Daily Prelims Notes 3 June 2023

June 3, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

3 June 2023

Table Of Contents

1. High road to Dubai COP28: Why discussions on carbon credits are important at upcoming Bonn climate conference

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

Carbon markets will be a key discussion topic at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany, scheduled from June 5-15, 2023.

Details:

The Bonn Conference will advance the work on how countries can cooperate to fulfil their nationally determined contributions (NDC) through provisions made under Article 6 of the UN-mandated Paris climate pact.
More than 66 per cent of countries plan to use carbon credits to meet their NDCs.

About Bonn climate change conference (BCCC):

The conference’s main objective was to examine and put into action measures for addressing climate change, including specifics on how the Paris Agreement will operate after it enters into force in 2020.
The Talanoa Dialogue, a process intended to help countries improve and implement their Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020, was launched at the end of COP23 of BCCC..
- It was dubbed the “Fiji Momentum for Implementation,” which outlined the steps that must be taken in 2018 to make the Paris Agreement operational.

Carbon markets:

Carbon markets are trading systems in which carbon credits are sold and bought.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement deals with trading carbon credits.
- Clause 6.2 allows countries to trade greenhouse gas emission reduction outcomes, and 6.4 establishes a market for trading these reductions between countries under UN supervision.
Credits are certificates representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent that has either been prevented from entering (emissions reductions) or removed from the atmosphere (CO2 removals).
They can be generated from projects such as restoring forests, setting up renewable energy, managing industrial gases, etc.
Rules for carbon markets:
- The parties created a rulebook for carbon markets in CoP26, Glasgow.
Concerns over the carbon markets:
- Transparency is an issue in carbon markets.
- Under 6.2, parties decided to keep information on carbon credits hidden after they had justified the reasons to the reviewers.
- If the review team spots inconsistencies, the party is encouraged to address them. They, however, cannot make confidential findings public, according to the adopted decision on Article 6 at COP27.
- Some countries used national security to push confidentiality.
‘Carbon removal’ means removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It can be land-based, like afforestation or reforestation, ocean-based and engineering-based such as direct air capture (where big machines suck CO2).
Mitigation contribution emissions:
- Credits not authorised for NDCs or other international mitigation purposes — but could still be sold on voluntary carbon markets, are named “Mitigation contribution emissions”.
Thus, corporates cannot use credits to offset their emissions when emission reductions are counted by a country.

The Bonn conferences’ Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA):

SBSTA’s agenda for Article 6.4 involves further work on the rules, modalities and procedures developed last year at Sharm-el-sheikh.
The Supervisory body will discuss removal activities based on the information note released by the secretariat. The note has attracted negative attention for its favoured stance on ‘nature-based removals’ as against ‘engineered removals’.

Internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs):

Under ITMO, the aim is to establish bilateral or mini-multilateral markets—similar to the EU Emissions Trading System.
It is also about securing the overall mitigation of global emissions.
Internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) use a carbon dioxide equivalent [CO2e] metric for a new set of market provisions or other greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation outcomes that are defined under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement,ITMOs differ from previous offset schemes, as they count toward countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), support overall mitigation in global emissions (for Article 6.4) and involve more substantial government participation than under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. Although the Paris Agreement rulebook is not fully finalized, enough has been agreed for some countries to begin engaging and planning for ITMO transactions.

2. UN recommends new treaty to ensure peace & security in outer space

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

The United Nations (UN) has recommended a new treaty for ensuring peace and security as well as preventing an arms race in outer space.

Details:

The recommendations come ahead of the UN Summit of the Future, which will be held on September 22-23, 2024, in New York.
- At the Summit of the Future, member states will agree on multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow and to strengthen global governance.

Need for a new treaty:

Increased number of satellite launches:
- The number of satellite launches has shot up exponentially in the past decade after it stayed consistent from 1957-2012.
- In 2013, there were 210 new launches, which increased to 600 in 2019 and 1,200 in 2020 and 2,470 in 2022.
- This increase is fuelled by the active participation of the private sector.
- Though the private sector is more active in the United States, China, India and Japan are catching up.
Human presence in outer space and on moon:
- NASA, through its Artemis mission,plans to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon, marking the return of humans to outer space after more than 50 years.
- India is planning a manned mission in space, known as the Gaganyaan.
Presence of mineral in outer space:
- Minerals on the Moon, asteroids and planets can be attractive for countries. Moon has rich deposits of helium-3, which is rare on Earth.
- Asteroids contain abundant deposits of valuable metals, including platinum, nickel and cobalt.
Currently, there is no agreed international framework on space resource exploration, exploitation and utilisation, or a mechanism to support how it is implemented.
Currently, space traffic is coordinated by national and regional entities. Each has its own standards, best practices, definitions, languages and modes of interoperability.
Space debris:
- Space debris is another issue. More than 24,000 objects which are 10 centimetres or larger, about one million smaller than 10 cm and likely more than 130 million smaller than one cm have been recorded.
The UN has also recommended an effective framework for coordinating space situational awareness, space object manoeuvres and space objects and events.

Existing treaties:

In 1959, the United Nations established the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to review and enable international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
In 1963, countries agreed to prohibit testing nuclear weapons in outer space; in 1977, the prohibition of altering the space environment as a weapon was agreed upon.
More recently, member states have set upa series of guidelines, frameworks and recommendations on issues such as mitigation of space debris, nuclear power source safety, the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities.

Outer Space Treaty, 1967:

The treaty provides the basic framework for international space law.
The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind.
Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States.
Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.
States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner.
The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
Astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind.
States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental activities.
States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects.
States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

3. International trade has a carbon problem

Subject : International Relations

Section: International organisation

Context:

India has opposed to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced by the European Union to restrict the trade of products from carbon-intensive industries like Iron and Steel, aluminium, cement etc.

What is the issue?

India fears that CBAM will cripple the export of its carbon-intensive products to the EU.
While India’s exports may be limited to aluminium, iron, and steel, and affect only 1.8% of its total exports to the EU, India has reportedly decried CBAM as being protectionist and discriminatory.

EU’s concern:

The EU’s concern is that while it has a mechanism for its domestic industries, emissions embedded in products imported from other countries may not be priced in a similar way due to a lack of stringent policies or due to less stringent policies in those countries.
This would put its industries at a disadvantage.
To tackle this, the impacted industries in the EU had so far been receiving free allowances or permits under the ETS.
The EU also apprehends the phenomenon of ‘carbon leakage’, that is, due to the application of ETS, European firms operating in carbon-intensive sectors might possibly shift to those countries that have less stringent GHG emission norms.

How CBAM will resolve this concern?

CBAM is levelling the playing field for the EU industries.
Under the CBAM, imports of certain carbon-intensive products, namely cement, iron and steel, electricity, fertilizers, aluminium, and hydrogen, will have to bear the same economic costs borne by EU producers under the ETS.
- The price to be paid will be linked to the weekly average of the emissions priced under the ETS.
- However, where a carbon price has been explicitly paid for the imported products in their country of origin, a reduction can be claimed.

WTO’s consistency with the CBAM:

A cornerstone principle of WTO law is non-discrimination.
Under this law, countries are required to accord equal treatment to ‘like’ products irrespective of their country of origin (most-favoured-nation treatment) and to treat foreign-made ‘like’ products as they treat domestic ones (national treatment principle).
Discriminatory nature of CBAM:
- While the CBAM’s design is origin-neutral in appearance, it may, in its application, discriminate between goods from different countries on account of an inadequate carbon pricing policy, or due to onerous reporting requirements that importers would be subject to.
- There are no clear provisions for which products are considered ‘like’.
- The CBAM violates WTO law for discriminating between EU and foreign products covered by CBAM based on embedded emissions.

Article XX of the GATT:

Even if the EU’s CBAM is discriminatory, there could be a claim for justifying it under the General Exceptions clause given in Article XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
Under Article XX, measures taken by countries that otherwise violate GATT obligations are permitted if,
first, they fall under one of the listed policy grounds, and
second, if they satisfy the requirements of the introductory clause of Article XX, known as the chapeau.
One of the listed policy grounds in Article XX is the ‘conservation of exhaustible natural resources’.
CBAM would fall under this category.

However, it is doubtful if it would satisfy the chapeau, which inter alia requires that countries do not apply measures in a manner that results in arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where the same conditions prevail

4. UN agency warns there is no let-up in drugs trade from Asia’s Golden Triangle

Subject :International Relations

Section: Places in news

Context:

The huge trade-in methamphetamine and other illegal drugs originating from a small corner of Southeast Asia shows no signs of slowing down, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned.

Details:

High volumes of methamphetamine continue to be produced and trafficked in and from the region while the production of ketamine and other synthetic drugs has expanded, according to the UN report: Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia.

What does the report say?

The lion’s share of methamphetamine, in the form of tablets and crystal meth, comes from the area known as the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet.
The production of opium and heroin used to flourish in golden triangle region, mainly because of the lawlessness around Myanmar’s remote eastern Shan State.
Methamphetamine continues to be the most used drug in East and Southeast Asia and that use has increased over the past decade.
The main chemicals needed to make methamphetamines are generally under tight international controls, so illicit laboratories in recent years have moved to use chemicals that are not so closely regulated.
The drug is distributed by land, sea and air all around Asia and the Pacific.
There have been record methamphetamine seizures almost every year for the past decade in East and Southeast Asia, but the latest data suggest that the total drugs seized declined in 2022 to 151 tons.
Reasons for declined seizure:
- Traffickers changed their smuggling routes from land to maritime to evade authorities.

Golden Crescent:

The Golden Crescent is the name given to one of Asia’s two principal areas of illicit opium production (the other being the Golden Triangle).
Located at the crossroads of Central, South, and Western Asia, this space covers the mountainous peripheries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, extending into eastern Iran.

Newly emerging regions of drug trafficking:

Cambodia has become “a key transit and to some extent production point for the regional drug trade.”
- Industrial-scale ketamine labs and facilities for processing and storing the substance were found across Cambodia.
Laos is another weak link in the fight against drug trafficking.
- The meth and other drugs produced in Shan State laboratories usually enter Laos by crossing the Mekong River from ports “under the control or influence of major non-state armed groups,” naming some of them: ethnic militias including the United Wa State Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the National Democratic Alliance Army, etc.

Methamphetamine:

It is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity.
Methamphetamine was discovered in 1893.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):

It was established in 1997 and was named as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2002.
It acts as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division of the United Nations Office at Vienna.
Relate International Initiatives
- International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is celebrated every year on 26th June.
Conventions related to drug and crime:
- Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
- The Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971.
- The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.
India is a signatory to all three and has enacted the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

5. For the cool summer so far, thank the frequent spells of rain

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

India was bracing for a record hot summer. However, western disturbances have brought some much-needed rain and surprisingly pleasant weather.
Despite a few heat waves, India has had an unusually pleasant summer so far. Temperatures in most places have been 1 to 4 degrees Celsius below normal, going against predictions of a very hot summer.

Predictions & portents:

2023 is predicted to be extremely hot both globally and in India. Indeed, the January to March period was globally the fourth warmest start to a year ever. March was the second warmest ever, behind only 2016; April was fourth warmest.
In India, there was a heat-wave like situation in February — a month for which heat-wave conditions are not even defined because heat waves are expected only in April, May, and June.
Despite the IMD’s forecast of a normal monsoon, apprehensions remain. The developing El Niño in the equatorial Pacific Ocean is expected to get very strong in the coming months, and has the potential to spoil India’s monsoon.

Rain and cool weather:

The first five months of the year have been far from being uncomfortably hot, the few heat waves notwithstanding.
Only parts of east and north-east India, and some parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, have experienced slightly higher than normal temperatures.
The average maximums have remained well below normal almost everywhere except parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Northeast. (Some of these areas are facing heat-wave conditions even now.)
At the same time, rainfall has been higher than normal in most parts of the country. For the three-month period from March to May, India as a whole received 12% higher rainfall.
The rain has been the most important reason that has kept temperatures in check.

Western Disturbances:

Most of the rainfall activity in the last three months happened over north and northwest India, and central India, and were caused by what are called Western Disturbances.
These are east-moving rain-bearing wind systems that originate beyond Afghanistan and Iran, and pick up moisture from as far as the Mediterranean Sea and even the Atlantic Ocean.
These are examples of extra-tropical cyclones that are a result of low-pressure areas formed due to the interactions between polar and tropical winds.
Western Disturbances frequently influence weather over India, particularly the northwestern regions.
There were seven Western Disturbance events in March, five in April, and eight in May, causing frequent, sometimes heavy, rainfall over large parts of India.
A fresh Western Disturbance is expected to bring more rain to northwest India. Southern India is also expected to get rainfall over the next couple of days because of a different low-pressure system.
Kerala is likely to receive some rain until Sunday, while some places in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu could receive rain over the next five days.

No pointer to monsoon:

The current weather conditions are the result of short-term local interactions that do not have a bearing over long-term weather. How the monsoon turns out remains to be seen.
Several scientists have predicted an unusually strong El Niño this year. The IMD has said that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), a phenomenon similar to El Niño in the Indian Ocean, could offset the impact of the El Niño to an extent. However, El Niño is known to have a much stronger impact on the monsoon than the IOD.

6. BRICS that could be bigger

Subject : International Relations

Section: International groupings

Context:

The grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is considering whether to add new members and to look seriously at a common currency. Both proposals involve making complex choices.

What is BRICS ?

BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is convened annually.
BRICS does not exist in the form of organization, but it is an annual summit between the supreme leaders of five nations.
The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
Together, BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population and about 30% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), making it a critical economic engine.
The acronym “BRICS” was initially formulated in 2001 by economist Jim O’Neill, of Goldman Sachs, in a report on growth prospects for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China – which together represented a significant share of the world’s production and population.
The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation and focused on issues such as reform of the global financial architecture.
South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. South Africa subsequently attended the Third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in March 2011.
During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai.
The Fortaleza Declaration stressed that the NDB will strengthen cooperation among BRICS and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development thus contributing to sustainable and balanced growth.
South Africa, which is in the chair this year, is hosting a Friends of BRICS meeting, with 15 foreign ministers from Africa and the Global South.

Looking for multipolarity

As many as 19 countries are said to be in the queue to join BRICS. Among the countries that have been mentioned frequently since last year: Argentina, Nicaragua, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela from Latin America; Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco from Africa; Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Syria, Iran from West Asia; Kazakhstan from Central Asia; Bangladesh and Afghanistan from South Asia; and Indonesia and Thailand from South- east Asia.
By admitting some key countries in the list, BRICS could lay claim to representing more than half the world’s population. Significantly, the list includes big oil producers Saudi, Iran, the UAE, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

China in BRICS

The idea of BRICS came between 2001 and 2003 from then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, who projected that the four emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China would be the future economic powerhouses of the world, with South Africa being added later.
While the economic performance of BRICS has been mixed, the war in Ukraine — which has brought the West together on the one hand and strengthened the China-Russia partnership on the other — has turned it into an aspiring bloc that appears to be challenging the western geopolitical view.
China is driving the expansion of the group.

India in BRICS

If India’s presence at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in an informal Quad summit, was seen as a sign of New Delhi’s US tilt, the importance it attaches to the “anti- West” BRICS is an apparent contradiction — much like the several others it has negotiated through the last year. The Indian view is that it is a “non- western” group.

Common currency:

The idea of a common currency was proposed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the Beijing BRICS summit last year. The idea got a cautious reception, with the leaders deciding to set up a committee to study its viability.
The last year of war has seen economies around the world feel the impact of the sanc- tions on Russia, the resultant spike in energy prices, combined with the rising value of the dollar. An insulation from the dollar is a tempting proposal, but not all members believe that it is an idea whose time has come.
There are complications, such as the setting up of a common central bank of member countries that have different economic and political systems and are located on different continents.
An option is for members to trade with each other in their respective currencies — but as the India-Russia example has shown, this is not easy either. Moscow wants payments in dollars because it does not import enough from India to use rupee payments. Negotiations are stuck.
China has hit out against the “hegemony of the US dollar” as the source of all instability in the world, and is already trying to push the yuan as a trading currency in Central Asia. But there is no evidence that it is ready to dump the dollar yet.

7. U.S. averts first-ever default with 11th-hour debt deal

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Concept :

S. senators have voted to temporarily suspend the federal debt limit, averting the risk of a credit default just days before the Treasury deadline.
Economists had warned that the country could face a shortage of funds to pay its bills by June 05, 2023, highlighting the urgency to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
This legislation extends the government’s borrowing authority until 2024 while reducing federal spending.
The bipartisan agreement, reached between President Joe Biden and the Republicans, secured a majority of 63 votes to 36 in the Senate, following a smooth passage in the House of Representatives.

US debt ceiling

The debt ceiling is the amount of money the US government is allowed to borrow to pay the nation’s bills.
In the United States, Congress comprising the House and Senate approves the budget and funds for the Executive branch to run the country.
The issue of the debt ceiling arises from the fact that the United States has been running a fiscal deficit since 2001.
There is a limit to that borrowing which is periodically increased to allow the government to borrow more and continue working.
If the debt ceiling is not increased or suspended, the government would not be able to borrow and pay its outstanding dues.
So far, such a situation has happened only once in 1979 from an accounting error and not a political crisis.

Impact of possible US default:

A default by the US on its debt would have devastating consequences for the economy. According to Moody’s Analytics, even a breach of the debt limit for just one week would lead to a rapid and severe weakening of the US economy, resulting in the loss of approximately 1.5 million jobs.
The United States would experience an economic downturn, accompanied by significant volatility in the stock markets.
A prolonged default could have severe repercussions, potentially destabilizing the $24 trillion Treasury debt market, leading to a freeze in financial markets, and triggering an international crisis.
Of all the foreign exchange reserves held by the world’s central banks, US dollars account for 58 per cent.
Researchers at the Federal Reserve have calculated that from 1999 to 2019, 96 per cent of trade in the Americas was invoiced in US dollars. So was 74 per cent of trade in Asia. Elsewhere outside of Europe, where the euro dominates, dollars accounted for 79 per cent of trade.
A rising dollar can trigger crises abroad by drawing investment out of other countries and raising their cost of repaying dollar-denominated loans.

For further reference – https://optimizeias.com/united-states-debt-ceiling-crisis/

8. RBI releases directions on cyber security for Payment System Operators (PSOs)

Subject :Science and technology

Section:Awareness in IT

Concept :

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the draft Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators (PSOs).

About

To ensure that the authorised non-bank Payment System Operators (PSOs) is resilient to traditional and emerging information systems and cyber security risks.

Key points of the draft:

The draft covers governance mechanism for identification, assessment, monitoring and management of Cybersecurity risks including information security risks and vulnerabilities, and specifies baseline security measures for ensuring safe and secure digital payment transactions.
The Directions will also cover baseline security measures for ensuring system resiliency as well as safe and secure digital payment transactions.
RBI has asked PSOs to effectively identify, monitor, control and manage cyber and technology related risks arising out of linkages of PSOs with unregulated entities who are part of their digital payments ecosystem (like payment gateways, third-party service providers, vendors, merchants, etc.).
PSOs shall ensure adherence to these Directions by such unregulated entities as well, subject to mutual agreement.
An organizational policy in this respect, approved by the Board, shall be put in place.
However, there is no change in the existing instructions on security and risk mitigation measures for payments done using cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) and mobile banking continue to be applicable as such.

Payment system operators (PSOs)

PSOs in India include Clearing Corporation of India, National Payments Corporation of India, Cards Payment Networks, Cross border Money Transfer, ATM networks, Prepaid Payment Instruments, White Label ATM Operators, Instant Money Transfer, and Trade Receivables Discounting System, Bharat Bill Payment System.
The PSOs usually focus on:
Ensuring good governance and prudent risk management
Maintaining robust IT infrastructure with cyber resilience
Putting in place responsive grievance redress mechanism.

9. ‘Mural in new Parliament is of Ashokan kingdom’

Subject : History

Concept :

Ministry of External Affairs clarified on the Controversy which has emerged over the mural of the Indian sub-continental landmass in the art gallery of newly inaugurated Parliament building

Concerns over Ashokan Mural

This Mural in the new Parliament building is being interpreted as a map of Akhand Bharat’.
It marks important kingdoms and cities of the past, and shows the influence of ancient India in the then Taxila, in present-day Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed its concern that this Mural suppress the ideology and culture of religious minorities of neighbouring country
There are few reports of street level protest led by opposition in Nepal over the inclusion of some parts of Nepal, for instance Lumbini (birth place of Gautam Buddha), in the Mural.
Though the issue is not raised formally by Nepal through official channels, former Prime minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai is of opinion that the mural may cause unnecessary diplomatic disputes. He also opined that it may widen the trust deficit between Nepal and India.

Response from Ministry of External Affairs

Arindam bagchi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, has clarified that there is no need to be concerned regarding the mural in question.
This Mural as an artwork depicts the spread of prehistoric Ashokan Empire and hence it promotes and propagates the idea of responsible and responsive government in line with the Ashokan administration.

Arts of the Mauryan Period

Sixth century B.C. marks the beginning of new religious and social movements in the Gangetic valley in the form of Buddhism and Jainism (Sramana/Shraman Tradition).
Magadha emerged as a powerful kingdom and consolidated its control over the other religions.
By the third century, a large part of India was under Maurya control.
Ashoka emerged as the most powerful king of the Maurya dynasty.
Religious practices had many dimensions during this period.
Worship of Yakshas and Mother Goddess was prevalent during that time.
Yaksha worship was very popular before and after the advent of Buddhism and it was assimilated in Buddhism and Jainism.
Construction of stupas and viharas (dwelling place of monks) became part of the Buddhist tradition.
However, in this period, apart from stupas and viharas, stone pillars, rock cut caves and monumental figure sculptures were carved in several places.

10. UGC Chairman says new guidelines for deemed-to be varsities are ‘light but tight’

Subject :Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Concept :

Union Minister of Education and Skill Development, released the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023.
The University Grants Commission (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023 replaced the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2019.
The new regulations have been formulated in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The first-ever ‘deemed to be’ regulations were notified in the year 2010, and were revised in 2016 and 2019. With the announcement of the NEP 2020, the UGC constituted an expert committee to review and revise the existing regulations.

UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023

According to the regulations, the objectives of the ‘deemed to be universities’, among other things, include
providing higher education leading to excellence in different branches of knowledge, primarily at undergraduate, post-graduate, and research degree levels, fully conforming to the concept of a university,
strengthening the research ecosystem and
to contribute for social transformation through socially responsive teaching, learning, research, and fieldwork.

Salient Features of The Regulations

Deemed to be University Status
The eligibility criteria to apply for deemed to be university status is as follows:
NAAC ‘A’ grade with at least a 3.01 CGPA for three consecutive cycles or
National Board of Accreditation (NBA) accreditation for two third of eligible programs for three consecutive cycles or in the top 50 of any specific categories of NIRF for the last three years continuously or
in the top 100 of overall National Institutional Ranking Framework Ranking for the last three years continuously.
A cluster of institutions managed by more than one sponsoring body can also apply for deemed to be university status. Sponsoring bodies seeking deemed to be university status for their institutions may apply ‘online’.
Introduction of new Programs
Institution deemed to be Universities may start new courses or programs in any field in their existing campus and approved off-campus centres, with the prior approval of its Executive Council and, also wherever applicable, with the approval of the relevant statutory council
Off-campus centres
Institutions deemed to be Universities with minimum ‘A’ grade and above or ranked from 1 to 100 in the “Universities” category of NIRF rankings of the relevant year are eligible to set up off-campus centres.
Institutions declared as deemed to be Universities under a “distinct category” can apply for off-campuses after five years of their declaration if they are accredited with an A grade or figured in the top 100 in the “universities” category of NIRF.
Fee Concession and Scholarship
The institution that is being granted the “ Deemed University” status may provide fee concession or scholarships or may allocate seats to meritorious students belonging to socially and economically deprived groups of the society,
Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)
Institutions that are being granted the “Deemed University” status like other universities and colleges, will have to mandatorily create Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) identities of their students and upload their credit scores in digital lockers and ensure that the credit scores are reflected in the ABC portal and adopt the Samarth eGov suite.

University Grants Commission:

The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory body under the provisions of UGC Act, 1956.
It is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognized universities and college.
Nodal Ministry: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

11. Kosovo-Serbia tensions

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

Violent clashes have taken place in Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and police belonging to the Albanian-led government.
NATO has also announced that it is deploying an extra 700 troops to the country after more than 30 of its peacekeepers were injured.

Reason behind current round of violence

The current round of violence took place after ethnic Serbs tried to prevent Albanian mayors taking charge in local councils.
Ethnic Serbs are a minority in Kosovo but are in a majority in northern Kosovo.
The Albanians took control of the councils after Serbs boycotted local elections in Kosovo’s north in April.
Results of the elections, which saw a turnout of less than 3.5%, were rejected by the Serbs as a sham.

What was the Kosovo conflict about?

Ethnicities at the centre :
Of the 1.8 million people living in Kosovo, 92% are Albanian and only 6% Serbian.
The rest are Bosniaks, Gorans, Turks and Roma.
Serbs are Eastern Orthodox Christians, while the Albanians in Kosovo are majority Muslims.
For many Serbians, the Kosovo region, is the heart of its national and religious identity — and home to numerous cherished mediaeval Serb Orthodox Christian monasteries.
On the other hand, Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians view Kosovo as belonging to them, and accuse Serbia of occupation and repression.
Root of conflict: breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s
The conflict can be traced back to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
After the disintegration, Kosovo – a province of the former country – sought its own autonomy and independence. This was opposed by Serbia.
As part of Yugoslavia, the republic of Serbia included the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina.
Within Serbia, Kosovo and Vojvodina held the status of autonomous provinces.

Armed clashes :

In 1998, armed clashes broke out between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), an ethnic Albanian guerrilla group seeking independence, and the Serbian security forces.
The conflict intensified, leading to a significant loss of life and the displacement of thousands of people.

NATO’s intervention :

International efforts to resolve the conflict was led by the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
It resulted in a military intervention in 1999.
NATO conducted a bombing campaign against Serbian targets and forced the withdrawal of Serbian security forces from Kosovo.
The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFor) is still based in Kosovo, with a current strength of 3,762.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence :

In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence.
A total of 99 out of 193 UN countries now recognise Kosovo’s independence, including the US, the UK and 22 out of 27 European Union (EU) countries.
But Russia and China (do not recognise Kosovo) have blocked Kosovo’s membership of the UN.

Serbia

Serbia, officially known as the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country located to the north of Kosovo.
It is bordered by Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, North Macedonia to the south, Kosovo to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwes
The capital and largest city of Serbia is Belgrade.

Kosovo

Kosovo, officially known as the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially recognized country situated in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s statehood.
Neither does India, Russia, China and five European Union countries – Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania and Greece, which have halted its path to EU membership.
It is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west.
The capital and largest city of Kosovo is Pristina.

12. Iran-Taliban water conflict

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

Iran and Afghanistan are engaged in a long-standing dispute over the sharing of water from the Helmand River.
Both countries rely on the Helmand River as a vital water source for agriculture, livelihoods, and ecosystems in the region.

The dispute:

Iran accuses Afghanistan of violating its water rights, claiming that it receives far less water than agreed upon in a 1973 treaty. Afghanistan, on the other hand, attributes the reduced water flow to climatic factors such as a shortage of rainfall.

About Helmand River

It is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the Endorheic Sistan Basin.
It emerges in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush mountains.
It is separated from the watershed of the Kabul River by the Unai Pass.