Deliberations on to end LAC tensions
Paper: II
Mains: General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
Why in News:
Deliberations are continuing on a daily basis between military commanders of India and China on the ground, in addition to other channels of communication, to resolve the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Key Points:
- The green top hill above the finger area of Pangong Tso (lake) seems to be the latest friction point.
- The other area that continues to see major tensions is the Galwan Nalah area with tensions at two to three points.
- However, multiple sources in India have objected to this contention by stating that this stand of China is not tenable as the Galwan area has never been a point of contention earlier.
- It is said that this contention which amounts to a change in the status quo would not be acceptable to India.
- Border standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Triggering issue:
- Face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops do occur from time to time, and in recent years they have been more frequent as both sides have increased patrolling.
- Strategic experts have pointed out that the current standoff and incursions appear to be different from the past border incidents based on the following facts.
Recent Activity:
- The numbers of Chinese soldiers have increased at confrontation sites, pointing to some amount of planning involved in the skirmishes.
- More Chinese boats have been observed patrolling the Pangong Tso lake and the PLA has dug in tents and trenches at the site pointing to the possibility of a long-drawn stand-off.
Aggressive approach:
- Chinese troops have shown more aggression and engaged in physical skirmishes.
- A major concern has been incursions at multiple locations, including those in “previously uncontested” areas.
- The Chinese have pushed into new areas like the Galwan river valley, where the LAC was not disputed.
Why this tension is prevailing?
- The modified Chinese patterns seem to reflect a strategic push by China rather than a random border stand-off.
- The actions are seen as an attempt to push back Indian troops in Ladakh, where infrastructure has been improved considerably in the last decade.
- The Chinese actions may also be guided by concerns regarding the Indian UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The recent change in the status of J&K and the maps that have been issued may have worried Chinese interests.
- The rising U.S.-China tensions have placed China in a defensive position. The PLA’s aggression may be a signal to indicate that the growing Indo-U.S. strategic ties do not diminish the risks India faces along the 3,488-km boundary with China
Conclusion:
Strategic experts have opined that as long as there are military and diplomatic parleys between the two countries, the situation will remain under control, but a prolonged confrontation will heighten the chances of an escalation.
With wheat harvest over, Punjab registers spike in stubble burning
Paper: III
Mains: General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
Why in news:
With the completion of wheat harvesting in the key grain producing state of Punjab, there has been a spike in incidents of stubble burning compared with the past two years as many farmers continue to defy the ban on the practice.
Key Points:
Wheat residue is used as fodder for cattle and it’s only the stalk that is set on fire.
- The paddy residue is not used as fodder as it’s unfit and hence farmers burn both the paddy stalk and straw close to autumn every year, which is a key contributing factor of pollution causing breathing problems in the northern region.
- Stubble burning is the most economical solution for the farmers to prepare their fields for the next crop. Any other method to dispose of the crop residue would cost the farmers thousands of rupees per acre in the form of labour, rent and machines, and transport cost.
- Despite the awareness of the consequences of stubble burning, the farmers continue with the practice mainly because of the lack of other viable alternatives.
In the backdrop of COVID-19:
- Burning of wheat straw can cause diseases such as problem in breathing, lungs, etc., which could affect recovery of patients suffering from COVID-19.
Earlier issues of stubble burning:
- The Happy Seeder is one of the machines the government has been pushing as a solution to stubble burning. It can be attached to a tractor and can sow the wheat seed with the paddy stubble still standing in the field.
- Another machine, ‘straw chopper’, is used to cut the standing stubble into small pieces and evenly distribute it on the field. This can act as mulch for the subsequent crops.
- Two other Supreme Court directives to the governments are — to collect stubble and give machines free of cost to small and marginal farmers.
China warns U.S. of retaliation if punished for Hong Kong law
Paper: II
Mains: General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
Why In news:
China has threatened counter-measures against the U.S. if it was punished for plans to impose a sedition law on Hong Kong. Hong Kong has become the latest flashpoint in soaring tensions between the world’s two super powers which China has likened to “the brink of a new Cold War”.
Key Points:
- China has introduced a proposal to impose a security law in Hong Kong to suppress the semi-autonomous city’s pro-democracy movement.
- Beijing plans to pass a new security law for Hong Kong that bans treason, subversion and sedition after months of massive, often-violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.
- The business hub’s security chief hailed it as a new tool that would defeat “terrorism”.
Background:
Beijing portrays the city’s protests as a foreign-backed plot to destabilize the motherland and says other nations have no right to interfere in how the international business hub is run.
- Protesters say they are motivated by years of Beijing chipping away at the city’s freedoms since it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.
- Hong Kong enjoys liberties unseen on the mainland, as well as its own legal system and trade status.
Hong Kong’s reaction:
- Of particular concern is a provision allowing Chinese security agents to operate in Hong Kong, with fears it could spark a crackdown on those voicing dissent against China’s communist rulers.
- The proposed law would also bypass Hong Kong’s own legislature.
U.S. sanctions:
- Meanwhile, in a separate development that signals rising tensions between China and the U.S., Beijing vowed to shield a Chinese government institute and eight companies sanctioned by the U.S. over alleged human rights violations in the restive Xinjiang region, where China is accused of mass repression of mostly Muslim minorities.
- The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the sanctions saying they were triggered by human rights abuses against Uighurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang in China’s far northwest.
- Beijing urged Washington to reverse the decision, saying the Commerce Department had stretched the concept of national security to meddle in China’s affairs and harm China’s interests.
U.S. China Tensions:
- The long-standing friction between the two countries over trade, human rights and a range of other issues has intensified since the virus outbreak.
- The U.S. has led world criticism of China’s initial response to the pandemic, which has caused more than 3,40,000 deaths and economic carnage worldwide. The U.S. has alleged that China covered up the emergence of the virus.
- Many governments including the U.S. and Australia have called for an investigation into the exact origins of the virus. The WHO has also called on China to invite the UN body to investigate the source of the novel Coronavirus.
- The introduction of a proposal in China to impose a security law in Hong Kong to suppress the semi-autonomous city’s pro-democracy movement has drawn U.S. and world condemnation.
A ‘silver’ fish- Puntius Sanctus
Paper: III
Prelims: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity
Why in News?
A new species of small freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae has been discovered. It was encountered in a small waterbody in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu.
Key Points:
- The silver-hued fish has been named Puntius sanctus.
- Puntius sanctus grows only to a length of 7 cm.
- It is used both as food and as an aquarium draw.
- They are purely freshwater fishes.
- Its physical characteristics include a protractible mouth, a pair of maxillary barbels (a sensory organ near the snout), 24-25 lateral line scales and 10 pre-dorsal scales.
- The Puntius species are known locally as ‘Paral’ in Kerala and ‘Kende’ in Tamil Nadu.
- They are purely freshwater fishes.
- While the genus shows great species richness in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the specimen from Velankanni bears “distinct differences” from its Puntius cousins.
- Its physical characteristics included a protractible mouth, a pair of maxillary barbels (a sensory organ near the snout), 24-25 lateral line scales and 10 pre-dorsal scales.
Heatwave sweeps North India
Paper: I
Prelims: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Mains: General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Why in News?
Several parts of north India reeled under an intense heatwave with many districts in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh posting temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius or five degrees above what is normal.
Key Points:
- The India Meteorological Department had forecast “heatwave to severe heatwave conditions” over northwest, central and adjoining peninsular India for most of the week along with heavy rain over northeast India.
- Churu in Rajasthan registered 47° C.
- Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh recorded 46° C.
- Delhi recorded 45° C
- The heat was due to dry northwesterly winds prevailing over northwest and central India.
- High summer temperatures in North India are one of the factors important for drawing in the monsoon rain into Kerala.
Heat waves:
The World Meteorological Organization defines a heat wave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average maximum temperature by five degrees Celsius. If the maximum temperature of the affected region continues to be more than 45° C consecutively for two days, it will be declared a heat wave affected area.
Characteristic of Heat Waves:
The World Meteorological Organization defines a heat wave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average maximum temperature by five degrees Celsius.
- If the maximum temperature of the affected region continues to be more than 45° C consecutively for two days, it will be declared a heat wave affected area.
- Heat wave is also called a “silent disaster” as it occurs at a slow pace, but still inflicts large-scale casualties on humans and animals alike.
- In India, heat waves typically occur between March and June, and on rare occasions, in July.
- Heat waves frequently occur in Northern India, especially in the Gangetic-belt regions.
Problems caused by heat waves can be reduced by:
- Early warning system and inter-agency coordination –Temperature forecasts and heat alerts must be sent as bulk messages on mobile phones not just by the nodal agency in charge but also by the other relief agencies as well.
- Medical upgradation and administrative measures –Heat treatment wings must be created in hospitals, and an advisory on how to prevent exposure and other heat wave related injuries must circulated in schools and offices
- Public Awareness and community outreach – Raising public awareness messages on how to protect against extreme heat-wave situations must be done through electronic, print as well as social media, and IEC materials.
- Collaboration with NGOs and civil society organizations – Building temporary shelters, wherever necessary, improving water delivery systems in public areas and other innovative measures to tackle heat wave conditions must be implemented.
- Assessing the impact –Feedback for reviewing and updating the plan for heat wave disaster risk reduction must be made a regular feature in Government actions as this can help in preparing early prevention plans in accordance with the developing situation.
What is the Urban Heat Island Effect?
An Urban Heat Island (UHI) is that part of an urban or a metropolitan area that is marked by remarkably high temperature as compared to its rural counterpart due to excessive human activity. The difference in temperature is noticed usually during the night and when winds are weak. The UHI is noticed when both the summer and winter seasons are at their peak. The term heat island is also used. Generally such terms are used to denote any area that has high temperatures compared to the surrounding area, but it usually refers to those areas which have a high-level of human activity.