General Studies – II
International Relations
1) Renaming places in Chinese doesn’t mean that the claim over Arunachal Pradesh is a rational decision. Comment (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
General Studies – III
Infrastructure
2) Vande Bharat trains have gathered pace and help in promoting good quality infrastructure in the country. Comment (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Environment
3) Discuss the various ways that can be implemented to prepare industries in the country to counter the impact of carbon border tax. (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 2 years
KEY POINTS
· In 2017, China had ‘renamed’ six places that lie in Arunachal Pradesh. It had also ‘standardised’ the names of 15 places in 2021, which had similarly included population centres, mountains, rivers, and a mountain pass.
· Taken together, and on the face of it, some of the places are located along the Pangchen-Tawang-Jang-Sela axis running down from the Line of Actual Control.
· In 2020, China gave names to 80 geographical features in the Paracels and Spratlys in the South China Sea, where China is embroiled in maritime disputes with several states.
· China also struck a jarring note in the wake of the apocryphal exercise concerning place names in Arunachal Pradesh by naming several under-sea features in the Indian Ocean.
· In the run-up, from 2017 onwards, China launched the construction of dual-purpose villages, the so-called Xiaokang villages, in areas adjacent to the border with India, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
· Arunachal Pradesh, formerly known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), is home to various tribes that have historically been a part of India’s civilisational heritage.
· Now is the time perhaps for India to not only reject Beijing’s charade of giving Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh but also to assign Indian names to places and territories under the illegal occupation of China.
KEY POINTS
· A team of engineers from Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai and the allied rail rolling stock industry came together to conceptualise, design, engineer and deliver Train 18/Vande Bharat Express in 2018.
· It was a near world-class train, made entirely in India in just 18 months at a fraction of what it would take, both in terms of time and cost, anywhere in the globe.
· As ICF again got into action, the Finance Minister sprang a surprise in the 2022 Budget that 400 Vande Bharat trains would be manufactured in three years.
· Lost in the discourse on whether so many trains make sense without a matching infrastructure in place, is the fact that they have brought about a sea change in passenger travel in India.
· To take the Vande Bharat experience to the level of a truly world-class train, the contract for 100 aluminium-bodied 200 kmph-capable.
· Vande Bharat clones, to be manufactured in Sonipat, should be decided early even if they are likely to be more expensive; technical bids for the same were opened some months back.
· The 500 Vande Bharat clones running across India in five years is a mind-boggling change of image of a hitherto sleepy organisation.
· The infrastructure needed to support that many trains would, hopefully, be developed soon.
KEY POINTS
· Carbon Border Tax (CBT) is a reality. Developed countries will soon tax imports to prevent local industries from shifting to countries with less stringent environmental laws.
· CBT will affect lakhs of small and big firms. Indian exporters must factor in CBT into their costing and prepare to minimise its impact. Here’s a six-step plan for industry to prepare for future tax liability.
· The UK proposes levying CBT on cement, chemicals, glass, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, non-metallic minerals, paper and pulp, fertiliser, and power generation.
· Steel made from a blast furnace route emits more carbon dioxide and may attract higher tax than steel made through an electric arc furnace, or steel made using green hydrogen.
· Wind, solar and green hydrogen are current options. However, switching to new technology is expensive and may only be feasible in some cases.
· Heating limestone generates about 60 per cent of the cement sector’s carbon emissions. Firms are trying to make cement that uses less clinker, thus limiting carbon emissions.
· It may not help in reducing pollution as there is no focus on lowering wasteful consumption. But the industry must prepare adequately to survive and thrive.
