GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

Britain's parliament has passed Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda who arrived illegally.

1: Dimension- Issue of migration in Britain

• Tens of thousands of people have crossed the English Channel in small boats in recent years, many fleeing war and poverty.
• Britain's migration issue stems from various factors such as economic opportunities, political instability, and humanitarian crises, driving individuals to seek refuge or better prospects in the country.
  • Official figures put 2022 annual net migration to Britain at a record of 745,000.
• The influx of migrants, including asylum-seekers and undocumented immigrants, has sparked debates on national security, social cohesion, and resource allocation.
• Policy responses, such as the Rwanda Bill, aimed at curbing migration often face criticism for their ethical implications, effectiveness, and feasibility, highlighting the complex challenges and controversies surrounding migration management in Britain.

2: Dimension-Agreement to reduce immigration in other countries

• Germany has tightened the border controls to address immigration concerns.
• European lawmakers recently approved a revamped migration system to reduce unwanted immigration.
• Denmark has also signed a similar agreement with Rwanda, but any development has not yet taken place. Italy has announced plans to build reception centres in
• Israel scrapped a similar deal with Rwanda after five years.

3: Dimension-Questionable Human Rights

• Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 might not be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, affirms that Rwanda is a safe country.
• The UK Supreme Court ruling has already shown that Rwanda’s asylum practices are “not safe” and “unreliable”.

The Indian government initiated the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 with the goal of reducing atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) concentration by 20-30% by 2024, based on 2017 levels. However, this target was subsequently revised to a more ambitious goal of 40% reduction by 2026.

1: Dimension- Implementation Issues of NCAP

• Under the programme, cities continuously violating annual PM levels in India need to prepare and implement annual Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs).
• Inconsistency: Tough most cities proactively submitted their CAAPs, their implementation has been inconsistent.
• Implementation issue: On average, only 60% of the allocated funds have been used thus far, with 27% of cities spending less than 30% of their designated budgets.
• Delayed approvals: Implementation delays hinder NCAP’s success, particularly delays in approvals from the competent authorities.
• Lack of SOP: Furthermore, there is lack of standard operating procedures for the implementation process.
• Other issues:
  • Absence of well-defined timelines create further delays
  • Bureaucratic red-tape and lingering doubts regarding the effectiveness of proposed mitigation measures

2: Dimension- Required Measures

• There is need of swift implementation on the ground and focus on reducing bureaucratic red tape by utilising shared, standardised technical evaluations.
• Prior budgeting and time management play crucial roles as NCAP funding is linked with the performance of cities (based on the annual average PM concentration reduction).
• Technical feasibility, budgeting, and time estimates need to be part of the initial plans.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) have garnered Rs 1.3 lakh crore in the past four years till March-end, and are expected to facilitate more pooled funds, as per the Reserve Bank.

About

• Real Estate Investment Trusts(REITs) are the companies that finance, purchase, or manage commercial spaces that have the potential to generate an income. It is a legitimate way of investing in the real estate sector.
  • Example: Mall, shopping complexes, hotels, co-working spaces, and hospitals
• Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) are vehicles that allow the investors to pool their capitals in the infrastructure sector and hold income-generating assets. IndiGrid and IRB are some of the registered InvITs.
  • Example: Roads, highways, power, gas pipelines, energy projects, etc. are some of the major examples of InvITs.

Google has fired some of its employees after they participated in protests against the company's cloud contract with the Israeli government called Project Nimbus.

What is project Nimbus?

• Project Nimbus is a contract awarded to Google and Amazon.com in 2021 to supply the Israeli government with cloud services.
• The aim of the project is to provide Israel with public cloud services in order to address challenges in various sectors of the country like healthcare, transportation, and education.
• The execution of this project will allow Israel to perform large-scale data analysis, AI training, database hosting, and other forms of powerful computing using Google’s technology.

A group of scientists, using a type of toxin found in many kinds of snakes, synthetically developed a broadly applicable human antibody against the venom toxin. 

Key-highlights

• The scientists focused on three-finger toxins (3FTxs) — one of the most abundant and lethal ingredients in elapid venoms.
  • Elapids are a major medically relevant family of snakes that include cobras, kraits, and mambas.
• The scientists narrowed their focus on α-neurotoxins, a specific class of 3FTxs that target receptors in human nerve and muscle cells.
• These toxins prevent the receptors from responding to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in carrying messages from the neurons to the muscles, leading to paralysis, an inability to breathe, and eventually death.
• They then screened billions of human antibodies and selected number of antibodies that an animal’s immune system could cook up in response to a venom. After multiple rounds, they had a shortlist of antibodies that broadly reacted with most of the 3FTx variants they used.
• Then an antibody dubbed 95Mat5 was found that worked well against all the snake venoms.

In a significant development, 10 Asian countries, including India, have pledged USD 1 billion over the next decade towards protecting and expanding vital tiger habitats across the continent.

About Tiger (Panthera Tigris)

• Tiger, (Panthera tigris) is the largest memberof the cat family (Felidae) and also the earliest Panthera member to exist.
• Primarily a forest animal, they range from the Siberian taiga to the Sunderban delta.
• In the wild, tigers are found in India, Nepal, China, Russia, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra (Indonesia) and Malaysia.
• It is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea.
• Status: Endangered
• Since 2015, the global tiger population has increased from 3,200 in 2015 to approximately 4,500 in 2022. 
• The five surviving sub species of tiger are 
  • Indian Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger(Panthera tigris tigris) found in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh; 
  • Indo-Chinese tiger(Panthera tigris corbetti) mainly found in Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia but are also found in Myanmar, Southern China, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; 
  • Siberian or Amur Tiger(Panthera tigris altaica) found in far east Russia;
  • Sumatran Tiger(Panthera tigris sumatrae) found in the Indonesian island of Sumatra; 
  • South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) found in China. The population found in Peninsular Malaysia has been given a status of separate sub species Panthera tigris jacksoni. 

Researchers have discovered a new species of plant from the Nelliyampathy hills in the Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae species) group.

About

• Name: Stellaria mcclintockiae (in honour of the renowned geneticist Barbara McClintock)
• This is the first plant in this species to be found in the southern regions of India. This plant species has several unique characteristics compared to others found in the wild.
• Group: It belongs to the Stellaria media group.

The passage of the Rwanda Bill by the UK Parliament has sparked controversy and debate regarding the country's immigration policies, particularly concerning asylum-seekers and refugees attempting dangerous crossings to enter the UK.

Controversial Rwanda Bill:

• Deportation: The Rwanda Bill aims to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda for assessment and potential resettlement, following a policy initiated by former PM Boris Johnson in 2022.
• Human rights issues: The UK Supreme Court previously struck down a similar policy due to concerns over Rwanda's human rights record, prompting the need for legislative measures to address these concerns and designate Rwanda as a "safe third country."
• Criticism: Despite its intentions, the Rwanda Bill has faced criticism from organizations like the UNHCR, which argue that such arrangements are inconsistent with international refugee conventions and may endanger asylum-seekers' rights and safety.

Challenges and Criticisms of the Rwanda Bill:

• Ineffective for root cause: Critics argue that the Rwanda Bill is ineffective as a deterrent to undocumented migrants and may not address the root causes driving individuals to undertake dangerous crossings to reach the UK.
• Financial and logistical feasibility of the Rwanda Bill is also questioned, with concerns raised about the high initial cost per asylum-seeker and the potential strain on the British legal system and public finances.
• Comprehensive approach: Rather than relying on punitive measures and deportation policies, advocates suggest the need for a more comprehensive and streamlined approach to asylum and immigration, prioritizing human rights and addressing the underlying issues fuelling migration.

Mains Question:

Discuss the implications and controversies surrounding the UK's Rwanda Bill, which aims to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda for assessment and potential resettlement.

India submitted three papers to the 111th Session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Committee (LEG) to address seafarers' security concerns and broader maritime security challenges.

Challenges and Concerns for Indian Seafarers:

• Resurgence of piracy: Recent pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Guinea indicate a resurgence of piracy, posing significant risks to Indian seafarers and commercial vessels.
• Unlawful recruitment practices and exploitation of seafarers' rights have been reported, leading to concerns about their well-being and safety.
• Vulnerabilities of Indian seafarers have been highlighted by incidents such as the seizure of vessels and kidnappings, underlining the need for enhanced security measures and international cooperation.

Initiatives and Responses:

• Improved conditions: India has submitted papers to the IMO’s Legal Committee to emphasize seafarers’ security and advocate for improved contractual conditions.
• Human rights at sea: The Indian government and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched the 'human rights at sea' initiative to address abuses against Indian seafarers, including illegal detentions and exploitation.
• Future Prospects and Government Action: India aims to increase its share of the global seafaring population and enhance its standing in the maritime sector. Government support and measures are urgently needed in the face of evolving maritime security threats.

Mains Question:

Discuss the challenges faced by Indian seafarers in light of recent pirate attacks and unlawful recruitment practices. What initiatives has the Indian government taken to address these challenges, and what further actions are required to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian seafarers in the maritime industry?

India's ranking at the bottom of 180 countries in the Environment Performance Index (EPI) in 2022 has sparked debates on the effectiveness of government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and their impact on environmental sustainability.

Challenges in Environmental Initiatives:

• Questionable implementation: Despite government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), India's performance in the Environment Performance Index (EPI) remains poor, raising questions about the efficacy of environmental policies.
• Caste issues: Issues such as sanitation and waste management, deeply entrenched in caste dynamics, pose significant challenges to achieving environmental sustainability goals.
• Poor maintenance: Reports highlighting the poor quality of construction and maintenance of sanitation facilities under the SBM indicate systemic failures and shortcomings in addressing environmental concerns.

Privatization and Caste Discrimination:

• Privatisation and discrimination: The SBM's reliance on large, capital-intensive technologies has led to the privatization of waste management services, perpetuating caste-based discrimination in sanitation work.
• Social inequalities: The outsourcing of waste management to private contractors, who often employ marginalized communities like Dalits, exacerbates social inequalities and undermines the objectives of inclusive development.
• Systemic inadequacies: Shortages of sanitation inspectors in municipal corporations further reflect systemic inadequacies and hinder effective implementation of environmental policies at the grassroots level.

Need for Policy Overhaul:

• Fundamental re-evaluation: The failures of environmental initiatives like the SBM underscore the need for a fundamental re-evaluation of India's development model.
• Prioritisation of human rights: Addressing environmental challenges requires policies that prioritize human rights and address systemic issues contributing to climate change.
• Alignment: The link between climate change and basic human rights, as recognized by the Supreme Court, emphasizes the imperative of aligning policies with principles of social justice.

Mains Question:

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in addressing environmental challenges in India. What systemic issues and policy failures contribute to India's poor performance in global environmental rankings like the Environment Performance Index (EPI)?