07 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Bangladesh PM favours early solution for Teesta, other issues

Syllabus: India and its neighbourhood-relations.

Mains: Important outcomes of the India-Bangladesh bilateral meeting and the latest developments in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Context

During the latest visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister to India, both countries discussed various bilateral issues.

Details

• The Bangladeshi PM after meeting her Indian counterpart said that India is the most important and closest neighbour to Bangladesh as both the countries share over 54 common rivers and 4,000 kilometres of border.
• The Indian PM said that “In order to keep the spirit of 1971 alive, it is necessary that we confront those forces that want to hurt our common values.”
• The leaders of both countries signed about seven agreements that cover various sectors such as railways, science and technology, space cooperation, media, and water sharing.

Key outcomes of the bilateral meeting

• Discussion on Teesta Water Sharing Treaty: Various existing issues were discussed during the meeting including issues with the Teesta Water Sharing dispute.
  • The Teesta River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra river that flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before merging with the Brahmaputra in Assam and the Jamuna (Brahmaputra) in Bangladesh.
• Kushiyara water sharing agreement: The most significant outcome of the meeting was the signing of an agreement on the sharing of Kushiyara river water between the lower Assam and Sylhet region in Bangladesh. 
  • This is said to be the first such agreement in about 28 years after the conclusion of the Ganga Waters Agreement of 1996.
• Real-time information sharing: India further extended the timeline for sharing flood water-related information in real-time which will aid Bangladesh to address various challenges of annual floods.
• Railways: The Ministries of Railways of both countries signed an agreement that facilitates the training of personnel of the Bangladesh Railway in India.
• Rupsha rail bridge: Another important development is the inauguration of the Rupsha rail bridge which will play a key role in enhancing the connectivity between the countries.
  • The bridge will help connect Khulna with Mongla port and Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.
• Energy: the two countries announced Unit 1 of the Maitree power plant which is a 1,320-MW supercritical coal-fired thermal power plant in Rampal in the Khulna division of Bangladesh. 
  • This is expected to help Bangladesh counter the existing energy crisis and increase access to affordable electricity.
  • The project is being built at an estimated cost of over $2 billion out of which $1.6 billion will be in the form of Indian Development Assistance. 
• Discussions of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): Acknowledging that India is the largest market in Asia for Bangladesh’s exports and Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner and largest trade partner in the region, discussions over CEPA are expected to start soon.
• Rohingya issue: Rohingya issue was another key issue discussed between the two leaders and India will continue to support the safe return of Rohingya migrants in a secure and expedited manner.

Bangladesh shares wish list of defence equipment from India

• Bangladesh has shared a wish list of military platforms and systems that its armed forces would like to procure from India.
  • This is in line with the $500 million defence Line of Credit (LoC) extended by India to Bangladesh.
  • The LoC was extended in 2018 and is due for utilisation by April 2029.
• The wish list contains a wide range of equipment which include a floating dock, logistics ship, oil tanker and an ocean-going tug for the Bangladeshi Navy.
• Bangladesh through its vision of “Forces Goal 2030” is looking to modernise its armed forces by procuring new weaponry and improving infrastructure. 
  • This has provided an opportunity for India to help Bangladesh with its demands and improve the defence cooperation between them.
• The Bangladeshi Army has already approved the procurement of
  • Five Bridge Layer Tanks (BLT-72) at a cost of nearly $10 million
  • Seven portable steel bridges (Bailey) at a cost of over $2.2 million
  • 11 Mine Protective Vehicles from the Tata Group at a cost of nearly $2.2 million
• Other defence-related equipment proposed to be produced by Bangladeshi Army are:
  • Mahindra XUV 500 off-road vehicles
  • Door hardtop vehicles from Mahindra at a cost of nearly $2.35 million
  • Heavy recovery vehicles
  • Armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles
  • Bullet proof helmets
• India can contribute to the modernisation of Bangladeshi forces by offering artillery guns, mortars, rockets, missiles, support vehicles, electronic and engineering equipment, radars, helicopters, military rakes, and ship-building services.

Nut graf: Strong bilateral ties based on mutual trust and cooperation are extremely significant for both India and Bangladesh. In this context, all the outstanding issues in the bilateral relations must be resolved expeditiously in the spirit of friendship and cooperation.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: ECONOMY

1. For Vizhinjam, business as usual is not an option

Syllabus: Infrastructure: Ports

Prelims: Vizhinjam Port

Mains: Infrastructure – Ports; Environment and ecology

Context: Protest against the construction of the International Transshipment port by the Adani Group.

About the Vizhinjam port:

• Vizhinjam port is a deep water port.
• It is a significant port because:
  • It is proximate to east-west shipping routes.
  • It has a  natural undredged draft of around 20 metres.
  • It is suitable for large vessels making it a unique site.
  • Moreover, it can become a hub to earn income and drive economic growth just like the hubs of Dubai, Singapore, and Shanghai.

Source: Vizhinjam Seaport Limited

Issues with the port:

• Impact on Local Population: 
  • The revenue generation is at the cost of the local residents, as around 350 families lost their homes to coastal erosion in a span of one year. This will be further worsened with the new developments apart from the continuing coastal erosion and frequent cyclones in the region.
  • The livelihood of the local residents is severely affected.
• Impact on Ecology: 
  • The ecology of the region can be irreversibly destroyed and can trigger more hazards. 
  • Port development can also unleash the deterioration of marine biodiversity.
  • Coastal erosion and accretion can be exacerbated by the deepening of harbour channels in ecologically sensitive areas, as evident from the siltation in Chennai and Visakhapatnam ports. The risk is far greater in Vizhinjam because of the order of magnitude.
  • A study in 2017 warned about the fallout for the marine ecosystem and shoreline from the construction of breakwater and dredging. 
  • Similarly, a study showed that during the period of 2006-20, there was an erosion of around 2.62 square kilometres (approximately 650 acres) from the coast of Thiruvananthapuram alone.
  • The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai released a shoreline report which was based on beach profile and satellite analysis. The report highlighted significant erosion on the northern and southern coast of the port. Accretion was also reported during the port construction from 2015 to 2021.
  • Another study related to the shoreline changes in Kerala, which was conducted by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management attributes most of the drastic shoreline changes during 1972-2010 to the infrastructure development along its coast.
  • Also read: Coastal Erosion in India
• Issues with Project Documents:
  • A false premise is presented citing negligible siltation and minimum literal drift on the project site.
  • The documents do not address the impacts of the port on the marine ecosystem and biodiversity despite the fact that the Vizhinjam-Poovar stretch is a biodiversity hotspot and a marine protected area. 
  • Thiruvananthapuram has the highest percentage of erosion. However, these facts are ignored during environmental clearances.
• Concerns with EIA
  • The discussion of the impact on fauna, flora, and lakes in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is purely pro forma.
  • The EIA on the vital shoreline assessment (May 2013) has factual errors. For instance, there is no mention of the ecological consequences of the dismantling of two hills in the Western Ghats to provide rocks for the project.
• In addition to these, no funds have been allocated to maintain dredging.

Read more on Coastal Regulation Zone in the link.

Measures Ahead:

• High pollution penalties should be imposed on the creators of damage. 
• The borrower and the financier must ensure sufficient safeguards to avoid marine pollution and biodiversity destruction in case of large-scale infrastructure projects. 
• Moreover, the project must allocate enough funds to recognize the centuries-old rights of people on the sea and its resources. The very first order of business in case of infrastructure projects across the world is providing sufficient compensation to the displaced people and restoring their rights.
• Corrective action in the form of hard-engineering solutions like seawalls and soft responses like afforestation should also be adequately implemented.
• The gross neglect of the damage to marine biodiversity should be addressed by a proper EIA, including inputs from experts in ecology and oceanography. 
• In addition to the above points, an independent assessment of measures taken should be a prerequisite for any further construction work. This should be monitored by the port authorities.

Nut Graf:

As approximately two-thirds of Kerala’s coasts are eroding, adequate precautions are indispensable before proceeding with any development works in ecologically sensitive areas. It is extremely critical to have sustainable development with the scope of mid-course transformation.

G. Tidbits

1. SC asks Centre, States to allay EWS quota concerns

• A Constitution Bench consisting of five judges, led by the Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit is examining the validity of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which provides the 10% reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS) of society in government jobs and educational institutions.
• The Supreme Court bench asked the governments at the Centre and the States to address a list of concerns raised in the court over the granting of reservation on a purely economic basis and whether it is a violation of the Basic Structure of the Constitution to exclude the SCs, the STs and other most impoverished Socially and Educationally Backward Classes in the country from its ambit. 
• Economic reservation was introduced by amending Articles 15 and 16 of the constitution and adding clauses that empower the State governments to grant reservation based on economic backwardness.

For an in-depth understanding of the Reservation System in India, watch below:

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Critically examine the latest developments in India – Bangladesh relationship. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS II – International Relations)
2. The controversy surrounding the Vizhinjam port project highlights the need to put port development with coastal management on a sustainable track. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS III – Environment)

Read the previous CNA here.