Context: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing questions Union  Governments data on cattle affected and died due to Lumpy Disease.

Addressing Lumpy Disease: Urgent Measures Needed

• As per Union Animal Husbandry Ministry’s data :  1,85,841 cattle died, while 32,73,762 infected and 30,30,747 recovered.
• Data integrity: The panel recommended for the  proper compilation of data on the spread of infection and mortality of cattle from LSD to prevent under reporting of cases, 
• A national framework for compensation: Affected owners of livestock should be provided with compensation on the lines  of the State governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka. 
• A policy for disposal:  Government should frame a national policy for ‘recovery and carriage process’ for the disposal of carcasses and make it seamless through  an app or helpline.
• Vaccine for Lumpy Disease: The panel desired for obtaining  speedy regulatory approvals for commercial production of ‘Lumpi-ProVacInd’ vaccine.

About Lumpy Disease

• It is a Viral disease caused by Poxvirus, transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito or tick.
• It was first identified in an outbreak in Zambia in 1929.  
• It can spread through saliva and nasal secretions
• It is not a Zoonotic disease,meaning it cannot affect humans.
• Treatment: It has no direct antiviral treatment, instead, the infected animals receive supportive care, which involves use of antibiotics.

Effect on cattle

• Reduced milk production
• Male sterility
• Pregnancy loss
• Weight loss

Continue Reading: Lumpy Skin Disease

News Source: The Hindu

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Context: Recently, Volkswagen brought back physical buttons after complaints about its touchscreen. 

About Touchscreen

• Touchscreen is an electronic visual display capable of ‘detecting’ and ‘locating’ a touch over its display area. 
• It combines two functions i.e. to receive inputs for a computer and to display the output. 
• Examples: Smartphones, ATM machines, various household appliances (including TVs and refrigerators), e-readers, billing systems, and electronic voting machines.

Types of Touchscreens

• The two most common types of touchscreens are capacitive and resistive which are based on the phenomenon of conduction and resistance respectively. 
• Other touchscreen technologies are based on optical inputs and acoustic waves. 

About the Projected Capacitive Method

• Composition: There are two conducting layers and each layer consists of strips of conducting material.
  • In one, the strips run left to right, and in the other from top to bottom. 
• Working: When two strips cross over each other, they form a capacitor, and is used to measure where a finger has touched the screen. 
  • It is significant in detecting multiple simultaneous touches.
• Use: It is used in smartphones with the mutual capacitance architecture.

About Resistive Touchscreens

• About: It uses the property of resistance. Resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit.
• Composition:  There are two sheets, both are conductors which are separated by a small gap. 
• Working: 
• • Flow of Current using Sensation Mechanism: When a finger touches one sheet, it moves it at that point to touch the underlying sheet and allows a current to pass. 
  • Sensing by the Sensors: Sensors use this flow of current and with the help of processor, determine the point of touch. 
• Significance: Resistive touchscreens are cheaper to make and require less power to operate. 
• Concern: It emits less light and its appearance is bulky.                                 

Also Read: On Smartphone Manufacturing In India

News Source: The Hindu

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Context: In its first winter arctic expedition to the Svalbard region of the Arctic, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore to represent India.

RRI Bengaluru to participate in first winter Indian expedition to Arctic region

• This will be for the first time that researchers will examine the characterisation of the radio frequency environment in the Svalbard region of the Arctic.

About Winter Arctic Expedition

• Nodal Agency: The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa which is being funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Aim: To get information about the radio quietness of the location for deploying the SARAS radio telescope in Svalbard,  for carrying out precision astronomy measurements.

• Significance: It can potentially open avenues for deploying low frequency radio telescopes in the region which will conduct experiments spanning across astronomy, climate change and atmospheric science in the Arctic region.

About Arctic Region

• It is a region comprising an area above the Arctic Circle (north of latitude 66° 34’ N) and  is part of eight countries — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the US ( who make up the Arctic Council)  plus the Arctic Ocean.

Svalbard group of islands

• It is the closest human habitation to the North Pole. The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean hosts the International Arctic Research base in Ny-Ålesund. 
• India’s Arctic Research Station Himadri is situated here.
• Scientific research in the Arctic region is governed by international legal instruments like the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 (It  recognises the sovereignty of Norway over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, The signatories were given equal rights to engage in commercial activities (mainly coal mining) on the islands. India is a signatory to the treaty).

Must Read: Changes in the Arctic Region: How India Can Help Save the Arctic Region

Significance of the Arctic for India

• Scientific Research:  Since 2007, India undertook 13 scientific missions and is maintaining a permanent research station in the region to ascertain the reasons of global warming, climate change, rising sea level due to melting of ice and its effects on India’s weather patterns ie. on Indian Monsoons and melting of glaciers in Himalayas.
• Economic necessity:  Arctic has 22 percent of the world’s unexplored resources. Greenland has 25 percent of the global reserves of rare earths. With the melting of sea ice, the Arctic will open a new route of transportation and communication. 

 News source: The Hindu

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Context: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced regulations to prevent banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), utilizing alternate investment funds (AIFs) route to ‘evergreen’ their loans. 

RBI Tightens Norms for Lenders Investing in AIFs

• Tightening of norms: The move seeks to draw the attention of bank directors towards lenders using innovative methods to conceal the real status of stressed loans.
• These methods include:
• • Bringing two lenders together to evergreen each other’s loans by sale and buyback of loans or debt instruments.
  • Good borrowers are persuaded to enter into structured deals with a stressed borrower to conceal the stress.
  • Use of Internal or Office accounts to adjust borrower’s repayment obligations.
  • Renewal of loans or disburse new/additional loans to the stressed borrower or related entities closer to the repayment date of the earlier loans.
• Prevent Artificial Sustaining Of Loans: RBI’s move aims to stop banks and NBFCs from using the AIF channel to sustain the life of their loans artificially.
• Stressed loans: The Central bank highlighted that Regulated Entities (REs) use AIFs as part of their regular investment operations, substituting direct loan exposures with indirect exposures, leading to concealment of the real status of stressed loans.
• Process of Loan  Evergreening:
  • RE creates an AIF structure to fund its borrower, which is likely to become an NPA.
  • The AIF, created by the RE and other investors, invests in the stressed company, which uses the same money to repay the lender.
• AIFs Investment commitment: As of now, there were 1,220 AIFs registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), with total investment commitment raised by AIFs stood at Rs 8.44 lakh crore as of June 30, 2023, and total funds raised by the AIFs as of end June 2023 quarter was Rs 3.74 lakh crore

RBI’s Recent Norms For Lenders Investing In AIFs

• Liquidation time
  • Lenders investment in AIFs have 30 days to liquidate them. Failing to liquidate, they must make 100 per cent provision on such investments.

• • 100% deduction: RBI prescribes full deduction from lender’s capital funds if they have investments in the subordinated units of any AIF scheme with a ‘priority distribution the model’.
• Regulation for Investments
  • REs shall not make investments in any scheme of AIFs which has downstream investments either directly or indirectly in a debtor company of the RE
• Evergreening modus operandi
  • Debtor company due to repay a loan or instalment, can give a list of mutual funds/fund houses, investing either in their equity or debts through AIFs to the lender. 
  • The List can also include AIFs not yet invested in the debtor company, but the company is eligible for an investment from them.

Reaction from AIFs industry

• Reduction in the pool of investable assets for AIFs:
  • Banks invest into AIFs, and if that AIF invests in a listed company, that listed company for a period of 12 months prior cannot do business with the bank leading to reduction in investible assets.
• Limits their ability:
  • Lenders must set aside 100% of the invested money in their books, which limits their ability to use the specified amount for any other type of financing.
• Significant reduction in the value of their initial investment:
  • Lenders required to liquidate their investments in the AIF within the 30-day redemption period outlined in this circular will have to redeem it based on the prevailing Net Asset Value (NAV) of the AIF leading to a significant reduction in the value of their initial investment.

News source: Indian Express

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Context: Recently, a new study has been published by the Lancet Global Health which mentions that in India one in five girls and nearly one in six boys are still married below the legal age of marriage (18 years for girls and 21 years for boys).

Child Marriage In India: Calculation and the Basis of the Lancet Study

• The researchers used data from five National Family Health Surveys from 1993, 1999, 2006, 2016,and 2021 to compile the study. 
• They calculated the annual change in prevalence during the study period for states and Union Territories and estimated the population headcount of child brides and grooms.
• They included 3,10,721 women aged 20–24 years between 1993 and 2021 and 43,436 men aged between 20 and 24 years between 2006 and 2021.

Child Marriage In India: Key Findings of the Lancet Study

• Decline in the National Rate of Child Marriage: There have been declines in child marriage during the last three decades. However, there is evidence of stagnation.
  • The largest reduction in child marriage occurred between 2006 and 2016. 
  • Child marriage declined considerably during the 1993–2021 for girls (49.4% in 1993 to 22.3% in 2021) and 2006–2021 for boys (7.1% in 2006 to 2.2% in 2021).
• About the number of Child Marriage in Girls: All states, except Manipur, experienced a decline in the prevalence of girl child marriage between 1993 and 2021. 
  • The rise in child marriage in girls was observed in Manipur and Tripura, being greater than during any previous period between 2016 and 2021.
• Existence of Variability at the Sub-National Level: Researchers have observed that substantial variability of the rate of decline of child marriage at the sub-national level exists. 

• • State governments tend to enact social sector policy in India, however there is a variation observed in the implementation of the programme to address child marriage across and within states.
• States with burden of Child Marriages:
  • For Girls: Bihar (16·7%), West Bengal (15·2%), Uttar Pradesh (12·5%), and Maharashtra (8·2%).
  • For Boys: Gujarat (29%), Bihar (16·5%), West Bengal (12.9%), and Uttar Pradesh (8.2%).
• States with Burden and Prevalence: 
  • For Child Marriage: In 2021, Uttar Pradesh had a relatively low prevalence but high burden for both girls and boys, while Tripura had a high prevalence but low burden.
  • For Child Marriage in Boys: Maharashtra had a high burden but low prevalence, while Manipur has a high prevalence but a fairly low burden. 
    • Child Marriage Prevalence: It is defined as the percentage of women 20-24 years old who were married or in union before age 18.
    • Child Marriage Burden: It is defined as the number of girls under age 18 who have already married plus the number of adult women who were married before age 18. 

Significance of the Lancet Study on Child Marriage In India

• This study provides robust sub-national estimates of changes in prevalence over time and headcount of child marriage in India using a methodology to make state-level and Union Territory-level estimates comparable over time.

Laws to Stop Child Marriage in India?

• The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act, 1978: It set the legal marriage age for males and females as 18 and 21, respectively. 
• Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2006: All marriages in India must be registered as of the year 2006. 
• The Sabla Programme of Women and Child Ministry: The adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years are imparted training about the legal rights of women, including the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
• Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: It defines a child as a male below 21 years and a female as below 18 years.
• • It provides for the appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, who was imparted with a duty to prevent child marriages and spread awareness.
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012: Sexual contact with a minor is considered rape under the POCSO Act.
• Availability of Helplines: The government has introduced a CHILDLINE (code 1098), a 24X7 telephone emergency outreach service for children in crisis.
• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR): It  undertakes various activities and programmes on the issue of child marriages and related matters.

Child Marriage in India: Concerns

• Violation of Rights: Child marriages violate girls’ human rights such as Right to Education, Right to Protection from Mental or Physical Abuse including Rape and Sexual Exploitation.
• Against Gender Equality: Child marriages for females results in the male-dependencies and impacts the vision of gender equality.
• Impact on Future Generation: Child marriages lead to teenage pregnancy that impact the future generation.
• Impact on Economy: Child marriage negatively affects as girls and boys married as children more likely lack the skills, knowledge and job opportunities.

Way Forward Needed to Prevent Child Marriage in India

• Strengthening of Policy: There is a need for strengthening of national and state-level policy to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
• A Multi Pronged Approach: Better education, public infrastructure facilities, raising social awareness, eliminatio n of inequalities, programmes, strong laws and their strict enforcement in a transparent manner is required.
• Incorporation of Best Practices: The recommendations of the Shivraj Patil Committee report 2011 have helped bring down the child marriages in Karnataka and it can be incorporated in other states too.

News Source: The Indian Express

Also Read: Age Of Consent Under The POCSO Act

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Context: Eight-time BJP MLA and former Minister Kalicharan Saraf took oath as the protem Speaker of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

About Protem Speaker

• Pro-tem is a Latin phrase which translates to ‘for the time being’ in English.
• The Constitution does not expressly use the term ‘Pro-tem Speaker’.
• Pro-tem Speaker is appointed by the President\ Governor temporarily to conduct proceedings in State legislatures till the Speaker gets elected. 
• He/she is  ordinarily elected for the first sitting of a new legislative assembly.
• Once the new speaker is elected, the office of the pro-tem speaker ceases to exist.
• Power: Usually, a pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to Assembly Members.

Appointment

• Constitutional Convention and Seniority: The appointment of Protem Speaker, is dictated by a constitutional convention which provides that, the senior most member of the House to be chosen as pro-tem speaker (Seniority in this context refers to the membership in the House and not the age of the member)

ALSO READ: STATE LEGISLATURE – ARTICLE 168-212 (PART VI-STATE)

News Source: The Hindu

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Context: Goa Liberation Day is observed on 19 December every year. The year 2023 marks the 62nd anniversary of liberation of Goa.

About Liberation of Goa from Portuguese Rule

• The day marks the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule in 1961 when the Indian Army successfully captured Goa through Operation Vijay, ending Portuguese rule.
• Goa’s liberation came 14  years after India gained Independence from the British.

History:

• Portuguese Control of Goa: In 1510, Goa came under Portuguese rule after Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the Sultan of Bijapur, Yusuf Adil Shah. 

Liberation of Goa: Timeline of the Freedom Movement

• Control over  Dadra and Nagar Haveli:  In July-August 1954, Indian activists peacefully took control of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. This success inspired freedom fighters in Goa. 
• Rise of Goan Nationalism: Tristão de Bragança Cunha, known as the father of Goan nationalism, founded the Goa National Congress at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1928. 
  • In 1946, socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia led a historic rally in Goa that gave a call for civil liberties and freedom, and eventual integration of Goa with India.
• Firing at Anjadip Island: The spark was provided in November 1961, when the Portuguese contingent based at Anjadip island,  fired at the Indian merchant ship Sabarmati.
  • The Portuguese garrisons then started firing randomly at Indian fishing boats around South Goa and Karwar, which is now in the state of Karnataka. 
• Operation Chutney: Operation Chutney, the precursor to Operation Vijay, was launched  on December 1, 1961, by the Naval Headquarters to capture Anjadip.
  • Operation to Capture Anjadip:   Indian Navy ships Betwa and Beas were deployed on linear patrol off Goa, and the Mysore and Trishul carried out an amphibious landing operation with a platoon of 75 sailors. 
  • Indian Control over Anjadip: This led to a full-fledged gun and grenade battle between the Indian and Portuguese soldiers for control over Anjadip. The Portuguese were outmatched, and they surrendered.
• Operation Vijay:
  • Military Action by India: In 1961, the Portuguese fired at Indian fishing boats, killing one fisherman. 
  • Consequently, the Indian Armed Forces was authorized to liberate Goa and Daman and Diu by force.  Operation Vijay began on December 18, 1961, and ended on December 19, 1961.

Significance: The liberation of Goa marked the departure of the last colonial power from India. The Union of India was completed with Goa’s liberation on December 19, 1961.

Continue Reading: Goa Liberation Day 2023

News Source: PIB

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Context: World Bank reported that India saw the highest amount of remittance flows in the world in 2023 at USD 125 billion. 

India Tops Global Remittance Inflows in 2023: Key Highlights

• Report: In World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief, it was reported that India has received the highest amount of remittance flows in 2023. 
• Top 5: India was followed by Mexico (USD 67 billion), China (USD 50 billion), the Philippines (USD 40 billion), and Egypt (USD 24 billion).
• Trends: 
  • South Asia witnessed a 7.2 per cent increase in remittances in 2023.
  • Remittance flows to Europe and Central Asia decreased by 1.4 per cent after a significant gain in 2022
  • The Middle East and North Africa saw a decline in remittance flows for the second consecutive year.
• Cost of Remittance: The report highlights that banks continue to be the costliest channel for sending remittances, with an average cost of 12.1 per cent.
• Comparison with other transfers: Remittances have surpassed the sum of FDI and official development assistance in recent years.

About the Migration and Development Brief

• Preparation: It is a semiannual report prepared by the Migration and Remittances Unit, Development Economics (DEC), the premier research and data arm of the World Bank. 
• Objective: It aims to update key developments and policies in migration and remittance flows. 
• Projection: It also provides medium-term projections of remittance flows to developing countries. 

Reasons for the rise in FDI in India in 2023

• Stable Inflation: The main factors are the declining inflation and strong labour markets in high-income source countries, which boosted remittances from highly skilled Indians.
  • Low inflation led to improved remittances from the US, the UK, and Singapore, collectively accounting for 36% of the total remittance.
• Bilateral Agreement: India’s agreement with the UAE, for promoting the use of dirhams and rupees for bilateral trade has led to an increase in the remittances from GCC and especially UAE. 
• Market Conditions: Resilient labour markets in advanced economies and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have increased remittances. 
  • It is a congregation of six countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

Source: Business Today

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Context: In a recent report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has reported on the failure of Government PSU Agricultural Insurance Company of India Ltd (AIC) to comply with the guidelines under National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS), which was scrapped in 2015-16.

C&AG Report Reveals Flaw in Crop Insurance Scheme

• Issue: The matter pertains to a C&AG Report of 2017 on “Agriculture Crop Insurance Schemes” 
  • As per the erstwhile insurance scheme NAIS, AIC was required to obtain appropriate re-insurance cover in the international reinsurance.
  • Though AIC arranged for re-insurance support for its own share of claims, it did not arrange re-insurance support for Central and the State governments.

• Loss: The report notes that had such re-insurance been provided, liabilities of Centre and State Governments amounting to Rs 21,989.24 crore could have been reduced.
• Criticism: However, other experts have pointed out the 6-year delay in the report and suggested that PAC should not have recommended something based on C&AG’s earlier observations.
• Recommendation: PAC also recommended penal action against erring officials whose actions resulted in a preventable loss of ₹21,989.24 crore. 
  • PAC report also noted that coverage of farmers under the erstwhile scheme was very low compared to their population, and recommended identification of reason for this.  

About Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC)

• Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited was incorporated under the Indian Companies Act 1956 in 2002. 
• AIC transacts crop insurance businesses directly or indirectly concerning agriculture and its allied activities.

Evolution of Crop Insurance Schemes

• The Centre introduced the Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS) in 1985, which was replaced by NAIS from the Rabi season 1999-2000. 
• From 2010-11, Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) was introduced in 50 districts as pilot. 
• In 2013-14, MNAIS was merged with Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) and a new National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP) started. However, NAIS was allowed to be continued in some States, as per their option, until 2015-16. 
• From Kharif season 2015-16, the Centre introduced the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

• Origin: It was established in 1921, and is constituted every year in the Parliament. 
• Members: It consists of 22 members ( 15 members from Lok Sabha and 7 members from Rajya Sabha) elected with a term of 1 year only. 
• Objective: It was framed to examine the accounts reflecting appropriation of funds granted to meet the expenditure of the annual Finance Accounts of the government. 

Read more on PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

Source: Business Line

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Context: A volcano in Southwest Iceland erupted after weeks of intense earthquake activity. 

Volcano Eruption in Iceland

• The volcano that erupted, is located in Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland. 
• Iceland is among the most volcanically active places in the world, with roughly one eruption in every five years, not including submarine eruptions.

Why does Iceland have so many volcanoes? 

• Geolocation:
  • Iceland is located  on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. 
    • These tectonic plates are detached one from another allowing magma to fill the space that is created which results in the creation of one or more volcanic systems
  • Iceland is located on a hotspot or mantle plume, where magma is especially close to the surface, leading to frequent volcanic eruptions.
• Types of Volcano: The most common type of volcano in Island is stratovolcano — cone-shaped peak with explosive eruptions that form a crater in the very top. 
• Geography: Iceland’s entire surface is made of volcanic rock, most of it is basalt that formed after cooling of the volcanic lava. 

Continue Reading: Exploring Volcanoes: The Basics Of Volcanicity

Source: Livemint

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Context: This article is based on the news “Modi and Netanyahu discuss Israel-Hamas conflict and maritime security” which was published in the Live Mint. Recently India and Israel discussed the escalating threats to maritime safety in the Red Sea region following the actions of Houthi militants of Yemen.

India-Israel express concern over Maritime Safety and amid Houthi threat 

• Freedom of Navigation: Both sides discussed the freedom of navigation for ships going through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which faced a threat from Yemen’s Houthi militants. 
• Retaliatory Measure against Gaza Attack: The Houthi militants recently launched a missile strike as a retaliatory measure against Israel for its attacks on Gaza.
  • A tanker transporting a shipment of India-manufactured jet fuel evaded the strike.

• Operation Prosperity Guardian: It is a multinational security initiative launched by the US to counter the growing number of attacks against Israel-bound international traffic. Coalition includes the U.K., Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Seychelles, apart from the U.S.
• Impact on Maritime Trade: Attacks by Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea are disrupting maritime trade as freight firms have to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal.

• • This is leading to additional expenses and potential delays in shipments.
  • Approximately 15% of global shipping traffic passes through the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route connecting Europe and Asia.
  • This has also created fears of rising prices of essential commodities like oil among global shipping companies.

Continue Reading: How Are Houthi Attacks On Ships In The Red Sea Affecting Global Economy?

About Maritime Safety & Security

• It classifies the issues in the maritime domain as comprising national security, marine environment, economic development, and human security. 
• It also deals with regional seas, territorial waters, rivers and ports besides the world’s oceans.

Significance of Maritime Safety & Security for India

• Long Coastline: For India, maritime safety & security is an important aspect of national security as it has a coastline of over 7,000 km, exposing India’s vulnerability to maritime threats.
  • 26/11 Mumbai Terrorist attack: On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists infiltrated south Mumbai via the sea.
• Critical Infrastructure: Critical infrastructure in the maritime domain facilitates the continuous delivery of basic services such as energy and communication, particularly the Internet.
  • Protecting this infrastructure from sabotage or disruption is essential.
• Maritime Trade: India’s exports and imports have remained mostly across the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean. Therefore, Securing Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) has been an important issue for India in the 21st century.
  • The Indian Maritime Sector contributes to 95% of India’s trade by volume and 70% by value.
• Geopolitical and Geostrategic Consideration: China has become an important military power in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
  • China is strengthening its presence in the Indian Ocean region with its String of Pearl theory.
  • Ex- The Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and the Gwadar port in Pakistan.
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): India enjoys an EEZ of around 2.37 million sq. km, where India enjoys the exclusive legal right to utilise all living and non-living resources.
  • India has special rights over the usage of exploration and marine resources in the region.
• Blue Crime: This includes piracy in regions such as the Gulf of Guinea and Strait of Malacca, the smuggling of illicit goods and people, such as narcotic trade and the smuggling of migrants in the Mediterranean region.
  • As per the data compiled by the IFC-IOR, 161 piracy and armed robbery incidents took place in 2022. 
• Unconventional Issues: Other concerns include robbery, illegal trafficking of goods and people, illegal fishing and pollution and environmental issues like fishing and marine pollution.
  • The terrorist organization Al-Shabaab tied to Al-Qaeda and is based in Somalia has carried out numerous assaults on commercial ships and port facilities in the Indian Ocean region.
• Environmental Issues: Unrestricted fishing methods, shipping pollution, and waste disposal at sea have deteriorated marine ecosystems and reduced fisheries. 
  • The state of the marine environment not only jeopardizes fishermen’s means of subsistence but also has wider ramifications for global ocean sustainability and food security.

Maritime Safety & Security Mechanism of India

• Patrolling of IMBL: The Indian Navy patrols the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
  • The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is mandated to patrol and surveillance up to 200 nautical miles (i.e., EEZ). 
• Patrolling in Shallow Coastal Areas: The State Coastal/Marine Police (SC/MP) performs boat patrolling in shallow coastal areas.
  • The SCP has jurisdiction up to 12 nautical miles from the coast.
  • The ICG and the IN have jurisdiction over the entire maritime zone (up to 200 nautical miles), including the territorial waters (with the SMP).
• Patrolling of Creek Areas:  The Border Security Force (BSF) is deployed in the creek areas of Gujarat and Sundarbans in West Bengal.

Must Read: Safeguarding India’s Maritime Interests

Challenges related to Maritime Safety & Security for India

• Overlapping Jurisdictions: The patrolling and surveillance duties in coastal regions have been delegated to the State Coastal Police(SCP) in the nine coastal states/UTs. This has two main drawbacks. 
  • It leads to overlapping of duties of law and order (State List) with maritime border guarding (Union List).
  •  This also results in jurisdictional overlaps among the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and the SCP, creating a lack of unity of command at both the ministry and force levels.

• Coordination between Navy and ICG: The post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) with the rank of a four-star General was assigned the responsibility of leading the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), formed within the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and functioning as its Secretary. 
  • While the Army, Navy, and Air Force were placed under the DMA, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was placed under the Ministry of Defence. 
  • This prevents coordination between the Indian Navy (IN) and the ICG in both peacetime and wartime scenarios.
• Security of Maritime Borders is not ICG’s Primary Duty:  ICG is mandated for ensuring the security of the maritime zones of India with a view to the protection of maritime and other national interests.
  • It was not set up as an agency to guard India’s maritime borders but for policing and general superintendence of India’s maritime areas.
• Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs): Threats to the SLOCs arise from challenges of piracy, drug trafficking, human smuggling, pollution, accidents, mines, closure of choke points, inter-state conflicts and territorial disputes in the region.
  • Asia’s sea lanes remain vulnerable to various threats including China’s dominance in the region. Ex- Conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan, South China Sea disputes.

• • China’s non-military activities in the eastern Indian Ocean are a source of concern for India.
  • More than 80 percent of all seaborne trade in oil (equivalent to about one-fifth of global energy supply) passes through the IOR.
• Infrastructure Constraints: There are requests from several countries to post international liaison officers (ILO) at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) but this has not been done due to infrastructure constraints.

India’s Initiatives for Maritime Safety & Security

• SAGAR Vision (Security and Growth for all in the Region): It aims at safeguarding maritime interests of its mainland and islands.
• Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI): IPOI seeks to ensure security and stability of the regional maritime domain.
• The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): It is a regional maritime security centre hosted by the Indian Navy. 
• Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative: IPMDA is a technology and training initiative to enhance maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE)” program: It has been set up to enhance information exchange to reach a high level of collaboration with other maritime forces.
• Colombo Security Conclave: It is a grouping that includes India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives for ensuring the security and stability of the Indian Ocean region.

Way Forward

• Five Principles Roadmap for Global Maritime Safety & Security:  The Prime minister of India proposed five principles to ensure global maritime safety & security which include:
  • Removing barriers from legitimate maritime trade
  • Encouraging responsible maritime connectivity
  • Settling maritime disputes through peaceful means and based on international law

• • Jointly facing natural disasters and maritime threats created by non-state actors
  • Preserving the maritime environment and resources.
• Separate Maritime Guarding Force: Create a separate force by splitting the maritime border guarding function and the associated infrastructure, assets, and manpower of the ICG and placing it under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• UN Structure for Maritime Safet & Security: A UN body along the lines of the UN Security Council needs to be created to regulate issues related to maritime safety & security.
• Issue Specific Grouping:  A body including issue-specific subgroups (e.g. illegal fishing, piracy, smuggling) as well as regional ones (Western Indian Ocean, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Guinea) and can help in better reforming the current coordination issues of the maritime sector in a more sustained manner.
• Innovative Techniques for Maritime Safety Security:  Improvements in satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology could aid in enhancing the monitoring and surveillance of the region.
• Development of New Maritime policing techniques: Using floating police stations and closer collaboration with coastal communities.

Conclusion:

Addressing escalating threats to maritime safety is crucial for India and Israel, necessitating collaborative efforts, regional partnerships, and international mechanisms to ensure the security and stability of vital sea routes.

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Context: This article is based on the news “Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC orders speedy trial, says 1991 suit not barred by law” which was published in the Indian Express. Allahabad High Court discarded the petition filed by the Gyanvapi Mosque Committee and UP Central Sunni Waqf Board and permitted suit seeking the temple’s restoration at the Mosque site.

Allahabad High Court Orders Speedy Trial in 32-year-old Gyanvapi Case

• In a significant judgment paving the way for the beginning of the trial of the Gyanvapi Mosque ownership dispute, the Allahabad High Court rejected five petitions challenging the civil suits pending in the Varanasi district court, which sought the restoration of Temple at the Mosque site.
  • A single bench of the court also directed the Varanasi district court to complete the trial of the civil suits filed in 1991 and sought ownership of the disputed place and the right to worship there within 6 months.
• According to the court, a civil suit seeking control of the disputed place was maintainable and was not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991. 
  • The court said that the dispute was not between two parties and that it affected two large communities and was of national importance.
• The high court further asked the trial court to place the report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Complex and submitted the survey report in a Varanasi district court recently, and also ordered a fresh survey of the premises if required.

About Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath Row

Background:

• Kashi Vishwanath: It is a prominent temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. 
  • The temple stands on the western bank of the river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas (holiest Shiva temples). 
  • The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning Ruler of The Universe. 
  • Varanasi city is also called Kashi, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishvanath Temple.
• Gyanvapi Mosque: It is located in close proximity to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
  • Recent petitions claim that the Gyanvapi mosque lies on the remains of the ‘original’ Kashi Vishwanath temple. 
  • According to the available historical record, it was built in the 17th century on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 
• Dispute: The dispute involves claims by some Hindu groups regarding the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the adjacent Gyanvapi Mosque, asserting that the mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple. 
  • Scholars opined that the Gyanvapi mosque Stands on the desecrated Aadi Vishveshwar Nath temple.
  • Legal battles and discussions have taken place over the years regarding the matter.

Must Read: Indefinite State Control Of Hindu Temples Is Unjust

Timeline of the Gyanvapi Case

• 1991: The first petition of the case was filed by Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar in Varanasi court in 1991 expressing three demands
  • Declare the entire Gyanvapi complex as a part of the Kashi temple.
  • Removal of Muslims from the complex area, and 
  • Demolition of the mosque.
• 1998: Another case was filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) which approached the Allahabad High Court, asserting that a civil court could not decide the dispute between the temple and mosque as it was not permissible by the law. 
  • As a result, the High Court stayed the proceedings for 22 years.
• 2019: The case was revived when Vijay Shankar Rastogi filed a plea in the Varanasi Court demanding an Archaeological survey of the disputed area.
• 2020: This plea further encouraged the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee to oppose the petition seeking an ASI survey of the entire Gyanvapi complex. In the same year, the petitioner approached the lower court for the resumption of the hearing of the 1991 petition.
• 2021: 
  • March 2021: The Places of Worship Act 1991 was taken up by a bench in the Supreme Court to examine its substantiality. 
  • August 2021: A few devotees filed a petition in the Varanasi Court seeking permission to worship deities inside the premises of Gyanvapi.
  • September 2021: In the judgment given by a single judge bench of Allahabad High Court, it was announced that the court should wait for further judgement in the already proceeding cases of the matter. 
• 2022:
  • April 2022: Varanasi court appointed an advocate commissioner and ordered a videography survey of the complex. The order was challenged in the Allahabad High court, which upheld the order of the lower court. 
  • May 2022: The videographic survey of the Gyanvapi complex began and all the survey findings were submitted in a report to the court. The case proceedings were transferred to a district judge by the apex court.
  • October 2022: Varanasi district court rejected the plea for carbon dating of the shivling claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi mosque.
  • November 2022: The supreme court agreed to set up a bench to hear the case.
• 2023:
  • May 2023: Allahabad High Court ordered the determination of the age of the Shivling using modern technology. Supreme Court defers scientific survey to determine the age of Shivling.
  • July 2023: Varanasi district court directs the ASI to conduct the survey including excavations, wherever necessary. Allahabad HC extended the stay implemented by SC on the ASI’s survey.
  • August 2023: Allahabad HC allows scientific survey of Gyanvapi premises in the interest of justice. AIMC moves Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad HC. Supreme court refused to stay the ASI survey , except the ‘wuzukhana’ area where a ‘shivling’ was claimed to have been. 

Current Situation

• Setting a six-month deadline for completion of proceedings before a Varanasi court, the Allahabad High Court has dismissed five petitions, saying the 1991 original suit is not barred by provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. 

Challenges Associated with Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath Row

• Religious Sensitivities: The dispute involves two religious communities, Hindus and Muslims. Any resolution needs to take into account the sentiments of both communities to avoid further religious tensions and conflicts.
  • Such disputes affect communal harmony in the country having high potential to increase hatred. 
• Legal Complexity: Court cases and legal proceedings have been ongoing for an extended period. Resolving the matter requires careful consideration of legal principles and adherence to the rule of law.
  • For instance, under the ongoing dispute, the Places of Worship Act itself came under challenge at the Supreme Court. 
• Political Dimensions: The political actors may exploit the issue for various reasons. While addressing the concerns of the communities involved poses a significant challenge, this might be used as an opportunity to influence potential vote banks by various political parties and leaders.
• Community Harmony: The dispute can potentially impact the social fabric and harmony between different communities. 
  • For instance, the current dispute has led to a polarized atmosphere leading to division and mistrust between Hindu and Muslim communities, further aggravated by irresponsible statements by various political and social actors.
• Public Opinion: The representatives of the majority Hindu community hold the opinion that there cannot be a compromise on three major issues viz. Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Krishna temple in Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath. While representatives of the Muslim community oppose the claims of the Hindu community and are against making a compromise. 
• Preservation of Heritage: Regardless of the resolution, preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the region is crucial. The challenge lies in finding a solution that respects the historical significance of the site while addressing the concerns of the communities involved.

Way forward for Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath Row 

• Legal Adjudication: There is a need to continue the legal process and adjudicate the matter based on historical evidence, archaeological findings, and legal principles. 
  • For instance, like in Ayodhya, where the apex court cleared the way for the Ram temple, the law will take its course. The constitutional sanctity and legitimacy of due process is crucial to resolving the conflict.
  • Further, what will be the religious character of the disputed place can only be arrived at by the competent Court after the evidences are led by the parties to the suit. 
• Mediation and Dialogue: A mediated dialogue involving representatives from both Hindu and Muslim communities can provide a platform for open communication, understanding, and negotiation. 
• Historical and Archaeological Research: Encourage unbiased research to shed light on the disputed site’s historical context, which can contribute to a more informed and evidence-based resolution.
• Political Neutrality: Encourage political leaders and parties to take a neutral stance on the issue and avoid politicizing the dispute for electoral gains and instead focus on finding a solution that promotes communal harmony.
• Implementation of the Resolution: Once a resolution is reached, ensure its effective implementation with the involvement of relevant stakeholders in a clear and transparent manner which can help build confidence in the resolution process.

Conclusion:

Peaceful Coexistence can be a middle path which emphasizes the importance of peaceful coexistence between different religious communities and foster understanding, tolerance, and respect for diversity. 

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad promoted unity and understanding among communities, along with fostering creativity from within. 

Must Read: Parliamentary Panel Report on Archaeological Survey of India 

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