22 Dec 2018: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Island hopping (India- Maldives Relations)

What’s in the news?

• Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was on a three-day visit to India this month of December, 2018.  
• Experts opine that this development seems to have brought a tumultuous phase in India-Maldives ties to a close.

Backdrop of the Visit:  

• It is important to note that this was Mr. Solih’s first overseas visit after becoming the President of the Indian Ocean nation of 400,000 people.
• Experts point out that Mr. Solih defeated Abdulla Yameen in a surprise victory in the Maldivian presidential elections in September 2018 and, since then, has recalibrated his country’s ties with India.
• It is believed that while Mr. Yameen had drawn the Maldives closer to China and brutally crushed the Opposition, Mr. Solih’s victory has been a shot in the arm for those who favour strengthening democratic forces in the island nation.
• Also it is important to note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Solih as the President of Maldives in November, 2018.
• This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the Maldives as Prime Minister and the first by an Indian head of state since 2011.
• Critics point out that even as Mr. Modi enthusiastically reached out to all of India’s neighbours after his election in 2014, he remained reluctant to engage with Mr. Yameen. They further point out that Prime Minister Modi’s planned visit to the Maldives, in March 2015, was cancelled as the political environment deteriorated under Mr. Yameen.
• It is important to note that in a strong endorsement of Mr. Solih’s victory, Mr. Modi underscored that the recent elections in the Maldives represented the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, the rule of law and a prosperous future.
• As a matter of fact, Mr. Modi made it clear that India desired “to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives”.

Points of engagement between the two countries:

• • Experts point out that Mr. Solih’s India visit has seen the two sides emphasise their traditionally close bond. He called India the island nation’s “closest friend” and “reaffirmed his government’s ‘India-First’ Policy”, committing to working together closely with India.

• India, for its part, announced a financial assistance package of $1.4 billion for the Maldives in the form of budgetary support, currency swap agreements and concessional lines of credit.

• Both India and the Maldives have agreed to ensure that they would keep other’s security interests in mind as they consolidate cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Further, they have agreed to strengthen maritime security cooperation in the IOR through coordinated patrol and aerial surveillance.
• Also, in an attempt to boost trade ties, Mr. Modi “welcomed the expanding opportunities for Indian companies to invest in the Maldives”. Areas such fisheries development, tourism, transportation, connectivity, health, education, information technology, new and renewable energy and communications were earmarked for enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Perspective on China

• Experts point out that it is important from India’s perspective that Mr. Solih succeeds in the Maldives. Also, under Mr. Yameen, the Maldives had veered too close to China for India’s comfort, welcoming Chinese money for major infrastructure projects and signing a controversial free trade agreement (FTA).
• India’s entreaties for political moderation and closer security ties were summarily ignored.
• China’s role in the Maldivian economy is under the scanner today amid growing concerns about the money the Maldives owes to China for infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese construction companies.
• These infrastructure projects include the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which connects Malé’s eastern edge to the western corner of the island of Hulhulé. It is now estimated that China’s loans to the Maldives total at least $1.3 billion, or a quarter of the island nation’s gross domestic product.
• Further, faced with this crisis, the new Maldivian government is looking to India for more budgetary support to help meet its development goals and is also planning to revise the FTA with China.
• Currently, the Modi government is also trying to ensure help reaches Male in time so that India regains some of its lost space in the Maldives’ foreign policy and politics.
• It is important to note that the Maldives has also made it clear that while the neighbourhood will clearly be a priority for the Solih government, China will continue to play an important role as an economic partner.
• Thus, experts point out that China is not going to disappear from the Maldivian foreign policy matrix and nor should India expect it to.
• However, the logic of geography dictates that India’s role will be critical in determining the trajectory of political developments in the Maldives.

 

Editorial Analysis:

• Experts point out that Mr. Solih’s government has adopted a different vision as compared to the previous dispensation.
• It is an approach anchored in decentralised and people-centric governance.
• Further, India seems to enjoy a special place in his worldview.
• Mr. Solih stressed that India is “our closest neighbour”.
• President Ram Nath Kovind reciprocated by tweeting: “India attaches the highest importance to its relationship with Maldives.”
• It is important to note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the only head of government present at Mr. Solih’s inauguration, on November 17, 2018.
• The joint statement issued during Mr. Solih’s visit reflects a fine balance between the interests of both countries.

India’s assistance to the Maldives:

• To help the Maldives address its budget deficit and development challenges, India has worked out a generous $1.4 billion assistance package. Its break-up and the period for which it is available have not been revealed yet. However, it is learnt reliably that much of the funding may be utilised for people-friendly projects in four domains: health care, education, water and sanitation.

• Besides this, India has offered visa facilitation that will allow Maldivians to visit India easily (with reciprocal facilities for Indian visitors to the Maldives); 1,000 “additional” training slots for the next five years; close cooperation on political and diplomatic issues; and support to the Maldives as it seeks to rejoin the Commonwealth and its entry into the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

• The visit resulted in the conclusion of four agreements relating to cooperation for information technology, culture, agri-business, and visa arrangements.

• • The new government in Male has also given assurances to be fully sensitive to India’s security and strategic concerns, in the light of reports that China has gained access to one or more islands for military purposes.

• On the valid ground that the security interests of both countries are “interlinked”, India and the Maldives have agreed to be mindful of “each other’s concerns and aspirations for the stability of the region”.

• • As a matter of fact, both India and the Maldives, now plan “to enhance maritime security” in the Indian Ocean Region.

• The expectation in India is that the Indian Navy and Coast Guard will now be able to secure better cooperation from the Maldives for coordinated patrolling, aerial surveillance and capacity building.

• Besides, intelligence agencies hope to revert to nurturing better collaboration in combating terrorism and other non-traditional security challenges. This is significant, considering that radicalisation is a live issue there. A sizeable number of Maldivian young men are reported to have left to join the Islamic State in Syria.
• The trade and investment facet of the bilateral relationship is of a modest nature, given the country’s small population.
• The annual value of bilateral trade is $200 million. India Inc., therefore, needs to be energised to increase its presence in the Maldivian market, despite the setback suffered by a private Indian firm when its contract was cancelled unceremoniously in December 2012.
• Experts point out that Mr. Solih did well by participating in a business event, hosted jointly by India’s three apex industry chambers. Mr. Solih’s message was clear: the Maldives is open for business again.

The Stakes in the Indian Ocean:

• • The deliberations in Delhi took place as China’s footprint in South Asia has increased in recent years. There is a growing realisation that, owing to China’s strategic objectives, economic capability and assertive diplomacy, it is not feasible for India to supplant China in neighbouring countries.
  • However, India has its own advantages, assets and friends. The intention is to leverage them fully, deriving benefit from the neighbours’ essential thirst for maintaining balance in their external relations.
  • It is also important to note that the change in the Maldives has been followed by a re-assertion of democratic impulses in Sri Lanka, as symbolised by the return of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister. India enjoys close relations with Mauritius and the Seychelles.

• Experts point out that a new grouping of India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Seychelles, focussed on maritime security and economic development, looks attainable in the short term.

Concluding Remarks:

• In devising a smart action plan to implement the SAGAR, or Security and Growth for All in the Region, strategy, that was announced by Mr. Modi in March 2015, New Delhi should accord equal importance to its two key goals: address its neighbours’ concerns on security challenges; and harness enticing opportunities for the Blue Economy. Even others such as South Africa, whose President is due to visit India in January 2019, and Kenya, much enthused from having hosted recently the first global conference on the sustainable Blue Economy, may be happy to join.
• In conclusion, India’s patient handling of the Maldives crisis over the last few years has positioned it well.
• Also, by coordinating its response with other like-minded regional and extra-regional players, India increased the costs for Mr. Yameen and also underscored that there are options available to the Maldives should it decide to move away from China. After a meeting of the ‘Quad’ countries in Singapore in November 2018, the U.S., for example, released a statement expressing support for the new Maldivian government.
• Going forward, experts point out that the Maldives would need the support of India as its challenges remain acute.
• Lastly, it is important to note that the institutional fabric of the country has been battered under Mr. Yameen’s assault even as the threat of Islamist extremism has grown in potency.
• It is believed that governance will continue to be challenging as the forces which came together to bring down Mr. Yameen may not be cohesive enough in running the nation and strengthening its democratic foundations.
• Finally, it is believed that India should not be deterred by temporary setbacks. Instead of perpetually viewing the dynamics from a China-centric perspective, it must keep its eyes firmly on the long term.
• It is important to note that the more invested India is in strengthening democratic institutions in its neighbourhood, the better returns it will get in its foreign policy.

1. Rare albino orangutan released back into the wild

Context

• The world’s only known albino orangutan has been released back into the jungle more than a year after she was found emaciated and bloody in a remote corner of Borneo, an Indonesian NGO said on Friday.

Albino Orangutan

• Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are currently found in only the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.
• The Bornean orangutan (has three subspecies), which along with the Sumatran orangutan are Asia’s only great apes, is classified by the IUCN as “critically endangered”.
• The creatures have seen their habitat shrink dramatically as the island’s rainforests are increasingly turned into oil palm, rubber or paper plantations, and are sometimes targeted by villagers who view them as pests.
• Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes and spend most of their time in trees.
• Fruit is the most important component of an orangutan’s diet; however, the apes will also eat vegetation, bark, honey, insects and even bird eggs.

2. Odisha’s KALIA to attack poverty

Context

• The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme amounting to ₹10,000 crore to accelerate agricultural prosperity in the State and to reduce poverty.

Details of the scheme

• KALIA is progressive, inclusive and will make a direct attack on poverty by way of massive investment in the agriculture sector and making benefits reach the most needy through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik briefing presspersons after the Cabinet meeting.
• KALIA scheme covers the cultivators, loanee, as well as non-loanee farmers, share croppers and landless agricultural labourers. It also specifically takes care of vulnerable agricultural families identified through gram panchayats and crop loans are made available at 0% interest.
• All the small and marginal farmers of the State (92% cultivators) will be covered under the scheme. An amount of ₹10,000 per family at the rate of ₹5,000 for Kharif and Rabi shall be provided as financial assistance for taking up cultivation.
• The farmers will have complete independence to take up interventions as per their needs. This component is not linked to extent of land owned and will greatly benefit share croppers and actual cultivators most of whom own very small extent of land.
• Under this initiative, 10 lakh landless households will be supported with a unit cost of ₹12,500 to take up activities like small goat rearing units, mini layer units, duck units, fishery kits for fishermen and women, mushroom cultivation and bee keeping.
• As regards financial assistance to vulnerable agriculture households and landless labourers, an annual financial assistance of ₹10,000 per household will be provided to take care of their sustenance. Deserving families will be identified and selected by gram panchayats. About 10 lakh households will be covered over two years.
• Further, life insurance cover of ₹2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of ₹2 lakh will be provided to both cultivators and agricultural labourers covering about 57 lakh households.

 

 

H. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

Question 1. With reference to National emergency, consider the following statements:

Question 2. With reference to Vice-President, consider the following statements:

Question 3. With reference to Constituent Assembly, which of the following statements is/are
 correct?