10 JULY 24

10-JULY-24

1. UPSC Current Affairs: 1. INDIA–RUSSIA

UPSC Syllabus: International Relations

1. INDIA–RUSSIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India a month before the attack on Ukraine
and initiated first ever 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and the defence ministers
between the two countries. 28 agreements were signed, however some important
agreements like RELOS were not finalised. Also, there was a shadow of increasing
closeness between Russia and China and increasing closeness between India and the
USA in the Indo-Pacific region.
KEY OUTCOMES OF THE VISIT
• It was only the second foreign visit of Russian president since the Pandemic started.
He called India as a “Great power” highlighting the prominent position India has
in the Global geo-politics.
• The two sides met for first time in 2+2 format- with External Affairs Defence
Minister from both sides.
• Renewal of military and defence partnership for 10 years to 2031, broadening the
defence cooperation.
• Cleared a deal to manufacture Russian AK-203 rifles in Uttar Pradesh in a joint
venture, which will see technology transferred by Russia to India.
• 28 agreements on everything ranging from Oil and Energy to intellectual property
rights and Culture were signed.
• Delivery of S-400 missile defence system has already started.
• Joint projects in third countries of Asia – Both already have a joint nuclear power
project in Bangladesh’s Rooppur
• Important agreements like bilateral logistics support deal Reciprocal Exchange of
Logistics Agreement (RELOS), as well as a Navy-to-Navy cooperation MoU were
discussed but were not announced.
ON AFGHANISTAN
• Support for a peaceful Afghanistan, non-interference in internal affairs, and
humanitarian assistance.
• Afghanistan must not be used for terror groups- mentioned LeT along with ISIS and
Al Qaeda.
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• Permanent consultative mechanism on Afghanistan between the NSAs of both

countries, and a Roadmap of cooperation on Afghanistan
• Welcomed the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue of NSAs, held by NSA Doval.
DEFENCE COOPERATION AND ISSUES
• Defence Mechanism: Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical
Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC).
• The relation has evolved from “a purely buyer-seller relationship to joint research,
design development and production of state-of-the-art military platforms.”
Example: Joint development of Brahmos missile.
• Both are also involved in indigenous production and development of tanks and
fighter jets, along with the upgrade of existing systems.
• S-400 Triumph Air Defence Missile System, Four Admiral Grigorovich-class
frigates, manufacture of Ka-226T helicopters in India.
ISSUES IN DEFENCE COOPERATION
• Russia still commands 58% of total arms imports by India, followed by Israel and
the US at 15 and 12%, respectively. This figure, however, is a step down from 2010-
14 when Russia had a share of 70% of Indian defence market.
• India desires to diversify its defence imports and therefore a heightened
competition for Russia with other suppliers.
• Dissatisfaction in India with post-sales services and maintenance being offered by
Russia.
• Cost escalation because of the delays in supply is another concern.
• High cost and low quality of spare parts for weaponry imported from Russia.
• Threat of US’ CAATSA law sanctions pose a concern.
CHANGING NATURE OF DEFENCE TIES
• Biggest change in India’s foreign policy has been its increasing alignment with USA.
• Indian Navy along with that of Japan, US and Australia undertakes Malabar naval
exercise in western Pacific.
• Formation of Quad.
• India has already inked three foundational agreements with USA, which open a
wide opportunity for cooperation in security, defence, intelligence, and big tech.
• However, despite all hiccups and tensions between India and Russia, the two
countries have signed defence deals worth $15 billion in the last three years.
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• All these deals have happened despite US sanctions and India’s arms
imports witnessing a 33% drop in the last five years, with sales from Russia being
hit the hardest.
• This comes at a time when the deals with the US since 2018 was less than $5 billion.
WAY FORWARD FOR DEFENCE TIES
• Both IAF and Indian Navy have slowly moved their missile dependence on
Russia to other countries, especially the French and Israel besides the indigenous
technology.
• One service where Russians continue to have a stake currently and possibly into the
future as well is Army.
• The other sector where Russians will continue to have a strong hold is India’s
strategic program, which becomes binding factor for many other deals that India
signs.
• But growing India-French ties may just be able to offset it.
• Another factor that will come into play in the future and possibly desist India from
putting in the Russian crate is the increasing ties between Russia and China.
• Russia has emerged as one of the principal suppliers of defence equipment and
technology to China, a development that India is not really happy about.
ECONOMIC RELATIONS
• Economic Mechanism - Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic,
Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC)
• Bilateral trade is not much significant - from April 2020-March 2021 amounted
USD 8.1 billion. Indian exports amounted USD 2.6 billion while imports from Russia
amounted USD 5.48 billion.
ISSUES IN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
• There is deficit in trade in favor of Russia.
• Reason for lack of growth of trade relations:
o Lack of involvement of the private sector
o Absence of logistics
o Poor connectivity
o stalling of the International North-South Economic Corridor, resulting in higher
costs.
• Indo-Russia energy sector has in recent years seen increased cooperation through
two-way investment. However, difficulties involved in direct supply through
pipelines remain.
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• Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the

Nuclear Field.
• The two-way investment target set at $50 billion by 2025.
• Looking for alternative routes to deal with the logistics issue, India has indicated its
intent to establish a shipping corridor from Chennai to Vladivostok, which would
reduce the time for goods to be shipped to the Russian Far East.
CHANGING GEO–POLITICS & IMPLICATIONS ON RELATIONSHIP
• Ukraine War: India abstained from Voting at the UNSC resolution against Russia.
However, Russia’s tilt towards China is a cause of concern for India. On the other
hand, US wanted India to comply with the sanctions and take a clear stand on
Russian aggression. Although these decisions are seen in the context of India’s
stated policy of Strategic Autonomy, it might impact India’s alignment with US
against China in the Indo-Pacific.
• India’s increasing alignment with the US: India is aligning with US in the Quad in
the Indo-Pacific strategy. Russia is increasingly wary of NATO’s eastward extension
till its borders.
• Russia’ view of Quad: Russia views Quad as an ‘Asian NATO’ and has compared
it with ‘Cold War’ era tactics. Russia thinks that Quad and Indo – Pacific conception
is primarily an American initiative designed to contain both China and Russia.
• Russia – China bonhomie: Russia and China have convergence over anti-American
foreign policy and share a vision for a multi-polar world. Russia’s economy
critically depends on oil & gas exports. China being the largest importer of oil & gas
is a big market for Russia’s exports. Russia supports Belt & Road initiative.
• Defence and energy exports to China: Close to 77% of China’s arms imports came
from Russia during 2016- 20. China is a major and large buyer of Russia’s oil & gas.
This has deepened economic relations between both.
• Arctic Geo-politics: Cooperation on the Arctic where both Russia and China seek
to develop sea lines for shorter trade routes. China is particularly interested in this
as it will reduce its vulnerability on Strait of Malacca.
• Deepening of Russia & Pakistan Relations: It is facilitated by China-Pak axis,
Russia sees Pakistan as a zipper state, cooperation is increasing on energy sector
and on Afghanistan issue.
WAY FORWARD
• Russian preoccupation with Russia’s ‘status’ rivalry with U.S has impacted Russia's
view of India-China relations.
• India should pursue normalisation of relations between US & Russia, while
diminishing Russia's propensity to coordinate its South Asian policies with China.
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• Russia might not always be the most powerful player, but it retains significant
capacity to act both as a spoiler and a facilitator in Eurasia and has seen a resurgence
of influence in West Asia.
• India and Russia will continue to pursue their respective trajectories in world
affairs, coordination on mutually beneficial issues will be vital in this period of flux
in the global system.
• After Taliban’s takeover, leveraging relations with Russia can be a key strategy for
India in Afghanistan. Example: NSA talks between India, Russia, Central Asian
republics etc.
• There is a need for improving Economic cooperation – Improving logistics – FTA
with EAEU etc.
Besides defence cooperation should be nurtured on the lines of joint development and
technology transfer and indigenisation.

2. UPSC Current Affairs: Recent Trends of Terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir

UPSC Syllabus: Security

Recent Trends of Terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir

Context: There has been increasing trend of terrorism in the Jammu region of UT of
J&K in the recent past.

Changes in terrorism landscape of Jammu & Kashmir

• Broad declining trend in terrorism in J&K: According to Union Home Ministry,
between 2017 and 2022 there has been broad decline in terror related incidents in
the region. This is reflected by following data: number of infiltrators has fallen
from 53 to 14, civilians killed from 55 to 31 and terrorist-initiated incidents from
228 to 125.
• Widening in the geography of terrorism to include Jammu region: In recent times,
there has been a broader shift of terrorist activity across the Pir Panjal range to the
Jammu region from the Kashmir Valley. This year alone, there have been at least 6
major incidents in the Jammu region, including the death of 9 people in Reasi in
an attack on bus carrying pilgrims.

Factors for increasing terrorism in recent times

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• Approaching elections in J&K: Supreme Court has given a deadline to hold

elections by September 30 in UT of J&K. As these elections are fast approaching
terrorists and their backers have stepped up their activity damage the chances of
return to political normalcy.
• Healthy Participation in Lok Sabha elections: Voter turnout in the Kashmir region
was around 58.6% which is the highest in past 35 years. This shows enhanced trust
among the citizens in the electoral process. Terrorist groups and Pakistan
particularly who want to show the apathy of the citizen of J&K towards the Indian
state must not be happy with this development. Hence, have increased their
activity.
• Strategic repositioning of forces towards Eastern Ladakh: Due to the enhanced
security challenges being posed by China along the Ladakh and Arunachal
Borders, the large majority of armed forces has shifted from the Kashmir region to
Ladakh and Arunachal. This has created a security vaccuium in the J&K region
making it easier for terrorist groups to attack.
• Greater reliance on local terrorists: As the India's border security infrastructure has
improved in recent times, the strategy of terrorist groups has been increasingly to
radicalise and hire local youth as terrorists. This also helps to keep their
propaganda that terrorism in J&K is home grown born out of of apathy of local
citizens against the Indian state alive.
• New techniques and technologies employed by terrorists: Terrorists have started
to use new techniques which are easily available such as drones, telegram groups
etc. These allow terrorist groups to bypass the eyes of Indian intelligence agencies.
• Rise of new terror groups: In recent years, there has been rise of new terror outfits
in the region which are either offshoots of older terror groups such as JeM, Hizbul
Mujahideen like The Resistance Front,
• Pakistan's policy of state support to terrorism in J&K: Even since the
Independence, Pakistan has maintained that it has moral right over province of
J&K as it is Muslim majority and by the principle of 'Two-State Solution' should
have gone to Pakistan. Pakistan has tried to enforce many warns on the issue of
J&K and each time has been successfully defeated by India. As the overt military
adventures of Pakistan failed, Pakistan started supporting terror groups in the
valley to push its agenda of antagonizing citizens against India.
• Attitude of Pakistan's military: Pakistan Army is the most important power centre
in the political landscape of Pakistan. The Pakistani Army has a vested interest in
keeping the security pot boiling between India and Pakistan, which increases their
legitimacy and high budgets.
• Lost generation of youth: Large population of youth in the region remains
alienated from the Indian state due to lack of economic opportunities in the past
two decades and widespread terrorism and violence in the region which has made
them loose family members. Often they fall into the fishing net of terror recruiters
and succumb to resorting terrorism.
• Radical Islam: Kashmir's sufi version of Islam has been increasingly replaced by a
wahabi cult of islam which thrives on the philosophy of jehad against the Indian
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state. The earlier movement for self-dependence has increasingly taken a

communal colour rooted against the minority hindu and other religions of India.
• India's security centric response to Pakistani terrorism: Ever since the 2008
Mumbai Terror attack, India has followed the policy of 'talks and terror cannot go
together'. However, this overt reliance on security to stop Pakistan's support of
terrorism has not resulted into complete stoppage of terrorism from Pakistan.
However, changing the behaviour of Pakistan should demand both a mix of
diplomatic and security measures.

Way forward
Security related measures:
• Boosting border security to reduce infiltration of terrorists, ammunitions and other
support from Pakistan into Kashmir.
• Empowerment of J&K Police with state of the art technology and manpower who
are the first respondents in terror related cases.
• Improving intelligence capabilities of security forces like the Army in the region to
have better control of terrorism.
• Arrest routes of terror financing the region to plug the flow of funds which are
used to finance terrorism.
• Better training in counter insurgency operations and strict adherence to standard
operating protocols to reduce casualities among the armed forces.

Confidence building measures:

• Normalisation of provincial democratic system in the region while increase the
trust of the people in the region in India's constitution and liberal values.
• Addressing the alienation of citizens by focusing on economic and human
development.
• Special economic package and tax rebates for greenfield industries in the region.

Foreign policy related measures:

• India should try to present credible evidence of support of Pakistan to terror
groups on global forums like UN.

3. UPSC Current Affairs: Draft Digital Competition Bill

UPSC Syllabus: Regulatory Bodies

Draft Digital Competition Bill

#Regulation #RegulatoryBodies
Primary Source: The Hindu
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Context: In February 2023, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) constituted a

Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL) to examine the need for a separate
law on competition in digital markets. The CDCL deliberated on the issue for a year
and came to the conclusion that there was a need to supplement the current ex-post
framework under the Competition Act, 2002 with an ex-ante framework. It laid out
this ex-ante framework in the draft Digital Competition Bill.

What is an ex-ante framework?

• The Competition Act, 2002 is the primary legislation concerned for preventing
practices that have an adverse effect on competition. It establishes the
Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the national competition regulator.
• As with competition law in all other jurisdictions, the Competition Act, 2002 is
based on an ex-post framework. This means that the CCI can use its powers of
enforcement only after the anti-competitive conduct has occurred.
• In the case of digital markets, the CDCL has advocated for an ex-ante
competition regulation. This means that they want the CCI’s enforcement
powers to be supplemented such that it allows it to pre-empt and prevent
digital enterprises from indulging in anti-competitive conduct in the first place.

Need for Ex-Ante Framework?

Ex-ante competition regulation is unusual. The European Union is the only
jurisdiction where a comprehensive ex-ante competition framework, under the
Digital Markets Act, is currently in force. The CDCL agrees with this approach
because of the unique characteristics of digital markets.
• First, digital enterprises enjoy economies of scale and economies of scope,
that is, reduction in cost of production per unit as the number of units increase
and reduction in total costs of production with increase in number of services
respectively. This propels them to grow rather quickly as compared to
players in the traditional market.
• Second, this growth is aided by network effects — utility of the digital
services increases with the increase in the number of users. In this context,
given that markets can tip relatively quickly and irreversibly in favour of the
incumbents, it was found that the extant framework provided for a time
consuming process, allowing offending actors to escape timely scrutiny.
Therefore, the CDCL has advocated for preventative obligations to supplement the
ex-post facto enforcement framework.

What is the draft’s basic framework?

• The draft Bill follows the template of the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
• It does not intend to regulate all digital enterprises, and places obligations only
on those that are “dominant” in digital market segments. At present, the draft
Bill identifies ten ‘core digital services’ such as online search engines, social
networking services, video sharing platform services etc.
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o The draft Bill prescribes certain quantitative standards for the CCI to
identify dominance of digital enterprises. These are based on the
‘significant financial strength’ test which looks at financial parameters and
‘significant spread’ test based on the number of users in India.
o Even if the digital enterprise does not meet quantitative standards, the
CCI may designate an entity as a “systemically significant digital
enterprise (SSDE)” based on qualitative standards, if the competition
regulator is of the opinion that the entity has a significant presence in the
identified service.
• The primary obligation of SSDEs is to not indulge in anti-competitive
practices.
o These require the SSDE to operate in a fair, non-discriminatory and
transparent manner with its users.
o The draft Bill prohibits SSDEs from favouring its own products on its
platform over those of third parties (self-preferencing); restricting
availability of third party applications and not allowing users to change
default settings; restricting businesses users of the service from directly
communicating with their end users (anti-steering) and tying or bundling
of non-essential services to the service being demanded by the user.
o SSDEs also cannot cross utilise user data collected from the core digital
service for another service and non-public data of users cannot be used to
give unfair advantage to the SSDE’s own service.

Concerns
The overriding sentiment towards the draft Bill has been one of opposition.
• First, there is considerable scepticism on how well an ex-ante model of
regulation will work. This stems in part from the fact that it seems to be
transposed from the EU to India without taking into account differentiating
factors between the two jurisdictions and the lack of evidence of it actually
working well there.
• This is compounded by concerns of its potential negative effects on investments
for start-ups in India and that they might be deterred to scale up to prevent
meeting quantitative thresholds.
• Studies have also shown that restrictions on tying and bundling and data usage
would negatively impact MSMEs that have come to rely significantly on big
tech to reduce operational costs and enhance customer outreach.
• A group of Indian start-ups have argued for a revision of financial and user
based thresholds citing concerns that it may lead to domestic start-ups being
brought within the regulatory net.
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4. UPSC Current Affairs: CM Stalin releases books on folk deities, forts of T.N.
UPSC Syllabus: History

CM Stalin releases books on folk deities, forts of T.N.

General Studies I #History #ReligionandcultureinTamilNadu
#ImportantfortsinTamilNadu
#Prelimsnuggets
Primary Source: The Hindu

Context: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday released two books
titled, ‘Folk Deities of Tamil Nadu: Worship, Tradition and Custom’ and ‘Forts of
Tamil Nadu: A Walk-Through’.
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Folk Deities of Tamil Nadu- Worship, Tradition and Custom:

• The book on folk deities, focuses on the innumerable folk deities of Tamil
Nadu.
• Some of these have a pan-regional appeal, while others are worshipped in a
particular area or by certain communities and families.
• Tamil society worshipped heroes who laid down their lives for a common
cause. ‘Nadu Kal’ (hero stones ) were erected to honour those heroes.
• Madurai Veeran, Kaathavarayan, and Muthupattan were raised to the status
of deities for questioning existing norms of society and achieved martyrdom.
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About Hero Stones:

• A hero stone (Veeragallu in Kannada and Nadukal in Tamil) is
a memorial commemorating the honourable death of a hero.
• Creating hero stones had been prevalent since the Sangam period dating
back 2600 years, and continuing until the Nayaka and post-Nayaka period
to about 19th century.
o A vast majority were erected between the 4th century BCE to 13th
centuries CE in Tamil Nadu.
o The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in
Tamil Nadu. These hero stones are more than 2400 years old, i.e., 4th
century BCE.
o A hero stone dating to the 8th century Pandya kingdom, with a Tamil
inscription in the Vatteluttu script was discovered in Tamil Nadu.
• Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an
inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.
• Literary works of ancient Tamil Nadu like the Tolkappiyam, Ahananuru,
Purananuru, Malaipadukadam and Pattinappalai, specifically describe the
hero stones which were planted in honour of men who performed some
daring acts to protect their community or village.
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o The four primitive hero-stones with Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, datable

to third to second centuries BCE found in the upper part of the Vaigai
valley, support the authenticity of the hero stone tradition described
in the Sangam Tamil literature in the context of cattle raids.

Forts of Tamil Nadu-A Walk Through:

• The book documents the past glory of several forts in Tamil Nadu through
essays.
• Many such structures have existed in the State for centuries.
• These forts structures have been the site of political discourse, military
prowess, foreign diplomacy and global trade.
• The book features forts such as, St. George in Chennai, Gingee, Vellore,
Dindigul etc.

Prelims Previous Year Question (2023):

Q. Which one of the following explains the practice of ‘Vattakirutal’ as mentioned in
Sangam poems?
(a) Kings employing women bodyguards
(b) Learned persons assembling in royal courts to discuss religious and philosophical
matters
(c) Young girls keeping watch over agricultural fields and driving away birds and
animals
(d) A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to
death
Answer: (d)

Practice Question for Prelims:

Q. Consider the following statements with reference to the practice of erecting ‘Nadu
Kal’?
1. It has been mentioned in the Sangam work ‘Ahananuru’.
2. The oldest ‘Nadu Kal’ memorials are found in Tamil Nadu.
3. The practice of erecting ‘Nadu Kal’ evolved to honour the Sangam poets.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
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Statement 1 is correct:
• Literary works of ancient Tamil Nadu like the Tolkappiyam, Ahananuru,
Purananuru, Malaipadukadam and Pattinappalai, specifically describe the
hero stones which were planted in honour of men who performed some
daring acts to protect their community or village.
• A rich and one among the earliest Tamil classic, the Ahananuru was written
in the Sangam period. Historians usually date as extending from the 2nd
century B.C. up to the 3rd century A.D. There are four hundred stanzas in the
Ahananuru which were composed by different poets at various times and
places.
Statement 2 is correct:
• The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in Tamil
Nadu. These hero stones are more than 2400 years old, i.e., 4th century BCE.
Statement 3 is not correct:
• A hero stone (Veeragallu in Kannada and Nadukal in Tamil) is
a memorial commemorating the honourable death of a hero.
• Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an
inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

5. UPSC Current Affairs: Minimum Support Price (MSP)

UPSC Syllabus: Economy

Minimum Support Price (MSP)

#General Studies 3 #Indian Economy
#Agriculture Sector
#Prelims Nuggets
Primary Source: The Hindu

Context: The most crucial issue for farmers in the country today is the statutory
minimum support price (MSP) set at C2+50%, which is one and a half times the
comprehensive cost of production, as recommended by the M.S. Swaminathan
Commission. Presently, the government is using the A2+FL method to calculate MSP.
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Minimum Support Price (MSP):

● It is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to ensure

agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
● Announced by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at the beginning of
the sowing season for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price
(FRP) for sugarcane based on the recommendations of the Commission for
Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
● Price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against
excessive fall in price during bumper production years. They are a guaranteed
price for farmer’s produce from the Government.

Coverage of Commodities:
● 7 Cereals: Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Jowar (Sorghum),
● Bajra (Pearl Millet), Barley and Ragi.
● 5 Pulses: Gram, Tur, Moong, Urad and Lentil
● 7 Oilseeds: Groundnut, Rapeseed/ Mustard, Soybean, Sesamum, Safflower,
Niger seed.
● 3 Commercial Crops: Copra, Cotton, Raw Jute (Sugarcane covered under FRP)
How is MSP Fixed?
Different approaches:
● A2 Method: Expenditure on various inputs paid by farmers such as Seeds,
Fertilizers, Pesticides etc.
● A2+ FL Method: Expenditure on various Inputs + Implied cost of Family labour
● C2 Method: A2+FL+ Implied cost of rent of land + all other implied cost.
(Recommended by M.S. Swaminathan Committee)
Present Method: A2+FL Method (1.5 times the production cost)

Practice Question:
Q. With reference to the minimum support price (MSP), consider the following
statements:
1. It is announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs after the harvest
season.
2. The government calculates MSP by taking into account the implied cost of rent for
land.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d)
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Statement 1 is incorrect: MSP is a form of market intervention by the Government of

India to ensure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
Announced by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at the beginning of the
sowing season for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for
sugarcane based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs
and Prices (CACP).

Statement 2 is incorrect: The government calculates MSP using A2+FL Method, that
is expenditure on various Inputs + Implied cost of Family labour

PYQ: (2020)
Consider the following statements:
1. In the case of all cereals, pulses and oilseeds, the procurement at Minimum Support
Price (MSP) is unlimited in any State/UT of India.
2. In the case of cereals and pulses, the MSP is fixed in any State/UT at a level to which
the market price will never rise.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)

6. UPSC Current Affairs: La Nina may emerge after August

UPSC Syllabus: World Geography

La Nina may emerge after August

#prelimsnuggets
#World Geography
#Primary Source-The Business Line
Context: Cooling slows down. Four weather models predict neutral ENSO levels in
September but three points to possibility of La Nina.
La Nina
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La Niña:
● La Niña basically refers to an abnormal cooling of the central and eastern
Pacific Ocean waters off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
● Such cooling (sea surface temperatures i.e. SSTs falling) is a result of strong
trade winds blowing west along the equator, taking warm water from South
America towards Asia.
● The warming of the western equatorial Pacific, then, leads to increased
evaporation and concentrated cloud-formation activity around that region,
whose effects may spread to India as well.
Impact of La Nina
• Weather and Climate:
● Australia: During La Niña, Australia typically experiences wetter than
average conditions, leading to increased rainfall and sometimes flooding in
parts of the country. For instance, the 2010-2012 La Niña event brought
extensive flooding in eastern Australia, causing significant damage to
infrastructure and agriculture.

● North America: La Niña often results in a more active winter storm track
across the northern United States and Canada, leading to increased snowfall
and colder temperatures. Conversely, the southern United States tends to
experience warmer and drier conditions, which can exacerbate droughts in
already arid regions like the southwestern states.
• Agriculture:
● South America: La Niña can bring variable impacts to different parts of South
America. In countries like Argentina and Brazil, it can lead to wetter
conditions in some regions, benefiting agriculture with increased crop yields.
However, in other areas such as parts of Bolivia and Paraguay, drought
conditions may prevail, negatively impacting crop production.

● Southeast Asia: Countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines may
experience increased rainfall during La Niña events, affecting rice production
and potentially causing flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
• Economic Impact:
● Energy Sector: La Niña can influence energy markets globally. For instance, in
regions where La Niña results in increased hurricane activity, such as the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean, disruptions to oil and gas production can occur,
leading to fluctuations in energy prices.
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● Commodities: Agricultural commodities such as grains (corn, soybeans) and

soft commodities (coffee, cocoa) can see price volatility due to changes in
production caused by La Niña-induced weather patterns.
• Social and Environmental Consequences:
● Pacific Islands: Small island nations in the Pacific can be particularly
vulnerable to the impacts of La Niña, including increased storm surges,
coastal erosion, and damage to infrastructure due to intensified tropical
cyclones.
● Africa: La Niña's influence on weather patterns in Africa varies, but it can
lead to disruptions in rainfall patterns affecting agriculture and water
resources, particularly in regions already prone to droughts.
• Ecological Effects:
● Marine Ecosystems: La Niña alters ocean temperatures and currents, affecting
marine life distribution and productivity. For example, changes in sea surface
temperatures can impact coral reefs and fisheries, leading to shifts in fish
populations and affecting livelihoods dependent on marine resources.
• Health Implications:
● Vector-Borne Diseases: La Niña can influence the spread of vector-borne
diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Increased rainfall can create
breeding grounds for mosquitoes, potentially leading to outbreaks in affected
regions.

Previous year question (2017)

With reference to 'Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)' sometimes mentioned in the news
while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are
correct?
1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature
between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino's impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (b)
Previous year question
Consider the following statements with reference to La Nina:
1.It refers to an abnormal cooling of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters.
2. It leads to drought like condition in Southeast Asia.
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3. La Niña results in increased hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None of the above
Ans: (b)
Explanation:
● La Niña basically refers to an abnormal cooling of the central and eastern
Pacific Ocean waters off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
● Southeast Asia: Countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines may
experience increased rainfall during La Niña events, affecting rice production
and potentially causing flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
● Energy Sector: La Niña can influence energy markets globally. For instance, in
regions where La Niña results in increased hurricane activity, such as the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean, disruptions to oil and gas production can occur,
leading to fluctuations in energy prices.
●