Iran, Belarus to be newest SCO Members

Iran and Belarus are likely to be the two newest additions to the China and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grouping.

What is SCO?

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.

The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.

Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.

The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.

India’s entry to the SCO

India and Pakistan both were observer countries.

While Central Asian countries and China were not in favor of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.

A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.

From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO in 2017.

China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.

Why expand now?

China and Russia are looking to frame the grouping as a counter to the West — particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China wishes to draw a sharp contrast between the SCO and NATO.

Changing narrative of SCO

There has been discussion in the international arena that the trend of non-alignment is back.

NATO is based on Cold War thinking.

The logic of NATO is creating new enemies to sustain its own existence.

However, SCO is a cooperative organisation based on non-alignment and not targeting a third party.

India and SCO: Present status

India will host the SCO summit next year, and Varanasi has been selected as the SCO region’s first “Tourism and Cultural Capital”.

India will also be chairing the summit.

Public Capex Plan key to long-term growth: FM

Finance Minister said India’s long-term growth prospects were embedded in public capital expenditure programs.

What is the news?

FM has raised capital expenditure (capex) by 35.4% for the financial year 2022-23 to ₹7.5 lakh crore to continue the public investment-led recovery of the pandemic-battered economy.

The capex last year was ₹5.5 lakh crore.

What is Capital Expenditure (Capex)?

The government’s expenditure is categorized into two:

The one which results in asset development or acquisition known as CAPEX,

Another is utilized to cover operating costs and obligations but does not result in asset creation known as Revenue expenditure.

Capex is defined the as money spent on the acquisition of assets such as land, buildings, machinery, and equipment, as well as stock investments.

What attributes to capex?

The portion of government payments that goes toward the construction of assets such as schools, colleges, hospitals, roads, bridges, dams, railway lines, airports, and seaports amounts to capex.

The acquisition of new weaponry and weapon systems, such as missiles, tanks, fighter planes, and submarines, necessitates a significant financial outlay.

The defense sector receives over a third of the central government’s capital spending, primarily for armament acquisitions.

Despite the fact that defense spending is classified as a capital expenditure, it does not result in the development of infrastructure to support economic growth.

Also includes investments that will produce earnings or dividends in the future.

Significance of Capex

Economic recovery: This action is crucial in light of the economic slowdown induced by the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as a dip in the employment ratio.

Value creation: Capital asset formation provides future cash flows for the economy and contributes to value creation.

Multiplier Effect: Capex is expected to have a Multiplier Effect (a change in rupee value of output with respect to a change in rupee value of expenditure).

Increased employment: Capital spending creates jobs and improves labor productivity as a result of the multiplier effect.

Macroeconomic Stabilizer: Capital Expenditure serves as a macroeconomic stabilizer and is an excellent instrument for countercyclical fiscal policy.

Political tussle over Podu Cultivation and Forest Lands in Telangana

Activists have taken up the issue of Podu cultivation of adivasis and tribals in forest areas in Telangana.

What one means by Podu?

Podu is a traditional system of cultivation used by tribes in India, whereby different areas of jungle forest are cleared by burning each year to provide land for crops.

It is a form of shifting agriculture using slash-and-burn methods. The word comes from the Telugu language.

Traditionally used on the hill-slopes of Andhra Pradesh, it is similar to the jhum method found in north-east India and the bewar system of Madhya Pradesh.

What is the ‘Podu’ Land Issue?

The Telangana government had decided in 2021 to move landless, non-tribal farmers engaged in shifting cultivation inside forests to peripheral areas in an effort to combat deforestation.

It ensured that all steps would be taken to ensure that forest land was not encroached upon.

It is observed that podu progressively degrades large areas of the forest.

What TS has to offer as alternative to Podu?

To stop this deforestation, the government wants to move out cultivators from deep inside forests to the periphery by allotting them land for cultivation.

Tribal farmers who have been traditionally cultivating for decades would not be affected by this drive against illegal encroachers.

The land ownership titles have been given to tribals and more than 3 lakh acres have been allocated to tribal farmers state-wide.

And what about non-tribal farmers?

These farmers can apply to the state government to allocate them land outside the forests.

Those who are moved out of the forests would be given land ownership certificates, power and water supplies and Rythu Bandhu benefits.

Rise in Unvaccinated Children in India

The number of children in India who were unvaccinated or missed their first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) combined vaccine doubled due to the pandemic, rising from 1.4 million in 2019 to 2.7 million in 2021, according to official data published by the WHO and UNICEF.

Why in news?

This data signifies that the world recorded the largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years.

There was an increase in zero dose.

This is the first time ever there has been a decline in evaluated coverage in immunisation for India as a whole.

Vaccination measures in India

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0: India started IMI 4.0 from February 2022, which is expected to further reduce the number of unvaccinated children.

India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP): It provide free vaccines to all children across the country to protect them against Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea. (Rubella, JE and Rotavirus vaccine in select states and districts).

About Intensified Mission Indhradhanush (IMI) 4.0

IMI 4.0 aims to fill gaps in the routine immunisation coverage of infants and pregnant women hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and also aims to make lasting gains towards Universal Immunization.

It will have three rounds and will be conducted in 416 districts across 33 states.

Unlike the past, each round under IMI 4.0 will be conducted for seven days, including Routine Immunization (RI) days, Sundays, and public holidays.