Table of content
QUAD Grouping
Why in news?
Recently, it was in the news that Quad summit is more likely after the U.S. elections.
What is QUAD
History of QUAD
- The Quad began as a loose partnership after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- It was formalised by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but then fell dormant for nearly a decade.
- The group was resurrected in 2017, reflecting changing attitudes in the region toward China's growing influence.
- The 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' or QUAD is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations, namely the United States of America (USA), India, Australia and Japan.
- One of the primary objectives of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
- The Quad leaders held their first formal summit in 2021
Objectives of the QUAD
- Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Quad aims to support a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient through the Promotion and establishment of rule of law and freedom of navigation and free trade, etc.
- Economic Cooperation: QUAD seeks to encourage economic cooperation in the region by promoting maritime trade, creating an ecosystem for investment in the region, boost technological innovation and To offer financial help to nations with debt in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Regional Security: The Quad seeks to promote region cooperation by addressing maritime security, counterterrorism critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance,
- Climate Change: The Quad aims to help countries mitigate the effects of climate change and strengthen their climate resilience.
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Countering China's rise: The Quad is uniquely problematic for China's strategy because it aims to uphold human rights, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty,
Relevance for India
- Evolving foreign policy approach: With the Quad, India can rise above its middle-power status and project its influence beyond the Indo-Pacific. Also, India’s Act East Policy and Extended Neighbour policy boost India’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
- Counterbalancing China: the grouping strategically counters China’s economic and military rise. India can take the support of the other Quad nations to counter China’s aggressiveness and coercive nature.
- Military cooperation: India with other member countries of QUAD ought to look for military cooperation in very crucial areas like, interoperability, military technology and defence equipment transfer, and capacity building.
- Economic cooperation: Economically, the Quad can make India a preferred destination for investment, trade and technological collaboration. The western countries are shifting their supply chains away from China, the void can be filled by India.
- Regional security: The main aim of the Quad is to enable a regional security architecture for the maintenance of a rules- based order. Therefore, QUAD is significant for India in promoting regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Challenges
- Reactivating Tensions with China: In QUAD, no country except India has a border with China, it limits the scope of India in adopting the aggressive military posture in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Ambiguous objectives: Despite its closer association with the Quad, India continues to be a reticent player in the traditional security realm, India has been uncomfortable in framing the Quad as an anti-China grouping.
- Lacks definitive structure: The QUAD grouping does not have a formal structure with a secretariat or any permanent decision-making body.
- Impact on other forums: Managing China through the Quad would undermine India’s involvement in other organisations like BRICS & SCO. Russia also isn’t supportive of QUAD.
- Impact on India’s other engagements: By giving concessions to the US, India will end up alienating her allies like Russia, Myanmar and Iran.
- Delivery deficit of India: Infrastructure projects by India are infamous for delays and cost overruns. Therefore, the problem of India’s delivery deficit would increase the BRI projects in the area jeopardising the Quad initiatives.
- AUKUS: The US is now promoting a security partnership with its “Anglo-Saxon” treaty allies, upsetting Japan and India. It makes QUAD less substantive.
New Ramsar Sites in India
Why in news?
In celebration of World Wetlands Day on February 2nd, India proudly added five new Ramsar sites to its portfolio, bringing its total to 80.
About New Ramsar Sites in India
- The Ramsar Convention sets nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance.
- These include sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types and sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity.
- India, a signatory to the Ramsar Convention since 1982, celebrates World Wetlands Day on 2 February to commemorate the adoption of the international agreement on wetlands in 1971.
- In the last decade, India has significantly increased its Ramsar sites from 26 to 80, with 38 additions in the last three years alone.
- With these additions, the total area covered by Ramsar sites has grown to 1.33 million hectares, marking an increase of 5,523.87 hectares from the previous 1.327 million hectares.
- Tamil Nadu continues to lead with the maximum number of Ramsar Sites at 16, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 10 sites.
Dusted Apollo (Parnassius stenosemus)
Why in news?
A rare high-altitude butterfly, the Dusted Apollo, has finally made its debut in Himachal Pradesh, with the first-ever sighting and photograph documented recently.
About Dusted Apollo (Parnassius stenosemus)
- The species was discovered in the year 1890.
- The distribution range of Dusted Apollo extends from Ladakh to West Nepal and it flies between 3,500 to 4,800 meters in the inner Himalayas.
- The Dusted Apollo species closely resembles Ladakh Banded Apollo (Parnnasius stoliczkanus) but the discal band on the upper fore wing in dusted apollo is complete and extends from costa to vein one while this discal band is incomplete and extends only up to vein four in Ladakh Banded Apollo.
- Moreover, the Dark marginal band on the hind wings is much narrower in Dusted Apollo while it is broad in Ladakh Banded Apollo.
About Regal Apollo (Parnnasius charltonius)
- Another rare species Regal Apollo (Parnnasius charltonius) was also photographed at Manimahesh, which is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- It is an encouraging indication of the flourishing diversity of Apollo butterflies in the region.
- Threats - Apollos are considered commercially important butterflies and they fetch high prices in the poaching industry.
- Most of the Apollo butterflies are now endangered and need immediate attention for their conservation and protection.
- There are 11 Apollo species recorded from Himachal Pradesh and five of them are declared as Scheduled species.
Supreme Court (SC) issues new Guidelines for Environmental Regulatory Bodies
Why in news?
In a move promoting environmental governance, the Supreme Court recently issued guidelines for the effective functioning of environmental authorities, emphasizing the importance of regular auditing.
More about news
- The Supreme Court passed a slew of directions while approving the notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on September 5, 2023, under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, constituting the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) as a permanent body for “the purposes of monitoring and ensuring compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court covering the subject matter of Environment, Forest and Wildlife".
To promote institutional transparency, efficiency and accountability, the court directed the CEC to adopt the following measures:-
- 1. The CEC shall formulate guidelines for the conduct of its functions and internal meetings. The CEC shall formulate the operating procedures delineating the roles of its members and the Secretary of the CEC.
- 2. The CEC shall formulate guidelines about the public meetings that it holds, ensure the publication of meeting agenda in advance on its website, maintain minutes of meetings, and set out rules regarding notice to parties.
- 3. The CEC shall formulate guidelines for site visits and, if necessary, hearing the public and affected parties therein.
- 4. The CEC shall formulate guidelines fixing time limits for site visits, preparation of reports, and also the manner of preparation of reports.
- 5. We further direct that these guidelines/regulations must be accessible for anyone to seek. They shall be posted on the official website of the CEC.
Guidelines
Effective functioning of environmental bodies is imperative for the protection, restitution, and development of the ecology," said the Bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra, while giving the following illustrative set of guidelines
- 1. The composition, qualifications, tenure, method of appointment and removal of the members of these authorities must be clearly laid down. Further, the appointments must be regularly made to ensure continuity and these bodies must be staffed with persons who have the requisite knowledge, technical expertise, and specialisation to ensure their efficient functioning.
- 2. The authorities and bodies must receive adequate funding and their finances must be certain and clear.
- 3. The mandate and role of each authority and body must be clearly demarcated so as to avoid overlap and duplication of work and the method for constructive coordination between institutions must be prescribed.
- 4. The authorities and bodies must notify and make available the rules, regulations, and other guidelines and make them accessible by providing them on the website, including in regional languages, to the extent possible. If the authority or body does not have the power to frame rules or regulations, it may issue comprehensive guidelines in a standardised form and notify them rather than office memoranda.
- 5. These bodies must clearly lay down the applicable rules and regulations in detail and the procedure for application, consideration, and grant of permissions, consent, and approvals.
- 6. The authorities and bodies must notify norms for public hearing, the process of decision-making, prescription of right to appeal, and timelines.
- 7. These bodies must prescribe the method of accountability by clearly indicating the allocation of duties and responsibilities of their officers.
- 8. There must be regular and systematic audit of the functioning of these authorities.
7th Session of the Codex Committee
Why in news?
The 7th session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs(CCSCH7), held in Kochi from January 29th to February 2nd, 2024, finalized quality standards for five key spices.
Kay highlight of the CCSCH7
- CCSCH7 was the first session of this committee to be conducted physically.
- In this session, quality standards for 5 spices, namely small cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allpice and star anise were finalised.
- CCSCH has forwarded these five standards to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) recommending for adoption at final Step 8 as full-fledged Codex standards.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
- The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), jointly established by FAO and WHO, is an international, intergovernmental body with membership of over 194 countries, which is based in Rome and is tasked with formulating internationally accepted standards pertaining to human food.
- The CAC conducts its work through various Codex committees, including the CCSCH, hosted by different member countries.
- The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was established as one of the Commodity Committees under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 2013.
- India hosts this prestigious Committee since the beginning and Spices Board India serves as the Secretariat organization which organizes the Committee's sessions.
National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC)
Why in news?
In a move to strengthen counterterrorism efforts, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently launched the National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC), a centralized database aimed at improving information sharing and analysis.
AboutNational Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC)
- The NTDFAC is modeled after the US’s Global Terrorism Database, showcasing India’s commitment to adopting best practices in the fight against terrorism.
- With its comprehensive data and cutting-edge technology, the NTDFAC has the potential to become a powerful weapon in curbing terror activities within India and beyond.
- The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) database is maintained by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland.
- NTDFAC features
- National Automated Fingerprint Identification System: With over 92 lakh fingerprint records, this system aids in rapid identification of suspects.
- Integrated Monitoring of Terrorism: This database houses information on over 22,000 past terror cases, providing valuable insights into modus operandi and potential threats.
- National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders: This database connects the dots between terror financing and narcotics trafficking, providing a deeper understanding of the financial ecosystem of terrorism.
- Face Recognition System: To swiftly match suspects from CCTV footage with known individuals in the database, enhancing real-time tracking.
NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project
Why in news?
NASA has finished the first stage of its daring project to deploy a compact nuclear reactor on the Moon, generating electricity for future lunar missions.
About NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project
- Fission surface power can provide abundant and continuous power regardless of environmental conditions on the Moon and Mars.
- NASA plans to demonstrate and use a fission surface power system on the Moon first, then Mars.
- The project aims to develop safe, clean and reliable energy sources on the moon. Such a system would play a big role in NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration.
- The first phase of the project focused on developing concept designs for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor that could be used during a future demonstration on the Moon and to inform future designs for Mars.
Dal Lake
Why in news?
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir announced on Friday that they have rejuvenated one-third of Dal Lake in Srinagar, increasing its open expanse to over 20.3 square kilometers for the first time.
About Dal Lake
- Dal Lake is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Dal Lake is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
- Dal Lake is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
- Spread across an area of around 26 square kilometers, it is the second-largest lake in Jammu & Kashmir.
Satyendra Nath Bos
Why in news?
Dignitaries gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Satyendra Nath Bose's landmark work, tracing the evolution of quantum mechanics in his honor.
More about news
- International Conference on Photonics, Quantum Information and Quantum Communication which was organized by the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) in Kolkata.
About S.N.Bose
- Satyendra Nath Bose’s pioneering work on quantum statistics has paved the way for development of modern quantum technologies including Bose-Einstein condensation, quantum superconductivity, and quantum information theory.
- In 1924, Bose authored the last of the four revolutionary publications that led to the new quantum mechanics (the others being those of Planck in 1900, Einstein in 1905, and Niels Bohr in 1913).
- Half the fundamental particles in the Universe are named after him – BOSON.
- He derived Planck’s law in a revolutionary way which impressed Einstein, and subsequently they continued to collaborate.
- Their partnership resulted in new physical theories, including Bose-Einstein statistics and the Bose-Einstein condensate. Several Nobel Prizes were later awarded for work related to the boson; the force-carrying particles named after Bose himself.
- Along with developing the new quantum statistics, Bose’s work also constitutes the foundation of novel technologies which also finds applications in the Second Quantum Revolution.
About S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences
- It an Autonomous Research Institute established under Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in 1986.
- It was established to honour the life and work of Professor S. N. Bose.
- The institute is celebrating the centenary of Bose’s colossal work in theoretical physics in 2024 by organizing International Conferences and Outreach Programmes throughout the year.
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