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Army must revisit strategies on northern borders
DNA 24th June
EDITORIAL
Army must revisit strategies on northern borders
This editorial focusses on the change in strategy on northern border and the role of political leaders to manage border issue with China.
LAC as leverage against India
-India and China have had parleys since 1981, meetings of Joint Working Groups from 1988 to 2005 and 22 rounds of Special Representatives talks, in addition to many summit-level meetings.
-Despite nearly four decades of discussions delineation and demarcation of the boundary has not been possible.
-Throughout this period CMC/PLA had been at the helm of the defence and foreign policy decision-making,
-The intrusion at Finger 4/5 of Pangong Tso and the transgression up to LAC in Galwan are instructive.
-Out of the blue, most inexplicably and without any historical basis, the official Chinese statement came out seeking the “estuary” of Shyok and Galwan rivers.
-The Chinese have deliberately ensured that the nebulous nature of the LAC is retained as leverage against India.
Modernisation of PLA:
-The PLA is at the threshold of achieving its interim modernisation goals of informatised, integrated joint operations by 2021.
-It is well likely that the events of Eastern Ladakh of May-June 2020 are part of a larger testbed.
-Over the years, the face-offs have witnessed PLA’s jostling and pushing, posse of horses intruding, and scant disregard for the treaties with India.
-Pangong Tso and Galwan showed a new picture.
-Need to strategise and revisit the rules of engagement
-For the Indian Army units and formations in Eastern Ladakh or elsewhere facing the PLA, there are limits to adherence to good faith and honour.
-The Indian Army has to strategise and should revisit its rules of engagement on the Northern Borders.
-It has to be mindful that troops in tactical situations cannot be shackled by past treaties, which the PLA deals with disdain.
-The Indian Army has to remain prepared to militarily handle the situations that will arise.
-PLA has always shown extraordinary interest in Eastern Ladakh, especially Daulat-Beg-Oldi, the Chip-Chap River, Track Junction and Karakoram Pass.
-The management practices for the Northern Borders have to be revisited, like placing the nearly division-sized force of ITBP in Eastern Ladakh under the army operationally.
-Real-time intelligence, surveillance equipment and satellite imageries must be available to field formations that need to act on it.
-This should not be delayed by the bureaucratic maze.
Role of political leadership
-At political level, there are representative forums like Parliament, the committees and regular briefings to seek clarifications, which is the right of politicians.
-On national security issues, there must be national unity.
-There ought to be faith in those at the helm that the issues of national security will not be sacrificed for political gains.
-Similarly, within the norms and constraints of national security, the establishment must keep the nation informed, to avoid an information vacuum.
ECONOMY
International Comparison Program
Context:
The World Bank has released new Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) for reference year 2017, under International Comparison Program (ICP), that adjust for differences in the cost of living across economies of the World. Globally 176 economies participated in 2017 cycle of ICP.
What is ICP?
-International Comparison Program (ICP) is the largest worldwide data-collection initiative, under the guidance of UN Statistical Commission (UNSC).
-The goal is of producing Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) which are vital for converting measures of economic activities to be comparable across economies.
-Along with the PPPs, the ICP also produces Price Level Indices (PLI) and other regionally comparable aggregates of GDP expenditure.
-The next ICP comparison will be conducted for reference year 2021.
What is PPP?
The rate at which the currency of one country would have to be converted into that of another country to buy the same amount of goods and services in each country.
India and the ICP:
-India has participated in almost all ICP rounds since its inception in 1970.
-The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is National Implementing Agency (NIA) for India, which has the responsibility of planning, coordinating and implementing national ICP activities.
-India has also been a co-Chair of the ICP Governing Board along with Statistics Austria for the ICP 2017 cycle.
Global status:
-Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) of Indian Rupee per US$ at Gross Domestic Product (GDP) level is now 20.65 in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011.
-Exchange Rate of US Dollar to Indian Rupee is now 65.12 from 46.67 during same period.
-Price Level Index (PLI) — the ratio of a PPP to its corresponding market exchange rate—is used to compare the price levels of economies, of India is 47.55 in 2017 from 42.99 in 2011.
India’s position:
-In 2017, India retained and consolidated its global position, as the third largest economy, accounted for 6.7 percent ($8,051 billion out of World total of $119,547 billion) of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of PPPs.
-China (16.4%) and United States (16.3%), respectively.
-India is also third largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in global Actual Individual Consumption and Global Gross Capital Formation.
Regional status: Asia-pacific region
-In 2017, India retained its regional position, as the second largest economy, accounted for 20.83 % of Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of PPPs.
-China was at 50.76% (first) and Indonesia at 7.49% (third).
-India is also second largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in regional Actual Individual Consumption and regional Gross Capital Formation.
-Among 22 participating economies in Asia-Pacific region, the Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) of Indian Rupee per Hong Kong Dollar(HK$) at Gross Domestic Product (GDP) level is now at 3.43 in 2017 from 2.97 in 2011.
-The Exchange Rate of Hong Kong Dollar to Indian Rupee is now at 8.36 from 6.00 during same period.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1633594
ART AND CULTURE
Chaolung Sukapha
Context: Assam Chief Minister has ordered the arrest of a Kolkata-based political commentator, Garga Chatterjee, who had described Chaolung Sukapha as a “Chinese invader”.
About Sukapha:
-He was a 13th-century ruler who founded the Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for six centuries. Contemporary scholars trace his roots to Burma.
-He is widely referred to as the architect of “BorAsom” or “greater Assam”.
-It was in Charaideo that Sukapha established his first small principality, sowing the seeds of further expansion of the Ahom kingdom.
-The founders of the Ahom kingdom had their own language and followed their own religion. Over the centuries, the Ahoms accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese language.
-To commemorate Sukapha and his rule, Assam celebrates “Asom Divas” on December 2 every year.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-legacy-of-sukapha-founder-of-ahom-kingdom-6468320/
Victory Day
Context: Russia, on June 24th, celebrated 75th Victory Day, with a military parade that was meant to be held on 9 May (Postponed because of COVID pandemic). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a three-day trip to Russia to attend the 75th Victory Day. India has sent a tri-services contingent to participate in the Victory Day Parade
What is Victory Day?
-Victory Day marks the end of World War II and the victory of the Allied Forces in 1945.
-Adolf Hitler had shot himself on April 30. On May 7, German troops surrendered, which was formally accepted the next day, and came into effect on May 9.
-In most European countries, it is celebrated on May 8, and is called the Victory in Europe Day.
Why does Russia not celebrate Victory Day on the same date?
-This is because the instrument of surrender signed on May 7 stipulated that all hostilities would cease at 23:01 Berlin Time on May 8 and, as time in Moscow was an hour ahead, this would push the ceasefire into May 9.
-An initial document was signed in Reims, France on May 7.
-But, Russia argued that some German troops considered the Reims instrument surrender to the Western allies only and that fighting continued in Eastern Europe, especially in Prague.
-Therefore, Soviet Union demanded another signing.
-A second surrender ceremony then took place in a manor on the outskirts of Berlin late on May 8, when it was already May 9 in Moscow.
-Therefore, in the eyes of the Soviet Union, the head of Germany’s armed forces surrendered personally to Joseph Stalin’s representative on May 9 and the instrument of surrender was signed in the early hours of that day.
-The celebrations this year were pushed to June because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SOCIETY
Sec 309 IPC
Context: India has the highest suicide rate in the South-East Asian region, according to the World Health Organization report released last year.
Some stats:
-India’s suicide rate is at 5 suicides per 100,000 people.
-India also had the third-highest female suicide rate (14.7) in the world.
Who can be booked under Section 309 IPC? What punishment does it carry?
-Anyone who survives an attempted suicide can be booked under Section 309 IPC, which deals with “Attempt to commit suicide”.
-The law, brought in by the British in the 19th century, reflected the thinking of the time, when killing or attempting to kill oneself was considered a crime against the state, as well as against religion.
Was it repealed?
-Suicide was decriminalised in India in 2017, but Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code still stays.
-The Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017, which came into force in July 2018, has significantly reduced the scope for the use of Section 309 IPC — and made the attempt to commit suicide punishable only as an exception.
-Section 115(1) of The MHCA says: “Notwithstanding anything contained in section 309 of the Indian Penal Code any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under the said Code.”
Role and responsibility of the government:
-Section 115(2) says that “The appropriate Government shall have a duty to provide care, treatment and rehabilitation to a person, having severe stress and who attempted to commit suicide, to reduce the risk of recurrence of attempt to commit suicide.”
Concerns and issues associated with this section:
-Use of this Section can potentially deprive a victim of treatment in the golden hour, as hospitals wait for a go-ahead from police in what would be seen as a “medico-legal case”.
-It is possible that unscrupulous hospital authorities may misuse this situation and charge extra to “hush up” the case by not informing the police; similar extortion is possible on the part of corrupt police personnel as well.
-All of this is in addition to the trauma and harassment that an already severely distressed individual and people around him/her would likely be going through.
Arguments in favour of Section 309
-There are occasions when people show up at government offices and threaten to kill themselves if their demands are not met. It is in these cases, where police suspect that the person does not intend to commit suicide but is using the threat as a way to unfairly pressure or blackmail the system. And during such instances this section need to be used.
-If 309 is repealed, there will be no provision to take action against those who intend to create trouble of this sort.
What to do?
Section 309 IPC can be redefined in such a manner where it can still be leveraged in law and order situations, and not be used against those who are suffering from genuine mental health issues.
Observations made by the Supreme Court and Law Commissions:
-In 1971, the Law Commission in its 42nd Report recommended the repeal of Section 309 IPC. The IPC (Amendment) Bill, 1978, was even passed by Rajya Sabha, but before it could be passed by Lok Sabha, Parliament was dissolved, and the Bill lapsed.
-In 2008, the Law Commission in its 210th Report, said that an attempt to suicide needed medical and psychiatric care, and not punishment.
-In March 2011, the Supreme Court too recommended to Parliament that it should consider the feasibility of deleting the section.
Prelims
YUKTI 2.0:
-It is an initiative to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated start-ups in our higher education institutions.
-YUKTI stands for Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation.
-Ministry of HRD prepared the portal in view of Coronavirus.
-Through this portal, the Ministry of Human Resource Development will endeavour to ensure that students, teachers and researchers in higher educational institutions are getting appropriate support to meet the requirements needed to advance their technologies and innovations.
Gaia hypothesis
Gaia hypothesis put forth by James Lovelock is an ecological theory proposing that living creatures and the physical world are in a complex interacting system that maintains equilibrium.
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