International Relations This Week: 28 Dec 2022 to 3 Jan 2023

International relations is a very important segment of the UPSC syllabus. In this series, we present an analysis of the most important international issues and developments that occurred over the past week relevant for the IAS exam. In this article, you can learn more about cough syrup deaths in Uzbekistan, India-Pakistan Nuclear Site Deal, Political Development in Maldives, and Agreement on Mobility between India and Austria.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Cough syrup deaths in Uzbekistan
2. India-Pakistan Nuclear Site Deal
3. Political Development in Maldives
4. Agreement on Migration and Mobility between India and Austria

1. Cough syrup deaths in Uzbekistan

Context: Uzbekistan reported the death of 18 children from taking excessive doses of a cough syrup, Doc-1 Max.

Introduction: 

• The Health Ministry of Uzbekistan has claimed that about 18 children have died due to acute respiratory disease from taking cough syrup named Doc-1 Max which was manufactured by Noida-based Marion Biotech firm.
• The children consumed “excessive amounts” of the cough syrup, which contained ethylene glycol, a substance that ought not to be present in cough syrup. 
• A similar incident took place in the Gambia in October 2022, which was linked to the use of diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol in cough syrups made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharma.
• In October 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) had issued an alert for four “contaminated” India-made medicines.

Impact on India:

• The pharmaceutical industry is a sunshine sector in India and India is known as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’.
• India has the responsibility to produce drugs that are safe, efficacious, and affordable.
• India supplies drugs to both least-developed countries and highly regulated markets. In the past, several companies have acted responsibly by recalling the drugs in case of any minor or major complications.
• These incidents have created a dent in the image of India at an international level and affected its credibility and could also affect the soft power that India has cultivated carefully over the years as it plays a critical role in the healthcare industry of the world.
• These incidents could also deeply hit India’s pharma exports.

India as the ‘Pharmacy of the world’:

• India ranks third worldwide for pharmaceutical production by volume and exports pharmaceuticals to more than 200 countries and territories.
• India’s domestic pharmaceutical market stood at US$ 42 billion in 2021 and is likely to reach US$ 65 billion by 2024 and further expand to reach US$ 120-130 billion by 2030.
• The share of pharmaceuticals and drugs in our global exports is 5.92%. 
  • Formulations and biologicals continue to account for a major share of 73.31% of our total exports, followed by bulk drugs and drug intermediates with exports of USD 4437.64 million.
• India’s top 5 pharma export destinations are the USA, the UK, South Africa, Russia and Nigeria.
• Around 55 % of our pharma exports cater to highly regulated markets. 
• India’s medical devices market stood at US$ 10.36 billion in FY20. The market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 37% from 2020 to 2025 to reach US$ 50 billion.
• Indian pharma companies, enabled by their price competitiveness and good quality, have made a global mark, with 60 percent of the world’s vaccines and 20% of generic medicines coming from India.  
• India has the largest number of FDA-approved plants outside the US and has a substantial share of the prescription market in both the US and the EU. 
• By using indigenous technology in collaboration with India’s research institutions like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), the country has provided 115 million doses of Covid vaccines to more than 97 countries.

Exports to Africa:

• India is the leading supplier of low-cost generic medicines to Africa.  
  • The southern and western regions of Africa are the largest importers of Indian pharmaceuticals. 
  • These two regions also have the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. 
• India’s expertise in producing generic drugs that sell at one-fourth of their previous prices has been a big and beneficial component of the trade partnership with Africa.
• India provides Africa with 45% of all generic medicines. 
• According to recent research, 20% of India’s pharmaceutical exports is Africa bound.
  • Over the past ten years, India’s pharmaceutical exports to Africa and the world have more than doubled to reach $24.5 billion in 2021. 
• From 2010 to 2019, India was the third-largest investor in Africa’s healthcare sector. 
• At a time when western powers were stockpiling vaccines, India’s humanitarian approach towards Africa gained immense goodwill.

India’s Response:

• Following the Gambia incident, India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) launched an inspection of some drug factories across the country to ensure high quality standards. 
  • It should be noted that it is not yet conclusively established that consumption of the syrup has led to the deaths. 
  • It was observed that the batches were spiked with ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol. These are industrial chemicals that should not be mixed with cough syrup. 
• Maiden Pharma’s manufacturing unit in Sonepat was shut down by the CDSCO for alleged irregularities in processes. 
• The Centre had recently informed the Rajya Sabha that the control samples of four cough syrups that allegedly led to the deaths in the African country were found to be of standard quality. 
• In the case of Noida-based Marion Biotech, which made the Dok-1 Max cough syrup associated with the deaths in Uzbekistan, the export licence of the company has been revoked.
  • The government has also ordered a freeze on its production facilities.
• India has sought more data from the respective countries and WHO.

Read more on India-made Cough Syrups and Deaths in the Gambia.

2. India-Pakistan Nuclear Site Deal

Context: India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations on January 01, 2023

Introduction: 

• On January 01, 2023, India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities.
• This happens every year, irrespective of the current state of the diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.
• Following the first exchange on January 1, 1992, there have been 32 exchanges of these lists between the two nations till date.

Background:

• The need for the agreement had been felt against the backdrop of Israel’s 1981 bombing of Iraq’s Osirak reactor near Baghdad. 
• The agreement had also come at a time of deep anxiety for Pakistan.
• Pakistan had been alarmed by military developments in India, such as Operation Brasstacks in 1987, a wargame exercise to prepare for deep strike offensive capabilities, as well as memories of the defeat that tore the nation apart in 1972. Pakistan had replied at the time by putting its nuclear assets and sites on “high alert.”

Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities:

• The Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities was signed on December 31, 1988, and it became operative on January 27, 1991.
• According to this agreement, both countries have to inform each other of the nuclear facilities.
• Under this nuclear agreement, both countries are supposed to inform about the latitude and longitude of their nuclear installations.
  • Nuclear power and research reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation and reprocessing facilities, as well as any other installations with fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel and materials in any form and establishments storing significant quantities of radioactive materials, are all included under the umbrella term “nuclear installations and facilities”.
• The treaty also barred its signatories from carrying out any kind of attack on each other’s nuclear installations and facilities.

Read more on India’s Nuclear Doctrine.

3. Political Development in Maldives

Context: On December 25, 2022, the Maldives criminal court sentenced former president Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison.

Key Details:

• The Maldives criminal court has sentenced former President Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of corruption and money laundering charges.
• Yameen led the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. During that time he was accused of corruption, muzzling the media and persecuting political opponents.
• The Maldives is headed towards presidential polls by the fourth quarter of 2023.

Read more on the Recent Development in Maldives in CNA dated Dec 30, 2022.

4. Agreement on Migration and Mobility between India and Austria

Context: India and Austria have signed the “Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement” on January 02, 2023.

Key details: 

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg, his first diplomatic engagement in 2023.
• This is the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and it takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2023.
• During this visit, India and Austria signed several agreements, including in the areas of migration and mobility and the Working Holiday Programme agreement.
• The Migration and Mobility agreement is the first such agreement reached by Austria with any country with whom they have a visa regime and only the second with a non-OECD country.

Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement:

• The Migration and Mobility agreement is a useful tool to combat illegal migration together, as it enables the swift return of illegal migrants. 
• Another significant aspect of the MMPA is that it will regulate multiple entry visas for professionals and student exchange programs. 
  • These programs will be reviewed regularly by a Joint Working Group (JWG) to ensure that they are meeting their objectives and delivering the desired outcomes.
• 2022 witnessed an exploding number of Indians who arrived at the borders of Austria as illegal immigrants, especially via Serbia.
• From around 600 applications in 2021, the number of Indian citizens applying for asylum suddenly jumped to 18,000 last year.
  • Austria was confronted with over 15,000 illegal migrants from India with practically no chance of asylum.
• India recently entered similar mobility agreements with France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Finland.
• These agreements with European countries act as a stepping stone to resolve issues over the long-pending India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement and facilitate Indian professionals working in these countries.
• The European countries also see them as a way to curb illegal immigration from India.

Read more International Relations This Week articles in the link.
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