GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

After the recent accusations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against the Indian government, where he accused India of violating Canada's sovereignty on allegations of Indian government agents' involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force, has escalated tension between both the Nations.

Accusations and Denials

• Recent Sovereignty Violation: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of violating Canada's sovereignty during a recent parliamentary session.
• Counterclaims by New Delhi: The Canadian government's response to these allegations included the expulsion of an Indian diplomat, escalating tensions between the two countries.
• Khalistan's Ongoing Influence: The controversy surrounding Khalistan, a separatist movement advocating for an independent Sikh state has continued to cast a long shadow over the relationship between Canada and India.

Domestic Politics and Extremism

• Appeasing Extremist Elements: Trudeau's accusations against India are perceived as an attempt to pander to the radical Sikh diaspora in Canada.
• Neglecting Indian Concerns: Pro-Khalistan groups openly threaten Indian diplomats and glorify violence, exacerbating tensions.
• Political Calculations: Trudeau's shift in stance is viewed as a response to declining popularity, exploiting divisive issues for domestic political gain.

The Need for Reconciliation

• Contrasting Alliances: This divergence in diplomatic relations highlights Canada's unique position and the need for a balanced approach in its foreign policy.
• Emphasis on Strong India-Canada Ties: Strengthening this bond is vital for both nations, and it could yield mutual benefits in various areas, including trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.
• Resolution through Dialogue: It emphasizes that the interests of both Canada and India are intertwined, highlighting the urgency of mending their relationship for the benefit of both nations.

Context:

Recently, the Cabinet has approved the Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 which aims for empowerment of women through political representation in India.

Empowerment through Representation

• Transformative Role of Women's Reservation: Women, including sarpanches and block pramukhs, highlighted how reservation for women in local governance had elevated the discourse on women's rights.
• Empowerment beyond Urban Perspectives: Holding positions in local governance, signing formal documents, making decisions on education, and commanding respect in their families were seen as tangible fruits of the women's rights movement.
• Long-term Effects of Representation: The Women's Reservation Bill is seen as part of a process to create space and representation for women, offering opportunities similar to those in education, allowing them to thrive and contribute to the public sphere.

Role of Representation in Public Sphere

• Creating an Ecosystem for Women: Many women express elation and pride in seeing a woman candidate, believing that better representation will create an ecosystem for women to thrive and feel heard.
• Potential Impact of the Women's Reservation Bill: Women's Reservation Bill's potential impact aims to increase the number of women MPs and seeks sub-reservation for SCs, STs, and Anglo-Indians.
• Addressing Exclusion and Political Paradigm: The Bill is not merely about reservation but rightful representation, which can change the political landscape and address social anomalies.

The Dawn of an Enlightened Democracy

• Encouraging Political Participation: This Bill is poised to not only change the semantics of parliamentary democracy but also reshape its very contours.
• An Enlightened Democracy: India, known as the mother of democracy, will finally acknowledge and provide rightful representation to its daughters within the halls of the new Parliament.
• Feedback: The Bill is seen as a progressive step, long overdue, in providing women with representation at policy-making levels.

Context:

India has made several efforts to pioneering role in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and its transformative impact on governance, technology, and society.

Introduction to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

• DPI- a Transformative Concept: DPI is characterized by open, transparent, and participatory governance, fostering innovation, inclusion, and competition at scale.
• India's Journey with Technology: It evolved into infrastructure projects, Mission Mode Projects (MMPs), and the development of Aadhaar, which played a pivotal role in identity verification and service delivery.
• Key Lessons from Aadhaar: The development of Aadhaar taught essential lessons in minimalism, privacy, security, and open APIs, laying the foundation for India's DPI philosophy.

Integral Layers of DPI

• Three Integral Layers of DPI: DPI comprises three integral layers: Market, governance, and technology standards. The market layer involves innovative players, while governance requires legal frameworks and public programs. Technology standards, particularly for identity, payments, and data sharing, enable interoperability.
• Balancing Public and Private: DPI strikes a balance between all-government and all-private approaches by creating open protocols and shared platforms.
• Pricing and Professional Management: Publicly funded DPI services should ideally remain free, reducing costs and benefiting the public.

Security and Scalability of DPI

• Security Considerations: Security is a crucial aspect of DPIs, requiring secure pipelines and certification of end-user applications. Examples like Aadhaar and CoWin demonstrate successful security models for DPI services.
• Advantages of DPI: Scalability is a built-in feature, minimizing private innovators' investment.
• Successful DPIs in India: Others like Unified Health Interface (UHI), Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and Open Network for Digital Commerce are in the rollout stage, with potential for more in the future.

Context:

Amidst rising global energy demand and environmental concerns, there are challenges, contradictions, and financial tensions in the global energy transition.

The Energy Transition Dilemma

• Rising Global Energy Demand: Over the last five decades, global energy consumption has grown by approximately one percent annually.
• The Promise of Renewable Energy: While there is immense potential in renewable energy resources, the high initial costs of harnessing these sources pose challenges.
• Contrasting Actions of G20 Leaders: Despite commitments to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, the G20's financial actors continue to provide substantial support to major fossil fuel exploration and production (E&P) companies.

Challenges in the Green Transition

• Limitations of Wind Energy: Inflation and capital costs have made offshore wind projects vulnerable, as demonstrated by Vattenfall's experience at Norfolk Boreas wind farm.
• Ongoing Oil and Gas Exploration: Despite global efforts towards green energy transition, extensive oil and gas exploration and collaborations persist in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. Major players continue to pursue oil resources.
• India-Saudi Arabia Energy Relations: Saudi Aramco's Jafurah gas field project and India's involvement indicate the potential for deeper energy relations between the two countries.

Role of Petrochemicals and Energy Outlook

• Petrochemicals' Growing Significance: The growing importance of petrochemicals in daily life predicts that petrochemicals will contribute significantly to the growth in global oil demand by 2030.
• Refineries and Petrochemicals: The connection between refineries and petrochemicals is increasing, diverting more oil towards the chemicals sector.
• Continued Demand for Oil: Despite calls for a green transition and concerns about peak oil supply, there is an assertion that oil demand is projected to increase by 50% by 2050, primarily driven by Asian growth.