Oct 8th The Hindu Imp News Articles & Editorial

Edition: International Table of Contents

Page 01 : GS 2 : International relations

India’s recent $750 million currency swap agreement with the Maldives aims to alleviate the island nation’s foreign currency crisis.

• This partnership emphasises India’s commitment to supporting the Maldives amid its economic challenges.
• The agreements signed also include launching the RuPay card and cooperation in various sectors, reinforcing people-to-people connections.

Analysis of the News

• Currency Swap Agreement
  • A currency swap agreement is a financial arrangement between two countries that allows one to exchange its currency for the other’s currency.
  • Under the $750 million agreement between India and the Maldives, $400 million will be available through the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and ₹3,000 crore under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework, providing financial assistance until 2027.
• How this helps Maldives
  • Foreign Exchange Stability: The swap agreement will help Maldives stabilise its foreign currency reserves, which are critically low, thus ensuring liquidity for international trade and payments.
  • Economic Recovery: With increased access to foreign currency, the Maldives can manage its foreign debt repayments more effectively, aiding in long-term economic recovery.
  • Boost Tourism: The agreement signals confidence in the Maldives’ economic stability, encouraging tourism—especially from India—one of its largest revenue sources.
  • Infrastructure Development: The financial assistance and ongoing projects like the construction of homes and the airport runway will stimulate job creation and infrastructure growth.
  • Strengthened Bilateral Ties: The agreement reaffirms India’s commitment as a reliable partner, offering not just financial support but also collaboration in security and trade sectors.

Page 07 : GS 3 : Science and Technology

Genetic editing, particularly through techniques like CRISPR, allows precise modifications in DNA, holding immense promise in treating cancer.

• This technology can correct mutations, personalise treatments, and overcome drug resistance.

What Is Genetic Editing?

• Genetic editing is a process that involves altering the DNA of living organisms to modify specific genes.
• Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 allow scientists to add, remove, or modify genetic material at precise locations within the genome.
• It is used in research, medicine, and agriculture to correct genetic mutations, study disease mechanisms, or enhance traits in organisms.
• In medical science, genetic editing holds great potential for treating genetic disorders by targeting defective genes directly and restoring their normal function, making it a promising tool for future therapies.

How Genetic Editing Can Help in Cancer:

• Correcting Mutations: Genetic editing can target and correct specific mutations responsible for causing cancer.
• Identifying Drug Targets: It allows researchers to understand the role of genes in cancer progression and identify new drug targets.
• Personalised Therapies: Genetic editing can be used to develop therapies tailored to an individual’s genetic profile, improving treatment outcomes.
• Drug Resistance: By studying cancer cells’ responses to treatments, genetic editing can help overcome drug resistance in therapies like chemotherapy.
• Early Detection: Gene editing tools can help identify early genetic changes that predispose individuals to cancer, enabling preventive measures.

UPSC Prelims PYQ : 2019

Ques: What is Cas9 protein that is often mentioned in news?

(a) A molecular scissors used in targeted gene editing

(b) A biosensor used in the accurate detection of pathogens in patients

(c) A gene that makes plants pest-resistant

(d) A herbicidal substance synthesized in genetically modified crops

Ans: (a)

Page 10 : GS 2 : Governance

On October 3, the Supreme Court declared caste-based division of labour in prisons as unconstitutional, violating prisoners’ fundamental rights.

• Provisions in State prison manuals, which reinforced caste inequalities, were struck down.
• The court directed States and Union Territories to amend these manuals and ensure compliance within three months.

Colonial Legacy in Prison Manuals

• The court noted that prison manuals continued to reinforce colonial stereotypes, such as labelling certain communities as “habitual offenders.”
• These stereotypes originated from colonial laws like the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, which stigmatised marginalised communities.

Fundamental Rights Violation

• The court ruled that using caste as a basis for segregation and labour division in prisons violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.
• Assigning cleaning duties to marginalised castes while reserving cooking for higher castes was considered direct discrimination under Article 15(1).
• These practices were also seen as perpetuating untouchability, prohibited by Article 17, and restricting prisoners’ right to dignity and reformation.

Court Directions and Reforms

• The Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to amend their prison manuals within three months to eliminate such discriminatory practices.
• It also ordered reforms to the Union government’s Model Prison Manual, 2016, and the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023, to address similar issues.
• District legal services authorities and boards of visitors were instructed to ensure compliance through regular inspections.

UPSC Prelims PYQ

Ques: With reference to India, consider the following statements:

1. When a prisoner makes out a sufficient case, parole cannot be denied to such prisoner because it becomes a matter of his/her right.
2. State Governments have their own Prisoners Release on Parole Rules.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither I nor 2

Ans: b)

Page 11:  GS 3 : Indian Economy – Infrastructure

As India’s urban population grows, adopting high-performance buildings (HPBs) can address sustainability challenges and meet climate goals.

• HPBs optimise energy efficiency and enhance occupant well-being, positioning them as vital for future urban development.

Importance of Sustainability in the Building Sector

• Buildings contribute significantly to global emissions, especially in rapidly growing cities.
• They account for 40% of total global energy consumption over their lifespan, leading to about 28% of energy-related carbon emissions.
• In India, buildings use over 30% of national energy and generate 20% of carbon emissions.
• As urbanisation increases, the demand for sustainable construction becomes more urgent to meet climate goals.

High-Performance Buildings (HPBs)

• HPBs aim to reduce environmental impact and improve occupant comfort, exceeding basic regulatory requirements.
• Unlike green buildings, which focus on certification and meeting sustainability benchmarks, HPBs emphasise peak efficiency in all aspects of their design.
• HPBs use advanced technologies like energy-efficient HVAC systems, smart lighting, greywater recycling, and real-time performance monitoring.

Benefits of High-Performance Buildings

• HPBs offer both environmental and operational benefits, helping buildings achieve long-term efficiency.
• Smart systems enable continuous monitoring, ensuring resource optimization and extending the lifespan of building systems.
• These buildings have higher property values and lower maintenance costs due to better design and automation.
• They also promote occupant well-being through superior air filtration, natural light, and thermal comfort.

HPBs and Urban Development in India

• HPBs help cities manage resource scarcity and rising temperatures by promoting resilience and self-sufficiency.
• They reduce the strain on public infrastructure and foster healthier indoor environments.
• By adopting HPBs, India can transition to a low-carbon economy while addressing the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
• HPBs are future-proof investments, delivering value while addressing environmental and economic pressures.

Location In News : English Channel

Several people, including a child, died trying to cross the English Channel from France to England, the French Interior Minister said recently.

About English Channel:

• It is a narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean.
• It separates the southern coast of England (part of Great Britain) from the northern coast of France.
• The channel and the North Sea are connected by the Strait of Dover in the east.
• The current name, “English Channel,” dates back to the 18th century. Before then, the English mostly referred to the waterway as a “Narrow Sea.”
• The French refer to the Channel as “la Manche” because of its sleevelike shape.
• With an area of some 29,000 square miles (75,000 square km), it is the smallest of the shallow seas covering the continental shelf of Europe.
• It is 350 miles (560 kilometers) long. At its widest point, it is 150 miles (240 kilometers) across. At its narrowest, it is only 21 miles (34 kilometers) across.
• It is a shallow waterway with an average depth of 63 m.
• Climate: Temperate maritime climate, with warm summers and cold winters.
• The main islands are the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands (a collection of islands including Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark).
• It is one of the world’s busiest shipping areas, linking southern England, the United Kingdom to northern France.
• It accounts for up to 20% of the global maritime trade and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea.

Page : 08 Editorial Analysis

Context :

• India’s participation in the Quad Leaders’ Summit and its diplomatic engagements with Russia highlight its delicate balancing act between strategic alliances with the U.S., Russia, and China.
• As Russia strengthens ties with China, India navigates complex geopolitical dynamics while emphasising strategic autonomy.
• India also seeks a role in global conflict resolution.

Introduction: Changing Realities in West Asia                      

• Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s participation in the sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. on September 21, 2024 has raised further hopes of consolidating security cooperation among the “four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific”.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s Trip to Russia

• BRICS Trip: Ajit Doval’s trip to Russia in early September for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) NSA meeting, which included a high-profile personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that needs greater analysis.
• Meetings with Chinese: Doval also held one-on-one parleys with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which was equally significant since India is leaving no stone unturned to resolve the four-year-old military standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• India’s Current Diplomatic Strategies: India is currently busy bargaining with China, and protecting its interests while trying to keep the U.S. engaged in maintaining a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
  • The fundamental idea behind the Quad (Australia, Japan, India and the U.S.) is the creation of a strategic consortium of principles, interests and purposes that would not only strengthen each country individually but would also be capable of jointly countering the revisionist challenge to the existing global order.
  • This is where India’s relations with Russia become significant since Moscow is a bitter opponent of the Quad.

Role of peace maker

• Current challenges faced: It is not easy for India’s security managers and diplomats to make this complex game work in New Delhi’s interest.
  • Doval has a reputation for being imaginative, nimble and persuasive.
  • The Doval-Putin meet, where Mr. Doval conveyed Mr Modi’s Ukraine peace plan, may be interpreted as India’s attempt to cross the psychological Rubicon in great power diplomacy.
• Initiating peace: There is little doubt about India’s willingness, as an aspiring global power, to shoulder the responsibility in peace making which may include the meaningful role of a dialogue facilitator or an interlocutor, if not mediator.
• The Doval-Putin meet: was after Mr. Modi’s first-ever visit to Ukraine in August, and to Moscow in July.
  • In particular, the Russia visit had drawn scathing criticism from Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s request: But despite its criticism of Indian policies, Ukraine, on many occasions, has asked New India to help resolve the conflict.
• Meeting with French President: Doval subsequently met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, on the sidelines of annual India-France Strategic Dialogue, to apprise him of India’s mediatory efforts.

Factors suggesting India’s involvement

• Many factors have prompted India to insert itself into global peace-making initiatives, and India’s Russia dilemma is the most important of them.
• While India’s strategic relationship with the U.S. is relatively new, India-Russia relations have endured for over six decades, and New Delhi has no appetite to relinquish the military advantages that come with this relationship.
• But since the war in Ukraine has triggered Russia’s total break with the West, Moscow’s pivot toward China has become even more pronounced.
• Functioning more or less as the junior partner of China, Russia has been struggling to preserve its partnership with India since its leverage with China has steadily shrunk due to fierce military resistance by Ukraine.

The need for correction

• From an Indian perspective, this needs correction because the Russia-China economic-military ties are getting too close to be ignored by New Delhi.
• West in agreement with Russian oil: The West may have reconciled itself to India’s purchase of Russian oil at discounted rates as well as New Delhi’s silence on Russian aggression in Ukraine. Nevertheless, India’s demonstration of independent foreign policy comes with a normative cost.
• Issues with India’s indifference: The West has come to view India as being blatantly indifferent on issues which are so consequential for the remaking of the global order after the Ukraine conflict shattered the remnants of the post-Cold War landscape.
• India resetting ties: By attempting to play a meaningful role in resolving an intractable conflict of epic global proportions, India can hope to reset the terms of its engagement with the West and Russia.
• Playing a role of conflict resolution: Even though some voices would treat it as an attempt to please Washington, others would sound equally compelling in arguing that India is merely emphasising its strategic autonomy while buttressing its position as ‘Vishwa Bandhu’, or a friend to the world.

Russia’s China embrace

• Friendly and Cooperative Relationship with the U.S.: What has been the hallmark of India’s foreign policy under Mr. Modi’s leadership during the last one decade is a friendly, cooperative and sometimes transactional relationship with the U.S., and a non-adversarial, non-ideological and dispassionate relationship with Russia.
• Non-Adversarial Relationship with Russia: However, Russia’s foreign policy under Mr. Putin has been primarily driven by two key objectives:
  • a deepening Moscow-Beijing nexus and the promotion of a multi-polar world order which would counter the hegemonic dominance of the western bloc led by the U.S. Mr. Putin’s anti-western strategy includes both China and India as close allies.
  • But India is unwilling to oblige as its strategic priorities do not fully align with those of Russia or China.
• Russia’s Partnership with India: Russia’s apparent unwillingness to diminish its partnership with India should have been predicated on the preservation of a reasonable balance of power between India and China and the avoidance of any major conflict between them.
• Disproportionate Attention to China: But the Russians have failed to give the same degree of concentrated attention to India which they have given to China.
  • If Moscow’s pursuit of closer ties with Beijing has been driven by a shared geopolitical contest with Washington, Russia’s ties with India have lacked a similar motivation.

New Delhi’s perspective on Russia

• Exhausted sefulness of Moscow: Consequently, New Delhi is increasingly finding Moscow’s usefulness largely exhausted due to Russia’s deepening China connection.
• Security difficulties with China: China has not only been engineering many of India’s security difficulties on their Himalayan borders but is also trying to profit from them.
  • The most damaging has been the active support to Pakistan in elevating terrorism as a legitimate tool of statecraft.
• Exasperation with Russian diplomacy: In the Indian world view, Russia’s prioritisation of China in its foreign policy has lent Russian diplomacy an exasperating character.

Complications in Russia-India Relations

• Impact of Russia’s break with the U.S.: Russia’s break in its relations with the U.S. has pushed Moscow into a tighter embrace with Beijing, at a moment when relations between India and China are yet to be normalised.
• Unfulfilled ambitions: Russia’s ambitions of posing a serious challenge to American primacy by asserting a leadership role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS also remain unfulfilled.
• Complications due to the Ukraine War: With the Ukraine war, Russia’s task of managing its relationship with India has become considerably more complicated.
• This is what makes India concerned about it, leading to the rebalancing of India’s great power relations.

From past to present : Bold Rebalancing

• No need for a full-fledged alliance: This bold rebalancing does not necessarily require anything as far reaching as a full-fledged India-U.S. alliance.
• Turning away from nostalgic images: It requires our collective ability to turn increasingly away from the nostalgic images of Russia protecting India from the machinations of the Pakistan-U.S.-China nexus in the Bangladesh war.
• Concerns over average: There is much scepticism about the merits of India’s peace efforts when the war between Russia and Ukraine is showing no signs of de-escalation.
  • The argument is that New Delhi does not really have the leverage to push either side to the negotiating table.
• Indian leadership’s approach to mediation: Nor has the Indian leadership been accustomed to incur the displeasure of both parties in mediation efforts.
• Justification for Mediation Efforts: But that should not be the justification for not trying to play the game of mediation.
• Doval’s Diplomatic Interactions: Symbolically as well as practically, Mr. Doval’s publicly advertised and deft diplomatic interactions with Mr. Putin and Mr. Macron herald a new foreign policy dynamic in which conflict resolution efforts are viewed as a vital component of India’s strategic autonomy.

Conclusion

• In the end, the U.S.’s desire of seeing a ruined Russia is something India is not able to accept. It is also imperative for New Delhi to preserve the gains of the last two decades by fortifying its strategic partnership with the U.S.
• While the U.S. is undoubtedly the key player in the Quad, India too understands its underlying agenda, and accepts its fundamental features.
• New Delhi is aware of the structural impediments that stand in the path of any farreaching development of India-China relations, and has no emotional commitment to their early improvement at strategically prohibitive cost.