08 Sep 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

08 September 2023 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Impact of RBI’s lending guidelines
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ART AND CULTURE
1. Disappearing languages, vanishing voices
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Finding Seoul in the Indo-Pacific
F. Prelims Facts
1. Delhi may turn venue for dialogue on reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative
2. What is heat index and why is it important to measure
3. African Union to join G-20, as Sherpas reach a deal
G. Tidbits
1. PM Modi presents a 12-point proposal  to expand India-ASEAN relations
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

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Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Finding Seoul in the Indo-Pacific

Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Mains: India – South Korea relations 

Context: Amidst 50 years of diplomatic ties, the Camp David summit offers a strategic reset, allowing India and South Korea to collaborate.

Significance of Camp David Summit:

  • Repairing Seoul-Tokyo Relations: The Camp David summit between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea signifies a positive shift in Seoul-Tokyo relations, addressing historical tensions.
  • Strengthening U.S.-Led Alliances: It contributes to a stronger U.S.-led alliance structure in East Asia, aligning with AUKUS, the Quad, and the CHIP 4 Alliance.
  • Regional Security Adaptation: The summit reflects an acknowledgement of the changing regional security environment, emphasizing the need for coordinated responses to emerging challenges.
  • Potential for Indo-Pacific Strategy: The summit opens opportunities for South Korea to reorient itself in the Indo-Pacific, aligning with the American perspective on China and deepening engagement in the region.
  • Departure from Passive China Policy: South Korea’s departure from its traditionally passive approach towards China underscores its willingness to address the growing Chinese military presence in the region, despite economic dependencies.

Opportunities for Delhi and Seoul:

  • South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Role: South Korea’s evolving strategic direction in the Indo-Pacific offers an opportunity for India to enhance its relations with Seoul.
  • Desire to Join the Quad: South Korea’s interest in joining the Quad reflects a growing desire for regional engagement and aligns with India’s interests.
  • “Global Pivotal State” Vision: President Yoon Suk Yeol’s foreign policy vision positions South Korea as a “global pivotal state,” creating avenues for partnership with India.

Potential Areas for Strengthened Cooperation:

  • Political and Diplomatic Engagement:
    • Annual Foreign Minister-level Summits: Regular high-level meetings between the foreign ministers of India and South Korea can facilitate strategic discussions, enhance mutual understanding, and provide a platform for addressing regional and global challenges.
    • 2+2 Format Dialogue: Exploring a 2+2 dialogue format, which involves meetings between the defence and foreign ministers of both countries, can deepen security cooperation and coordination on regional issues.
    • Reciprocal Visits by Leaders: Reciprocal visits by leaders, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, can strengthen personal rapport and political ties, fostering a closer partnership.
  • Critical and Emerging Technology:
    • iCET Initiative: Collaborating on a South Korea-Japan-India-U.S. initiative focused on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) can promote technological innovation, cybersecurity, and economic growth by sharing expertise and resources in this critical area.
  • Defence Collaboration:
    • Leveraging South Korea’s Expertise: South Korea’s advanced defence technology and capabilities can support India’s defence modernization efforts. Leveraging this expertise can include joint research and development projects, technology transfer, and collaborative defence production.
    • Co-production Opportunities: Exploring co-production opportunities for military equipment like the K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer and K2 Black Panther tanks can enhance self-reliance in defence production and promote economic cooperation.
  • Civilian Nuclear Reactors:
    • Clean Energy Cooperation: Collaborating on Korean-built civilian nuclear reactors can help India meet its growing energy demands while reducing carbon emissions. This partnership aligns with India’s commitment to clean and sustainable energy sources.
    • Addressing Legal Challenges: Both countries should work together to address challenges related to India’s nuclear liability law and international agreements, ensuring a conducive environment for the import and operation of Korean-built reactors in India.

Nut Graf: In commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations, India and South Korea have a prime opportunity to strengthen cooperation in multiple key areas. This includes political and diplomatic engagement through high-level summits, exploring critical technology initiatives, deepening defence collaboration, and fostering clean energy cooperation with Korean-built nuclear reactors. These strategic partnerships align with evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, ensuring mutual benefits and regional stability.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Delhi may turn venue for dialogue on reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative

Syllabus: GS 2- International relations

Prelims: Black Sea Grain Initiative

Reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI)

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres seeks to renew the BSGI during discussions at the G-20 Summit in Delhi.
  • The BSGI, facilitating grain exports from Russia and Ukraine, expired in July, prompting urgent negotiations.

Read more on the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI).

Key Leaders and Compromise Efforts

  • Prominent figures attending the G-20 Summit, including Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, EU leaders, and UN officials, aim to reach a compromise.
  • The objective is to enable the resumption of grain exports from blockaded Ukrainian ports at the earliest opportunity.

India’s Support and MEA’s Position

  • India expresses support for the BSI, although Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials claim to be unaware of specific sideline meetings related to the initiative at the G-20 Summit.

BSGI Background and Lapse

  • The BSI initially emerged to address potential shortages of wheat and sunflower oil during the Ukraine conflict but lapsed in July.
  • Russia refused to renew the deal, citing unfulfilled promises by Western countries.

UN’s Active Involvement

  • UN Secretary-General Guterres plays a proactive role in resolving the issue, with potential concessions involving greater access to financial markets for Russia.
  • In return, guarantees are sought to prevent Russia from threatening or bombing Ukrainian ships or ports involved in grain exports.

President Erdogan’s Involvement

  • Turkey’s President Erdogan, following his Russia visit, is expected to advance discussions regarding the BSGI during his meetings in Delhi.
  • He expressed optimism about reaching a swift solution.

New Proposals and Global Food Impact

  • Turkey and the United Nations collaborated on a fresh set of proposals for Russia to consider, with discussions on the way forward scheduled during their Delhi visit.
  • The BSGI includes agreements among Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN to resume grain and foodstuff exports and promote Russian food products and fertilisers globally.
  • Without these agreements, the world faces the risk of significant food inflation, especially impacting African nations, as Russia and Ukraine collectively account for a substantial share of global barley, maize, and wheat exports.

2. What is heat index and why is it important to measure

Syllabus: GS 3- Environment

Prelims: Heat Index

Iran’s Unprecedented Heat

  • In August, Iran experienced a record-breaking heat index of 70°C in its coastal region, leading to extreme conditions considered nearly unsurvivable.
  • Public holidays were declared in early August due to the unprecedented heat.

Repeat Occurrence of Extreme Heat

  • This year, Iran has faced multiple instances of extreme heat, including a heat index of 66.7°C recorded in July at the Persian Gulf Airport.

Understanding Heat Index

  • The heat index, or apparent temperature, gauges how hot the weather feels to humans and is influenced by both air temperature and relative humidity.

Calculating Heat Index

  • Dr. Robert Steadman of Colorado State University developed a complex formula in 1979 to calculate the heat index, considering factors like air temperature, humidity, wind, extra radiation, and barometric pressure.
  • The dew point, the temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture and condensation occurs, is a crucial element in this calculation.

Read more on Heat Index.

Importance of Measuring Heat Index

  • Heat index matters because higher temperatures increase the air’s moisture-holding capacity, affecting how humans perceive the temperature.
  • During heatwaves, humidity is often elevated, causing the heat index to surpass the actual air temperature.
  • High humidity can lead to heat stress, with symptoms including elevated heart rate, heat-related exhaustion, rashes, and potential fatalities if untreated.

Impact of High Humidity on the Body

  • High humidity impedes the body’s ability to dissipate excess heat through sweating and evaporation, as the air is already saturated with moisture.
  • In contrast, lower humidity allows for efficient sweat evaporation, making the apparent temperature closely align with the actual air temperature.
  • Thus, the heat index is a more accurate indicator of the heat’s impact on humans.

Adaptation to Extreme Heat

  • A heat index exceeding 67°C poses severe risks to people and animals with prolonged exposure.
  • In light of climate change, preparing for and adapting to such extreme conditions is crucial.
  • Strategies may include early warning systems, adjusting work schedules, and implementing sustainable cooling solutions to safeguard health and well-being.

3. African Union to join G-20, as Sherpas reach a deal

Syllabus: GS 2- International Relations

Prelims: African Union and G20

African Union to Join G-20

  • Negotiators at the Sherpa meeting near Delhi have agreed to the African Union’s (AU) membership in the G-20, making it the 55th member.
  • The AU will join the European Union as the only two regional bodies in the G-20.
  • The official renaming of the G-20 as the “G-21” is yet to be confirmed, but Indian officials see this development as a lasting impact of India’s efforts during its G-20 Presidency.

Ongoing Negotiations

  • Sherpas, representing G-20 leaders, will continue discussions at the Delhi G-20 venue until a draft declaration is agreed upon.
  • No G-20 summit has ended without a joint statement, and Indian officials aim to bridge gaps in the draft by the summit’s conclusion on Sunday.

Key Challenges

  • The primary challenge is resolving the “geopolitical issue” paragraph in the draft, particularly concerning United Nations General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
  • Disagreements persist in areas like climate financing, debt restructuring, fossil fuel phase-out deadlines, and carbon emission reductions.
  • Tensions between Indian and Chinese delegates have led to confrontations and debates over proposed initiatives and wording.

China and Russia’s Support for AU Membership

  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed China’s early support for the AU’s G-20 membership.
  • China views the AU as an important partner in strengthening global governance and international fairness.
  • Russia’s G-20 Sherpa also noted Moscow’s early support for the AU’s membership.

Continued Negotiations

  • While significant progress has been made, differences persist in various areas, necessitating ongoing negotiations.

G. Tidbits

1. PM Modi presents a 12-point proposal to expand India-ASEAN relations

  • During the annual ASEAN-India Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a comprehensive 12-point plan aimed at bolstering cooperation between India and ASEAN.
  • The proposal centred on areas such as connectivity, trade, digital transformation, and the establishment of a rules-based global order in the post-COVID era.
  • Modi also announced the creation of a multi-modal connectivity and economic corridor that would link Southeast Asia, India, West Asia, and Europe.
  • India extended an offer to share its digital public infrastructure stack with its ASEAN counterparts.
  • The proposal emphasised the significance of collaborative actions to counteract terrorism, the financing of terrorism, and cyber disinformation. Additionally, it advocated for addressing concerns relevant to the Global South in international forums.
  • During his speech at the East Asia Summit, Modi urged for cooperative efforts to strengthen the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. He championed the adoption of a robust code of conduct in the South China Sea that complies with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding fixed and floating interest rates:
  1. Fixed rates remain unchanged during the loan tenure.
  2. Floating rates are generally higher than fixed rates.
  3. Floating-rate loans may have prepayment penalties.

How many of the statements given above are incorrect?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: 

Fixed rates offer stability while floating rates vary with market conditions. Floating interest rates are generally lower than fixed interest rates, and they do not draw any prepayment penalty— unlike fixed-rate loans.

Q2. Consider the following statements about the African Union (AU):
  1. It was officially launched in 2002.
  2. It promotes the integration of African economies.
  3. The AU aims to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states

How many of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: 

The AU was launched in 2002. It aims to promote the integration of African economies, and it defends the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its members.

Q3. What was the primary objective of signing the Black Sea Grain Initiative?
  1. To promote trade in luxury goods
  2. To prevent shortages of essential commodities
  3. To enhance cultural exchange
  4. To boost tourism in the Black Sea region
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative aimed to avert massive shortages of wheat, sunflower oil, and other commodities due to the Ukraine conflict.

Q4. The 38th parallel divides which countries in East Asia?
  1. China and North Korea
  2. North Korea and South Korea
  3. South Korea and Japan
  4. Russia and North Korea
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: 

The 38th parallel divides North Korea and South Korea in East Asia.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the heat index:
  1. The heat index is solely determined by air temperature.
  2. High relative humidity results in a lower heat index.
  3. The heat index indicates how the human body perceives temperature.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: 

Statements 1 & 2 are incorrect. It is a combination of air temperature and relative humidity. High relative humidity actually results in a higher heat index.

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