Context:

• The Information & Broadcasting Ministry released the draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, 2023.

Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill – Key Highlights

• The Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill aims to bring a consolidated legal framework for the broadcasting sector and extend it to OTT content, digital news, and current affairs as well.

Key features of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, 2023:

• Single legislative framework: The Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill provides regulatory provisions for various broadcasting services under a single legislative framework. 
  • It seeks to replace the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995 and other policy guidelines currently governing the broadcasting sector in India.
• Expansion of regulatory ambit: The Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill extends its regulatory purview to encompass broadcasting OTT content, digital news and, current affairs currently regulated through the IT Act, 2000. 
  • It also includes provisions for emerging broadcasting technologies.
• Comprehensive definitions: It provides definitions for contemporary broadcasting terms along with other important technical terms to be defined in the statute for the first time.
• Advisory bodies: It introduces ‘Content evaluation committees’ for self-regulation and ‘Broadcast Advisory Council’ to “advise the central government on programme code and advertisement code violations.
• Penalties: It provides statutory penalties like advisory, warning, censure, or monetary penalties, for operators and broadcasters. 
  • Provision for imprisonment and/or fines is also there, but only for very serious offences, such as obtaining registration with a false affidavit.
  • Monetary penalties and fines are linked to the financial capacity of the entity, taking into account their investment and turnover to ensure fairness and equity.
• Inclusive and accessible: It promotes the use of subtitles, audio descriptors, and sign language. The Bill has a provision for appointing a Disability Grievance officer.
• Infrastructure sharing: It also has provisions for infrastructure sharing among broadcasting network operators and carriage of platform services. 
• Right of Way: The Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill “streamlines the ‘Right of Way’ section to address relocation and alterations more efficiently, and establishes a structured dispute resolution mechanism.

Significance

• Revamping the broadcasting sector: It modernizes the broadcasting sector’s regulatory framework, replacing outdated Acts, Rules, and Guidelines with a unified, future-focused approach.
• Embracing the digital revolution: It adapts to the dynamic world of OTT, Digital Media, DTH, and more, promoting technological advancement and service evolution.

News Source: Indian Express

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Context:

• The song ‘Abundance in Millets‘, featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sung by Falguni Shah and her husband Gaurav Shah, has been nominated in the best global music performance category at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

Abundance in Millets Song

• Abundance in Millets” was created to raise awareness of the super-grain as another potential key to minimizing world hunger. 
• The song is inspired by PM Narendra Modi’s proposition to the UN to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

About Falguni Shah

• She is a Grammy Award-winning Indian vocalist and songwriter. 
• In 2022, Falguni Shah won the Grammy Award for Best Children’s Music Album ‘A Colorful World.’
• Falguni Shah is a singer, songwriter, and also the 1st South Asian woman to win a Grammy.

About Grammy Awards

• They are a series of awards presented annually in the United States by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences(NARAS; commonly called the Recording Academy) or the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS; commonly called the Latin Recording Academy) to recognize achievement in the music industry. 
• Winners are selected from more than 25 fields, which cover such genres as pop, rock, rap, R&B, country, reggae, classical, gospel, and jazz, as well as production and postproduction work, including packaging and album notes. 
• The honorees receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.

News Source: Live Mint

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Context:

• Despite recent testing, the Cell Broadcast Alert System (CBAS) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) failed to disseminate mass alerts during natural disasters as intended.

What is a Cell Broadcast Alert System?

• About: It is an emergency alert system designed to provide real-time disaster alerts to citizens. 
• Aim: It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies.
• Technology: It allows mobile operators to send text messages to all phones in a specific area, regardless of the mobile network that the phone is on. 
• Common applications of CBAS: It includes delivering emergency alerts such as severe weather warnings (eg, Tsunamis, Flash Floods, Earthquakes), public safety messages, evacuation notices, and other critical information.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• Although the status of wild tigers is good in South Asia and Russia, the picture in Southeast Asia is grim, posing challenges to the global tiger population recovery. 

Global Tiger Population Rise

• Countries have submitted tiger population numbers from 2010-2022 to the CITES.
• There has been an overall increase in the tiger population by 60 percent, taking the number to 5,870. 
• However there was a decline in tiger population in the Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) of Southeast Asia. For example, countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao-PDR, and Vietnam.

What are the reasons for the decrease in Tiger population in the South East Asian region?

• Habitat loss and fragmentation
• Deforestation, and illegal logging
• Widespread prey and tiger poaching
• Inadequate patrolling
• Poor monitoring and low investment in wildlife conservation
• Poor wildlife monitoring
• Forest loss for commercial needs
• Proximity to wildlife trade hubs
• Rapid infrastructure development resulting in fragmentation.

What factors contribute to the success of countries in South Asia in increasing the tiger population?

• It is attributed to effective measures taken for habitat conservation and protection. 
• Nepal has tripled the tiger population.

Suggestions for the Revival of the Tiger Population

• Tiger Conservation Landscapes (TCL): It needs to be seen from the perspective of an ongoing human-environmental stress continuum.
  • There are ongoing agro-pastoral as well as other human-induced modifications in several TCLs. 
  • Such stressors impact the availability of welfare factors for major wild herbivores and thereby affect the relative abundance of major carnivores, including the tiger.
  • The report states that if steps on tiger stressors are not taken, a majority of the tiger population in Southeast Asia and small populations in parts of South Asia would be lost.
• Robust policy framework: The grim situation demands a policy framework supported by political will and long-term availability of resources from the government.
• The report emphasized the need for prey population augmentation in some patches.

News Source: DTE

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Context:

• The European Parliament and member states have reached a deal on the EU’s green agenda—restoring nature impacted by human activity.

Key Points

• The Deal: The agreement aims to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea to its original state.
• Compromises: In a bid to address concerns, provisions have been included to safeguard food security and enable renewable energy projects on protected land.
• Global Significance: The proposed Nature Restoration Law is touted as a global first, but concerns linger about potential impacts on food security.
• Climate Neutrality Goal: Approval of the Nature Restoration Law is crucial for the EU’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by mid-century.

About EU

• The European Union is a unique partnership between 27 European countries, known as Member States, or EU countries. 
• The EU was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.
• The EU is home to around 447 million people, which is around 6 % of the world’s population. 
• Citizens of the EU countries are also EU citizens.

News Source: Business standard

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Context:

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has initiated an Anticipatory Action and Response Plan to address the potential impacts of the ongoing El Nino climate phenomenon on vulnerable populations. 

Anticipatory Action and Response Plan Plan for El Niño Risk Reduction

• With the World Meteorological Organization forecasting the continuation of El Nino until April 2024, the plan aims to mitigate risks in 34 at-risk countries, focusing on Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

What is the Anticipatory Action and Response Plan?

• Urgent Funding Needs: The Anticipatory Action and Response Plan requires nearly $160 million urgently to support over 4.8 million people through March 2024.
• Vulnerable Regions Targeted: The plans prioritized 34 countries based on historical El Nino impacts, seasonal climate forecasts, and vulnerabilities, the plan addresses regions in Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The plan covers two critical time frames: preventive actions and immediate responses to El Nino-induced devastation.
• Objectives of the Anticipatory Action and Response Plan:
  • The Anticipatory Action and Response Plan focuses on three key objectives:
    • Mitigating disaster impacts through anticipatory actions.
    • Capitalizing on positive spillover effects and offsetting losses.
    • Delivering early response in the aftermath of El Nino devastation.

News Source: DTE

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Context:

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting approved the Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023 to enable and empower the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) to undertake campaigns in the digital media space.

Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023

• The Digital Advertisement Policy has been formulated after wide-ranging discussions with multiple stakeholders and outlines the roadmap for enhancing the Digital Outreach of the Government of India and improving information dissemination to the Citizens.

What are the key features of the Digital Advertisement Policy?

• Empaneling Digital Agencies: CBC can now impanel digital media agencies to engage podcast listeners, YouTube, OTT viewers, and social media users.
• Inclusive Campaign Platforms: The policy extends campaigns to mobile applications, requiring eligibility for websites, mobile apps, OTT platforms, and digital audio platforms with a minimum one-year existence.
• Transparent Advertising Rates: Advertising rates will be linked to subscriber base and viewership, determined through competitive bidding for transparency and efficiency, with rates valid for three years.
• Competitive bidding: It introduces competitive bidding for rate discovery, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Rates discovered through this process will remain valid for three years and will be applicable to all eligible agencies.

Significance

• CBC will also be able to leverage the growing number of listeners to podcasts and digital audio platforms through the empanelment of digital audio platforms.

Digital Landscape Statistics

• Internet and Telecom Data: As of March 2023, India boasts over 880 million internet users and 1172 million telecom subscribers, according to TRAI’s Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators.
• Shifting Allocations: Government spending on traditional media drops from Rs. 1,200 crore in 2017-2018 to Rs. 264.78 crore in 2021-2022, emphasizing the importance of the 2% outlay for publicity and outreach activities.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula experienced significant earthquakes, raising concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. Consequently, the country declared a state of emergency on November 10, 2023.

Key Points

• Iceland, with 33 active volcanic systems, experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 
• Three eruptions since 2021 underscore the region’s increased volcanic activity. 
• The Reykjanes volcanic system, dormant for eight centuries before 2021, exhibits a new cycle of heightened activity that may persist for decades or centuries.

About Mid-Atlantic Ridge

• The ridge was discovered in the 1950s. Its discovery led to the theory of seafloor spreading and the general acceptance of Wegener’s theory of continental drift. 
• The MAR separates the North American Plate from the Eurasian Plate in the North Atlantic, and the South American Plate from the African Plate in the South Atlantic. 
• Most of the ridge system is underwater but forms land as a set of volcanic islands of varying size that run the length of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Context:

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed the installation of an inbuilt ‘moving off information system’ (MOIS) in certain categories of four-wheeler passenger and commercial vehicles to reduce the possibility of collision with pedestrians and cyclists in close proximity.

What is the Moving Off Information System (MOIS)?

• It proposes the integration of a ‘Moving Off Information System’ (MOIS) in specific categories of vehicles to address collisions with pedestrians and cyclists in close proximity.
• MOIS Functionality: MOIS is designed to detect and alert drivers about the presence of pedestrians and cyclists nearby. It issues a warning to the driver if a potential collision is imminent, based on the manufacturer’s strategy.

Why Moving Off Information System’ (MOIS) is needed?

• Road Accident Statistics: Against the backdrop of a 12 percent increase in road accidents in 2022, totaling over 4.6 lakh, and resulting in 19 deaths per hour, the MOIS proposal gains significance.
• Ministerial Target for Road Safety: To halve the number of accidents and related deaths by 2024.
• Key Causes of Accidents: Major contributors to accident-related deaths include “Hit from Back” (19.5 percent), “Hit and Run” (18.1 percent), and “Head-on Collision” (15.7 percent).

News Source: Moneycontrol

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Context:

• The Border Roads Organisation’s Project Beacon is enhancing the road to the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir’s Lidder Valley.
• The Amarnath cave is located at an altitude of 13,000 feet. Pilgrims can reach the shrine through either Pahalgam or Sonamarg, in the Lidder Valley.

What is the Project Beacon?

• Launched in the 1960s, Project Beacon is the Border Roads Organisation‘s oldest initiative, overseeing the development and maintenance of vital road infrastructure in key Kashmir regions.
• BRO: The BRO was formed in 1960 to secure India’s borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and northeast states of the country.
  • BRO has been entirely brought under the Ministry of Defence in 2015.
  • Motto: Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hard work.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• Recently, the Home Minister addressed the 62nd Raising Day parade of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Dehradun.
• He emphasized the importance of preventing the migration of border villages to ensure national security. 
• He highlighted the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) as instrumental in delivering essential facilities and infrastructure to this area.

What is the Vibrant Village Programme?

• It was announced in the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech 2022.
• Aim: To enhance the infrastructure in the villages near the northern border (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh) of India.
• Under this centrally sponsored scheme, 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts have been identified for comprehensive development. 

News Source: The HIndu

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Context:

• Israel’s interest in controlling the Gaza Strip, including eliminating Hamas, is speculated to be linked to a long-discussed economic opportunity of the Ben Gurion Canal Project. 

What is the Ben Gurion Canal Project?

• The Ben Gurion Canal Project was first envisioned in the 1960s to create an alternative route to the Suez Canal, potentially enhancing economic prospects in the region. 
• Named after Israel’s founder, David Ben-Gurion.
• The estimated cost of the Ben Gurion Canal Project may exceed $100 billion.
• The idea is to cut a canal through the Israeli-controlled Negev Desert from the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba — the eastern arm of the Red Sea that juts into Israel’s southern tip and south-western Jordan — to the Eastern Mediterranean coast.

Suez Canal’s Historical Significance

• Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal transformed global maritime trade by connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
• Significantly shortened the distance between Europe and Asia, reducing the voyage from London to Bombay by over 41%.
• In 2022-23, approximately 26,000 vessels, constituting around 13% of global shipping, crossed the Suez Canal.
• Critical to Egypt’s economy, generating a record $9.4 billion in toll revenues in 2022-23, contributing nearly 2% to Egypt’s GDP.

Challenges and Conflicts

• Traffic Bottleneck
  • Despite expansions, the 193 km-long Suez Canal remains a major shipping bottleneck, leading to congestion issues.
  • Notable incident: In March 2021, the Ever Given blockage caused an estimated daily loss of $9.6 billion in goods.
• Political Struggles
  • Egypt’s control over the canal has sparked conflicts for nearly 70 years.
  • In 1956, the Suez Crisis saw the UK, France, and Israel attack Egypt, ultimately resulting in Egypt retaining control.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context: ​

• Recently, the Centre urged the Supreme Court to reject West Bengal’s petition against the CBI. It has argued that the Central Bureau of Investigation is an “independent legal entity” and is not under the direct “control” of the Union government.

West Bengal V/s Central Bureau of Investigation

• West Bengal Government Initiates Article 131 Suit Against Centre: The West Bengal government has filed an original suit in the apex court against the Centre under Article 131 of the Constitution, alleging that the central agency has been filing FIRs and proceeding with investigations despite the state having withdrawn the general consent.
• Withdrawal of General Consent: West Bengal’s Allegations of CBI Overreach: The West Bengal government withdrew the ‘general consent’ accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in the state on November 16, 2018.

About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

• The CBI is the premier investigating police agency estbalished based on the recommendation of Santhanam Committee.
• The CBI is not a statutory body It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, of 1946.
• Legal Framework: It functions under the superintendence of the Dept. of Personnel, Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Public Grievances, Government of India. 
• Multidisciplinary Focus: Multidisciplinary agency investigating corruption, economic offenses, and conventional crimes.
• The CBI acts as the “National Central Bureau” of Interpol in India.
• The CBI is governed by (the DSPE) Act of 1946, which requires the investigative agency to obtain the consent of state governments before it can investigate a crime in a particular state.

What is General Consent?

• Form of consent: Consent given by a state government to the Central Bureau of Investigation can come in two forms, either case-specific, or ‘general’.
  • General consent: It allows the CBI to operate seamlessly within states.
  • Case-specific consent: In contrast, if the CBI does not have the general consent of a state government, it is required to apply for consent on a case-by-case basis and cannot act before the consent is given.
• Impact of Withdrawal: 
  • Restriction of Fresh Cases: Withdrawal of general consent also means that the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving central government officials or private persons in a particular state without prior permission of that state government.
  • Continued Investigations: The CBI can continue to investigate cases in a state registered before the withdrawal of general consent.
• Legal Precedent: 
  • In a case related to illegal coal mining and cattle smuggling, the Calcutta High Court ruled that the CBI cannot be stopped from investigating a central government employee in another state.

What challenges does the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) face in its functioning?

• Caged Parrot: In the words of the Supreme Court in the Hawala case, the CBI “is a caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice”, due to its excessive political interference irrespective of which party happened to be in power at the time.
  • The functioning of the CBI figured prominently in the Jain hawala, 2G scam, coal scam, and other prominent cases in which it had repeatedly come in for adverse notice. 
• Violation of Constitution and Federal Principle: Law and order, and Police is State subject under the seventh schedule of the Constitution.
  • Assam High Court had even given a verdict on 6 November 2013 that CBI is unconstitutional and does not hold a legal status. 
  • However, in an appeal filed against the said judgment, the Supreme Court stayed this verdict and the same is pending disposal before the Supreme Court.
• Not Independent: The agency depends on the home ministry for staffing since many of its investigators come from the Indian Police Service. The agency depends on the law ministry for lawyers and also lacks functional autonomy to some extent. 
  • The CBI, run by IPS officers on deputation, is also susceptible to the government’s ability to manipulate the senior officers because they depend on the Central government for future postings.
• Political Misuse: Misuse of the CBI to settle political scores has largely been responsible for the state government’s withdrawal of general consent and opposition to enacting a Central law for the CBI.
  • Opposition parties are accusing it as a pliant tool of the government for harassing and intimidating their leaders and whitewashing cases where leaders of the ruling party are involved.
  • In the recent past, Eight states have withdrawn ‘general consent’ to the CBI, namely, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Mizoram.
• Structural Issues and Inefficiencies
  • Acute shortage of personnel is a major cause of the shortfall in the government’s sheer mismanagement of CBI’s workforce, through a system of inefficient, and inexplicably biased, recruitment policies.
  • The public fight between two top officers of the CBI — former director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana — exposed the premier probe agency to ridicule.
• Credibility and Public Trust: CBI has been criticized for its mismanagement of several cases involving prominent politicians and mishandling of several sensitive cases like the Bofors scandal, the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Arushi murder case and the Nithari Serial murder case, etc 
  • It has been accused of enormous delays in concluding investigations due to political inertia.

Also Read: CVC Report On Corruption

Way Forward

• Independent Legal Entity: As long as the government has the power to transfer and post officials of its choice in the CBI, the investigating agency will not enjoy autonomy and will be unable to investigate cases freely.
  • It should be granted more autonomy by making it accountable only to the Parliament like the office of CAG and the Election Commission.
• Granting Statutory status: Separate enactment under – “Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation Act” and replacing DSPE Act.
  • In 1978, the L P Singh committee recommended enactment of a “comprehensive central legislation to remove the deficiency of not having a central investigative agency with a self-sufficient statutory charter of duties and functions”.
  • The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2007) also recommends that “a new law should be enacted to govern the working of the CBI”.
• Establishing Independent Cadre: One of the demands in line with international best practices, is for the Central Bureau of Investigation to develop its own dedicated cadre of officers who are not bothered about deputation and abrupt transfers. 
  • The process of direct recruitment through UPSC which was stopped in 2000 can be restarted.
• Ensuring Fixed Tenure for Directors: The current system of appointing CBI directors for a fixed term of two years, with the possibility of extension, can create uncertainty and make them vulnerable to political influence. A five-year fixed tenure, without the option of extension, would provide greater stability and independence.
  • The directors should be ineligible for any appointment by the Central and state governments.
• Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight: A more efficient parliamentary oversight over the federal criminal and intelligence agencies could be a way forward to ensure better accountability, despite concerns regarding political misuse of the oversight.
• The 24th Report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, released in 2018, made several recommendations for CBI reform. 
  • These include strengthening human resources, improving infrastructure and financial resources, granting additional powers, and enhancing administrative empowerment with accountability. Implementing these recommendations would address several critical operational challenges faced by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Conclusion:

Addressing structural problems in the Central Bureau of Investigation, ensuring its independence, and making necessary improvements are crucial for making the investigative agency trustworthy and effective in upholding the law in India.

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “China conduct, Canada row, Gaza war: India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue ‘substantive” Which was published in the Indian Express. The India-US ‘2+2’ foreign and defense ministerial dialogue was held in New Delhi. 

Evolution of India-US Relations

• 1949: Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru meets with U.S. president Harry S. Truman on a multi-week tour of the United States.
• 1998: India conducted a series of nuclear tests, which led to a period of strained relations with the United States.
• 2008: The NSG granted a waiver to the Indo-US nuclear deal, effectively ending India’s isolation from the nuclear mainstream and technology denial regime. This waiver allowed for increased collaboration in nuclear technology and trade.
• 2010: The first U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue was convened.
• 2016: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the US Congress, emphasizing the overcoming of historical hesitations.
• 2023: USA hosts State Visit for PM Narendra Modi.

What is the significance of India-US relations?

• Strategic Convergence, the China challenge: While the India–US partnership involves far broader and deeper issues, among the predominant, shared concerns is China’s increasingly aggressive behavior, in particular along the disputed China– India border.
• Defense Cooperation:  India-US defense cooperation is based on “New Framework for India-US Defence Cooperation”, which was renewed for ten years in 2015. 
  • In 2016, the defense relationship was designated as a Major Defence Partnership (MDP). 
  • In 2018, India was moved into the Tier-1 of the US Department of Commerce’s Strategic Trade Authorization license exception.
• India-US Trade & Economic Relations: USA is India’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade in goods and services crossing US$ 191 billion in 2022. 
  • In 2022 bilateral merchandise trade reached US$ 133 billion and services trade reached around US$ 58 billion (Source: US Census data).
  • During 2022-23, US was the third largest source of FDI into India with inflows of US$ 6.04 billion accounting for almost 9% of total FDI equity inflows. 
• Energy Partnership/ Climate & Clean Energy Agenda 2030:  In April 2021 an India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership was launched, with two tracks i.e. Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP); and Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD)
• S&T and Space Cooperation: The Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed in October 2005, was renewed for 10 years in September 2019. The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), promotes cooperation in S & T and innovation.
  • For Example: ISRO and NASA are developing a microwave remote sensing satellite for Earth observation, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)
• Education & Cultural Cooperation: Under the Fulbright-Nehru binational Program, both countries support Fulbright-Nehru scholarships and grants to US and Indian scholars, professionals and students. 
  • The Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) was launched by India in 2015 to facilitate visits by 1000 U.S. teachers annually to teach in India. GIAN has been extended to other countries also
• Diaspora/People-to-People ties: About 4.4 million Indian Americans/Indian origin people reside in the US. Persons of Indian origin (3.18 million) constitute the third largest Asian ethnic group in the US. 
  •  There are five persons of Indian origin in the U.S. Congress. 

Challenges in the India-US Relations

• Different Stand on Various geopolitical issues: In early 2022, India’s neutrality on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine—and India’s abstention on all U.N. votes condemning or criticizing that invasion—met with dismay among some Members of US Congress.
• Trade Protectionism: The United States is concerned about India’s turn towards protectionism.
  • For example, India makes up only two percent of the United States’ merchandise trade due to policies that protect domestic industry from foreign competition. 
• Indian Dominance in U.S. H-1B Visas and Emerging Tensions in the Service Sector: Indian citizens are by far the largest skilled migrant group in the U.S., accounting for over one-third of U.S. H-1B visas issued in recent years. 
• • This could become a potent issue if employment growth remains weak in the U.S. 
• US Criticism of India’s Democracy and Human Rights Record: US organizations and foundations, release reports questioning India’s democratic discourse, press and religious freedom, and treatment of minorities. 
  • In an annual report on human rights practices in India, the US State Department has highlighted challenges to freedom of expression, cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions, extrajudicial killings in 2022.

Way Forward for the India-US Relations

• India’s Balancing Act Between US and Developing Nations: The United States  pays close attention to India’s leadership in multilateral forums, such as the G20 and the SCO. India can use its leadership positions in both to act as a bridge between the West and developing nations.
• Enhancing Counterterrorism Cooperation for Regional Stability: Pursue greater cooperation on counterterrorism, including coordinating strategies for managing a Taliban-led Afghanistan and leading multilateral efforts to apply pressure on the Pakistani military-intelligence complex to abandon support for terrorist groups.
• Cooperation in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI): Enhance cooperation in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) as data regulation, information sharing, and privacy protection become increasingly salient issues crucial to the preservation of national security.
• Advancing Multilateral Coordination: Strengthen coordination multilaterally and on international issues, including prioritizing two multilateral strategic dialogues that have gained prominence in recent years: the Quad, and the West Asian Quad or I2U2.
• Boosting Economic Engagement: Increasing investment and trade flows between India and the US is crucial for economic growth, market access, and technological cooperation. The India-US ICET initiative is a positive step.

Know more about the India-US Bilateral Relations here. 

Conclusion:

The evolving India-US relations holds significant importance in shaping the global order of the 21st century. To fully unlock the potential of this partnership, both governments must focus on reducing bilateral and multilateral bottlenecks and embracing diplomatic flexibility and exploring innovative approaches. 

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