2 May 2023

• International Relations: The WTO ruled against India's information-technology tariffs under the 1997 ITA.
• Environment: India and EFTA nations advanced trade talks under the proposed TEPA framework.
• Wildlife: Project Cheetah faced setbacks as two cheetahs died at Kuno National Park.
• Polity: Cantonment reforms advanced with conversion of civilian areas to municipal jurisdiction.
• Geography: The Great Nicobar Island mega-project faced renewed scrutiny over tribal land and forest law compliance.

GS area: International Relations, Economy (Trade)

Three WTO dispute settlement panels ruled that India's tariffs of 7.5 to 20 per cent on information and communication technology products violate Article II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

• The 1997 ITA: The Information Technology Agreement was signed in 1997. India committed to zero tariffs on IT products listed under it.
• India's position: India argued its commitments under the ITA are static and do not extend to products developed after 1997. The panels rejected this.
• Appellate Body gap: India's appeal options are limited. The WTO Appellate Body ceased functioning in 2019 after the United States blocked new appointments.
• Risk: The EU could impose trade sanctions. The ruling may also be used as leverage in ongoing free trade agreement negotiations with India.
• Significance: India's tariff policy on electronics has been a deliberate industrial policy tool to protect domestic manufacturing under the PLI scheme.

Static linkage: WTO dispute settlement, trade policy (Economy/International Relations).

GS area: International Relations (Bilateral trade)

Negotiations for a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association made progress.

• EFTA members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The bloc was established in 1960.
• What TEPA covers: Market access for Indian goods, EFTA investment into India, green technologies (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal) and services.
• EFTA investment in India: Already exceeds 35 billion US dollars.
• Challenges: Economic structure disparities between the parties; protecting Indian manufacturers in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sectors.

India negotiates TEPA separately from the broader EU-India FTA because EFTA is not a member of the EU.

Static linkage: Trade agreements, bilateral relations (International Relations).

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, Conservation)

Two cheetahs brought from South Africa died at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. One died of cardiac failure and the other of renal failure.

• Project Cheetah context: India reintroduced cheetahs under a translocation programme. Cheetahs had been declared extinct in India in 1952.
• Kuno National Park: Located in Madhya Pradesh. Part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
• Translocation science: Researchers emphasise that successful translocations require habitat compatibility analysis, breeding viability assessment, local community engagement and sustained resource allocation.
• Malawi model: The 2017 cheetah translocation in Malawi is cited internationally as a conservation success because local community engagement preceded the release.

The deaths renewed debate about whether Kuno's prey base, water availability and veterinary infrastructure are adequate for cheetah survival.

Static linkage: Wildlife conservation, Protected Areas (Environment).

GS area: Environment, Polity (Tribal rights)

The proposed mega-project on Great Nicobar Island worth 72,000 crore rupees faces compliance questions under tribal and forest law.

• Project components: A transshipment port worth 35,000 crore rupees, a military-civil airport, a power plant and a township.
• Forest Rights Act 2006: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes flagged non-compliance with FRA provisions. The tribal administration claimed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Act 1956 overrides FRA.
• Shompen: A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the island. Any project affecting PVTGs requires gram sabha consent under FRA.
• Forest impact: The project would affect 114 square kilometres of tribal reserve forest.
• Biosphere reserve overlap: The northern boundary of the project area intersects the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.

Static linkage: Forest Rights Act 2006, PVTGs, environmental clearance (Environment/Polity).

GS area: Polity (Local governance)

The Army announced plans to convert civilian areas within cantonments to municipal jurisdiction. Military areas would become exclusive military stations.

• Governing law: The Cantonments Act 2006 governs cantonment administration.
• Four categories: Cantonments are classified by population size.
• Cantonment Board composition: Eight members. Three are ex-officio, three are military-nominated, and one is a representative of the district magistrate. The elected element covers the remaining seat.
• First conversion: Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh was the first to convert civilian areas to municipal jurisdiction under this plan.

The change separates civilian governance from military administration, aligning cantonment towns with regular urban local bodies.

Static linkage: Local self-government, urban governance (Polity).

• Article 348: Supreme Court and High Courts conduct proceedings in English under Article 348(1)(a). Under Article 348(2), a governor may authorise use of Hindi or a regional language in proceedings but not in final judgments. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have authorised Hindi use.
• Twenty Point Programme: Launched in 1975, restructured in 1982, 1986 and 2006. Monitored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The government achieved over 90 per cent of targets on 6 of 14 parameters.