Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for October 22, 2024. If you missed the October 21, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

FRONT PAGE

India, China reaches agreement on patrolling along LAC, stage set for Modi and Xi meeting at BRICS Summit

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story-Four-and-half years after the standoff between India and China, New Delhi and Beijing have agreed on the disengagement on the border where 50,000 to 60,000 troops are stationed on both sides, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday.

Key Points to Ponder-

• Standoff between India and China-what you know about the same?

• Friction between India and China-what are the reasons?

• India-China Relations during Nehruvian Era-Know in detail

• The 1962 India-China War-Know the background

• India-China Border Dispute- Know the background

• Map Work– Line of Control, Line of Actual Control, Chang Chenmo river, Gogra-Hot Springs, Kongka Pass, Galwan Valley, Depsang Plains, and Charding Nala region

• What is the present situation?

For Your Information-

• Making significant headway in efforts to resolve the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, India and China have agreed to restore patrolling rights to each in the Depsang Plains and Demchok region — these are areas where the problems are called legacy issues, predating the 2020 Chinese incursions.

• The agreement on Depsang Plains and Charding Nullah in Demchok assumes significance since the Chinese side, until a year ago, showed reluctance to even discuss them while it agreed on disengagement at other friction points. There are seven friction points in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have had confrontations since May 2020. These include PP 14 (Galwan), PP 15 (Hot Springs), PP 17A (Gogra), north and south banks of Pangong Tso, Depsang Plains (the Chinese had cut off Indian access to the PPs there) and Charding Nullah.

• The Depsang Plains is significant not just because it is 30 km southeast of the strategically important Daulat Beg Oldie post near the Karakoram Pass in the north, but also because in the midst of mountainous terrain, it offers a flat surface which can be used by either of the two countries to launch a military offensive, similar to the Spanggur Gap in the Chushul sub-sector.

• Bottleneck, a rocky outcrop that provides connectivity across the Depsang Plains, is about 7 km east of Burtse where the Indian Army has a base. Burtse lies on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road. The track going east from Burtse forks into two at Bottleneck, the reason why it is also called the Y-Junction. The track north, following the Raki Nala, goes towards PP10, while the track southeast goes towards PP-13 along Jiwan Nala.

Do You Know-

• The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. India considers the LAC to be 3,488 km long, while the Chinese consider it to be only around 2,000 km. It is divided into three sectors: the eastern sector which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the middle sector in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the western sector in Ladakh.

• The alignment of the LAC in the eastern sector is along the 1914 McMahon Line, and there are minor disputes about the positions on the ground as per the principle of the high Himalayan watershed. This pertains to India’s international boundary as well, but for certain areas such as Longju and Asaphila. The line in the middle sector is the least controversial but for the precise alignment to be followed in the Barahoti plains.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Explained: In India-China border dispute, strategic significance of Hot Springs, Gogra Post

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 1. “Belt and Road Initiative” is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of : (UPSC CSE 2016) (a) African Union (b) Brazil (c) European Union (d) China

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????‘China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia’, In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2017)

????With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2014)

BRICS Summit begins in Kazan today, first since grouping’s expansion in Jan

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story-As the BRICS Summit begins in Kazan on Tuesday, all eyes are on a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping there. This is the first summit that will be taking place after the first-ever expansion of BRICS in January this year.

Key Points to Ponder-

• BRICS-Know in detail

• Evolution of BRICS-Know in Detail

• Evolution of BRICS from Russia-China (RC) to Russia-India-China (RIC) to Brazil- Russia-India-China (BRIC) to Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) to BRICS 2.0

• What is the Fortaleza Declaration?

• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Economy-Key Features

• RIC (Russia-India-China) out of BRICS-Significance and Stature in World Politics?

• Why BRICS Matters?

• Is the BRICS alliance no longer relevant and effective?

• The geopolitics of BRICS looks quite different today-how?

• Map Work-BRICS Countries

• What were the key takeaways from the BRICS leaders’ summit in Johannesburg in 2023?

• BRICS and BRICS 2.0-compare and contrast

• How BRICS expansion makes it more stronger and effective?

• What BRICS expansion means for India?

For Your Information-

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Kazan in Russia on Tuesday (October 22) to attend the 16th BRICS Summit. The summit is the first after the grouping’s expansion last year. For India, it is especially significant as Prime Minister Narendra Modi could meet China’s President Xi Jinping here, soon after the two countries agreed on a disengagement along the LAC.

• List of Countries attending BRICS Summit: BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the original five members who were large, non-Western economies. On January 1 this year, BRICS admitted four new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The organisation now represents almost half the world’s population and almost one quarter of the world’s economy.

• PM Modi will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin today, after the two leaders met in July. As Russia faces increased pressure from the West, the meetings underline the importance New Delhi gives to traditionally strong India-Russia ties. For Putin, the gathering of so many world leaders in Russia is a message to the West that its attempts to isolate Moscow amid the Ukraine war have not succeeded.

Do You Know-

• The acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper, ‘The World Needs Better Economic BRICs’. The paper projected that Brazil, Russia, India, and China would be among the world’s largest economies in the next 50 years or so.

• As a formal grouping, BRIC started after the meeting of the leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of the UNGA in New York in 2006.

• The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. It was decided to include South Africa at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in 2010, and accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in 2011.

• The next wave of expansion came after the summit in South Africa last year. Invitations were extended to Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While four of the above joined in January this year, Saudi Arabia has accepted the invitation but delayed formal joining. Argentina, whose new President Javier Milei is more pro-West, declined.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????BRICS gets six new members: Significance, what it means for India

????The 360° UPSC Debate | Is BRICS or its expansion relevant?

????BRICS 2.0: Addition of new members will make more room for dialogue

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????Compare the significance of IBSA and BRICS in the context of India’s multilateral diplomacy. (UPSC CSE GS2, 2012)

GOVT & POLITICS

SC stays NCPCR move to close madrasas over RTE violations

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

• General Studies II:Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

What’s the ongoing story-The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the operation of the communications issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recommending the closure of government-aided madrasas not compliant with the Right to Education (RTE) Act. It also ordered that the consequent directions by the Centre, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura, too, “shall not be acted upon”.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is the Right to Education Act?

• What are the constitutional provisions concerning cultural and educational rights?

• What is Article 30 of the constitution?

• Right to Education (RTE) Act and Article 30 of the constitution-Connect the dots in this context

• What is the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)?

• What are the powers of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights?

• Is NCPCR a Constitutional, Statutory & Quasi-Judicial Body?

• How does the Indian Constitution protect the rights of children?

• How does the Govt of India protects the rights of children?

• What are child protection acts in India?

• What are the challenges faced by children in India?

For Your Information-

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recently wrote to chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, recommending that madrasa boards be “closed down”, state funding to madrasas and madrasa boards be stopped, and children attending madrasas be enrolled in “formal schools.”

• As of 2018-19, there were 24,010 madrasas in India, 19,132 of which were recognised madrasas, and the remaining 4,878 were unrecognised, then Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told Rajya Sabha on February 3, 2020.

• Recognised madrasas come under the state boards for madrasa education; the unrecognised ones follow the curriculum prescribed by the bigger seminaries such as the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama (Lucknow) and Darul Uloom Deoband.

•  As many as 60% of the country’s madrasas were in Uttar Pradesh — 11,621 recognised, and 2,907 unrecognised madrasas. The second highest number of madrasas were in Rajasthan — 2,464 recognised, and 29 unrecognised madrasas, according to statewise data presented by Naqvi. Several states and Union Territories, including Delhi, Assam, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana had no recognised madrasas, the data showed.

• There are two categories of madrasas in India — Madrasa Darse Nizami, which are run as public charities, and are not bound to follow the school education curriculum of the state; and the Madrasa Darse Aliya, which are affiliated to the state’s madrasa education board (such as the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education).

•  More than 20 states have their own madrasa boards. State madrasa boards are governed by the state government concerned; teachers and other officials at recognised madrasas are appointed by the state government. Some 1.69 lakh students sat for the UP madrasa education board examinations — equivalent to Class 10 and Class 12 — in 2023. UP and some other states also have a separate Sanskrit board.

Do You Know-

• Right to Education (RTE) Act: Enacted in 2009, the RTE Act is a landmark legislation that makes education a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14 years. It mandates free and compulsory education, establishes minimum standards for schools, and prohibits practices like discrimination and corporal punishment. The act aims to ensure equitable access to quality education for all children.

• Madrasa is an Arabic word for an educational institution. In the early centuries of Islam, mosques served also as places of education, but from the 10th century onward, madrasas came to acquire a distinct identity as institutions of religious and secular learning in the Islamic world.

• The earliest evidence of madrasas comes from Khorasan and Transoxania, corresponding to modern eastern and northern Iran, central Asia, and Afghanistan. The bigger madrasas also had facilities for housing students, especially those from poor backgrounds.

• Education is similar to school and higher education. Madrasa students study to be Maulvi (equivalent to Class 10), Alim (equivalent to Class 12), Kamil (Bachelor’s degree), and Fazil (Master’s). The medium of education in the charitable Madrasa Darse Nizami is Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. The Madrasa Darse Aliya use either textbooks published by the state textbook corporation or agency, or the curriculum and textbooks of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

• Most madrasa boards in the country now follow the NCERT curriculum. Mathematics, Science, Hindi, English, and Sociology are compulsory subjects. There is also an optional paper, in which students have the choice of studying Sanskrit or Deeniyat (including the Quran and other religious teachings). Hindu religious scriptures and other religious teachings are taught in the Sanskrit optional paper.

• The bulk of the funding for madrasas comes from the respective state governments. The central government has a Scheme for Providing Education to Madrasas/ Minorities (SPEMM), under which financial assistance is provided to madrasas and minority institutions across the country.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????NCPCR issues guidelines for assessment of child suspects in heinous offences

????Child rights panel asks states to stop funding, shut down madrasas board

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????Discuss the constitutional provisions regarding the rights of children. (UPSC CSE Mains, 2001)

Secularism core feature of Constitution, says SC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story-The Supreme Court on Monday underlined that secularism is a “core feature” of the Constitution which has been held to be a part of the basic structure.

Key Points to Ponder-

• First, what is the Preamble of the Constitution?

• So how did the words “socialist” and “secular” come in the Preamble?

• And what about the word “secular”?

• But wasn’t secularism already an integral part of the Constitution even before the 42nd Amendment?

• Has this issue been discussed earlier too?

• How else has the preamble been debated earlier?

• Under what circumstances was the preamble amended?

• Were ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ debated before Independence?

For Your Information-

• “There are a number of judgments of this court which hold that Secularism was always part of the basic structure of the Constitution. If one looks right to equality and word fraternity used in the Constitution as well as the rights under Part III, there is a clear indication that secularism has been held as the core feature of the Constitution,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna, presiding over a two-judge bench, remarked orally.

• Justice Khanna said that “as far as secularism is concerned, when the Constitution was adopted and discussion was going on, we only had the French model. The way we have evolved, it is something different. The rights we have given….we have balanced it out”. He added that the word socialist need not be understood in the western sense. “If you go by western concept, it has a different connotation but we have not followed that,” he said adding, “we are very happy with changes which have taken place…the economic growth which has taken place…” He said it can also mean that there should be equality of opportunity and that the wealth of the country should be distributed equally.

Do You Know-

• The words “socialist” and “secular” from the preamble of the Indian Constitution. The two terms were inserted into the preamble as part of the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution in 1976 during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

• When the Indian Constitution was being drafted, the ideals behind the preamble were first laid down in the Objectives Resolution, adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1947. These ideals emerged out of the numerous debates that took place during the drafting of the Constitution.

• During the debates in the Constituent Assembly, members such as K T Shah and Brajeshwar Prasad had raised the demand to add these words to the preamble. However, Dr B R Ambedkar argued: “What should be the policy of the State, how the Society should be organised in its social and economic side are matters which must be decided by the people themselves according to time and circumstances. It cannot be laid down in the Constitution itself because that is destroying democracy altogether.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: ????Why Nehru and Ambedkar did not include secularism in the Constitution

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 2. Which of the following provisions of the Constitution does India have a bearing on Education? (UPSC CSE 2012) 1. Directive Principles of State Policy 2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies 3. Fifth Schedule 4. Sixth Schedule 5. Seventh Schedule Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3, 4 and 5 only (c) 1, 2 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: ????How is the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. (UPSC CSE 2016)

EXPRESS NETWORK

‘100% evacuation’, says Odisha govt as cyclone Dana nears

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story-With cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ expected to reach the Odisha-West Bengal coast, between Puri and Sagar Island, on the intervening night of October 24 and 25, the Odisha government on Monday said it would focus on “100 per cent evacuations” from areas likely to be affected.

• Cyclone Dana-know in detail

• What has the IMD said about Cyclone Dana?

• How are Cyclones named?

• What is Cyclone?

• Classification of cyclonic disturbances-how they are classified?

• Cyclone, Tornado, Hurricane and Typhoon-How they are different from each other?

• Cyclone and Super Cyclone-Compare and Contrast

• Cyclone and Anti-Cyclone-Compare and Contrast

• Types of Cyclones or Classification of Cyclones-Know in detail

• What are the Stages of Formation of Cyclones?

• Structure of Tropical Cyclone-Know in detail

• What are Air Masses and Fronts? How they associated with the formation of Cyclones?

• What is eye of the Cyclone?

• What is the average lifespan of a cyclonic storm?

• Storm Intensity, Expected Damage and Suggested Actions-Know in detail

• Deep Depression (DD), Cyclonic Storm (CS), Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS), Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS), Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) and Super Cyclone (SuCS)-how they are different?

• India’s Vulnerability to Cyclones-Know in Detail

• Why October is month of cyclone for India’s eastern coast?

• The IMD issues warnings in four stages for the Indian coast-What are they?

• World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)-About, Role, Vision and Mission

• India Meteorological Department (IMD)-About, Role, Vision and Mission

For Your Information-

• The Cyclone Dana is expected to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal and northern parts of the state. Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm), with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also likely in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur, IMD sources said, warning that this could cause flash floods.

• Cyclone Dana will be the second to develop in the North Indian Ocean in less than two months, after Cyclone Asna in the Arabian Sea in late August.

• The name Dana means “generosity” in Arabic and was chosen by Qatar, according to the standard convention of naming tropical cyclones in the region.

Do You Know-

• A “Cyclonic Storm’ or a “Cyclone” is an intense vortex or a whirl in the atmosphere with very strong winds circulating around it in anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. Tropical cyclones are also referred to as ‘Hurricanes’ over Atlantic Ocean, ‘Typhoons’ over Pacific Ocean, ‘Willy-Willies’ over Australian Seas and simply as ‘Cyclones’ over north Indian Ocean (NIO).

• Also known as mid-latitude cyclones, extratropical cyclones occur outside the tropics (that is beyond the areas that fall under the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn). They have “cold air at their core, and derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact”, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It added that such cyclones always have one or more fronts connected to them. A front is a weather system that is the boundary between two kinds of air masses, where one front is represented by warm air and the other by cold air. Such cyclones can occur over land and ocean.

• Tropical cyclones are those which develop in the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. They are the most devastating storms on Earth. Such cyclones develop when “thunderstorm activity starts building close to the centre of circulation, and the strongest winds and rain are no longer in a band far from the centre,” NOAA noted.

• The core of the storm turns warm, and the cyclone gets most of its energy from the “latent heat” released when water vapour that has evaporated from warm ocean waters condenses into liquid water, the agency added. Moreover, warm fronts or cold fronts aren’t associated with tropical cyclones.

• Tropical cyclones have different names depending on their location and strength. For instance, they are known as hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic Ocean and the eastern and central North Pacific Ocean. In the western North Pacific, they are called typhoons.

• Flanked by the sea on three sides, India’s east and west coasts are affected by cyclones, annually. Climatologically, about five cyclones develop in the North Indian Ocean basin — comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea — each year. Of these, an average of four cyclones develop over the Bay of Bengal and one over the Arabian Sea. This basin is most prone to cyclone development during the pre-monsoon season (April – June) and post-monsoon season (October – December) months.

• Due to favourable ocean conditions, it has been observed that cyclones formed in May and November usually reach higher intensities than storms formed in the remaining months. West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra are the most to be affected by cyclones.

• Even though cyclone development in the Arabian Sea may be fewer than in the Bay of Bengal, the storms here touch higher intensities and carry the potential to cause wide-scale damage.

• Tropical cyclones are fueled by ocean heat. In addition to other factors, warm oceans can contribute to the cyclone’s rapid intensification while at sea. Ocean water temperature measuring 26 degrees Celsius or above, prevailing at depths between 50 – 100 metres, makes it conducive for cyclogenesis.

• Another important factor that influences the cyclone genesis, intensification and propagation, is the value of Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential. It is the primary energy supplier to the cyclone through the upward latent heat fluxes. Cyclone intensification is a highly complex process influenced by a combination of different favourable atmospheric conditions such as the boundary layers, barotropic instability, wind shear, convection, Rossby wave, upper ocean circulation and air-sea interaction.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Cyclone Dana to hit Odisha, West Bengal: How and why cyclones are named

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

3. Consider the following statements: (UPSC GS1 2020) 1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only. 2. Only some cyclones develop an eye. 3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 2 only d) 1 and 3 only

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: ????Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? (GS-1, 2014) ????The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? (GS-1, 2013)

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Berlin-Delhi reconnection

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story-Delhi and Berlin have had a special bond before and after India’s independence; they have had a formal strategic partnership in place since 2000. But it has not been easy to translate intent into outcomes. Scholz promises to break from this poor record.

Key Points to Ponder-

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to India-why this is important?

• Map Work-Germany

• Is chancellor of Germany same as prime minister?

• Why is Olaf Scholz called chancellor and not Prime Minister?

• India and Germany Bilateral relations-Know the historical relations

• ‘The Indo-German summit could be consequential for the bilateral strategic partnership, as well as India’s relations with collective Europe’-Explain

For Your Information-

• Independent India drifted away from the Anglo-Americans during the Cold War. As China’s rise challenges India’s interests, Delhi has moved closer to the US. But there is big room for Europe in India’s calculus. Facing a troublesome China, weakened Russia, and meddlesome America, India could do with a strong European partnership. France is already a valued strategic partner; a new geopolitical connection to Germany will lend balance and stability to India’s great power relations.

• From the Indian perspective, the most important new element is the German promise to help India make weapons at home. Berlin offers to “expand its arms cooperation with India, continue to improve the reliability and predictability of arms export control procedures, and promote and support cooperation between German and Indian arms companies.” The negotiations on the acquisition of submarines from Germany could provide proof of the German commitment to help modernise India’s defence industrial base.

Do You Know-

• Germany is India’s largest trade partner in the European Union and has consistently been among India’s top 10 global trade partners. It is also one of the largest foreign direct investors in India.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Delhi, Berlin to focus on economic ties, green technology, Indo-Pacific strategy

EXPLAINED

What is Z-Morh tunnel? Why is it strategically important?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination:Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

What’s the ongoing story–Seven people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening (October 20) when suspected militants targeted the workers of infrastructure company APCO Infratech, which is constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway. This is the first militant attack on a key infrastructure project in Jammu and Kashmir. In the past, militants have not targeted such infrastructure projects in the region.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is the Z-Morh tunnel?

• What was the need for the tunnel?

• When did work commence, what is its cost and when is it likely to be completed?

• What is the strategic importance of the Z-Morh tunnel?

For Your Information-

• The Z-Morh tunnel is a 6.4-kilometer tunnel connecting the Sonamarg health resort with Kangan town in central Kashmir Ganderbal district. The tunnel has been constructed near Gagangir village ahead of Sonamarg. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Sonamarg, a famous tourist destination on the Srinagar-Leh highway.

• The tunnel has acquired its name for the Z-shaped road stretch at the place where the tunnel is being constructed.

• The stretch where the tunnel is under construction is situated at an altitude of over 8,500 feet, and is prone to snow avalanches in the winter. The road to Sonamarg as such remains closed for most part of the winter.

• The Z-Morh tunnel is part of the Zojila tunnel project that aims to provide all weather connectivity from Srinagar to Ladakh throughout the year. While the tunnel would give all-weather connectivity to Sonamarg health resort in the Valley, it is essential for all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. This is important, as it would provide quick access for military personnel to the border areas of Ladakh. While the construction of the Zojilla tunnel at an altitude of approximately 12,000 feet connecting Sonamarg in Kashmir valley to Drass in Ladakh is under way and is expected to be completed by December 2026, the opening of the Z-Morh tunnel is essential for its all-weather connectivity.

• The construction of the tunnel will provide safe connectivity between Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and Leh regions. The Indian defence forces are deployed against Pakistan in Siachen Glacier and in the Turtuk sub sector, which abuts Baltistan in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Similarly, there is widespread Indian Army deployment against Chinese forces in Eastern Ladakh, which has increased manifold after the 2020 face off with Chinese troops.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Seven employees of infra company gunned down in Kashmir terror attack

????What explains the surge in terror attacks in Jammu?

The population questions

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Population and associated issues,

What’s the ongoing story– Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said his government is working on a law to incentivise residents of the state to have more children. “We are already in deficit. Having less than two children leads to the rapid decline of the young population,” he said.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What do data say on aging and overall population size in India?

• Why is an aging population, and a relatively smaller population, a concern?

• Do government policies to boost fertility, as Naidu mentioned, work?

• Why do statements like the ones made by Naidu matter?

• If incentives don’t work, what is the way forward to address concerns about population?

For Your Information-

• In the 25 years from 2011 and 2036, India’s population will increase by 31.1 crore. Almost half — 17 crore — will be added in five states: Bihar, UP, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. As much as 19% of the total population increase during 2011-36 is expected to occur in UP.

• The contribution of the five Southern states — AP, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu — to the total increase in population during 2011-2036 is expected to be only 2.9 crore, or 9%.

• With declining fertility and increasing life expectancy, the number of older persons in the population is expected to more than double from 10 crore in 2011 to 23 crore in 2036, their share in the population rising from 8.4% to 14.9% during this period.

• In Kerala, where lower fertility and mortality rates were achieved much sooner than other states, the proportion of persons aged 60 years and older will increase from 13% in 2011 to 23% in 2036 — or almost 1 in 4 individuals. The population of UP, by contrast, is expected to be comparatively younger — the share of 60+ individuals in the state population is expected to increase from 7% in 2011 to 12% in 2036.

Do You Know-

• An aging population (which Naidu spoke of) and a smaller population (that Stalin referred to) are two separate concerns. Typically, if two-thirds of the total population is in the working-age bracket it implies a “dividend” — because the dependency ratio (that is, the percentage of population that is not earning and is dependent on others) is less than 50%.

• Dependency is of two kinds: those below the age of 15, and those above the age of 60. A high percentage of aging population does imply that the state may have to spend more on taking care of this growing population.

• The issue of the total population of a state being lower compared to other states is different. This issue has come into sharp focus in public discussions on electoral delimitation — where fears have been expressed that Southern states could end up getting penalised by way of fewer seats in Lok Sabha for having made the demographic transition before the North (and especially the so-called “BIMARU” states).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Elderly up, fertility down: Why Andhra, TN are talking of kids

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????“Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to be more productive and employable? (UPSC GS2, 2016)

 

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The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the October issue of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com

 

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