International Relations & Security

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Engaging China in Modi 3.0

Context: It has been 4 years since Galwan valley clashes in which the Forces of China and India locked horns in the high altitudes of Himalayas. As PM Modi has returned to power for the third time, there is a need to look at how India will engage with China in Modi 3.0

Developments in India-China relations:

Managing the relationship with China is the most pressing challenge for the Modi government in its third term. About 50,000 to 60,000 troops are still deployed on each side of the border.
In a pre-election interview, PM Modi had remarked that stable and peaceful relations with China are important not just for the countries, but for the whole world.
- China responded positively to the overture and said that India-China ties are “more than border situation” and China wishes to maintain relations from “strategic heights and long-term perspectives.”
EAM S. Jaishankar remarked that the primarily revolved around “patrolling rights” and “patrolling abilities”.
- Limiting the dispute to “patrolling rights” and “patrolling abilities” can be seen as a nuancing of the Indian position, pivoting away from the earlier stance of “disengagement” and “de-escalation”.

Post-election:

Issue of Taiwan: Exchange of messages between the Prime Minister and Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-Te with respect to deepening cooperation trade, technology, peace, and stability in Indio-Pacific on the social media platform angered the Chinese as they saw it as provocation.
- China saw it as deviation from One-China Policy.
Tibet: A seven-member bipartisan delegation of the United States Congress met the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remarked that while the Tibetan spiritual leader’s “legacy will live forever”, Xi will “be gone and nobody will give him credit for anything”.
- China reacted sharply, and “urged” US to “adhere to its commitments of recognizing Xizang as part of China and not supporting “Xizang independence”.
- Recently, US Congress has also passed “Resolve Tibet Act”.
  - Resolve Tibet Act authorizes the use of funds to counter Chinese disinformation about Tibet (including disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions).
  - Act also challenges the Chinese contention that Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times.
  - Act underlines the right of the Tibetan people to self-determination and human rights.

What lies ahead:

Some analysts believe that while India has shown its intent on resolving the border situation through the interviews given by the PM and Jaishankar, it has also sent out a signal through Pelosi’s visit to the Dalai Lama ahead of a possible meeting between Modi and Xi in Astana that in any case, India will not negotiate on a weaker stance.
Whereas some other analysts believe that while New Delhi had initially wanted to resolve the border situation after the Lok Sabha election, it has now changed its mind after the NDA got a weaker mandate, the government might now be wary of criticism which reconciliation might draw.

Way forward:

India needs stable borders as they are key for the government to focus on its agenda for economic growth and job creation.
India can follow the template of ongoing engagement between Australia and China in which Australia is engaging with China at the highest level without compromising Australia’s core Interest.
Even though there is heightened awareness of security threat perception from China has led to the decoupling of Interests, the upcoming meet of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Astana (Kazakhstan) is likely to show someway ahead.

Issues of Indian Migrant workers in Gulf Countries

Context: About 49 Indian migrant workers died in a fire in a six-storey building in Kuwait where they lived. This accident has again brought attention to the deplorable living condition and lack of safety of Indian migrant workers in destination countries.

Kerala Migration Survey 2023 estimates that 2.2 million people from the state have migrated with 80% of them residing in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Benefits of migrant workers

Migrants workers are a large source of foreign remittances contributing more than $100 bn to Indian economy every year.
Migrants’ workers experience social mobility and the contributions they send allow their families to live a life of dignity.
Migrant workers allow India to harness its demographic dividend and leads to address the issue of unemployment of large youth population in India.
Migration allows India workers to get higher wages as compared to what they get when they can garner in India leading to higher productivity.
The advanced skills that migrant workers learn in while working abroad also come to India when they come back leading to increased productivity in India as well.
International allows India to emerge as the important source of human capital for the world, particularly for countries undergoing rapid ageing. This will increase India's strategic, soft and hard power at the world level.

Reasons for Vulnerability of Migrant Workers in Gulf Countries

Lack of data on migrants - both at their origin and destination countries especially for those employed in the low-skill, low-paying job profiles leading to grave invisibilisation of the migrants.
Majority of the migrant workers work in the un-organised sector such as construction sites and factories often facing dangerous working conditions.
Migrants in Gulf countries do not have option of permanent residency, they are not given adequately protected and have few rights leading to exploitation of migrant workers in these countries
Live in dingy living spaces and cramped dormitories
Lack of any social security for the migrant community.
Migrant workers employed in low end jobs lack savings, have limited resources and lack any social connections of family and friends accentuating their vulnerability.
Often there are complaints of employers in foreign countries capture the passports of migrant workers.
Lack of regulation of agencies involved in the supply chain of migration of workers to gulf countries.
Enacting the revamped Emigration Act, 1983 on the lines of draft Emigration Bill, 2021 to modernise the foreign migration ecosystem of India.

Way Forward

There is a need for study the conditions of Indian migrant workers in India and their destination country and establish a national level database to understand the various sections from India. Thus, a survey like the Kerala Migration Survey should be done on a national level.
India should enter into bilateral social security agreements with the major destination countries migrant workers from India, this will ensure adequate social security and dignified life for Indian migrant workers.
Indian embassies in major destination countries should actively try to map and educate the Indian migrant workers particularly those employed in low end jobs.
Mapping of skills and demand for various skills and train Indian workforce in those skills.

New Caledonia

Context: Widespread protests and riots erupted in New Caledonia in response to the French parliament’s decision to amend the voters’ list.

About New Caledonia

Why Are Protests Happening?

The new amendment bill will pave the way for incorporating citizens who were either born or lived in the territory for at least 10 years.
Kanaks, the indigenous community of the territory, opposed this on claims that it diluted their electoral power thus marginalising them.
- The Kanaks comprise 43% of the 1,45,000 population, while the European (French loyalists), Wallisians and Futunians comprise 37%.
The new voting amendment will give majority to the loyalists undermining the Kanaks’ future towards decolonisation.
This would also mean an alteration of the internal political environment towards French settlers.

Brief History of the Archipelago

New Caledonia had Kanaks as the original inhabitants.
France gained control of the territory in 1853 and governed the Kanaks with reservations.
After the Second World War, colonial laws were abolished, and the Kanaks were granted French citizenship.
In the 1960s, increased migration from France turned the Kanaks into a minority in New Caledonia.
Angered by their deteriorating socio-economic status and lack of economic and political involvement, an independence movement grew in the island.

European Parliament

Context: In the recently concluded European parliament elections, Right wing parties have secured a dominant position.

About European Union (EU):

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 European countries.
It was established to foster economic cooperation and ensure lasting peace in Europe.
The EU is home to around 447 million people, which is around 6 % of the world’s population. Citizens of the EU countries are also EU citizens.

Historical background:

Origin: The EU's origin date back to the aftermath of World War II, to ensure peace and economic stability. The first step was the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951, involving six countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Treaties:
- Treaty of Rome (1957): Established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).
- Maastricht Treaty (1992): Created the EU and introduced new forms of cooperation in defense, justice, and home affairs.
- Lisbon Treaty (2009): Amended the EU's structure and functioning, enhancing its global role and democratic legitimacy.

Organs of EU:

There are 4 main decision-making institutions which lead the EU’s administration. These institutions collectively provide the EU with policy direction and play different roles in the law-making process:

European Parliament (Brussels/Strasbourg/Luxembourg): Elected by EU citizens, it shares legislative and budgetary powers with the Council of the European Union.
European Council (Brussels): Consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, defining the EU's overall direction and priorities.
Council of the European Union (Brussels/Luxembourg): Represents member states' governments, with ministers from each country meeting in different configurations depending on the policy area.
European Commission (Brussels/Luxembourg/Representations across the EU): Proposes legislation, implements decisions, upholds treaties, and manages day-to-day affairs.

Their work is complemented by other institutions and bodies which include:

The Court of Justice of the European Union (Luxembourg): Ensures EU law is interpreted and applied uniformly across member states.
The European Central Bank (Frankfurt): Manages the euro and frames and implements EU economic & monetary policy.
The European Court of Auditors (Luxembourg): Checks the EU’s financial management.

About European Parliament:

The European Parliament is the institution that directly represents the citizens of the EU, who elect its members every five years by direct universal suffrage.
MEPs look after the interests of citizens, ensure the democratic functioning of other EU institutions, and promote human rights inside and outside the EU.
The European Parliament is one of the three pillars of the institutional architecture of the EU, along with the Council of the EU representing the interests of the member states, and the European Commission which looks after the general interest of the EU and the implementation of Community treaties.

Composition of European Parliament:

The Parliament consists of a maximum of 751 representatives of the citizens of the EU, including the President, who is elected by direct suffrage by all voters of the EU for a 5-year term of office. (Presently it has 720 members)
The number of MEPs elected in each country is roughly proportional to its population, but on a sliding scale: no country can have more than 96 MEPs or less than 6.

Functions of European Parliament:

Legislative powers
- Adoption of EU legislation, together with the Council of the EU.
- Review of the European Commission's work programme and the request of proposals for legislation from the European Commission.
Budgetary powers
- Together with the Council, establishment of the EU's annual budget.
- Adoption of the long-term financial framework (Multiannual Financial Framework).
Supervisory functions
- Democratic control of all EU institutions.
- Election of the President of the Commission and approval of the College of Commissioners as a whole. Parliament can withdraw confidence in the Commission by means of a motion of censure.
- Examination of citizens' petitions.

It also carries out important functions like deciding on enlargements of the EU, signing certain international agreements, cooperating with national parliaments on European affairs.

Amendments to International Health Regulations by World Health Assembly of WHO

Context: World Health Assembly has agreed to a historic decision of introducing critical amendments to International Health Regulations, 2005 (IHR) aiming to strengthen international community's ability to detect and respond to pandemic threats. Alongside, members of World Health Assembly fixed timelines on the global pandemic agreement and agreed to bring the Global Pandemic Agreement in to effect within a year.

Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, WHO started a twin-track process to. The first track saw the formation of Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the development of Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Accord (Popularly known as the Pandemic Treaty) and the second track focused on constitution of a working group for amending the International Health Regulations, 2005 based on the lessons learnt for COVID-19 pandemic aiming to strengthen global preparedness, surveillance and response to public health emergencies, including pandemics.

International Health Regulations 2005

The IHR Regulations aim to prevent, prepare for, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risk and avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.
IHR 2005 provides for an overarching legal framework that defines rights and obligations of countries in handling public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.
IHR 2005 is a successor of International Sanitary Regulations 1951.
IHR 2005 were conceived to maximize to collective efforts to manage public health events while at the same time minimising their disruption to travel and trade.
IHR regulations are an instrument of international law. Currently, there are 196 State Parties to IHR which comprises 194 WHO Member States plus Liechtenstein and Holy See.
IHR Regulations also outline the criteria to determine whether a particular event constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern”.
However, to make the IHR 2005 relevant for pandemics, further strengthening of these regulations was required.
The amendments to International Health Regulations will bolster countries' ability to detect and respond to future outbreaks and pandemics by strengthening their own national capacities, and coordination between fellow States, on disease surveillance, information sharing and response. This is built on commitment to equity, an understanding that health threats do not recognize national borders, and that preparedness is a collective endeavour.

Salient features of Amendments to International Health Regulations 2005

Determination of a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency: The Director General of WHO will determine if an event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern or pandemic emergency based on:
- Information provided by State Party/Parties
- Decision Instrument contained in Annex 2
- Advise of the Emergency Committee
- Scientific principles and available scientific evidence and other relevant information.
- An assessment to risk to human health, risk of international spread of disease and risk of interference with international traffic.
Emergency Committee: Director General of WHO shall establish an Emergency Committee that will provide the Director General with views on:
- Whether an event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency.
- Termination of a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency.
Definition of Pandemic Emergency:
- The clear definition of Pandemic will trigger more effective international collaboration in response to events that are at the risk of becoming a pandemic. The Pandemic emergency definition represents a higher level of alarm that builds on existing mechanisms of IHR such as Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
- A Pandemic Emergency has been defined as a public health emergency of international concern that is caused by communicable disease, and
  - Has, or is at high risk of having, wide geographical spread to and within multiple States.
  - In exceeding, or is at high risk of exceeding, the capacity of health systems to respond in those States.
  - In causing, or is at high risk of causing, substantial social and/or economic disruption, including disruption to international traffic and trade.
  - Requires rapid, equitable and enhanced coordinated international action, with whole of government and whole of society approaches.

Constitutes National IHR Authority in all state parties to International Health Regulations:
- National IHR Authority is an entity designated or established by State Party at national level to coordinate the implementation of IHR regulations within the jurisdiction of the State Party.
- The Committee will promote and support cooperation among State Parties for effective implementation of IHR.
Equitable access to relevant health products:
- WHO shall support State Parties and coordinate international response activities during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies.
- WHO shall facilitate and remove barriers to timely and equitable access to State Parties to relevant health products during a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency based on public health risks and needs.
- Relevant health products are those health products needed to respond to public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies such as medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, vector control products, personal protective equipment, decontamination products, assistive products, anti-dotes, cell and gene-based therapies and other health technologies.
- Towards the Director General shall:
  - Conduct, review and update, assessments of public health needs, availability and accessibility including relevant health products for public health response, publish such assessments
  - Make use of WHO coordinated mechanisms, or facilitate their establishment as needed

Coordinating Financial Mechanism for financial collaboration

State Parties shall maintain or increase domestic funding and collaborate through international cooperation and assistance to strengthen financing to support the implementations of these regulations.

State Parties shall undertake to collaborate, to the extent possible:

Encourage governance and operating models of existing financial entities and funding mechanisms to be regionally representative and responsive to the needs and national priorities of developing countries.
Identify and enable access to financial resources, including through Coordinating Financial Mechanism, necessary to equitably address the needs and priorities of developing countries, including for developing, strengthening and maintaining core capacities.
Amendments establish Coordinating Financial Mechanism establish to:
- Promote provision of timely, predictable and sustainable financing for implementation of these regulations to develop, strengthen and maintain core capacities, including those relevant for pandemic emergencies.
- Seek to maximize the availability of financing for implementation needs and priorities of State Parties, of developing countries.
- Work to mobilise new and additional financial resources and increase the efficient utilisation of existing financial instruments.
- For these the Coordinating Financial Mechanism will:
  - Use or conduct relevant needs and funding gap analyses.
  - Promote harmonisation, coherence and coordination of existing financial instruments.
  - Identify all sources of financing that are available for implementation support and make the information available to State Parties.
  - Provide advice and support to State Parties in identifying and applying for financial resources for strengthening core capacities, including those relevant for pandemic emergencies.
  - Leverage voluntary monetary contributions for organisations and other entities supporting State Parties to develop, strengthen and maintain their core capacities, including those relevant for pandemic emergencies.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

Context: BIMSTEC gets the ‘legal personality’ status with its Charter coming into force on 20^th May 2024. It enables the admission of new members and observers and enables the conclusion of agreements with countries or sub-regional, regional and international organizations and institutions.

About BIMSTEC:

It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States around the Bay of Bengal region.
BIMSTEC constitutes a unique link between South and South-East Asia with five Members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
The organization came into being in 1997 through the 'Bangkok Declaration'.
Permanent Secretariat of BIMSTEC has been operational since September 2014 in Dhaka.
Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym 'BIST-EC' (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed 'BIMST-EC' (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the name of the grouping was changed to 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation' (BIMSTEC).
BIMSTEC Summit Meetings shall be held once every two years, preceded by the Ministerial Meeting, and be hosted by the Member State holding the BIMSTEC Chairmanship.
All decisions of the Summit Meetings shall be made on the basis of consensus.

Salient Features of BIMSTEC Charter

5th BIMSTEC Summit 2022:

It was hosted in virtual mode by Sri Lanka.
The Summit’s theme “Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy People” captures the main current priorities of member states, and the efforts by BIMSTEC to develop cooperation activities that support member state’s programmes to deal with the economic and development consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The main outcome of the Summit was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter, which formalizes the grouping into an organization made up of members states that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal.

IEA trims 2024 oil demand growth forecast, widens gap with OPEC

Context: The International Energy Agency (IEA) trimmed its forecast for 2024 oil demand growth. Global oil demand in 2024 will grow by 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd), the Paris based IEA said in a monthly report. The lower forecast was linked to poor industrial activity and weakening gasoil consumption, particularly in Europe, where a declining share of diesel cars was undercutting consumption.

About International Energy Agency (IEA):

A Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organisation.
Established: 1974
Provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector.
Since its founding, the IEA has also coordinated use of the oil reserves that its members are required to hold.
Membership:
- Founding members: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway (under a special Agreement), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Lithuania is the latest member joining the IEA in 2022.
- Full members of the IEA must also be members of the OECD and are required to maintain total oil stock levels equivalent to at least 90 days of the previous year's net imports.
- These emergency stocks can be released to stabilize oil markets worldwide and have been activated five times: January 1991 due to the Gulf War.
- 31 member countries and 13 association countries of the IEA represent 75% of global energy demand.
- India, which joined the IEA Family as an Association country in 2017, sent a formal request for full membership to IEA in 2023. India becoming an IEA member would mark a huge, consequential change in international energy governance.
History:
- It was set up under the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis.
- To respond to physical disruptions in global oil supplies, provide data and statistics about the global oil market and energy sector, promote energy savings and conservation, and establish international technical collaboration.
- The Agreement on an International Energy Program (IEP Agreement) established the mandates and structure of the IEA.
In subsequent decades, the IEA's role expanded to cover the entire global energy system, encompassing traditional fuels such as gas, and coal as well as cleaner and fast-growing energy sources and technologies including renewable energy sources.
Recently, it has focused in particular on supporting global efforts to accelerate clean energy transition, mitigate climate change, reach net zero emissions, and prevent global temperatures from rising above 1.5 °C.
Key Publications:
- World Energy Outlook (WEO): The annual World Energy Outlook (WEO) is the International Energy Agency's (IEA) flagship publication on global energy projections and analysis. It contains medium to long-term energy market projections.
- Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP): First issued in 2006, ETP is a bi-annual guidebook on clean energy technology. The publication focuses on challenges, growth areas, and strengths of emerging clean energy technologies.
- Global EV Outlook (GEVO): Published annually with the support of the members of the Electric Vehicles Initiative, GEVO highlights and analyses recent developments in EVs and electric mobility.

After Argentina deal, India targets Li blocks from Australia

Context: India is negotiating to secure lithium blocks in Australia as it aims to finalise a deal through state owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL). The discussions are reportedly under way for two lithium blocks and three cobalt blocks.

About Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)

Joint Venture Company among the three Government Enterprises: National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited (MECL).
It is under the aegis of Ministry of Mines, Government of India.
Aim: Ensure supply side assurance of critical and strategic minerals and mineral security of the nation.
Incorporated in 2019 under the Companies Act, 2013.
Authorized capital: Rs. 500 crore and paid-up capital is Rs. 100 crores as equity investment by the three promoters in the JVC.
The Company is focusing on two prime critical and strategic minerals i.e. Lithium and Cobalt in the present context of the Indian economy.

Significance for India:

2023: India’s KABIL and Australia’s Critical Mineral Office (CMO) signed an MoU to jointly fund project identification and support potential investments by India in Australian critical minerals projects.
India made its first overseas acquisition of five lithium brine blocks in Argentina. Also, a request for proposal (RFP) to appoint a ‘local partner’ in the Latin American nation has been floated.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) announced the presence of 5 lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir (Salal-Haimana areas) and Rajasthan (Degana's Renvat hill and its surrounding areas).
Reduce import dependency:
- Secure a critical resource for the burgeoning electric vehicle industry and reduce its reliance on Chinese imports.
- India imported 70 percent of its lithium-ion requirements from China in 2020-21, according to government data.
- Facilitate supply chain diversification and reduce reliance on China amid strained ties between both countries.
- The deal with Argentina underscores India's move to join the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). MSP seeks to offer an alternative to China's dominance in mining and processing critical minerals.
Green Energy shift:
- Demand for essential metals like lithium and cobalt is predicted to increase by roughly 500 percent by 2050.
- Commerce Ministry data: In FY23, lithium imports were at ₹266 crore, up by 62 per cent year-on-year.
- The deal is critical to India's ambitious green energy goals as lithium finds usage in sectors like Electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and mobile phones, among others.
- The country is striving to reach 500 gigawatt of installed electricity capacity through non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
Technical and operational experience:
- The deal will provide a platform for NALCO, HCL and MECL to understand the technical know-how of lithium exploration and extraction.
- This is crucial for Indian mining companies given the lack of knowledge/ equipment that persists in the industry.
- The KPMG report noted that India is still at a nascent stage for mining/exploration of critical minerals.

Why is Lithium important?

Multiple countries have ramped up efforts to find reserves of lithium, sometimes dubbed ‘white gold’, in what has been called the ‘new era gold rush’.
The grey, shiny, non-ferrous metal is the lightest and the least dense of all metals.
Being the third element in the periodic table after gases hydrogen and helium, the alkali metal lithium is highly reactive.
Extensive usage:
- Besides being used in batteries to power smartphones, laptops and other gadgets, lithium is an essential component in the rechargeable batteries that run electric vehicles (EVs) and in storage batteries for energy from renewable sources.
- Its lightness and reactivity make it ideal to facilitate the smooth flow of electrons from the negative to the positive electrode in a battery.
- Lithium is also used in ceramics, in industrial grease, and in the pharmaceutical sector.
As countries move toward clean energy technologies to meet Paris Agreement climate pledges, the transition to electric vehicles is key as vehicular pollution accounts for a significant proportion of carbon emissions.
- The U.S. plans to make 50% of its new vehicle fleet electric by 2030.
- Lithium-ion batteries are said to have a low environmental impact because they do not use substances such as cadmium, lead, and mercury as materials.

Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023

Context: Ministry of Defence has notified the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023. To address the multi-faceted security threats by India there has been emphasis towards increasing jointness and integration of armed forces.

Some efforts towards this include Andaman & Nicobar Command, Strategic Forces Command, Office of Chief of Defence Staff and plans to create five theatre commands. Inter-Services Organisation bill is being enacted to enable joint-services command to function with greater efficiency, expeditious disposal of cases, avoid multiple proceedings and will be a step towards greater integration & jointness among the Armed Forces personnel.

Current challenges to creation of theatre commands and jointness

Currently, there was no legal framework for creation of the Inter-Services Organisation.
In exigencies, allows personnel from CAPFs work with Inter-Services Organisation.
Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of inter-service organisations cannot exercise disciplinary /administrative powers over personnel who come from Army, Navy and Airforce and are regulated by these respective acts like Army Act, Navy Act, Air Force Act.
Officers serving in ISOs need to be reverted to their respective parent service units for disciplinary or administrative actions leading to delays in justice and administering justice.

The Act will promote theaterisation and jointness by:

Pave way for much greater integration & jointness amongst the three Services, lay strong foundation for creation of Joint Structures and further improve the functioning of the Armed Forces.
Empowers central government to constitute an inter-services organisation by notification leading to greater integration and jointness in ISOs.
Applies to other personnel apart from Armed Forces like CAPFs.
The Act will allow tangible benefits such as maintenance of effective discipline in inter-services establishments by the Heads of Inter-Services Organisations by:
- Empowers Commander-in-chief or Officer-in-Command of ISO with all disciplinary and administrative powers on personnel serving in ISOs.
- Ensures effective discipline and efficiency in ISOs by heads of ISOs.
- No requirement of reverting personnel under disciplinary proceedings to their parent service units.
- Expeditious disposal of cases of misdemeanour or indiscipline.
Saving public money & time by avoiding multiple proceedings.
This Act further enhances India's movement towards defence theaterisation and further dialogue. and planning is required to further boost India's security.

Salient Feature of Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control & Discipline)

Empowers the Central Government to constitute an Inter- Services Organisation.
ISO Act is an enabling act. It does not propose any change in the existing Service Act/Rules/Regulations which are time tested and withstood judicial scrutiny. Service personnel when serving in or attached to an Inter-Services Organisation will continue to be governed by their respective Service Acts. What it does is to empower Heads of Inter-Services Organisations to exercise all the disciplinary and administrative powers as per the existing Service Acts/Rules/Regulations, irrespective of the service they belong to.
The ‘ISO Act - 2023’ shall be applicable to all personnel of regular Army, Navy, and Air force, and to persons of other forces as notified by the Central Government, who are serving in or attached to an Inter-Services Organisation.
Empowers the Commander-in-Chief, Officer-in-Command or any other officer specially empowered in this behalf by the Central Government with all the disciplinary and administrative powers in respect of personnel serving in or attached to their Inter-Services Organisations for the maintenance of discipline and proper discharge of their duties, irrespective of the service to which they belong.
The Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command means General Officer/Flag Officer/Air Officer who has been appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Officer-in-Command an Inter-Services Organisation.
To maintain Command and Control in absence of the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command, the officiating incumbent or the officer on whom the command develops in absence of a Commander-in-Chief or Officer in Charge, will also be empowered to initiate all disciplinary or administrative actions overs the service personnel, appointed, deputed, posted or attached to an Inter-Services organisation.
Empowers the Commanding Officer of an Inter-Services organisation to initiate all disciplinary or administrative actions over the personnel appointed, deputed, posted, or attached to that Inter-Services Organisation. For this Act, Commanding Officer means the officer in actual command of the unit, ship or establishment.

India-Maldives Meet

Context: In the recent meeting between Indian and Maldivian foreign ministers in New Delhi, S. Jaishankar reiterated that the development of India-Maldives ties was based on ‘mutual interests’ and ‘reciprocal sensitivity’ given that they are close and proximate neighbours.

More information:

India recently approved the highest-ever export quotas for essential commodities: eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and pulses, river sand and stone aggregates, to the Maldives for 2024-25 under a unique bilateral mechanism.
The approved quantities are the highest since this arrangement came into effect in 1981.

India-Maldives relations in recent years:

The relations strained after President Muizzu was elected to the Presidential Office.
President Muizzu immediately demanded the withdrawal of Indian Military personnel keeping with his disinclination to accommodate India.
President Muizzu is following the India-Out and China-In policy.
He pressed for non-renewal of the Hydrology pact with India signed in 2019, but commenced the operationalisation of the FTA signed with China (PRC) in 2017.

Geo-Strategic and Geopolitics importance of Maldives:

Maldives is very important for India due to the existence of India’s Sea lanes of communication(SLOCs) passing around Maldives. Most of India’s trade and energy supplies transit through this route.
Kerala and Lakshadweep security to an extent depends on Maldives’s stability as it forms an outer buffer zone for India.
China’s PLN (People’s Liberation Navy) increasing presence in the Indian Ocean and the (Xiang Yang Hong 03) arrival of research vessels from China in Male has deepened India’s concerns.
China is increasing its power and status by constructing bases in the Indian Ocean Region. China also wants to win mining rights and conduct bathymetric and topographic surveys of the region.
India cannot risk the radicalisation of Maldives which may lead to adverse downstream consequences for regional security in general and Indian security in specific.

India’s options:

The recent push by Muizzu to diversify resources and import partners asks for sustained quiet diplomacy from India.
India needs to consistently use sustained diplomacy as India shares a lot of commons with Maldives which includes geographical access, historical ties, political ties, people to people connectivity etc.
India’s deep political ties are showcased by recent high-level exchanges done by both sides in 2023 and annual joint exercises like Ekuverin.
When Abdulla Shahid became the UNGA President, India has used its instrumental diplomatic clout to ensure its victory.
India can leverage People to people (P2P) relations.
India has always been a first responder like in 2014 incident of acute water supply crisis and even has stood beside Maldivians through Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital(IGMH).
India also sent the highest number of tourists to Maldives from 2020 to 2023.
India has an official policy of not commenting or taking sides in internal elections of other sovereign countries but it can try to use its non-governmental leverage by Track II diplomacy to ensure President Muizzu alone cannot sideline India.
India can rope in other Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) partners. France really wants to make sure International Shipping Lines (ISL) are not compromised and can collaborate with India for Maldives’ security.

Way Forward:

The deep-rooted Chinese investments which come with strings and strategic imperatives is forcing India to quickly adapt to the changing geopolitical situations. India is trying to be accommodative to new realities and Maldives needs to do its bit to ensure it does not use its largely Muslim populace to create rifts in its time-tested partnerships to make the Indian Ocean Region a geopolitical conquest where one wins at the other’s expense.

For more information:

INDIA – MALDIVES Evolution and Contemporary Issues

International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)

Context: The Interpol has issued a blue corner notice against the Prajwal Revanna, a member of Parliament, over the allegations of sexual abuse.

About Interpol:

The International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was the predecessor to INTERPOL which was created during the 2nd International Police Congress in Vienna in 1923.
Interpol as an inter-governmental organization established by the adoption of our Constitution in 1956 at the 25th General Assembly in Vienna, to facilitate worldwide police cooperation and crime control. India was one of its founding members. (#PrelimsFact)
The General Assembly is Interpol’s supreme governing body, comprising representatives from each of our member countries. It meets once a year and each session lasts around four days. It brings all countries together once a year to take decisions.
Each member country represented has one vote. The decision-making process is made by either a simple or two-thirds majority, depending on the subject matter. (#PrelimsFact)
The General Secretariat (staffed by both police and civilians) coordinates its day-to-day activities to fight a range of crimes.
In each country, an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) provides the central point of contact for the General Secretariat and other NCBs. An NCB is run by national police officials and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing.
Interpol NCBs do not respond to requests from the general public.
It is the only organization with the mandate and technical infrastructure to share police information globally.
Interpol issues eight types of Interpol notices, seven of which are: red, blue, green, yellow, black, orange, and purple. An eighth special notice (for groups and individuals under UN sanctions) is issued at the special request of the United Nations Security Council. (#PrelimsFact)

The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) is an independent, impartial body, officially responsible for ensuring that the processing of personal data by INTERPOL complies with the applicable rules. The Commission members are elected by the General Assembly. The terms of office of the members of the Commission shall be five years, renewable once for an additional term of three years.
I-CORE is a 10-year programme to reinforce INTERPOL’s function as a global police information hub. (#PrelimsFact)
It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
Process of membership:

Funding mechanism: It has two main sources of income: statutory contributions from our membership, and voluntary funding for our activities.
Each of the member countries pays a statutory contribution to INTERPOL each year; it is an obligatory payment. The amount paid by each country is agreed by the General Assembly each year and is essentially based on economic weight of the country.

Australia-India trade pact working well for both nations

Context: The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) has been beneficial for India. The exports of Indian farm products and industrial goods such as iron and steel products, showed a marked increase.

India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA):

Australia is an important strategic partner of India. They are also part of the four nation QUAD, Trilateral Supply Chain Initiative and the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum (IPEF).
The Australia-India ECTA entered into force in the year 2022.
It provides an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries and covers almost all the tariff lines dealt by India and Australia.
Provisions:
- Preferential market access for goods:
  - India is benefitting from preferential market access provided by Australia on 100% of its tariff lines, including all the labour-intensive sectors of export such as Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, leather, footwear, furniture, food, and agricultural products, engineering products, medical devices and Automobiles.
  - India is offering preferential access to Australia on over 70% of its tariff lines, including lines of export interest to Australia, which are primarily raw materials and intermediaries such as coal, mineral ores and wines.
- Services:
  - Australia has offered wide-ranging commitments in around 135 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status in 120 sub-sectors covering key areas of interest to India.
  - India has offered market access to Australia in around 103 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation status in 31 sub-sectors from the 11 broad service sectors such as ‘business services’, ‘communication services’, ‘construction and related engineering services.’
- Separate Annex on Pharmaceutical products: This agreement will enable fast-track approval for patented, generic and biosimilar medicines.
- Employment generation:
  - An additional 10 lakh jobs would be created in India under ECTA.
  - Indian Yoga teachers and chefs are set to gain the annual visa quota.
  - Over 1 lakh Indian students would benefit from a post-study work visa (for 18 months to 4 years) under the ECTA.
Increase in exports:
- Indian exports of iron and steel products were up 16 per cent at $322 million, apparel exports increased 6 per cent to $342 million and exports of jewellery increased 6 per cent to $169 million.
- Indian exports of agriculture also increased 15 per cent.

India and Australia are now negotiating to sign a full-fledged Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

The proposed CECA is expected to cover goods (some of the remaining ones that are out of CEPA), services, digital trade, government procurement and Rules of Origin (ROO)-Product Specific Rules Schedule.

Conclusion:

India-Australia bilateral trade, currently valued at about $30 billion per annum, has the potential of touching $100 billion over the next few years with the increased cooperation between the two sides and as India is aspiring to be at the centre of the supply chains of the future, a comprehensive partnership with Australia will assist it attaining its ambitions.