20 November 2023

MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1. The UNSC has had several achievements but also faced several setbacks since its inception. Analyze.

GS III – Government Policies and Interventions

Introduction:

• The day of the UN’s founding was October 24, 1945. As of now, it is the only international organisation that is genuinely worldwide and universal. The United Nations presently has 193 states as members, up from 51 at the time of its founding. All nations gather at the UN to discuss, develop, and expand international law in areas including human rights, trade, freedom of navigation and usage of the seas, and counterterrorism.

Successes and accomplishments of the UN:

• The UN’s contribution to the process of decolonization is among its greatest accomplishments. Millions of colonially ruled Africans and Asians were inspired to assert their right to independence and self-determination by it.
• The UN has shown to be an effective mediator in numerous international disputes. UN. Since 1945, peacekeepers have participated in more than 60 field assignments and mediated 172 amicable agreements to put a stop to conflicts in the region.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) was established in 1948 to address infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, and smallpox. The World Health Organisation is currently in charge of handling the coronavirus epidemic.
• The UN established the High Commissioner for Refugees in 1950 to manage the millions of people who had been uprooted as a result of World War II, and it is still at the forefront of issues that refugees from many nations face today.
• The UN’s construction of a comprehensive body of human rights law—a globally recognised and universal rule that all people may aspire to and all nations can subscribe to—is one of its most important accomplishments.
• Currently, the UN helps save 3 million lives annually, feeds 80 million people in 80 countries, and protects 67.7 million people who are escaping persecution, starvation, and conflict. It also distributes immunisations to millions of children.
• It addresses the world’s water dilemma, which impacts more than 2 billion people.
• It employs diplomacy to avert hostilities and helps about fifty nations annually with their elections.
• The United Nations has made headway with its eight Millennium Development Goals and its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to further advance social, environmental, and economic advancement by 2030.
• The UN’s accomplishments can be measured by the twelve Nobel Peace Prizes that it has received, as well as by its staff, specialised agencies, and programmes.

UN disappointments and shortcomings:

The UN has received its fair share of criticism as well. These are:

• India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan are among the nations that have built nuclear weapons in defiance of the Partial Test Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This demonstrated the UN’s incapacity to both advance the objective of global nuclear disarmament and impose sanctions on violating countries.
• For example, the organisation was unable to halt the slaughter in Rwanda in 1994. Sexual misconduct charges against UN peacekeeping deployments were made in the Republic of the Congo in 2005; allegations of a similar nature have also been made in Haiti and Cambodia.
• The 2011 UN peacekeeping effort in South Sudan failed to put an end to the carnage brought on by the 2013 outbreak of civil conflict.
• Fundamentally, its design and those of its affiliated institutions, including the World Bank and the IMF, have come under fire for promoting neo-liberal ideals, which are linked to promoting free markets and a smaller role for governments.
• In addition, the UN has a reputation for being unrepresentative of its members, especially the Global South.
• The last 75 years have seen a significant shift in geopolitics, necessitating UN reform to address the demands of the 21st century and the requirements of the entire world.
• The Security Council is accused by member states of being haughty, covert, and anti-democratic, but change is resisted by the veto powers. Meanwhile, the UN’s efficacy is still being undermined by strong nations’ violations of the UN Charter.
• The UN is now an indispensable component of international relations and the global society, as history has shown. It has been contributing significantly—at times historically—to global politics. To help the UN as a whole address and overcome the difficult problems facing our globe, the Security Council has to be reinforced and transformed.

Q2. Discuss the different causes of Northern India’s wintertime air pollution. Provide some suggestions as well for lowering wintertime air pollution.

GS III – Environmental Conservation related issues

Introduction:

• In India, wintertime air pollution poses a serious threat to public health. In India, air pollution is thought to be the primary cause of over a million fatalities annually. The worst air pollution in recent decades is found in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh in addition to Delhi. According to the World Air Quality Report 2022, which was published by the Swiss organisation IQAir, 35 Indian cities are among the world’s 50 most polluted cities. Fourteen of them are in the top 20, and they are all from northern India.

Northern India’s wintertime air pollution is caused by the following factors:

• Change in Wind Direction: In Northwest India, October typically signifies the end of the monsoon season. The main wind direction shifts to the north-west as the monsoon fades.  For instance, the air quality in Delhi experienced a sharp decline in a matter of days in 2017 due to a storm that originated in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
• Temperature Drop: The rising pollution levels are caused by both the temperature drop and the direction of the wind. The inversion height, or the layer above which pollutants are unable to diffuse into the upper atmosphere, decreases with decreasing temperature. When this occurs, the amount of contaminants in the air increases.
• Burning stubble: Following the rice harvest, farmers in North India frequently burn their stubble. To make room for the following crop, farmers burn the remaining stubble on their fields. One of the main causes of air pollution is this smoke.
• Vehicle emissions: Especially in metropolitan areas, vehicle emissions play a significant role in India’s air pollution. A research conducted at IIT Kanpur found that 20% of PM 2.5 during the winter is caused by vehicle pollution.
• Dust and construction: Cities like Delhi are frequently home to unpaved roads and ongoing construction projects, which cause dust and other tiny particles to become airborne and worsen the quality of the air. Static winds cause dust and other airborne contaminants to settle in. They become trapped in the atmosphere, influencing smog and the weather.

Actions to cut down on wintertime air pollution:

• Reduce stubble burning: Stricter regulations can be put in place by the Indian government to lessen stubble burning. For instance, the government may offer farmers financial incentives to clear their fields using techniques other than hand harvesting, such automated harvesting.
• Cut down on car emissions: The Indian government should put policies in place to cut down on vehicle emissions, like encouraging the use of electric and public transit.
• Lower industrial emissions: Stricter industry emissions regulations could be put in place by the Indian government. The government might also provide businesses financial incentives to switch to greener technology.
• Enhance meteorological monitoring and forecasting: Accurate identification and prediction of air pollution episodes can be facilitated by enhanced meteorological monitoring and forecasting. Utilising this data will enable the creation of early warning systems and the implementation of air pollution reduction strategies. The green war room in Delhi, for instance.
• Increase public awareness: It’s critical to educate the public about the dangers air pollution poses to human health and the significance of taking action to limit exposure. The public can be made more aware of air pollution by the government and civil society organisations.
• States’ borders are not followed by air pollution. Without collaborating with neighbouring States, one government cannot reduce pollution within its borders. Therefore, reducing air pollution requires an interstate strategy.