
Rapid market changes are being noticed, with synthetics replacing opiates in Central Asia and the Russian Federation.
Crystalline meth market has also grown in opiate dominated areas like Afghanistan and Iraq.
A number of indicators suggest that the global market of amphetamines, particularly methamphetamine, is expanding. Traffickers and manufacturers have been using “designer chemicals” as an alternative to synthesise amphetamine, meth and ecstasy.
- International Day of Parliamentarism is observed on 30 June
International Day of Parliamentarism is observed on 30th June every year. The day is aimed to honor the Parliamentarian for their service amid the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Parliaments and other government institutions are subject to the same social distancing measures as other public and private organizations.
But the parliament plays a more vital role than ever to pass emergency laws, allocate resources, and scrutinize government action.
Parliament:
Parliaments are the cornerstone of democracy. It represents the voice of the people, passed laws, allocate funds to implement laws and policies, and hold governments to account. Parliaments work to make sure that policies benefit all people, especially the most vulnerable.
Parliaments link international and national agendas and ensure that governments implement international treaties and agreements that they sign up to. Parliaments in the countries play a vital role in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Also, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is working closely to help build their capacity in doing so.
History:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed resolution A/RES/72/278 and designated June 30 to celebrate the International Day of Parliamentarism. The day was chosen as IPU, the global organization of parliaments, was established on 1889.
The day aims to recognize the role of parliaments in national plans and strategies. The day will also ensure greater transparency and accountability at the national and global levels.
- Kholongchhu Hydropower Project
Recently, India and Bhutan have signed concession agreement on the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydropower Project.
It will be the first-ever Joint Venture (JV) project between India and Bhutan.
The JV partners are Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), and the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) from India and Bhutan respectively.
Key Points
Description:
The Kholongchhu project is one of four additional projects agreed in 2008, as a part of India’s commitment to help Bhutan to create a total 10,000 MW of installed capacity by 2020.
The 600 MW run-of-the-river project is located on the lower course of the Kholongchhu river in eastern Bhutan’s Trashiyangtse district.
The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.
The project will be constructed as a 50:50 joint venture.
Significance:
Concession Period: The Government of India will provide, as a grant, the equity share of the Bhutanese DGPC in the JV Company. Once the project is commissioned, the JV partners will run it for 30 years, called the concession period, after which the full ownership will transfer to the Bhutan government, which will receive power from the project as a royalty.
Bilateral Cooperation: The tapping of hydropower in Bhutan would pave a way for successful bilateral cooperation and mutual engagement between India and Bhutan.
Strategic Interest: Being a member of BIMSTEC, Bhutan holds geostrategic importance for India. The shared sense of support and help in terms of such development projects between the two countries can help India in executing its Act East-Look East Policy.
Energy Trade: The project would act as a milestone in generation of energy and related trade.
The project would aid in a clean and stabilising power source for India and also contribute to its renewable energy targets.
Employment Opportunities: Commencement of construction activities of the project will create economic and employment opportunities in Bhutan.
India needs to focus on the youth of Bhutan, as it is the youth only, which would take the people-to-people contact forward in the future.
Economic Growth: The plant would drive economic growth and hence socio-economic development would be facilitated in Bhutan.
Concerns:
Power Tariffs: The project which started in 2014 was on halt since December 2016 over India’s new power tariff guidelines on Cross Border Trade of Electricity - CBTE, until the government amended its guidelines after negotiations with the Bhutan government.
Power tariff revision which includes the increase in the operations and maintenance charges may become a bone of contention.
Risk of the JV-model: Another issue is regarding the risk of the JV-model for the project as Bhutan had expressed concern over a greater financial risk due to project delays.
The delays had an impact on Bhutan’s growth, as well as its exports and revenues. For example, the World Bank has attributed the decline in the country’s growth rate directly to delays in hydropower construction and the dip in electricity generation.
However, India has maintained that it prefers the more commercial model as it not only shares the risk, but also makes Indian PSUs show greater accountability on time and cost, as they become investors rather than contractors.
- State of the World Population 2020: UNFPA
Recently, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the State of the World Population 2020 report, titled ‘Against my will: defying the practices that harm women and girls and undermine equality’.
It highlights at least 19 human rights violations against women and focuses on the three most prevalent ones, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), extreme bias against daughters, in favour of sons and child marriage.
Key Points
Global Data:
The number of missing women has more than doubled over the past 50 years, who were at 61 million in 1970.
Missing females/women: These are women missing from the population at given dates due to the cumulative effect of postnatal and prenatal sex selection in the past. The phrase was coined by Amartya Sen.
In Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan excess female mortality of girls below 5 years of age was under 3%.
Excess female mortality: It is the difference between observed and expected mortality of the girl child or avoidable death of girls during childhood.
According to estimates averaged over a five year period (2013-17), annually, there were 1.2 million missing female births, at a global level.
India Specific Data:
One in three girls missing globally due to sex selection, both pre- and post-natal, is from India, i.e. 46 million out of the total 142 million.
India has the highest rate of excess female deaths at 13.5 per 1,000 female births or one in nine deaths of females below the age of 5 due to postnatal sex selection.
In India, around 460,000 girls went missing at birth, which means they were not born due to sex-selection biases, each year between 2013 and 2017.
India (40%) along with China (50%) account for around 90% of the estimated 1.2 million girls lost annually to female foeticide.
Female Genital Mutilation:
It involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
The practise has no health benefits for girls and women and can cause severe bleeding, problems in urinating, cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.
An estimated 4.1 million girls will be subjected to female genital mutilation in 2020.
Extreme Bias against Daughters, in favour of sons:
An extreme and continuing preference for sons over daughters in some countries has fuelled gender-biased sex selection or extreme neglect which leads to girls’ death as children, resulting in missing females.
The report examines the issue of missing women by studying sex ratio imbalances at birth as a result of gender-biased sex selection as well as excess female mortality.
The advent of technology and increased access to ultrasound imaging allow parents to terminate a foetus after knowing its gender.
Due to this, the number of girls missing due to female foeticide exceed those that are missing because of postnatal sex selection.
These skewed numbers change the population proportions and result in ‘marriage squeeze’.
Marriage squeeze: It happens when prospective grooms far outnumber prospective brides, which further results in human trafficking for marriage as well as child marriages.
These violations result in fewer choices for females and putting them under the sexual, economic and legal control of men, curbing their human rights.
Child Marriage:
Every day, around 33,000 girls under age 18 are forced into marriage, usually to much older men.
In India, child marriage is directly linked to poverty, poor education and geographic location and the rural and urban divide.
Covid-19 Induced Challenges:
The economic disruptions and income-loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic are likely to increase violence against girls and women due to intensified unwantedness of daughters and gender discrimination.
The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the progress made in ending some harmful practices worldwide.
In India, Covid-19 has reduced access to contraception and abortion services, which is likely to lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
Initiatives Appreciated:
The report pointed out that successful education-related interventions include the provision of cash transfers conditional on school attendance or support to cover the costs of school fees, books, uniforms and supplies.
The report took note of the successful cash-transfer initiative such as ‘ApniBeti Apna Dhan’ in India.
- Dharma Chakra Day
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India in partnership with International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will celebrate the upcoming Asadha Poornima on 4th July, 2020 as Dharma Chakra Day.
Key Points
The festivities would start off with chanting of prayers at Sarnath, Varanasi (U.P.) which will be livestreamed, following which the opening event will be shifted to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The auspicious day of Asadha Poornima falls on the first full moon day of the month of Asadha as per Indian sun calendar.
It is also known as EsalaPoya in Sri Lanka and AsanhaBucha in Thailand.
It is the second most sacred day for Buddhists after the Buddha Poornima or Vesak.
The day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pañcavargika) on the full-moon day of Asadha at ‘Deer Park', ?i?ipatana in the current day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India.
This teaching of Dhamma Cakka- PavattanaSutta (Pali) or Dharma chakra Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the First Turning of Wheels of Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.
The Rainy Season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples (Viharas/ Chaityas) dedicated to intensive meditation.
The day is also observed as Guru Poornima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus.
Buddhism and Diplomacy
Buddhism has become an important tool in contemporary geopolitics particularly in Asia, and it has become increasingly evident that whoever controls the Buddhist discourse and activities will sway influence in Asia.
The celebration of Dharma Chakra Day is being pushed as an event to show India’s strong Buddhist heritage amid tensions with China. It will see the virtual participation of leaders from major Buddhist countries, except China.
The timing of the event is particularly important, because this is when both countries would like to resurrect their linkages with others. To show that like-minded countries are coming together sends across a message. What is however important is that one has to put in sustained effort at this, and have a relook at India-China policy with strategic cultural moves.
The Central Tibetan Administration has asked Tibetan Buddhists to participate in the online event in large numbers to “support and appreciate” the effort.
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is an organisation headquartered in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, India. It is also referred to as the Tibetan Government in Exile which has never been recognized by China.
The position of the CTA is that Tibet is a distinct nation with a long history of independence and it considers China's administration of Tibet as illegitimate military occupation.
In addition to political advocacy, it administers a network of schools and other cultural activities for Tibetans in India.
Meanwhile, the People’s Republic of China (PRC)'s World Buddhist Forum (WBF) has been hosting congregations of buddhist monks since 2005. China's extensive infrastructure investment in Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace in Nepal, is also seen as a strategic move to claim the Buddhist legacy.
Suggestions
While Buddhism might have vanished from India as a religion practised by many people, it is still a critical part of India's civilisational ethos.
There should be more buddhist corridors including Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, apart from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
There could be nodal centres for people-to-people exchanges for those who come from South Korea, Taiwan and other countries.
Although no other country can take Buddhist leadership away from India, the status of Buddhism in India is quite different now.
India has not been promoting its own Buddhist streams or strengthening the original Buddhism.
Promoting anything else or any other brand than its own limits a genuine outreach. Promoting anything else becomes a subject of contestation, and the essence of using Buddhism as a diplomatic card gets lost.
- Constitutional Amendments in Russia
The Russian citizens have supported a set of constitutional amendments including continuation of presidency by Vladimir Putin in a recently held referendum in the country.
The referendum also included clauses related to the reorganisation of the government, introducing a higher minimum pension and wages, a ban on gay marriage, restricting top officials from holding dual citizenship, enshrining “faith in God” as a core value and emphasising the primacy of the Constitution over international treaties and rulings.
A referendum is a direct and universal vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal and can have nationwide or local forms.
It supports direct democracy.
The referendum was originally planned for April 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Key Points
Clause for Continuation of Presidency Term:
The Russian Constitution bars more than two consecutive presidential terms.
The new Constitution doesn’t change the two-term limit in theory, but in practice, it resets Mr Putin's terms so that it will be the first election under the new Constitution for him, to be held in 2024.
According to the referendum, the current President of Russia Vladimir Putin can stay in power for two more six-year terms (until 2036) after his term expires in 2024.
Significance:
The amendments have enhanced the powers of the State Council, an advisory body. Overall, the changes will help to tighten his grip over Russia.
The proposed changes had already been approved by Parliament and the Supreme Court but it was put to vote to gain legitimacy and popular approval.
The preliminary results released by the Election Commission showed that almost 78% of voters endorsed the amendments, while 21% voted against them. Some 65% voters had turned up to cast their ballots.
Background:
Mr. Putin became President for the first time in 2000. After completing his two terms, he swapped the presidency with Mr. Dmitry Medvedv. During the Medvendv presidency, Mr. Putin remained the centre of power as Prime Minister.
Mr. Medvedv served one term and stepped aside for Mr. Putin to assume the presidency again. Thus, Mr. Putin is now into the second term of his second stint as President, which will expire in 2024.
If Mr. Putin stays in power for two more terms, he will be the longest serving Russian leader since Peter the Great.
The Tsar, who built the Russian Empire, was in power for 43 years until his death in 1725.
Challenges Ahead:
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the economy hasn’t expanded in dollar terms for a decade. The Fund estimates the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to shrink by 6.6% in 2020.
The pandemic affecting local businesses and the falling oil prices reducing exports revenue.
In foreign policy, Russia’s relationship with the West remains troublesome. The sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 are still in place.
Though Russia managed to prevent the collapse of the Syrian regime after its intervention in the civil war, the Syrian crisis is far from resolved.
Russia also faces allegations of interference in the elections of other countries.
- Italian Marines Case
Recently, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published an extract of the final award of the ad-hoc tribunal constituted to settle disputes related to the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding Italian marine Case between India and Italy.
It has rejected India’s contention that the soldiers, who were accused of killing Indian fishermen, could be tried in Indian courts and ordered India to cease all criminal proceedings.
Background
In 2012, Indian police had detained two Italian marines posted on oil tanker Enrica Lexie who had shot at two Indian fishermen on an Indian vessel, apparently mistaking them for pirates operating near the Kerala Coast.
After three years, Italy moved the International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS) seeking for two italian marines to stay in their own country during the trial process and also to stop India from going ahead with its criminal prosecution.
At that time, India had set up a specially designated court, as ordered by Indian Supreme Court, to determine the applicability of jurisdiction.
India’s National Investigation Agency had already slapped charges against the two Italians under sections of the Indian Penal Code, related to murder, attempt to murder, mischief and common intent.
The ITLOS judgement of 2015 called on Italy and India to suspend all domestic prosecutions arising from the Enrica Lexie Case. It had also ordered not to initiate any steps that might jeopardize or prejudice the carrying out of any decision which the arbitral tribunal may provide.
The matter led to a long freeze in diplomatic relations between India and Italy, which were reset only in 2016.
Key Points
Judgements in Favour of India:
The tribunal held that the actions of the Italian military officers breached India’s freedom of navigation under UNCLOS Article 87(1)(a) and 90.
The tribunal also held that India is entitled for payment of compensation in connection with loss of life, physical harm, material damage to property and moral harm suffered by captain and crew of ‘St Antony’, the Indian vessel.
Judgements in Favour of Italy:
India had called on the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) UNCLOS tribunal to adjudge and declare that PCA has no jurisdiction with respect to the case submitted to it by Italy. However, a majority of the court's five- member bench ruled 4-1 that it had jurisdiction in the matter.
Italian position that the marines, being members of the Italian armed forces in the official exercise cannot be tried by Indian courts, was held and immunity was granted to Italian marine officials.
Basis of the Judgement:
The tribunal observed that India and Italy had concurrent jurisdiction over the incident and a valid legal basis to institute criminal proceedings against the marines.
However, it also observed that the immunities enjoyed by the marines as State officials operate as an exception to the jurisdiction of the Indian courts and, hence, preclude them to judge the marines.
Published date : 17 Jul 2020 02:30PM
More Articles
Most Read
