India-Russia Foreign Ministers Meet

Why in News

To build on the common “resilient” ground, Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers addressed each other’s concerns on a wide range of issues.

• The issues range from defence supplies to the S-400 air defence system, India’s role in Afghanistan and Taliban’s involvement in power-sharing to cooperation on Covid vaccines and India’s participation in the Quad grouping.

Key Points

• Discussed Cooperation in Following Sectors:
  
  • Economic opportunities in the Russian Far East.
    
    • The Russian Far East stretches from Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, to the Pacific Ocean and comprises roughly a third of Russia’s territory.
    • Although it is rich in natural resources including minerals, hydrocarbons, timber and fish, it is an economically underdeveloped region.
  • Leveraging the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign to boost manufacturing in India.
  • Connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
    • INSTC is a multi-modal transportation established in September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation.
  • The Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern maritime corridor.
    
    • Itr is a maritime route covering approximately 5,600 nautical miles, aimed at increasing bilateral trade between India and Russia.
  • Long standing partnership in space and nuclear sectors.

• S-400 Air Defence System:
  
  • Issues regarding the sale of the S-400 air defence system figured in the discussions.
    
    • The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia.
    • It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).
  • While India is keen on buying it, the USA has expressed reservations by threatening sanctions under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
• Views on Military Alliance and Indo-Pacific:
  
  • Military Alliance:
    
    • Russian Foreign Minister clarified that the Russia-China relations are at the highest in the history, but these relations do not pursue a goal of establishing a military alliance.
    • He also referred to the Quad grouping and called it an “Asian NATO”, a term sometimes used by China.
      
      • Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia with a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
  • Indo-Pacific:
    
    • Russia and India are working for stability and connectivity in the Asia-Pacific and urged that “military alliances” should not come up in Asia.
    • Russia referred to the formulation of “Asia Pacific” while India referred to “Indo-Pacific”.
• Afghan Peace:
  
  • There is a need to “harmonise” the interests of various stakeholders that are active in and around Afghanistan.
  • The peace process should be based on foundational principles and a political solution should mean independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan.
  • Decision on the settlement in Afghanistan should foresee the participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups in the country. Otherwise the solution will not be stable.
    
    • It needs to be noted that India was not a part of a recent meeting led by Russia on Afghan peace.
• Medical Cooperation:
  
  • The Russian Fund for Direct Investment has signed contracts with various Indian manufacturers for Sputnik V vaccines for 700-750 million doses.
  • Both ministers also took up the possible export of the Covaxin to Russia which is likely to be cleared by experts.

Way Forward

• India Engaging Russia Into Indo-Pacific Narrative: India should pursue and facilitate Russia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
  
  • Russia’s active engagement in the region would contribute to making the Indo-Pacific truly “free and inclusive”.
• Prioritizing RIC in Indian Foreign Policy: India can also promote a mutually beneficial trilateral cooperation between Russia, China, and India that could contribute towards the reduction of mistrust and suspicion between India and China.

Source:IE

Ukraine's Bid to Join NATO

Why in News

Ukrainian President urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to speed up his country’s membership in the alliance.

• Ukraine hopes to be invited this year to join a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP).

Key Points

• Reasons for Ukraine to Join NATO:
  
  • Ukraine is of the opinion that joining NATO is the only way to end fighting with pro-Russia separatists.
  • There is an increase in clashes and Russian military movements on the border raise fears of an escalation of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.
  • Ukraine accuses Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula (annexed by Russia in 2014).
  • Ukraine’s Western allies have rushed to its defence, with a series of statements warning Russia against taking further action.
    
    • India did not join the Western powers’ condemnation of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue.
• About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
  
  • It is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of 4th April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
  • It is headquartered at Brussels, Belgium.
  • A key provision of the treaty, the so-called Article 5, states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the "nuclear umbrella" of the US.
    
    • NATO has only once invoked Article 5, on 12^th September, 2001, following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in the US.
  • NATO's protection does not extend to members' civil wars or internal coups.
  • As of 30th March 2021, there are 30 member states, with the Republic of North Macedonia becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2020.

Source:TH

Opium Poppy Straw

Why in News

The Central government has decided to rope in the private sector to commence production of concentrated poppy straw (CPS) from India’s opium crop to boost the yield of alkaloids, used for medical purposes and exported to several countries.

Key Points

• Poppy Straw:
  
  • Poppy straw is the husk left after the opium is extracted from pods.
  • This poppy straw also contains a very small morphine content and if used in sufficient quantities, poppy straw can give a high.
  • Possession, sale, use, etc. of poppy straw is regulated by the State Governments under the State Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Rules.
  • Farmers sell the poppy straw to those licensed by the State Governments to purchase poppy straw.
    
    • Any excess poppy straw is ploughed back into the field.
  • Poppy straw is one of the narcotic drugs under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 (NDPS Act).
    
    • Hence, anyone possessing, selling, purchasing or using poppy straw without a license or authorization or in violation of any conditions of the license is liable to prosecution under the NDPS Act.
• Current Extraction of Alkaloids:
  
  • India currently only extracts alkaloids from opium gum at facilities controlled by the Revenue Department in the Ministry of Finance.
    
    • This entails farmers extracting gum by manually lancing the opium pods and selling the gum to government factories.
  • The Ministry has now decided to switch to new technologies, after trial cultivation by two private firms showed higher extraction of alkaloids using the Concentrated Poppy Straw (CPS). Thus, the Government is mulling the idea of using public-private partnership (PPP).
• Partnership Model:
  
  • Two types of Narcotic Raw Material (NRM) can be produced from opium poppy - Opium gum and Concentrate of Poppy Straw (CPS).
  • So far, only opium gum has been produced in India. The Government of India has now decided that CPS production should be commenced in India.
  • The various stakeholders will frame an appropriate model including public-private partnership (PPP), advise on the changes needed to the rules and laws to facilitate private investment, and recommend security measures to protect the crop and the final product.
  • The firms carrying out the trials faced legal hassles in terms of getting relevant licences from the State governments to manufacture bulk alkaloids on their premises, this issue will need to be ironed out.
  • As per the trials’ findings, the imported seeds of certain CPS varieties worked effectively in Indian fields and their narcotic raw material yield was much higher from imported seeds instead of those used currently.
  • Some firms also cultivated CPS with hydroponic and aeroponic methods under a greenhouse environment.
    
    • Both Hydroponics and Aeroponics are sustainable, water-conservative farming methods, differing only by the medium which is used in the growth of the plants.
• Significance of the Move:
  
  • While alkaloid extraction from the current opium crop using the CPS was found more than opium gum, it is possible to have two or three crop cycles in one year if CPS varieties of seeds are used in an indoor greenhouse environment.
  • India’s opium crop acreage has been steadily declining over the years and using the CPS extraction method is expected to help cut the occasional dependence on imports of products like codeine (extracted from opium) for medicinal uses.

Source:TH

India’s Life Expectancy on World Health Day 2021

Why in News

According to the estimates from the Sample Registration System (SRS)-based Abridged Life Tables 2014-18 of the Census and Registrar General of India, the life expectancy of an Indian child born on World Health Day 2021 is below the world's average.

• Every year 7^th April marks the celebration of World Health Day.

Key Points

• Life Expectancy:
  
  • It is an estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live.
    
    • The most common measure of life expectancy is life expectancy at birth.
  • India’s life expectancy (for a child born in 2021) which is 69 years and 4 months is less than the world’s average lifespan of 72.81 years.
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):
  
  • It is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.
  • For India, IMR is 33.
• Life Expectancy will be Reduced Further Due to Pollution:
  
  • The quality of life of these children will suffer and the average life span is estimated to be cut short by two years and six months due by constant exposure to “toxic air” in the country.
    
    • India topped the chart by recording the world's highest annual average concentration of PM 2.5 exposure in its air in 2019, according to the State of Global Air 2020.
    • In 2020, India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities, according to IQ Air’s World Air Quality Report.
      
      • These included Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Delhi among the top 10.
  • Thus, an Indian child will live for 66 years and 8 months only and may not survive to celebrate his/her 67th birthday beyond April 2089.

World Health Day

• About:
  
  • Its idea was conceived at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and it came into effect in 1950.
  • Over the years, it has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care and climate change.
• Aim:
  
  • To create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Theme for 2021:
  
  • Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone.
• Some Indian Initiatives in Health Sector:
  
  • National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019.
  • Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.
  • Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • India’s Health Index.

Source:DTE

Anamaya: Tribal Health Collaborative

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched Tribal Health Collaborative (THC) 'Anamaya' through a video conference.

• In 2018, an expert committee released a comprehensive report on tribal health in India which highlighted the issues and concerns of tribal health.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It is an initiative bringing together governments, philanthropists, national and international foundations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to end all preventable deaths among the tribal communities of India.
  • It will converge efforts of various Government agencies and organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
• Aim:
  
  • To build a sustainable, high-performing health ecosystem to address the key health challenges faced by the tribal population of India.
• Stakeholders:
  
  • It is a multi-stakeholder initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
    
    • Piramal Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Piramal Group. The foundation undertakes projects under the four broad areas – healthcare, education, livelihood creation and youth empowerment.
• Operation:
  
  • It will begin its operations with 50 tribal, Aspirational Districts (with more than 20% Scheduled Tribe population) across 6 high tribal population states.
  • Over a 10-year period, the work of the THC will be extended to 177 tribal Districts as recognised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Other Initiatives Related to the Tribal Communities:
  
  • Programme for Capacity Building of Scheduled Tribe (ST) Representatives in Local Self Governments:
    
    • It is aimed at empowering tribal Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives by enhancing their decision making capabilities at local government level.
  • 1000 Springs Initiative:
    
    • The 1000 Springs Initiative aims at improving access to safe and adequate water for the tribal communities living in difficult and inaccessible parts of rural areas in the country.
    • The initiative will help in harnessing the potential of perennial springs’ water to address natural scarcity of water in tribal areas.
  • Tribal Health Cell:
    
    • A ‘Tribal Health Cell’ is being set up in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
    • It will help central ministries and state governments to facilitate and strengthen primary health care systems and invest in tribal health research.

Source:PIB

Red Sea

Why in News

An Iranian freighter was hit by Israel in the Red Sea in retaliation for past Iranian strikes on its vessels. The blast struck the Iranian commercial vessel MV Saviz off the coast of Djibouti.

• The attack came as Iranian officials gathered in Vienna to negotiate the restoration of a 2015 deal Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was designed to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.

Key Points

• Red Sea:
  
  • Location:
    
    • The Red Sea is a semi-enclosed tropical basin, bounded by northeastern Africa, to the west, and the Arabian peninsula, to the east.
    • The elongated and narrow-shaped basin extends between the Mediterranean Sea, to the north-west, and the Indian Ocean, to the south-east.
    • At the northern end, it separates into the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal.
    • At the southern end, it is connected to the Gulf of Aden, and the outer Indian Ocean, via the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb.
    • It is surrounded by desert or semi-desert areas, with no major freshwater inflow.
  • Formation:
    
    • The Red sea acquired its present shape over the past 4 to 5 million years, by slow seafloor spreading, a fact that makes it a geologically recent opening and one of the youngest oceanic zones on Earth.
    • Today, the basin continues to widen at a rate of 1-2 cm per year
  • Biodiversity:
    
    • The unique habitats of the Red sea support a wide range of marine life, including sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and many endemic fish species.
    • Coral reefs mainly extend along the northern and central coasts, and decrease in abundance towards the southern region, as coastal waters become more turbid.
  • The Reason why it is called Red Sea:
    
    • There are various theories as to how the name came about, with the most popular being a reference to the seasonal blooms of Trichodesmium erythraeum (a red-colored algae) near the water’s surface.
    • Other scholars believe it is linked to the way Asiatic languages often use colors to refer to cardinal directions, with “red” referring to “south” just as the Black Sea may be referring to the north.

Source:TH

NABARD Registers 24% Growth

Why in News

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) closed its business at Rs. 6.57 lakh crore in FY 2020-21, recording a growth rate of 23.5%.

Key Points

• NABARD’s Business in 2020-21:
  
  • Under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, NABARD released amounts to cooperative banks,Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and to NBFC-MFIs (Non-Banking Financial Company: Micro Finance Institution) through a Special Liquidity Facility (SLF).
    
    • The SLF was with a view to augment the resources of the Cooperative banks and RRBs to enable them to extend credit to farmers.
  • NABARD registered a total refinance disbursement of Rs. 2.23 lakh crore to support agriculture and rural development activities during the pandemic.
  • A refinance facility of Rs. 500 crore was introduced to support the Government of India’s Water, Sanitisation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.
• About NABARD:
  
  • Formation:
    
    • NABARD came into existence on 12^th July 1982 by transferring the agricultural credit functions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC).
    • It is a statutory body established under ‘National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981’.
  • Role:
    
    • It is a development bank focussing primarily on the rural sector of the country.
    • It is the apex banking institution to provide finance for Agriculture and rural development.
  • Cooperation with the RBI:
    
    • RBI provides 3 directors to NABARD’s Board of Directors.
    • NABARD provides recommendations to RBI on issue of licenses to Cooperative Banks, opening of new branches by State Cooperative Banks and RRBs.
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
• Major Functions of NABARD:
  
  • It provides refinance support for building rural infrastructure.
    
    • Refinancing institutions are important institutions who give loans to other institutions who ultimately give loans to the end customers.
    • NABARD provides short-term, medium-term and long-term refinance to Cooperative banks and RRBs to supplement their resources for providing adequate credit for supporting investment activities of farmers and rural artisans.
  • It supervises Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and helps them develop sound banking practices and integrate them to the CBS (Core Banking Solution) platform.
    
    • CBS can be defined as a solution that enables banks to offer a multitude of customer-centric services on a 24x7 basis from a single location.
  • It is involved in designing Union government’s development schemes and their implementation.
    
    • Examples: National Livestock Mission, Interest subvention Scheme, New Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, etc.
  • NABARD has various international partnerships including leading global organizations and World Bank-affiliated institutions that are breaking new ground in the fields of rural development as well as agriculture.
    
    • These international partners play a key consultant role in providing advisory services as well as financial assistance designed to ensure uplifting of rural peoples as well as optimization of various agricultural processes.

Source: TH

Indian Energy Exchange

Why in News

The electricity market at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) achieved an all-time high volume of 8,248.52 MU (million units) in the month of March 2021 surpassing all the previous milestones.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It is the first and largest energy exchange in India providing a nationwide, automated trading platform for physical delivery of electricity, Renewable Energy Certificates and Energy Saving Certificates.
  • The exchange platform enables efficient price discovery and increases the accessibility and transparency of the power market in India while also enhancing the speed and efficiency of trade execution.
  • It is a publicly listed company with National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
  • It is approved and regulated by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and has been operating since 2008.
• Mission:
  
  • To leverage technology and innovation to establish transparent and efficient energy marketplaces for delivering affordable, reliable energy to consumers.
• Trading Platform for:
  
  • Physical Delivery of Electricity:
    
    • Day-Ahead Market (DAM):
      
      • It is a physical electricity trading market for deliveries for any/some/all 15 minute time blocks in 24 hours of the next day starting from midnight.
    • Term-Ahead Market (TAM):
      
      • The contracts under TAM cover a range for buying/selling electricity for duration up to 11 days.
      • It enables participants to purchase electricity for the same day through intra-day contracts, for the next day through day-ahead contingency, on a daily basis for rolling seven days through daily contracts.
  • Renewable Energy Certificates (REC):
    
    • Under the REC mechanism, a generator can generate electricity through the renewable resources in any part of the country.
      
      • For the electricity part, the generator receives the cost equivalent to that from any conventional source while the environment attribute is sold through the exchanges at the market determined price.
    • The obligated entity from any part of the country can purchase these RECs to meet its RPO (Renewable Purchase Obligation) compliance.
      
      • Obligated entities may either purchase renewable energy or can purchase RECs to meet their RPO set under RPO of their respective States.
  • Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts):
    
    • These are the tradable certificates under the Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) Scheme of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
    • It is a market-based mechanism to incentivise energy efficiency in large energy-intensive industries.

Source:TH