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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

Monthly DNA

09 Dec, 2023

17 Min Read

Permakore

GS-I : Art and Culture Art and Culture

The Koyas have moved on from using traditional Indian Bison horns to palm leaves to craft their ‘Permakore’.

  • A traditional flute of Koya tribes that are made of Bison horn.
  • In Koya language,
    • Permam –Indian Bison or Guar
    • Kore – Horn
  • The koya women are nowhere associated with the Permakore in any phase of its use.

‘Bhumi Panduga’, a festival to mark the commencement of the agricultural season will not be held without the Permakore.

Koya tribes

  • The Koya are a tribe of hunter-gatherers.
  • They inhabit the Papikonda hill range in the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and in the states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

Papikondalu hill range is also called as the’ Bison hill range’ as it is home to the Indian Bison. It got the national park status in 2008.

  • Importance of Bison horns
    • 2 Bison horns are adorned on the head as part of the attire during the Kommu Koya dance
    • The Permakore flute is made of a single horn.

Indian Bison (Indian Gaur)

  • It is a bovine species native to South and Southeast Asia.
  • Scientific nameBos gaurus
  • It is the tallest living and the 2nd heaviest among oxen and is considered as the largest living bovine.
  • Estimated population – Around 13,000 to 30,000 in the world with approximately 85% of the population present in India.
  • Protection status
    • IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
    • Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – Schedule I

Source:

Neighbourhood Dilemmas – India’s Foreign policy

GS-II : International Relations India and its neighborhood

India's foreign policy faces challenges in its neighbourhood, where China has become a major rival and superpower in the region.

What are the challenges that India faces in its neighbourhood?

Challenges

About

Anti-India regime

Countries in South Asia are hostile or unfriendly to India.

  • Maldives- India Out Campaign started since 2020 asking Indians to leave the country.
  • Bangladesh- Opposition party has accused India of interfering in Bangladesh's internal affairs.

Aggressive China

China has become a major player in South Asia, offering economic and strategic benefits to the smaller states in the region.

  • Belt and Road Initiative- It involved many South Asian countries in infrastructure, it also infringes on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
  • Connectivity projects- Economic and strategic influence is achieved with projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.
  • Diplomatic support- It has engaged with countries that are isolated or sanctioned by the international community, such as Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, providing them with diplomatic and military support.
  • Debt trap diplomacy- It is China’s predatory lending practice in which poor countries are overwhelmed with unsustainable loans and would be forced to cede control of strategic assets to China. Example- Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.
  • Friendly approach- China tried to resolve border disputes with its neighbours except India as seen in the case of Bhutan, where China offered to swap territory in exchange for Doklam plateau, which is claimed by both Bhutan and China

Geopolitical lock-in

India will be geopolitically locked in within an unfriendly South Asia.

  • Influence of China with the South Asian Countries would weaken the bilateral ties of other countries with India.
  • This could limit India’s strategic options and regional leadership role.

What are the causes of dilemmas faced by India in its neighbourhood?

  • Regional geopolitical architecture- It is characterised by 5 overlapping elements.

  • US diminishing presence- The US withdrawal from South Asia has created a power vacuum that China has filled, and that this is disadvantageous for India.
  • Indo-Pacific region focus- US has reduced its military presence and aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan and shifted its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Geopolitical buffer- China’s rise has provided a buffer for the smaller states in South Asia, which can use the “China card” to balance against India and assert their strategic autonomy.
  • Lack of regional connectivity- South Asia is one of the least interconnected and poorest regions in the world, and that the inhabitants of the region naturally gravitate towards China which can cater to their material needs.
  • Normative approach of India- India intervening in domestic affairs of its neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives is not welcomed by them.
  • Norms-free-zone- China has offered itself as a no-frills non-normative alternative to India, and that this has changed the India-centric calculus of the region.
  • One track approach- India’s policy stance of dealing only with those on power is less risky but it also generates path-dependencies and alienates other centres of power or opposition leaders.
  • Pro-China orientation- India’s status quo bias has created problems in Bangladesh where the opposition party has become hostile about India and oriented towards China.
  • Flawed assumption- India believes that South Asia minus Pakistan would be amenable to India and that the India’s cultural and historical ties with the region would give it an advantage over China.

What lies ahead?

  • Regional reality- India must acknowledge the fundamental change that China is a serious contender for a regional primacy, this would help India to deal with reality and frame the foreign policy accordingly.
  • Constructive engagement- India need to proactively pursue the involvement of friendly external actors in the region, to counter the possibility of a Sino-centric South Asia and lessen the anti-India elements in the neighbourhood.
  • Flexible policy- India should engage with multiple actors in each of the neighbouring countries to reduce their anti-India attitude and increase their trust
  • Effective diplomacy- India should increase the human resources and capacity for India’s diplomatic pursuits, to match its growing role in world affairs.

Source:

Agni Missiles

GS-III : S&T Missile system

Recently, training launch of Short-Range Ballistic Missile ‘Agni-1’ was carried out successfully from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

  • It is a family of medium to long-range surface-to-air ballistic missile.
  • Design and development – Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO)
  • Umbrella program – Integrated Guided Missile Program (IGMP)
  • Operated byStrategic Forces Command (SFC), a key tri-services formation that administers all the strategic assets and falls under the Nuclear Command Authority of India.
  • Purpose - To act as deterrence & meet the country’s security requirements.

Agni-I is the 1st in the series which was tested in 1989.

Missile

Range (Km)

Features

Agni-I

Medium Range

(700-1200)

  • Customised weapon load
  • Have high degree of precision

Agni-P

Medium Range

(1000-2000)

  • 2-stage canister missile
  • India’s 1st Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) missile
  • Launch from train or road

Agni-II

Medium Range

(2000-2500)

  • Nuclear capable
  • Night operable

Agni-III

Intermediate Range

(Up to 3500)

  • Can target Pakistan and China

Agni-IV

Intermediate

(3500-4000)

  • Launch from road mobile launcher

Agni-V

Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile

(>5500)

  • India’s 1st ICBM
  • Night capable

Agni-VI

Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile

(8000-10000)

  • Under development
  • Launch from land and submarine

Source:

Diel Vertical Migration (DVM)

GS-III : Biodiversity & Environment Ecosystem

Deep sea organisms plays a crucial role in the earth’s carbon cycle through the process of diel vertical migration. It is a synchronised vertical movement of billions of animals, mostly zooplankton (e.g., smallish animals, including fish, various shrimp, and jellies) in the ocean.

DVM is the largest migration on the planet by biomass which occurs daily in all oceans.

  • Principle – A delicate balance between the need to feed and to avoid becoming prey.
  • Timing of migration – In tune to the natural rhythms of sunrise and sunset.
  • During the night – They ascent from the mesopelagic layer to the epipelagic layer to graze on the microscopic phytoplankton while avoiding their daytime predators.
  • During day – They descent into deeper, darker levels of ocean to escape from the predators.

Role in carbon sequestration - They remove carbon from the upper ocean as they feed on surface-dwelling plankton and carry the carbon to deeper waters while returning.

  • When they are consumed by predators, the carbon is passed to them.
  • The carbon-rich wastes produced by the predators then sinks to the ocean floor, where it remains trapped for millennia.

Source:

Ban import of diamonds

GS-II : International Relations International issues

  • The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) recently raised concerns on the decision of G7 countries to impose a ban on direct imports of Russian-origin rough diamonds from January 1, 2024.
  • The ban also includes diamonds processed by third countries, including India, from March 1,2024.

India is home to world’s 90% Diamond cutting and polishing industry.

Source:

UPI Payment Limit

GS-III : Economic Issues RBI

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently enhanced the UPI payment limits for healthcare and education from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.5 lakh.

The limit on recurring e-payment mandates for credit card and insurance premia payments as well as mutual fund investments to Rs.1 lakh from the current limit of Rs.15,000.

Source:

Outcomes of Monetary Policy Committee Meeting

GS-III : Economic Issues Monetary Policy

  • The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5%.

The standing deposit facility (SDF) rate remains at 6.25% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate at 6.75%.

Source:

MoU between NMCG-MRCTI

GS-II : International Relations International issues

  • The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has signed the Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) of USA recently.
  • The signing took place in Dubai during the COP28.

The MoCP has signed on behalf of the River Cities Alliance (RCA).

Source:

UN Resolution on Ceasefire

GS-II : International Relations International issues

  • A recent UN resolution to call for a ceasefire in Gaza was blocked by the United States using its veto power.
  • A ceasefire is a temporary suspension of a war where each side agrees to stop aggressive actions.

The 5 permanent members who have veto powers in the United Nations Security Council - China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States.

Source:

EU's AI Rules

GS-III : S&T Artificial Intelligence

  • The European Union has reached a deal recently on the world's 1st comprehensive artificial intelligence rules.

It paves the way for legal oversight of AI technology.

Source:

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