Competitive World

Tag: State PCS

  • Significance of Chabahar Port for India

    In this article, we will discuss Significance of Chabahar Port for India. So, let’s get started.

    Significance of Chabahar Port for India

    • Direct Route to Afghanistan: It will ensure the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This will, in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.
    • Pakistan denies the use of its territory by Indian trucks bound to Afghanistan.
    • Chabahar Port will also help Afghanistan for its trade with other countries.
    • The result will be less Afghan dependence on Pakistan and, hence, less Pakistani influence over Afghan domestic politics, which will benefit India strategically.
    • Countering China: Chabahar port will be beneficial to India in countering China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan to develop the Gwadar port.
    • Gwadar Port is just 72 km away from Chabahar Port.
    • Trade and Commerce: With Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India.
    • The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline.
    • According to the Ministry of Commerce, Chabahar port, along with INSTC, offers 30% cheaper imports than the Mediterranean-Suez route.
    • Natural gas from Central Asia can be exported to India via the Chabahar port. India is already a part of projects like Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India (TAPI) pipeline.
    • Also, India has already increased its crude purchase from Iran since the West imposed ban on Iran was lifted.
    • Humanitarian Operations: From a diplomatic perspective, Chabahar port can be used by India as a point from were humanitarian operations in Central and South Asia can be coordinated.
    • Link to International North-South Transport Corridor: Chabahar port will boost India’s access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.

  • History of Recognition of LGBTQIA+ In India

    In this article, we will discuss History of Recognition of LGBTQIA+ In India. So, let’s get started.

    History of Recognition of LGBTQIA+ In India

    • Ancient India was about acceptance and celebration of all forms of love and neutrality to the idea of homosexuality.
    • Visual example is the Khajuraho Temple of Madhya Pradesh, showcasing the existence of sexual fluidity between homosexuals.
    • In 1861, Britishers considered sexual activities “against the order of nature” including all homosexual activities were criminalized under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
    • In 1977, Shakuntala Devi published the first study of homosexuality in India, called “The World of Homosexuals”.
    • It called for “full and complete acceptance and not just tolerance and sympathy”.
    • In 1994, they were legally granted voting rights as a third sex.
    • In 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled that transgender people should be treated as the third category of gender.
    • In 2017, the Supreme Court gave the country’s LGBTQ community the freedom to safely express their sexual orientation.
    • An individual’s sexual orientation was protected by the Right to Privacy.
    • On 6 September 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the part of Section 377 which criminalized consensual homosexual activities.
    • In 2019, Parliament enacted Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act with an objective to provide for protection of rights of transgender people, their welfare, and other related matters.

  • General Assembly of UN

    In this article, we will discuss General Assembly of UN. So, let’s get started.

    General Assembly

    • The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN.
    • All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation.
    • Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session, and general debate, which many heads of state attend and address.
    • Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.
    • Decisions on other questions are by simple majority.
    • The President of the General Assembly is elected each year by assembly to serve a one-year term of office.
    • Recently, the Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected the President of the 76th session of the UNGA for 2021-22
    • 6 Main Committees: Draft resolutions can be prepared for the General Assembly by its six main committees: (1) First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), (2) Second Committee (Economic and Financial), (3) Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural), (4) Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), (5) Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), (6)Sixth Committee (Legal).
    • Each Member State may be represented by one person on each Main Committee and on any other committee that may be established upon which all Member States have the right to be represented.
    • Member States may also assign advisers, technical advisers, experts or persons of similar status to these committees.
    • Other Committees:
    • General Committee: It meets periodically throughout each session to review the progress of the General Assembly and its committees and to make recommendations for furthering such progress. It is composed of the President of the General Assembly and 21 Vice-Presidents of the Assembly and the Chairmen of the six Main Committees. The five permanent members of the Security Council serve as Vice-Presidents, as well.
    • Credentials Committee: It is mandated to examine the credentials of representatives of Member States and to report to the General Assembly.

  • History of UN Foundation

    In this article, we will discuss History of UN Foundation. So, let’s get started.

    History of UN Foundation

    • In 1899, the International Peace Conference was held in The Hague to elaborate instruments for settling crises peacefully, preventing wars and codifying rules of warfare.
    • It adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began work in 1902. This court was the forerunner of UN International Court of Justice.
    • The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an organization conceived in circumstances of the First World War, and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.”
    • The International Labour Organization (ILO) was also created in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League.
    • The name “United Nations”, coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A document called The Declaration by United Nations was signed in 1942 by 26 nations, pledging their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis) and bound them against making a separate peace.
    • United Nations Conference on International Organization (1945)
    • Conference held in San Francisco (USA), was attended by representatives of 50 countries and signed the United Nations Charter.
    • The UN Charter of 1945 is the foundational treaty of the United Nations, as an inter-governmental organization.

  • UN

    In this article, we will discuss UN. So, let’s get started.

    UN

    The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States.

    Its mission and work guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter and implemented by its various organs and specialised agencies.

    Its activities include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development and upholding international law.

  • Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

    In this article, we will discuss Global Environmental Facility (GEF). So, let’s get started.

    Global Environmental Facility(GEF)

    • It is an independently operating financial organization.
    • GEF is a multilateral financial mechanism that provides grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities.
    • It was set up as a fund under World Bank in 1991.
    • In 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF was restructured and moved out of the World Bank system to become a permanent, separate institution.
    • Since 1994, however, the World Bank has served as the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund and provided administrative services.
    • It is based in Washington DC, United States.
    • It addresses six designated focal areas:
    • Biodiversity,
    • Climate change,
    • International waters,
    • Ozone depletion,
    • Land degradation and
    • Persistent Organic Pollutants.
    • The program supports an active portfolio of over 200 investments globally.
    • GEF serves as a financial mechanism for:
    • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
    • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
    • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
    • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
    • Minamata Convention on Mercury
    • India is both donor and recipient of GEF.

  • The National Forest Policy

    In this article, we will discuss The National Forest Policy. So, let’s get started.

    The National Forest Policy

    India is one of the very few countries of the world where forest policy 1s in operatıon since 1894 in 1952and 1988, revisions were made in the forest policy of 1894. The National Forest Policy of 1952 recommended that the country should aim at a coverage of one-third of the total land area under forest (60% in hilly and mountainous areas, and 25% in the plains). It has suggested the extension of tree-lands on river/canal banks, roads, railways, culturable waste and in such areas which are not suitable for cultivation.

    The National Forest Policy 1952 classified the forests of the country into four categories:
    (i) Protected forests essential for physical and climatic needs.
    (ii) National forests to be utilised for the economic needs of the country.
    (iii) Village forests to meet the fuel and domestic needs of villages and neighbouring towns.
    (iv) Tree lands. The policy envisaged the annual organisation of Van-Mahotsava and tree
    plantation week in the month of July/August.
    The National Forest Policy 1952 lays emphasis on :
    (i) Weaning the tribal people by persuasion to desist from shifting cultivation.
    (ii) Implementation of forest laws more effectively.
    (iii) To provide adequate facilities for the management of forest resources.
    (iv) To control grazing of cattle, sheep and goats in forest areas.
    (v) Providing fuel-wood to rural areas.
    (vi) To improve the availability of timber wood for industrial purposes.
    (vii) To increase the area under social forestry.
    (Viii) To promote research in forestry.

    The National Forest Policy 1988
    The main emphasis of the National Forest Policy 1988 is on the protection, conservation, regeneratiom and development of forests. The main points of the National Forest Policy 1988 are:
    (a) Maintenance of environmental stability through the preservation and restoration of ecological balance.
    (b) Conservation of forests as a national heritage with vast varieties of flora and fauna.
    (c) Control of soil erosion and denudation in catchment areas of rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
    (d) Check on the extension of sand-dunes in desert areas of Rajasthan and along sea-coasts.
    (e) Substantial increase in forest cover through massive afforestation and social forestry
    programes.
    (f) To meet the needs of fuel-wood, fodder and minor forest products for the rural and tribal people.
    (g) Augment the productivity of the forests to meet national needs.
    (h) Encouragement of efficient utilisation of forest produce and optimum substitution of wood.
    (i) Steps to create massive movement of people with the involvement of women folk to achieve these objectives and to minimise pressure on existing forests.
    (j) Involvement of people in forest management under joint forest management.

    The National Forest Policy 2018
    (a) The emphasis in this policy has been laid on the timber and forest based industries.
    (b) The sections of Rights and Concession and ‘Tribal People and Forests’ have been replaced
    by ‘Production Forestry’, Increase the productivity of forest plantations” and “Facilitate Forest industry interface that focus on increasing the timber yield
    (c) It aims to use the degraded land available with the forest corporations for the production of quality timber.
    (d) It emphasizes on bringing at least one third of India’s total geographical area under forest
    cover through scientific approach.
    (e) Focus is laid also on the international challenge of climate change.
    (f) Monitoring of wild life to be adopted on long term basis inside and outside the forests for
    maintain a balance.
    (g) The commercial important trees ‘Paplar and Euclyptus’ have been encouraged in the draft ,though these are deep rooted and water demanding. These cause depletion of the
    groundwater.
    (h) The policy has not highlighted in detail the issues of diversion of forest land for mining
    and other purposes and issues for projects in the region.

  • Recommendations of UN-Habitat

    In this article, we will discuss Recommendations of UN-Habitat. So, let’s get started.

    Recommendations of UN-Habitat

    • Experts recommended measures that increase the green cover, strengthen urban biodiversity, and thereby enhance the quality of life for citizens.
    • To address the challenges of urban sprawling, the UN-Habitat emphasised the idea of a compact city with re-development and re-densification of the existing urban areas.
    • Experts also recommended that linking the distance from the main city to the development charges imposed on citizens could be considered as an indirect measure to curb development on the city’s outskirts.
    • To improve the situation of public transportation, fare integration for different modes of transport and enhancing the non-motorised transport infrastructure would make movement convenient and reduce traffic and vehicle emissions.
    • The 800 dry wells in Jaipur’s Walled City could be used for rainwater harvesting and raising the water table, mitigating urban floods and ensuring efficient utilisation of water resources.
    • Eco-trails with plantations along natural drainage channels and railway tracks are recommended in the city.
    • Experts from the Tourism & Wildlife Society of India (TWSI) said that the urban development authorities should measure oxygen produced and carbon dioxide released each day in each urban complex and plan the green cover accordingly and also select the species of plants with utmost caution since only indigenous, broad-leaved and tap-root trees produce more shade and oxygen.

  • India Lagged in Economic Transformation

    In this article, we will discuss India Lagged in Economic Transformation. So, let’s get started.

    India Lagged in Economic Transformation

    • The Three Parameters:
    • The divergent outcomes in structural transformation between countries in the global South, particularly India, China and SouthEast Asia, is due to their focus on “Land Equity”, “Access to Education” and “Access to Entrepreneurship”.
    • Focus on Education:
    • Chinese and other East Asian countries invested in basic education and gradually shifted towards higher education.
    • Focus on Low End Jobs:
    • South East Asia and China captured low end manufacturing jobs, India largely concentrated in high end technology jobs.
    • Focus on Human Capital:
    • In China, rural entrepreneurship was able to grow out of the traditional agricultural sector on a massive scale due to its investment in human capital.
    • It also resulted in diversification into urban enterprises by agrarian capitalists.
    • China taking over India in manufacturing is due to this neglect in human capital formation.
    • Their success in manufacturing is a direct outcome of the investment in human capital.
    • British Colonial Intervention:
    • The biggest challenge India as a nation faced was intervention by Britishers which amplified caste based and racial differences.
    • This intervention is one of the major factors why Indian couldn’t cope up with the pace of economic transformation when compared to its neighbours.

  • India’s Demographic Dividend (Advantage)

    In this article, we will discuss India’s Demographic Dividend (Advantage). So, let’s get started.

    India’s Demographic Dividend (Advantage)

    • Increase in Fiscal Space: Fiscal resources can be diverted from spending on children to investing in modern physical and human infrastructure that will increase economic sustainability of India.
    • Rise in Workforce: With more than 65% of the working age population, India can rise as an economic superpower, supplying more than half of Asia’s potential workforce over the coming decades.
    • Increase in the Labour Force that enhances the productivity of the economy.
    • Rise in Women’s Workforce that naturally accompanies a decline in fertility, and which can be a new source of growth.