05 APRIL 2023

Topic 1: China’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh

Context:  After the Chinese government released a list of “standardised” names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian authorities rejected the move “outright”.

Key details:

• China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs put out names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in Chinese, Tibetan and pinyincharacters which includes:
  • two land areas,
  • two residential areas,
  • five mountain peaks and
  • two rivers.
• Is this the first time?
  • This isn’t the first time that China has done something like this.
  • It released two different sets of “standardised” names of places in Arunachal Pradesh back in 2017 and 2021.
• Why this move?
  • China claims some 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.
  • It calls the area “Zangnan” in the Chinese language and makes repeated references to “South Tibet”.
  • Chinese maps show Arunachal Pradesh as part of China, and sometimes parenthetically refer to it as “so-called Arunachal Pradesh”.
  • China makes periodic efforts to underline this unilateral claim to Indian territory.
  • Giving Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh is part of that effort.
• Which places were featured in the previous lists?
  • 2017 list contained six places in the state.
    • Wo’gyainling,
    • Mila Ri,
    • Qoidengarbo Ri,
    • Mainquka,
    • Bumo La
    • Namkapub Ri
  • The latitude and longitude listed with the names showed those places as:
    • Tawang,
    • Kra Daadi,
    • West Siang,
    • Siang (where Mechuka or Menchuka is an emerging tourist destination),
    • Anjaw, and
    • Subansiri respectively.
  • The 2021 list included:
    • eight residential areas,
    • four mountains,
    • two rivers, and
    • a mountain pass.
• China’s argument for claiming these areas
  • The People’s Republic of China disputes the legal status of the McMahon Line, the boundary between Tibet and British India that was agreed at the Simla Convention.
    • Officially the Simla Convention was the ‘Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet’ — of 1914.
    • The McMohan Line, named after Henry McMahon, the chief British negotiator at Shimla, was drawn from the eastern border of Bhutan to the Isu Razi pass on the China-Myanmar border.
    • China claims territory to the south of the McMahon Line, lying in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The Chinese representative did not consent to the Simla Convention, saying Tibet had no independent authority to enter into international agreements.
  • China also bases its claims on the historical ties that have existed between the monasteries in Tawang and Lhasa.

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Topic 2: International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) 2023

Context: India attended the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI).

Key details:

• The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) is an annual international conference and platform.
• Aim:
  • To continue building an engaged global community for disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
• It was launched the Prime Minister of India at the 2019 UN Climate Summit.
• Theme 2023: ‘Delivering Resilient and Inclusive Infrastructure: Pathways for Risk Informed Systems, Practices and Investments’. 
• It is being organized in New Delhi.
• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) includes:
  •  Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bhutan, Chile, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
  • They have all endorsed the CDRI Charter.
• Six organizations are supporting partners:
  • The World Bank Group,
  • The Asian Development Bank,
  • The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
  • The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),
  • The Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE) and
  • Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (CCRI).

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Topic 3: Exercise Slinex-23

Context: The 10th edition of exercise SLINEX-23 is scheduled at Colombo.

Key details:

• It is a bilateral maritime exercise between India-Sri Lanka.
• The exercise is being conducted in two phases:
  • the Harbour Phase
  • a Sea Phase.
• Indian Navy is being represented by INS Kiltan, an indigenous Kamorta class ASW corvette and INS Savitri, an Offshore Patrol Vessel.
• The previous edition of SLINEX was conducted off Visakhapatnam in 2022.
• SLINEX aims at:
  • enhancing interoperability,
  • improving mutual understanding
  • exchanging best practices while jointly undertaking multi-faceted maritime operations. 

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Topic 4: UN water conference

Context: The United Nations 2023 Water Conference held recently was the first such meeting in 46 years.

Key details:

• What is the Water Conference?
  • The UN 2023 Water Conference is formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028).
  • It was held at UN Headquarters in New York co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.
• Report on sustainable use of water:
  • In a recent report entitled ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018 – 2028’, the UN recognised the urgent need for action given that we are not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water — “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”.
• Need for water conference:
  • The water sector is prone to fragmentation because water problems tend to be local.
  • If a particular lake is polluted or a particular area is often flooded, it needs local solutions.
  • Therefore, there is an inherent problem in mobilising globally for local problems.
• Previous water conferences:
  • The last UN Water Conference, held in 1977, was groundbreaking as it resulted in the first global ‘Action Plan’ recognising that all peoples have the right to have access to drinking water in quantities and of a quality equal to their basic needs.
  • This declaration led to several decades of global funding and concerted effort to lower the population without access to safe drinking water.
• Current challenges
  • Sustained access to water:
    • Improving access to water and sanitation no longer translates directly to sustained access to water and sanitation.
    • For example, many drinking water projects have failed because they drew too much groundwater or the water sources were contaminated, leaving communities again with no access to water.
  • Water usage in agriculture:
    • Groundwater over-abstraction is mostly driven by agricultural pumping.
    • The only way to solve this problem in heavily irrigated places like Punjab is to pump less.
    • As such, the water problem is no longer about access to water.
  • Other issues:
    • The remaining SDG targets pertain to sustainable agriculture, industry, and natural ecosystems.
    • These targets are harder as they need, among other things, tough political choices and a stronger democracy.
• Key commitments at the Conference:
  • Hundreds of commitments:
    • This year’s conference resulted in 713 voluntary commitments by philanthropic donors, governments, corporations, and NGOs.
  • India’s commitment:
    • This included a $50-billion commitment from India to improve rural drinking water services under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  • Water management:
    • On the technology front, apart from specific innovations in wastewater treatment, there were several proposals for incubation platforms focusing on water management.
  • W12+ Blueprint:
    • A notable tool for cross-learning was the W12+ Blueprint, a UNESCO platform hosting city profiles and case studies of programs, technologies, policies that addresses common water security challenges.
  • Making Rights Real initiative:
    • An effort called ‘Making Rights Real’ offered to help marginalised communities and women understand how to exercise their rights.
  • Water for Women Fund:
    • The ‘Water for Women Fund’ offered mechanisms for more effective and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene outcomes for women.

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Topic 5: A casteless society

Context: Despite attempts to create an egalitarian and modern society, the caste system remains a prominent feature of Indian society.

Key details:

• The idea of cast:
  • Historically, castes, which are often associated with certain occupations, were arranged in a hierarchy, with some castes considered superior to others and thus accorded more power and privileges than others.
  • This system of social stratification and power relations has been a major problem in India as it has led to discrimination and inequality for those belonging to lower castes.
• The idea of a ‘casteless’ society
  • The term ‘casteless’, as a sociological concept was popularised by M. N. Srinivas, an Indian sociologist who has written immensely about caste, sanskritisation and social stratification.
  • The term ‘casteless’ refers to the ‘absence of caste’ in society.
  • It advocates for a society free of caste-based discrimination and oppression.
  • It aims to create an inclusive society that provides equal opportunity for every individual regardless of inheritance and birth.
  • In a ‘casteless’ society, people from different backgrounds would be treated with dignity and respect.
  • People would interact and work together freely, without caste-based discrimination or prejudices and everyone would have access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities irrespective of their caste or social status.
  • A person’s worth and success would be solely judged based on their abilities, character, and hard work rather than their social position
  • The idea of such a casteless society has been a goal that many, including social reformists, have aspired to achieve.
  • The reality is that the caste system remains deeply ingrained in our society with roots that extend back thousands of years.
• Being casteless – a myth or reality:
  • Caste is a complex social structure that has adapted and changed throughout history but remains a powerful force in modern Indian society.
  • One of Srinivas’s key arguments is that the notion of being “casteless” is a myth in the Indian context.
  • Even though some people may claim to be casteless or advocate for a casteless society, they are often still influenced by caste in various ways.
    • For instance, many media houses, universities and corporate organisations are filled with people belonging to upper castes, especially in higher positions.
• Caste Identity and caste pride:
  • The concept of castelessness is a response to the discriminatory practices of the caste system.
  • The ideology of castelessness has successfully interpellated upper-caste subjects, enabling them to see their caste identities as incidental or irrelevant to their claims.
    • They would automatically be presumed to be casteless if they did not explicitly invoke their caste.
    • Therefore, they can retain their power and privilege while appearing to be casteless.
  • Glimpses of caste pride among upper castes are witnessed in:
    • the caste surnames they carry,
    • in their insistence to marry within their castes as well as through the caste associations and clubs they create.
  • Caste identity and pride can be so deeply ingrained in an individual’s upbringing and socialisation, that they may not even realize the extent to which it affects their thoughts and actions.

• Caste and opportunities:
  • Upper-caste individuals are often able to attain better education and employment opportunities due to their sociocultural and economic privileges.
  • On the other hand, lower caste individuals often face discrimination and barriers while accessing education and employment opportunities due to their caste identity.
    • This forces them to rely on their caste identity as a means of asserting their rights and claiming social and economic opportunities.
  • The Chief Justice of India, D. Y. Chandrachud said: “Castelessness is a privilege that only the upper caste can afford because their caste privilege has already translated into social, political and economic capital”.
• Castelessness and reservations:
  • Claims of castelessness, among the upper castes, thus seem like attempts to resist affirmative action policies that aim to redress historical injustices and promote social and economic equality for lower castes.
  • Upper caste individuals claim the need for a casteless society by superficially arguing against reservation policies on claims that it encourages certain castes to identify primarily with their caste identity, rather than as citizens of a unified nation, and that it works against meritocracy.
  • Therefore, castelessness is now viewed as a new disguise for caste power and privilege, while at the same time it is also an aspiration for people subject to caste-based discrimination.
• Way Forward:
  • Dr. Ambedkar acknowledged that caste was deeply entrenched in Indian society and that it would require significant effort to uproot it.
  • Education, according to him, was key to annihilating caste.
  • Education could empower individuals socially, economically and politically.
  • It could help them escape the cycle of poverty and oppression through economic independence.
  • It could also help them to be more politically represented, giving them a voice in the democratic process to advocate for their rights.
  • Economic and political freedom would help them in challenging the existing social order and breaking down barriers that had been erected to maintain caste-based discrimination.
  • Another important step towards creating a casteless society was inter-caste marriages.
    • Marriage was a means of reproducing caste privileges and maintaining the existing social order.
    • Inter-caste marriage could break down caste barriers, as individuals born through such marriages cannot be associated with a single caste, challenging the traditional notion of caste purity.
    • Inter-caste marriages would help to create a sense of unity and shared identity, which would be necessary to achieve a casteless society.

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Topic 6: India Justice Report

Context: Indian courts are jammed with cases and are seeing pendency increase by the day and they are also functioning with fewer judges than the sanctioned number, the India Justice Report (IJR), 2022 said.

About the report:

• The India Justice Report is a collaborative effort undertaken in partnership with DAKSH, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Common Cause, Centre for Social Justice, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and TISS-Prayas.

Key findings:

• Few number of judges:
  • High courts:
    • As of December 2022, against a sanctioned strength of 1,108 judges, the High Courts were functioning with only 778 judges.
  • Subordinate courts:
    • The subordinate courts were found functioning with 19,288 judges against a sanctioned strength of 24,631 judges.
  • Rising pendency
    • The number of cases pending per judge is rising in most States over the past five years.
    • At High Court level:
      • Uttar Pradesh has the highest average pendency – cases remain pending for an average of 11.34 years,
      • West Bengal for 9.9 years.
      • The lowest average High Court pendency is in Tripura (1 year), Sikkim (1.9 years) and Meghalaya (2.1 years).

• Number of cases per judge:
  • The number of cases a judge has to deal with has steadily increased.
  • Between 2018 and 2022, the caseload per judge increased in 22 States and Union Territories.
• Case clearance rate:
  • The case clearance rate (CCR), or the number of cases disposed of in a year measured against the number filed in that year, is a common metric used to determine the rate at which cases are disposed of.
  • A CCR of more than 100% indicates that the number of pending cases is reducing.
  • The report found that the High Courts are clearing more cases annually than the subordinate courts.
  • Between 2018-19 and 2022, the national average improved by six percentage points (88.5% to 94.6%) in High Courts, but declined by 3.6 points in lower courts (93% to 89.4%).
  • Tripura is the only State where the CCR in district courts remained above 100%, with the exception of 2020 — the year of the pandemic.
• Number of courthalls:
  • Nationally, the number of court halls appears sufficient for the number of actual judges.
  • However, that space will become a problem if all the sanctioned posts are filled.

• Representation of Women:
  • There are more women judges at the district court level than at the High Court level, with 35% of the total number of judges at the district court level and only 13% of judges in the High Courts across the country being women.
  • Goa, with 70%, has the highest percentage of women judges at subordinate courts, followed by Meghalaya and Nagaland at 63% each.
  • Among the High Courts, Sikkim, with a total strength of just three judges, has the highest national average at 33.3% of women judges.
  • Bihar, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Uttarakhand continued to have no women judges in their High Courts.
• Caste based reservation:
  • Though caste-based reservations vary from State to State, at the district court level, no State or Union Territory could fully meet all its Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes quotas.
  • State-wise data on caste diversity in High Courts remains unavailable.

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Topic 7: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Context: Finland joins NATO.

What is NATO?

• NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• It’s a military and political alliance that was founded in 1949 in response to the actions of the Soviet Union.
• In 1955, the Warsaw Pact was formed by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern bloc nations as a collective defense treaty in response to NATO.
• Members:
  • There were 12 founding members of the alliance in 1949:
    • Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
  • The alliance has expanded over time, and its membership now numbers 31 (including Finland).
    • The other nations are Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia and Finland.
• Features of NATO:
  • Collective defence:
    • The Alliance is founded on the principle of collective defence, meaning that if one NATO Ally is attacked, then all NATO Allies are attacked.
  • Managing crises around the world:
    • Since 2003, NATO has helped to ensure that Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for international terrorist groups.
    • NATO has also helped to prevent piracy off the Horn of Africa.
    • Since 2016, has helped address the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe.
  • Fighting Terrorism:
    • NATO plays an important role in fighting terrorism to train local forces in Afghanistan.
    • NATO is also a full member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
  • NATO funding:
    • Every NATO country contributes to the costs of running the Alliance.
    • By far the Allies’ biggest contribution comes in the form of taking part in NATO-led missions and operations.
  • Defence Spending:
    • At the Wales Summit in 2014, NATO Allies pledged to invest more and better in defence – to stop the cuts, move towards spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, and to spend 20% of that on major equipment.
  • The “Open Door” Policy:
    • The Open Door Policy is a founding principle of NATO and means that any country in the Euro-Atlantic area is free to join NATO.
• How is NATO structured as a military force?
  • NATO’s multinational Response Force is composed of troops from member nations.
  • Troops wear their own country’s uniform, and individual military units are headed by leaders from those units’ home countries.
  • The supreme allied commander is at the top of the chain of command.