GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

In Shaksgam Valley, an area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that Beijing acquired in 1963, China is constructing a road that would link Muzaffarabad with Yarkahnd in Xinjiang via the Mustagh Pass.

• Located 5,400 square kilometers north ofSiachen, the Shaksgam valley is part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and provides the Chinese with a strategic edge along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• The Shaksgam Valley is a part of India's territory because India rejected the 1963 "China Pakistan Boundary Agreement," which purportedly allowed Pakistan to try and illegally hand over the region to China.
• China unlawfully acquired 5180 square kilometers of Indian territory in the Shaksgam Valley from Pakistan in 1963.
• The Trans Karakoram Tract, commonly known as the Shaksgam Valley, is a portion of the PoK'sHunza-Gilgit region.
• The road is thought to be a segment of a route that connects the Upper Shaksgam Valley, which lies adjacent to the Siachen Glacier, to the Karakoram Highway.
• This new road crosses the Aghil Pass, which is 16,333 feet high.
• It may offer an alternate route to the Upper Shaksgam Pass, which leads to the Karakoram Pass, and to the Khunjerab Pass, which is located in the northern areas of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
• Dominate features of the region are the K2 peak. The region is mostly covered in glaciers and has high mountains on all sides.

India is witnessing the simultaneous global rise and regional decline of its power.

India's Global Rise vs. Regional Decline:

• Global Rise: India's growing absolute power, peer accommodation, and active participation in global institutions like the G-20 and multilateral groups such as the Quad showcase its increasing geopolitical significance on the global stage.
• Regional Decline: Despite its global rise, India's influence in South Asia is diminishing due to factors like comparative power loss vis-à-vis China, changes in South Asian geopolitics, and the rise of China's influence in the region.

Impact of China's Rise:

• Shift in Regional Balance of Power: China's ascent in South Asia, coupled with the US withdrawal from the region and India's focus on the Indo-Pacific, has tilted the regional balance of power in Beijing's favor, prompting smaller South Asian powers to adopt strategies like balancing, bargaining, and hedging.
• Challenges for India: India must acknowledge the changing regional dynamics, focus on its strengths, and adopt proactive policies to counter China's influence in the region, including engaging in maritime opportunities, revisiting traditional conceptions of the region, and utilizing soft power diplomacy.

Utilizing Soft Power and Adaptability:

• Soft Power Utilization: India should leverage its soft power through informal contacts and conflict management initiatives to retain influence in the region, fostering dialogue and cooperation among political and civil society actors across South Asia.
• Adaptability and External Partnerships: New Delhi's openness to engaging with external partners and viewing the region through a non-India centric lens provides opportunities for addressing regional challenges and maintaining influence despite the dichotomy between global rise and regional decline.

Mains Question:

Discuss the paradox of India's foreign policy, analyzing the simultaneous global rise and regional decline of Indian power.

The United Nations summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assessed progress towards achieving the SDGs, revealing slow progress and the need for urgent action.The Agenda-2030, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, identified 17 SDGs with 169 specific targets to be achieved by 2030.

Slow Progress and Concerns:

• Insufficient Progress: Progress towards achieving the SDGs from 2015 to 2019 was insufficient, with the COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises further impeding progress.
• Deficiencies in Goal Pursuit: There is little attention towards SDGs related to the environment and biodiversity, and the current practice of pursuing SDGs fails to address the integrated and indivisible nature of the goals, posing a threat to environmental sustainability.
• Environmental degradation: The present trend, if it continues, will lead to accelerated environmental degradation and the purpose of transiting towards sustainability defeated.

Urgent Action and Recommendations:

• Key Areas for Action: The UN SDG Report 2023 identifies five key areas for urgent action, including commitments from governments, integrated policies to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, strengthening of national institutions, international cooperation, and support for the UN development system.
• Scholarly Analysis and Recommendations: A team of scholars analyzed the political impact of SDGs and concluded that while SDGs have led to discursive effects and some institutional reforms, they have not been transformative in national and local politics. Recommendationsinclude adopting a systemic approach, managing trade-offs, and maximizing co-benefits.
• Election Year Considerations: The year 2024 marks elections in numerous countries globally, presenting an opportunity for newly elected governments to align national policies with sustainability goals and address environmental challenges.

Mains Question:

Discuss the progress and challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as assessed in the United Nations summit. Evaluate the recommendations for urgent action and the role of political actors in aligning national policies with sustainability objectives, especially in the context of the upcoming global elections in 2024.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is under scrutiny due to its link to a rare adverse side effect, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), leading to legal actions and ethical dilemmas.

Understanding the Rare Side-Effect:

• Definition of TTS: Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), also known as vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) or vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), is a rare syndrome associated with adenoviral vector Covid-19 vaccines, characterized by blood clots and low platelet count.
• Challenges in Vaccine Trials: The expedited development of Covid-19 vaccines and the adaptive trial design may have contributed to the insufficient detection of rare side effects like TTS, which are not adequately powered in traditional clinical trials.

Threat Perception and Regulatory Response:

• Incidence and Fatality Rates: TTS reporting rates vary globally, with higher rates in some countries and lower rates in others, along with divergent fatality rates. The decision to suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine by various countries highlights concerns over its safety and efficacy.
• Regulatory Assessments: Despite concerns, regulatory bodies have concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making and risk communication.
• Legal and Ethical Implications: Legal actions, such as the class action lawsuit in the UK seeking compensation, raise ethical dilemmas about vaccine safety, public trust, and government indemnity agreements, underscoring the need for transparent and accountable decision-making.

Mains Question:

Discuss the challenges posed by the rare adverse side effect of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) associated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.