Transforming India’s Maritime Sector: Key Reforms in Merchant Shipping and Coastal Shipping Bills

GS 2: Polity and Governance: Shipping Bills

Why is it in the news?

• The government is poised to introduce the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, and the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, aiming to overhaul the maritime sector.
• These Bills will replace the outdated Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and Coasting Vessels Act, 1838, addressing regulatory gaps and modernizing maritime operations.

Why Are New Bills Necessary?

• The existing laws fail to regulate offshore vessels, which comprise 50% of Indian-flagged ships, and lack a framework for overseeing private maritime training.
• Furthermore, seafarers’ welfare provisions are limited to Indian-flagged ships, excluding 85% of Indian seafarers employed on foreign vessels. Current laws also do not accommodate international conventions ratified by India, hindering maritime modernization.

Key Features of the Merchant Shipping Bill

1) Ease of Vessel Registration

• Ownership thresholds for Indian entities are reduced from 100% to 51%, allowing Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) to register vessels.
• Introduces bareboat charter-cum-demise arrangements, enabling entrepreneurs to acquire vessel ownership post-charter.
• Temporary vessel registration provisions simplify the recycling industry’s processes, boosting hubs like Alang.

2) Expanded Definition of Vessels

• The Bill includes crafts such as submersibles, amphibious crafts, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), and barges, ensuring comprehensive oversight.
• Addresses safety and transparency issues by regulating all vessel types, previously overlooked under existing laws.

3) Enhanced Coastal Security

• Stricter regulations for all vessel categories, drawing lessons from incidents like the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, strengthen India’s coastal security framework.

Tackling Marine Pollution

The government has implemented:

• Lower sulphur levels in marine fuel.
• A ban on single-use plastics on Indian ships.
• The Swachh Sagar portal for waste disposal at ports.
• The Bill incorporates global conventions such as MARPOL, the Bunker Convention, and the Wreck Removal Convention, aligning India with international standards to minimize pollution.

Seafarers’ Welfare

• The workforce of Indian seafarers has surged from 1.16 lakh in 2015-16 to 2.85 lakh in 2023, with most working on foreign-flagged ships. The Bill:

1) Extends welfare provisions to Indian seafarers on foreign vessels.

2) Incorporates protections under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) to ensure better safety, working conditions, and support systems.

Maritime Training Reforms

• Economic liberalization opened maritime training to private institutions, with over 160 institutes now operational. However, a lack of regulation has allowed unauthorized institutes to flourish. The Bill introduces:

1) A robust legal framework to curb fraudulent practices.

2) Standardization of maritime education to improve quality and transparency.

Coastal Shipping Bill: A New Approach

The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, focuses on:

• Licensing and regulating operations along India’s coast.
• Integrating coastal and inland shipping.
• Aligning with the Sagarmala Program to boost infrastructure, hinterland connectivity, and coastal sector growth.

Conclusion

• The proposed reforms aim to attract investment, ensure safety, combat pollution, and support seafarers, unlocking India’s maritime potential.
• With bipartisan support, these Bills promise to modernize and sustainably develop the shipping industry.

Trump 2.0: Global and Indian Outlook

GS 2: International Relations: U.S. Foreign Policy Outlook

Why is it in the news?

• Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has reshaped global views of him. Some have hailed him as the most consequential American president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, claiming that his victory ushers in a new political era for the U.S. and the world.
• His growing influence has led some to assert that “the world lies at Trump’s feet.” Trump remains an enigmatic figure, known for challenging established institutions and beliefs. With control over both the House of Representatives and the Senate, his position seems largely unchallenged.

A Perspective

Foreign Policy Outlook

• Trump’s foreign policy will likely focus on Europe, West Asia, and China. Despite his well-known criticism of NATO and Europe’s defense shortcomings, he is unlikely to sacrifice Ukraine for European peace. While he may demand greater European contributions to defense, a transactional approach that sacrifices Ukraine seems improbable.
• In West Asia, Trump is expected to take a cautious approach, despite pressures from leaders like Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and Israel’s Netanyahu. His actions in the region will likely be shaped by his business interests, with a continued conflict on Israel’s terms appearing unlikely.
• China, however, will remain Trump’s primary concern. Known for his harsh stance on China, Trump is expected to intensify economic and trade measures, including higher tariffs and stricter export controls.
• While tensions with China are expected to rise, Trump is unlikely to take rash actions, mindful of China’s military capabilities, including its advanced hypersonic missiles. Taiwan could remain a flashpoint, but both the U.S. and China are likely to test boundaries before engaging in significant conflict.
• Trump will also strengthen alliances with Asian and Australasian nations like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, although he is unlikely to bear the financial burden of regional peace.

India-U.S. Relations Under Trump

• Trump is likely to view India more favourably than many other countries. Both Trump and Prime Minister Modi share a no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to governance, and their mutual disdain for China strengthens their alignment.
• After the 2020 Galwan incident, Trump’s support for India was evident, and their bond was further solidified during the “Namaste Trump” event in Ahmedabad, where Modi hailed Trump as a “true friend of India.”
• During his previous term, Trump and Modi found common ground on issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, and their cooperation in defense, trade, and counter-terrorism flourished.
• Trump is likely to further solidify ties with India, including through defense deals like the $1.17 billion MH-60R helicopter agreement. India’s growing engagement with the Quad (U.S., Australia, Japan, and India) aligns with Trump’s vision, even though India does not view it as a strict security alliance.
• Additionally, Trump’s support for the Hindu minority in Bangladesh has fostered goodwill and strengthened diplomatic ties between the U.S. and India.

Economic and Technological Ties

• On the economic front, India enjoys a slight advantage in the balance of payments, although it remains less significant than the rivalry between China and the U.S.
• Technology will be a key factor in strengthening U.S.-India relations, with Indian tech entrepreneurs playing a significant role in Silicon Valley.
• If Trump’s administration prioritizes innovation, as seen with figures like Elon Musk, the technological relationship between the U.S. and India is poised for growth, further enhancing bilateral ties.

 

INS Tushil Commissioned into Indian Navy

GS 3: Defence: INS Tushil

Why is it in the news?

• India and Russia are entering a new phase of cooperation, leveraging each other’s strengths in areas like Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, space exploration, and counter-terrorism, as stated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• He made this announcement during the commissioning of the stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil at Kaliningrad, Russia, highlighting the growing collaboration between the two nations.

More about the news

• INS Tushil, an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6, is the seventh in a series of ships. The previous six, including the Talwar and Teg class ships, have already been commissioned.
• INS Tushil represents the growing “Made in India” content, showcasing the success of Russian and Indian industries working together. This partnership underscores India’s progress toward technological excellence through joint ventures.
• The frigate is the first of two additional ships being constructed in Russia, under a deal signed in 2016 between India and Russia for four stealth frigates. While two will be built in Russia, the other two will be constructed at Goa Shipyard Ltd.
• The delivery of the second frigate, Tamal, is expected in the first quarter of the next year, although construction faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
• INS Tushil is designed for blue water operations, capable of engaging in air, surface, underwater, and electromagnetic warfare. Armed with a range of advanced weapons, it enhances the Navy’s operational capabilities in securing national and regional maritime interests.

The Mystery of Matter and Antimatter Imbalance

GS 3: Science and Technology: Universe and its origins

Why is it in the news?

• The question of why the universe is dominated by matter rather than antimatter remains unsolved. According to current theory, the universe began with equal amounts of both, but something disrupted this balance.
• Had they remained in equilibrium, matter and antimatter would have annihilated each other, leaving only radiation, with no raw material to form stars, planets, or life. The exact cause of this imbalance remains unknown, and scientists have long searched for theories to explain the discrepancy.

Antimatter and Its Elusive Presence

• Antiparticles, counterparts of regular particles with opposite charges, were first theorized by physicist Paul A.M. Dirac in 1928 and later observed by Carl Anderson in 1932. For example, the antielectron (positron) is the antiparticle of the electron, having the same mass but a positive charge.
• Antiparticles are a natural consequence of quantum mechanics and special relativity, and they travel backward in time, which adds to their intriguing yet eerie nature.
• Despite their theoretical significance, antimatter is scarce. While antiparticles like antielectrons and antiprotons are detected in cosmic rays and produced in small amounts in our own bodies (such as one antielectron created every 20 seconds from potassium-40 decay), antimatter is absent on a cosmic scale. Galaxies and observable matter are composed of regular particles, not antiparticles.
• In the early universe, there must have been a slight imbalance between protons and antiprotons, as predicted by the synthesis of nuclei and the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang.
• For every 1.7 billion proton-antiproton pairs, one extra unpaired proton was needed, which is essential for the existence of matter today. This suggests that a process occurred in the early universe that distorted the symmetry between matter and antimatter.
• The leading theory to explain this imbalance involves the Sakharov conditions, which describe three necessary criteria for such a discrepancy to arise. However, the Standard Model of particle physics, the current best theory, does not fully satisfy these conditions, a gap that had remained unresolved until recently.

The Role of CP Symmetry Violation

• One critical condition for creating the matter-antimatter asymmetry is CP symmetry violation. In 1957, it was discovered that the weak force does not behave symmetrically when viewed in a mirror (violating parity symmetry).
• In 1964, James Cronin and Val Fitch found that CP symmetry is violated in certain processes, though infrequently. This was confirmed by Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa, who showed that CP violation is inevitable if there are at least three variants of each quark species. This violation occurs at a small rate—about once every 1,000 weak force processes in nature.
• Andrei Sakharov recognized that CP symmetry violation is crucial for creating the matter-antimatter imbalance in the early universe. However, the amount of CP violation allowed by the Standard Model was insufficient to explain the magnitude of the observed asymmetry, presenting a significant challenge in particle physics.

New Study: A Loophole in the Standard Model

• A new preprint paper in August 2024 pointed out an important loophole that could allow the Standard Model to meet one of the Sakharov conditions. The researchers proposed that while CP symmetry violation in the Standard Model is small, mesons (particles composed of quark-antiquark pairs) could decay into particles outside the Standard Model. This could contribute to the matter-antimatter imbalance.
• The key idea in the study is that the fraction of meson decays leading to non-standard particles could have been larger in the early universe, evolving into a smaller value today. This could be achieved if the masses of these new particles change over time, a concept that is feasible within quantum field theory.

Progress Toward Solving the Mystery

• This new mechanism represents a significant step in understanding why matter dominates over antimatter in our universe. By satisfying one of the Sakharov conditions, the study brings us closer to explaining the cosmic mystery.
• However, two other conditions must still be addressed: (1) the violation of baryon number, which distinguishes particles from antiparticles, and (2) the need for interactions to occur out of thermal equilibrium, meaning particle processes must occur at different rates in different directions.
• Although the Standard Model does not yet fully satisfy these conditions, this study marks an important development in the ongoing efforts to understand the fundamental nature of the universe and its origins.

 

Reordering West Asia: The Fall of Assad and Its Regional Implications

GS 2: International Relations: New Phase in West Asia

Why is it in the news?

• For the first time in over half a century, Syria is no longer ruled by an Assad, as rebel fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam (HTS) reached Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia. This marks a seismic shift in the Middle East, especially given Assad’s erstwhile dominance in his fractured country.
• The rapid collapse of a regime that survived for five decades raises questions about its vulnerabilities, particularly as HTS exploited the pressures on Assad’s allies, Russia and Iran.

Factors Behind Assad’s Downfall

• Amid escalating crises, Assad’s desperation became evident. In a last-ditch effort, he announced a 50% salary hike for soldiers to counter HTS’ defection calls, including among his own Alawite community.
• This move highlighted the structural and financial fragility of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), infamous for brutality and reliance on informal taxation due to inadequate pay. Syria’s economic turmoil exacerbated the army’s inefficiency, with the currency plunging to 13,000 Syrian pounds per US dollar.
• Years of perceived stability, underpinned by a Russia-Turkey détente, left the SAA ill-prepared for a counteroffensive. Furthermore, the regime’s continued dependence on strained relationships with Russia and Iran mirrored its declining strength.

Iran’s Limited Support

• Divisions within Iran undermined potential aid to Assad. While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) remained pro-Assad, the pragmatic camp, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, resisted overcommitment.
• Assad’s past resistance to Iran’s influence, including his openness to conditional normalization with Israel, strained ties. As Iran grappled with challenges in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, its support for Assad dwindled.
• Delays in Iranian action allowed rebels to sever key supply routes, isolating Damascus further. Assad’s last-minute outreach to Washington was rebuffed, underscoring his weakened position within the Iranian axis.

Russia’s Strategic Retreat

• Russia ceased airstrikes in Syria by December 3, prioritizing the defense of its Latakia and Tartus bases amidst mounting constraints due to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow’s earlier détente with Turkey now hinges on securing naval access through the Bosphorus Strait.
• This strategic recalibration limited Russia’s role in Syria, while Turkey capitalized on the opportunity to enhance its influence, particularly through its backing of the Syrian National Army (SNA).

Turkey’s Strategic Positioning

• Turkey’s historical rivalry with Syria, compounded by Kurdish insurgencies, shaped its involvement in the conflict. Over the years, Ankara supported armed opposition groups, negotiated ceasefires, and facilitated HTS/SNA advances.
• Following Assad’s fall, Turkey shifted its rhetoric towards “inclusive governance,” portraying the rebel takeover as a natural progression. Turkey’s alignment with the Astana Process partners, including Russia and Iran, underscores its intent to influence Syria’s future while maintaining its military leverage in the region.

HTS: The New Power in Damascus

• HTS, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, seeks to rebrand itself as a pragmatic force akin to other Islamist groups that repositioned as regional actors. By appointing Mohammad al-Bashir to head the transitional government, HTS aims to project itself as a stabilizing force while courting international legitimacy.
• Jolani’s outreach to neighbouring countries and promises to address Assad’s chemical weapons legacy reflect a strategic pivot. However, intra-group rivalries and HTS’ jihadist history pose challenges to achieving stability.

Regional Implications

• The fall of Assad signals a shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Iran’s weakened “axis of resistance” and Turkey’s rising influence create new regional dynamics.
• Meanwhile, Israel has swiftly moved to reoccupy the Golan Heights, further complicating the situation.
• As HTS grapples with unifying diverse factions and ensuring disarmament, the broader region faces heightened tensions amid the reordering of alliances and priorities.

India’s FDI Inflows Surpass $1 Trillion

GS 3: Economy: FDI Inflows

Why is it in the news?

• India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows have crossed the $1 trillion mark between April 2000 and September 2024, marking a significant milestone for the Indian economy.

About FDI

• Foreign Direct Investment involves foreign entities, either individuals or companies, investing in the business interests of another country, often through ownership or operational control.
• FDI is prohibited in sectors like lottery, gambling, chit funds, Nidhi companies, real estate (excluding construction development), and tobacco product manufacturing.

Mechanisms for FDI in India

Automatic Route:

• No prior approvals are necessary. Investors report transactions to the RBI post-investment. This route includes sectors like manufacturing and IT.

Government Route:

• Prior approval from the respective Ministry is mandatory. This route covers sectors like telecom, media, insurance, and pharmaceuticals.

Key Highlights of FDI Trends

• The cumulative FDI growth includes equity investments, reinvested earnings, and other forms of capital. Since 2014, cumulative FDI inflows stand at $667.4 billion, a 119% rise from the previous decade.
• Top contributors include Mauritius (25%), Singapore (24%), the U.S. (10%), Netherlands (7%), Japan (6%), and others. Major beneficiary sectors are services, IT hardware, telecommunications, trading, automobiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Benefits of FDI to India

• FDI is vital for enhancing infrastructure and sustaining economic development. It helps bridge the current account deficit by bringing in foreign capital and strengthens the rupee in global currency markets.
• FDI facilitates advanced technology transfer and generates employment opportunities.

Barriers to FDI Growth

• Global conflicts, trade wars, and geopolitical issues disrupt supply chains and investor confidence.
• Sectoral limits, approval hurdles, and regulatory complexities deter investors. Further, the inflation, recession risks, and inadequate infrastructure create challenges and cause volatility.

Government Initiatives to Boost FDI

• The government has liberalized FDI caps in defense (74%), insurance (74%), and retail (100%).
• Production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes in key sectors like electronics, pharma, textiles, and automobiles aim to attract investments. Programs like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and Gati Shakti focus on infrastructure, while digital initiatives promote e-governance and digital payments.

Conclusion

• India should prioritize timely project execution and enhance public-private partnerships (PPPs).
• Collaboration with industries can upskill the workforce for emerging sectors. Moreover, increased investment in research and development will boost global competitiveness and innovation.

India’s Geospatial Market

GS 3: Science and Technology: Geospatial Technology

Why is it in the news?

• India’s geospatial market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5%, reaching Rs 25,000 crore by 2025. From 2019 to 2024, the sector attracted $1 billion in investments across 126 companies, highlighting its expanding scope.

About Geospatial Technology

• Geospatial technology involves tools like real-time mapping, hyperspectral imaging, and drone-based surveys. It plays a critical role in agriculture, disaster management, urban planning, environmental monitoring, and defense.

Applications Across Sectors

• Agriculture: Enhances precision farming with better resource management and crop yield.
• Disaster Management: Enables early warning systems for natural calamities.
• Urban Development: Supports smart city initiatives through efficient planning and public services.
• Environmental Monitoring: Tracks deforestation and pollution for climate action.
• Defense: Strengthens border surveillance and strategic operations.

Government Initiatives

• Programs like PM Gati Shakti and Smart Cities Mission integrate geospatial tools for better planning.
• The National Geospatial Policy 2022 promotes open access to data and partnerships between public and private entities.

Advancements in Technology

• Hyperspectral Imaging: Improves monitoring of crops, soil health, and environmental pollution.
• Drones: Enable accurate and real-time data collection for multiple sectors, including mining and defense.

Challenges

• Despite its potential, the sector faces hurdles like data security concerns, lack of awareness, insufficient infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled professionals.

Way Forward

• To harness the full potential of geospatial technology, India must implement supportive policies, invest in capacity building, and encourage startups.
• Collaboration with global agencies can further strengthen the sector and boost exports.