[Mission 2022] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 30 MARCH 2022

                     Table of Contents:

GS Paper 1:

1. Interaction between La Niña and the warm Arctic.

GS Paper 2:

1. Delimitation Commission.

2. National Commission for Women.

3. BRICS.

4. Houthis and the war in Yemen.

GS Paper 3:

1. Assam Meghalaya Border Dispute.

Facts for Prelims:

1. The Frontier 2022 report.

2. One-Horned Rhino.

3. Sariska Tiger Reserve.

4. P – 8I.

5.India’s space economy.

Interaction between La Niña and the warm Arctic:

GS Paper 1:

Topics Covered: Important Geographical phenomenon.

Context:

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) declared the season’s first heat wave and severe heat wave March 11 and the first depression March 3.

• Experts say this is early compared to previous years and may be because of an unexpected climatic anomaly which could, in turn, be linked to global warming.

According to experts:

The reason behind early heat waves, early depressions and the weird dust storms is the continued persistence of a north-south low pressure pattern that forms over India during winters when a La Niña phenomenon is occurring in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

• The last time we had a La Niña persisting for three years was during 1998-2000 and 2000 also had a cyclone in March.

Impact of La Niña:

• The sea surface temperatures over the east and central Pacific Ocean become cooler-than-average during La Niña.
• This affects the trade winds flowing over the ocean surface through change in wind stress.
• The trade winds carry this weather disturbance elsewhere and affect large parts of the world.
• In India, the phenomenon is mostly associated with wet and cold winters.

Larger concern:

If the interaction between the La Nina and the warm Arctic is in fact happening then it is an impact of global warming induced by human greenhouse gas emissions.

 

 

 

What are the Niño and La Niña?

They are two natural climate phenomena occurring across the tropical Pacific Ocean and influence the weather conditions all over the world.

• While the El Niño period is characterised by warming or increased sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, a La Niña event causes the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean to be colder than usual.
• Together, they are called ENSO or El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

What causes El Nino?

1. El Nino sets in when there is an anomaly in the pattern.
2. The westward-blowing trade winds weaken along the Equator and due to changes in air pressure, the surface water moves eastwards to the coast of northern South America.
3. The central and eastern Pacific regions warm up for over six months and result in an El Nino condition.

 

 

Weather changes because of La Nina:

1. The Horn of Africa and central Asia will see below average rainfall due to La Niña.
2. East Africa is forecast to see drier-than-usual conditions, which together with the existing impacts of the desert locust invasion, may add to regional food insecurity.
3. It could also lead to increased rainfall in southern Africa.
4. It could also affect the South West Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone season, reducing the intensity.
5. Southeast Asia, some Pacific Islands and the northern region of South America are expected to receive above-average rainfall.
6. In India, La Niña means the country will receive more rainfall than normal, leading to floods.

 

 

Delimitation Commission:

GS Paper 2:

Topic covered: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Context:

A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court by two Kashmir residents challenging the Centre’s decision to constitute the delimitation commission for redrawing the assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

What’s the issue?

The plea sought declaration that the increase of number of seats from 107 to 114 (including 24 seats in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) in Jammu & Kashmir is Ultra vires the Constitutional Provisions such as Articles 14, 81, 82, 170, 330 and 332 and Statutory Provisions particularly under Section 63 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

• The plea said that while Article 170 of the Constitution of India provides that the next delimitation in the country will be taken up after 2026 then why has the UT of Jammu and Kashmir been singled out?

When the was Delimitation Commission set up?

On March 6, 2020, the Union Government, Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department) had issued a notification in exercise of power under Section 3 of the Delimitation Act, 2002, constituting a Delimitation Commission, with former Supreme Court judge (Retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai as Chairperson, for the purpose of delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the state of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, for a period of one year.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.

National Commission for Women:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Important Statutory Organizations.

Context:

In a move to make legal aid more accessible for women, the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) has launched a legal aid clinic which will act as a single-window facility for resolving grievances of women by offering them free legal assistance.

• NCW is also planning to set up similar legal services clinics in other State Commissions for Women.

About the legal aid clinic:

Under the new legal aid clinic, counseling will be provided for walk-in complainants, women in distress will be given legal assistance, advice and information on various schemes of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)/ DSLSA, assistance in mahila jansunwai, free legal aid, hearings in matrimonial cases and other complaints registered with the Commission will be provided among other services.

About NCW:

• Set up in 1992 under the National commission Act.
• It was established to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
• It enjoys all the powers of a civil court. 

Presentation of Reports:

It table reports to the central government, every year and at such other times as the commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards.

Suo motu notice:

It looks into complaints, and takes Suo Motto notice of matters relating to – deprivation of women’s rights, Non-implementation of the laws and Non-compliance of the policy decisions guaranteeing the welfare for women society.

Major limitations of National Commission for Women making it toothless:

1. The NCW is only recommendatory and has no power to enforce its decisions.
2. Commission lacks constitutional status, and thus has no legal powers to summon police officers or witnesses.
3. It has no power to take legal actions against the Internal Complaint Committees that prevent grievance redressal of women facing harassment.
4. Financial assistance provided to the Commission is very less to cater to its needs.
5. It does not have the power to choose its own members. The power selecting members is vested with the Union government leading to political interference at various levels.

 

BRICS:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Important International institutions.

Context:

Leading media groups from the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have put together a three-month long training programme for journalists.

• The programme was an initiative of the BRICS Media Forum.

About the BRICS Media Forum:

• The Forum was established in 2015 by media organisations from the five countries, including The Hindu, Brazil’s CMA Group, Russia’s Sputnik, China’s Xinhua and South Africa’s Independent Media.
• The Forum was “conceived and developed so that it can function as an independent initiative and set of practical activities undertaken within the broad framework of BRICS cooperation”.

What is BRICS?

BRICS is the group composed of the five major emerging countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

• It together represents about 42% of the population, 23% of GDP, 30% of the territory and 18% of the global trade.
• The acronym BRIC was coined by economist ‘Jim O’Neill’ of Goldman Sachs in 2001 to indicate the emerging powers that would be, alongside the United States, the five largest economies of the world in the 21st century.
• In 2006, BRIC countries started their dialogue, which since 2009 takes place at annual meetings of heads of state and government.
• In 2011, with South Africa joining the group, the BRICS reached its final composition, incorporating a country from the African continent.

 

 

Houthis and the war in Yemen:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: International Relations.

Context:

Iran has offered its support for a ceasefire plan put forward by rebels it backs in Yemen’s war, saying it could be an “appropriate platform” for ending the conflict.

• The Houthi rebels have announced the proposal and offered peace talks on condition Saudi Arabia stops its air strikes and blockade of Yemen and removes “foreign forces”.

Need for ceasefire:

The Yemen war has killed hundreds of thousands of people directly or indirectly and displaced millions, creating what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Who are the Houthis?

• Founded in the 1990s by Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Shia majority.
• It is a group of Zaidi Shia Muslims who ruled a kingdom in the province for nearly 1,000 years.

What’s the issue?

One of the Arab world’s poorest countries, Yemen has been devastated by a near seven-year civil war, which started after Houthis captured the capital Sana’a, following which Saudi-led forces intervened and fought the rebels with the aim of ending Iranian influence in the region and restoring the former government.

• The UAE joined the Saudi campaign in 2015 and has been deeply involved in the conflict ever since, despite announcing the formal withdrawal of its forces in 2019 and 2020.

 

 

 

The war in Yemen: Background:

• The conflict has its roots in the Arab Spring of 2011, when an uprising forced the country’s long-time authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
• The political transition was supposed to bring stability to Yemen, one of the Middle East’s poorest nations, but President Hadi struggled to deal with various problems including militant attacks, corruption, food insecurity, and continuing loyalty of many military officers to Saleh.
• Fighting began in 2014 when the Houthi Shia Muslim rebel movement took advantage of the new president’s weakness and seized control of northern Saada province and neighbouring areas.

Why is Saudi Arabia in Yemen?

Saudi Arabia interfered in Yemen after the Shia Houthi rebels captured Sana’a, the capital city, and the internationally recognised government of President Hadi moved to the country’s south.

• The rapid rise of the Houthis in Yemen set off alarm bells in Saudi Arabia which saw them as Iranian proxies.
• Saudi Arabia started a military campaign in March 2015, hoping for a quick victory against the Houthis. But the Houthis had dug in, refusing to leave despite Saudi Arabia’s aerial blitzkrieg.
• With no effective allies on the ground and no way-out plan, the Saudi-led campaign went on with no tangible result. In the past six years, the Houthis have launched multiple attacks on Saudi cities from northern Yemen in retaliation for Saudi air strikes.

 

Assam-Meghalaya border dispute:

GS Paper 3:

Topics Covered: Internal security related issues.

Context:

Assam and Meghalaya have partially resolved a 50-year-old border dispute in six of the 12 sectors along their 885-km boundary.

• Both states signed a “historic” agreement for a closure in six disputed sectors that were taken up for resolution in the first phase.

The six disputed sectors are:

Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra under the Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro) and Cachar districts of Assam and the West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya.

What’s the dispute?

Assam and Meghalaya share an 885-km-long border. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, a law that it challenged, leading to disputes.

• As of now, there are 12 points of dispute along their borders. These include the areas of Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.

Langpih:

A major point of contention between Assam and Meghalaya is the district of Langpih in West Garo Hills bordering the Kamrup district of Assam.

• Langpih was part of the Kamrup district during the British colonial period but post-Independence, it became part of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
• Assam considers it to be part of the Mikir Hills in Assam. Meghalaya has questioned Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills -now Karbi Anglong region – being part of Assam. Meghalaya says these were parts of erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts.

Efforts to solve the dispute:

• Both Assam and Meghalaya have constituted border dispute settlement committees.
• Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma decided to set up two regional committees to resolve the border disputes in a phased manner.
• Sarma recently said five aspects were to be considered in resolving the border dispute. They are historical facts, ethnicity, administrative convenience, mood and sentiments of the people concerned and the contiguity of the land.

Assam and border issues:

• The states of the Northeast were largely carved out of Assam, which has border disputes with several states. Assam’s border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are pending in the Supreme Court.
• Assam’s border disputes with Meghalaya and Mizoram are currently in the phase of resolution through negotiations. The border dispute with Mizoram recently turned violent, leading to intervention from the Centre.

South China Sea Dispute:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Effects of policies of developed nations.

Context:

The violations of international law, as well as foreign interference in the disputed waters of the South China Sea by China, has led many South-East Asian nations to oppose Beijing’s military activities in the area.

• Countries that share the South China Sea, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, and Taiwan, feel that China’s “hegemonic” actions affect their economic prospects as well as threaten sovereign rights.
• The conflict is likely to escalate due to the dispute over undecided boundaries.

Recent faceoffs:

• Vietnam took a strong exception to the military drill by Chinese forces, as they were carried out in an area that overlaps with Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.
• The Philippines had confronted China over intrusion in EEZ after domestic pressure demanded retaliation.

What’s the issue?

Beijing has overlapping territorial claims with several Southeast Asian states in the South China Sea.

• China claims almost all of the resource-rich sea, through which trillions of dollars in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
• Beijing has also been accused of deploying a range of military hardware, including anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles there, and ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over most of the waters to be without basis.

Where is the South China Sea?

• The South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia.
• It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo.
• It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
• Bordering states & territories: the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Strategic Importance:

• This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca).
• According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of trade which makes it a significant geopolitical water body.

Contesting Claims Over Islands:

• The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
• The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Philippines.
• The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by the Philippines, China and Taiwan.

Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to bring it under UNCLOS (For example, Haven Reef, Johnson South Reef and Fiery Cross Reef).

2016 ruling:

The international tribunal in The Hague in 2016 ruled that the said ‘Line’ had no legal basis.

However, after refusing to accept the ruling, China continued with its activities including the creation of artificial islands.

Facts for Prelims:

 

The Frontier 2022 report:

The UNEP Annual Frontier Report 2022 was released recently.

• It was titled ‘Noise, Blazes and Mismatches’.

Highlights of the report:

• Dhaka has been ranked as the noisiest city in the world which is followed by Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• Five Indian cities have been ranked in this list of being among the noisiest cities of the world which are Asansol, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, and Moradabad.
• Irbid, Jordan has been ranked as the world’s quietest city and it is followed by Lyon, France, and Madrid, Spain.

 

One-Horned Rhino:

The population of one-horned rhinoceros increased by 200 over the last four years in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

• The rhino counts at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve stood at 2613 comprising 866 males, 1049 females, 273 unsexed, 279 juveniles and 146 calves.

About Rhinoceros:

• Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
• Also known as Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
• It is identified by a single black horn and a grey-brown hide with skin folds.
• They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.

Protection Status:

1. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
2. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I (Threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research).
3. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

Other Conservation Efforts by India:

• The five rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) have signed a declaration ‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ for the conservation and protection of the species.
• The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has begun a project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country.
• National Rhino Conservation Strategy: It was launched in 2019 to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros.

 

Sariska Tiger Reserve:

• Located in: This tiger reserve is located in Alwar district, Rajasthan.
• It became part of India’s Project Tiger in 1978.
• Tiger relocation: It is the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers.
• It is an important biodiversity area in the Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor.
• It is rich in mineral resources, such as
• It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests eco-region.

 

 

P – 8I:

• Navy recently commissioned second P-8I squadron INAS 316 ‘Condors’ in Goa.
• The Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316, will operate four P-8I aircraft procured as part of the optional clause in 2016 in a deal worth over $1 bn.
• The squadron has been named ‘Condors’, one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.

 

India’s space economy:

The estimated size of India’s space economy, as a percentage of the GDP, has slipped from 0.26% in 2011-12 to 0.19% in 2020-21.

• In relation to GDP, India’s spending is more than that of China, Germany, Italy and Japan, but less than the U.S. and Russia.
• The Indian space sector has been globally recognized for building cost-effective satellites, launching lunar probes and taking foreign satellites to space.
• The global space economy is estimated at ~US$ 423 billion. Currently, India constitutes 2-3% of the global space economy and is expected to enhance its share to >10% by 2030 at a CAGR of 48%.

 

 

Articles to be covered tomorrow:

World Energy Transitions Outlook.