17 May 2023

• International Relations: The UN commemorated mass Palestinian displacement for the first time on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba.
• Governance: RPwD Act 2016 implementation and disability accessibility standards were reviewed.
• Economy: Cross-border insolvency regime adoption was deferred by India.
• Institutions: IOM elected its first female Director General, Amy Pope, at its 75th founding anniversary.
• Connectivity: The proposed South Asia Gas Enterprise undersea pipeline could deliver 31 mmscmd to India.

GS area: International Relations (West Asia)

The United Nations commemorated mass Palestinian displacement for the first time on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for "catastrophe").

• What the Nakba refers to: The mass displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians during the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
• UNRWA: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees currently reports approximately 6 million registered Palestinian refugees.
• India's position: India supports a two-state solution: a sovereign, independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel.
• Historical milestones: 1947 UN partition plan (Resolution 181), 1967 Six-Day War (Israeli occupation of West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights, Sinai), 1993 Oslo Accords (direct negotiations between Israel and PLO).
• India-Israel relations: India normalised full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. It manages the relationship with both Israel and Arab states through independent foreign policy tracks.

Static linkage: West Asia, India's foreign policy, Palestinian issue (International Relations).

GS area: Social Justice, Governance

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 expanded protections and the list of recognised disabilities. Implementation gaps remain.

• Disability population: India has 2.68 crore persons with disabilities (2.21 per cent of the 2011 Census population).
• Number of recognised conditions: The RPwD Act lists 21 disabilities, increased from 7 under the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995.
• Constitutional basis: Article 41 (a Directive Principle) requires the state to provide for disability. Disability is in the State List (Entry 9).
• Model shift: The Act moves from a medical model (disability as individual defect) to a social and human rights model (disability as interaction between individual and societal barriers).
• UNCRPD: India ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007.
• Accessibility standards: Being established for physical environment, transportation, information and communication, and technology.

Static linkage: Constitutional rights, social legislation, social justice (Polity/Society).

GS area: Economy (Insolvency, Banking)

India decided to halt adoption of a cross-border insolvency regime based on the UNCITRAL Model Law.

• UNCITRAL Model Law: The UN Commission on International Trade Law's model framework for handling insolvencies that span multiple countries. Only about 50 countries have adopted it.
• Why India deferred: India chose to first address three priority areas: informal debt resolution for corporations, group company insolvency and a special insolvency regime for the real estate sector.
• IBC performance: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 has a resolution success rate that is improving, but over 50 per cent of cases still end in liquidation rather than revival. Significant delays persist.
• Cross-border need: As Indian companies operate globally and foreign companies invest in India, a cross-border framework is needed to resolve assets across jurisdictions.

Static linkage: IBC 2016, banking regulation, corporate governance (Economy).

GS area: Economy (Energy, Connectivity)

A proposed 5 billion US dollar undersea pipeline from the Middle East to India, called SAGE, was under discussion.

• Route: Approximately 2,000 km undersea pipeline from Middle East gas fields to India.
• Capacity: 31 mmscmd (million standard cubic metres per day).
• Potential savings: About 7,000 crore rupees annually compared to importing LNG.
• Significance: India's gas pipeline infrastructure on land has expanded but offshore long-distance gas imports still come as LNG, which requires liquefaction and regasification infrastructure.
• Alternative supply route: Would reduce India's dependence on LNG spot markets where prices spike during global energy crises.

Static linkage: Energy security, gas infrastructure, India-Gulf relations (Economy/International Relations).

GS area: International Relations (International organisations)

Amy Pope was elected as the first female Director General of the International Organisation for Migration.

• IOM: The International Organisation for Migration. It has 175 member states. India is a member.
• Mandate: The primary intergovernmental organisation for migration, providing services and advice on migration.
• Relevance to India: India is one of the world's largest sources of international migrants. The Indian diaspora numbers over 32 million. IOM also supports humanitarian responses to displacement crises.

Static linkage: International organisations, migration, India's diaspora (International Relations).

• Pension Adalat (8th edition): A platform to resolve chronic pension grievances. The government is integrating pension portals with a new "iPension" portal for seamless digital processing.
• Antarctic species: The flightless midge (Belgica antarctica) was introduced to Antarctica in the 1960s and is now an invasive species. Shelled pteropods (sea snails) are threatened by ocean acidification from CO2 absorption. The Southern Ocean absorbs a disproportionate share of atmospheric CO2.
• UNFF18: The 18th session of the UN Forum on Forests was held with a focus on sustainable forest management in tropical regions. The UNFF is a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council.