UPSC Key: Bat Conservation, Below Normal Monsoon and De-hyphenation

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is ‘nuclear dust’?

• What is Pakistan’s role in talks?

• Know about Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

• What was the 2015 Iran nuclear deal?

• United States and Iran bilateral relations-Know in detail

• Why the relations between the United States and Iran, have been especially bitter since 2018?

• What were the terms and conditions agreed by Iran under Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?

• What is Uranium?

• What are the different isotopes of uranium?

• What is uranium enrichment?

• How is uranium mined?

• How is uranium made into nuclear fuel?

• What is reprocessed uranium (RepU)?

• What is the role of the IAEA?

• What are the process of uranium enrichment and discuss its strategic significance in the global nuclear order?

• What is the role of enriched uranium in civilian nuclear energy generation?

• Know the geopolitics surrounding uranium enrichment technologies.

Key Takeaways:

• There was no immediate confirmation from the Iranian side that it had made the concession in talks with Americans and their Pakistani interlocutors as a two-week ceasefire nears its expiration Tuesday.

• Previous US claims about Iranian nuclear commitments have turned out to be inaccurate or have fallen through.

• Trump also expressed confidence in the broader situation, pointing to economic indicators. “If you look at the stock market, it’s up… everything’s doing really well,” he said, before returning to the nuclear issue as the central concern.

• He said Iran had agreed to return the buried material following US strikes. “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust that’s way underground because of the attack we made with the B-2 bombers,” Trump said. “So we have a lot of agreement with Iran, and I think something’s going to happen very positively.”

• US Vice President JD Vance held talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad last weekend, but no agreement was reached. The two sides have
continued to exchange messages since then. Trump said another round of in-person talks could take place “probably, maybe over the weekend”.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and we’re dealing very nicely with them,” he said, adding that Tehran is now more willing to compromise.

Do You Know:

• “Nuclear dust” is Trump’s term for highly enriched uranium that, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, remains buried at sites struck during US operations.

• The material is a key point of concern for Washington because it could potentially be used to build nuclear weapons. Its presence has been a central issue in talks with Tehran.

• Before the ceasefire, Trump had asked the US military to examine options for retrieving the material from inside Iran without its consent, a plan officials described as complex and risky.

• Restricting Iran’s nuclear activity remains central to negotiations. Under a 2015 agreement during Barack Obama’s administration, Iran accepted limits on uranium enrichment.

• After the US withdrew from the deal, Iran expanded its programme, including enrichment to higher levels. Iran maintains its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes. While a renewed pledge not to build nuclear weapons may not represent a major shift, handing over enriched uranium stockpiles would be seen as a more concrete step.

• In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

• After Trump pulled out in 2018 and reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions, the Islamic Republic breached and has since far surpassed those limits in its escalating programme of uranium enrichment.

• Western powers accuse Iran of having an clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy programme.

• In 2015, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, the European Union, and Iran signed the ‘Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’ (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Obama-era deal provided Iran with sanctions relief in return for Tehran severely limiting the scope of its nuclear program — Iran agreed to not enrich its uranium beyond 3.67%, a level suitable for peaceful nuclear power applications but not for weapons production — and signing a roadmap agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍US wanted Iran to suspend nuclear activity for 20 years, Tehran ready for 5 years

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2023)
Statement-I: India, despite uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production.
Statement-II: Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-1
c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

SC says Bengal voters cleared by Tribunals before polls can vote

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

What’s the ongoing story: With a week to go for polling in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 23, the Supreme Court on Thursday exercised its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to allow those individuals whose names are cleared by the 19 Appellate Tribunals till two days before polling to cast their votes.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Article 142 of the Constitution?

• Why Supreme Court invoked Article 142 in this issue?

• What exactly Supreme Court said in this regard?

• Article 142 of the Constitution and ‘complete justice’-How Article 142 ensures ‘Complete Justice’?

• The Supreme Court of India invoked the extraordinary power conferred on the court under Article 142 of the Constitution in this case-What is that “Extraordinary Power” granted to Supreme Court under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution?

• Can High court use Article 142?

• What is the rationality behind Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal?

• Why Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal has been mired in controversy and facing legal challenges ?

• How the SIR impacted the electoral rolls of West Bengal?

• Why Supreme Court cited 2002 notification in this regard?

• What is Logical discrepancy?

• How logical discrepancy category is impacting voters in West Bengal?

• What is ‘under adjudication’ category?

• What Representation of the People Act says in this regard?

• What are the salient features of the Representation of People’s Act?

• “The right to vote is the biggest expression of nationality and patriotism…in a democratic government”-Analyse

• What Constitution of India says on Voting rights?

Key Takeaways:

• The court ordered the Election Commission to publish supplementary lists with the names of those cleared by the tribunals by April 21 for the first phase and April 27 for the second phase, polling for which is on April 29, in order to enable them to vote.

• While that may seem like a win for the 27.10 lakh people deleted in the adjudication phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal, here’s what it’s likely to entail.

• As per the Supreme Court’s orders, around 700 judicial officers were deployed in Bengal to decide on the eligibility of 60 lakh electors who were flagged by the ECI’s centralised software as having “logical discrepancies” in the documents submitted for the Special Intensive Revision. These judicial officers passed orders to delete 27.10 lakh of those electors, freezing the electoral rolls for the April 23 and April 29 polling as on the last date of filing nominations (April 6 and April 9).

• However, the court also ordered the setting up of 19 appellate tribunals, comprising of retired High Court judges, to allow those affected to appeal against their deletion. Since the statutory framework under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, freezes the electoral roll from the last date of filing nominations till the declaration of results, the court has used its inherent power under Article 142 to order that supplementary lists be published beyond that timeline.

• The court has said that all those cleared by the tribunals till April 21 for the first phase and April 27 for the second phase will be allowed to vote in these elections. The Election Commission will publish supplementary lists to the existing electoral rolls.

• After the court ordered the establishment of appellate tribunals, the EC on March 20 notified the process. It said the appeals can be filed on its ECINET website or physically at the offices of the District Magistrates or Sub-Divisional Magistrates or Sub-Divisional Officers concerned. These officials are supposed to digitise and upload the appeals on the ECINET platform.

• Though the court has given the affected former electors a chance to get back on the rolls and cast their ballots, time is running out. While the EC is yet to release any data or statement on the appeals process, it is learnt that only two appeals filed by candidates were approved till the last date of nominations.

• The 19 tribunals can have an average of over 1.4 lakh appeals each to process. The Supreme Court, in its April 13 order in the petition of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the SIR, noted that over 34 lakh appeals against deletions as well as alleged wrongful inclusions have been filed. This would mean that each single-member tribunal has over 1.78 lakh appeals to dispose of by April 21 and April 27, which would be a tall order.

Do You Know:

• Damini Nath Writes-When the final electoral roll, after the four-month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, was published on February 28, it clearly showed that the total electorate in the state had decreased by 8% or around 61 lakh names.
—In fact, 60.06 lakh registered electors in the state found themselves on the roll but were stamped “under adjudication”, meaning they were on the rolls, but not quite. They will not be able to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming state Assembly elections till the 500-odd judicial officers appointed on orders of the Supreme Court review their cases and decide to keep them on the rolls in subsequent supplementary lists.
—Those who are found ineligible on the basis of documents submitted during the SIR will be deleted from the rolls, losing the right to vote. This did not happen in the nine states and three Union Territories where the Election Commission has completed the SIR so far.

• Article 142- Article 142 provides a unique power to the Supreme Court, to do “complete justice” between the parties, where, at times, the law or statute may not provide a remedy. In those situations, the court can extend itself to put an end to a dispute in a manner that would fit the facts of the case.
—While the powers under Article 142 are extraordinary in nature, the apex court has defined its scope and extent through its judgments over time.
—In the Prem Chand Garg case, the majority opinion demarcated the contours for the exercise of the court’s powers under Article 142(1) by saying that an order to do complete justice between the parties “must not only be consistent with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, but it cannot even be inconsistent with the substantive provisions of the relevant statutory laws,” referring to laws made by Parliament. “Therefore, we do not think it would be possible to hold that Art. 142(1) confers upon this Court powers which can contravene the provisions of Article 32 (right to constitutional remedies),” it said. The seven-judge bench in ‘Antulay’ upheld the 1962 ruling in ‘Prem Chand Garg.’
—Notably, in the Bhopal gas tragedy case (‘Union Carbide Corporation vs Union of India’), the SC in 1991 ordered UCC to pay $470 million in compensation for the victims of the tragedy. In doing so, the Bench highlighted the wide scope of Article 142 (1), adding that it found it “necessary to set at rest certain misconceptions in the arguments touching the scope of the powers of this Court under Article 142(1) of the Constitution”.

• Deeming the power under Article 142 to be “at an entirely different level and of a different quality”, the court clarified that “prohibitions on limitations on provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot, ipso-facto, act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142”. Adding that it would be “wholly incorrect” to say that powers under Article 142 are subject to express statutory prohibitions, the court reasoned that doing so would convey the idea that statutory provisions override a constitutional provision.

• The sweeping nature of these powers has invited the criticism that they are arbitrary and ambiguous. It is further argued that the court then has wide discretion, and this allows the possibility of its arbitrary exercise or misuse due to the absence of a standard definition for the term “complete justice”. Defining “complete justice” is a subjective exercise that differs in its interpretation from case to case. Thus, the court has to place checks on itself.

• In 1998, the apex court in ‘Supreme Court Bar Association vs Union of India’ held that the powers under Article 142 are supplementary in nature and could not be used to supplant or override a substantive law and “build a new edifice where none existed earlier”.

• The court said that the powers conferred by Article 142 are curative and cannot be construed as powers “which authorise the court to ignore the substantive rights of a litigant while dealing with a cause pending before it”. Adding that Article 142 cannot be used to build a new edifice, ignoring statutory provisions dealing with a subject, the court also said that the provision cannot be used “to achieve something indirectly which cannot be achieved directly”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍If win margin 2%, deletions 15%… what will happen: SC

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) With reference to the Constitution of India, prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142. It could mean which one of the following? (UPSC CSE, 2019)
(a) The decisions taken by the. Election Commission of India while discharging its duties cannot be challenged in any court of law.
(b) The Supreme Court of India is not constrained in the exercise of its powers by the laws made by Parliament.
(c) In the event of grave financial crisis in the country, the President of India can declare Financial Emergency without the counsel from the Cabinet.
(d) State Legislatures cannot make laws on certain matters without the concurrence of Union Legislature.

THE SECOND PAGE

First-ever assessment of bat conservation flags threat to species and data dark spots

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: The bat species in India, around 135, are facing neglect due to lack of research and are also under threat from urbanisation, deforestation, land-use changes and climate impacts, the first-ever national assessment (State of India’s Bats, 2024-25) has reported.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What State of India’s Bats (2024-25) report highlights?

• How many bat species in India are reported in the latest report?

• Know about Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Bat Conservation International.

• Why Covid-19 pandemic increased the stigma around bats?

• What IUCN list says about bats?

• Bats-Why they are misunderstood?

• What do bats represent in folklore?

• How folklore about bats affects their conservation?

• How do bats affect the environment?

• Why bats are important component of ecosystem?

Key Takeaways:

• Pieced together by a team of 36 bat experts from 27 institutions over two years, and based on review of existing scientific literature, the report has painted a sobering status of the flying mammals, calling for urgent research on their habitats, hotspots, ecology, diet, and the disease risk they pose.

• The researchers, led by Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Bat Conservation International, underlined that the data deficit and neglect of bats is of concern as they play a crucial role in pollinating plants, disperse fruit seeds, control pests that damage crops, and provide soil nutrition through their droppings. In fact, despite the heightened attention during the Covid-19 pandemic, research permits are slow to come by due to bureaucratic hurdles, the report noted.

• The Covid-19 pandemic increased the stigma around bats, casting them as disease carriers, the report noted, while ignoring their benefits to nature and society. The WHO had said in June 2025 that the “weight of available evidence suggests zoonotic spillover … either directly from bats or through and intermediate host”.

Do You Know:

• Out of 135 bat species, 16 are endemic or only found in India and seven of them are listed under the threatened category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, this does not mean the rest are in the pink of health as 35 species have either not been assessed or data is deficient on them, the report found.

• For instance, the Khasian Leaf-nosed bat which is under threat due to persecution-fuelled hunting, mining in Meghalaya, is not classified as per IUCN, which prepares the conservation status list.

• Rohit Chakravarty, an expert on bats from NCF and Bat Conservation International and one of the lead authors of the report said that research on bats needs to be stepped up urgently, and a lot many agencies other than the Forest department needs to work on bat conservation. “They are facing severe threats from urbanisation, even renewable energy infrastructure. The perception around the creatures needs to change to understand their ecosystem services,” he told The Indian Express.

• The report has also recommended stepping up surveillance of pathogens in Northeast India and Western Ghats to prevent zoonotic disease outbreaks, and called for more studies on the impacts of environmental pollution on bats.

• The report documented significant inter-variability in the distribution of bat species. West Bengal leads with 68 bat species, followed by 66 in Meghalaya, 52 in Uttarakhand 41 each in Kerala and Karnataka and 43 in Sikkim, denoting diversity. Among cities, Delhi had 15 bat species, despite pressures of urbanisation. Haryana, Punjab had only five recorded species with limited forest cover and farm expansion.

• Most studies on the ecology and biology of bats was concentrated in southern states, including Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Other hotspots like the Himalayas, Northeast India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands were relatively understudied while states within the Eastern Ghats and Terai lowland regions were under sampled.

• The assessment found bats roosting across natural habitats and man-made structures. Caves and trees were two of the most common roosting sites. The winged mammals roost in caves due to their stable microclimate and as they provide them protection from environmental fluctuations and predators. Robber’s cave in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, houses perhaps the largest known roost of Phillip’s long-fingered bat with an estimated 1 lakh individuals during breeding season.

• Among man-made structures, bats have been found to roost in crevices of dilapidated buildings, wooden beams to even government-protected monument. In fact, the report has highlighted the presence of large bat colonies in monuments across Delhi, Hyderabad and Maharashtra. “Large bat colonies may cause structural damage to monuments and deter tourists from visiting. ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) can work with bat researchers and conservationists to use these sites as an opportunity for bat-related education, development of ethical guidelines for tourism around bat colonies, and finding ways to prevent bat-related damage to monuments,” the report stated.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | Bats in India and their conservation status

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2024)
Statement-I : The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the “vermin” category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Statement-II : The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

POLITICS

Modi, Stocker says rules-based order must for lasting peace

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday advocated for a “lasting peace” in West Asia, adding that military conflict could not solve problems. The PM made these remarks after a bilateral meeting with visiting Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who is on his maiden visit to India as well as Asia.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map work-Austria

• India and Austria Bilateral relations-Know the historical relations

• How has the relationship between India and Austria evolved over time?

• Austrian Chancellor’s visit to India amid US-Iran War-what does it signifies?

• Is Austria a full member of the European Union?

• How Austria serves as a gateway to India for the EU?

• Is chancellor of Austria same as prime minister?

• Why they are called as chancellor and not Prime Minister?

• How chancellor of Austria is elected?

• What type of constitutional system exists in Austria?

Key Takeaways:

• PM Modi said, “Today, the entire world is passing through a very grave and tense situation, and its impact is being felt by us all. In such a tense global environment, India and Austria share the conviction that military conflict cannot provide a solution to problems. Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we advocate for a stable, sustainable, and lasting peace.” This has been New Delhi’s lasting stand on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and the PM has now taken a similar stand on the US-Israel war on Iran.

• Echoing PM Modi’s remarks, the Austrian Chancellor said, “We are living in an age of geopolitical upheaval and disruption. Power centres are shifting and new alliances are being created… conflicts are becoming more complex. In these circumstances, India is a reliable partner, and valued by Austria. Together, we represent an international order in which we can live in freedom and security. We are in favour of a rules-based world order and not a world in which might is right.”

• This is the second high-level political visit by a European leader since the war in Tehran began on February 28 — the first being in early March when Finland’s President Alexander Stubb visited for the Raisina dialogue. The Austrian Chancellor is visiting India from April 14 to 18, and met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday.

• Pressing that the first visit of an Austrian Chancellor to India in over four decades was of “immense significance”, Modi said, “Following the historic India-European Union Free Trade Agreement of 2026, a new golden chapter has begun in the relations between India and the EU. Through Chancellor Stocker’s visit, we are now ushering India-Austria relations into a new era as well.”

• PM Modi also highlighted the significance of the Austrian Chancellor’s visit to India after four decades, calling it an important milestone in bilateral ties. The Prime Minister added that following the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, a new chapter has begun in India-EU relations.

Do You Know:

• According to MEA, Diplomatic relations between India and Austria were established on 10 November 1949. President K.R. Narayanan paid the first State Visit from India to Austria in November 1999. This was reciprocated by the Austrian President, Dr. Heinz Fischer, in February 2005.

• The Indo-Austrian cultural relations have a long tradition dating back to 16th century when Balthasar Springer travelled from Tyrol in 1505 to India along with the third Portuguese fleet. The Austrian tradition of Indology began in a period renowned for its distinguished philologist and archaeologist between 1825-1920. The teaching of Sanskrit at Vienna University started in 1845 and a high point was reached in 1880 with the foundation of an independent chair for Indology. Following a brief interruption between 1938- 1955, the Chair became an independent department, now known as Institute for South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at University of Vienna.

• According to MEA, there are an estimated over 31,000 Indians living in Austria. They are roughly evenly divided between NRIs and PIOs. There are over 450 Indian students pursuing their higher education in Austria.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India-Austria friendship to get stronger in times to come, says PM Modi as he meets Austrian Chancellor

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2023)
The ‘Stability and Growth Pact’ of the European Union is a treaty that
1. limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union
2. makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities
3. enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies
How many of the above statements are correct
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Trump’s Munir-Modi balancing will not bring back India-Pak hyphenation

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: Vivek Katju Writes-The US’s Modi-Munir balancing act leads to a very troubling India-specific question. Is the US going to a new variant of the past India-Pakistan hyphenation?

Key Points to Ponder:

• US-Iran War and Pakistan as mediator-How you see the entire issue w.r.t India’s geopolitical stature?

• US re-hyphenated India & Pakistan-discuss

• What do you understand by hyphenation and De-hyphenation?

• What you understand by hyphenated foreign policy?

• How the recent role of Pakistan can impact on India’s foreign policy autonomy and regional diplomacy?

Key Takeaways:
Vivek Katju Writes-

• President Donald Trump is doing a balancing act between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Field Marshal Asim Munir. Yes, Munir and not Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. On April 14, Trump had a 40-minute telephonic conversation with Modi.

• US leaders have not only praised Munir —Trump’s “favourite” field marshal— but have put him on a higher pedestal than Sharif. Certainly, in the US-Iran intermediation process, this is borne out by Munir’s visiting Tehran beginning on April 15, while Sharif, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was relegated to a trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which began on the same date.

• The purpose of Sharif and Dar is, in all likelihood, to keep these countries briefed on the ongoing US-Iran negotiations. It is undoubtedly also to assuage any adverse sentiment in their leadership on account of the profile that Pakistan has because of its intermediary role. The real negotiating game is now being handled by Munir, who may be going to Washington. There is little doubt that if he does, much will be made of him there.

• Trump’s positivity towards Munir is not new. He is the only military leader who has been hosted by the US President for talks and lunch at the White House. It can be argued that in acknowledging Munir’s status, Trump is only recognising the reality of Pakistan’s political life. But in doing so, Trump and other US leaders are delivering brutal blows to Pakistan’s ever-weakening democratic structures. That is not good for Pakistani democracy or regional harmony.

• The Pakistan army has always been an out-and-out promoter of terrorism and instability in the region. This has especially been so since the early 1990s. It is now ironic that its chief, who also engineered his own rise to become Pakistan’s chief of defence forces, is looked upon by the US as the principal intermediary with the Iranian clerical system. Even if Munir’s contacts with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are important for US-Iran negotiations, was it necessary for the US to publicly raise his profile and, by implication, that of the army at the cost of Pakistan’s civilian leadership and elected institutions?

• The US’s Modi-Munir balancing act leads to a very troubling India-specific question. Is the US going to a new variant of the past India-Pakistan hyphenation? In reality, the hyphenation is a relic of history, which has no relevance or justification now. This is because India has global weight, while Pakistan has been struggling for many years to maintain its macroeconomic stability. That is unlikely to come about because Pakistan has no appetite to usher in the necessary structural changes, which have to begin with reducing the role of the army. The army not only corners a large portion of state resources, but it is also Pakistan’s largest, though unaccountable and inefficient, conglomerate.

• The current intermediation role that the US has assigned to Pakistan, and to which Iran, too, has acquiesced, will undoubtedly raise its profile and generate a measure of goodwill for it in West Asia and the larger Islamic world. However, the goodwill bump can hardly turn into a lasting economic advantage because of structural infirmities in the system. This notwithstanding, as part of the new hyphenation, Pakistan may be accorded a larger security role by the US in West Asia and perhaps Afghanistan.

Do You Know:

• Hyphenation refers to this tendency to link the two countries together in policy decisions and treat them as a single entity. The hyphenation of India and Pakistan-often written as “India-Pakistan” is premised on several factors, including shared history, similar geography, and conflict over Kashmir, among others: both nations “share the federal parliamentary republic government system, along with a mixed economy. India and Pakistan’s natural resources are also comparable.

• De-hyphenation is a form of foreign policy where a country keeps diplomatic ties with two or more countries with conflicting interests,
without letting the conflicts prioritize one country over another. The policy allows countries to hold independent relations with countries otherwise distrustful or hostile towards each other while treating each country as a single entity rather than as a part of a conflict with the other countries.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The meaning of de-hyphenation

EXPLAINED

Below normal monsoon, but no cause for alarm

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography

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.

What’s the ongoing story: After seven consecutive years of fairly good rainfall in the monsoon season, India seems to be finally running out of luck. This year’s monsoon is expected to be relatively dry, according to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is a normal monsoon?

• What is above normal monsoon and below normal monsoon?

• How is Indian monsoon predicted?

• How IMD defines rainfall as ‘normal’, ‘above normal’ and ‘excess’?

• What are the main drivers of Indian monsoon?

• know the terms and their influence on Indian Monsoon—El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), El Nino, La Nina.

• What is the arrival and departure of monsoon?

• What is meant by the “onset of the monsoon”?

• What are these conditions, which determine the onset of monsoon?

• Monsoon mechanism in India-Know in detail

• How Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch are associated with Indian monsoon?

• What is difference between Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch?

• What is the difference between the southwest monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon?

• What is the India Meteorological Department?

• Is monsoon the backbone of Indian economy?

• How Monsoon impacts Indian economy?

Key Takeaways:

• In its first forecast for the coming rainy season, IMD on Tuesday said the country as a whole was likely to get only 92% of normal rainfall this time. It is the lowest forecast for all India monsoon rainfall that IMD has put out in the last 20 years.

• The monsoon forecast is one of the most keenly tracked announcements in the month of April. It is not merely an exercise in weather prediction. The four-month monsoon, from June to September, brings over 70% of India’s annual rainfall. Besides offering respite from the summer heat to large parts of the country, rainfall during this season has a big impact on the economy.

• Nearly half of India’s cropland is still dependent on rainwater for irrigation. Timely and adequate rainfall is critical for good agricultural yields which in turn drives up farm incomes and rural demand.

Monsoon predictions.

• The monsoon rainfall also feeds India’s reservoirs, which are used to meet the needs of drinking water, hydroelectricity, and industry for the rest of the year. Maintaining the flow of rivers, inland water transportation, and groundwater recharge are some of the other things affected by monsoon rainfall.

• An early monsoon forecast — the first one comes in April, which is updated with a more detailed one in May, and then daily updates after that — is used by policy planners for water management decisions for the year. A forecast for low rainfall, like this year, is a sort of notice to governments and policymakers to begin preparing for all kinds of contingencies to absorb the impacts of a dry monsoon season.

Do You Know:

• That IMD’s own forecasts have improved significantly over the last one decade has helped immensely. Forecasts have not just become more accurate and timely, but also more detailed, granular, and actionable. This has brought about greater efficiency and certainty in the policy planning exercise.

• The improvement in forecast accuracy has come at a time when weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable under the influence of climate change. Rainfall events have become particularly erratic.

• The number of very heavy and highly localised rainfall events have increased significantly over the last few years, and so have extended dry spells. The challenge ahead of IMD is to further improve the forecasts of these events because of their potential to cause large-scale disasters and destruction.

• There are many other reasons why the prospects of a bad monsoon is not seen as a major cause of worry. Better water management practices, efforts to improve groundwater conservation, river and lake cleaning exercises have all contributed to ensuring that India is much better prepared to deal with rainfall shortages during the monsoon.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍After Iran war, what below-average rains could mean for inflation

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
5) With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE, 2018)
1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an EI Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

6) The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of (UPSC CSE, 2014)
(a) Equatorial climate
(b) Mediterranean climate
(c) Monsoon climate
(d) All of the above climates

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(c)  2.(b)  3.(c)  4.(a)  5.(b) 6.(c)

  

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