Exam view: Saudi Arabia and Iran Relations, Reasons behind the agreement, China’s interest behind brokering the deal.

In News: Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of West Asia’s major powers, which have had constrained relations with each other each other for decades, agreed to restore diplomatic relations last week in an agreement brokered by China.

Agreement for restoration of diplomatic relations

Iran has agreed to prevent further attacks against Saudi Arabia, especially those from the Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen.

Saudi Arabia, on its part, agreed to rein in Iran International, a Farsi news channel that is critical of the Iranian regime.

Reasons for Saudi Arabia’s outreach to Iran:

• Realignments in West Asia: In past few years several strategic realignments have been maneuvered such as UAE normalizing relations with Israel, Israel and Arab countries deepened their partnerships etc. This required Saudi to look for beyond traditional dogmas.
• S.’de-prioritization: The U.S., the traditional power of the region, is busy with Russian war in Ukraine and China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific creating a power vacuum. Saudi saw such power vacuum and challenge posed by Iran’s rise as an opportunity to realign.
• Rocky relation between USA and Saudi Arabia: The bedrock of the partnership U.S and Saudi, i.e., Oil trade in 1950s, has become irrelevant now. USA has merged as the top oil producers in the world and is not as dependent on the Gulf Arab.

Reasons for Iran to accept the deal:

• Strategic reasons and Domestic pressure: Sanctions have led to protests in Iran and rising internal pressure required realigning its foreign policy. Furthermore, such a deal could complicate American effort to rally Arab countries and Israel against Iran.
• Economic reasons: Deteriorating economy, falling currency and economic sanctions from the West, required normalizing relations with neighbours for ensuring China’s investment in the country.

China’s Interest in the deal:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-understanding-the-saudi-iran-detente/article66616343.ece

In News: US to Help India Join Global Alliances in Chip Manufacturing

About

• The United States will collaborate with India to boost its semiconductor industry.
• The US is also pursuing the Chip 4 alliance initiative with other semiconductor manufacturers, and India's involvement could lead to the possibility of joining other mainstream chip alliances.
• At present, the global semiconductor chip industry is dominated by a handful of companies and nations, with high entry barriers.
• The partnership will help India in joining the global electronics supply chain besides getting help from established foreign chip firms.

Key Points:

• India could benefit from being aligned with a more central role in the global electronics supply chain and find convergence with the incentive schemes of other governments.
• India's $10 billion in incentives will be mainstreamed by dovetailing component manufacturing projects from established foreign chip firms and industry leaders.
• India could also be drafted into mainstream chip alliances being discussed among major chip producing countries including US.
• The deal could prompt a potential realignment of India's current policy approach on chip manufacturing.
• Compliance with labour and other standards are likely to be part of the commercial and strategic deals.

Chip market:

• The semiconductor chip industry is dominated by few countries and companies with Taiwan and South Korea making up about 80% of the global foundry base for chips.
• TSMC is the world’s most advanced chipmaker followed by Samsung, SK Hynix, Intel and Micron which dominate advanced logic chips.
• Cambridge-based chip designer Arm is the world’s biggest supplier of chip design elements.
• The semiconductor market in India is expected to reach $63 billion by 2025 which at present is fulfilled by foundries in Taiwan which account for over 70% of the chips that mobile devices made in India utilize.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/us-to-reboot-indias-chip-ambitions-will-help-plug-in-to-global-alliances-8492835/

In News: Manipur government on March 10 decided to withdraw from the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with two hill-based tribal militant groups, Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), alleging they were “influencing agitation among forest encroachers”.

Roots of Militant Insurgency in Manipur:

• Underground Kuki groups have fought the Indian government for long to create an independent Kuki homeland, spread across Manipur.
• The Kuki insurgency gained momentum after ethnic clashes with the Nagas of Manipur in the early 1990s, with the Kuki arming themselves against Naga aggression.
• The bone of contention is the land that the Kukis claim to be their “homeland” in the Manipur hills overlaps with the imagined Naga homeland of Greater Nagaland or Nagalim.
• The ZRA is a militant group operating in Manipur, was formed in 1996 with the aim of securing greater autonomy for the Zomi people, an indigenous community living in the region.

What is the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement?

• The SoO agreement was signed by the Indian government and Kuki militant groups operating in Manipur and Nagaland and the state of Manipur, in 2008 as a ceasefire agreement between the three parties.
• Under the agreement, the Kuki militant groups agreed to stop carrying out violent activities and come to designated camps to be monitored by security forces.
• In return, the Indian government agreed to suspend its operations against the Kuki groups.
• There are nearly 30 Kuki insurgent groups in Manipur, of which 25 are under tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO). Around 17 are under the umbrella group Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and 8 are under the United People’s Front (UPF).
• The Kuki outfits who were initially demanding a separate Kuki state have come down to a ‘Kukiland territorial council’, which would have financial and administrative powers independent of the Manipur Assembly and government.

What are the terms of the SoO pact?

• While initially signed in 2008 for one year, it is extendable according to the progress of its implementation.
• A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), with representatives from all the signatories, was formed to oversee the effective implementation of the SoO pact.
• The signatories shall abide by the Constitution of India, the laws of the land and the territorial integrity of Manipur. They are prohibited from committing all kinds of atrocities, extortion, among others.
• The militant cadres are to be confined in designated camps identified by the Government. Arms are deposited in a safe room under a double-locking system. The groups are given arms only to guard their camps and protect their leaders.
• As a rehabilitation package, the UG cadres living in the designated camps are given a monthly stipend of Rs 5000. Financial assistance is also being provided to maintain the designated camps.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-politics/what-is-the-soo-agreement-manipur-govt-withdrew-from-8494829/

In News: According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) report 2022, India remained the world’s largest arms importer from 2018 to 2022 followed by Saudi Arabia.

Key Highlights of the report:

• Largest arms exporter to India:
  • Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22, but its share of arms imports by India fell from 64%to 45%.
  • France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India between 2018-22 at 29%, which included 62 combat aircraft and four submarines.
  • US is the third largest supplier at 11%
• India’s Arms Import Data:
  • India has an 11% share of total global arms imports, making it world’s biggest importer of major arms for past two decades.,”
  • This position is despite an 11% drop in arms imports, which can be attributed to several factors like India’s slow and complex arms procurement process, and efforts to diversify its arms suppliers, among others.
  • Hostile nuclear capable neighbours i.e. Pakistan and China largely drive India’s demand for arms imports.
• Global arms export outlook:
  • Russia’s position as India’s main arms supplier is under pressure owing to strong competition from other supplier states, increased Indian arms production, and, constraints on Russia’s arms exports related to its invasion of Ukraine.
  • India was the third-largest arms supplier to Myanmar during this period after Russia and China.
  • Despite a fall in global volume of international arms transfers by 5.1%, imports of major arms by the EU increased by 47% in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Source: 

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-world-largest-arms-importer-8494881/

In news: The Supreme Court has increased the jurisdiction and powers of a high-powered committee led by its former judge, to conduct necessary checks and undertake fact-finding exercises concerning the import, transfer, procurement, rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, including those in captivity, across India.

About the High Powered Committee (HPC):

• The HPC was initially constituted to oversee the transfer of captive wild elephants from the northeastern States and its ambit was restricted to Tripura and Gujarat.
• The jurisdiction has been expanded to cater to all wild animals in need of rehabilitation or rescue anywhere in India.
• Other designated members of the committee include:
  • Director General of Forests (Union of India),
  • Head of Project Elephant Division (MoEF)
  • Member Secretary (Central Zoo Authority of India).
• Chief Wildlife Wardens of the States would be co-opted as members of the committee and the panel would look into all pending and future complaints.
• Powers of the committee:
  • The Committee may consider the request for approval, dispute or grievance, concerning transfer or import into India or procurement or welfare of wild animals by any rescue or rehabilitation centre or zoo.
  • State and Central authorities should report seizure of wild animals or abandonment of captive wild animals to the committee.
  • The committee shall be at liberty to recommend transfer of ownership of captive animals or of seized wild animals to any willing rescue centre or zoo for their welfare, care and rehabilitation

Source: 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/committee-to-oversee-transfer-and-import-of-captive-wild-animals-in-india-supreme-court/article66606882.ece

In News: Union government includes 6 rare diseases under National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD), 2021.

About

• Central Technical Committee for Rare Diseases (CTCRD) has recommended six diseases into the list after reviewing updated scientific data from the clinical experience of experts.
• Group 1: Disorders amenable to one-time curative treatment
  • Laron's Syndrome
• Group 2: Diseases requiring long-term/lifelong treatment with lower cost and documented benefit in literature and annual or more frequent surveillance required:
  • Wilson's Disease
  • Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
  • Neonatal Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease (NOMID)
• Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available but challenges are making an optimal patient selection for benefit, high cost, and lifelong therapy:
  • Hypophosphatic Rickets
  • Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (AHUS)

Benefits:

• Provision for financial support up to Rs 50 lakhs for patients suffering from any category of rare diseases and treatment in any of the Centers of Excellence (CoEs) mentioned in NPRD-2021.
• Financial assistance provided outside the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi.
• Patients in nearby areas may approach the nearest Center of Excellence for assessment and to avail benefits.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) will identify CoEs for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of rare diseases.

https://medicaldialogues.in/news/health/government-policies/union-health-ministry-includes-6-rare-diseases-under-nprd-2021-details-108370

Why in news? Recently, RBI has granted IFC status to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

About

• IFC is a non-deposit accepting loan company that have a minimum of 75% of total assets of company deployed as infrastructure loans.
• Exposure to sub-sectors like Transport, Energy, Water and Sanitation, Communication, Social and commercial etc is considered as Infrastructure loan.
• IFC should have minimum net worth of Rs 300 crore and minimum credit rating of the company should be at ‘A’ or equivalent of CRISIL, FITCH, CARE etc.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1906539

Why in news? Recently, Back Exercise La Perouse begins between navies of India, US, Japan, France, UK and Australia.

About

• It is a multilateral exercise conducted by French Navy and is aimed at enhancing coordination amongst the participating navies in Indo-Pacific Region.
• Participating countries include India, USA, Japan, Australia, UK etc.

https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/exercise-la-perouse-between-navies-of-india-us-japan-france-uk-and-australia-begins-11678708069889.html

Why in news? Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) being rendered for the benefit of farmers in the country under the ‘Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa’ (GKMS) scheme.

About

• GKMS scheme is a step towards contribution to weather information-based crop livestock management strategies and operations.
• Under the scheme, medium range weather forecast at district and block level is generated and based on the forecast, Agromet Advisories are prepared and communicated.
• GKMS is rendered by India Meteorological Department (IMD) jointly with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1906389

Why in news? Recently, Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) Bhabha Atomic Research centre (BARC) demonstrated new waste management technologies.

• SHESHA: A compact helical shaped waste converter aimed to manage biodegradable waste generated in small housing societies, restaurants, etc. in-situ.
• Rapid composting technology: Based on cellulolytic fungi Trichoderma koningiopsis isolated from tree bark- for composting kitchen waste, agricultural waste, garden waste and temple waste.
• AIC-BARC is established under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog to create a start-up eco-system based on spin-off technologies of Department of Atomic Energy.

Why in news? Cambodia’s general elections are scheduled to be held in July this year.

About

• Cambodia, country on the Indochinese mainland of Southeast Asia. Cambodia is largely a land of plains and great rivers and lies amid important overland and river trade routes linking China to India and Southeast Asia.
• Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country surrounded by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Gulf of Thailand gives it maritime access.
• Angkor Wat, an ancient temple complex built by Suryavarman II in 12 th Century, is located in Cambodia.

Geographical Features:

• Its landscape is marked by a low-lying central alluvial plain that is surrounded by uplands and low mountains.
• Major Rivers- Mekong River.
• Largest Lake: Tonlé Sap Lake, largest freshwater lake of Southeast Asia.
• Highest Peak: Phnom Aural in Cardamom Mountains.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/its-a-battle-for-democracy-and-inclusive-development-in-cambodia/article66616206.ece

Why in news?  Recently, Advertising standard council of India introduced new draft norms for advertising by educational institutes.

About

• Indian edtech market is expected to rise to 10.27 billion dollar in 2025.
• Institutions can’t make unsubstantiated claims about job placements or guarantees of academic success on enrolment.
• Prohibit ads from guaranteeing a student a rank, high marks, a job, admission to institutions etc., unless it can substantiate this.
• Font size of disclaimers in advertisements must now match the size of claims made.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/advertising/stricter-ad-rules-for-edu-institutes-11678736814462.html