20 Oct 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. 1267 list of UN Security Council

Syllabus: Important International Institutions

Mains: Counter-terrorism initiatives by India

Context: China once again blocked proposals by India and the U.S. to designate Pakistan-based terrorists on the UN Security Council’s 1267 list of terror entities. 

Introduction: 

• China placed a “hold” on two joint India-US proposals, to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) top leaders including Talha Saeed and Shahid Mehmood, deputy chief of an LeT front at the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) 1267 list of terrorists affiliated to Al Qaeda and ISIS. 
  • As per the proposal, both Saeed and Mehmood were wanted for procuring funds and recruitment for the LeT/JuD (Jamaat-ud-Dawa), the group behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and other terror attacks in India.
  • Both are designated terrorists in India by the Union Home Ministry’s “UAPA” terror list, and in the U.S. on the U.S. Treasury’s list for their role in the LeT’s top leadership. 

Background:

• Since 2001, China has placed holds on a number of listing proposals majorly related to Pakistan-based groups and their leaders as both have close bilateral ties.
• Most notable was China’s objections to the listing of JeM founder Masood Azhar. 
  • China kept placing a hold on the UNSC terror listing proposals for Masood Azhar in 2009, 2010, and 2016-18, claiming it had “inadequate information” on Masood Azhar’s terror activities. 
• In May 2019, three months after the Pulwama attacks that were traced to the JeM, China finally withdrew its hold.
• Since June 2022, China has similarly blocked other India-U.S. proposals for terror listings, including those of LeT deputy chief Abdur Rahman Makki and Sajid Mir as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad deputy Rauf Asghar. 

What does “placing a hold” mean?

• The 1267 committee was first set up in 1999 and strengthened after the September 2001 attacks. It is now known as the Da’esh and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
• It comprises all permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
• It allows any UN member state to propose adding the name of a terrorist or terror group to a consolidated list, maintained by the Committee, that has affiliations to Al Qaeda and ISIS. 
• Once a listing is suggested, it will be added to the list using the “no objections” approach, which means that it cannot be adopted if any member of the Committee, which is made up of all members of the UN Security Council, puts a hold on it or expresses an outright opposition to it.
  • China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council has veto power and can put a hold on the list as long as it wants.
• The Committee must resolve all such pending issues within six months but can allow extensions.
  • This means, at the end of the six-month period, the “holding” country has to decide whether to accept the listing or place a permanent objection to it. 
• India has successfully proposed the listing of several terror entities including Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba. While China has blocked many of the listings, there are hundreds of names of terrorists and entities in Pakistan that pose a threat to India. 
• As a UN member state, Pakistan has an obligation under the sanctions to block access for all designated entities to funds, arms and travel outside its jurisdiction.
  • Even the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has placed Pakistan on the ‘grey list’ for failing to curb anti-terror financing from 2012-2015 and from 2018 again.
• India and the U.S. have built their own separate lists of “most wanted” terrorists that document the cases against them, with a view to eventually receiving global cooperation on banning them.

Nut Graf: China as a permanent member of the UNSC once again blocked proposals by India and the U.S. to designate Pakistan-based terrorists on the UN Security Council’s 1267 list of terror entities. India has called the move “politically motivated” and accused China of “doublespeak and double standards”.

E. Editorials

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. A new lease of LIFE for climate action

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

Prelims: About the LiFE initiative

Mains: Significance of the LiFE initiative and various other initiatives undertaken by India in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Context: According to the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2021-22, global human development measures have reduced across most countries in the past two years. 

Background

• The decline in the human development indices has come against the backdrop of a weak recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war fueling severe energy, food, and cost-of-living crisis and the crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. 
• Nine of the warmest years ever recorded have been witnessed in the last 10 years alone (years between 2013 and 2021). Also, the current year (2022) has been experiencing record levels of heat waves, floods, droughts, and other catastrophes. 
• Despite countries undertaking urgent and collective efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change as seen in the case of the Paris Agreement and the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the commitments which are in place currently are not sufficient to arrest the warming below the 1.5°C targets.
• In this context, the LIFE, or Lifestyle for Environment, announced by the Prime Minister of India at COP26 in November 2021, brings a new perspective.

LIFE, or Lifestyle for Environment initiative and its significance

• Instead of regarding climate change as a larger-than-life problem, the LIFE initiative acknowledges that small individual steps can help in balancing climate change.
• The LiFE initiative upholds the objectives of undertaking collective efforts to bring about positive change and protect the environment.
• The LiFE movement focuses on “mindful and deliberate utilisation” instead of “mindless and destructive consumption”.
• The key vision of the initiative is to encourage people across the world to adopt basic climate-friendly actions in their everyday lives and embrace an environmentally conscious lifestyle. These actions include:
  • Actions that save energy at home
  • Use of cycles and public transport instead of vehicles
  • Consuming more plant-based foods and less wastage
  • Leveraging the position of customers and employees to demand climate-friendly choices.
• Several goals of the LiFE initiative can be attained even by using gentle nudging or persuasion techniques such as discouraging the wastage of food by providing food on smaller plates and promoting various recycling techniques.

Read more about – Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative

India’s efforts to promote the objectives of LiFE initiative

• The Prime Minister of India along with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will launch a special environmental programme which is a part of the LiFE initiative at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
  • Through this, India is urging all the consumers around the world to become “Pro Planet People” by 2027 by adopting small lifestyle changes that can bring about revolutionary changes.
• Further, India has had a proven track record of manifesting the aspirations of national missions into society efforts. 
  • This can be seen in the case of the Swachh Bharat Mission, which mobilised communities across the country to become drivers of collective good health and sanitation irrespective of their socio-economic status. 
• India has assumed a lead in climate action on the international stage which crucial climate change mitigation efforts such as:
  • The announcement of Panchamrit targets at COP26.
  • Proposing and endorsing key initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and South-South cooperation platforms. 
  • India being the world’s fifth largest economy has made huge investments in the renewables and the electric mobility sector. 
  • India by using its scale, expertise and legitimacy has also been promoting key actions at various global organisations such as the UN, the G20 and G77.

Way forward

• The role played by consumers in fueling unsustainable production practices must be realised at the earliest.
• As per the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over 66% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to household consumption and lifestyles. 
  • This suggests that immediate cuts to global emissions can be achieved only through the widespread adoption of greener consumption habits.
• The LIFE mission recognises that accountability is relative to contribution and emissions by the poorest half of the world’s population accounts for less than 1% of that of the wealthiest half. 
  • Further, those who consume less are often the most vulnerable and marginalised communities of society. 
  • Thus it is not correct to persuade these communities to consume less, instead, they can be encouraged to participate in the green economy initiatives.
• The same can be seen in the case of developed and the developing world as the average carbon footprint of an individual in a high-income country is over 80 times more than that of an individual in a least-developed country.
  • Therefore, more obligations have to be accorded to the developed countries to support climate adaptation efforts and mitigation actions for those affected.
• Furthermore, on the sidelines of the upcoming COP27 and India’s tenure as the G20 President, a unique opportunity has been provided to India to assume the role of a leader in the global fight against climate change.

Nut graf: The LiFE initiative has gained global significance at a time when climate change is turning out to be a disruption multiplier in a disrupted world which is deteriorating the progress made across various Sustainable Development Goals, as it aims to promote and persuade individuals and communities to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle. 

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Just releasing positive indigenization lists won’t have the desired impact unless concrete changes are introduced on the ground in the defence manufacturing sector. Comment. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-3; Defence)
2. Critically analyse the role that India can play in leading the world towards achieving its goals of cutting down the impact of climate change. (250 words; 15 marks)(GS-3; Environment)

Read the previous CNA here.