Spy Balloon: Another Grey-zone warfare tactics

The recent incident of a Chinese ‘spy balloon’ sighted 60,000 feet over the skies of Montana in the United States (US) which was finally shot down by a missile from a US F22 fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina has left far too many questions unanswered.

What the debris indicates?

While some of the clues emerging from the balloon’s debris have unravelled some information, the incident itself is a reminiscent of Cold War era tactics and is a pointer towards archetypical grey-zone activities which could characterise China’s standard operating procedure in the future.

US claims

The US State Department’s confident claims that the balloon “was clearly for intelligence surveillance and was likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications” point to an incoming precipitation of crisis in US-China relations.

Understanding Chinese perceptions

Spy balloon episode gives us a peek into the worldview of chinese strategists: There is a strategic awareness in Beijing that even as the war has raged on in Europe for over a year, the US may be turning its attention to the Western Pacific region where it is rebuilding its naval power, resuscitating alliances, and consolidating its position as the centre of its hub-and-spokes network in the Pacific theatre.

US-Philippines defence cooperation: There has been the renewal of the US-Philippines defence cooperation, which bolsters America’s defences with respect to Taiwan.

Japan’s return to geopolitics is another basis for such perceptions within China: Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s warning that East Asia could suffer the same fate as Ukraine has led the nation to radically alter its security policy. On one hand, Japan is building domestic capabilities like incrementally increasing spending on defence, and planning for a missile arsenal to deter China, it is also expanding defence cooperation with the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Grey-zone warfare: A key feature of China’s aggression and expansionism

Reclaiming reefs in south China sea: The first step in its expansion into the South China Sea was reclaiming reefs and then building military infrastructure there.

Villages near Indian border: Similarly, China has constructed ‘xiaokang’ villages near the Indian border in a bid to bolster its territorial claims.

Spy balloon episode is one of the grey zone tactics: The spy balloon episode marks a major inflection point in this approach, since the US, for the first time, has been at the receiving end of China’s grey-zone tactics.

AI to improve maternal and child health in India

With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies, there is potential for these tools to support maternal and neonatal healthcare in low-resource settings, although their development in this field is still in its early stages. AI has the capability of transforming maternal and child health in low and middle-income countries by supplementing conventional practices with advanced technology, thus improving the accuracy of diagnoses, increasing access to care, and ultimately saving lives.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target

The SDGs have set a target to eliminate preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age by 2030, with a specific aim to lower neonatal mortality (NMR) to a minimum of 12 deaths per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality (U5MR) to a minimum of 25 deaths per 1,000 live births across all nations.

Challenges and the current state of maternal and child health in India

One of the main challenges is the high maternal and infant mortality rates: According to the latest SRS Bulletin, India’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 97 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018-2020, and the infant mortality rate (IMR) was 35.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019-21.

Rates are higher than the SDG targets: According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, the NMR and U5MR in India are 24.9 and 41.9 respectively. These rates are higher than the SDG targets and are a cause for concern.

Lack of access to healthcare for many women and children in India: Many rural and remote areas lack basic healthcare facilities, and even when facilities are available, they may not be staffed with qualified healthcare providers. Additionally, cultural and societal barriers can prevent women and children from accessing healthcare.

Malnutrition: Malnutrition is a major contributor to high maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality rates in India, with about 68 percent of child deaths being linked to malnutrition.

Some positive developments in maternal and child health in India in recent years

Programs and policies aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality: The government has implemented several programs and policies aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality, such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) which provides cash incentives for pregnant women to deliver in health facilities and free health check-up respectively.

Efforts to increase access and quality health facilities: There have also been efforts to increase the number of healthcare facilities in rural and remote areas and to improve the quality of care provided at these facilities.

Using technology in Healthcare: In addition, India has also been working on using technology to improve maternal and child health.

For example: Telemedicine has been implemented in remote areas, and the government has also launched an application, RCH ANMOL, for tracking pregnant women, infants and children for their health, vaccination, and nutrition status. Other digital initiatives include the Draft Health Data Management Policy, Health Data Retention Policy, Unified Health Interface, and Health Facility Registry.

Potential applications of AI

Predictive modelling of risk factors: By analysing large amounts of medical data, AI algorithms can identify risk factors for maternal and fetal complications and predict the likelihood of certain outcomes. This can help healthcare providers to identify high-risk pregnancies early on and take steps to mitigate the risks.

Predicting birth weights for effective nutrition programme: Malnutrition is responsible for lowering newborn immunity to infections and diseases. Predicting birth weight for newborns can aid doctors and parents to adopt putative measures such as effective utilisation of Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) pre-emptively.

AI can make a big impact is in the detection of fetal abnormalities: In LMICs, access to ultrasound technology is often limited, and the quality of images may be poor. By using AI to analyse ultrasound images, healthcare providers can improve the accuracy of diagnoses and detect abnormalities that may otherwise be missed.

Challenges to using AI to improve maternal and child health in India

One of the biggest challenges is data availability and quality: AI relies on large amounts of data to train models, however, in India, there is a lack of data on maternal and child health, and the data that is available may be of poor quality. This can make it difficult to develop accurate and reliable AI-based solutions.

Limited infrastructure: In many parts of India, there is a lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity and internet connectivity, which makes it difficult to implement AI-based solutions. This can be a particular problem in rural areas where access to healthcare is already limited.

Ethical concerns: AI-based solutions raise a number of ethical concerns, including issues around privacy, bias, and accountability. It is important to address these concerns to ensure that AI-based solutions are used in a responsible and ethical manner.

Language and dialects: India has a wide variety of languages and dialects, which can make it difficult to develop AI-based solutions that are accessible to everyone. The lack of data in certain languages or dialects can make it difficult to develop accurate and reliable AI-based solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of different linguistic communities.

‘BIMARU’ Tag: What does this term mean?

Central idea: While addressing a summit in UP, PM recalled the tag of ‘BIMARU’, once used to describe the state.

What are BIMARU states?

The term “BIMARU” is an acronym formed from the first letters of five states – Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, and UP – that were believed to be economically and socially backward in the 1980s and 1990s.

The term was popularized by economist Ashish Bose in the 1980s to describe the poor economic and social indicators of these states.

He coined this term in a paper presented to then-PM Rajiv Gandhi.

These states were characterized by low literacy rates, poor infrastructure, high poverty rates, and low levels of industrialization.

The term “BIMARU” itself is an amalgamation of the Hindi words “bimar” (sick) and “ru” (a suffix meaning “land of”).

Behind the slang name ‘BIMAR’

The BIMARU states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are characterized by several economic and social features that distinguish them from other states in India. Some of these features include:

Low per capita income: These have traditionally had low per capita income levels compared to other states in India, with Bihar having the lowest per capita income among Indian states.

High poverty rates: They have a high percentage of people living in poverty, with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh having some of the highest poverty rates in the country.

Low literacy rates: They have lower literacy rates than the national average, with Bihar having the lowest literacy rate among Indian states.

Poor healthcare indicators: They have traditionally had poor healthcare indicators, with high infant and maternal mortality rates.

Agriculture-based economy: These states are primarily agricultural states, with a significant percentage of the population engaged in agriculture and related activities.

Significant population: They are among the most populous states in India, with Uttar Pradesh being the most populous state in the country.

Overall, the BIMARU states have traditionally lagged behind other states in India in terms of economic and social development, although in recent years, there has been progress in improving development indicators.

How are these states faring now?

In recent years, some of these states, such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, have shown significant improvement.

In terms of economic growth, several of these states have experienced high growth rates in recent years, with Madhya Pradesh and Bihar recording growth rates of over 10% in 2019-20.

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also recorded growth rates of over 7% in recent years.

There has also been progress in improving social indicators such as literacy rates and healthcare infrastructure.

For example, Bihar has seen a significant increase in literacy rates, with the state’s literacy rate increasing from 47% in 2001 to 63% in 2011.

Alternatives to ‘BIMARU’ terms

PM has urged to refrain the use of such terms as they only serves to reinforce negative stereotypes and inhibit progress towards more equitable development across the country.

He coined the term such as ‘Aspirational Districts/Blocks’ as alternative to such negative word.

Way forward

This involves several key strategies to address the economic and social challenges that these states face. Some of these strategies include:

Enhancing economic growth: The BIMARU states need to focus on enhancing economic growth through policies that encourage investment, job creation, and entrepreneurship. This can include measures such as improving the ease of doing business, providing infrastructure, and investing in sectors with high growth potential.

Improving social indicators: They need to focus on improving social indicators such as literacy rates, healthcare, and sanitation. This can involve investing in education and healthcare infrastructure, and implementing programs that target poverty reduction and social inclusion.

Enhancing agricultural productivity: Given that agriculture is a major contributor to the economy of BIMARU states, efforts should be made to enhance agricultural productivity and efficiency. This can include investments in irrigation and modern agricultural techniques, and support for small and marginal farmers.

Leveraging technology: The BIMARU states can leverage technology to enhance economic and social development. This can involve the use of digital technologies to improve access to education and healthcare and promote entrepreneurship and innovation.

What is ‘Office of Profit’?

Jharkhand CM’s chair remains uncertain as the Election Commission (EC) is understood to have conveyed its decision in an office-of-profit complaint against him to the Governor.

Why in news?

Under Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the CM could face disqualification for entering into a government contract.

The Constitution of India does not define the Office of Profit. It has only mentioned it under Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1).

What is ‘Office of Profit’?

In India, the concept of an “Office of Profit” refers to a situation where a person holds a government position that brings them financial gain or other advantages, while at the same time they hold an elected or other public office.

The idea behind this concept is to prevent any conflict of interest and ensure that elected representatives do not hold positions that may compromise their independence and impartiality.

Indian context to this

MPs and MLAs, as members of the legislature, hold the government accountable for its work.

The essence of disqualification is if legislators hold an ‘office of profit’ under the government, they might be susceptible to government influence, and may not discharge their constitutional mandate fairly.

The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and interests of an elected member.

Hence, the office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.

What governs the term?

At present, the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, bars an MP, MLA or an MLC from holding any office of profit under the central or state government unless it is exempted.

However, it does not clearly define what constitutes an office of profit.

Legislators can face disqualification for holding such positions, which bring them financial or other benefits.

Under the provisions of Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA (or an MLC) is barred from holding any office of profit under the Central or State government.

An undefined term

The officials of the law ministry are of the view that defining an office of profit could lead to the filing of a number of cases with the Election Commission and the courts.

Also, once the definition is changed, one will also have to amend various provisions in the Constitution including Article 102 (1) (a) and Article 109 (1) (a) that deal with the office of profit.

It will have an overarching effect on all the other sections of the Constitution.

Factors constituting an ‘office of profit’

The 1959 law does not clearly define what constitutes an office of profit but the definition has evolved over the years with interpretations made in various court judgments.

An office of profit has been interpreted to be a position that brings to the office-holder some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit. The amount of such profit is immaterial.

In 1964, the Supreme Court ruled that the test for determining whether a person holds an office of profit is the test of appointment.

What is the ‘test of appointment’?

Several factors are considered in this determination including factors such as:

whether the government is the appointing authority, whether the government has the power to terminate the appointment, whether the government determines the remuneration, what is the source of remuneration, and power that comes with the position