UPSC Key | PM in Brunei, BioE3, Food safety, and more

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Govt & Politics

Amid South China Sea tensions, PM Modi in Brunei to discuss defence ties

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story-  At a time when China’s aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea where Brunei has a maritime claim, is rattling the region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the sultanate’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan Tuesday to hold bilateral talks with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Thursday on a range of issues — from commercial to cultural to defence ties.

Prerequisites:

— What is the ‘Act East Policy’?

— Which are the member countries of ASEAN?

— Map Work: Location of Brunei, countries surrounding the South China Sea

Key takeaways:

— This is the first bilateral visit to Brunei by an Indian Prime Minister.

— Brunei is an important partner in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision.

— Other than naval ties, Brunei plays a role in the Indian space programme. India established a Telemetry, Tracking and Command station in Brunei in 2000 which tracks and monitors eastward launches of Indian satellites and satellite launch vehicles.

— Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the longest reigning monarch in the world and has been among the world’s richest for decades, has paid four visits to India so far — State visits to India in 1992 and 2008, and also attended the ASEAN-India commemorative summits in 2012 and 2018.

— Officials said Brunei is an important partner for India’s Act East policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific, and as India marks a decade of ‘Act East’ Policy this year, the visit assumes additional significance.

For Your Information:

— ASEAN is central to India’s Act East policy, which focuses on the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region. The policy was originally conceived as an economic initiative but has gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions including the establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.

— India is part of the ASEAN Plus Six grouping, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia as well.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of the Indo-Pacific region for India?

— How has ‘Act East Policy’ evolved to ‘Look East Policy’?

— What are the various disputes in the South China Sea?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(1) Consider the following countries:

1. Brunei

2. Malaysia

3. Singapore

Which of the above is/are member/members of ASEAN?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the context of the post-Cold War international scenario. (UPSC CSE 2016)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India’s evolving engagement with Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific

Knowledge nugget of the day: ASEAN

Explained

Harnessing biotechnology for economic development

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Economy

What’s the ongoing story- The Centre unveiled its BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy last week. On the face of it, the policy appears to be a routine attempt to create incentives and opportunities to energise growth in the biotech sector.

Prerequisites:

— What is biotechnology?

— What are the different branches of biotechnology?

— What was the need for the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy?

Key takeaways: 

— The policy seeks to achieve this by harnessing the power of biotechnology, and developing new manufacturing methods that replicate, or mimic, processes found in natural biological systems. Government officials are calling it the first step towards the industrialisation of biology, which can have profound impacts on the economy.

— Biotechnology, the science of manipulating biological organisms and processes to develop desired products or applications, is a vast and diverse field. It includes areas such as genomics, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, bioinformatics, gene therapy, etc.

— Traditional products such as synthetic clothes, plastics, meat or milk, and fuel can have more environment-friendly alternatives, produced using modern biology. Similarly, several chemical processes in the industry can be replaced by organic and less polluting biological processes.

— For example, animal-free milk, which is the same in taste, texture, and nutritional benefits as natural milk, can be produced using a process called precision fermentation… Micro-organisms such as some kinds of bacteria and algae can also be used for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a critical bioprocess in times of climate change.

— The BioE3 policy is thus an attempt to prepare India for the future. The policy is unlikely to yield any economic dividend in the near term. But the idea is to build competencies, promote research… so that India can be well-placed to derive benefits when the technologies become mature.

— The BioE3 policy envisages the setting up of several biomanufacturing hubs across India…

The hubs will focus on six areas — bio-based chemicals and enzymes, functional foods and smart proteins, precision biotherapeutics, climate resilient agriculture, carbon capture and utilisation, and futuristic marine and space research.

For Your Information:

— The Union Cabinet has decided to merge several existing science promotion programmes being run by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under a new initiative called Vigyan Dhara that, it hopes, would result in better fund utilisation, and improve efficiency.

— Official sources said the overall objective of initiatives was to focus scientific energies on some specific areas that were key to India’s sustainable growth and development in the coming decades.

— Vigyan Dhara has three broad components — human and institutional capacity building, research and development, innovation and technology development, and also deployment.

Points to Ponder: 

— Significance of Vigyan Dhara and BioE3

— What are the challenges in Biotechnology in India?

— How biotechnology will transform the manufacturing sector?

Post Read Question:

Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefited the field of biopharma? (UPSC CSE 2018)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

To boost research, Cabinet clears Vigyan Dhara, biotech initiatives

 

The Ideas Page

A matter of food safety

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Food security

What’s the ongoing story- Chirag Paswan writes: As the trade of agricultural and processed food products grows, food safety management is becoming increasingly important. Many developed economies have stringent food safety regulations and practices, including for imports.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Food irradiation technology?

— What is food security?

— How are food security and safety related to the Sustainable Development Goals?

Key takeaways: 

— To address the issues of food safety and security, in line with India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Union budget for 2024-25 has allocated funds to set up 50 multi-product food irradiation units in the MSME sector.

— Food irradiation technology extends the shelf life of agrifood products, ensuring they reach consumers in optimal condition while reducing food losses along the production and supply chain.

— Irradiation involves exposing food, whether packaged or in bulk, to ionising radiation in a controlled environment. This method reduces the risk of food-borne illnesses by eliminating harmful microorganisms.

— It also prevents spoilage by slowing down the process of decay and minimises food loss by delaying premature ripening, germination, or sprouting. It also reduces the need for chemical preservatives, contributing to a more sustainable food supply chain.

— While the concept of using radiation for food preservation is not new… modern interest in food irradiation technology surged after the Codex Alimentarius Commission, part of the Joint Food Standard Programme of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, established global standards.

— Food irradiation, much like cooking, is a safe and effective method to ensure food safety. It has been widely adopted, especially in countries with advanced safety standards such as the US, Japan, Australia, Canada and in the EU, where it is extensively used for domestic and export markets.

— However, widespread commissioning of food irradiation facilities is constrained by high capital costs. Establishing an irradiation facility with a 1 MCi Cobalt 60 source requires an investment of approximately Rs 25 to 30 crores, excluding land and additional infrastructure costs… The MoFPI also offers financial assistance of up to Rs 10 crore per project for setting up food irradiation units.

For Your Information:

— The Union government is planning to significantly scale up the irradiation of onions this financial year to increase the shelf life of its buffer stock, a senior official said. (March, 2024)

— Onion is perishable and storing it for a long period is a challenge. During storage, sprouting of onions takes place, which causes losses. As per some estimates, the post-harvest losses in onions can be up to 40 per cent. This is the reason the government is increasing its use of irradiation.

— In India, irradiated food is regulated in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Control of Irradiation of Food) Rules, 1996. The irradiation costs may range from `0.5 to 1.0 per kg for low-dose applications, such as sprout inhibition in onions.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of buffer stock in ensuring food security?

— What are the challenges of food storage in India?

— What are the challenges of the Food irradiation technology?

— What are the various initiatives taken by the government to ensure food safety and security?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(2) In India, markets in agricultural products are regulated under the: (2015)

(a) Essential Commodities Act, 1955

(b) Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act enacted by States

(c) Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937

(d) Food Products Order, 1956 and Meat and Food Products Order, 1973

Mains

What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (UPSC CSE 2021)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

To boost shelf life of onion buffer stock, govt plans to expand irradiation process

The Court sends the message

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Polity

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity and Constitution

What’s the ongoing story- Ashwani Kumar writes: Given the nation’s current preoccupation with a sense of fear and disquiet over the oppressive processes of our criminal justice system, the Supreme Court’s recent pronouncements regarding the grant of bail in cases brought under stringent penal statutes have come as a welcome relief.

Prerequisites:

— What are the different types of bail?

— What are the constitutional provisions regarding bail?

— What is Article 21?

Key takeaways: 

— In Manish Kumar Sisodia vs The Directorate of Enforcement (August 9, 2024), the Court expounded upon its mandate “…to lean in favour of constitutionalism and the rule of law of which liberty is an intrinsic path…”. It further held that “bail is the rule and jail an exception”, with the right to fair and speedy trial as implicit in the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

— In Kavitha vs The Directorate of Enforcement (August 27, 2024) Court reiterated that the “fundamental right to liberty provided under Article 21… is superior to statutory restrictions…” and that “…prolonged incarceration before being pronounced guilty of an offence should not be permitted to become punishment without trial…”

— Again, in Prem Prakash vs Union of India (August 28, 2024), the Court held that “liberty of the individual is always a Rule and deprivation is the exception…” The Court ruled that “keeping a person behind bars for unlimited periods of time in the hope of speedy completion of trial would deprive the fundamental right of persons under Article 21…”.

— By reading the stringent statutory provisions in the light of its fundamental rights jurisprudence, the Court affirmed the primacy of the Constitution and of Article 21 in the hierarchy of fundamental rights.

— In another case, Frank Vitus vs Narcotics Control Bureau and Ors (July 8, 2023) the Court, held that so long as the accused “is not held guilty, the presumption of innocence is applicable…” and that bail conditions that infringe the accused person’s right to privacy will be violative of Article 21.

— However, the cause of constitutionalism can be best subserved only if constitutional courts can proactively ensure the enforcement of their seminal edicts to vitalise a living constitution to fulfil its promise of a life of freedom and dignity for all.

— In an age defined by an absence of institutional deference, the authority of the Court as the nation’s moral arbiter will depend upon its readiness to hold the mirror to those in default of the Constitution and to reassure the nation that none will be condemned by accusation alone.

For Your Information:

— In granting bail to Manish Sisodia, it said that delay in trial had to be read into the bail law, and that the law can be “relaxed” if the accused has undergone a long period of incarceration.

— In another case in May, Ajay Ajit Peter Kerkar vs Directorate of Enforcement, the SC extended the principle that a person who has spent half of the maximum sentence as an undertrial shall be released on bail, even in money laundering offences.

— This was, again, a significant step forward from the 2022 ruling where the court allowed the government’s argument that “it cannot be said that presumption of innocence is a constitutional guarantee”.

— While these interventions strengthen the procedural safeguards for an accused, the Court still needs to comprehensively revisit the 2022 ruling. The Supreme Court itself has made a case for reviewing its judgment — it must do so soon.

Points to Ponder: 

— How Supreme Court rulings have expanded the scope of Article 21?

— What are the rights of the arrested person in Article 22?

Post Read Question:

“The Constitution of India is a living instrument with capabilities of enormous dynamism. It is a constitution made for a progressive society.” Illustrate with special reference to the expanding horizons of the right to life and personal liberty. (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Once again, Supreme Court underlines that jail is the exception, bail is the rule

Editorial

Friends with benefits

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: International Relations

What’s the ongoing story- T.C.A. Raghavan writes: The Prime Minister’s forthcoming visit to Singapore provides an opportunity to take a snapshot of the relationship today. It is evident that India-Singapore relations are vibrant and constantly opening up new possibilities.

Prerequisites:

— What are the Look East Policy and the Act East Policy?

— What is the importance of ASEAN?

Key takeaways: 

— These are indicative of the new frontiers which are being opened up and consolidated in bilateral relations: Digitalisation, skills development, sustainability, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and connectivity. These high-level exchanges are supplemented by others — parliamentary contacts, contacts between higher judiciary, etc.

— Singapore is India’s largest trading partner amongst the ASEAN countries and ranks as the sixth largest trading partner in global terms. Incredible as it may sound, tiny Singapore is also India’s largest source of foreign direct investment.

— There are other striking dimensions to the relationship. Singapore has the largest concentration of IIT and IIM alumni in any non-Indian city — which is saying a lot given recent trends of an exponential increase in Indian diasporic presence in North America and Europe.

— Since the 1990s, Singapore has been a critical factor as India framed a regional policy — “Look East” — and then “Act East”. On its part, Singapore facilitated India becoming a sectoral dialogue partner and then a full dialogue partner of ASEAN.

— The India-ASEAN relationship plays an unexpected role in South Asia on account of Myanmar — in effect, a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.

For Your Information:

— In 2010, a Free Trade Agreement was signed and entered into force between India and ASEAN. While India was part of negotiations to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2020, it ultimately decided not to do so. However, in the past eight  years, trade has grown in terms of value, barring the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

— ASEAN itself has recently faced issues that complicate coordination, such as the rise of China and its claims over the South China Sea (many of which compete with claims of ASEAN members like the Philippines) and the issue of military conflict in Myanmar.

Points to Ponder: 

— How northeast is the key to India’s ASEAN policy?

— What are the various agreements signed between India and other ASEAN countries?

— What are India’s concerns with the rise of China’s claim in the South China Sea?

Post Read Question:

(3) What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following cities in South-East Asia as one proceeds from south to north? (UPSC CSE 2014)

1. Bangkok

2. Hanoi

3. Jakarta

4. Singapore

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 4 – 2 – 1 – 3

(b) 3 – 2 – 4 – 1

(c) 3 – 4 – 1 – 2

(d) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

ASEAN is ‘central pillar’ of India’s Act East Policy, says Modi: The group and its history

Reclaim the farm

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, indigenization of technology

What’s the ongoing story- Bina Agarwal writes: We have an opportunity to make agriculture technically sophisticated, environmentally sustainable and institutionally innovative — provided we shed old economic theories and change the way we farm.

Prerequisites:

— What is the share of the Agricultural sector in the GDP?

— Role of technology in the agricultural sector

Key takeaways: 

— Although Indian agriculture has had a five-year average growth rate of 4 per cent, it contributes 18 per cent to the GDP. Its growth is erratic and environmentally costly. It employs 46 per cent of all workers and 60 per cent of rural workers, but incomes remain low, and educated youth don’t wish to farm.

— For agriculture to be an engine of growth and attractive to youth, we need to overcome ecological, technological, institutional challenges; reconnect with allied sectors; and create synergy with rural non-farm sector.

— Ecologically, we must regenerate our water and soils and tackle climate change. Irrigation is the key to higher productivity and drought resilience…

— For irrigation expansion, a combination of groundwater regulation, rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation would be effective…

— Next, our soils need fixing. An estimated 37 per cent of our geo-area is degraded, with waterlogging, soil salinity, chemical contamination, and nutrient depletion.

— Technologically, we must shift from cereal monocultures to crop diversity and agro-ecological farming. This would revive soils, save costs, raise yields, create jobs, and increase profits.

— Most importantly, we need institutional innovation. Today, 86 per cent of our farmers cultivate two hectares or less, occupying 47 per cent of the operated area. Most farms are too small to tap scale economies, use machines efficiently, or bargain well in markets…

— How can we increase farm size? One answer lies in encouraging smallholders to cooperate and farm in groups…

— Group farms are thriving too in Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana and Gujarat too. Forming groups enables them to consolidate holdings, invest in irrigation equipment, and save on labour and input costs.

— Livestock, fisheries and forests also offer huge growth and job potential. In 2022-23, fisheries grew at 10 per cent, providing 28 million jobs (44 per cent for women).

— Finally, since 61 per cent of rural incomes come from the non-farm sector, expanding and synergising farm-nonfarm linkages in agro-processing, machine tools, eco-tourism, etc can raise incomes and jobs.

For Your Information:

— Just as the four “factors of production”, there are four, what one may term, “factors of technology” in agriculture. The factors of technology enable more efficient use of the factors of production. They result in higher yields – more produce from the same acre of land or number of labourers – besides better utilisation of water resources and replacement of animal and human power with mechanical and electrical power.

— The four “factors of technology” are genetics, crop nutrition, crop protection and agronomic interventions.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the problems of the Indian agriculture sector?

— What are the initiatives taken by the government to increase agricultural productivity and share in GDP?

— How the issues of unemployment can be tackled by the agricultural sector?

Post Read Question:

How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Producing more from less: How Indian agriculture has grown with limited ‘factors of production’

Express Network

Back in medical curriculum: Lesbianism as ‘sexual offence’, ‘importance’ of virginity

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-I, II: Society, Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- The National Medical Commission (NMC), the country’s apex medical education regulator, has revised the forensic medicine curriculum for undergraduate medical students, bringing back “sodomy and lesbianism” under the category of unnatural sexual offences.

Prerequisites:

— What is the National Medical Commission (NMC)?

— Who constitutes the NMC?

— What is the status of LGBTQIA+ rights in India?

Key takeaways: 

— The curriculum has also brought back topics such as importance of hymen, definition of virginity and defloration, and its legitimacy and medico-legal importance, which had been done away with in 2022 when the module was modified in accordance with the directions of the Madras High Court.

— The revised curriculum does away with the distinction between consensual sex between queer individuals, adultery and offences such as incest and bestiality, which the NMC had introduced in 2022 to make the education more friendly to LGBTQ+ community.

— Under forensic medicine, the revised curriculum says students will be taught about the appropriate provisions of the new laws — Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

— The changes in the curriculum have been uploaded on the NMC website. No specific reason has been cited for the revision.

— The revised curriculum, meanwhile, does away with the seven-hour training about disability as part of the foundation course. It also does not include topics on disability in its module on medical ethics, a point raised by disability rights activists.

— Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum was first introduced in 2019 by the Medical Council of India. This is the first time the new body — National Medical Commission, which took over from the MCI — has released a complete CBME.

For Your Information:

— The 2022 modifications were made on directions of the Madras High Court. They included removing sodomy and lesbianism from unnatural sexual offences, making a distinction between sexual fetishes such as voyeurism, exhibitionism, or masochism and mental disorders stemming from such atypical interests, and teaching that two-finger test for virginity is “unscientific, inhuman, and discriminatory”.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community?

— What is the Section 377 of the IPC?

— How the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community has evolved through Supreme Court judgments?

Post Read Question:

Explain the constitutional perspectives of Gender Justice with the help of relevant Constitutional Provisions and case laws. (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

NMC revises MBBS curriculum: ‘Sodomy’ and ‘lesbianism’ no longer defined as unnatural sexual offences

Economy

India’s export-linked jobs declined as it missed out on post-China opportunity: World Bank

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Economy

What’s the ongoing story- Jobs in India generated directly and indirectly connected to international trade have declined over the last decade, the World Bank said, adding that the country has missed out on the export opportunity presented by China’s withdrawal from labour-intensive manufacturing sectors.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Global Value Chain (GVC)?

— How does WTO give the Least Developed Country (LDC) status?

Key takeaways: 

— World Bank economists noted that India’s share in global exports of labour-intensive sectors such as apparel, leather, textiles, and footwear has declined. Meanwhile, countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Poland, Germany, and France have managed to increase their global export share in major job-creating sectors by up to 2 per cent between 2015 to 2022.

— India’s textile and garment exports have remained stagnant at around $35 billion, while Vietnam and Bangladesh have gained market share, bolstered by free trade agreements (FTAs) and Least Developed Country (LDC) status, which provide a 10-15 per cent duty concession in the Western countries.

— The Bank observed that while India is the fastest-growing major economy, with an 8.2 per cent growth rate in the last fiscal year, urban youth unemployment remains high at 17 per cent. The Bank suggested that to create more trade-related jobs, India should integrate more deeply into global value chains, which would also create opportunities for innovation and productivity growth.

— “India could further leverage Global Value Chains (GVCs) to their full potential, generating more jobs and enhancing productivity,” the Bank said in its statement.

— The Bank noted that Indian firms could benefit significantly from integrating into GVCs; however, India’s share in GVCs has declined due to “policy barriers and other limitations.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of integration to the GVC?

— What are the government initiatives for the development of the textile sector?

— How can India increase its share in the export of goods and services?

Post Read Question:

(4) With reference to the international trade of India at present, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. India’s merchandise exports are less than its merchandise imports.

2. India’s imports of iron and steel, chemicals, fertilisers and machinery have decreased in recent years.

3. India’s exports of services are more than its imports of services.

4. India suffers from an overall trade/current account deficit.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Exports from key labour intensive sectors decline 12% compared to pre-pandemic levels

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (d)   2. (b)   3. (c)   4. (d)

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