UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on India-U.S. ties and Assam Accord (Week 71)

QUESTION 2

Evaluate the evolution of India-U.S. relations during Joe Biden’s presidency. Discuss the key milestones achieved, the strategic partnerships developed, and the implications of these ties for regional stability and global geopolitics.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: What is Clause 6 of the Assam Accord? How does its implementation reflect the broader issues of migration, identity, and federalism in India?

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Clause 6 of the accord states that “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.”

— The historic Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement between the Rajiv Gandhi-led Union government and the leadership of the Assam Movement, primarily the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which was signed in 1985.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— In July 2019, the Union Home Ministry constituted a 14-member committee chaired by retired Assam High Court Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma, and comprising judges, retired bureaucrats, writers, AASU leaders and journalists, to suggest ways to implement the clause.

— The committee finalised its report in February 2020. Among the key recommendations made by the committee was that the definition of “Assamese people”, for the purpose of implementing Clause 6, should include “Indigenous Tribals”, “Other Indigenous Communities of Assam”, “Indian citizens residing in the territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951” and their descendants, and “Indigenous Assamese” people.

— Based on this, the committee made several recommendations for reservations for “Assamese people”, including in Parliament, the state Assembly, local bodies, and jobs.

Implementation

— The state government has accepted 1951 as the “cut-off date” for the specific recommendations of the report. He said, however, that this definition of “Assamese people” is confined to only the context of the report’s recommendations.

— The 52 recommendations in the first two categories will be implemented by April 2025, for which the state government will submit a roadmap to AASU by October 25 this year.

— These 52 recommendations largely deal with safeguards on language, land, and cultural heritage. Some key recommendations include:

Land

— Creating Revenue Circles where only “Assamese people” can own and possess land, and transfer of such land in these areas are limited to them alone;

— Carrying out a special survey of char areas (riverine regions along the Brahmaputra), and for newly created chars to be treated as government land, in which river erosion-affected people should get priority in allotment;

Language

— Making it compulsory for all state government acts, rules, orders, etc. to be issued in Assamese along with English;

— Constituting an Autonomous Language and Literature Academy/Council of Assam to preserve and promote all indigenous languages of Assam;

Conclusion:

— Some of the most sensitive recommendations by the committee, however, do not find mention in the 52 points listed by the state government.

— Among them are the introduction of an Inner Line Permit for entry into Assam as is in place in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram, as well as numerous reservations for “Assamese people”. There was also a recommendation for the creation of an Upper House (the Legislative Council of Assam) which would be completely reserved for the “Assamese people”.

(Source: What is Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which Himanta govt said will implement? by Sukrita Baruah)

Points to Ponder

Assam Accord

Article with reference to the special provisions to Assam

Related Previous Year Question

“The local self government system in India has not proved to be an effective instrument of governance”. Critically examine the statement and give your views to improve the situation. (2017)

QUESTION 2: Evaluate the evolution of India-U.S. relations during Joe Biden’s presidency. Discuss the key milestones achieved, the strategic partnerships developed, and the implications of these ties for regional stability and global geopolitics.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The Biden presidency has had major consequences for India-US relations. Following an hour-long conversation with Prime Minister Modi last week, the President stated that his country’s alliance with India is “stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history.”

— President Biden expressed deep appreciation for India’s global leadership, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G-20 and the Global South, as well as his commitment to strengthening the Quad to secure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— In 2006, three years before becoming President Obama’s Vice President, Biden stated his vision for India-US relations. “My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States,” he told reporters.

— In 2008, then-Senator Biden collaborated with Democrats and Republicans to pass the landmark India-US nuclear deal through Congress.

— As Vice President, Biden continued to try to strengthen India-US ties. He travelled to India with his wife Jill in 2013.

— In 2021, Biden moved the Quad to the highest level of international diplomacy, that of leaders. Since then, Biden and PM Modi have met six times as leaders, four of them in person. At the bilateral level, the two have interacted at least 10 times, including twice virtually.

Some recent developments

US-India technology cooperation

— Both countries wanted to de-risk themselves from future China-related disruptions, and become a part of a resilient global supply chain. On January 31, 2023, the two National Security Advisers launched the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in Washington to facilitate strategic technology collaborations in critical and emerging technologies, and enable co-development and co-production in the tech sphere.

Agreement for setting up a semiconductor fabrication plant in India

— India and the United States signed an agreement for setting up a semiconductor fabrication plant in India, which would make chips for use in “national security, next generation telecommunications and green energy applications”.

Watershed arrangement

— Both countries have hailed the “watershed arrangement” in which the US military has agreed to a partnership with India on highly valued technology.

Conclusion:

— The headwinds in India-US relations cannot be ignored. The purported assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan separatist living in the United States, has been a particularly contentious matter in recent months.

— The Leaders urged their governments to step up efforts to resolve export regulations, boost high-technology commerce, and lower obstacles to technology transfer between our two nations, all while addressing technology security, especially through the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue.

(Source: How India-US ties progressed under the Joe Biden presidency by Shubhajit Roy)

Points to Ponder

Important India-US deals/agreements

India-US trade

Related Previous Year Questions

What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (2020)

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is transforming itself into a trade bloc from a military alliance, in present times Discuss. (2020)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 69)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 70)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 70)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 69)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 71)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 70)

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