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Daily News Digest 23 Jan 2024

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Spiking tensions: On peace in Korean Peninsula

Why in News?

North Korea has declared South Korea as an enemy state of the North and has ended the policy of seeking a unification of the two Koreas.

Background

  • The Korean peninsula was a unified kingdom for centuries before being colonized by Japan in 1910. 
  • 1910-1945: Korea was annexed by Japan, leading to suppression of Korean identity and culture.
  • 1945: With Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea was liberated. The Allied forces agreed to establish a “four-power trusteeship over Korea” at the Yalta Conference (1945). 
    • However, the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) invaded Korea and took control of the north while the south remained under the rest of the allies, mainly the USA. The peninsula was soon divided at the 38th parallel by the US and USSR.
  • 1948: Two separate governments were established: the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North and the capitalist Republic of Korea (ROK) in the South.
  • 1950-1953: In 1951, the US forces led by Douglas MacArthur crossed the 38th parallel and triggered the entry of China in support of North Korea.
  • India’s role: India was actively involved in negotiating peace in the Korean peninsula by engaging all the major stakeholders – the US, the USSR and China.
  • In 1952, the Indian resolution on Korea was adopted at the United Nations (UN).

Why has North Korea become aggressive recently?

  • Nuclear Program: North Korea views its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent against potential US aggression and a key bargaining chip for economic concessions. Recent advancements in its nuclear program, including increased testing and potential development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, have heightened tensions and concerns.
  • Internal Politics: Kim Jong-un's regime may be using external threats and displays of military power to solidify internal control and deflect attention from domestic economic challenges.
  • Stalled Diplomacy: The collapse of talks between North Korea and the US in 2019 and the lack of progress on denuclearization have led to frustration and a return to more assertive tactics.
  • South Korea's Engagement: North Korea perceives South Korea's increased engagement with the US and other countries as a threat to its own security and legitimacy.

What is India's Position on the dispute?

  • Opposition to Nuclear Program: India opposes North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, considering them a threat to regional and global security.
  • Neutrality on Sanctions: Unlike some other countries, India has not supported UN sanctions against North Korea, reflecting its commitment to non-alignment and maintaining diplomatic relations with both sides.
  • Advocating for Peace: India calls for peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, emphasizing the need for denuclearization and a lasting peace agreement.
  • Strategic Partnerships: India maintains close ties with both South Korea ("special strategic partnership") and the US, allowing it to play a potential role in bridging the gap.

The Free Movement Regime on the India-Myanmar Border

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in the news?

Recently, Union Home Minister announced that the Centre has decided to fence the entire length of the India-Myanmar border to stop the free movement of people.

Background

  • The FMR is a mutually agreed arrangement between the two countries that allows tribes living along the border on either side to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa.
  • It was implemented in 2018 as part of the Narendra Modi government’s Act East policy. The government is reconsidering India’s Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar's decision to make the India Myanmar border more secure.
  • India’s border with Myanmar is an open border. The two countries share a largely unfenced 1,643 km border, which goes through the states of Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Current status: The agreement has been defunct since 2020, first because of the Covid pandemic. After the military coup in Myanmar in 2021 and the continued escalation of its refugee crisis, India suspended the FMR in September 2022.

Rationale behind the agreement

  • Regional Diplomacy: FMR was part of India’s Act East policy to strengthen relations with Myanmar. Myanmar is key to India's regional connectivity efforts especially the Myanmar-Thailand-India trilateral highway and power grid linkages.
  • India-Myanmar Relations: Myanmar is an essential element in India's practice of regional diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific and serves as a land bridge to connect South Asia.
  • Historic Divide: The border between India and Myanmar was demarcated by the British in 1826, without seeking the opinion of the people living in the region. So, the FMR was devised to bridge the gap.
  • Cross-Border ties: People in the region have strong ethnic and familial ties across the border. In Manipur’s Moreh region, there are villages where some homes are in Myanmar. The agreement facilitated people-to-people contact.
  • Trade & Commerce: The region has a long history of trans-border commerce through customs and border haats. The FMR was supposed to provide impetus to local trade and business.

Criticism:

  • Illegal migration: the agreement has facilitated the illegal migration. For instance: the migration of tribal Kuki-Chin peoples into India from Myanmar is one of the key issues in the ongoing Manipur conflict.
  • Drug Trafficking: The drug traffickers widely use the porous borders in Mizoram and Manipur to smuggle various contraband items into India from Myanmar.
  • Secessionist movements:  The Secessionist movements in the North East has dramatically destabilised the border between both countries. Many groups in Myanmar provide political backing, economic assistance, logistic support, military training to these Secessionist movements.
  • Insurgency: FMR is used by insurgent groups to carry out attacks on the Indian side and flee towards Myanmar. All major Meitei insurgent groups, the Kuki insurgent groups and Naga rebels, are sitting within 14-15 km of the border.
  • Security challenge: The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border, wanted it to be suspended as it was turning out to be a security challenge on various fronts.

Way Forward:

  • Strict Regulations:  The border runs through forested and undulating terrain, is almost entirely unfenced, and difficult to monitor. Therefore, most experts agree that the FMR needs better regulation.
  • Cultural & Ethnic ties: The complete removal of the FMR and full fencing of the border may not be desirable. It will impact the livelihood, and essential travel for health care and education.
  • Alternatives: there is a need to improve border management, intelligence gathering, and addressing the root causes of migration in Myanmar are crucial.
  • Bilateral cooperation: it is not easy to plug illegal immigration and drug trafficking through unilateral actions. Therefore, partnership with Myanmar is vital for real border management and undertaking shared security challenges.

Section 139 of the BSF Act 1968

Why in news?

Recently, the Supreme Court fixed the hearing of the suit filed by Punjab accusing the Centre of virtually stripping the State of its powers by invoking Section 139 of the BSF Act.

More about the news

  • Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2021 by invoking Section 139 of the BSF Act has enhanced the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to carry out search, seizure, and arrest in Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam.
  • It has increased the jurisdiction of the BSF to perform its duties to a 50-kilometre (km) belt within the international border, from the erstwhile 15 km in Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and reduced it in Gujarat from 80 km to 50 km.
  • The respective states are apprehensive of the extension of the BSF’s jurisdiction, as it would take away their powers of public order and police in the State List.

About Section 139 of the BSF Act

  • Section 139 empowers the Centre to notify from time to time the area and extent of operation of the Border Security Force.
  • Under the BSF Act, Section 139 gives sweeping powers of arrest to BSF. It has powers of preventive arrest under Section 139 (1) & post offence arrest under section 139 (ii).

EV adoption to play major role in transition to low carbon economy

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), disclosed that the vision to propel India into a developed nation by 2047 involves a substantial shift towards EVs, backed by tax incentives, PLI schemes, and the mandatory establishment of charging infrastructure.

About Incentives

  • Tax incentives - the government’s endorsement of 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for renewable power projects as an indication of the nation’s dedication to sustainable development. 
    • The vision, Viksit Bharat @2047, aims to position India as a developed nation by 2047, commemorating the 100th year of independence. 
    • It encompasses economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability, and good governance.
  • Production-linked incentive - PLI schemes for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage and the auto, auto-components, and drone industries have been introduced with substantial outlays. 
    • The government has rolled out PLI schemes for ACC battery storage with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore and Rs 26,058 crore PLI scheme.
  • Charging infrastructure - The Secretary said that he discussed these things in a session on 'Financing Industrial Ecosystems of the Future' at the recently concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Davos.
    • He added the agenda for the session was to discuss how public and private institutions can provide financing that will benefit the cluster partnership model in creating shared infrastructure and innovative decarbonisation projects.
    • He added that key reforms such as the PM Gati Shakti programme and the Unified Logistics Interface Platform were showcased in the meeting, highlighting India's dedication to sustainable development and robust infrastructure growth.

Kumki Elephants

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

The Odisha government has sought assistance of Tamil Nadu for making kumki elephants and mahouts available in the wake of worsening human-elephant conflict in the eastern State.

Current issue in Odisha

  • In Odisha, there have been 230 encounters between humans and elephants in this financial year (2023-24). 
  • In these encounters, 139 humans have been killed and 108 injured. 
  • Last financial year, there were 257 encounters in which 146 persons were killed and 157 injured. 
  • As there are two more months left in the current financial year, the human casualties in elephant attacks could be an all-time high.

About Kumki elephants

  • Kumki which means assistance, aid, reinforcement and help. 
  • Kumkis are used for capturing, calming and herding wild elephants or to lead wild elephants away in conflict situations. 
  • Certain amount of cruelty is involved in the training of turning an elephant as ‘kumki elephant and therefore several animal activists have appealed against this training system.
  • They are totally domesticated and extensively trained Asian elephants, more specifically female animals used in operations to trap wild elephants, sometimes to rescue or to provide medical treatment to an injured or trapped wild elephant.

Learning from Tamil Nadu model

  • Tamil Nadu has a successful and commendable programme in place, whereby kumki elephants are trained and utilised for wildlife conservation purposes, he requested the Tamil Nadu government to provide at least four kumki elephants for deployment in conflict-prone areas of Odisha.

First malaria vaccine for children

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Cameroon will be the first country to routinely give children a new malaria vaccine as the shots are rolled out in Africa.

About Mosquirix vaccine

  • RTS,S/ASO1 (RTS.S), trade name Mosquirix, which was endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 
  • The active substance in Mosquirix is made up of proteins found on the surface of the Plasmodium falciparum parasites and the hepatitis B virus.
  • The vaccine acts against P. falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally, and the most prevalent in Africa. 
  • It is shown to have the capability of significantly reducing malaria, and life-threatening severe malaria, in tests on young African children.
  • Among children who received 4 doses in largescale clinical trials, the vaccine was able to prevent approximately 4 in 10 cases of malaria over a 4-year period.

Baltic Sea

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, a fire broke out at a Russian gas terminal in the Baltic Sea.

About Baltic Sea

  • It is part of the North Atlantic Ocean, situated in Northern Europe.
  • The Baltic Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Danish Straits.
  • It is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, bordered by Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark.
  • It is one of the largest brackish water bodies in the world.

Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana

Time to Read :🕑 7 Mins

Why in news?

The PM announced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana’, a government scheme under which one crore households will get rooftop solar power systems.

Background

  • Rooftop Solar Programme launched in 2014, the scheme aims to expand India’s rooftop solar installed capacity in the residential sector by providing Central Financial Assistance — the financial assistance to the eligible projects as per MNRE Guidelines — and incentives to DISCOMs (distribution companies).
  • The programme’s goal is to increase rooftop solar installed capacity to 40 GM by March 2026 and it is currently in its second phase. Owing to the scheme, the country’s rooftop solar has increased from 1.8 GW as of March 2019 to 10.4 GW as of November 2023.

What is the Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana?

  • The Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana seems to be a new attempt to help reach the target of 40 GW rooftop solar capacity.
  • Essentially, it is a scheme that will involve installing solar power systems at rooftops for residential consumers.
  • Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana aims to provide electricity to low and middle-income individuals through solar rooftop installations, along with offering additional income for surplus electricity generation.

What is India’s current solar capacity?

  • According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s website, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023. Meanwhile, rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023.
  • In terms of total solar capacity,
    • Rajasthan is at the top with 18.7 GW. 
    • Gujarat is at the second position with 10.5 GW. 
    • When it comes to rooftop solar capacity, Gujarat tops the list with 2.8 GW, followed by Maharashtra by 1.7 GW.
  • Notably, solar power has a major share in the country’s current renewable energy capacity, which stands at around 180 GW.

Why is an expansion of solar energy important for India?

  • India is expected to witness the largest energy demand growth of any country or region in the world over the next 30 years, according to the latest World Energy Outlook by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
  • To meet this demand, the country would need a reliable source of energy and it can’t be just coal plants. Although India has doubled down on its coal production in recent years, it also aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.