UPSC Key: PM meets UAE President, Mohanlal case, and Trump’s invite to join Gaza peace board

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the status of India-UAE relationship?

— What is the significance of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)?

— What is a data embassy?

— What is the significance of the UAE in India’s outreach to West Asia?

— What are the major areas of cooperation between India and UAE?

— What is India’s foreign policy towards West Asia?

— Understand what is happening between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen

— Know about the location of UAE, surrounding countries, and water bodies

Key Takeaways:

— In all, the two leaders firmed up five agreements and seven outcomes, including a framework pact on defence, a joint initiative on space, a $200-billion trade target, cooperation on AI, partnership on small nuclear reactors, a super-computing cluster in India, and a 10-year LNG pact, among others.

— “Our involvement on the defence and security front with a country from the region does not then necessarily lead to the conclusion that we will get involved in particular ways in the conflicts of the region,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, adding that there is already significant cooperation and engagement in defence between India and UAE.

— Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit and the expansive set of outcomes come months after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a bilateral defence pact.

— According to Misri, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Yemen and Iran, and the Gaza peace plan, and expressed support for efforts to “promote peace, security and stability” in the region.

— On the economic front, the joint statement welcomed the signing of “a 10-year LNG Supply Agreement between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and ADNOC Gas for the delivery of 0.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas, beginning in 2028”. The agreement makes the UAE India’s second-largest LNG supplier.

— The leaders also decided to explore cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies, welcoming “the enactment of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) law, noting that it creates new opportunities for enhanced civil nuclear cooperation”.

— They further agreed to examine the possibility of setting up a digital or data embassy, work towards doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032, and explore interlinking national payments platforms to promote trade.

— “The two leaders welcomed the robust growth in trade and economic cooperation since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022 and noted the rapid growth of bilateral trade, which reached US$ 100 billion in FY 2024-25. Buoyed by the enthusiasm of the business communities on both sides, they decided to double bilateral trade to target US$ 200 billion by 2032,” it said.

— They also announced the establishment of a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi; setting up of offices and operations of UAE companies First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and DP World at GIFT City in Gujarat; and, signing of a letter of Intent on Investment Cooperation between Gujarat and UAE for developing the Dholera Special Investment region.

— Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed directed their teams to work towards interlinking their national payment platforms to enable efficient, fast and cost-effective cross-border payments. They called for the expeditious implementation of key initiatives, such as ‘Bharat Mart’, the ‘Virtual Trade Corridor’ and the ‘Bharat-Africa Setu’ to promote MSME products across the Middle East, West Asia, Africa and the Eurasia region.

— Mohamed bin Zayed, or MBZ as he is popularly known, was received by Modi at the airport, signalling the importance New Delhi attached to the visit. The brief visit was originally planned for late last week, sources said. 

— This is the second time Modi has personally received MBZ on arrival, after December 2024. Modi has departed from protocol to receive visiting leaders at the airport eight times in the past 11-and-a-half years.

— The backdrop to Monday’s meeting was also the sharp escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen. While Abu Dhabi is backing the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group formed in 2017, which controls parts of southern Yemen, Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council. 

— For India, UAE’s outreach is significant at a time when Delhi is talking to the Emirati leadership to get a better sense of the state of play in Gaza as well as the rivalry with the Saudis.

From the nation page: India explores setting up data embassy in UAE

— Both leaders announced the setting up of a data embassy or digital embassies in each other’s countries. The proposal, as and when it materialises, will be a first for India. 

— Not an embassy in a traditional sense, a data embassy is essentially an offshore centre where a nation-state stores its critical digital data, with an aim to ensure digital continuity and sovereignty against cyberattacks, natural disasters, or geopolitical conflict. 

— It functions as an extension of a country’s digital infrastructure, allowing governments to maintain essential services even if the physical territory becomes inaccessible, by providing backups of crucial databases in a trusted host nation.

— It is an embassy in the sense that it operates under the host country’s own laws and jurisdiction, just like a chancery building. The home country retains access and control over its data, which is protected and not subject to the host country’s jurisdiction.

— That New Delhi and Abu Dhabi have mutually decided to set up data centres in each other’s territory goes on to show the amount of trust the two countries have in each other, say officials.

— For India, the data to be digitally backed-up in the UAE territory may include crucial financial data and public records. However, data thus stored will only be accessible to the home country and its authorised representatives, officials added.

— In 2017, Estonia became the world’s first data embassy, after it entered into an agreement with Luxembourg. In 2021, Monaco’s e-embassy was established in Luxembourg.

— In the 2023-24 Budget, the government proposed for data embassies in the country to facilitate seamless digital transfers and continuity for other nations. MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) is said to be working on formulating a policy to allow countries and international companies to establish data embassies within Indian territory. 

Do You Know:

— The India-UAE CEPA marks the first trade agreement India has made with a major trading partner in over a decade. The last major FTA India signed was with Japan in 2011.

— India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) established diplomatic relations in 1972. While the UAE opened its Embassy in India in 1972, the Indian Embassy in UAE was opened in 1973.

— India and the UAE enjoy strong cooperation at the United Nations. Both countries are also currently part of several plurilateral platforms such as BRICS, I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE- USA) and UFI (UAE-France-India) Trilateral, etc. UAE was invited as a Guest Country to the G- 20 Summit held under India’s Presidency.

— The traditionally strong bilateral relations enjoyed by India-UAE gained a new momentum when the PM Narendra Modi visited UAE in 2015, the first PM of India in 34 years which marked the beginning of a new Comprehensive and Strategic partnership between the two countries.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Conflicts in West Asia: Israel-Iran war of abrasion

📍Nuclear to LNG, India & UAE ink 4 key pacts to expand energy ties

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’? 

(a) Iran

(b) Saudi Arabia

(c) UAE

(d) Kuwait

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyse India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries. (UPSC CSE 2017)

DAE’s nuclear pivot: Light water push to tap global markets, retain heavy water edge

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government Policies and Interventions, Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story: As India opens up its nuclear power sector to private sector participation and eyes a stake in the export market, the need to expedite the fabrication of an Indian Light Water Reactor (LWR) has been flagged as a priority within the nuclear establishment, The Indian Express has learnt.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is LWR?

— Why does the light water reactor matter?

— What is the difference between pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and LWR?

— Read about the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act, 2025.

— Know about India’s Three-stage nuclear programme. 

— What is the status of the nuclear energy sector in India?

— What is India’s nuclear energy target by 2047?

— How can the Private sector strengthen India’s nuclear energy sector?

— What are the concerns related to private sector participation in India’s Nuclear power programme?

Key Takeaways:

— To this effect, there is a concerted push by the Department of Atomic Energy to speed up work on the 900 MWe (megawatt electric) LWR project — design work on this had started in 2015.

— Having an indigenous LWR, alongside the exis­­ting fleet of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR), is expected to boost India’s leverage in dealing with foreign vendors to secure better terms in imports, officials said.

— Significantly, LWRs constitute the bulk of the international reactor market, and without integrating Indian companies into the global supply chain, making a breakthrough in the export segment is likely to be difficult.

— This is also the backdrop to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act, 2025, passed in the winter session of Parliament, which opens up the possibility of more imported LWR-based nuclear projects of the kind being set up by the Russians in Kudankulam.

— The legal changes are seen within the establishment as necessary to tap the dominant global LWR ecosystem, even as India retains its core strengths in other reactor types.

— LWRs currently account for over 85% of the civil nuclear reactor capacity in the world. There are at least three reasons for this trend: LWRs entail simpler design and engineering compared to heavy water reactors given that they use normal water as both coolant and moderator and so have some degree of overlap with the technology used by regular thermal power units (coal-fired and gas-based power plants); they typically entail lower construction cost on account of economies of scale, given that LWRs make up most of the installed nuclear capacity; these reactors are seen as being more thermal efficient.

— While LWRs use normal water, they need enriched uranium as fuel. Given that access to enriched uranium is not a constraint in much of the western world, LWRs are used extensively by US, Russia and France and now form the backbone of most international reactor fleets.

— PHWRs, by contrast, are prized for fuel flexibility and the ability to operate on natural uranium, an advantage in India’s resource-constrained context but a relative handicap in export markets shaped and dominated by LWR technology.

— The import of LWRs at higher cost raises two important issues: one, that these new projects should not come at the expense of indigenous reactor design and PHWR production capacities; and two, that higher capital expenditure also results in higher tariffs, which must be absorbed in Indian market conditions.

— India’s time-tested strength in PHWR technology and a renewed focus on fuel manufacturing, given its vast thorium resources, are being seen as a combination worth prioritising. In this context, proactively moving towards becoming a major supplier of PHWRs fuelled with a mix of thorium and imported low-enriched uranium has been cited by experts as an area of immense potential.

— This is particularly relevant as nuclear energy is set to be critical to economic growth across a significant segment of emerging economies — the UAE, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have signalled their intent to embrace nuclear power in a big way.

—- India’s domestic programme focused on the eventual harnessing of thorium is designed for a specific national context characterised by modest uranium resources and vast thorium reserves. The use of thorium along with low-enriched uranium in the current generation of Indian reactors could significantly ease existing barriers to scaling up nuclear power.

— From this perspective, PHWRs are seen as especially attractive — potentially more so than LWRs. India could, therefore, move forward to emerge as a major nuclear supplier of PHWRs fuelled with a mix of thorium and imported low-enriched uranium, sources said.

— This comes at a time when India is also hoping to pitch itself as a credible destination to manufacture nuclear reactors, especially small modular reactors (SMRs) with capacities between 30 MWe and 300 MWe, cost-effectively and at scale.

Do You Know:

— Earlier in December, Parliament had passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, which marked a major shift in how India’s tightly-controlled nuclear power sector will be governed in the coming years.

— This Act is an effort to align with norms of global nuclear commerce. It replaces the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010 with a single umbrella law.

— The new law allows public and private companies to set up nuclear power plants and undertake activities related to the transport, storage, import and export of nuclear fuel, technology, equipment and minerals. Until now, these activities were restricted to public sector entities only.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: India flags the Indigenous Light Water Reactor (LWR) as nuclear priority. But why?

📍SHANTI Bill: How India is overhauling its nuclear power sector

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) India is an important member of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India? (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation

(b) It can attain a global role in satellite navigation

(c) It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation

(d) It can build fusion reactors for power generation

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (UPSC CSE 2018)

 

THE SECOND PAGE

Rules to use funds collected from penalties under green laws notified

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Governance. 

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions,  Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified new Rules under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, laying down procedures for the use of the Environmental (Protection) Fund, which collects penalties imposed for environmental violations under the EPA, 1986, the Air Act, 1981, and the Water Act, 1974.

Key Points to Ponder:

— Know about the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

— What is the Environmental (Protection) Fund?

— Why is the Environmental (Protection) Fund created, and how will it be audited?

— What are the key highlights of the Environmental (Protection) Fund Rules, 2026?

— Which activities have been listed in the rules, which can be implemented using these funds?

Key Takeaways:

— The Environmental (Protection) Fund Rules, 2026, elaborate on the activities for which this fund can be utilised.

— This ranges from the installation, operation, and maintenance of environmental monitoring equipment, such as air quality monitors, to capacity building through laboratory set-ups, and even remediation of environmental damage, including at existing contaminated sites. As many as 11 such activities have been listed in the Rules, which can be implemented using these funds.

— Among these are also administrative expenses relating to the payment of salaries and other emoluments to the contractual staff and consultants deployed in the project management unit created for the administration of the fund. These expenses shall not exceed five per cent of the amount available in the fund in a financial year with the Centre or the state government.

— The Rules define the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change as a “competent authority” who may also approve use of funds for “any other purpose” as may be considered necessary by the Centre for the protection and betterment of the environment.

— Conducting studies as directed by various courts and tribunals has also been listed as one of the purposes for which the fund can be utilised.

— The funds collected through the penalties shall be credited to the consolidated fund of India (CFI) and thereafter transferred to the Public Account of India, as per the Rules made public on January 17.

— The Centre had made provisions for the creation of an environmental protection fund in the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which paved the way for the decriminalisation of several pollution-linked offences under the Air Act, 1981, the Water Act, 1974, and the EPA, 1986. Penalties for contravention of the provisions of these Acts are in the range of a minimum of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15 lakh.

— “The administrator shall remit 75% of the penalty collected in the Fund to the Consolidated Fund of the State of the concerned state and the Union Territory, and 25% of the penalty shall be retained by the Centre,” the Rules stated.

— The accounts of the fund will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and the audit reports shall be tabled in the Parliament and state legislatures.

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) According to the Environmental (Protection) Fund Rules, 2026, what is the initial destination for funds collected through environmental penalties before they are transferred to the Public Account of India?

(a) Consolidated Fund of the State

(b) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

(c) Environmental (Protection) Fund directly

(d) Consolidated Fund of India

 

EXPLAINED

In Mohanlal case, how Kerala HC outlined liability in endorsements

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: The Kerala High Court recently set aside consumer proceedings against actor Mohanlal, ruling that a brand ambassador cannot be held liable for a company’s alleged unfair trade practice — unless there is a clear and direct link between the endorser and the consumer’s transaction.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the powers and functions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA)?

— What are the concerns related to the misleading advertisements and what are the guidelines suggested against it by the CCPA?

— What are the essential consumer rights in India?

— Who is a endorser?

— What are the key features of the  Consumer Protection Act, 2019?

— The court drew a line between advertising and transactional responsibility. Elaborate.

— How to create consumer awareness in India?

Key Takeaways:

— In doing so, the court addressed a recurring concern in consumer law, on drawing a line between advertising and transactional responsibility.

— The order concerned a dispute arising from complaints against Manappuram Finance, where borrowers alleged that they were charged a higher interest rate than what was advertised.

— The matter pertained to gold loans availed by two borrowers in Thiruvananthapuram. Initially, they had pledged gold ornaments with the Catholic Syrian Bank at 15% interest. Later in 2018, Manappuram Finance took over the loans after a bank manager allegedly promised a lower interest rate.

— The borrowers claimed that they were attracted to an advertisement featuring Mohanlal, who was then the company’s brand ambassador.

— However, when the borrowers attempted to close the loan and retrieve the gold, Manappurram allegedly demanded interest at a rate higher than what was advertised.

— They then moved to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, alleging a deficiency of service and unfair trade practices, seeking a refund of the excess interest and compensation of Rs 25 lakh.

— Along with the company and its manager, Mohanlal was arrayed as the second opposite party, solely because of his role in the advertisements.

— Mohanlal stated that being a brand ambassador did not make him a service provider. Relying on the statutory definition of “endorsement” under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, the District Commission rejected this objection and held the complaint maintainable. 

— Section 2(18) of the Consumer Protection Act defines “endorsement” broadly, covering messages or depictions that can make consumers believe an advertisement reflects the opinion or experience of the person featured. Section 2(47) gives “unfair trade practice” a wide sweep, including false representations about price or quality.

— The term “endorser” appears expressly only in Section 21, which deals with false or misleading advertisements, and vests powers in the Central Consumer Protection Authority. Section 21 allows penalties against manufacturers and endorsers, including monetary penalties and temporary bans on endorsements.

— At the same time, Section 21(5) protects endorsers who have “exercised due diligence to verify the veracity of the claims made in the advertisement regarding the product or service being endorsed by him.”

— However, the Act does not further mention endorsers when it comes to consumer disputes over deficiency of service or unfair trade practices before consumer commissions. That, the court said in its ruling, was not accidental.

— The court also considered arguments based on the 2022 guidelines on misleading advertisements issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority. While these guidelines define “endorser” and require due diligence, the court treated them as operating within the statutory framework of Section 21, not as expanding endorser liability across all consumer disputes.

— The court examined the complaint to see whether any direct link had been pleaded between the actor and the borrowers’ transaction. It found only two references to Mohanlal: one stating that he was the brand ambassador, and another recording that the company’s manager assured the borrowers that the interest rate would be as promised in advertisements featuring him.

— The court also clarified that even if advertisements are part of the facts leading up to this case, an unfair trade practice arises when the service provider fails to provide the service as advertised. 

— That failure, on the pleadings, could only be attributed to the company, not the endorser. The order stated that liability for deficiency of service or unfair trade practice could not be “fastened” on the endorser, merely because he endorsed the brand.

Do You Know:

— The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is India’s apex consumer watchdog. It was established under Section 10(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and became operational on 24th July 2020.

— It is tasked with regulating matters related to the violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements that are prejudicial to the interests of consumers as a class and the public at large.

— The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Act recognises offences such as providing false information regarding the quality or quantity of a good or service, and misleading advertisements. It also specifies action to be taken if goods and services are found “dangerous, hazardous or unsafe”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget: National Consumer Rights Day — What you must know for your UPSC exams?

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(4) With reference to the Central Consumer Protection Authority, consider the following statements:

1. The authority was constituted under Section 10(1) of The Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

2. It aims to protect the rights of the consumer by cracking down on unfair trade practices.

3. The authority does not have the power to inquire or investigate into matters relating to violations of consumer rights.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

What US annexation of Greenland could mean for NATO, Russia

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. 

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

What’s the ongoing story: An American military takeover of Greenland, which increasingly looks possible, would involve multiple contradictions

Key Points to Ponder:

— Where is Greenland located?

— What are the key facts about Greenland?

— Why does the USA want to acquire Greenland?

— What is NATO?

— Know the history of formation of NATO and its relevance today

— Is India a member of NATO?

— What do you understand about collective security as guaranteed under NATO?

— What is the significance of the Arctic region?

Key Takeaways:

— The first casualty of any such move would be the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or NATO, which was formed by 12 nations in 1949 to counter the security threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 

— Now with 32 members, NATO is structured on the premise that an attack on any one of its ranks must be considered by other members as an attack on all — the collective security guarantee embodied in Article 5 of the Treaty.

— The only time it has ever been triggered was in 2001, to support the US in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Ironically, Denmark, which administers Greenland, was among the first to invoke Article 5. 

— Danish soldiers subsequently fought and died alongside US troops in Afghanistan, losing 43 service members — one of the highest per-capita casualty rates among NATO allies.

— An American excursion in Greenland would kill NATO in one swoop. Article 5 was made without duly considering the possibility of a predicament that NATO faces now – a member, and the most powerful one, violating the territorial integrity of another. Denmark has said that it would invoke Article 5. What happens after that is uncertain.

— The second irony is that US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric plays right into the hands of two of America’s adversaries: Russia and China. NATO was an instrument designed to neutralise the Soviet threat, and that has stood the test of time. Any fractures within would end up benefiting the inheritor of the original target nation — an already belligerent Russian President Vladimir Putin.

— Third, the US already has what it needs, including a standing treaty with Greenland dating back to 1951. America once operated 17 bases in Greenland and it was Washington DC that progressively determined 16 were no longer necessary. These can be operationalised right away, if the US wanted to.

— So, how does Trump plan to get Greenland? The White House press secretary has explicitly said that military takeover of Greenland is not off the cards. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, has been quoted saying he will be holding talks with European officials to talk about purchasing the place. 

— Amid the changing situation, a strategic expert from that country had said Canada may need to reconsider its position on nuclear weapons.

— And if NATO were to implode, Germany and Poland could think of going nuclear. So could South Korea and Japan. It could set off a potential nuclear arms race.

Do You Know:

— Greenland is known as the world’s largest island, characterised by its extreme geographical conditions. While approximately 80 per cent of Greenland is covered by a massive ice sheet, its ice-free coastal areas are comparable in size to Germany.

— During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, at the height of its colonial power, Denmark maintained a presence in India (1620–1845), Africa (1659–1850), the Caribbean (1672–1917), and the North Atlantic, including Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. 

— Greenland’s colonial phase began in 1721 when Danish-Norwegian priest Hans Egede established a mission and started trading activities near what is now the capital, Nuuk.

— While Denmark was under German occupation during the Second World War, Greenland’s administration was overseen by Danish officials based in the United States and Greenland itself.

— Initially, the United States adopted a cautious approach toward Greenland. Secretly, it discouraged Britain and Canada from occupying the island to safeguard its cryolite mine in Ivittuut, a resource critical for wartime production. 

— However, the US refrained from direct involvement, maintaining its connection to Greenland through the Danish legation in Washington. For the Danes, securing American goodwill was vital — the US was a key ally in the fight against Germany.

— In early 1941, mounting pressure from Britain and Canada to establish a military base in Greenland compelled the United States to act. This resulted in an agreement between Denmark and the US, signed on April 9, 1941, which authorised America to construct bases deemed essential for Greenland’s defence. 

— While the agreement reaffirmed Danish sovereignty over both Greenland and the bases, the United States retained jurisdiction over the bases it operated.

— By the end of the war, the United States had established 17 stations across Greenland, including four air bases. These developments ended Greenland’s long-standing isolation and marked its emergence as a pivotal player in global geopolitics.

— In the pursuit of asserting its growing identity, Greenland adopted its own national flag on June 21, 1985 — the sun flag. While the Danish flag is still occasionally used, the sun flag is symbolic of the island’s cultural autonomy.

— In 2009, following a referendum, Greenland achieved a new level of autonomy under the Self-Government Act. This act expanded upon the limited sovereignty established in 1979, granting Greenland control over additional policy areas. Despite these gains, Denmark retains authority over foreign policy and security and continues to provide substantial financial grants.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As Donald Trump eyes Greenland, a look at the island’s colonial past

📍The Vikings and the contested discoveries of Greenland and America

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Which of the following statements is/are correct about the deposits of ‘methane hydrate’? (UPSC CSE 2019)

1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas from these deposits.

2. Large deposits of ‘methane hydrate’ are found in Arctic Tundra and under the sea floor.

3. Methane in atmosphere oxidizes to carbon dioxide after a decade or two.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. 

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only  

(c) 1 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What are the economic significance of the discovery of oil in the Arctic Sea and its possible environmental consequences? (UPSC CSE 2015)

 

NATION

Trump’s invite to join Gaza peace board: India weighs its options

Syllabus:

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: Delhi is weighing the pros and cons of US President Donald Trump’s invitation to India to join the Board of Peace for Gaza, as part of the Gaza peace plan. The issue was also part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conversation with visiting UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Board of Peace? What is its mandate?

— What is Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan?

— Read about the Israel-Hamas war.

— What is the significance of the USA’s invitation to India to be part of the Board of Peace?

— Know about the historical background of the Israel-Palestine conflict?

— What are the geopolitical issues in West Asia?

— How significant is the peace in the region for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor?

— Map work: Location of Gaza and countries in West Asia.

Key Takeaways:

— India has so far been extremely cautious in its stance on the conflict in the Middle East, where it has critical interests pertaining to energy security and nine million Indian diaspora. Trump’s invitation has posed many challenges and factors to consider — consequences of refusal, whether it challenges UN’s primacy, scope of the board’s charter, response of other key countries and partners, risk of being excluded while Pakistan is at the table and reliability of Trump on his staying power.

— Delhi has to consider the invitation seriously since a mercurial US President as Trump can deem a refusal as an affront.

— First, India is facing up to 50% tariffs from the US and has not acknowledged Trump’s role in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. So, it will have to think through any more consequences, especially since the US President has framed it as a “bold new approach in resolving global conflict”.

— Second, the role of the peace board and whether it challenges the international framework in the form of the UN is something that Delhi will be considering. It will be mindful of the primacy of the UN, and would not want to support a parallel process and arrangement.

— Since the current charter of the board appears to go beyond Gaza, Delhi will be cautious. Especially since the India-Pakistan conflict and Trump’s claims of brokering the ceasefire is still casting a shadow over India-US ties and on the rapport between PM Modi and President Trump.

— Third, Delhi will also look at how seriously are other countries going to take this invite and the proposed board. Major countries, like Russia, UK and Germany are yet to commit to joining the initiative, while France has indicated that it may not join.

— Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin received the invitation and is now “studying the details” and would seek clarity of “all the nuances” in contacts with the US.

— The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the formation of the committee wasn’t coordinated with the Israeli government and “is contrary to its policy”, without clarifying what its objections were. Israel hasn’t been invited to join the committee, unlike Turkey, a key regional rival.

— Fourth, there is a view within Delhi that with Pakistan’s inclusion, it makes it difficult for India to stay out of the board.

— Fifth, the reliability of Trump is a factor that all countries and governments are going to consider. There is a real concern that the US President — if he doesn’t get his way in the scheme of things — may choose to walk out of the board and that would mean that India would be stuck on the board, along with its regional partners.  Also, after Trump’s term gets over, what happens to the board is another question to be considered.

From the Explained Page- “Many questions in Trump’s Board of Peace invite”

— India was on Sunday invited to join the Donald Trump-led Board of Peace, meant to guide the peace process in Gaza. However, in the four months between its announcement and the invitation, the Board’s role seems to have mutated, and India, along with other countries, will have to face some tricky questions before they accept.

— In September last year, US President Donald Trump had proposed a 20-point peace plan for Gaza. Under it, Gaza was to be put under a “temporary transitional governance” of a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee”, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services. This committee was to be supervised by a new international body, the “Board of Peace,” to be headed by Trump. Even then, many had pointed out that this effectively put the US President in charge of Gaza.

— The peace plan, and the Board of Peace as then envisioned, had received the United Nations’ approval. However, the ‘charter’ of the Board of Peace, which has now been sent to the leaders invited to join it, shows a far more ambitious role for the Board, under the chairmanship of Trump personally, not the US President.

— Invitations for membership have been sent to countries across the conventional geopolitical camps — Hungary, Albania, Greece, Poland, Belarus, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, and Argentina, and Pakistan are among those who have received letters.

— The countries who accept will get a tenure of three years, unless they pay $ 1 billion in cash in the first year of membership, in which case they become permanent members.

— The original mandate of the Board of Peace, as approved by the UN in November 2025, was to operate till the end of 2027, and neither a three-year membership nor a permanent membership were in the picture. Also, it was to operate only in Gaza.

— But the invitation letter sent to India and posted on X by US ambassador Sergio Gor says the Board of Peace, “the most impressive and consequential Board ever assembled”, will be “established as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration”, and that the effort is not just to “solidify Peace in the Middle East”, but also “to embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict!”

— The full text of the charter, as verified and put out by the Times of Israel, shows it has 13 Articles, with details of membership, contributions, dispute redressal, etc, almost like the United Nations. The charter does not even mention Gaza, but talks of “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”, and emphasises “the need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body.”

— Trump’s disdain for the UN and other established international organisations is no secret. He has cut funds to the UN and withdrawn the US from many related bodies.

— Also, the charter says the Board will work to “secure enduring peace” in areas not just affected by, but also “threatened by conflict”, without defining “threatened”.

— Then there is the matter of the Board’s chairman. The charter says: “Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace, and he shall separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America.” Also, the chairman can be removed only if he voluntarily resigns, or is voted incapable unanimously by the Executive Board full of his appointees, in which case a successor designated by him shall take over.

— To get the membership, a country has to consent “to be bound by this Charter.” Therefore, accepting the invite will mean that a sovereign nation becomes the member of an organisation of which Trump will remain the chairman even when he is not the US President.

— The peace plan had also envisioned an International Stabilization Force to “establish security” in Gaza, appointments to which have been announced by the White House. If the Board of Peace members are asked to contribute troops to this, many would not be comfortable.

— Some 60 nations seem to have been invited so far, with Hungary, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan announcing a definite acceptance.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Trump invites Modi to be a part of Board of Peace to oversee Gaza

📍Beyond Gaza: Does Trump seek to bypass UN Security Council

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(6) The term “two-state solution” is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (UPSC CSE 2018)

(a) China

(b) Israel

(c) Iraq

(d) Yemen

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

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

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