. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About the G 20	Prelims & Mains
2.	Details of the PESA Act	Prelims & Mains
3.	About the Israel Palestine Dispute	Prelims & Mains
4.	Details of the AGM 88 HARM	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – About the G 20:GS II

Topic à International Relations

 

·       About the G20:

 

·       Every year, the G20 summit brings together leaders from the countries with the largest and fastest-growing economies.

·       Members in this group make up two-thirds of the world’s population and 85% of its GDP.

·       The official name of the G20 Summit is “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy.”

 

·       Its relevance in contemporary times:

 

·       The previous G20 summits have focused on a wide range of global issues that have a substantial impact on the global economy, including development, climate change and energy, health, counterterrorism, as well as migration and refugees. These issues are in addition to macroeconomics and trade. These recent summits have grown increasingly significant as globalisation progresses and numerous challenges become more closely connected.

·       The G20 has sought to realise a just and sustainable society through its efforts to address major global issues.

 

·       Establishment:

 

·       Following the 1997–1998 Asian Financial Crisis, the G7 finance ministers saw the need for large developing market countries to engage in discussions on the global financial system and decided to establish the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors conference in 1999.

 

·       Presidency:

 

·       Each year in December, a nation from a rotating zone assumes the leadership of the G20 because it lacks a permanent staff.

·       That country must schedule the next summit and any subsequent smaller events for the following year.

·       They could also choose to host visitors from other countries.

·       The first G20 summit was held in Berlin in 1999, in the wake of an East Asian financial crisis that had an impact on the entire world.

 

·       Full membership participation in the G20:

 

·       Among the nations holding the full membership of the G 20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

2 – Details of the PESA Act:GS II

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

 

·       The 1996 Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act is described as follows:

 

·       In order to promote local self-governance in rural India, the 73rd constitutional amendment was approved in 1992.

·       This reform resulted in a three-tiered Panchayati Raj Institution becoming a law.

·       Its application to the scheduled and tribal territories was however constrained by Article 243(M).

·       In response to the Bhuria Committee’s 1995 recommendations, the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act of 1996 was written to ensure tribal self-rule for individuals living in India’s scheduled areas.

·       While the state legislature gave Panchayats and Gram Sabhas a consultative role to facilitate their efficient operation, the PESA gave the Gram Sabha full authority.

·       Independence shall always exist, and no higher authority can restrict the power given to the Gram Sabha.

·       In India, tribal law is viewed as having its roots in the PESA.

·       PESA accepts the traditional system of decision-making and promotes the people’s right to self-governance.

 

·       The following powers and obligations have been granted to the Gram Sabhas:

 

·       Right to mandatory consultation while buying land, moving, or assisting those who have been displaced.

·       Protection of the traditional beliefs and culture of indigenous communities

·       Possession of locally produced forest goods

·       The resolution of neighbourhood issues

·       Preventing land encroachment

·       The ability to influence village markets

·       The authority to control the production, distillation, and prohibition of alcohol

·       Exercise of control over money lending

·       Issues Concerning the PESA Act:

 

·       State governments are required to enact state legislation for their Scheduled Areas in accordance with this federal statute.

·       The PESA has only been partially implemented as a result.

·       Due to the poor implementation, self-governance in Adivasi regions, such as in Jharkhand, has gotten worse.

·       Numerous observers have claimed that the vagueness, legal shortcomings, bureaucratic indifference, lack of political will, resistance to change in the power structure, and other factors contributed to the failure of PESA to deliver.

·       Social audits conducted around the state also showed that different development plans were simply being approved by the Gram Sabha on paper, without any actual meetings for discussion and decision-making.

 

·       Case Study: The Tribal Governance System in Jharkhand:

 

·       Jharkhand became India’s 28th state in 2000 after being split off from the Bihar area in the south.

·       The southern area of Bihar was very different from the northern region both geographically and socially.

·       There are 32 different tribes there, nine of which are especially threatened (PVTG).

·       The main tribes in terms of population are the Santhal (34%), Oraon (19.6%), Munda (14.8%), and Ho (10.5%), according to Census 2001.

·       Three functional levels were used to organise the state’s major tribal tribes’ complete social structure.

·       The first one occurs on a village level, the second one on a level of five or six villages, and the third one on a community level.

·       Women were frequently excluded from these decision-making processes, yet despite this, they were still viewed as democratic and people-centered.

·       They built a nonhierarchical structure of government as opposed to the caste system. In each tribal hamlet, a village council served as the core entity for self-government.

·       In the past, these places were the only places where decisions on the government, the Parliament, and the courts were decided.

·       Labor sharing, agricultural operations, religious celebrations and festivities, and maintenance of village commons were among the administrative concerns (including farms, forests, and water bodies).

·       Customs, traditions, and unwritten laws were the subject of parliamentary debates on preserving and interpreting them.

·       In accordance with unwritten laws and principles, the judiciary handled matters concerning conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and other issues.

·       System Failure With Time: The Bihar Panchayat Raj System (BPRS), which was implemented in 1947, caused these Adivasi traditional governance systems to deteriorate.

·       Non-Adivasi areas were taken into account when BPRS was developed.

·       As a result, the old governance system’s operations were neglected and given little attention.

·       This condition got worse as a result of industrialization, evictions of Adivasis, and urbanisation.

 

 

 

·       Upcoming Steps To Take:

 

·       The ailing tribal region’s self-governance system will be revived if PESA is implemented in letter and spirit.

·       Additionally, this will offer an opportunity to address the shortcomings of the current governance structure and change it into a more democratic and gender-inclusive framework.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

3 – About the Israel Palestine Dispute:GS II

Topic à International Relations

 

·       Palestine-Israeli Conflict:

 

·       It is related to the ongoing territorial and identity dispute that started in Jerusalem.

·       In the 1948 First Arab-Israeli War, Israel captured the western half of the city while Jordan captured the eastern half, which Israel ultimately captured and annexed.

·       Since then, Israel has expanded the extent of its settlements in East Jerusalem.

·       The Palestinians want the capital of their future state to be in East Jerusalem.

·       Israel sees Jerusalem as its “unified, eternal capital,” while the Palestinian leadership is determined to make any compromises until East Jerusalem is recognised as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

·       The Palestinians face eviction from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem. The land will go to the Jewish settlers.

·       In addition, the Israeli military recently bombarded the Al-Aqsa Mosque before to a march by Zionist nationalists.

·       The Al Aqsa Mosque is regarded as the third holiest location in Islam, behind Mecca and Medina.

·       Because of the fear it caused in the hearts and minds of its followers throughout the region, radicalism began to campaign for protecting the Al Aqsa Mosque.

·       The Central Court in East Jerusalem also upheld a decision to evict four Palestinian families from their houses in Sheikh Jarrah in favour of Jewish settlers earlier this year (2021).

·       The issue is still unresolved and can resurface.

·       The latest violent outburst is the worst since the Palestinians launched rockets in 2014, to which Israel responded with airstrikes.

 

·       Additional contributing elements to the conflict have been:

 

·       Hamas is in charge in Palestine: Hamas, an extremist division of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, was established in 1987 with the goal of “raising the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.”

·       The Palestinian President is unable to further the interests of his nation due to his late age and senility.

·       Therefore, the Palestinian faction that has started taking action currently is Hamas, which is more extremist.

·       The oppression of Hamas, Israeli colonisation of Palestinian territories, and the incompetence of the so-called president authority of Palestine are all aggravating the situation for the Palestinian people.

·       Both States’ political unrest: Too many organisations are able to spiral out of control and resort to extreme violence because both sides’ leadership systems are ineffectual and stagnant.

·       Additionally, Israel held four elections in the two years prior, all of which resulted in a tie. The Prime Minister of Israel is still in charge, but in a caretaker position.

·       Israel’s population is sharply split.

·       The 20% of Israelis who are Arabs also identify as Palestinians due to their similar genetic heritage.

·       The far-right Israeli society and Israelis from the Arabian Peninsula are acting in ways that are reminiscent of civil war.

·       Palestinians face several issues. The majority of Palestinians say they oppose a two-state solution, and their sentiments are changing on the ground.

·       Whether Hamas, Fatah, or neither of them will rule the Palestinian state is also up for debate.

·       The fragmentation of the Palestinian people between Hamas and Fatah, who are moving in opposite directions, is the primary reason why the final Palestinian cause will fail.

·       United Palestine might have accomplished a lot more than it is now achieving with aid from the Arab world and other countries.

·       They are no longer able to cohabit as a state because of Israeli territory separating them, and the Palestinians are growing increasingly incensed as land is taken over by Jews.

·       US losing influence in the area The US is preventing the UNSC meeting in support of the Palestinian cause, but it fully recognises Israelis’ right to self-defense.

·       The US President’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s de facto capital is another important problem.

·       The US under President Joe Biden had less sway over Israel than the US under Donald Trump, who publicly backed Israel. They are attempting to be more objective.

·       Despite claiming to be objective, the current US administration has made no diplomatic efforts to resolve this issue.

 

·       India’s Position on the Issue:

 

·       At the UN Security Council meeting, India expressed its deep concern over the riots and violence in Jerusalem and asked all parties to maintain the prevailing stability on the ground.

·       In addition to stating her support for a two-state solution, the Permanent Representative of India to the UN emphasised the necessity of beginning direct negotiations for peace.

·       US Position: The US President has also called for an end to the deadly violence, which has left many people dead.

·       The US did stress, however, that Israel has a right to defend itself in the event of a sustained rocket onslaught.

·       Arab countries’ retort: Iran, Qatar, and Turkey all fully support the Palestinian cause and Hamas.

·       The UAE and Saudi Arabia are practically de facto friends of Israel.

·       Upcoming Steps To Take:

 

·       Leadership Transition: The generational and political leadership transitions in the two States are of utmost significance.

·       Both the prime ministers of Israel and Palestine have been in power for a considerable amount of time. Ideally, they should step down since the region’s and its citizens’ wider interests are outweighed by the need to maintain their positions and domestic power politics.

·       Younger people might decide to reevaluate the possibility of a two-state solution, it is hoped.

·       It is necessary to moderate Hamas as well.

·       Preventing Disproportionate Retribution: Both regimes need to set a limit on how far they will go in retaliation; going over this limit would only encourage more terrorism and extremism.

·       Greater regional players than the US may have a better path to peace negotiations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The US no longer commands the same level of sway in the area as it previously did.

·       Qatar and Egypt are already working closely together to bring about peace.

·       India’s role: According to India, the best way to bring stability to the region and put an end to this protracted conflict is through peace discussions.

·       India is a significant ally of both administrations and supports Palestine, so it would be absurd to favour one over the other.

·       However, Palestine wants India to act in part as their middleman because their religion is not firmly based in the US, China, or Russia.

 

·       Conclusion:

 

·       The situation on the ground is quite terrible, tensions are building, and a solution does not look to be forthcoming anytime soon given the complex issues involved.

·       Peace talks have been trying for at least 20 years, but to no avail. However, India is still in favour of holding peace talks.

·       It is in the best interests of all parties to work toward a viable resolution, but this can only be done through discussions and not through use of force.

 

Source à The Hindu

4 – Details of the AGM 88 HARM:

Prelims Specific Topic

 

·       Context:

 

·       The United States’ Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colin Kahl, stated on Monday, August 8, that Washington had provided Ukraine with specific “anti-radiation missiles” that could be fired from some Ukrainian Air Force aircraft. Russian reports that an American anti-radar missile, the AGM-88 HARM, a part of NATO’s arsenal, was used in the theatre of war have been given validity by the proclamation.

 

 

 

·       Information about the AGM-88 HARM Missile System:

 

·       The AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface missile stands for High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile. It is a tactical weapon that fighter jets can use to discover and target radiation emitted by enemy radar systems with surface-to-air detection capabilities.

·       Although Texas Instruments, a Dallas-based corporation, developed the missile, it is currently made by Raytheon Corporation, a key American defence contractor. An updated version of the weapon is made by Northrop Grumman, which has its headquarters in Dulles, Virginia.

 

Source à The Hindu