Context : Russia has invaded Ukraine Historical and Cultural links between Russia and Ukraine: Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic and familial links. For many in Russia and in the ethnically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes. …
Understanding Ukraine-Russia Crisis : Timeline – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context: World Bank has approved a plan to use USD 1 billion in a frozen Afghanistan trust fund for education, agriculture, health and family programs to ease the country’s worsening humanitarian and economic crises. Current situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule: Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan after US forces withdrawal in 2021. Current situation in Afghanistan is …
Context: US administration has announced its Indo-Pacific strategy. Key Points of USA’s Indo-Pacific strategy: Vision of Indo-Pacific: The US will seek an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient. Free: One of the strategic actions outlined is investing in civil society, a free press and democratic institutions. Connections: Within and beyond the region. US …
USA’s Indo-Pacific Policy and its impact on India – UPSC GS2 Read More »
India-UAE Trade Pact: India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The trade deal is set to benefit almost 90 per cent of trade, both exports and imports, between the two countries. The India-UAE CEPA would have strong anti-dumping measures. The trade deal has also provided a permanent safeguard …
Fourth Quad Ministerial meeting: Australia hosted India, Japan and the United States for the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne. Quad reiterated condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. Quad resolved to speed up the delivery of more than a billion COVID-19 vaccines to be manufactured in India. …
What is the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI)? Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) can be broadly defined as a plurilateral negotiating tool initiated by a group of WTO Members who start negotiations on certain issues without adhering to the rule of consensus decision-making. These negotiations are primarily driven by like-minded developed country Members, although there is also some participation …
Background of the Pakistan-China Relationship: Cold War Era: Initially, Pakistan was a member of two United States-led anti-communist military pacts, SEATO and CENTO. Pakistan was seen as part of the non-Soviet bloc and China, under Mao Zedong, was on the other side of the aisle. On the other hand, India had a working relationship with China. The two countries had the same anti-colonial, …
Pakistan-China Closeness and its implication for India – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context: India’s participation in initiatives such as inauguration of India-Central Asia Summit, the India-Central Asia Dialogue, and the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan indicate India’s renewed enthusiasm in the Central Asian region. Significant Aspects of India’s Engagement in Central Asia: Great power dynamics: The decline of American presence and power in the broader region has …
Context: India has decided to do a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. What is a diplomatic boycott? In normal circumstances, high-ranking officials from a country’s government travel to the Olympics. These officials are labelled as the ‘VIP visitors’. Diplomatic boycott means countries will not send ‘VIP visitors’ delegations to Beijing during the …
Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context: Five permanent United Nations Security Council (P5) members have pledged to avoid the ongoing arms race and to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. This pledge was made ahead of a review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), 1970. What is the pledge made by P5 members on nuclear proliferation? P5 members emphasized on: Creating a secure environment by working …
UNSC Joint Statement on Nuclear Weapons – UPSC GS2 Read More »