GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

Under India's G20 presidency, culture was unanimously endorsed as a standalone goal, marking a paradigm shift in global development strategy towards fostering inclusive and sustainable societies.

Recognition of Culture in Global Development:

• Standalone goal of culture: India's G20 presidency led to the unanimous endorsement of culture as a standalone goal, highlighting its fundamental role in inclusive and sustainable development.
• Noted absence: Despite its significant influence, culture is absent from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting a gap in the global development agenda.
• Significance of culture: The endorsement underscores the importance of culture in fostering understanding, tolerance, and social inclusion, aligning with the 2030 Agenda's emphasis on holistic development.

Transformative Impact of Cultural Goal:

• Call for global action: Establishing culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 Agenda would galvanize global action, nurture creativity, and empower marginalized communities.
• Reinforcement of values: Culture serves as a conduit for intergenerational communication, reinforcing social norms and values critical for sustainable development.
• Potential: Recognizing culture as a standalone goal unlocks its transformative potential, ensuring a more equitable, just, and sustainable world for future generations.

India's Commitment to Cultural Sustainability:

• Innovative solution: India's rich heritage and cultural practices offer innovative solutions to contemporary challenges, rooted in principles of sustainability.
• Adoption of cultural lifestyle: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) emphasizes adopting an eco-conscious lifestyle and responsible resource utilization.
• Goal: India's leadership in endorsing culture as a standalone goal reflects its commitment to fostering inclusive, resilient, and interconnected societies on the global stage.

Context:

India's tariff policies have undergone significant changes since the early 1990s, moving towards lower tariffs, but recent increases have led to concerns about their impact on trade competitiveness and domestic industries.

Tariff Trends and Protectionism:

• Declining tariff trend (2014-15): India had been steadily reducing tariffs since the 1990s, with the average tariff declining from 125% in 1990-91 to 13% in 2014-15.
• Reversing trend: However, since 2014, there has been a reversal in this trend, with around 3,200 tariff increases, driven by the government's call for self-reliance or atmanirbharta.
• Impact on trade: These tariff increases have raised India's average tariff rate to around 18%, making it one of the highest in the world and affecting trade competitiveness.

Impact on Trade Competitiveness and Domestic Industries:

• Disadvantage: India's high tariffs not only exceed those of competitors like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh but also place manufacturers at a disadvantage and hurt export competitiveness.
• Loss of competitive advantage: Targeting Chinese imports post the Galwan clash has led to concerns about the loss of competitive advantage in key sectors like electronics and pharmaceuticals.
• Need of better approach: There are growing calls within the government for a more nuanced approach to tariffs to address these concerns and promote manufacturing and exports.

Need for a Balanced Approach and Pursuing Trade Agreements:

• Need of a balancing act: Erecting high tariff walls may benefit inefficient domestic players but ultimately hurts consumers, necessitating a more balanced approach to tariffs.
• Shift in policy: The government has taken steps to reduce import duties on components used in manufacturing mobile phones, indicating a potential shift in policy.
• Important trade agreements: Additionally, signing trade agreements with countries like the UAE, Australia, and potentially the UK and the EU can further enhance India's trade competitiveness and facilitate exports.

Context:

India's human spaceflight mission, known as Gaganyaan, has reached a significant milestone with the announcement of the final shortlist of astronaut candidates by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Progress and Milestones of Gaganyaan Mission:

• Objective: Gaganyaan aims to send an Indian crew to low-earth orbit onboard an Indian rocket, with two test flights of the human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 rocket scheduled in 2024 and 2025, followed by the crewed launch in 2025.
• The plan: The Union Cabinet approved Gaganyaan in 2018, allocating ?10,000 crore for the mission's implementation, and despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ISRO and its collaborators have worked to bring together various components of the mission.
• Final preparations: With the announcement of the final shortlist of astronaut candidates, India is entering the last phase of preparations for its ambitious human spaceflight mission.

Political and Technological Considerations:

• Alignment: While political influence cannot be completely eliminated from a project of this scale, Gaganyaan must transcend purely political motivations and align with India's space policy objectives, which emphasize applied research, development of newer systems, and a long-term roadmap for sustained human presence in space.
• Correct focus: The focus should be on scientific exploration and societal value creation rather than achieving 'space superpower' status, with Gaganyaan serving as a catalyst for seeding a democratic culture of space exploration open to public scrutiny and debate.
• Contributing to advancement: India's space endeavors should aim to expand human horizons and contribute to scientific advancements, distinguishing themselves from geopolitical aspirations and the pursuit of technological superiority.

Vision for the Future and Societal Impact:

• Prioritize scientific exploration: As India sets its sights on broader space exploration goals, including landing an Indian on the moon by 2040, it must prioritize scientific exploration and the creation of new scientific and societal value over merely maintaining technological edge or superpower status.
• Commitment: Gaganyaan and future space missions should reflect a commitment to scientific excellence, international cooperation, and public engagement, fostering a culture of space exploration rooted in democratic values and the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of humanity.
• Global leader: By embracing a vision that goes beyond geopolitical ambitions and technological prowess, India can establish itself as a global leader in space exploration while contributing meaningfully to scientific discovery and societal advancement.