DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

15 APRIL 2022 – CA

1 – RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLOMAN ISLANDS AND CHINA: 

GS II

Topic – International Relations

• Context:
• According to a recently released document, the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific have reached an unparalleled degree of security collaboration with China.
• This is the region’s first transaction of its kind for Beijing.
• This has alarmed the United States and Australia, both of which have significant interests in the South Pacific.
• What is the proposed agreement’s content, and why is it so contentious:
• On March 24, the document titled “Framework Agreement between China and the Solomon Islands on Security Cooperation” was leaked on social media.
• It sparked widespread debate both at home and abroad since it has the potential to disrupt established security systems in the South Pacific area.
• The document expressly authorises China to send “police, armed police, military personnel, and other law enforcement and armed forces” to the Solomon Islands at the request of the Solomon Islands government, or if China believes the safety of its projects and workers in the islands is in jeopardy.
• China’s naval boats will be able to use the islands for logistics support, according to the paper.
• After Djibouti, which was also referred to as a logistical support base, there have been rumours that China will develop its second overseas naval base in the Solomon Islands.
• The Solomon Islands government, while dismissing the possibility of a foreign military post, confirmed the completion of the draught of such a treaty.
• The agreement hasn’t been signed yet, and it’s unclear whether the provisions described in the leaked text are included in the final draught.
• What is the justification for the Solomon Islands’ growing ties with China:
• The Solomon Islands, located between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, are part of the ethnically Melanesian group of Pacific islands.
• The islands, which were originally ruled by the British Empire during the colonial era, passed through the hands of Germany and Japan before being returned to the United Kingdom after the Japanese surrendered to the Americans during World War II.
• In 1978, the islands gained independence and became a constitutional monarchy under the British Crown with a legislative government.
• Despite this, its inability to manage local ethnic disputes resulted in close security ties with Australia, which is the South Pacific’s customary first response to any crisis.
• With the formation of the present government in Solomon Islands, the Solomon Islands had developed strong ties with Taiwan.
• In 2019, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s new government transferred Taiwan to China. This was allegedly in response to Beijing’s promise of half a billion dollars in financial aid, approximately five times what Taiwan has spent on the islands over the previous two decades.
• As the money from China poured in, so did the negative impact of Chinese enterprises, Chinese labourers for Chinese infrastructure projects, and a perception of preferential treatment for Chinese interests on the local populace.
• In November 2021, major Opposition protests and riots in Honiara erupted as a result of the change in diplomatic relations and overall displeasure with the administration.
• Surprisingly, in addition to government property, these protests targeted Chinese assets.
• The administration has also stated that the move is intended to diversify its security alliances, addressing the country’s long-standing security reliance on Australia.
• What is China’s fascination with the Solomon Islands:
• The Pacific Islands are one of the few places in the world where China faces diplomatic competition from Taiwan.
• China believes Taiwan to be a renegade territory in need of reunification, and it opposes Taiwan’s worldwide recognition as an independent state.
• As a result, any country that wants to establish official relations with China must terminate diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
• The Solomon Islands was one of six Pacific island countries with formal bilateral ties with Taiwan. The Solomon Islands, along with Kiribati, shifted their allegiance to China in 2019.
• Small Pacific island states serve as potential vote banks in international fora such as the United Nations, where they might mobilise support for the great powers.
• Furthermore, in comparison to their modest sizes, these states have disproportionately huge maritime Exclusive Economic Zones, which is why these’little island states’ are often referred to as ‘big ocean states.’
• The Solomon Islands, in particular, have substantial timber and mineral deposits, as well as fisheries.
• They are also strategically positioned for China to insert itself between America’s military outposts in the Pacific islands and Australia. This is especially true in the current situation, given the formation of the AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), which aims to improve Australia’s strategic capabilities in relation to China through Anglo-American cooperation.
• Nonetheless, the anti-China tenor of the Honiara riots in 2021 served as an instant catalyst for Beijing to increase its security cooperation with the Solomon Islands.
• What does this entail for the region’s current geopolitical configuration:
• In the post-World War II scenario, the Pacific islands were solely under the sway of Western countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the regional heavyweights, Australia and New Zealand.
• They all have territorial claims in the area, and the three nuclear powers have utilised it as a testing location for their nuclear weapons.
• The region’s smaller island nations are strongly reliant on them, particularly Australia, which is a resident power.
• Through the continuous displacement of Taiwan and the cultivation of economic and political clout, China is posing a growing threat to the region’s existing power structure.
• Its prospective pact with the Solomon Islands has given its fast-growing regional profile a security component.
• Australia has responded with more funding and the extension of its present security deployment until 2023, when the Pacific Games will be held on the islands.
• After a 29-year hiatus, the United States is considering restoring its embassy in the islands.
• New Zealand has broken its usual silence on China, criticising it for attempting to militarise Pacific islands.
• Significant dissatisfaction has grown within and among Pacific island states as a result of China’s economic intrusions and their negative influence on their fragile economic and political systems. Honiara’s riots are the most recent in an area marked by anti-China sentiment.
• Conclusion:
• In combination with greater movements in the Indo-Pacific, the region’s geopolitics are undergoing unprecedented change, implying an intensification of regional great power rivalry and domestic volatility for Pacific island governments in the coming years.

• Source – The Hindu

2 – DETAILS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION:

GS III

Topic – Environmental Conservation

• The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on climate change has issued an urgent warning to close the “adaptation gap” and create resilience to “unfamiliar” climates.
• Climate Change and Agriculture in India:
• Climate change is already having an impact on crop output and productivity, as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, and rainfall becomes more unpredictable.
• This causes local food shortages, as well as negative effects on rural earnings and poverty.
• Climate change has a negative impact on food supply and pricing, worsening malnutrition in the country.
• Because small-holder agriculture accounts for approximately 86 percent of Indian agriculture and a large portion of it is subsistence agriculture, adapting to climate change is a matter of survival.
• Any response to climate change must balance the need for enough food with the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems.
• Few Other Details:
• To maximise mitigation benefits, agriculture needs development plans that focus on soil and water management, crop diversification, cropping system optimization, risk sharing (co-investment, community engagement), risk transfer (crop/livestock insurance), and improved localised forecasting and agro-advisory.
• It’s also critical to develop policies and initiatives that target small and marginal landowners.
• Because agriculture is a state issue under the Indian Constitution, a State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) that is aligned with the SDGs must be prepared.
• It’s also crucial to examine, update, and integrate the agriculture, forestry, and land use components of the SAPCCs on a regular basis.
• Adaptation measures for the impact of natural disasters on agriculture and related sectors must be included in the district administration’s disaster management plans.
• Along with developing adaptive crop types, it’s critical to build the infrastructure that supports the agricultural value chain, such as water supply, power, and physical connectivity.
• In important climate-sensitive industries such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources, India’s financial adaptation needs are predicted to be $206 billion (at 2014–2015 prices). As a result, substantial and ongoing financial commitment from both the public and commercial sectors is required to achieve this goal.
• Conclusion:
• To decrease risk exposure, limit damages, and prepare for disasters, agriculture needs to take a proactive approach to adaptation, consolidating efforts and resources on climate and disaster resilience.
• Source – Down To Earth Magazine

3 – LYNCHING DECLARED AS A FEDERAL HATE CRIME IN USA:

GS II

Topic – International Relations

• Source – The Hindu

4 – BENGAL MONITOR LIZARD:

Prelims Specific Topic

• In the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in Maharashtra, four people were detained for reportedly rapping a Bengal monitor lizard.
• Monitor lizard of Bengal:
• The Indian Subcontinent, as well as portions of Southeast Asia and West Asia, are home to this species. The length of the animal from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail ranges from roughly 61 to 175 cm (24 to 69 in).
• Although young monitors are more arboreal, adults prefer to hunt on the ground, preying primarily on arthropods but sometimes on small terrestrial vertebrates, ground birds, eggs, and fish.
• Although large Bengal monitors have few predators besides people who hunt them for meat, juvenile Bengal monitors are preyed upon by a variety of predators.
• Bis-cobra in western India, Goyra in Rajasthan, guishaap or goshaap in Bangladesh and West Bengal, goh in Punjab and Bihar, ghorpad in Maharashtra, and Thalagoya in Sri Lanka are all names for the same snake.
• Ghorpade, a Maharashtra clan, believes that the name comes from Tanaji Malusare, a mythical founder Maratha Koli commander who allegedly ascended a fort wall with a monitor lizard tied to a rope.
• The belly skin of the Bengal monitor has long been used to make the drum head for the kanjira (known in Maharashtra as Dimadi), a South Indian percussion instrument.
• Source – The Hindu

5 – ABOUT THE BIHU DANCE:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Bihui is an Assamese dance that is fast-paced and exceedingly cheerful.
• It is performed by young girls and boys at the Bihu festivities, which include Bhogali/Magh Bihu in January, Bohag/Rongali Bihu in April, and Kongali Bihu in May. (October).
• The start of the Assamese New Year.

• Source – The Hindu