Context:

• An international, high-speed passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in the northern province of Sri Lanka, has resumed after a gap of nearly four decades. 

About Sri Lanka

• Location:
  • It is situated both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. 
  • Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean, to the south west of Bay of Bengal and to the south east of the Arabian Sea. 
  • It is separated from the peninsular Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
  • It shares maritime borders with the Maldives to the southwest and India to the northwest.
• Geographical Divisions:
  • The Central Highlands, the Plains, and the Coastal Belt.
• The Mahaweli Ganga is the longest river of Sri Lanka.

About Nagapattinam District

• Nagapattinam, an ancient port city of the Chola Empire, known as ‘Naval Pattinam’ – The City of Ships.
• It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu.
• Traditionally referred to as East Thanjavur and recognized as the Paddy Granary of South India.
• Nagapattinam city, once one of the constituents of chola mandalam, was acclaimed as the Most prominent among the ancient Tamil Kingdoms.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• Recently, the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) from G20 nations adopted a roadmap for regulating crypto assets proposed by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at their meeting at Marrakesh in Morocco. 

Roadmap for Crypto Regulation: Proposed by  Financial Stability Board (FSB) and IMF

• This was the  fourth and final  G20  Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Indian presidency, with previous meetings held in Washington, Bangalore, and Gandhinagar.
• Ministers and Governors adopted the Roadmap proposed in the IMF-Financial Stability Board synthesis paper on Crypto assets.
• The IMF and the FSB created this paper at the request of the Indian G20 Presidency to synthesise policy suggestions and criteria. 
• The paper offers a comprehensive set of policy and regulatory recommendations aimed at identifying and addressing the macroeconomic and financial stability risks associated with crypto assets. 

G20 Roadmap on Crypto Assets: It is an action-oriented roadmap that will help coordinate global policy as well as develop mitigating strategies and regulations on such assets.

• Balanced Approach to Bans: The IMF and Financial Stability Board paper advocates for comprehensive oversight of crypto instead of a blanket ban.
  • It also focuses on the implications for Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs), which are anticipated to bear the brunt of the crypto market’s volatility.
• Safeguarding Monetary Sovereignty and Stability: Paper highlights the importance of preserving monetary sovereignty and stability when dealing with Virtual Digital Asset (VDA).
  • This involves not granting official currency or legal tender status to VDAs, which helps protect traditional monetary systems and national currency stability.
• Clear Tax Treatment: Unambiguous tax treatment is essential for VDAs. Clear and consistent tax policies prevent evasion and ensure that VDAs contribute fairly to national revenues.
• Monitoring the Impact on the International Monetary System (IMS): Given the global reach of VDAs, their impact on international financial stability must be monitored closely to safeguard the integrity of the IMS.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• The ambitious 1,337-kilometer Eastern Dedicated  Freight Corridor (EDFC) Completed Ahead of Schedule. Operations on the entire corridor are set to commence on November 1.

Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC): It is a high speed and high capacity railway corridor that is exclusively meant for the transportation of freight, or in other words, goods and commodities.

• Dedicated  Freight Corridor comprises two arms: Eastern DFC and Western DFC, designed to revolutionize freight transportation and ease congestion on the Indian Railway network.
• Eastern DFC: It spans 1,875 kilometers, beginning at Sohnewal (Ludhiana), Punjab, and concluding at Dankuni
• West Bengal.
  • Fund: Rs 5,750 crore through a
    loan from World Bank
• Western DFC: The other arm is 1,506-km WDFC from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, touching all major ports along the way.
  • Funded by: The Japan International Cooperation Agency)

Benefits

• Freight Corridor Purpose: Dedicated freight corridors are specialized tracks designed for goods trains to alleviate congestion on the railway network and expedite the movement of goods.
  • These corridors offer an average speed of 50-60 kmph, significantly faster than regular railway tracks.
• Reduction in Transit Time: It reduces transit times for freight trains from 35-50 hours to 18-20 hours.

News Source: The Economic Times

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Context: 

• Recently, ImmunoACT received market authorization for their chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy called NexCAR19  from the Drugs Controller General of India.

What Is CAR T Cell Therapy?

• CAR T Cell therapy is a novel and highly complex immune therapy that redirects the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. 
  • CAR-T cells are often described as ‘the living drug’ because they actively search and target malignant cells.
  • It uses a type of immune cell called a T-cell, which is extracted from patients’ blood before being genetically altered to allow it to target surface proteins found on cancer cells.

• NexCAR19 is India’s first indigenously developed CAR T-cell therapy.
• It targets relapsed-refractory B-cell lymphoma and leukemia, marking a significant advancement in cancer treatment.
• Success Rate: In studies, 9 out of 10 people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia whose cancer didn’t respond to other treatments or whose cancer came back had full remission with CAR T cell therapy.
  • Remission means the cancer can’t be detected in tests.

Why is CAR T Cell therapy effective?

• Improves immunogenic memory, which provides continuous surveillance to treat local and distant metastatic lesions.
• Recognizes and eliminates damaged cells and cells infected with harmful pathogens, such as viruses and cancerous cells
• Reduces the need for aggressive chemotherapy
• This therapy is intended for the treatment of relapsed-refractory B-cell lymphoma and leukemia.
• Affordability: Previously, CAR T cell therapy cost around $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.3 crore) in the United States. 
  • With this development, the therapy is expected to be accessible at approximately Rs 30-35 lakh per patient in 20 Indian government and private hospitals across major cities in India.

News Source: DTE

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Context:

• A recent research, published in the journal Science Advances, found that almost all the ice shelves on the western side of Antarctica experienced ice loss. 

What are the key findings of the study?

• Loss of Ice Shelf Volume (1997-2021): 40% of the most vulnerable parts of the Antarctic ice sheet.
• Mass Loss of Ice Shelves: Out of the 162 ice-shelves studied, 71 of them lost mass during this period, releasing approximately 7.5 trillion tonnes of meltwater into the oceans.
  • Ice shelves are floating pieces of ice connected to a landmass.

• Lack of Recovery: The study found that almost half of the ice shelves are shrinking with no sign of recovery.
• Surface Melting Intensification: The study predicts that surface melting of ice shelves is likely to intensify in the coming century, which could lead to further disintegration. 
  • Several factors, including changes in sea-ice conditions, ocean swell (regular movement of waves up and down in the open sea generated by wind), currents, and tides, are contributing to this trend.
• Freshwater Release: The research shows that the Antarctic ice “shelves” released approximately 67,000 billion tonnes of freshwater into the Southern Ocean from 1997 to 2021.
• Regional Differences: Ice shelves in Western Antarctica experienced significant ice loss, while those in Eastern Antarctica either remained stable or gained mass. 
  • This difference is attributed to variations in ocean temperature and currents. 
  • Warm water is eroding the ice shelves in the western half, while the eastern half is protected by a band of cold water along the coast.
• Long-term Trends: The study noted a pattern of rapid ice shelf mass decrease between 1997 and 2002, followed by some mass gain from 2002 to 2021, particularly in specific ice shelves like Ronne, Filchner, Amery, and Cook. 
  • However, this did not indicate a recovery, as a substantial number of ice shelves continued to experience significant loss over the 25-year period.

News Source: DTE

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Context: 

• This article is based on the news How is ‘below normal’ monsoon 2023 impacting India’s economy which was published in the DownToEarth. Around 31% of India received less than normal rainfall in the monsoon season of June to September, 2023. 

How dependent is India on monsoon rainfall?

• The monsoon has a direct impact on India’s economy. A successful monsoon season boosts farm production and income of both farmers and laborers. 
  • This in turn has an impact on rural household incomes, which then stimulates demand for goods and services, especially rural demand. 
• Rainfall Deficit: The southwest monsoon season ended with rains that were ‘below normal‘. India saw a rainfall deficit of six percent in monsoon 2023 of the long-period average of 50 years. 
  • Six states viz. Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Kerala recorded major deficits.
• El Nino Impact: India is currently in an El Nino year which is generally associated with less intense rainfall than normal during the monsoon season for India.

• Heavy Reliance on Monsoon: The Indian economy relies heavily on the Southwest monsoon since the country gets 75% of its rainfall during this period. 
  • A good or bad monsoon season can have a direct impact on the rural income and overall economic growth of the country. 
• However, historical trends suggest that the equity market does not react linearly to the outcome of the monsoon.

Also Read: Onset’ Of The Monsoon

Why are monsoon rainfall important for the Indian economy?

• Agriculture Dependency: India has a predominantly agrarian economy, contributing substantially to the country’s food security. Insufficient rainfall, particularly during the month of August, has significantly hindered the timely sowing of the majority of kharif crops.
  • The all-India unemployment rate (UR) edged up to 8.1% in August 2023 from around 7% in June 2023 on account of higher UR in urban areas.
• Water Reservoirs and Irrigation: The monsoon season replenishes water reservoirs and helps in maintaining adequate water levels in rivers and lakes. Reliable monsoons reduce dependence on expensive irrigation methods and contribute to the sustainability of agriculture.
  • Adequate monsoon rainfall ensures sufficient water levels in rivers and dams, facilitating hydropower generation.
• Rural Economy: Increased farm income contributes to higher rural spending, supporting various local businesses and services. States with low deficit or deficient rainfall have witnessed more demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
• Inflation Control: A good monsoon season helps in maintaining stable food prices by ensuring an adequate supply of agricultural commodities.
  • Due to deficit rainfall, headline inflation stood at 6.8% with food inflation at around 10% in August 2023.
•  GDP Growth: A robust agricultural sector contributes to higher GDP, as it is a major component of the country’s economy. Conversely, poor monsoons can lead to agricultural distress and have a negative impact on economic growth. 

How does monsoon rainfall affect the Indian economy and agriculture?

• Agricultural Output: Insufficient rainfall can lead to crop failure which in turn, impacts farmers’ income, disrupts the supply of essential food items, and contributes to food inflation. The Indian economy suffers heavy losses due to floods and droughts almost every year. 
• Impact on Rural Economy: Below normal monsoon conditions can lead to a slowdown in economic activities in rural areas, affecting various businesses and services that depend on agricultural income. For instance, about 800 million people live in villages and depend on agriculture, which accounts for about 15% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) and a failed monsoon can have a rippling effect on the country’s growth and economy
• Pressure on Government Finances: The government may face increased financial pressure due to the need for relief measures to support affected farmers. Subsidies, loan waivers, and other financial assistance programs may be required to mitigate the economic impact on the agricultural sector.
• Trade Imbalance: A decline in agricultural production due to below normal monsoons can affect India’s export performance which can contribute to a trade imbalance and impact the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
• For instance, India’s imports of pulses such as tur (pigeon pea) and urad (black matpe) have more than doubled in the April-June quarter of 2023-23. 

Way Forward

• Groundwater Conservation: The Atal Bhujal Yojana is community-led groundwater management program helping improve rural livelihoods and build resilience in Indian states which have the highest rates of groundwater depletion. 
  • The “Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao” (Save Water, Earn Money) scheme incentivizes farmers to reduce groundwater usage.
  • For example, switching from rice to millets such as pearl millet & sorghum during the Kharif season and shifting from wheat to sorghum in the Rabi season could lower water consumption by 32%.
• Ensuring Supply: To check food inflation, the government needs to ensure domestic supplies of vegetables, pulses and other crops through imports. 
  • Recently, government resorted to imposing restrictions on the export of rice, wheat and sugar and took other regulatory measures because of the irregular nature of the monsoon.
• Tackling Floods and Droughts: Climate change is increasing unpredictability in weather patterns and leading to more extreme weather events. 
  • Government had drawn up drought contingency plans for 571 districts with help from the Central Institute for Dryland Agriculture, similarly crop insurance through PM Fasal Bima Yojana can help farmers tide over potential crop losses.
• Research and Development: Water resources monitoring system is getting expanded to cover the entire country, including the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra-Barak river basins. 
  • World Bank-supported hydrology projects have introduced new systems and technology that give an accurate picture of the water situation for a comprehensive knowledge base that can improve the overall management of water resources in the country. 
• Artificial Rains:  Artificial rain making techniques involving cloud seeding can be used for bringing rain clouds to rainfall deficit areas. 
  • For instance, Maharashtra government is considering cloud seeding to tackle deficient rainfall which could save kharif crops and also address depleted water levels in dams.

Also read: Interlinking of Rivers—Advantages, Challenges, and Solutions

Conclusion:

Monsoon rainfall is crucial for India’s economy, affecting farming, rural life, and economic growth. To address challenges, proactive steps like water conservation and advanced technologies are essential for sustainable growth.

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “Terrorism against humanity…a divided world cannot find solution to it, says PM Modi” which was published in the Indian Express.            

Global Perspectives on Terrorism

• Moving away from good and bad terrorism: He also rejected efforts to justify it on grounds of good or bad terrorism while warning that the international community’s continuing failure to define terrorism had helped terrorists.
• In this context, in 1996, India proposed to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) the adoption of the “Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism” (CCIT).
• Recent attack on Isreal by Hamas: His remarks come in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Palestine Conflict  that has claimed more than 2,800 lives.

• Global Terrorism Index: India placed 13th in 2023, a slight improvement from the year before. India scored 7.175 on the GTI, making it one of the countries with the “highest” impact of terrorism.

What is Terrorism?

• There is no current agreement regarding a universal legal definition of terrorism.
• However, Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) defines terrorism as follows: Any person commits an offense within the meaning of this Convention if that person, by any means, unlawfully and intentionally, causes:
  • Death or serious bodily injury to any person; or
  • Serious damage to public or private property, including a place of public use, a State or government facility, a public transportation system, an infrastructure facility or the environment; or
  • Damage to property, places, facilities, or systems resulting or likely to result in major economic loss, when the purpose of the conduct, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population or to compel a Government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.
• The UAPA act in Section 15 defines a “terrorist act”: Any act intended to threaten or likely to threaten India’s unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty or to strike dread in the people or any segment of the people in India or abroad.

What is CCIT?

• Origin
  • The CCIT provides a legal framework that binds all signatories to deny funds and safe havens to terrorist groups. The original draft which was tabled in 1996 and discussed until April 2013.
• Objectives
  • To have a universal definition of terrorism that all 193 members of the UNGA will adopt into their own criminal law
  • To ban all terror groups and shut down terror camps
  • To prosecute all terrorists under special laws
  • To make cross-border terror activities an extraditable offense worldwide.
• Status
  • The convention has been under negotiation by the United Nations General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee established by Resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996 on Terrorism and the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal), but as of 2023 consensus has not yet been reached for the adoption of the convention.

What are hurdles in adoption of CCIT?

• Despite India’s efforts to push a global intergovernmental convention to tackle terrorism, the conclusion and ratification of the CCIT remains deadlocked.
• Mainly due to opposition from three main blocs – over the “definition of terrorism” (the most divisive of the issues) and seeking exclusions to safeguard their strategic interests
• The United States and its Allies:
  • The US wanted the draft to exclude acts committed by states’ military forces during peacetime. For example US’s ‘War on terror’ policy Post 9/11 in Afganistan and Iraq has been criticised for War Crimes and Human Right violation.
• The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)
  • The OIC wants the exclusion of national liberation movements, especially in the context of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. They also sought to include the actions of “all parties” to an armed conflict, including that of the armed forces of a state within the scope of the CCIT under Article 18 of the CCIT.
  • Their opinion was that CCIT encouraged impunity of the armed forces. This, for them, amounted to supporting  “state-terrorism”, as exemplified mainly by the actions of Israel’s Defence Forces.
• The Latin American countries
  • Latin American Countries want a comprehensive definition of Terrorism and support the inclusion of foreign interventions as ‘State terrorism’ and also emphasize  the inclusion of International human rights laws.

However, consensus eludes to the adoption of the terrorism convention.

Global Efforts to Counter Terrorism

• Global Conventions and Treaties: At its 49th session, the General Assembly approved the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism (resolution 49/60) and further discussion yielded following Conventions.
  • The International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, adopted on December 15, 1997.
  • The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of terror activities, adopted on 9 December 1999; and 
  • International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear terror activities, adopted on 13 April 2005.
• The 1267 committee: It was set up in 1999 (updated in 2011 and 2015) allows any UN member state to propose adding the name of a terrorist or terror group to a consolidated list.
  • India has successfully proposed the listing of several terror entities in the past two decades, including Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
• Financial Action Task Force: To counter the threats of the abuse of the financial system by criminals and terrorists, and strengthens its capacity to respond to these threats that all countries face.
  

Way Forward

• India has condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed that tackling it requires a holistic approach and collective action. 
• Political will: All  UN members summon the political will to unhesitatingly combat terror activities. All Member States must fulfill their obligations enshrined in international counter-terrorism instruments and conventions.
• No double standards: Terrorists are terrorists and  era of classifying terrorists as ‘bad, ‘good’ on basis of political convenience must end immediately.
• Transparency, accountability and effectiveness: Enlisting and delisting individuals and entities under the UN sanctions regimes must be done objectively, not for political or religious considerations. 
  • China Blocks UNSC Listing of LeT’s Sajid Mir as a Global Terrorist in june 2023.
• Anti-radicalism strategies: Discourage exclusivist thinking that divides the world and harms our social fabric. Such approaches facilitate radicalization and recruitment by breeding fear, mistrust, and hatred among different communities. 
• Holistic strategy: Linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime must be fully recognized and addressed vigorously. 
  • India, have seen the crime syndicate responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts not just given State protection.
• Terror Financing: Combating terrorist financing will only be as effective as the weakest jurisdiction. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should continue to identify and remedy weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terror can make a big difference.
• Anti-terror Finance: Adequate funding to UN Counter Terrorism bodies from the UN regular budget requires immediate attention. 

Conclusion:

To counter global  terrorism in all forms, countries must agree upon a definition of terrorism and  rise above narrow self-interest and break the prism of good and bad terrorism.

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