GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

India should embrace its diversity like strength, avoiding conflicts based on religion and population differences, to avoid internal problems taking example from Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The Cultural Divide in the Caucasus

• Religious Diversity: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the Caucasus region showcase a cultural and religious divide, with Christian, Muslim, and Orthodox populations.
• Historical Conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh's historical context involves ethnic and religious tensions, reflecting conflicts between empires and nations.
• Modern Conflict: The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict exemplifies how cultural and civilizational clashes can ignite modern conflicts.

Lessons for India's Cultural Diversity

• India's Cultural Fabric: India's rich cultural diversity contrasts with neighbors like Pakistan and China, emphasizing pluralism and multiculturalism.
• Internal Faultlines: India must address domestic cultural divisions to prevent exploitation by external adversaries.
• Unity in Diversity: India's strength lies in embracing its diversity rather than imposing uniformity, fostering synergy with like-minded civilizations.

Upholding India's Civilizational Strength

• Civilizational Battleground: India's commitment to plurality is crucial in the face of monotheistic ideologies on its borders.
• Cultural Synergy: India should leverage its civilizational strengths to build alliances with culturally diverse nations that respect multiculturalism.
• Guarding Against Uniformity: Imposing uniformity may weaken India, making it essential to protect and nurture its diverse cultural heritage.

Context:

Indian states must take action as data reveals a shortage of women in law enforcement, hindering cases related to women's issues.

Legislative Progress for Women's Representation

• Constitutional Amendment: India is set to increase women's participation in politics with the recent passage of the 128th Amendment Bill, reserving one-third of legislative seats for women.
• Amendment Scope: The bill covers the House of the People, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, extending to seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Policymaking Goal: The amendment aims to boost women's involvement in policy-making but faces potential delays linked to census and delimitation processes.

Women's Representation in State Police Forces

• Gender Quotas: Several Indian states reserve 30% or 33% of police vacancies for women, improving representation, but not all states enforce this policy.
• Varied State Performance: Women's representation in state police forces varies, with some states not following quotas but still having 6% to 11% women representation.
• Recruitment Challenges: The overall recruitment process and attrition rates hinder achieving the 33% target, requiring focused efforts to increase women's presence.

The Importance of Women in Law Enforcement

• Criminal Cases: With crimes against women forming a significant share of total cases, having more women police officers is essential for effective law enforcement.
• Law and Order: Women officers are needed not only for handling gender-related cases but also for general law enforcement and day-to-day duties.
• Police Reforms: Police reforms are a state matter, and incentives for implementing reforms, including merging women police with regular forces, have been introduced.

Context:

The recently concluded G-20 Declaration, among its many commitments, reiterated the need to pursue reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve all its functions and conduct proactive discussions “to ensure a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024”.

WTO Dispute Settlement and its Challenges

• WTO's Dysfunction: The WTO's dispute settlement system has faced issues since 2019 due to the United States blocking appellate body appointments.
• Significance of Dispute Settlement: The system is vital for ensuring coherent rulings, predictability, and confidence in the WTO's dispute resolution process.
• Future Uncertainty: The G-20 Declaration expresses support, but the U.S. opposes an appellate review, raising questions about the system's future.

Need for Appellate Review in Investment Law

• ISDS in International Investment Law: Investor-state-dispute settlement (ISDS) plays a crucial role, but it lacks an appellate review mechanism.
• Challenges in ISDS: ISDS lacks consistency and coherence, leading to instability and unpredictability in international investment law.
• Benefits of Appellate Review: Establishing an appellate mechanism can rectify legal errors, harmonize interpretations, and bring stability and certainty to ISDS.

India's Role in Promoting Appellate Review

• India's Stance: India's model BIT indicates support for appellate review in ISDS, aligning with concerns about ISDS inconsistency.
• EU Negotiations: India must take a stand on appellate review during ongoing investment treaty talks with the EU, which advocates for it.
• Promoting Global Order: India's commitment to a rule-based global order should drive support for appellate review in ISDS and the WTO dispute settlement system.

Context:

As India gears up to set up the first ever semiconductor fabrication unit, or fab, on its shores — a dream project in the making for decades, there is a need to focus on its procurement, management and facilitation.

Significance of India's Semiconductor Fab

• Geopolitical Opportunity: Establishing India's first semiconductor fabrication unit (fab) holds immense geopolitical importance, and the moment is ripe for success.
• Historical Hurdles: Decades ago, India missed the opportunity to host Intel due to reluctance to "pick winners," but industrial policy now has more support.
• Islands of Excellence: India's history includes pockets of excellence amid mediocrity, evident in manufacturing and services, underscoring the need for widespread excellence.

Nurturing a Culture of Excellence

• Past Scarcities: India's past, marked by scarcities and regulations like FERA, hindered innovation and encouraged subpar products in a protected economy.
• Present Potential: India, now the third-largest economy in purchasing power parity terms, has semiconductor design prowess, yet pervasive excellence is lacking.
• Cultural Shift Needed: To leverage fab investment benefits, India must cultivate a culture of excellence, moving beyond jugaad, emphasizing quality and precision.

Protecting Semiconductor Growth

• Promised Benefits: Semiconductor investment will yield externalities, boosting ancillary manufacturing and employment but necessitating high-quality standards.
• Exceptional Requirements: Semiconductor production requires flawless processes, packaging, and transportation, as even minor interruptions result in significant losses.
• The Bridge to Excellence: India must build a bridge from islands of excellence to the broader economy, ensuring convergence toward excellence.