03.04.25

US Soft Power Decline:

• Driven by “America First” policies, leading to weakened alliances (NATO, AUKUS), strained ties with Global South due to unconditional support for Israel.
• Reduced humanitarian engagement due to USAID funding cuts and closure of institutions.
• Unstable trade and immigration policies, including protectionist measures and tighter immigration controls, damage US image.
• Decline in appeal of US higher education due to crackdown on protests and funding cuts.

India’s Soft Power Strengths:

• Rich cultural influence through yoga, Ayurveda, Bollywood, and spiritual traditions.
• Strong diaspora connections and historical ties, particularly in Asia and Africa.
• Democratic model and Gandhian ideals inspire developing nations.
• Economic and technological growth, leadership in IT, and vaccine diplomacy during COVID-19.
• Education and knowledge exchange through IITs, IIMs, and training programs like ITEC.
• Humanitarian aid and disaster relief, exemplified by Operation Brahma and assistance to Sri Lanka.
• Active participation in multilateral forums (UN, WHO, BRICS, G20).

Challenges to India’s Soft Power:

• Institutional gaps and poor coordination among organizations like ICCR and AYUSH.
• Limited utilization of multilateral platforms like UNESCO and BRICS.
• Inadequate financial resources compared to countries like China and the US.
• Lack of a formal study on global best practices in soft power promotion.
• Underutilized diaspora in shaping international perceptions.
• Passive approach to public diplomacy compared to proactive efforts by countries like China.

Way Forward for India:

• Develop a comprehensive national strategy for cultural diplomacy.
• Restructure institutions like ICCR and enhance coordination.
• Leverage multilateral platforms for cultural diplomacy.
• Learn from international best practices in soft power promotion.
• Involve the Indian diaspora in advocacy and policymaking.

• Chandrayaan-3’s ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) is the first instrument to measure in-situ temperatures near the Moon’s south pole.
• ChaSTE successfully penetrated lunar soil and deployed a thermal probe, unlike previous missions like ESA’s Philae and NASA’s InSight HP3.
• It provides crucial data on lunar surface temperatures, supporting evidence of water ice deposits.
• The thermal probe, integrated into the Vikram lander, has 10 temperature sensors spaced 1 cm apart.
• It uses a rotation-based deployment mechanism, pushing the probe downwards.
• ChaSTE reached a depth of 10 cm in the lunar regolith and monitored temperature variations.
• Final temperature readings confirmed thermal properties essential for lunar exploration.
• ESA’s Philae lander failed to deploy its temperature probe due to an awkward landing.
• NASA’s InSight HP3 couldn’t penetrate deep enough due to low friction in Martian sand.
• Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission, aiming for a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole.
• ChaSTE’s importance lies in providing data on temperature variations beneath the lunar surface, aiding future Moon exploration.

• Judiciary’s Stance: The Supreme Court (SC) asserts it can intervene when Speakers delay anti-defection decisions, emphasizing that the judiciary isn’t “powerless.”

• Anti-Defection Law (ADL): Introduced to curb political defections, promote party discipline, and ensure stable governments. The law disqualifies legislators for voluntarily leaving their party, voting against party whips, or independent/nominated members joining parties after elections.

• Speaker’s Role & Problem: The Speaker acts as a quasi-judicial authority in deciding disqualification cases but lacks a specified deadline, leading to delays.

• Impact of Delay: Undermines democracy by enabling defectors to continue in office, distorts the popular mandate, erodes political morality, and paralyzes governance. It also stalls re-elections.

• Ruling Party Advantage: Delays often benefit the ruling party, allowing them to consolidate power through defections.

• Needed Reforms:

  • Statutory Time Limit: Implement a time-bound framework (e.g., 90 days) for Speakers to decide disqualification petitions.
  • Independent Adjudication: Shift decision-making to a neutral tribunal or the Election Commission.
  • Limit Whip’s Scope: Restrict whip enforcement to crucial motions.
  • Encourage Political Ethics: Promote internal party dialogue and dissent.

• Surge in Synthetic Drug Trafficking: India faces a growing problem with synthetic drugs, prompting responses like Haryana’s Anti-Synthetic Narcotics Task Force.

• Synthetic Drug Definition: Lab-created drugs using precursor chemicals, unlike plant-based narcotics. Examples include amphetamines and ecstasy.

• Concerns:

  • Rapid Innovation: New psychoactive substances (NPS) circumvent the NDPS Act.
  • Ease of Production: Small, hidden labs use easily available precursors.
  • Detection Difficulty: Disguised in legitimate shipments, bypassing traditional methods.
  • Dark Net Usage: Traffickers use cryptocurrencies and blockchain, complicating tracking.
  • High Potency: Drugs like fentanyl cause fatal overdoses and mass addiction.

• Global Influence: India’s location between the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle and API production exacerbate the problem. Online forums aid synthesis.

• Reforms Needed:

  • Legislative Modernization: Amend NDPS Act for generic scheduling and fast-track NPS classification.
  • National Precursor Control Network: Real-time tracking of precursor chemicals with AI alerts.
  • Digital Surveillance: Use blockchain forensics to trace cryptocurrency payments.
  • International Coordination: Leverage UN conventions and collaborate with INTERPOL.
  • Health and Awareness: Expand de-addiction infrastructure (NAPDDR) and targeted awareness campaigns (NMBA).

• Why Harder to Regulate: Synthetic drugs are harder to regulate because of rapid innovation, the ease of production in small labs, their high potency leading to fatality, and are usually trafficked in disguise, using dark net, etc.

• Ambitious Approach Needed: EAM Jaishankar urged BIMSTEC to adopt a more ambitious approach, given the evolving global order that is becoming increasingly regional and agenda-specific. This suggests a need for BIMSTEC to be more proactive and impactful in addressing regional challenges and opportunities.

• India’s Central Role & Connectivity: Jaishankar highlighted India’s crucial role, particularly its northeastern region, in establishing transport and connectivity linkages within BIMSTEC. This emphasizes India’s commitment to facilitating regional integration and infrastructure development.

• Meeting Context: The foreign ministers’ meeting in Bangkok served as preparation for the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit.

• BIMSTEC’s Core Purpose: It aims to foster economic and technical cooperation among countries bordering the Bay of Bengal, bridging South and Southeast Asia.

• Membership: BIMSTEC includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.

• Origin & Structure: Established in 1997, it operates through a rotational chairmanship and consensus-based decision-making. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka.

• Charter Adoption: The BIMSTEC Charter was adopted in 2022, providing the organization with a legal framework.

• Key Objectives: Focus on economic growth, social progress, trade and investment, transport and connectivity, regional security, technical collaboration, and sustainable development.

• Tamil Nadu Resolution: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to retrieve Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka.
• Location & Significance: Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, strategically important as a maritime boundary marker and a fisheries-rich zone crucial for Tamil Nadu’s fishing economy. St. Anthony’s Church is a religious site for both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen.
• Historical Ownership: The island’s ownership was contested historically, with claims from both British India and Sri Lanka until the 1974 agreement.
• 1974 Agreement: The Indo-Sri Lankan maritime boundary agreement of 1974, based on UNCLOS principles, delineated the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), placing Katchatheevu under Sri Lankan sovereignty.
• IMBL Impact: The IMBL determines Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and territorial waters. The 1974 agreement adjusted the equidistant line, leading to Katchatheevu falling under Sri Lanka’s control.
• Fishermen’s Concerns: Indian fishermen are often arrested for crossing into Sri Lankan waters near Katchatheevu while fishing.
• Visit Restrictions: Indian pilgrims can visit Katchatheevu annually for the St. Anthony’s Church festival but cannot fish or reside there.
• Other Maritime Disputes: India has other maritime disputes, such as the Sir Creek Dispute with Pakistan and the former New Moore Island dispute with Bangladesh.

• Myanmar Earthquake Cause: Recent earthquakes in Myanmar are attributed to strike-slip faulting along the Sagaing Fault.
• Tectonic Boundary: The Sagaing Fault is a major, active tectonic boundary separating the Indian and Eurasian Plates.
• Location and Extent: It runs north-south through Myanmar, stretching 1,500 km from the Andaman Sea to the Eastern Himalayas.
• Type of Fault: It’s a right-lateral strike-slip fault, characterized by horizontal movement of fault blocks.
• Plate Movement: The northward movement of the Indian Plate causes stress buildup along the fault.
• Earthquake Mechanism: Accumulated stress releases energy as seismic waves, leading to earthquakes.
• Seismic Activity: The fault is one of the most seismically active regions in Southeast Asia.
• Strike-Slip Faults: Characterized by horizontal movement with minimal vertical displacement, common at transform boundaries.
• Importance: Understanding the Sagaing Fault is crucial for assessing earthquake risk in Myanmar and surrounding regions.

• Air Pollution Crisis: India faces a severe and persistent air pollution crisis with significant health, economic, and environmental impacts.
• Pollution Levels: India ranks as the 5th most polluted country globally, exceeding WHO safe limits by 10 times. Delhi is the most polluted capital, and Indian cities dominate the list of most polluted urban centers.
• Health Impact: Air pollution caused 2.1 million deaths in India in 2021, leading to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
• Economic Loss: Air pollution reduces GDP growth by impacting productivity, increasing health costs, and decreasing asset efficiency. It also reduces solar power efficiency, potentially causing significant electricity losses.
• Environmental Degradation: Air pollution contributes to climate change, degrades ecosystems, and threatens biodiversity through acid rain, toxin buildup, and crop yield reduction.
• Diverse Causes: Sources include industries, vehicles, biomass burning, construction, and seasonal factors like stubble burning.
• Policy Gaps: Weak enforcement of existing regulations (BS-VI, PMUY, FAME) and inadequate monitoring hinder progress.
• Financial Constraints: Limited funding and outdated technologies slow down pollution control efforts.
• Over-Reliance on Technology: Excessive focus on high-tech solutions (smog towers) while neglecting major pollution sources.
• Behavioral Barriers: Public resistance to green technologies, reliance on solid fuels, and low awareness impede progress.
• Coordination Issues: Weak inter-state cooperation and seasonal pollution spikes complicate enforcement efforts.
• Way Forward:
  • Decentralized, data-driven governance: Empower local bodies and use real-time emissions tracking.
  • Technological and structural reforms: Balance innovation with systemic changes like renewable energy transition.
  • Learning from global best practices: Adopt clean energy strategies (China), integrate waste workers (Brazil), and reinvest pollution fines (California).
  • Sector-specific pollution control: Strengthen public transport, enforce vehicle scrappage, tighten industrial emission norms, improve waste management, and promote alternatives to crop residue burning.
  • Behavioral change: Raise awareness and involve communities in monitoring and advocating for sustainable practices.
• Conclusion: Addressing air pollution requires strong political will, scientific solutions, collective action, and integration into urban planning, public health, and economic growth strategies.

• SC Judges to Publicly Declare Assets: Prompted by the discovery of large sums of cash at a Delhi High Court judge’s residence, the Supreme Court has decided its judges will publicly declare their assets. The disclosures will be made to the CJI and then published on the court’s website.

• No Legal Mandate: Currently, there is no law requiring judges to publicly disclose their assets.

• Past SC Resolutions: A 1997 resolution mandated declaration to the CJI only, not the public. A 2009 decision allowed voluntary disclosure on the SC website.

• RTI Applicability: A 2019 ruling stated judges’ assets are not “personal information,” potentially making them accessible under the RTI Act.

• Low HC Compliance: As of March 2025, only 13% of High Court judges (97 out of 770) have publicly declared assets.

• HC Resistance: Several High Courts (Allahabad, Rajasthan, Bombay, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand) have strongly opposed public disclosure and RTI requests.

• Comparison to Other Public Servants: Civil servants (under AIS Conduct Rules) and political candidates must declare assets. MPs/MLAs and Union Ministers also have asset declaration requirements. This difference in treatment has raised questions of equality and accountability.

The public disclosure of judges’ assets aims to increase transparency and accountability within the judiciary, aligning it with standards expected of other public servants.

• Russian Nuclear Submarine “Perm” Launched: Equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles as standard, marking a significant advancement for the Russian navy.
• Putin’s “Milestone” Assessment: The launch of the Perm is considered a crucial event for strengthening Russia’s naval capabilities.
• Hypersonic Missile Definition: These weapons travel at Mach 5 or higher (≥ 6,174 km/h), characterized by speed, maneuverability, and rapid strike potential.
• Maneuverability Advantage: Trajectory can be altered mid-flight, evading missile shields and early warning systems more effectively than ballistic missiles.
• Detection Challenges: Ground-based radars have difficulty detecting them early, complicating interception efforts.
• Strategic Applications: Hypersonic weapons offer responsive, long-range strike options against defended or time-critical targets.
• Kinetic Energy Destruction: Conventional versions utilize kinetic energy to destroy targets, including hardened facilities.
• Two Main Types: Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs) and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCMs) employ different propulsion methods. HGVs glide after rocket launch; HCMs use scramjets.
• Zircon Missile Capabilities: Russia claims it reaches Mach 8, has a range of 625 miles, and can carry a 660-pound warhead, making it exceptionally difficult to defend against.