13 February 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Relations between India and the Maldives: GS II – International Issues:

Context:

• The Maldives has recently been embroiled in a diplomatic crisis, with undiplomatic words, military posture, and the cancellation of important agreements casting doubt on the country’s relationship with India.
• Maldives has additionally inked new agreements with China, which has further complicated the geopolitical environment.
• What Are the Key Points Concerning the Relations Between India and the Maldives?
• Historical ties: Since the British gave over control of the islands in 1965, India and the Maldives have maintained diplomatic and political ties.
• India has spent years cultivating close ties with a range of Maldivian stakeholders, including members of the military, business community, civil society, and politics, since the country’s democratic transition in 2008.

The Maldives’ Importance to India:

• The Maldives, which are situated south of India and serve as a gateway to the Arabian Sea and other regions, are strategically significant islands in the Indian Ocean.
• India is able to improve regional security and monitor marine traffic as a result.
• Cultural Connection: India and the Maldives have a long-standing, centuries-old cultural and historical relationship.
• In the Maldivian islands, Buddhism predominated until the first part of the 12th century.
• Vajrayana Buddhism, which was practiced in the Maldives in the past, is mentioned in an inscription.
• Regional Stability: The Maldives’ prosperity and stability support India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, which aims to uphold security and peace in the Indian Ocean area.

India’s Importance to the Maldives:

• Essential Supplies: Rice, spices, fruits, vegetables, pharmaceuticals, and other daily necessities are all sourced from India.
• India supplies materials like cement and rock boulders to help in the construction of the Maldives’ infrastructure.
• Education: Maldivian students pursuing higher education in Indian institutions primarily receive their education from India, including scholarships awarded to eligible individuals.
• Disaster Relief: In times of need, as during tsunamis and shortages of drinking water, India has consistently provided relief.
• India’s ability to supply necessities and assistance amid the Covid-19 outbreak demonstrates its status as a trustworthy ally.
• Security Provider: India has a history of offering security support, having conducted cooperative naval drills to safeguard the Maldives and intervened during a coup attempt in 1988 through Operation Cactus.
• Exercises done in pairs include “Ekuverin,” “Dosti,” and “Ekatha.”
• India’s Dominance in Maldives Tourism: Since the Covid-19 epidemic, Indian travellers have emerged as the Maldives’ main source market. They represented a noteworthy 11.2% of all tourist arrivals in 2023, or 18.42 lakh people.
• The Indian Minicoy, which is a portion of the Lakshadweep Islands, and the Maldives are divided by the Eight Degree Channel.
• Which are the main obstacles concerning relations between India and the Maldives?
• India-Out Campaign: A campaign centred on the “India Out” platform has been prominent in Maldivian politics in recent years, characterising Indian presence as a danger to Maldivian sovereignty.
• One of the main demands of the campaign is the departure of Indian military forces.
• The current president of the Maldives has given Indian troops till March 15, 2024, to begin their pullout.
• tourist Strain: Following the Indian Prime Minister’s promotional visit to the Lakshadweep islands, a diplomatic disagreement erupted over insulting remarks made about him. This has brought considerable attention to the Maldives’ tourist situation.
• As a result of the scandal, a boycott of the Maldives trend has been making the rounds on social media.
• China’s Growing Influence in the Maldives: Chinese people are starting to appear more frequently in the Maldives. China may be more interested in further engagement with the Maldives because of its strategic importance and proximity to India and crucial maritime lanes.
• It has sparked worry in India and may spark a geopolitical rivalry in the area.

What Are the Main Lessons From Late Deals Between China and the Maldives?

Strengthening of Mutual Relations:

• A Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, indicating a deeper level of relationship, was announced between China and the Maldives.
• Important Consents:
• Belt and Road Initiative: To promote connectivity and infrastructure development, the countries will work together to expedite the creation of the Cooperation Plan on the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Cooperation in Tourism: Acknowledging the importance of tourism to the Maldives’ economy, both nations committed to stepping up their cooperation in this area.
• Disaster Risk Reduction: The accords emphasise collaborative efforts to address and lessen the effects of natural disasters, with a focus on cooperation in disaster risk reduction.
• Blue Economy: With an emphasis on the sustainable use of ocean resources, they pledged to deepen cooperation in this area.
• Digital Economy: Emphasis was placed on bolstering investments in the digital economy.

Financial Support:

• China has shown its support for the Maldives by giving grant assistance; however, the precise amount is yet unknown. T
• The accords also underscore the significance of commerce between China and the Maldives, with USD 451.29 million in bilateral trade in 2022.
• Ministers’ immediate suspension by the Maldives government is indicative of their attempt to contain the situation. To restore trust, both nations should hold regular diplomatic discussions. A diplomatic solution can be achieved by working together on common issues, resolving complaints, and highlighting the long-standing relationships that have benefited both countries.

Source The Hindu

2 – India’s Production of Lentils: GS III – Indian Agriculture:

Context:

• According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, increased acreage would cause India to overtake other countries as the world’s leading producer of lentils (masoor) in the 2023–24 crop year.
• On larger acreage, the nation’s lentil production is predicted to reach an all-time high of 1.6 million tonnes in the 2023–24 rabi season.
• Based on official data, the nation produced 1.56 million tonnes of lentils during the 2022–2023 crop year.

Lentils: What Are They?

• A bushy annual herbaceous plant belonging to the legume family is the lentil.
• These are edible legumes distinguished by their flat, disc-shaped, lens-shaped seeds.
• Usually small in stature, lentil plants produce blooms that pollinate themselves.
• Excellent providers of energy, carbs, protein, fat, fibre, iron, zinc, phosphorus, carotene, vitamins, and antioxidants are lentil grains.

Climate:

• Rainfed crops are the main way that lentils are farmed.
• When it is growing vegetatively, it needs cold temperatures, and when it reaches maturity, it needs warm temperatures.
• Rabi season is when lentils are grown.

Types of Soil:

• While they grow well in deep sandy loam soils with moderate fertility, lentils can be grown in a variety of soil types, including sand and clay loam.
• The ideal pH for soil would be about 7. Flooding and soggy weather are intolerable to lentils.

Regions for Lentil Growth:

• West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh are the primary states where it is grown.
• Considered a lentil bowl, the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh provides around 25% of the nation’s lentil crop.
• The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports that Canada, India, Australia, Turkey, and Russia were the leading lentil producers worldwide in 2022.
• India, the world’s second-largest producer of lentils, has up until now relied on imports to cover its domestic needs, primarily from Turkey, Australia, Canada, and Russia.

How far along is India’s pulse production?

• India is the world’s biggest importer (14%), user (27% of global consumption), and producer (25% of global output) of pulses.
• Pulses make up about 20% of the land planted to grains and make up between 7 and 10% of the nation’s overall grain production.
• The most common pulse, accounting for around 40% of the overall production, is gramme. It is followed in order of importance by Tur/Arhar (15–20%), Urad/Black Matpe, and Moong (8–10%).
• While pulses are grown in both the Rabi and Kharif seasons, over 60% of the overall production comes from Rabi pulses.
• Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are the top five states that produce pulses.

Source The Hindu

3 – Changing the Transplantation of Organs: GS II – Health-related issues:

Context:

• The Delhi High Court recently directed that organ transplant procedures involving living donors be completed within the ideal period of 6–8 weeks.
• In compliance with The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (THOT) Act, 1994, and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014 (THOT Rules), the High Court ordered the government to provide precise deadlines for all phases of organ donation application.

What Is Said in the THOT Act of 1994?

• In India, the donation of organs after death as well as the transplantation of human organs and tissues are governed by law.
• It establishes rules controlling hospitals and healthcare providers and specifies the consequences of breaking them.

Organ Recipients and Donors:

• A transplant can come from a living individual the recipient knows, or it can come from a pool of deceased people’s organs donated by their family.
• The Act generally permits live contributions from parents, siblings, children, spouses, grandparents, and grandchildren, among other close relatives.

Contributions from Foreigners and Remote Relatives:

• Generous gifts from long-time acquaintances, in-laws, or distant relatives are accepted only after further investigation to confirm there is no money exchanged.
• Living donations from close relatives who are foreigners or Indians need to be supported by family trees, photos proving the relationship between the donor and receiver, and documents proving the donors’ identities.
• Additionally, donors and beneficiaries are questioned.

Contributions from Unrelated Individuals:

• Donations from individuals who are not related must be accompanied by documentation and photos showing their friendship or long-term relationship with the receiver.
• An outside commission looks into this to stop illicit activity.

Penalties & Fines:

• A prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore can be imposed for offering to pay for organs or supplying them for money, starting, negotiating, or publicising such arrangements, searching for organ suppliers, and helping to prepare fake documentation.

Creation of NOTTO:

• Under the Ministry of Health and Family’s Directorate General of Health Services, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) was established as a national organisation.
• The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act of 2011 has made this mandatory.
• The National Network section of NOTTO will serve as the focal point for coordination and networking efforts across all of India for the acquisition and distribution of organs and tissues as well as the national register for organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

What Are the 2014 THOT Rules Saying?

Committee for Authorization:

• Rule 7 of the 2014 Rules outlines the Authorization Committee’s composition as well as the kind of investigations and assessments that it is responsible for conducting.
• Rule 7(3) states that in situations where the donor and beneficiary are not close relatives, the Committee shall make sure that no commercial transaction is involved.
• Rule 7(5) states that the hospital may be contacted for an accelerated examination if a recipient is in a serious condition and requires a transplant within a week.

Transplants using Living Donors:

• Rule 10 outlines the application procedure for living donor transplants, which necessitates joint applications from the recipient and donor.
• In accordance with Rule 21, the Committee must conduct in-person interviews with candidates to ascertain their eligibility to give.

The Authorization Committee: What Is It?

About:

• Organ transplant operations involving donors and recipients who are not close relatives are supervised and approved by the Authorization Committee.
• This consent is essential to maintain ethical compliance and stop unethical acts, particularly in situations where organs are donated out of love, attachment, or other unique circumstances.
• The “composition of the Authorization Committee shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government from time to time,” according to Section 9(4) of the Act, 1994.
• “One or more Authorization Committees consisting of such members as may be nominated by the State Government and the Union Territories” should be established by the state government and the union territories.

Authority:

• The Committee is required to carry out a comprehensive investigation when examining transplant permission applications in accordance with Section 9(5).
• Verifying the legitimacy of the giver and recipient and making sure the donation is not motivated by profit are vital components of the investigation.

The Parliament’s role:

• According to Section 24 of the Act, the Centre may establish regulations to carry out the Act’s numerous goals with parliamentary approval.
• These may have to do with how and when a donor gives permission for their organs to be removed prior to death.
• Additionally, the procedures should be followed in order to preserve human organs extracted from anyone, the certification of a brain-stem death, etc.

What Decision Did the High Court Make?

Authorization Committee Constitution:

• According to the Act, state governments and Union territories must establish one or more authorization committees with members who have been nominated.
• The importance of maintaining the efficacy and integrity of organ transplantation protocols is emphasised by the High Court.

Schedules for Applications for Living Donor Transplantation:

• The high court mandates that petitions for living donor transplants must be processed within a maximum of 10 days following the application date.
• The court requires the paperwork pertaining to the recipient’s and donor’s domicile status to be verified within a maximum of 14 days.
• Any chance provided to the donor or recipient to finish the necessary paperwork has to be disclosed in accordance with the Rules within the allotted time frame.
• Interviews should be set up within two weeks of the application being received, usually after four to six weeks.
• Within this time limit, the committee should conduct the interview, arrange a family meeting, and communicate the decision.
• The court highlights that six to eight weeks should be the maximum amount of time that the entire procedure, from submission to determination, should take.

Suggestions for the Government:

• The high court demands that the decision be given to the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, guaranteeing that deadlines for each stage of the review of applications for organ donation are prescribed after discussing with pertinent parties.

Source The Hindu

4 – Global Economic Prospects Report by the World Bank: GS II – International Issues: 

Context:

• The World Bank (WB) recently published its Global Economic Prospects Report, which indicates that by the end of 2024—the weakest half-decade of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth in 30 years—the global economy may not be doing well.

Which aspects of the report stand out the most?

30 Years of GDP Growth at Its Slowest Half-Decade:

• With a forecast growth rate of 2.4% in 2024, the global economy is expected to develop at its slowest pace in five years.

Better Prognosis than Previous Year:

• Because of the US economy’s resilience, there is less chance of a worldwide recession, which has improved the state of the world economy over the preceding year.
• However, growing geopolitical tensions may pose new short-term risks to global economic stability.

Medium-Term Prospects for Developing Economies are deteriorating:

• Although the state of the world economy is stronger now than it was a year ago, many emerging economies’ medium-term prospects have gotten worse. Slowing growth, weak global trade, and tight financial conditions are some of the contributing factors.

Issues with International Trade and Loan Expenses:

• Only half of the average growth in global trade in the ten years before to the pandemic is predicted for 2024.
• It is anticipated that borrowing would continue to be expensive for developing economies, particularly those with poor credit ratings.

Worldwide Development:

• For the third year in a row, global growth is predicted to decelerate, falling from 2.6% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024.
• The growth rate of developing economies is expected to be merely 3.9%, which is more than 1% less than the average for the preceding ten years.
• Lower than anticipated, low-income countries are likely to increase by 5.5%.

Low Growth in the Near Term and High Debt:

• There will be slow growth in the near future, especially in developing nations, which will result in high debt levels and restricted access to food. That would hinder the advancement of numerous global goals.

Suggestions:

• To prevent a lost opportunity in the present decade, immediate action is required to strengthen fiscal policy frameworks and expedite investment.
• The report recommends that developing nations invest ‘formidable’ amounts, almost USD 2.4 trillion annually, to combat climate change and accomplish other important global development goals by 2030.
• The implementation of comprehensive policy packages, encompassing enhancements to fiscal and monetary frameworks, growth of cross-border trade and financial flows, amelioration of the investment climate, and reinforcement of institutional quality, is imperative for the developing economies.

Source The Hindu