ThePrint | Indian Navy is opening submarine doors to women, but it must navigate crewing challenges

Some cultures, such as the French, Portuguese, and Italian, consider ships to be masculine, while the Germans use ‘it’, in the neuter gender. But in India and other parts of the world, a ship is referred to in the feminine gender. An explanation, supposedly rendered in a humorous vein, is more naughty than nautical—the first thing a ship does on arriving at a port is to make it for the ‘buoys’! It is perhaps not surprising that among the three Services of the Indian Armed Forces, it is the Navy that is at the forefront of inducting women and projecting ‘nari shakti’. Recently, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Hari Kumar, envisioned the Navy’s aspiration of having a woman as its chief within the next 30-35 years. Read the full article here.

Foreign Policy | The Hidden Dangers in China’s GDP Numbers

China’s recently announced GDP target for 2024  remains unchanged from last year, at 5 percent. But even if the country hits that number, its economic problems run deep. In January, China published economic data for the last quarter of 2023 which put its annual GDP growth rate at 5.2 percent, beating the government target. Yet, to put things in perspective, China’s real GDP growth rate from 2011 to 2019 averaged 7.3 percent while 2001-10 saw average growth of 10.5 percent. Read the full article here.

Mint | Geopolitical power is now seen to flow from the pins of microchips

The US is going after the Chinese semiconductor industry with a ferocity that has very few precedents. Driven by a national security doctrine aimed at denying China the ability to exploit American technology to threaten America’s interests, Washington has been tightening the screws on its own industry and that of its allies since the summer of 2022. In addition to export restrictions and employment controls, the US government has been pushing Taiwan, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Germany to squeeze the sale of manufacturing equipment, critical parts, raw materials and ongoing service contracts with mainland Chinese companies. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister recently called the sanctions “reaching bewildering levels of unfathomable absurdity." Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | Supreme Court’s push to fix medical rates is unjustified and counterproductive

In the Indian blockbuster series of judicial interventions in policymaking, the latest episode on fixing the rates of medical services charged by hospitals in the country dropped last week. The Supreme Court of India, overcome by the pressing concerns of rising healthcare costs and disparities in costs of treatments availed at public and private hospitals, heard a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO ‘Veterans Forum for Transparency in Public Life’. In the characteristic style of PILs, the Court directed the Union Government to find a way to fix the price bands for all medical procedures and treatments offered by hospitals in the country and report back in 6 weeks. Or else, the Court threatened to impose the medical rates charged under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) on all hospitals as an interim measure. Hospital stocks responded promptly by shedding more than a few points. Read the full article here.

Firstpost | How private sector can propel a new wave of space revolution in India

The Government of India amended the FDI policy for the space sector on 5 March 2024. This has liberalised thresholds for various space-related activities. This change comes on the heels of a slew of space reforms by the government that began in 2020. The reforms created a fertile ground for the cropping up of many space start-ups in the country but did not address their funding needs. While the FDI reforms have the potential to address this deficiency, they are insufficient in a vacuum. India’s share of the global space economy is $8 billion, and the government aims for a five-fold increase by 2040. To achieve this, the government will have to place larger bets. Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | India gains semiconductor momentum but the policy mix can be even better

On February 29, the Indian government approved three semiconductor units worth Rs 1.26 lakh crore including a fabrication plant by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) in Dholera. The other two units include Assembly Testing Marking & Packaging (ATMP) plants to be set up by Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Private Limited (TSAT) in Morigaon and CG Powers in Sanand. The Cabinet’s clearance of the three projects demonstrates its commitment to integration into the semiconductor Global Value Chain (GVC). The hitherto hesitant private sector has also exhibited the resolve to venture into an unfamiliar manufacturing segment that hasn't historically been India’s forte. Together with the US-headquartered Micron’s ATMP unit in Gujarat, these announcements herald a new era in India's semiconductor strategy. Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | Thinking through a Taiwan conflict – How can countries like India respond?

In the past few years, the China-Taiwan cross-Straits relationship has witnessed rising tensions. There now exist fundamental faultlines in the cross-Straits relationship, which may create an escalatory ladder leading to an eventual conflict scenario. Such a scenario shall endanger the interests of not just parties directly involved, such as the US, China and Taiwan, but also other countries around the world. In this regard, what are the politico-legal options available to concerned States at multilateral forums like the United Nations to voice their interests in the event of a conflict? A three-part solution may provide some answers. Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | Bangalore Water Crisis: Marginal pricing of water, subsidies to poor may curb water woes

Barely a few days into summer and there are already reports of Bangalore facing a severe water crisis. Groundwater is depleting and borewells are running dry. The price charged by private tankers have doubled. Some apartment complexes and RWAs are already rationing water and cutting off water supply to households for a few hours in the daytime. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to nationalise all private water tankers in the city. This is a complex problem with multiple causal factors – geography (Bangalore is situated far away from any naturally occurring water body), weather (weak southwest monsoons), and mismanagement. Mismanagement takes the shape of encroachment and building property on lake beds, failure to enforce rainwater harvesting systems, not providing piped water supply to peripheral areas, and unabated exploitation of ground water. Read the full article here.

Samoa Observer | What binds the Quad

Last month, the US House of Representatives passed Strengthening the Quad Act with an overwhelming majority, indicating the critical role the Quad will play in American efforts to engage with the Indo-Pacific. Along with India, Australia and Japan, the four-country grouping has pledged ongoing cooperation. Understanding how the Quad evolves in the future and navigates tumultuous times requires understanding what binds the Quad today, and how the present iteration of the Quad, which has elevated to a leaders’ summit, differs from its earlier incarnation almost two decades ago, which never rose beyond officials-level meetings. Read the full article here.

Times of India | Un-fare policy

Why it may take a Bangalorean 37 tries to book a cab

Traffic rules are seen as mere suggestions for drivers and riders in Bangalore. In the same vein, principles of economics are considered as an optional extra while formulating policies. Both are more honoured in the breach than observance.

A recent doozy is the Karnataka govt decision to fix the prices for taxis in Bangalore based on the cost of the vehicle. What is idiotic about this? For one thing, we have centuries of literature on govts trying to meddle with prices and fix them. And for centuries, govts have failed in doing so. Read the full article here.

ASPI - The Strategist | India-Australia collaboration on digital public infrastructure in the Pacific

The deployment of population-scale digital public infrastructure (DPI) is gaining traction worldwide and is acknowledged as a necessary and cost-effective intervention to fast-track sustainable development. The G20 also endorsed the ‘Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure’, a voluntary plan for the development, deployment, and governance of DPI. India has developed state-of-the-art DPI for various purposes, and Australia is the biggest development partner for Pacific Island countries. Together, they are well positioned to make state-of-the-art DPI accessible to small island developing states (PSIDS) there to help fast-track developmental outcomes. Read the full article here.

Lowy Institute - The Interpreter | What binds the Quad

Last month, the US House of Representatives passed Strengthening the Quad Act with an overwhelming majority, indicating the critical role the Quad will play in American efforts to engage with the Indo-Pacific. Along with India, Australia and Japan, the four-country grouping has pledged ongoing cooperation. Understanding how the Quad evolves in the future and navigates tumultuous times requires understanding what binds the Quad today, and how the present iteration of the Quad, which has elevated to a leaders’ summit, differs from its earlier incarnation almost two decades ago, which never rose beyond officials-level meetings. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | China’s Shuttle Diplomacy With Ukraine and Russia: All Symbol, No Substance

“Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France for the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced at a press conference this week. As anticipation mounts for the outcomes of this tour, pressing questions arise: Will the results diverge from those of the first round of China’s shuttle diplomacy? If the West is draining its resources and attention on Ukraine and Russia is becoming more dependent on China, why would China want this war to end? Read the full article here.

The Hindu | Why sustainable funding matters for India’s ‘science power’ ambition

The 2024 theme for National Science Day, which India celebrates every year on February 28, is “Science for Sustainable Development”. Science and technological developments are key drivers of India’s journey towards becoming a developed country by 2047. India is committed to making this progress through sustainable means, as evidenced by its commitments under the Paris Agreement, participation in global fora for sustainable development, and reinforced in this year’s theme for Science Day. The role of science in driving sustainable development doesn’t need emphasis, but any conversation on science is incomplete without setting one key expectation: for science to transform India, it has to be sustainably and consistently funded. Read the full article here.

Times of India | In final frontier, 4 is the first number

For the first time in 40 years, a small group of Indians is set to venture into the perilous and untamed wilderness that lies beyond our atmosphere. Yesterday, Modi feted four test pilots – Prasanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla – who are to become the first Indians in outer space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey on Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Unveiling the fab four | Yesterday’s event was a ceremonial milestone for the ambitious Gaganyaan programme, which aims to make India one of only four countries that can independently carry out human spaceflight. Read the full article here.

The Free Press Journal | Analysis: For Both Biden And Trump, It Ain't Gonna Be Easy

On Wednesday, February 28, the results of the Democratic and Republican primaries from Michigan state in the US were declared. Expectedly, both current President Joe Biden of the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump, a Republican, won easily. Their victories, though, had a scratch card feel to them — you’d think you won a ₹100 cashback, but all you got was a 20% discount to a product you will never buy or is cheaper on Amazon. Read the full article here.

Firstpost | Implications of Chinese fishing boats in Taiwan’s ‘prohibited’ waters

Any plans China and Taiwan had for Valentine’s Day were derailed when, on 14 February, 2024, a Chinese fishing boat with four fishermen on board capsized near the Kinmen Islands, leading to the deaths of two of the fishermen. The incident occurred when the fishing boat became embroiled in a high-speed chase to evade patrol vessel CP-1051 of the 12th Patrol District of the Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration’s (TGCA) Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu branch. The chase reportedly lasted only five minutes but has highlighted the structural lack of meaningful communication in cross-Straits relations on basic issues such as fishing rights. Read the full article here.

CASI | Building the Yard: Policy Considerations for AI in India

Artificial intelligence (AI) has immense potential to enhance human capabilities and drive growth in several industries. It is projected to greatly improve governance, healthcare, and education outcomes. However, this potential may not be realized if the building blocks of AI remain concentrated in the hands of a few dominant companies or the countries in which they are located. Read the full article here.

Mint | Lessons on hyper-diversity from the people of Papua New Guinea

There are so many crises raging around the world that you can ask why I have chosen to bring the one in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to your attention this fortnight. So let me tell you the reason upfront: It is an example of why hyper-diverse societies can end up in deep trouble unless they develop the necessary social capital needed to govern themselves. The post-colonial state was carved out of an arbitrary chunk of the Melanesian archipelago (the region comprising the easternmost stretches of Indonesia and islands northeast of Australia). Its claim to fame is that it has the most diverse population on the planet, with over 850 languages and thousands of bands and tribes, in a population of over 10 million living in a country the size of Maharashtra and Gujarat combined. Read the full article here.

Moneycontrol | Multi-Contributor Social Security: Time to reimagine social security contributions

It was recently in the news that the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is considering extending its coverage to unorganised and gig sector workers. On July 24, 2023, Rajasthan became the first Indian state to pass a legislation aimed at providing social security benefits to gig workers. These are part of various attempts that governments have been making to extend social security beyond just the formal sector. Social security in India faces two main problems – coverage and financing. It covers mainly the organised sector, leaving out gig workers, unorganised sector workers, etc. Even within the organised sector, around 53 percent do not have any social security benefits, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report. In fact, more than 90 percent of India’s workforce is engaged in informal employment. Even the National Pension System (NPS), theoretically open to all, has very poor coverage – only around 6.2 crore subscribers as of March 2023. Read the full article here.