10 June 2023

• Agriculture: The government announced the highest average MSP hike in five years for kharif crops 2023-24, averaging 7 per cent.
• Monsoon: IMD assessed that cyclone positioning can accelerate monsoon onset by pulling moisture-laden winds northward.
• Foreign policy: India-US strategic dynamics were analysed ahead of PM Modi's state visit: the US shifted from "decoupling" to "de-risking" language on China.
• Conservation: The first documented case of virgin birth in a crocodile was recorded in a Costa Rican zoo.
• Bilateral: President Murmu made the first Indian presidential visit to Serbia.

GS area: Agriculture, Economy

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Minimum Support Prices for kharif crops 2023-24. The average hike was 7 per cent, described as the highest in five years.

• The 23 crops: The MSP covers cereals (paddy, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi), pulses (tur/arhar, moong, urad), oilseeds (groundnut, sunflower, soybean, sesame, nigerseed), and commercial crops (cotton, jute, copra).
• CACP recommendation: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices had recommended a 7 per cent average increase in its price policy report for kharif 2023-24.
• Reform suggestion from CACP: Bring urea under the Nutrient-Based Subsidy regime. Currently urea is priced separately and at a lower rate than other fertilisers, leading to overuse.
• Coverage gap: Only 6 per cent of Indian farmers benefit directly from MSP procurement. Procurement is concentrated in five states: Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
• Risk: A sharp MSP increase raises input costs for food processors and can feed into food inflation.

Static linkage: Agriculture; Indian economy; government schemes.

GS area: Indian Geography, Science and Technology

IMD explained the relationship between tropical cyclone positioning and monsoon onset.

• The mechanism: A cyclone positioned in the northern Bay of Bengal can accelerate the southwest monsoon onset over Kerala. The low-pressure system pulls moisture-laden southwesterly winds northward, reinforcing the monsoon circulation and pushing the onset date earlier.
• Negative interaction: A cyclone in the Arabian Sea can disrupt the monsoon trough and delay or weaken the onset.
• Cyclone Biparjoy concern: Being an Arabian Sea cyclone, its northward track threatened to delay the monsoon onset over the northwest during June 2023.
• IMD monsoon onset criteria: At least 60 per cent of 14 stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep must record 2.5 mm or more of rainfall on two consecutive days; westerlies must deepen to the 600 hPa pressure level; outgoing longwave radiation must drop below 200 watts per square metre.
• Key finding: Early or late onset does not directly predict the total seasonal rainfall. A delayed onset does not mean a deficient monsoon.

Static linkage: Indian geography (climate, monsoon); science and technology.

GS area: International Relations

Ahead of PM Modi's state visit to Washington (21-24 June), analysts examined the shift in US language on China.

• From decoupling to de-risking: The Biden administration replaced the earlier "decouple from China" rhetoric with "de-risk and diversify." This means reducing reliance on China for critical inputs without severing economic ties entirely.
• US-China bilateral trade: Reached approximately 700 billion dollars in 2022 despite political tensions. Pure decoupling was economically impossible.
• India's concern: A US-China "G2" arrangement where the two superpowers manage global affairs bilaterally would sideline India and other regional powers.
• India's strategy: After the Doklam standoff (2017) and Galwan Valley clash (2020), India embraced the Quad and aligned more explicitly with the Indo-Pacific framework.
• Technology transfer: The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the bilateral iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) channel were the new vehicles for India-US technology cooperation.

Static linkage: International relations; India and the world.

GS area: Science and Technology (biology)

A female American crocodile in Costa Rica produced an egg clutch despite being housed alone for 16 years. DNA tests confirmed the offspring's genes came entirely from the mother.

• Facultative parthenogenesis: The ability of sexually reproducing species to produce offspring without fertilisation, typically when no male is present. The term "facultative" means the animal can reproduce either sexually or asexually.
• First in crocodiles: This was the first documented case of facultative parthenogenesis in the order Crocodylia, which includes crocodiles, alligators, and gharials.
• Previous examples: Virgin birth has been documented in sharks, snakes, Komodo dragons, turkeys, and some lizard species.
• Evolutionary significance: Crocodilians are among the closest living relatives of dinosaurs and birds. The trait may be ancient and shared.

Static linkage: Science and technology (biology).

GS area: International Relations, Defence

India, France, and the UAE conducted their first trilateral Maritime Partnership Exercise in the Gulf region.

• First of its kind: No previous three-way maritime exercise involving this combination of countries.
• Scope: Surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and air defence drills.
• Significance: The Gulf region's maritime security is critical for India given that over 80 per cent of India's oil imports transit the Arabian Sea and the Gulf. France has naval presence in the Indian Ocean through its territories in Reunion Island and Djibouti. The UAE is a key partner for Indian strategic interests.

Static linkage: International relations; defence; Indian Ocean security.

• Bagh print: A traditional hand-block textile printing technique from Bagh town in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. It has a GI tag. The tradition is associated with the Khatri community and is over 1,000 years old.
• Atlantic Declaration: A US-UK economic partnership framework covering critical technologies, AI safety, clean energy, and defence cooperation. Signed during PM Sunak's Washington visit in June 2023.
• Serbia visit: President Droupadi Murmu made the first-ever Indian presidential visit to Serbia. Serbia is a landlocked nation in southeast Europe. The Danube, Sava, and Tisa rivers pass through it.