UPSC Essentials: Weekly news express with MCQs— World’s fifth biggest economy to UN High Seas Treaty

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III- Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Why in news?

— India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy after it overtook the United Kingdom in end-March 2022, according to the latest calculations by Bloomberg.

Key takeaways

— India leaped past the UK in the final three months of 2021 to become the fifth-biggest economy. The calculation is based in US dollars, and India extended its lead in the first quarter, according to GDP figures from the International Monetary Fund.

— The news comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging countrymen to resolve to become a “developed” country by 2047 — the centenary of India’s Independence. As such, moving past one of the biggest economies in the world, especially one that ruled over the Indian sub-continent for two centuries, is a major milestone.

— The Indian economy is forecast to grow more than 7% this year. A world-beating rebound in Indian stocks this quarter has just seen their weighting rise to the second spot in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, trailing only China’s.

— On an adjusted basis and using the dollar exchange rate on the last day of the relevant quarter, the size of the Indian economy in “nominal” cash terms in the quarter through March was $854.7 billion. On the same basis, UK was $816 billion.

— UK GDP grew just 1% in cash terms in the second quarter and, after adjusting for inflation, shrank 0.1%. Sterling has also underperformed the dollar relative to the rupee, with the pound falling 8% against the Indian currency this year.

— The IMF’s own forecasts show India overtaking the UK in dollar terms on an annual basis this year, putting the Asian powerhouse behind just the US, China, Japan and Germany. A decade ago, India ranked 11th among the largest economies, while the UK was 5th.

Comparing India and UK

— Population size is one of the most fundamental differences between the two countries. As of 2022, India has a population of 1.41 billion while the UK’s population is 68.5 million. In other words, India’s population is 20 times that of the UK’s.

— There is such a stark difference between the population of the two countries, GDP per capita provides a more realistic comparison of income levels because it divides a country’s GDP by the population of that country. It is not surprising to note that the income of an average Indian is far lower.

— Low per capita incomes often point to high levels of poverty. It is noteworthy that at the start of the 19th century, the UK’s share in extreme poverty was considerably higher than India’s. However, as things stand today, the relative positions have reversed even though India has made giant strides in curbing poverty.

— Arguably, the end goal of higher GDP and faster economic growth is to have better human development parameters. The Human Development Index is a composite of health, education and standard of living parameters. Despite its secular improvement, India might still take a decade to be where the UK was in 1980.

— A crucial element of becoming richer as a country is the quality of life available to citizens. The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index is measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) based on the average coverage of essential services including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity and access. While faster economic growth and the government’s policy focus on healthcare schemes since 2005 have made a distinct improvement for India, there is still a long way to go.

Point to ponder: As such, while India should own the tag of the world’s fastest-growing economy, it is important to understand that being so is just the necessary condition for India’s prosperity, not the sufficient one. Comment.

1. MCQ:

Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if (UPSC-CSE 2013)

(a) there is technical progress in the world economy

(b) there is population growth in X

(c) there is capital formation in X

(d) the volume of trade grows in the world economy

Floods in Pakistan

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Why in news?

— While Europe, China and some other regions of the world are experiencing a severe drought, Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods in its recent history. Reports say about 110 of the 150 districts in the country are affected by the flooding. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Sunday that over 1,000 people were confirmed dead in the floods so far.

Key takeaways

— The current flood is a direct result of an extremely wet monsoon season this year. The same southwest monsoon that brings the bulk of India’s annual rainfall causes rain in Pakistan as well.

— The monsoon season in Pakistan, however, is a little shorter than in India. That is because the rain-bearing monsoon winds take time to travel northward from India into Pakistan. The official monsoon season in Pakistan begins on July 1 and extends until September, although most of the rainfall happens during the months of July and August. The active rainfall season is only one and a half months.

— The normal rainfall for Pakistan as a whole during this three-month monsoon season is 140 mm. But because the season is quite short, there is a wide variation in the monsoon rainfall every year.

— The rainfall situation in Pakistan has been quite different from that of India so far, though incidents of extreme rainfall and flooding have occured here as well.

— In August, India has received rainfall that is barely 6 per cent more than the normal. For the entire season so far, the country has received 7 per cent more than normal rainfall.

— However, because India is such a huge country, the overall numbers hide marked variations at the regional and local levels. Just last week, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand experienced torrential rainfall, triggering landslides and flashfloods that killed over 30 people.

— In August, central India, comprising mainly Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, has received 26 percent excess rainfall.

Point to ponder: Since floods in Pakistan bear similarities to those in India, it’s time for a collaborative mechanism to deal with extreme weather events. Discuss.

MCQ:

Consider the following statements and answer the question below

1. Extreme floods often lead to extreme drought.

2. When the river basin floods, much of the water flows to the ocean rather than seeping into the soil, paradoxically causing water scarcity.

Which of the following statement is/are correct?

a) Both 1 and 2

b) only 1

c) only 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

UN High Seas Treaty

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Why in news?

— Negotiations involving 168 countries, including the European Union, to agree on a UN treaty for protecting oceans failed Saturday (August 27).

— When the latest round of talks began two weeks ago in New York, it was hoped that an agreement would be arrived at for the conserving marine life at the ‘high seas’ which lie outside the exclusive jurisdiction of different countries.

— In June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had declared an “ocean emergency” at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, citing threats to the world’s oceans.

Key takeaways

— Also referred to as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean’, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.

— The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones that lie from the coast of a country to about 200 nautical miles or 370 km into the sea, till where it has special rights for exploration. Waters beyond that are known as open seas or high seas.

— The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources. As there is no treaty for conserving the health of vast swathes of the earth’s oceans, a UN resolution in 2017 had decided to rectify this while setting 2022 as the deadline.

— The pandemic resulted in many delays, and later, a High Ambition Coalition, which now has more than 100 countries including India, the US, and the UK, came about and put the focus on ‘30×30’ goals – protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. After the latest deadlock, talks will only resume next year, unless a special session is called.

— Some aspects of negotiations included establishing marine protected areas to put limits on certain activities, environmental impact assessments or clearances for sustainability of works, financial support to countries and sharing other scientific knowledge. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said binding agreements are needed for this treaty to be effective.

How are the world’s oceans regulated as of now?

— Some treaties, along with the UNCLOS, regulate the conduct of actors on the high seas. The UNCLOS led to the establishment of territorial sea boundaries 22 km offshore, deciding the region up to which countries could claim full sovereign territorial rights, as well as the 200 nautical miles EEZ limit. It also created the International Seabed Authority and other conflict-resolution mechanisms.

— But a treaty dedicated to protecting ocean health does not exist as of now. Conversely, every country has the right to access open seas, resulting in large-scale drilling and trawling operations for catching fish and other animals for commercial purposes.

What are the risks of countries failing to reach an agreement?

— Ninety percent of global warming is occurring in the ocean, according to the NASA website.

— “The effects of ocean warming include sea level rise due to thermal expansion, coral bleaching, accelerated melting of Earth’s major ice sheets, intensified hurricanes, and changes in ocean health and biochemistry,” it says. Excessive fishing has increased manifold over the years, and a third of species such as sharks and rays are at the risk of extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

— Despite acknowledging these threats, members failed to agree on how to deal with these threats.

— There has been talk of resistance from countries that engage in deep sea mining of minerals or are heavily invested in fishing. “Although we did make excellent progress, we still do need a little bit more time to progress towards the finish line,” UN Oceans Ambassador Rena Lee said, the AFP reported.

— Some countries in the Caribbean alleged that richer countries of the Global North did not actively participate until the last few days of the talks.

Point to ponder: India needs to strengthen its maritime laws and regulatory mechanisms. Discuss.

MCQ:

With reference to UNCLOS, which of the following is not correct?

a) It not only zones coastal states’ offshore areas but provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.

b)It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces.

c) Each coastal State may claim an EEZ beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea that extends seaward up to 200 nm from its baselines.

d) The ocean surface and the water column beyond the EEZ are referred to as the Contiguous Zone.

Jio’s ‘standalone’ 5G architecture, and how it will work

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Main Examination: General Studies III: Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth and Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Why in news?

—India’s largest telecom company Reliance Jio on Monday announced the launch of its 5G services in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai by Diwali this year, with an aim to expand and cover the entire country by December 2023.

—The company said it will launch its 5G services on a “standalone” 5G architecture, against the “non-standalone” approach that other operators are betting on.

—The disagreement between service providers on the network modes they are taking to roll out the next generation of mobile telephony also spotlights questions over the readiness of Indian consumers to move to 5G.

Key takeaways

—5G networks are deployed mainly on two modes: standalone and non-standalone. Both architectures have their advantages and disadvantages, and the path chosen by operators primarily reflects their view of the market for the new technology, and the consequent rollout strategy.

—In the standalone mode, which Jio has chosen, the 5G network operates with dedicated equipment, and runs parallel to the existing 4G network, while in the non-standalone mode, the 5G network is supported by the 4G core infrastructure.

—Given that the non-standalone networks are built on existing infrastructure, the initial cost and the time taken to roll out services through this track is significantly less than standalone networks. Jio has committed an investment of Rs 2 lakh crore for its standalone 5G network.

—The standalone mode provides access to full 5G capabilities and new network functionalities such as slicing that provides greater flexibility to operators to efficiently use their spectrum holdings.

—Non-standalone networks are generally considered to be a stepping stone, and global precedent suggests operators that have launched non-standalone 5G networks eventually transition to standalone networks. The non-standalone mode, however, lets operators maximise the utilisation of their existing network infrastructure with relatively lower investment.

—The biggest difference in the two architectures is the compatibility with existing device ecosystems. Most smartphones today have capability to connect to non-standalone 5G networks — which are essentially 5G airwaves transmitted through 4G networks — and will require software updates by their OEMs to be able to connect to standalone networks.

—5G could have benefits for consumers owing to the superior Internet speed and low latency it promises over 4G. At its peak, Internet speeds on 5G could touch 10 Gbps, compared to the 100 Mbps peak of 4G. Similarly, latency under 4G is between 10-100 ms (millisecond) whereas on 5G it is expected to be under 1 ms. Latency is the time it takes for a device to send packets of data and get a response. Shorter the latency, quicker the response.

—According to a May 2019 report by Ericsson, a key player in the 5G equipment market, while it is a common belief that 5G might not deliver any near-term benefits for consumers, they expect 5G to offer a step change in network performance, relief from urban network congestion, and more home broadband choices as near-term benefits.

—Further, it pointed out that while there were reservations back in 2010 during the onset of 4G about the technology’s actual benefits for consumers, today, a number of online activities — from streaming ultra high definition content to making video calls, especially propelled by the pandemic — that are possible on 4G, would have been near impossible on 3G speeds.

—For most industrial use cases such as manufacturing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, the speeds and latency levels offered by 5G telephony are the key selling propositions. These low latencies and high Internet speeds can only be made available through the standalone architecture.

—Also, given the high investments that would have typically gone into standalone modes, operators would look at designing high-margin offerings for business customers on these networks. Comparatively, the early rollout timelines and low infrastructure costs would make non-standalone networks more attractive for smartphone users.

Point to ponder: 1G to 5G and further: What changes with each ‘G’?

MCQ:

Which of the following statements is not correct?

a) Launched in the late 1970s in China, 1G was the first generation of mobile telecommunication technology that offered voice calls only.

b) The analog signals of 1G became completely digital in the second generation.

c) The non-standalone mode of 5G network lets operators maximise the utilisation of their existing network infrastructure with relatively lower investment.

d) With increase in cellular bandwidth, blazing speed and low latency, 5G promises to boost the ‘Internet of Things’.

Destination Moon, and beyond

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Why in news?

—The launch of a keenly awaited space mission that is being seen as the start of a new age in space exploration had to be put off on Monday evening after engineers were unable to resolve a problem involving inadequate flow of liquid hydrogen to one of the rocket’s four engines.

Key takeaways

—It has been 50 years since the six Apollo human moon landings between 1969 and 1972. There has been huge progress in space exploration since then. Spacecraft have now gone beyond the solar system, exploratory missions have probed Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, more than 500 astronauts have travelled to space and back, and permanent space laboratories like the International Space Station (ISS) have been set up.

—However, the promise of transporting human beings to new worlds, the possibility of landing, and living, on other planets, or travelling deep into space, probably even encountering aliens, has remained stagnant since the last of the 12 astronauts to set foot on the Moon returned in 1972.

—This is why Artemis 1 is being seen as ushering in a new space age. It is the first in a series of ambitious missions that are planned to take human beings back to the Moon, explore possibilities of extended stay there, and investigate the potential to use it as a launch pad for deep space explorations.

—On the face of it, Artemis 1 has extremely humble mission objectives. It is technically only a lunar Orbiter mission. It is not carrying any astronauts. It does not even have a lander or rover component. The mission’s spacecraft, called Orion, will get into a lunar orbit that would be about 97 km from the Moon’s surface at its closest. But unlike most other Orbiter missions, Orion has a return-to-Earth target after it has orbited the Moon for about a month.

—Although the objective is to ensure the return of human beings to the Moon, the Artemis missions are going to be qualitatively very different from the Apollo missions. In many ways, the Moon landings of the 1960s and 1970s came a little too early in the space age. Man had reached the Moon just 12 years after the first-ever satellite, Sputnik, had been launched.

—The Apollo missions were guided by geo-political considerations, and the desire of the United States to go one up on the Soviet Union which had taken a considerable lead in space technology, having sent the first satellite in space, the first spacecraft to crash on to the lunar surface, and the first astronaut in space.

—President John F Kennedy had made a public announcement in 1961 that the US would put a man on the Moon before the decade was out. That deadline was met, thanks to a massive mobilisation of resources towards that end. But the technology ecosystem that could have maximised the benefits of such a major scientific breakthrough was still to be built. Therefore, astronauts landing on the moon could do little than bring back samples back to Earth for investigations.

—The Artemis missions are in a position to exploit the major advancements in space technologies over the years. These technologies now make it possible to start extracting the resources found on the Moon, build from the materials available there, harness hydrogen or helium as energy source. Not all of that would happen with the first mission itself, but these things are distinctly possible now, making human landings on the Moon much more meaningful than earlier.

—Artemis 1 is all about laying the foundations for more complex and ambitious missions. It is carrying several payloads in the form of small satellites called CubeSats, each of which is equipped with instruments meant for specific investigations and experiments. The focus of these investigations is clearly to explore long-term stays of human beings in space, and on the Moon.

—One CubeSat will search for water in all its forms, another will map the availability of hydrogen that can be utilised as a source of energy. Then there are biology experiments, investigating the behaviour of small organisms like fungi and algae in outer space, and the effect of radiation, especially the reaction on their genes.

—The Orion spacecraft, which is specifically designed to carry astronauts into deep space on future missions, will have three dummy ‘passengers’ — mannequins made of material that mimic human bones, skin, and soft tissue. These would be equipped with a host of sensors to record the various impacts of deep space atmosphere on the human body.

—The rocket that is being used for the Artemis missions, called Space Launch System, or SLS, is the most powerful ever built, more powerful than the Saturn V rockets that had taken the Apollo missions to the Moon. The giant, 98-metre-tall rocket, weighing 2,500 tonnes, can help the Orion spacecraft achieve speeds of over 36,000 km per hour, and take it directly to the Moon, which is 1,000 times farther than the International Space Station that sees a regular traffic of astronauts.

—The excitement around the mission will, however, have to be held back for the time being. There was a two-hour window on Monday to launch the mission, between 8.33 am and 10:33 am Eastern Daylight Time (about 6 pm to 8 pm in India). The launch was called off shortly after 8.33 am (6 pm India time) since the engineers who had been working on the problem for over two hours had been unable to resolve the issue.

—The problem had been detected a few hours ahead of the launch. The flow of liquid hydrogen to one of the four engines of the rocket was not found to be optimal, which could have resulted in over-heating.

Point to ponder: What is the significance of NASA’s Artemis mission, the beginning of a new age of human exploration of the Moon?

MCQ:

Consider the following statements with respect to Artemis 1 and answer the question below.

1. Artemis 1 is carrying several payloads in the form of small satellites called CubeSats.

2. The Orion spacecraft, which is specifically designed to carry astronauts into deep space on future missions, will have three dummy ‘passengers’.

3. Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration.

Which of the following statements are true?

a) 1 and 3

b) 2 and 3

c) 1 and 2

d) All of the above

Answer to the MCQs- 1 (c), 2(a), 3(d), 4(a), 5(d)