War Crimes

Why in News?

Recently, the International Criminal Court(ICC) has announced that it will open an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. There are specific international standards for war crimes.

What are War Crimes?

• War crimes are defined as serious violations of humanitarian laws during a conflict.
• The definition, established by the Rome Statute of the ICC, is derived from the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
• It is based on the idea that individuals can be held liable for the actions of a state or its military.
• The taking of hostages, willful killings, torture or inhuman treatment of prisoners of war, and forcing children to fight are some of the more obvious examples.

What is Criteria for War Crimes?

• Criteria: To decide whether an individual or a military has committed a war crime, international humanitarian law lays down three principles:
  • Distinction: It is illegal to target objectives that are “expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objectives, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
  • Proportionality: Proportionality prohibits armies from responding to an attack with excessive violence.
    • For example: If a soldier is killed, for example, you cannot bomb an entire city in retaliation.
  • Precaution: It requires parties to a conflict to avoid or minimise the harm done to the civilian population.
• Gray Area in Definition: Raids on a cities or villages, bombing residential buildings or schools, and even the killing of groups of civilians do not necessarily amount to war crimes — not if their military necessity is justified.
  • The same act can become a war crime if it results in unnecessary destruction, suffering and casualties that exceed the military gain from the attack.
  • Further, Civilian and military populations have become increasingly hard to distinguish

What is the difference between War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity?

• The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (or Genocide convention) separates war crimes from genocide and crimes against humanity.
• War crimes are defined as occurring in a domestic conflict or a war between two states.
• While genocide and crimes against humanity can happen in peacetime or during the unilateral aggression of a military towards a group of unarmed people.

Source: IE

Cluster Bombs and Thermobaric Weapons

Why in News?

Human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs in the ongoing war (on Ukraine).

• Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.
• International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.

What are cluster munitions?

• A cluster munition means a “conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive submunitions”.
• Essentially, cluster munitions are non-precision weapons that are designed to injure or kill human beings indiscriminately over a large area, and to destroy vehicles and infrastructure such as runways, railway or power transmission lines.
• They can be dropped from an aircraft or launched in a projectile that spins in flight, scattering many bomblets as it travels.
• Many of these bomblets end up not exploding, but continue to lie on the ground, often partially or fully hidden and difficult to locate and remove, posing a threat to the civilian population for long after the fighting has ceased.
• The Convention on Cluster Munitions specifically identifies “cluster munition remnants”, which include “failed cluster munitions, abandoned cluster munitions, unexploded submunitions and unexploded bomblets”

What is a thermobaric weapon?

• Thermobaric weapons — also known as aerosol bombs, fuel air explosives, or vaccum bombs — use oxygen from the air for a large, high-temperature blast.
• A thermobaric weapon causes significantly greater devastation than a conventional bomb of comparable size.
• The weapons, which go off in two separate stages, can be fired as rockets from tank-mounted launchers or dropped from aircraft.
• As they hit their target, a first explosion splits open the bomb’s fuel container, releasing a cloud of fuel and metal particles that spreads over a large area.
• A second explosion then occurs, igniting the aerosol cloud into a giant ball of fire and sending out intense blast waves that can destroy even reinforced buildings or equipment and vaporize human beings.

What is the Convention on Cluster Munitions?

• The Convention on Cluster Munitions is a United Nations-adopted legal instrument that prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.
• It establishes a framework for cooperation and assistance to ensure adequate assistance to survivors and their communities, clearance of contaminated areas, risk reduction education and destruction of stockpiles.
• It was adopted in Dublin, Ireland in 2008, and was opened for signature in Oslo, Norway. It entered into force in 2010 after the requirement of 30 ratifications was complete.
• Currently, the convention has 110 State Parties and 13 Signatory States.
• Countries that ratify the convention are obliged to never use cluster munitions, and also to never develop, produce, otherwise acquire, retain, stockpile or transfer to anyone cluster munitions.
• India has not signed the convention and is not a party to it. Other countries that are not parties are the US, Russia, China, Pakistan and Israel, among others.
  • Vacuum bombs are not prohibited by any international law or agreement, but their use against civilian populations in built-up areas, schools or hospitals, could attract action under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
  • Hague Convention is any of a series of international treaties that were issued from international conferences held at The Hague in the Netherlands in 1899 and 1907. They establish the laws and customs of war in the strict sense, by defining the rules that belligerents must follow during hostilities.

Source: IE

Permanent Indus Commission Meeting

Why in News?

The 117^th Meeting of Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) between India and Pakistan was held.

• Earlier, the Central government has decided to adopt a new criterion for selecting members of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

What are the Highlights of the Meeting?

• Both sides discussed the exchange of hydrological and flood data during which the Indian side underscored that all its projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty.
• The issue of the Fazilka drain was also discussed and Pakistan assured that all necessary action will continue to be taken to ensure the free flow of Fazilka drain into the river Sutlej.
  • Fazilka drain is one of 22 drains and water bodies, where untreated water of Malwa district (Punjab, India) is discharged.
  • The drain is closed at the borderline of countries, leading to stagnation in the shape of ponds and deterioration of quality of groundwater in the border area.
• Technical discussions were held regarding ongoing projects including Pakal Dul, Kiru and Lower Kalnai.
  • The Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project (1000 MW) is proposed on river Marusudar, a tributary of Chenab river in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
  • Kiru Hydro Electric Project (624 MW) is proposed on River Chenab, located in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir.
  • Lower Kalnai project is a hydroelectric power project in the Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Indian side explicitly conveyed that as an upper riparian State, India has been providing information on extraordinary discharges of water from reservoirs and flood flows every year, as mandated under the treaty.

What is the History of the Indus Waters Treaty?

• The Indus river basin has six rivers- Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, originating from Tibet and flowing through the Himalayan ranges to enter Pakistan, ending in the south of Karachi.
• In 1947, the line of partition, aside from delineating geographical boundaries for India and Pakistan, also cut the Indus river system into two.
  • Both the sides were dependent on water from the Indus river basin to keep their irrigation infrastructure functional and therefore, equitable distribution was needed.
• Initially, the Inter-dominion accord of May, 1948 was adopted, where both countries, after meeting for a conference, decided that India would supply water to Pakistan in exchange for an annual payment made by the latter.
  • This agreement however, soon disintegrated as both the countries could not agree upon its common interpretations.
• In 1951, in the backdrop of the water-sharing dispute, both the countries applied to the World Bank for funding of their respective irrigation projects on ​​Indus and its tributaries, which is when the World Bank offered to mediate the conflict.
• Finally in 1960, after nearly a decade of fact-finding, negotiation, proposals by the World Bank and amendments to them, an agreement was reached between the two countries, and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan.

What are Some of its Key Provisions?

• Sharing Water:
  
  • The treaty prescribed how water from the six rivers of the Indus River System would be shared between India and Pakistan.
  • It allocated the three western rivers—Indus, Chenab and Jhelum—to Pakistan for unrestricted use, barring certain non-consumptive, agricultural and domestic uses by India and the three Eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas and Sutlej—were allocated to India for unrestricted usage.
    • This means that 80% of the share of water or about 135 Million Acre Feet (MAF) went to Pakistan, while leaving the rest 33 MAF or 20% of water for use by India.
• Permanent Indus Commission:
  • It also required both the countries to establish a Permanent Indus Commission constituted by permanent commissioners on both sides.
• Rights over Rivers:
  • While Pakistan has rights over the waters of Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, Annexure C of the IWT allows India certain agricultural uses, while Annexure D allows it to build ‘run of the river’ hydropower projects, meaning projects not requiring live storage of water.
• Design Specifications:
  • It also provides certain design specifications which India has to follow while developing such projects.
• Raising Objections:
  • The treaty also allows Pakistan to raise objections over such projects being built by India, if it does not find them to be compliant with the specifications.
  • India has to share information on the project design or alterations made to it with Pakistan, which is required to respond with objections, if any, within three months of receipt.
  • Besides, India is allowed to have a minimum storage level on the western rivers – meaning it can store up to 3.75 MAF of water for conservation and flood storage purposes.
• Dispute Resolution Mechanism:
  • The IWT also provides a three step dispute resolution mechanism, under which “questions” on both sides can be resolved at the Permanent Commission, or can also be taken up at the inter-government level.
  • In case of unresolved questions or “differences” between the countries on water-sharing, such as technical differences, either side can approach the World Bank to appoint a Neutral Expert (NE) to come to a decision.
    • And eventually, if either party is not satisfied with the NE’s decision or in case of “disputes” in the interpretation and extent of the treaty, matters can be referred to a Court of Arbitration.

What about Geopolitical Conflicts?

• In recent years, the Indus Water Treaty has been brought up a couple of times during geo-political tension between India and Pakistan.
• In the aftermath of the attack on J&K’s Uri army camp in 2016, India said that “Blood and water cannot flow simultaneously,” soon after which, the Permanent Indus Commission talks were suspended for that year by the Indian side, which also at one point threatened to walk out of the treaty.
• Again in 2019, when the suicide attack was carried out in Pulwama, killing 40 CRPF personnel, India had for the first time threatened to cut off water supply to Pakistan from the Indus River System.
• Later it was clarified that restricting Pakistan’s supply would be in violation of the IWT, and required consideration of the Centre’s top officials.
  • IWT does not have a unilateral exit provision, and is supposed to remain in force unless both the countries ratify another mutually agreed pact.

Source: TH

Deputation of DIGs

Why in News?

Recently, the Centre has issued another order on the central deputation of Deputy Inspector General-level IPS officers.

• The order held that IPS officers coming to the Centre at the DIG level would no longer be required to be empanelled at that level with the Union Government.
• The order came after its proposal to amend the All India Service Rules that would allow it to call any IAS, IPS or IFoS officer on central deputation with or without the state’s consent.

What is the Order?

• According to existing rules, a DIG-ranked IPS officer with a minimum experience of 14 years could only be deputed to the Centre if the Police Establishment Board empanelled them as DIGs at the Centre.
  • The board chooses the panel on the basis of officers’ career and vigilance records.
  • Till now, only the Superintendent of Police-level officers does not require empanelment at the Centre.
• The new order makes the entire pool of DIG-level officers in a state eligible for central deputation.
• However, this would not automatically allow DIGs to come to the Centre. Officers would still have to be put on the offer list for central deputation which is decided by the states and the Centre in consultation.

Why has it been issued?

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the move is aimed at increasing the pool of DIG-level IPS officers for central deputation in the backdrop of massive vacancies in Central Police Organisations (CPOs) and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
  • According to data sourced from various CPOs and CAPFs, out of 252 posts reserved for IPS officers at DIG level at the Centre, 118 (almost half) are vacant.
  • Also, it increases the size of the pool of officers available to the Centre.
• IPS officers have a quota of 40% in CPOs and CAPFs. The Centre had in November 2019 written to states proposing to decrease this quota by 50%, saying more than 60% of posts remain vacant since most states do not spare their officers.
• Also, MHA held that the number of districts in some states doubled in a decade or so, the availability of officers was one third.

Why would states have a problem?

• The new order may be seen by many states as the Centre’s attempt at pushing the envelope further on increasing its powers over officers serving in the states.
  • Further, there is a serious paucity of officers in the states too.
• It is against the spirit of cooperative federalism.
• The proposed amendment would weaken the State’s political control over the bureaucracy.
• It would affect effective governance and create avoidable legal and administrative disputes.
• The Centre could weaponise the bureaucracy against an elected State government.

Source: IE

Daylight Harvesting

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Science & Technology has decided to promote a unique Start-up in the latest Daylight Harvesting Technology in order to reduce carbon footprint and improve the building's energy efficiency.

• The Ministry will give Rs 5 Crore of the 10 Crore project to Skyshade company for developing new technologies for basement illumination on a 24x7 basis.
• The company aims to create Green & Net zero buildings and to participate and contribute in national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

What is Daylight Harvesting?

• Daylight Harvesting is a method of saving the energy costs associated with lighting. It makes use of the available sunlight.
  • The solar energy spectrum has 45% energy as visible light and this can be used to harvest building illumination for about 9-11 hours a day.
• It is one of the most advanced techniques used in sustainable lighting designs for contemporary buildings.
• It automatically dims or adjusts the brightness of light in response to the amount of natural light available in a space.
• Utilising natural daylight coming through the windows or skylights minimises the amount of energy used in artificial lighting.
• The daylight harvesting system employs light sensors, also known as photocell sensors, to detect the prevailing light level in the environment.
• It then sends the intensity of light received to a controller, which is connected to the lighting control system. The control system in turn adjusts the electric lights automatically according to the measured light level.

What is the Significance of Daylight Harvesting?

• Energy Savings:
  • It increases energy savings by dimming or turning Off lights based on the natural daylight entering the space.
• Provides Comfort and Convenience:
  • It helps to maintain proper light intensity in a space by continuously and automatically adjusting lights.
• Healthier Working Conditions:
  • Providing right amounts of light to people helps in maintaining proper circadian rhythms that are crucial to good health and adequate sleep besides preventing seasonal affective disorders.
    • Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, rise, and eat—regulating many physiological processes.
  • Letting in natural light to workplaces provides better concentration, creates a positive mood, and drives healthier employee life.
• Reduce Carbon Emission:
  • Daylight is available universally and it is a very clean and cost-efficient source of energy.
  • Meeting our energy requirement during the day by using daylight harvesting technology will contribute immensely to meet one of the commitments of the five nectars of “PANCHAMRIT” i.e., to make India a Net Zero emission country by 2070.

Source: PIB

Sagar Parikrama

Why in News?

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying will inaugurate the ‘Sagar Parikrama’  to know the problems of Coastal Fisher folk.

What is Sagar Parikrama?

• It is a navigation journey to be conducted in all coastal states/UTs through a pre-decided sea route to demonstrate solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders.
• It is envisioned as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava’ saluting our great freedom fighters, sailors and fishers. 
• The Parikrama will start from Mandvi, Gujarat  in Ist phase and will be organised in other districts of Gujarat and other State/UTs in subsequent phases.
  • The first leg of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ shall start on 5th March 2022 from Mandvi and end at Porbandar on 6^th March 2022. 
  • The entire distance will be covered from the coastline of Mandvi on the coast of the Arabian Sea in the Kutch district of Gujarat, situated at the estuary where the river Rukmavati meets the Gulf of Kutch.
  • The Rukmavati River is a south flowing river originating in the central Kutch District and empties into the Arabian Sea
• It will also conduct interaction programmes with fishermen, fisher communities and stakeholders in these locations and districts in order to know the problems of Coastal Fisher folk. 
• It is envisaged in the sea across the coastal belt demonstrating solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders as a spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. 

What is Significance?

• It will  focus on sustainable balance between the utilisation of marine fisheries resources for food security of the nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and protection of marine ecosystems. 
• Oceans are vital to the economies, security and livelihoods of Indian coastal states. 
  • The Country has a coastline of 8118km, covering 9 maritime States/4UTs and providing livelihood support to millions of coastal fisher folk. 

What is the Scenario of the Fisheries Sector in India?

• India is the second major producer of fish through aquaculture in the world.
• India is the 4^th largest exporter of fish in the world as it contributes 7.7% to the global fish production.
• Currently, this sector provides livelihood to more than 2.8 crore people within the country. Nevertheless, this is a sector with untapped potential.
• The fisheries sector has demonstrated double-digit average annual growth of 10.87 % since 2014-15 with record fish production of 145 lakh tons during 2020-21 as per the Economic Survey for 2021-22 
• Indian Fisheries and Aquaculture sector registering an average annual growth of 7.53% during the last 5 years. The country exported 12.89 lakh metric tons of fisheries products valued at Rs 46,662 crore (USD 6.68 billion) during 2019-20.
• Despite challenges pertaining to infrastructure, the measures by the Central government in the past recent years ensured that the fisheries sector continued to register an annual growth rate of more than 10%.

Source: PIB

Decline in Investments Through P-Notes

Why in News

According to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) data, the value of Participatory-Note (P-Notes) investments in Indian markets have declined in jan 2022 in comparison to dec 2021.

What are the Reasons for Declining P-Note?

• This is in line with expectations as foreign investors were aggressive sellers throughout January 2022 continuing the trend seen since October 2021.
• With Omicron fears largely behind, investors were hopeful of a rapid recovery in the global economy. However, with the US Federal Reserve taking a 'faster and sooner' stance on rate hikes investors have been cutting their holdings in risk assets across the board
• The Ukraine geopolitical situation has put further pressure on already scared global investors. It is expected that FPIs (Foreign Portfolio Investors) will continue their net negative stance till clarity emerges on an end to the Ukraine situation.

What is a Participatory Note?

• P-notes are Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs) issued by registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly.
  
  • P-notes have Indian stocks as their underlying assets.
  • FPIs are non-residents who invest in Indian securities like shares, government bonds, corporate bonds, etc.
• Though P-note holders have less stringent registration requirements, they have to go through a proper due diligence process of the SEBI.

Source: TH

India & ITU Sign Host Country Agreement

Recently, the Union Minister of Communications and Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed the Host Country Agreement (HCA) for the establishment of an Area Office & Innovation Centre of ITU in New Delhi.

• The 5Gi standards developed within India have now been recognised by ITU as one of the three technologies for 5G.
• 5Gi is a locally designed telecommunication network that has been designed by IIT Hyderabad.

What is the Agreement About?

• The Host Country Agreement provides the legal and financial framework for establishment and operations of the Area Office.
• The Area Office and Innovation Centre of ITU at New Delhi is expected to serve South Asian countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India.
• The Area Office shall also have an Innovation Centre, which is expected to give impetus to research and development in telecommunication technologies in South Asia.

What is ITU?

• It is the United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies – ICTs.
• Founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks. It is Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.
• ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries and over 900 private-sector entities and academic institutions.
  
  • Earlier, India got elected as a member of ITU Council for another 4-year term - from 2019 to 2022. India has remained a regular member since 1952.
• Important publication of the ITU is the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI). India ranked 10^th in the 2020 index.

Source: PIB