India suspends Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar

• The Union Home Minister declared that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the border with Myanmar would eventually be repealed.

About Free Movement Regime

• The FMR, which was implemented in the 1970s, let residents of India and Myanmar to travel up to 16 kilometers into each other’s countries without a visa.
• The 1,643 km border between India and Myanmar runs through the States of Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), and Manipur (398 km).
• This government acknowledged the strong linkages that exist between communities on both sides of the open border in terms of family and ethnicity.
• The FMR was last updated in 2016 to conform to Act East policy of India. However, because to the COVID-19 epidemic, it has been suspended in Manipur since 2020.

Historical Context of India-Myanmar Relations

India and Myanmar’s relationship has changed throughout time as a result of geopolitical changes and historical events:

• Prior to 1937: Profound religious and cultural connections, evidenced by historical Buddhist interactions.
• 1937 Distinction: The breaking apart of Burma from British India, resulting in different political paths.
• Tense relations following the 1962 coup were brought on by Myanmar’s military government and ties to China.
• 1990s Shift: India’s Look East Policy, which prioritized strategic and economic cooperation, led to its reengagement with Myanmar.
• 2015 Democracy: After Myanmar’s democratic transition, bilateral relations have improved.
• 2021 Coup: Instability following Myanmar’s military takeover may cause new relations difficulties.

Motives behind the Policy Change

• Drug Trafficking and Insurgency: As a source of opium, Myanmar feeds both drug trafficking and insurgency networks in the northeastern states of India.
• Refugee Inflow After Military Coup: After Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021, more than 40,000 refugees fled into Mizoram and about 4,000 into Manipur, raising worries about security.
• Local Government Position: Linking ethnic violence in the state to unrestricted cross-border travel, the Chief Minister of Manipur urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to revoke the FMR and finish border barrier.

Way forward

• Border Fencing: A tender is anticipated shortly, and the government intends to fence roughly 300 kilometers of the border.
• Revisions to the Regulation: Scholars advise improving the FMR to effectively control migration while preserving international relations.
• commerce and Infrastructure: Some negative effects may be lessened by formalizing commerce at specified entry points and improving infrastructure.
• Community Involvement: Sensitive and efficient border management depends on involving border communities in decision-making.

7th Edition of Indian Ocean Conference (IOC)

• Perth, Australia, is hosting the 7th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC).

About Indian Ocean Conference (IOC)

• IOC was established in 2016 and has since become the principal venue for consultation on regional matters among nations in the Indian Ocean area.
• The Conference’s inaugural edition took place in Singapore in 2016.
• India Foundation organizes it in collaboration with other regional organizations.
• It seeks to address regional cooperation under the framework of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) by bringing together key states and maritime partners.

SAGAR: What is it?

• “Security and Growth for All in the Region,” or SAGAR, was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius in 2015.
• It seeks to preserve strategic alliances with littoral states in Asia and Africa while utilizing the blue economy.
• In line with other maritime efforts like Act East Policy, Project Mausam, and Blue Economy, it aims to transparently lead capacity building and capability upgrading activities.

Key Statements by Dignitaries this Year

• Challenges to the International Rule of Law: Implicitly criticizing China’s actions, EAM S. Jaishankar outlined issues with the rule of law from the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific.
• Demand for Conflict Reduction: In light of the escalating tensions in the region, the Australian Foreign Minister underscored the need to reduce conflict.
• Veiled Allusions to China’s Actions: Jaishankar emphasized the significance of abiding by internationally negotiated regimes while alluding to China’s troop buildup near the Line of Actual Control and its actions in the South China Sea.

STATE OF THE WORLD’S MIGRATORY SPECIES REPORT

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has released the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report.

Context:

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the governing body of the intergovernmental Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

About Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS):

• An international agreement known as the Bonn Convention, or Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), attempts to conserve migratory species throughout their ranges.
• The CMS was signed on June 23, 1979, in Bonn, Germany, and went into effect on November 1, 1983.
• It offers a global platform for the preservation and sustainable use of migrating birds, fish, and terrestrial species along with their environments.
• 133 Parties and 583 migratory species are covered by CMS as of right now.
• Since 1983, India has been a party to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
• In Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP) to CMS was held in February 2020.
• The 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the most recent CMS convention, took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from February 10–15, 2024.

Key findings:

• Approximately 44% of the species on the CMS list are experiencing population decreases, and 22% of them under extinction threat.
• Worldwide migration poses an increasing threat of extinction for all species, even those not included in the CMS.
• The two biggest risks to all migratory species, including those on the CMS list, are habitat loss brought on by human activities and overexploitation.
• Of the Key Biodiversity Areas designated as significant for migratory animals on the CMS list, half (51%) lack protected status, and 58% of the sites under observation that are regarded as significant for these species are under unsustainable pressure from humans.
• 399 migratory species that are endangered or very close to going extinct worldwide are not on the CMS list as of yet.

Classical Language

The chief minister of West Bengal gained notoriety for supporting Bangla, the seventh most spoken language in the world, to be recognized as a classical language.

Context:

• The classical language status of many regional languages has been demanded by state governments and political parties in the different regions.

About Classical language

• The Indian government established the requirements for granting designation as a classical language in 2006.
• Guidelines for classical languages are provided by the Ministry of Culture. The first of these is the early manuscripts’ high antiquity, dating back between 1500 and 2000 years in recorded history;
• a corpus of antiquated writings that present-day speakers value as a priceless legacy;
• The literary tradition must originate from scratch and not be appropriated from another speaking group;
• There may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots, given that the classical language and literature are separate from contemporary.
• Six languages are recognized as “Classical” in India at the moment. Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014), and Tamil (announced in 2004) are the languages in question.

Advantages:

• A language that has been designated as classical receives funding to establish a center of excellence for its study and becomes eligible for two significant awards given to distinguished researchers.
• Additionally, a request may be made to the University Grants Commission to establish a specific number of professional chairs for classical languages for researchers of distinction in the field, starting at least in Central Universities.