28 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

C. GS 3 Related

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. The NASA spacecraft-asteroid collision

Syllabus: Awareness in the fields of Space

Prelims: About NASA’s DART

Mains: Significance of DART mission and the prospects of the kinetic impact technique

Context

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with the space rock named Dimorphos on 27th September 2022.

DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft 

• NASA’s DART mission is aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects.
• DART is a joint project between NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). 
• DART Spacecraft is about 600 kilograms.
• The DART mission was launched in November 2021 from Vandenberg Space Force base in California through a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
• The spacecraft uses the “kinetic impact technique” to deflect the trajectory of space objects which is also called the “kick” method.
• The DART spacecraft also carried a high-resolution DRACO (Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation) camera to observe the collision and its impact.
• Further, a small Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube) which was built by the Italian Space Agency was also ferried along with DART.
  • LICIACube is equipped with a camera and it relays pictures of the impact.

The mission

• The objective of the mission was to crash the DART spacecraft into the space rock named Dimorphos which is about five billion kilograms in mass.
• The mission is regarded as a “suicide mission” as the spacecraft will be completely destroyed.
• Dimorphos is a moon of a slightly larger asteroid called Didymos. 
  • Didymos is about 780 m at its widest, whereas Dimorphos is about 160 metres.
  • Scientists chose the Dimorphos as the target because of its relatively shorter orbit around Didymos. The deviation in this orbit would be more noticeable and easier to measure.

• The spacecraft crashed at a speed of about 23,760 kilometres per hour with momentum sufficient enough to slash the angular momentum of Dimorphos, making it speed up and move closer to Didymos.
• This kinetic impact technique used has successfully deflected the trajectory of the pair of space rocks.
• This mission has demonstrated the ability to redirect a potentially dangerous asteroid from its impact on the earth.
• Further, NASA also tracks and monitors close to 26,115 asteroids whose orbits are dangerously close to the earth.

Future prospects of the kinetic impact technique

• China is expected to employ the technique to deflect an earth-crossing asteroid named 2020 PN1 sometime in 2026.
• One of the key challenges of mining rare earth elements has been the high environmental costs associated with it.
  • Rare earth elements such as yttrium, niobium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and scandium are crucial for developing green energy technologies.
  • However, the “kick” method can be used to deflect asteroids and move them into a convenient position for space mining.
  • NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which has now been shelved, aimed to bring a 20-tonne space rock near earth to study and mine.
• Also, collecting samples from space objects play an important role in space studies. There can be a technique devised to collect the space debris after the collision of spacecraft.
  • The robotic Soviet Luna 16 in the 1970s, U.S. Apollo missions and China’s first lunar sample-return mission, Chang’e 5 have brought back lunar soil. 
  • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s Hayabusa 1, 25143 Itokawa, the Hayabusa 2 and 162173 Ryugu, and NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex to near-earth asteroid Bennu are missions to extract and return samples from asteroids.
  • Similarly, NASA’s Stardust spacecraft returned with the dust collected from comet Wild-2 captured by an aerogel-based sample collector in 2004.

Nut graf: The successful demonstration of the kinetic impact technique by the DART mission has not just shown the ability of mankind to save humanity from a potentially catastrophic collision of an asteroid but has also fueled space mining technologies which can unlock a new potential of the space economy.

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Permanent membership of the UNSC is another story

Syllabus: Important International institutions, their structure, and mandate.

Mains: UNSC reforms.

Prelims: United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

Context: UNSC reforms and permanent membership for India in the council.

Background Details:

• Almost 25 years ago, the nuclear weapons club had a total of five member countries. These five countries are the same as the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often referred to as P-5. These countries are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• However, India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan also became nuclear-weapons-equipped countries.
• India has actively called for reforms in UNSC in the past few years and is constantly demanding permanent membership. Indian External Affairs Minister has proposed text-based negotiations instead of verbal references.

For more information on UNSC reforms, read here: The United Nations Security Council Reforms – UPSC Notes (GS II)

Veto Powers of P-5:

• While drafting the Charter of the United Nations in 1944-45, the article related to Security Council and specifically the right to vote underwent maximum debates, discussions, and controversy. 
• The British representative suggested that the United Nations will either have the provision of veto or there would be no United Nations. The other participating countries (there was a total of 50) had to accept the first option. 
• Even today there is a considerable amount of unhappiness about the veto powers among the other members of the UNSC. 
• Incidents of the use of the Right to Veto: 
  • Russia has used the veto a maximum number of times in comparison to the other three western countries. The number is estimated to be 120 or nearly half of all the vetoes cast.
  • The western countries have used their veto power multiple times to protect Israel in the Israel-Palestine question. They have also used it to prevent sanctions on the apartheid regime of South Africa. 

Expanding P-5:

• The declared candidates for permanent membership are: Brazil, Germany, Japan, and  India often referred to as G-4. 
• At present Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean are unrepresented in the permanent category. And thus Africa’s claim for two permanent seats is widely understood and supported. 

Challenges for the proposed candidates:

• Africa has not yet decided on the countries for permanent membership.
• In the case of India, apart from Pakistan’s opposition, China’s support cannot be expected. 
• China will never support Japan’s membership also.
• Brazil has regional claimants and opponents.
• Italy firmly opposes Germany’s claim with an interesting argument that if both the axis power of the Second World War (Germany and Japan) join as permanent members, then Italy would be left out. 
• The P-5 countries are rigidly opposed to any sort of dilution of their privileged position. Moreover, they are also opposing the conferring of Veto power to any new permanent member.
• Even the vast majority of other members are also apprehensive about more veto-wielding members in UNSC.
• The consent of two-thirds of the total membership of the UN along with the concurring votes of P-5 is required to amend the charter and expand the membership. This implies that each of the P-5 members will have the right to veto.
  • The charter of the UN has been amended only once in the 1960s, to expand the council by additional non-permanent seats.

Future Course of Action:

• India needs to be cautious about the veto power. It should be noted that Russians have bailed India out on many occasions like the Kashmir question. Moreover, Russia also helped India by vetoing unfavourable resolutions during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
• Some experts have suggested the creation of a new category of semi-permanent members. Countries under this category would be elected for a period of eight to ten years. India can consider this idea. However, there are counterarguments to this suggestion also.
• There is a proposal that a resolution should be defeated by a negative vote of at least two P-5 members, which can also be considered.

Also read: UNSC & Permanent Seat for India: RSTV – Big Picture

Nut Graf: Though countries are pitching for expansion of the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, there are many roadblocks in the path ahead. India needs to adopt a cautious approach apart from garnering support from other countries.

2. Energising India-Nepal ties, the hydropower way

Syllabus: India and Neighbourhood relations.

Mains: India-Nepal relations.

Prelims: SR-6 project.

Context: India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop West Seti and Seti River (SR6) projects.

Details:

• Investment Board Nepal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited to develop the 1200 MW West Seti and Seti River (SR6) projects.
• China was developing the project earlier but withdrew it four years back.
• The project was first proposed in the 1980s and was started by a French company. The project could not see the light of day and was transferred to an Australian firm. Due to environmental clearance and investment issues, it finally shifted to China. Later, Nepal domestically started working on the project. 
• After changing many hands, Nepal has now collaborated with India to develop the SR 6 project.

India-Nepal Engagement and its Significance:

• Some of the projects of India and Nepal are:
  • Mahakali Treaty (6,480 MW)
  • Upper Karnali Project (900 MW)
  • Three projects of Arun (900MW) in eastern and western Nepal.
• Nepal has reposed its trust in India by signing the MoU. Once completed, it will provide India with the leverage in future hydropower cooperation with Nepal.
• It will also help India in minimizing the geopolitical influence of China on Nepal. It should also be noted that the West Seti Hydroelectric Project was a major Chinese venture under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• The hydropower projects also have the potential to boost cross-border power exchanges between the two neighbours.
• Nepal has a huge hydropower potential of 83,000 MW but still faces power shortages in peak season. Nepal’s electricity exports to India have the potential to increase foreign exchange and address the challenge of power shortage. If the country can fully harness its hydropower potential it can generate revenue of ₹310 billion by 2030 and ₹1,069 billion per year by 2045 by exporting electricity to India.
• Owing to the ever-increasing energy demand in India, the Government of India is compelled to arrange for alternative energy sources. The West Seti Project can also help India in this regard.

For more information on India-Nepal relations, read here: India-Nepal Relations

Way Ahead:

• As the project has been delayed because of investment-related constraints there should be a cautious study of the investment environment, resettlement and rehabilitation cost, and distribution and transmission network.
• Nepal has raised concerns regarding the inadequacy of electricity rates and supply from India. Though various steps have been taken in this regard like a revised percentage share of energy, further steps should also be taken to address domestic demand in Nepal. 
• To boost cross-border energy cooperation, the project can also be extended to other regional countries under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) framework. For instance, the combined hydropower potential of Nepal, Bhutan, and Northeast India can create a robust cross-border energy market. 

Also read: AIR Spotlight – Indo-Nepal Relations

Nut Graf: The recent agreement on the SR-6 project between India and Nepal has opened new gates in the bilateral relations between the two neighbours. The project is equally significant for both countries in energy security and is a potential win-win situation at the regional level.

Q1. Consider the following statements with regards to the appointment of High 
Court judges in India: (Level – Medium)

Q2. Consider the following statements with regards to Dadasaheb Phalke Award: 
(Level – Difficult)

Q3. Consider the following statements with regards to the forests in India: (Level – Medium)

Q4. Consider the following statements: (Level – Easy)

Q5. In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in 
others because (Level – Medium) PYQ (2019)

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. ‘NASA’s DART program has the potentiality to avert the extinction of the humankind on Earth.’ Elucidate. (150 words, 10 marks) (GS III – Science and Technology)
2. ‘The Labour Bureau’s AQEE survey is indicative of post COVID-19 economic recovery.’ Discuss. (150 words, 10 marks) (GS III – Economy)