21 November 2023

• International Relations: The India-China Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA) completed 30 years. The LAC dispute remains unresolved with China claiming 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Environment: Ladakh's Sea Buckthorn secured its fourth Geographical Indication (GI) tag; 90 per cent of India's sea buckthorn production originates from Ladakh.
• Environment: Gambusia fish, introduced in India in the 1960s for mosquito control, are now designated invasive alien species. The WHO withdrew its recommendation for Gambusia use in 1982.
• Governance: The Cyprus Confidential investigation revealed Cyprus as a hub for opaque trust structures; global tax haven losses total USD 4.8 trillion over 10 years (Japan's GDP equivalent).
• Defence: India and Sri Lanka conducted the ninth edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI at Aundh, Pune.

GS area: International Relations (India-China, Internal Security)

The Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement between India and China was signed on 7 September 1993. Its 30th anniversary highlighted how much remains unresolved despite formal agreements.

• LAC division: the Line of Actual Control is divided into three sectors. Eastern sector: Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Middle sector: Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Western sector: Ladakh.
• McMahon Line: the 890-km boundary between British India and Tibet drawn at the 1914 Shimla Convention. China does not recognise it.
• China's claims: China calls Arunachal Pradesh "Zangnan" or "South Tibet" and claims approximately 90,000 sq km of it. India recognises all of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory.
• Major incidents post-BPTA: Galwan Valley clash (June 2020), Tawang clash (December 2022).
• Economic context: China's GDP is approximately five times India's. India's parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended increasing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.
• Protocol (1996, 2005, 2013): additional agreements built on the BPTA framework, adding mechanisms for hotlines, patrols, and no firing.

Static linkage: International Relations (India-China), Internal Security, Indian Geography.

GS area: Environment (Agriculture, Geography)

Ladakh Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) secured Ladakh's fourth Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Ladakh accounts for 90 per cent of India's sea buckthorn production.

• What it is: an orange-yellow edible berry shrub found in cold deserts of Ladakh, the Himalayas and Spiti valley. Rich in Vitamin C, omega-7 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
• Ecological role: nitrogen-fixing plant that prevents soil erosion in high-altitude terrain.
• Economic role: berries processed into juice, oils, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. A key livelihood source in remote Ladakhi villages.
• GI significance: a GI tag protects the product's origin and quality, preventing imitation from other regions. India's GI Act: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999.

Static linkage: Environment (Ecology, Agriculture), Indian Geography.

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, Ecology)

Gambusia fish (Gambusia affinis and Gambusia holbrooki) were introduced to India in the 1960s for mosquito control, on WHO recommendation. The WHO withdrew its recommendation in 1982. The National Biodiversity Authority designated Gambusia as invasive alien species in 2018.

• Origin: native to the USA. The fish eat mosquito larvae.
• Ecological damage: aggressive predators that consume native fish eggs, tadpoles and small invertebrates. They disrupt aquatic food chains.
• WHO's reversal: evidence showed Gambusia were ineffective at mosquito control at the population level while being harmful to native biodiversity.
• Invasive alien species framework: India's Biological Diversity Act 2002 and the National Biodiversity Authority manage invasive species regulation.

Static linkage: Environment (Biodiversity, Ecology).

GS area: Governance (Economy, International Relations)

The Cyprus Confidential investigation, conducted by the Indian Express and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), exposed Cyprus as a hub for opaque financial structures.

• Cyprus features: zero estate duty, no mandatory trust registration, a Golden Passport scheme (now suspended) that attracted oligarchs and businesspeople.
• Global tax haven losses: the State of Tax Justice Report 2023 estimated countries lose USD 4.8 trillion to tax havens over 10 years, approximately equal to Japan's GDP.
• Previous major leaks: Offshore Leaks (2013), Panama Papers (2016), Paradise Papers (2017), Pandora Papers (2021).
• India's response: India signed the OECD's Common Reporting Standard for automatic exchange of financial information and the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures.

Static linkage: Governance (Economy, International Law).

GS area: International Relations (Defence)

The ninth edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI, the India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise, was conducted at Aundh, Pune.

• Focus: counter-terrorism, jungle warfare, and humanitarian assistance.
• India's bilateral exercise portfolio: Indra (India-Russia), Yudh Abhyas (India-USA), Hand-in-Hand (India-China), Shakti (India-France), Mitra Shakti (India-Sri Lanka), Sampriti (India-Bangladesh).
• India-Sri Lanka relations: economic and security partnership deepened after the 2022 Sri Lanka debt crisis. India provided emergency credit and essential commodities.

Static linkage: International Relations (India-Sri Lanka, Defence).

GS area: International Relations

Russia formally withdrew from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). NATO suspended its participation in the treaty's operation.

• CFE Treaty: signed in Paris in 1990 as the Cold War ended. Established limits on conventional military equipment (tanks, artillery, armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, helicopters) from the Atlantic to the Urals.
• Required destruction of excess weaponry.
• Called "cornerstone of European security."
• Why Russia withdrew: Russia objected to NATO enlargement to the east without corresponding constraints being placed on new members. The withdrawal follows Russia's effective suspension of participation since 2007.

Static linkage: International Relations (Europe, Arms Control).

• Edible oil imports: India's edible oil imports reached a record over 16 million tonnes in the year ending October 2023, 1.5 times the level a decade ago. The import bill more than doubled in rupee terms over the same period.
• Kadalundi mudflat ecosystem: on Kerala's southwest coast, the Kadalundi mudflat area shrank from 8 hectares in the early 2000s to 1 hectare currently due to sand sedimentation and human pressure. It attracts migratory birds from Siberia, Ladakh, Mongolia and Scotland.