UPSC Key | China Shock 2.0, Air Pollution, Israel-Hezbollah, and more

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Front

Electronics to solar equipment to steel, India grapples with China Shock 2.0

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; and Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story- A Steep hike in tariffs including a 100 per cent duty on electric vehicles by the US on imports from China kicked in Friday, as the world’s top economy along with India and a dozen other countries grapple with a rapid influx of goods — dubbed China Shock 2.0 — into global markets.

Prerequisites:

— What was China Shock?

— Why has the USA hiked trade tariffs on Chinese goods?

— What is China’s share in India’s import?

— What is the role and function of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

Key takeaways: 

— The US tariff hikes also include a 50 per cent duty on solar cells and 25 per cent on steel, aluminum, EV batteries, and some minerals.

— India and several other countries have moved to impose a fresh wave of anti-subsidy measures, fearing a repeat of the manufacturing job losses that occurred in the years since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the early 2000s.

— In 2024 alone, India imposed over 30 anti-dumping investigations against China, the most against any country.

— The years following China’s entry into the WTO came to be known as the “China shock” as inexpensive Chinese goods, backed by abundant labour, flooded global markets, resulting in manufacturing job losses internationally. It not only disrupted Western markets but also adversely impacted Indian manufacturing and trade.

— Researchers believe that the unexpected surge in Chinese exports coincides with a slowdown in the Chinese economy due to the ongoing property crisis, weak credit, and low consumer demand.

— The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a blog earlier this month, said China’s external surpluses, resulting from industrial policy measures designed to stimulate exports and support economic growth amid weak domestic demand, could lead to “China shock 2.0” that would displace workers and hurt industrial activity elsewhere.

— This holds true for India, as imports from China have jumped nearly 60 per cent from $70 billion in FY19 to $101 billion in FY24, according to official data.

(Thought Process: When writing about India-China bilateral relations, use terms like ‘China Shock’ and ‘China Shock 2.0’ to add depth to your answer.)

For Your Information:

— The Economic Survey 2023-24 warned that in response to India’s anti-dumping probe against Chinese entities, China has been quietly blocking India’s access to solar equipment.

— India has plans to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and has invested $4.5 billion to catalyse nascent clean energy manufacturing but 80 per cent of India’s solar cells and modules still come from China.

— The steel industry across the globe has been seeking government intervention to protect it from the inflow of Chinese steel.

— In FY24, India imported electronic components worth over $12 billion from China and $6 billion from Hong Kong, with the two accounting for more than half of total such imports to India – suggesting that the country’s growing footprint in electronics manufacturing may not yet be translating into reduced reliance on Beijing.

Points to Ponder: 

— How can India reduce its import dependence on China?

— What is the impact of large Chinese imports on the Indian economy?

— Why is India dependent on China for solar equipment?

— Read about the items for which India is dependent on China

Post Read Question:

‘China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia’, In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbor. (UPSC CSE 2017)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India’s top trade partner: China regains spot on higher imports

 

Explained

Tackling air pollution

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; and Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

What’s the ongoing story- On Wednesday, air quality in Delhi slipped into the ‘poor’ category (AQI 200-300) for the first time since mid-June, signalling the imminent arrival of North India’s bad air season.

The Delhi government announced a 21-point Winter Action Plan, including using drones to monitor pollution hotspots, deploying anti-smog guns, and exploring the possibility of creating artificial rain.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)?

— What is the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)?

— What is cloud seeding?

— What is temperature inversion?

Key takeaways: 

— The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which issues orders to combat air pollution in NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), said it was watching the situation.

— The post-monsoon months will bring stagnant air and a weather pattern called temperature inversion — which occurs when a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the ground.

— This prevents pollutants from rising and dispersing, causing levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other air pollutants to reach extremely hazardous levels.

— A deepening economic inequality worsens this crisis. While wealthier citizens can afford air purifiers and even move to cleaner places (perhaps by the sea), poorer communities remain exposed to the full brunt of toxic air.

— India’s air pollution crisis stems from multiple, overlapping sources. Year-round contributors such as biomass burning for cooking, trash-burning, vehicular emissions, and industrial activity combine with episodic events such as farm stubble burning and festival firecrackers.

— Meteorological conditions such as temperature inversion and low wind speeds during the post-monsoon and winter months result in pollutants getting trapped close to the surface, exacerbating the problem, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

— Among the superficial solutions such as smog towers, water guns, and odd-even road sharing, cloud seeding has emerged as the latest “silver bullet”.

— But cloud seeding is more about appearing to do something spectacular than about getting to the root of the problem.

— Besides its limited impact, cloud seeding raises serious environmental and ethical concerns. The water vapour used in the process would have naturally precipitated elsewhere, and it potentially deprives other regions of rainfall.

— In a country like India, where water resources are already strained, aggravating regional disparities is a dangerous gamble. Additionally, the chemicals used — such as silver iodide — pose potential long-term risks.

— Smog towers, which are supposed to act as giant air purifiers that would clean the surrounding air, is another flawed solution being pursued.

— Both cloud seeding and smog towers distract from the real, science-based solutions that are needed to tackle air pollution at its source. These are some of the things that we should be doing instead.

(a) Coordination among various agencies: Air pollution is a complex, multi-sectoral problem that requires coordinated action across government bodies. Effective collaboration between agencies responsible for transport, industry, agriculture, and urban planning is crucial to ensure that policies are aligned, and efforts are not duplicated.

(b) Capacity building and critical thinking: A key requirement is to build capacity and foster critical thinking among all stakeholders. This includes researchers, policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and diverse citizen groups, who must work together to ensure that decisions are truly in the public interest.

(c) Beyond techno-centric solutions: The fight for clean air is not just a technical challenge; it is a deeply political one. Chasing quick fixes risks perpetuating these inequalities instead of addressing the structural issues at the heart of the crisis.

— To confront its air pollution problem, India must move beyond the illusion of short-term solutions. What is needed is a multi-decadal, multi-sectoral effort grounded in scientific thinking and committed to sustained, collaborative action.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the problems of cloud seeding?

— What are the initiatives taken by India to control air pollution?

— Why India is unable to tackle air pollution?

— What innovative methods at individual and collective levels needs to be taken to address the issue of air pollution?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(1) In the context of WHO Air Quality Guidelines, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. The 24-hour mean of should not exceed and the annual mean of  should not exceed

2. In a year, the highest levels of ozone pollution occur during the periods of inclement weather.

3. PM10 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.

4. Excessive ozone in the air can trigger asthma.

Which of the statements, given above are correct?

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only

(b) 1 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1 and 2 only

Mains

Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards? (UPSC CSE 2021)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Delhi’s Winter Action Plan for pollution appears unconvincing

Israel and Hezbollah: A short history of long conflict in Lebanon

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-I, II: Salient features of the world’s physical geography; and Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting

India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israeli forces would continue to strike Lebanon with “full force” until the Shiite militant group Hezbollah stops firing rockets at Israel.

Prerequisites:

— Historical background of the conflict

— Map work: Location of Lebanon, Israel, West Bank, Gaza strip

Key takeaways: 

— Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 700 people in the last week alone, and the exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which began soon after the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas in southern Israel, has led to the displacement of thousands.

— The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has deep roots in the history of southern Lebanon.

— The establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was accompanied by the violent displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinian Arabs in the event known as the Nakba, or catastrophe. Many of those who were displaced settled in south Lebanon.

— n the 1960s and 70s, militants affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) also began to build a base in south Lebanon, which they used as a launchpad for attacks on northern Israeli towns during this period.

— In March 1978, in response to a massacre of Israelis near Tel Aviv by Palestinian militants based in Lebanon, Israel invaded south Lebanon. In a short war that followed, Israeli forces pushed the PLO back from south Lebanon, creating a buffer north of Israel.

— By 1985, Israel had withdrawn from most of Lebanon but maintained a 15-20-km wide security zone in south Lebanon to prevent cross-border attacks. This area was patrolled by the South Lebanon Army (SLA), a Christian militia allied with Israel.

— Hezbollah, the “Party of God”, was formed in the early 1980s in response to the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. The group was founded with support from Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime in Iran.

— In 1996, a 17-day campaign by the IDF codenamed Operation Grapes of Wrath became a key moment in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel advanced militarily, but the campaign resulted in major civilian casualties.

— Researcher Daniel Byman noted that Hezbollah’s use of civilian areas for military operations made it difficult for Israel to retaliate without collateral damage.

— The long Israel-Hezbollah conflict has shaped the Middle East in multiple ways. Hezbollah, the crown jewel of Iran’s overseas military operations, has developed significant military capability, and has become, in the words of Norton, “the spearhead of resistance against Israel”

— But all this might be about to change, as Netanyahu’s government moves the focus of the war away from Gaza, and IDF tanks line up in northern Israel, seemingly in preparation for another ground invasion of south Lebanon.

For Your Information:

— Hezbollah originated during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), which was a result of “long-simmering discontent over the large, armed Palestinian presence in the country”, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

— Lebanon borders Israel to its north. Amid its internal ethnic and religious divisions, the arrival of Palestinian refugees from 1948 onwards — after the creation of Israel as a state for Jewish people that year — led to added tensions. Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon in 1978 and again in 1982 to expel Palestinian guerrilla fighters.

— Hezbollah was formed around this time, inspired by the formation of a theocratic Islamic government in Iran in 1979. Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also provided funding to the group.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on India?

— What is the significance of West Asia for India?

— What is the stand of India?

— Learn about the following: Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916), Balfour Declaration of (1917), UN Resolution 181, and Yom Kippur War or Ramadan War (1973).

(Thought Process: Understand these agreements and wars from a broader perspective of conflicts that arose due to colonialism and how the world is still facing the aftermath of the World Wars.)

Post Read Question:

(2) Recently Dahiyeh was in the news, it is located in which country?

(a) Israel

(b) Egypt

(c) Lebanon

(d) Jordan

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Conflicts in West Asia: A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict

What is Hezbollah and what do we know about its military capabilities?

How Supreme Court deals with errant judges, works around constitutional limitations

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: GS-II: Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

What’s the ongoing story-  A Bench of the five senior-most Supreme Court judges headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud “expressed serious concern” about comments made by a Karnataka High Court Justice V Srishananda earlier this month.

During a hearing, Justice Srishananda had referred to a particular locality of Bengaluru as being “in Pakistan”. In another hearing, he had made an “objectionable” comment against a female lawyer.

Prerequisites:

— Read about the constitutional provisions related to the appointment of the Supreme Court and High Court Judge

— What is impeachment?

— What is the contempt of court?

— What are the grounds for the impeachment of the judges?

Key takeaways: 

— As per the Constitution, impeachment, which is a political process, is the only recourse to dealing with errant judges.

— According to Article 124(4), a judge of the Supreme Court (or any High Court) can be removed from office only “by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-third of the members of the House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity”.

— “Proven misbehaviour” or “incapacity” are the only two grounds for removal of a judge of the constitutional court.

— Impeachment proceedings have been triggered only five times in history… The proceedings, however, have never been successful, although Justice Sen was impeached by Rajya Sabha and subsequently resigned.

— In 2017, a five-judge Bench of the SC headed by then CJI Jagdish Khehar held Calcutta High Court’s C S Karnan guilty of contempt of court, and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment… Karnan retired less than a month after the SC verdict, and was taken into custody to serve his sentence.

— But this set an uneasy precedent, with many voicing concern about one constitutional court taking to task judges of another. While district courts are under the supervisory jurisdiction of the respective High Courts, the relationship between High Courts and the SC is different.

— Another way in which the SC exercises influence over High Court judges is through the Collegium. The SC Collegium, comprising five senior-most judges of the apex court including the CJI, recommends the transfer of High Court judges.

— Given that the decisions of the Collegium are opaque, this transfer policy can be deployed as a tool to discipline judges as well.

For Your Information:

— The Constitution specifies the grounds and method for removal of a judge of the High court or Supreme Court. According to it, a judge shall be removed (a) only by an order of the President, (b) after the presentation of an address by each house of Parliament, (c) supported by a special majority, (d) in the same session and (e) on the grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

— The Constitution also empowers Parliament to make a law to regulate the procedure for the presentation of the address to the President, and the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of the judge.

— In 1964, Parliament for the first time attempted to lay down the procedural modalities for the removal of a judge. A bill empowering the President to order an investigation into the allegations of misbehaviour or incapacity of a judge was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Points to Ponder: 

— How are the Supreme Court and High Court judges appointed?

— Why collegium system is called an opaque system?

— How are district courts administered?

Post Read Question:

(3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2019)

1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How the current impeachment law for removal of judges was shaped

 

The Ideas Page

Some hard land questions

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation, and Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story- Nimai Mehta, Arjun Krishnan, and Diya Uday write: India’s land governance framework is a complex maze of laws that have long hindered the country’s economic and social development. The Economic Survey 2023-24 highlighted the challenges — unclear titles, insecurity of tenure, and limited access to economically viable land as barriers to multiple development goals.

Prerequisites:

— What is agri stack?

— What is the digitalisation of land?

Key takeaways: 

— These goals include raising rural household incomes; employment generation through private and public investments, including in climate-friendly infrastructure projects; removal of gender-based handicaps in the ownership of land and property titles; improved securitisation of land for credit; regularisation of benami properties; and better targeting of farm input subsidies.

— Budget 2024 had proposed to address these challenges through digitisation and technological solutions. Specifically digitising land records, establishing land registries, assigning unique identification numbers to land parcels, and integrating land records with digital platforms such as Agri Stack.

— While these may assist in modernising India’s land administration system, they fail to tackle the root causes of land-related problems.

— Digitisation of urban land records and updating of property records, while important, may not guarantee improved land ownership or greater access to formal credit.

— The exclusion of many of these laws from judicial review through the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution means owners do not have judicial recourse against political and administrative whims.

— Even in states where leasing is not entirely prohibited, land remains subject to the risk of full or partial expropriation without fair compensation under terms set by various tenancy, lease, use, and land conversion laws and complex administrative procedures.

— This has weakened land markets by pushing land transactions into the shadows, and segmented markets. This has made land consolidation costly, while increasing the reliance on the state for land acquisition.

— Fragmentation of land has, therefore, over time proven to be one of the most pressing challenges with severe implications for agricultural productivity and investment. Digitising land records alone will not solve this problem; instead, legal reforms are needed to facilitate land consolidation and enable more efficient land use.

— India’s land records system faces significant issues beyond just assigning unique identification numbers. Slow digitisation has delayed infrastructure projects, and land ownership data remains outdated in some respects.

— Land banks, intended to address land availability for renewable energy, infrastructure, and industrial projects, face legal hurdles. While land constraints hinder renewable energy projects, simply promoting land banks will not be effective without addressing underlying legal and regulatory issues.

— In conclusion, while the proposed reforms for digitisation are a step towards addressing some administrative capacity challenges, they fail to address the underlying legal and institutional challenges that perpetuate India’s land-related problems.

— To unlock the potential of India’s land resources and support inclusive and sustainable development, a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s land laws is necessary.
— This requires a multi-pronged approach that encompasses legal reforms to strengthen property rights, streamlining regulations, and facilitating efficient land markets, alongside complementary measures to promote land consolidation, improve land records, and enhance women’s land rights.

For Your Information:

— The Union Cabinet on Monday (September 2) approved the Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission for the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the farm sector.

— Three major components of DPI are envisaged under the Digital Agriculture Mission: AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (DSS), and Soil Profile Maps. Each of these DPI components will provide solutions that will allow farmers to access and avail of various services.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues facing the land record system in India?

— Do you think digitalisation of the agriculture sector will solve most of the problems?

— What are the problems facing the land sector in India?a

Post Read Question:

(4) The Krishi-Decision Support System (K-DSS) portal, a satellite-based geospatial platform that will provide farmers with information on:

1. Weather

2. Availability of seeds/saplings

3. Health of Soil

4. Level of groundwater

5. Level of reservoir storage

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Centre approves Rs 2,817-crore mission to create digital public infrastructure in farm sector

Editorial

Imposing a symmetry

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity, Parliament and State legislatures, Constitutional Bodies.

What’s the ongoing story- Suhas Palshikar writes: One Nation, one Election- It seems that there is a larger design to distort not just the election system, but the Constitution itself.

Prerequisites:

— What is one nation, one election?

— What is the parliamentary form of government?

— What is the doctrine of basic features?

Key takeaways: 

— The implementation of the plan will involve “changes” in the Constitution in at least three key areas. These will be presented as amendments but their scope will be far wider.

— The first pertains to the parliamentary form of the government. In whatever form the idea of simultaneous election is sought to be implemented, it will inevitably signal a death blow to the parliamentary system.

— The second major attack will be in the arena of states’ autonomy: That’s the only way assemblies will have fixed elections along with the Lok Sabha. The much-touted 1952-1967 precedence of so-called simultaneous election is a classic instance of misleading public opinion.

— But now, it is being mandated that all states must have an election only with the Lok Sabha (or at a pre-determined) “election event” to be held twice every five years. Indeed, this determination to hold elections on a specified date, come what may, looks so neat and American.

— Thirdly, in this enthusiasm to have a neatness to the election cycle, the deeper constitutional promise of representation is pushed to a secondary place. As mentioned above, representatives will not be empowered to unseat the executive and hence, they would no longer be the voters’ agents to decide whether the executive enjoys trust or not.

— Such an overhaul sets two processes in motion. First, it delegitimises the idea that there is anything fundamental or sacrosanct about the Constitution.

— The second process that will be unleashed will be to prioritise neatness, uniformity and sameness over the constitutional skills to negotiate complexities. Even as India’s federal experiment began to be appreciated for its pragmatic asymmetry globally, India seems set to reject that very feature.

For Your Information:

— The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal to hold simultaneous elections in India, as recommended by a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

— Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressing the media, said simultaneous polls would be held in two phases — the first will cover Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and the second, which will be held within 100 days of the first, will cover local body elections.

— Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were held simultaneously up to around 1967, after which election cycles started to fall out of sync as many legislatures were dissolved before the end of their terms.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the challenges of One Nation, One Election?

— How does simultaneous election impact the constitution of India?

— What are the other electoral reforms?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(5) With reference to the High-level Committee (HLC) on “One Nation, One Election”, consider the following statements:

1. The committee recommended the preparation of a single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards.

2. There is no requirement for constitutional amendments for conducting simultaneous elections.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains

Examine the need for electoral reforms as suggested by various committees with particular reference to “one nation – one election” principle. (UPSC CSE 2024)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Kovind committee’s ‘One nation, one election’ recommendation gets Cabinet nod

One Nation, One Election: What the ECI must do to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls across India

Express Network

BrahMos Aerospace to have job reservation for Agniveers

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story- BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Limited (BAPL) — a joint venture between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya — has announced employment reservations for Agniveers, making it the first major company to have declared this officially.

Prerequisites:

— What is a BrahMos missile?

— What is a joint venture?

— What is the Agnipath scheme?

Key takeaways: 

— In an order issued Thursday, it said that there will be recruitment of Agniveers for at least 15 per cent of technical and general administration vacancies in various work centers of BrahMos Aerospace and for at least 50 per cent of vacancies for security and administrative functions at its centers, where it has outsourced such tasks.

— While the CAPFs had announced a 10 per cent employment reservation for Agniveers, this is the first major company to have announced this move. A few state police forces have also said they will recruit Agniveers when they leave the Armed Forces.

— It added that the soldiers coming out of Agnipath scheme, well trained, qualified, disciplined and motivated through rigorous selection and training process, therefore, if recruited in BAPL, in their respective fields will be assets to the organisation.

For Your Information:

— Agnipath was aimed at recruiting personnel below officer ranks — soldiers, airmen, and sailors who are not commissioned officers — to the Indian Armed Forces for a period of four years.

— At the end of this tenure, upto 25% of these recruits, the so called ‘Agniveers’, can join the services on a permanent commission (another 15 years), subject to merit and organisational requirements.

— The biggest difference between a soldier employed on regular service and one recruited under the Agnipath scheme is that the former will draw pensions post-retirement, while Agniveers are not entitled to any pensionary benefits barring the 25 per cent of Agniveers, who would eventually get absorbed into the defence forces after four years.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the concerns raised with the Agnipath schemes?

— Learn about the Agnipath schemes and its features

— What is the significance of the Agnipath scheme?

Post Read Question:

(6) What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news? (UPSC CSE 2018)

(a) An Israeli radar system

(b) India’s indigenous anti-missile programme

(c) An American anti-missile system

(d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What is the Agnipath scheme and the opposition to it?

Govt & Politics

Soon, foreign friends of diaspora members to get free visas

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-I: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story- In a first-of-its-kind initiative to bring more foreign tourists to India, the government will allow “friends” of diaspora members to get free visas. Up to five foreign nationals nominated by OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders on a special website will be eligible for the gratis e-visa, The Indian Express has learnt.

Prerequisites:

— What is OCI?

— What is the difference between Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and OCI?

— What is diaspora?

Key takeaways: 

— The initiative, to be launched in a few weeks as part of a “Chalo India” campaign, involves four key ministries: External Affairs, Home Affairs, Finance and Tourism. Mooted by the Tourism Ministry, it has now got the approval of the Finance Ministry, officials told The Indian Express.

— They said the initiative is in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for members of the Indian diaspora to invite five non-Indian friends to visit India. The PM during his interactions with the Indian community over the last year, has made appeals to them to get at least five of their friends to visit their homeland.

— The ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’ was announced by PM Modi from Srinagar in March this year, which was simultaneously launched in all Indian embassies and high commissions abroad. However, this is the first time a financial incentive has been associated with the campaign, which has now been granted the approval of the Finance Ministry.

— As per the Ministry of Tourism, the Chalo India programme aims to empower diaspora members to serve as ambassadors for Incredible India, playing a crucial role in boosting tourism and enhancing cultural awareness. They can invite as many friends as possible and will also earn rewards for each foreign visitor they successfully attract to India.

For Your Information:

— At the event at Bakshi Stadium (March, 2024), Modi launched multiple projects related to the tourism sector worth over Rs 1,400 crore under the Swadesh Darshan and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive schemes, including the project for the Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine in the city.

— He also launched the Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll and announced tourist destinations selected under the Challenge-Based Destination Development (CBDD) scheme.

Points to Ponder: 

— Read about Swadesh Darshan and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive schemes, and Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll.

— What are the benefits of OCI cardholders?

— What are the constitutional provisions related to citizenship?

— What is the significance of the Indian diaspora?

Post Read Question:

‘Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and European Countries’. Comment with examples. (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Modi to launch tourism campaign in Srinagar to rope in Indian diaspora

UPSC Essay and Ethics Snippets

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

— Herman Melville

(Thought Process: What do you mean by imitation? Is replication a simple and safe option? Why is so much importance placed on originality? How did focusing on an uncharted road lead to the discovery of untapped potential and push us to our limits? How is it relevant for UPSC aspirants?)