Prelim Bits 12-03-2024 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Mission Divyastra

India successfully tests Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology, named ‘Mission Divyastra’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

• Trial conducted by – DRDO
• Mission – It is the 1^st flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
• The system is also equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high accuracy sensor packages along with MIRV technology.

Agni missiles are the main land-based delivery systems for India’s nuclear weapons. Agni-5, a long range (6000km) ballistic missile, uses a 3-stage solid fuelled engine. All the Agni series missiles inducted can now carry only a single warhead.

• MIRV – A single missile carrying several nuclear warheads, each to be released at different speeds with different trajectories to hit different targets hundreds of kilometers apart.

MIRV was developed in the Cold War with US testing it at first in 1970s. At present, USA, Russia, UK, and France have MIRV missiles. Pakistan is also developing such missiles.

• Number of warheads – It depends on its design, weight, size, range and other parameters.
• India’s Agni-5 test flight can carry 3 to 4 warheads, while there are other systems that can carry as many as 15 warheads, or even more.
• Challenges - Development requires the combination of large missiles, small warheads, accurate guidance, and a complex mechanism for releasing warheads sequentially during flight.
• Advantages of MIRV – One missile can inflict multiple damages thus also cost effective.
• It also has the ability to penetrate missile defence systems and can be made to carry decoy warheads to confuse the defence system.
• Significance – A significant boost to credible strategic deterrence against China and also strengthens India’s claim for a place in future arms control negotiations.
• The project director was a woman and there were significant contributions from other women scientists.
• India’s Nuclear Triad
  • Land vector – Prithivi-II, Agni-1, Agni-2, Agni-3, Agni-5.
  • Air Vector – Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar & Rafale fighter jets.
  • Sea vector – Only INS Arihant, nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).

References

1. Deccan Herald| Successful trial of Mission Divyastra
2. Times of India| Nuclear Triad

Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2023 Report

According to a new report ‘Trends in International Arms Transfer 2023, India continues to be the world’s top arms importer.

• Published by – Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
• Study period – 2019-2023

• Export regime – The 5 largest exporters were the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany.
• For the 1^st time, France became the 2^nd biggest arms exporter after the USA.
• The USA and Western Europe together accounted for 72% of all arms exports in 2019-2023.
• Imports – The 5 largest arms importers were India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Ukraine and Pakistan.
• States in Asia and Oceania accounted for 37% of all arms imports, followed by states in the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
• For the 1^st time in 25 years, the US has become the largest supplier to Asia and Oceania.
• Pakistan is 5^th largest arms importer in 2019-23 where China provides 82% of arms imports.
• India – Its arms imports increased by 4.7% between 2014–2018 and 2019–2023.
• Russia is India’s main-arms-supplier, accounting for 36 % of its arms imports.

The period between 2014 and 2018 was the 1^st 5-year stretch in 50 years (since 1960-1964) when deliveries from Russia or the erstwhile Soviet Union (prior to 1991) made up less than half of India’s arms imports.

• India & France – India was the largest single recipient of French arms exports, accounting for nearly 30%.
• The Indian Air Force operates 36 Rafale fighter jets customised in accordance to its needs.
• Furthermore, India is in talks for 26 Rafale Marine jets to be procured for the Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant from France.

References

1. The Print| India is the world’s largest arms importer globally
2. SIPRI| Trends in International Arms Transfer, 2023

CAROTAR

Thailand objected to India’s custom regulation, CAROTAR at the ongoing India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) review.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a grouping of 10 Southeast Asian states which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration amongst its members.

• CAROTAR – Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules.
• Nodal agency – Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
• Implemented in – 2020.
• Aim – To regulate domestic importers by strictly verifying the rules of origin under the free trade agreements (FTAs) and to curb the influx of Chinese products claiming fraudulent exemptions under the guise of ASEAN exports.
• Need – Earlier, merely a country of origin certificate, issued by a notified agency in the country of export was sufficient to avail the benefits of FTAs.
• It was exploited in many cases to avail duty concessions.
• Provisions – It mandates the supplier to provide the Indian purchaser with a Certificate of Origin (CoO) from the issuing authority in the exporter’s state, confirming the product’s origin for import validation.
  • Imported products should have undergone value addition of at least 35% in the countries of origin.
  • Keep the origin related information specific to every Bill of Entry (B/E) for a minimum of 5 years.
• Significance – It prevents a country that has FTA with India from dumping goods from some 3^rd country in the Indian market by just putting a label on it.
• Concerns – India-ASEAN trade gap in FY23 surged to $43.57 billion in favour of bloc countries as several multinational companies are increasing investments in ASEAN nations as part of their China-plus-one policy.
• India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes have also increased demand for intermediate products that are being sourced from ASEAN countries.

The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) is a trade deal between ASEAN and India, which came into effect in 2010 to steadily increasing trade between ASEAN and India.

Reference

The Indian Express| Thailand objects to India’s CAROTAR

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2024 Campaign

Recently, the 5^th edition of the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign was launched.

• A transformative movement towards a water-secure and sustainable future.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan, launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2019 as a “Jan Andolan”, to initiate water conservation at the grass-root level through citizen participation across the country.

• Started in – 2021, as part of Jal Sanchay and has become an annual feature.
• Nodal agency – National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation in collaboration with Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation.
• Aim – To nudge states and other stakeholders to create rain water harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata before the monsoon.
• Coverage – All the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country.
• Focused interventions
  • Water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
  • Enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies and preparing scientific plans for water conservation.
  • Setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts
  • Intensive afforestation
  • Awareness generation.
• JSA: CTR 2024 – It  will have a distinctive emphasis on  
• De-silting and cleaning of water bodies.
• Revitalizing Abandoned/Defunct Borewells for groundwater recharge and Rejuvenation of Small Rivers.
• Geo-tagging of water bodies, coupled with meticulous mapping and regular updates in the State's revenue records
• Intensified afforestation efforts in the catchment areas of water bodies.
• Snow harvesting in hilly areas like stupas in Ladakh.
• Implemented period – March to November, 2024, the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country.
• 2024 Theme – ‘Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti’, to recognise and appreciate the crucial role played by women in water management, conservation and sustainability.
• It will establish a powerful connection between the ‘Nari Shakti’ and the sustainable management of water resources i.e. Jal Shakti.

Approximately 24 lakh women have been trained for testing water samples using Field Testing Kit (FTK) to ensure quality of piped water supply.

Reference

PIB| India launches JSA: Catch the Rain Campaign 2024

Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified the Living Animal Species Rules 2024.

• CITES – It is an international agreement between government’s aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
• India is a party to the CITES, which requires that appropriate measures are taken to enforce the provisions of the Convention.
• Need – Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) in 2020 created the opportunity to launder illegal stocks of exotic CITES species.

According to recent reports, more than 70,000 native and exotic species were trafficked via air.

• Rules – All persons possessing a living specimen of an animal species shall apply for registrations within a period of 6 months from the date of commencement of these rules.
• And thereafter within 30 days of possession of such animal species, report to the concerned State Chief Wild Life Warden, through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal
• Further, any transfer of possession and birth of offsprings of such specimen(s) shall also be registered and death of such specimen(s) shall be reported.
• Animal species – Any living specimens of any animal species listed in Schedule IV appended to the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act which covers species under CITES.
• It does not apply to other wildlife that is already protected under the Wildlife Protection Act and cannot be kept in captivity

Reference

Hindustan Times| Mandate registration of Animal Species