UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 : Questions on Bonn Climate Change Conference and identification and deportation of illegal immigrants (Week 107)

QUESTION 1

Discuss how technology is transforming the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants, assessing both its benefits and limitations.

QUESTION 2

The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a crucial mid-year platform under the UNFCCC process. Discuss its role in shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance frameworks ahead of COP30.

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: Discuss how technology is transforming the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants, assessing both its benefits and limitations.

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

Introduction:

— Since Operation Sindoor began on May 7, Indian officials have “pushed back” about 2,500 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the international border.

— The government has not only set a 30-day deadline for verifying illegal immigration, but identified persons are currently being carried from various states to border outposts by Indian Air Force aircraft.

— This has, however, aroused concerns about due process, humanitarian difficulties, and pending litigation, particularly allegations of persons being abandoned in the no-man’s land between India and Bangladesh.

Body:

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

— Migration between what is now Bangladesh and India dates back to British times. The colonial administration encouraged settlement in the then sparsely populated Assam by bringing in labourers from Bengal and North India.

— Following partition, millions of East Pakistan refugees, predominantly Hindus, migrated to India. During Pakistan’s violent crackdown on Bengalis, over 10 million people, predominantly Hindus, sought asylum in India in 1971 alone.

— This inflow has resulted in major socio political turmoil, particularly in Assam. While the India-Bangladesh border is largely walled now, gaps remain and illegal migration continues, with Bangladeshi labourers noticeable in metropolitan labour markets across India.

— There is currently no official or commonly accepted figure for the number of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants in India, and estimates vary greatly.

The government has also pursued a more tech-driven approach to the problem:

— It developed the identification.mha.gov.in portal to collect biographic and biometric information from Rohingya immigrants. This was eventually expanded to cover Bangladeshi migrants as well.

— In 2023, the government redesigned this webpage as the Foreigners Identification webpage (FIP) to record more thorough profiles of suspected illegal immigrants. States/UTs and the Ministry of External Affairs now have access to the portal, which is used to upload and verify information about suspected illegal immigrants. If verification fails, expulsion is initiated with assistance from the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Offices (FRROs).

— In 2023, the government also launched a District Police Module on the Immigration Visa Foreigner Registration Tracking (IVFRT) portal to track overstaying foreigners.

— Biometric capture technology, including fingerprint scanners, cameras, and computers, has been installed throughout the BSF’s police stations, detention centres, and Border Outposts.

Conclusion:

— Currently, states including Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan are gathering up and transporting detected illegal immigrants to Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya border points. They are then “pushed back” across the border by the Border Security Force (BSF).

— However, the current effort represents a more organised, digitised approach to the issue of illegal migration. With biometric data now on the FIP, the government aims to check re-entry.

(Source: How latest drive to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants stands out)

Points to Ponder

Read about places in news in India and Bangladesh

Read about trade between India and Bangladesh

Related Previous Year Questions

India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development Programme (BADP) and Border Infrastructure and Management (BM) Scheme. (2024)

What are the internal security challenges being faced by India? Give out the role of Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies tasked to counter such threats. (2023)

QUESTION 2: The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a crucial mid-year platform under the UNFCCC process. Discuss its role in shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance frameworks ahead of COP30.

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

Introduction:

— The Bonn Climate Change Conference is an annual mid-year gathering held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international accord adopted in 1992 that serves as a foundation for climate negotiations.

— The conference is officially called the Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBs). It is the UNFCCC’s sole regular climate conference, in addition to the annual Conference of the Parties (COP).

Body:

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

— It is attended by members of SBs, which are committees that support the UNFCCC’s governing bodies in executing and assessing climate change accords. Indigenous representatives, international groups, scientists, and representatives from civil society all attend the summit.

— The meeting is held to examine technical and scientific aspects of climate discussions, as well as to determine the agenda for the COP, which typically occurs in November.

— The Bonn Climate Conference is also where the implementation of agreements reached at the previous COP is discussed.

— One of the main topics of discussion will be the Global objective on Adaptation (GGA), which is an attempt to create a shared global objective on adaptation, similar to how maintaining temperatures below the 1.5°C threshold is a global goal on mitigation.

— Although the GGA was established in the Paris Agreement in 2015, no major breakthrough occurred until COP28 in Dubai, when parties agreed on a framework for outlining global adaptation goals.

Conclusion:

— The meeting is led by the SBs of the UNFCCC. There are two permanent SBs of the UNFCCC, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

— SBI assists the UNFCCC governing bodies in the assessment and review of the implementation of their decisions, while SBSTA advises the governing bodies on scientific knowledge related to climate change.

(Source: Bonn Climate Change Conference begins: Everything you need to know)

Points to Ponder

Read more about Bonn Climate Conference

Read more about COP

Related Previous Year Questions

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (2023)

Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (2021)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 106)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 105)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 106)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 105)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 106)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 105)

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