UPSC Key— 16th April, 2024: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, above normal rainfall, Rwanda Plan and more

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: GS-I, Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones. etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story- This is the first time in a decade that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted “above normal” rainfall at the first stage itself, nearly 45 days ahead of the beginning of the four-month monsoon season. It is usually more conservative with its predictions in the first stage.

Prerequisites: 

— How ocean currents impact the monsoon in a region?

— Location of important ocean currents on the world map

— What is the Southwest Monsoon?

— What is the Indian Ocean Dipole?

— What is the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?

Key takeaways: 

— IMD forecasts the monsoon condition every year. It has predicted a good monsoon rainfall during the southwest monsoon season.

— IMD has categorized rainfall during monsoon on the 50-year average of rainfall:

Rainfall between 105-110%: Above normal rainfall 

— Rainfall between 96%-104%: Normal rainfall

— Rainfall between 90-95%: Below normal rainfall

— Rainfall less than 90%: Deficient rainfall

— According to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD Director General, multiple indicators were favoring “above normal” rainfall. These are:

— The transition of the weakening El-Nino into a neutral condition ahead of the monsoon onset. EL-Nino is associated with suppressed rainfall during the Indian monsoon.

— The emergence of La-Nina during the second-half of the monsoon is expected to bring higher than normal rainfall over the country. La-Nina is known to help rainfall activity during monsoon.

— There is a possibility of a positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). IOD is the Indian Ocean counterpart of El Nino. The positive phase of IOD is good for rainfall over India.

— Another positive factor is the below average snow cover along Eurasia and the northern hemisphere during December-March.

A schematic diagram showing water and wind movements during El Nino and La Nina phases. (Image Credit: NOAA, US)

For Your Information: 

— In a normal year, the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern coast of South America, is cooler than the western side near the islands of Philippines and Indonesia. 

— The reason for this is the prevailing wind systems that move from east to west sweep the warmer surface waters towards the Indonesian coast. The relatively cooler waters from below come up to replace the displaced water. 

— An El Nino event is the result of a weakening of wind systems that leads to lesser displacement of warmer waters. This results in the eastern side of the Pacific becoming warmer than usual. During La Nina, the opposite happens.

— Both these conditions, together called El Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO, affect weather events across the world. Over India, the El Nino has the impact of suppressing monsoon rainfall.

Points to Ponder: 

— How below average snow cover along Eurasia and the northern hemisphere impact the Indian monsoon condition?

— How climate change is impacting the Indian monsoon condition?

— What is the mechanism and characteristics of the Indian monsoon?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

With reference to Indian monsoon, consider the following:

1. The development of El-Nina conditions in the Pacific ocean facilitates above normal rainfall during monsoon in India.

2. The Indian Ocean Dipole is the counterpart of La Nina in the Indian Ocean.

3. The alternative phase of warming and cooling of the sea surface impacts the monsoon condition in the Indian ocean region.

4. A good La Nina condition in the Pacific ocean causes below normal rainfall during the monsoon in India.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Mains

Why is the South-West Monsoon called ‘Purvaiya’ (easterly) in Bhojpur Region? How has this directional seasonal wind system influenced the cultural ethos of the region?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Indian Ocean Dipole

Impact of climate change on Indian monsoon pattern

Impact of El Nino on India’s weather

 

Explained Page

An Expert Explains: The strategic importance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination:  General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc, Security challenges and their management.

What’s the ongoing story- Various geopolitical events leading to the realisation of the critical importance of ocean power, the rapid enhancement in the capabilities of the Chinese PLA Navy, and the transformation of India’s Look East policy into a robust Act East policy have brought new thrust to developing Indian island territories in general and the Andaman and Nicobar groups in particular. 

Prerequisites: 

— Know about the Location, Extent and Major Islands in the Andaman and Nicobar groups. 

— What is the “Ten Degree Channel”. 

— What is  Indira Point?

— Read about the Kra Canal. 

— What is the Look East Policy?

— What do you understand by the Act East Policy of India? 

— What is the significance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands? 

— Read about the Great Nicobar Island Project. 

— Map Work: Location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Coco Islands, South China Sea (islands and countries in news), and Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait, Ombai-Wetar Strait.

Location of Andaman and Nicobar islands in Bay of Bengal

Key takeaways: 

— The Andaman and Nicobar (A&N Islands) islands are located 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) southeast of the Indian mainland. The Malacca Strait, the main waterway that connects the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is less than a day’s steaming from Port Blair.

— Biswajit Dasgupta writes “The A&N Islands should be the first line of offence against any attempt from the East to undermine India’s maritime security. While some effort was made to leverage this locational advantage with the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) being constituted as a tri-services command in 2001, subsequent efforts have been grossly inadequate.”

Reasons for the Slow Pace of Infrastructural Development in the A&N Islands:

— Distance from the mainland and difficulties in developing infrastructure. 

— Complex procedures for obtaining environmental clearances. 

— Significant coordination challenges among ministries, departments, and agencies. 

Key areas to be focused on for the development of the A&N Islands: 

— Development of separate airfields with long runways for monitoring and patrolling of sea areas by aircraft and surface platforms. 

— Work on the Galathea Bay (Great Nicobar Island) transhipment port must be expedited.

— Maritime services such as repair and logistics must be developed for international and Indian shipping.

— Road networks, high-speed inter-island ferry services, and a seaplane terminal.

— Forest and environmental clearances must be accorded with minimum red tape. 

— Planned habitation of uninhabited islands should be considered by providing incentives.

— Eco-friendly entrepreneurial efforts could be encouraged.

— Ports and fuel storages

Andaman and Nicobar islands: Vantage location in Bay of Bengal

For Your Information: 

— Andaman and Nicobar islands share four of India’s international maritime zone delimitations with Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. They also give India substantial ocean space under the United Nations Conference on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) in terms of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Points to Ponder: 

— Why are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands key to Indo-Pacific security?

— What are the challenges to the development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

— What is the importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Commands? 

— What are the initiatives taken by the government for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

— What is the Quad and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)?

— What is UNCLOS?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’? (2014)

(a) Andman and Nicobar Islands

(b) Nicobar and Sumatra 

(c) Maldives and Lakshadweep 

(d) Sumatra and Java

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Why Andaman and Nicobar Islands are key to Indo-Pacific security

Express View on Andaman and Nicobar islands: Turning seaward

Strategic military infra upgrade in the works for Andaman & Nicobar Islands

 

Economy Page

Iran-Israel conflict: Escalation could cast shadow on India’s oil trade

Syllabus: 

Preliminary Examination: Current events of international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: International Relations,  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story- Sukalp Sharma writes “Any escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict could impact India by way of costlier crude oil imports as geopolitical tensions in West Asia would bump up risk premiums, apart from fuelling concerns of potential supply disruptions from the oil-rich region.

— According to industry insiders, while the situation is still developing and it would take a few days to assess the real risk to regional and global oil flows, international oil prices could see high volatility in the immediate-to-near term.”

Prerequisites: 

— What is meant by Brent crude?

— What is the ‘Middle East’?

— What is the Iran-Israel conflict? 

— What is Hamas and the Israel-Hamas War?

— India Middle East Europe Corridor (IMEC). 

— What is the history of Iran-Israel ties?

— Read about Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,  Hezbollah and Houthis. 

— Map work: Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, Tel Aviv, Damascus, Tehran, key countries of the region: Egypt, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb.

Key takeaways: 

— International oil prices have seen a spurt over the past few days amid the build-up in tensions between Iran and Israel, with global benchmark Brent crude breaching the $90-per-barrel mark. Prices were already seeing an uptick due to production cuts by major oil producers,  and the rise in tensions in the Middle East are seen adding more upward pressure on prices.

— “If something were to happen to Iran’s crude production, it would first and foremost impact the flat prices of crude oil. Any bombing, any damage to infrastructure would lift oil prices well above $90 per barrel. India, being one of the world’s most import-dependent buyers of oil, would inevitably feel the pinch of higher prices,” said Viktor Katona. 

— As per ship tracking data from Kpler, In March, Russia was India’s top source of crude and accounted for 33 per cent of New Delhi’s total crude oil imports during the month.

— Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE had a cumulative share of almost 48 per cent in India’s total oil imports in March. 

For Your Information:

— India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement. Given the country’s extremely high import dependency, India’s economy is highly sensitive to oil price volatility. Apart from inflationary pressures, high oil prices have implications for India’s trade balance, foreign exchange reserves, the value of the rupee, and the overall health of the economy.

Points to Ponder: 

— Why does India not want Iran -Israel tensions to escalate?

— What are the speculative and real risks associated with the Iran-Israel Conflict?

—  How can the Iran-Israel Conflict affect India? 

(Thought Process: India currently does not import Iranian oil as Tehran is under sanctions from the United States (US). However, another major buyer — China — does import large volumes of Iranian oil. If the conflict leads to Iranian supply getting hit, India’s competition with China for oil barrels from other suppliers — particularly Russia — is bound to intensify. India and China are currently the biggest buyers of the discounted  Russian crude.)

— What is the International North-South Transport Corridor?

— How has been India’s policy over the Israel-Palestine conflict?

— Read about India-Iran relations. 

— Read about the India-Israel relations.

Post Read Question:

Prelims 

What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India? (2017)

(a) India’s trade with African countries will enormously increase.

(b) India’s relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.

(c) India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

(d) Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.

Mains

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. (2017)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India’s stakes in Iran-Israel conflict — and why it does not want tensions to escalate

Iran launches attacks on Israel: Who are the Iran-backed regional groups of concern?

A short history of Iran-Israel ties and why they soured after 1979

As Iran attacks Israel, four key questions on what is happening, why it matters

 

The Ideas Page

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story- Ashok Lal and Naseeruddin Shah writes: The Parliament on the 11th August, 2023 passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023. It comes into effect from October 1, 2023.

Prerequisites: 

— How bills are passed in the Parliament?

— How does a bill become an act?

— What are the different kinds of bills passed by the Parliament?

Key takeaways: From the article,

— “This Act mandates the maintenance of a birth and death database at the national level.”

— “It may be used to update various databases, including the National Population Register (NPR), electoral rolls, Aadhaar number, ration card, passport, driving licence, property registration, and others.”

— “The Amendment also mandates the registration of the religion of the parents, if they belong to different religions, against the column of the child’s religion.”

For Your Information: 

— Civil Registration System (CRS), popularly known as birth and death registration system, is the recording of vital events i.e. Birth, Death & StillBirth. It falls under the Concurrent list of the Constitution of India.

— According to the CRS, the registration level of births for the country has gone up to 92.7% in 2019 from 82.4% in 2011, whereas on the other hand, registration level of deaths during 2019 has increased to 92.0% from 66.4% in 2011.

Points to Ponder: 

— How is this amendment going to impact the adoption process in India?

— How is it connected to the National Population Register (NPR)?

Post Read Question:

The passing of the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill is aimed to ensure good governance in India. Critically analyze.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

The passage of bill in the Rajya Sabha

State governments need to notify and adopt the rules before they come into force

 

The World

Rwanda Plan of the United Kingdom

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story- The British parliament is set to finally approve a divisive law this week to pave the way for asylum seekers to be deported to Rwanda, but further legal hurdles could yet hold up or derail one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s key policies.

Prerequisites: 

— What are the two dominant parties in the United Kingdom?

— Who is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

Key takeaways: 

— The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak belongs to the Conservative Party.

— He has invested huge political capital in the Rwanda scheme whose success or failure might be crucial to his political party.

— He has promised that this scheme will stop migrants arriving without permission in the country.

For Your Information: 

— Several human rights and refugee organizations have raised humanitarian concerns with the Rwanda plan.

— Those coming to Britain will be transported to Rwanda where the Rwanda government will declare their asylum claims.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues pertaining to Indian refugees?

— Which other countries have adopted similar plans to migration?

Post Read Question:

The Rwanda plan is associated with which of the following nations?

(a) The USA

(b) Australia

(c) Canada

(d) The UK

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: UK’s controversial new plan

Rwanda Scheme

 

Quotes of the Day

— “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”- Mahatma Gandhi

(Relevance– Quotations can be used in the Essays and Ethics Paper)

— “The child is a father of the man”- William Wordsworth Poem “My heart leaps up”

(Relevance– Quotations can be used in the Essays and Ethics Paper)

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Edited by Nitendra Pal Singh