North Korea’s new ballistic missile test

About the Recent Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 Test

• North Korea announced the successful test of a new tactical ballistic missile, Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5.
• The missile is capable of carrying a “super-large warhead.”
• The test used a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and accuracy.
• This test violates UN prohibitions on North Korea testing ballistic projectiles.
• North Korea plans another launch in July to test the “explosion power” of the super-large warhead.

South Korea’s Reaction

• Dismissal as Deception: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Colonel Lee Sung-jun, questioned the success of the test, calling it likely “deception.”
• Artillery Drills: South Korea conducted artillery drills near the Military Demarcation Line in response.
• Military Pact Suspension: These drills resumed after North Korea launched balloons carrying garbage into South Korea, leading to the suspension of a military pact with Pyongyang.
• Concerns Over Russia Ties: South Korea is worried about North Korea’s growing relations with Russia, suspecting them of supplying ballistic missiles and artillery shells to Russia, despite denials from both countries.

Geopolitical Implications on the Indo-Pacific Region

• Increased Tensions: North Korea’s missile tests raise security concerns among neighboring countries and global powers.
• Regional Arms Race: The tests could prompt countries like South Korea and Japan to enhance their military capabilities.
• US and Allies’ Response: The US and its allies might increase military presence and conduct joint exercises to counter North Korea’s advancements.
• Impact on Diplomacy: The tests complicate diplomatic efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, potentially leading to further sanctions and isolation of North Korea.
• China’s Role: China’s influence and relationship with North Korea could be crucial in addressing the security challenges posed by these tests.

Way Forward (What Can India Do?)

• Strengthen Regional Alliances and Diplomatic Engagements: India should collaborate more with key regional players like Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries for collective security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Enhance National Defense Capabilities: India should bolster its defense infrastructure and capabilities to prepare for potential threats arising from increased militarization in the region.

The new tri-nation partnership AUKUS is aimed at countering China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. Is it going to supersede the existing partnerships in the region? Discuss the strength and impact of AUKUS in the present scenario. (2021)

How urban expansion makes Delhi susceptible to flooding 

Impact of Heavy Rain on Delhi and NCR

• Severe water-logging, traffic snarls, power cuts, and property damage.
• 11 deaths from structural collapses and electrocution.

Principal Reasons Behind Chronic Urban Flooding in Delhi

• Unchecked Urban Expansion: Rapid, ill-planned urban growth ignoring natural topography and drainage.
• Inadequate Drainage Systems: Existing systems can’t handle high-intensity rainfall.
• Concrete Overdevelopment: Excessive construction on low-lying areas and flood plains, reducing water absorption.
• Destruction of Water Bodies: Conversion of water bodies into real estate, reducing floodwater management capacity.
• Neglect of Water in Urban Planning: Lack of a comprehensive water masterplan integrating water management into urban development.

Present Scenario of Rapid Urbanization in Delhi NCR

• Fastest Urban Expansion: Delhi’s geographic size almost doubled between 1991 and 2011.
• Population Growth: Predicted to become the world’s most populous city by 2030 with 39 million people.
• Urban Sprawl: Expansion mainly on peripheries, converting rural areas into urban zones. Rapid urbanization in NCR cities like Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida, and Gurugram.

Challenges and Limitations

• Topographical Neglect: Building in low-lying areas and flood plains disrupts natural drainage and increases flood risks.
• Inadequate Infrastructure: Insufficient desilting of drains, inadequate stormwater management systems, and improper solid waste management.
• Lack of a Water Masterplan: Absence of comprehensive planning for clean and wastewater flows, causing flooding issues in new infrastructures like the Pragati Maidan Tunnel.
• Reduction of Green Space and Water Bodies: Conversion into concrete developments, worsening flood situations.
• Inconsistent Urban Planning: No systematic integration of natural water flows and gradients into urban development plans.

Recommendations (Way Forward)

• Integrated Urban Planning: Develop a water masterplan prioritizing water management in urban development.
• Protection of Water Bodies: Preserve and restore existing water bodies for effective floodwater management.
• Sustainable Development: Implement policies to prevent construction in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
• Infrastructure Improvement: Enhance drainage systems, desilting processes, and solid waste management to reduce water logging.
• Public Awareness: Increase awareness about sustainable urban planning and the risks of unchecked urbanization.

Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (2020)

India’s steady partner in green growth

Indo-French Horizon 2047 Roadmap

• Strategic Partnership: Enhancing defense, security, and geopolitical ties.
• Economic Partnership: Promoting trade, investments, and sustainable development.
• Partnership for the Planet: Focusing on environmental sustainability and green technologies.

India-France Bilateral Ties

• Strategic Partnership: Established in 1998, covering defense, civil nuclear energy, space, and security cooperation.
• High-Level Exchanges: Frequent high-level visits and participation in national events like Republic Day parades.
• Defense Cooperation: Joint military exercises, defense equipment manufacturing collaboration, and intelligence exchange.
• Space Cooperation: Co-development and launch of satellites, new launch technologies, and startup connections; recently launched a Strategic Space Dialogue.
• Convergence on Indo-Pacific: Shared concerns over China’s assertiveness, cooperation in the Southwest Indian Ocean, and regional security collaboration.

France’s Support for India’s Sustainability Goals

• Financial Support: Over €4 billion since 2008 through the French Development Agency (AFD) and Proparco for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.
• Strategic Focus Areas: Cooperation in energy transition, sustainable urban development, biodiversity conservation, resilience of territories, and reducing inequalities.
• Project Implementation: Notable projects include metro systems in Pune and Nagpur, forest conservation in Rajasthan, and urban water management in 20 cities.
• Partnership in Innovation: Initiatives like the Indo-French Year of Innovation in 2026 to integrate social inclusion with environmental sustainability.
• Indo-Pacific Engagement: Initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership and joint funds for green technologies, highlighting France’s commitment to regional sustainability.

Private Sector-led Projects

• Investment in Agriculture: Proparco’s €11.2 million investment in Sahyadri supports reducing farm losses, pesticide and fertilizer use, and improving yields and produce quality.
• Healthcare Investments: Proparco’s €33 million equity investment in Quadria aims to improve access to affordable quality healthcare in underserved regions of India and Southeast Asia.
• Innovation and Sustainability: Focus on innovative solutions blending social inclusion with sustainability, including joint efforts to scale up green technologies.

Way Forward

• Strengthen Bilateral Agreements: Facilitate smoother cooperation and ensure compliance with international sustainability standards.
• Foster Deeper Public-Private Partnerships: Leverage expertise, funding, and innovation for sustainable development projects.
• Promote Continuous High-Level Dialogues: Address global challenges, enhance regional security, and drive economic growth and environmental sustainability through joint initiatives.

What were the events that led to the Suez Crisis in 1956? How did it deal a final blow to Britain’s self-image as a world power? (2014)

Digital jurisprudence in India, in an AI era 

Generative AI’s Transformative Potential

• Generative AI challenges existing legal frameworks and judicial precedents, which are inadequate for effectively governing this rapidly-evolving technology.

What is Generative AI?

• Definition: AI models that generate original content (text, images, videos, audio) in response to prompts.
• Function: Learn patterns from large datasets to create new content resembling the training data.

Persistent and Contentious Issues in Internet Governance

Safe Harbour and Liability Fixation

• Shreya Singhal Judgment: Upholds Section 79 of the IT Act, providing intermediaries ‘safe harbour’ protection against liability for hosted content if they meet due diligence requirements.
• Challenges: Applying these provisions to GAI tools is difficult due to debates on their classification (intermediaries, conduits, active creators).
• Christian Louboutin Sas vs Nakul Bajaj and Ors (2018): Delhi High Court limited safe harbour protection to “passive” intermediaries, complicating liability assignment for GAI tools, especially in cases of user reposts.

Generative AI and Legal Conflicts

• Legal Issues: GAI outputs have led to conflicts, such as a defamation lawsuit against OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the U.S.
• Ambiguities: Classifying GAI tools complicates legal decisions regarding liability.

Indian Copyright Act 1957 and Generative AI

• Section 16: Copyright protection is granted only under the Act, with reluctance globally to extend protection to AI-generated works.
• Critical Questions:
  • Should existing copyright laws be revised for AI?
  • Is co-authorship with humans necessary for AI-generated works?
  • Who is responsible for copyright infringement by AI tools?
• 161st Parliamentary Standing Committee Report: Highlights the inadequacy of the Act to facilitate AI authorship and ownership.
• Current Law: Allows copyright owners to take legal action against infringement, but liability for AI-generated content remains unclear.

Steps to Pursue (Way Forward)

Learning by Doing

• Implement a sandbox approach granting temporary immunity from liability to GAI platforms for responsible development and data gathering to inform future regulations.

Data Rights and Responsibilities

• Overhaul Data Acquisition: Ensure legal compliance, proper licensing, and compensation for intellectual property used in training models.
• Potential Solutions: Revenue-sharing or licensing agreements with data owners.

Simplify Licensing

• Complexity: Licensing data for GAI is complex due to the lack of a centralized licensing body for web data.
• Centralized Platforms: Create platforms similar to stock photo websites to simplify licensing, streamline data access, and ensure data integrity against bias and discrimination.

Government and Judicial Approach

• Re-evaluation: A comprehensive re-evaluation of existing digital jurisprudence is needed.
• Holistic Approach: Government-wide strategy and judicious interpretations by constitutional courts to maximize GAI benefits while safeguarding individual rights and protecting against harm.

The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) hasinitiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss. (2020)