Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), National Space Day, Expansion of BRICS and Its Scope

(General Studies II – International Relations Section – Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora.)

• The BRICS group—initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has expanded with the inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in 2024. This expansion marks a significant milestone in the group’s journey to challenge the Western-dominated global order.
• The BRICS nations have long sought to create a more representative and fairer international system, and this expansion is a step towards that goal. However, with this growth comes a mix of opportunities and challenges that will shape the future of global governance, economics, and geopolitics.

Significance of BRICS and Its Expansion –

1. Economic Expansion and Influence:
2. The expansion adds $2.6 trillion to the BRICS GDP, creating a $28.5 trillion economy, which represents 28.1% of global output.
3. The BRICS group, even before expansion, accounted for 26% of global GDP and 40.8% of the global population, making it a significant economic force.
4. By 2050, new members like Egypt and Ethiopia are projected to grow their GDP by 635% and 1,170% respectively, further enhancing the bloc’s economic weight.
5. The expanded BRICS group now controls over 43% of global oil production, doubling its capacity and extending its geostrategic reach into the Middle East.
6. Additionally, the original four BRICS members control 72.5% of global reserves of rare earth minerals, crucial for the production of high-tech goods, with China alone producing 85% of globally refined rare earths in 2020.
7. Shift Towards the Global South:
8. The expanded BRICS bloc now represents 45% of the world’s population, signaling a shift in the global economic center of gravity towards the Global South.
9. The bloc’s influence is set to grow, especially as G7 economies are projected to decline in their share of global GDP, making BRICS an essential player in future economic dynamics.
10. The emergence of a new global middle class, of which BRICS countries like China, India, Brazil, and Egypt will account for 59% by 2024, further strengthens the group’s economic influence.
11. Challenge to Western Dominance:
12. The creation of the New Development Bank by BRICS is a strategic move to reduce dependence on Western-led institutions like the IMF and World Bank, promoting a more favorable financing model for infrastructure and sustainable development.
13. Symbolically, the annual BRICS summit highlights the group’s commitment to setting a global agenda that challenges Western-centric norms and promotes the interests of emerging market economies.
14. While a common BRICS currency remains a distant goal, the group’s efforts to increase the use of local currencies in bilateral trade underscore its ambition to reduce reliance on the US dollar.

Limitations and Challenges –

1. Internal Imbalances and Power Dynamics:
2. The BRICS group’s economic leverage heavily relies on China, which contributes 62.9% of the bloc’s economic output. This creates an imbalance, with China holding disproportionate power within the group.
3. The economic disparity between China and India, with China’s economy being five times larger, adds to the complexities of achieving consensus on key issues.
4. Ongoing border disputes between China and India, along with India’s opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, further strain bilateral relations and complicate intra-group dynamics.
5. Geopolitical Complexities and Rivalries:
6. The inclusion of new members like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt introduces deep-seated geopolitical tensions, making consensus within the group more challenging.
7. Iran’s controversial stance as a state sponsor of terrorism and its regional conflicts with Saudi Arabia create further complications for the bloc’s image as a promoter of peace and stability.
8. In Africa, tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam add another layer of complexity, as the dam poses an existential threat to Egypt due to its reliance on Nile River water.
9. Challenges in Rebalancing Global Power:
10. While BRICS aims to rebalance the global order, the existing Western-dominated system remains more homogenous and stable, based on well-established rules and fewer geopolitical tensions.
11. The dominance of the US dollar remains unchallenged, with 90% of all foreign exchange transactions involving the dollar and 60% of global foreign exchange reserves held in dollars. In comparison, the Chinese renminbi accounts for only 3% of global reserves.
12. The lack of macroeconomic convergence among BRICS members makes the creation of a common BRICS currency highly unlikely in the near future, limiting the bloc’s ability to significantly alter the global monetary system.
13. Domestic and Geopolitical Uncertainties:
14. China, while economically dominant, faces significant domestic challenges, including a slowing economy, soaring youth unemployment, an aging population, and potential risks in its overheated property market. These factors may impact China’s global standing and, by extension, the BRICS bloc’s influence.
15. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tarnished BRICS’ reputation as a promoter of peace, with Russia now considered one of the world’s riskiest countries for international business. The seizure of foreign assets further complicates its role within the group.

The expansion of BRICS undoubtedly strengthens the bloc’s economic power and geostrategic reach, making it a formidable force in global affairs. However, group’s diverse mix of political, economic, and cultural systems, coupled with its internal tensions, highlights the complexities of forging a unified path towards a new global governance system. As BRICS continues to evolve, its success will depend on navigating these challenges and maintaining a cohesive vision for the future.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food businesses, including e-commerce platforms, to remove claims of ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ types of milk and milk products from packaging, deeming such labelling misleading.
• FSSAI stated that these claims do not align with the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.
• After examining the issue, FSSAI found that the A1 and A2 differentiation relates to the structure of beta-casein protein in milk, but current regulations do not recognize this distinction.
• Food business operators (FBOs) have been instructed to remove such claims from their products.

Dig Deeper: Read about the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.

• India refuted claims that floods in Bangladesh were caused by the opening of the Dumbur dam on the Gumti River in Tripura.
• There was heavy rainfall in both western Tripura and parts of Bangladesh.
• The Dumbur dam, a hydropower project, has been automatically releasing water due to the excessive rainfall.
• The Gumti River, on which the dam is built, flows through both India and Bangladesh.
• The Dumbur dam is a low-height dam (about 30m) and its automatic water releases are a standard feature to maintain reservoir stability.
• Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) between two countries in the past agreed to collect data and prepare water-sharing agreements for seven rivers — Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar, and Feni.

Dig Deeper: Read about delayed Teesta Water Sharing Agreement.

• Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a novel method to explore the sun by studying magnetic fields across different layers of the solar atmosphere.
• The study utilized simultaneous observations from multiple spectral lines, particularly the Hydrogen-alpha line at 6562.8 Angstroms, to infer the stratification of magnetic fields.
• The primary mirror (M1) of the 3-mirror setup at the Tunnel Telescope tracks the Sun, the secondary mirror (M2) redirects sunlight downwards, and the tertiary mirror (M3) makes the beam horizontal.
• Using data from IIA’s Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel Telescope, they focused on an active sunspot region with complex features, including multiple umbrae and a penumbra.
• The solar atmosphere consists of interconnected layers through which magnetic fields transfer energy and mass from the inner to outer layers, driving phenomena like coronal heating and solar wind.
• Understanding these processes requires detailed measurements of magnetic fields at various heights in the solar atmosphere.

Dig Deeper: Read about Van Allen Belts of Earth.

• India successfully landed Chandrayan 3 lander on Moon’s Surface on 23^rd August 2023, which led to the declaration of 23^rd August as India’s National Space Day by the Prime Minister.
• Under the Ganganyan project, ISRO is focused on astronaut training, ISRO plans more abort tests and an uncrewed mission by late 2024.
• Indian Space roadmap includes a crewed lunar mission by 2040 and an Indian space station, ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station’ (BAS), by 2035.
• Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), a three-stage launch vehicle powered by a semi-cryogenic engine, a liquid engine, and a cryogenic engine is planned to replace the GSLV and support India’s lunar and space station aspirations.
• ISRO is also developing a semi-cryogenic engine for the LVM-3 rocket (also known as GSLV Mk III) to enhance its launch capability

• NSIL and Private Sector Initiatives:
• NSIL is now leading commercial space activities and operations freeing ISRO for research.
• NSIL signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch the GSAT-20/GSAT-N2 satellite and has taken steps to engage in public-private partnerships for LVM-3 production.
• Private companies like Agnikul Cosmos’s SoRTeD-01 vehicle is the first semi-cryogenic engine in its first stage from Indian soil.
• Skyroot Aerospace will launch its Vikram 1 rocket, Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace flew their experiments on PSLV- C58 mission.
• IN-SPACe, India’s new space regulator, released the ‘Norms, Guidelines, and Procedures for Authorisation of Space Activities’, and granted the country’s first satellite broadband licence to Eutelsat OneWeb.
• The government of India amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to allow 100% direct FDI in all space and spaceflight segments except for a 74% ceiling in satellite manufacturing and operations and 49% in launch infrastructure.

Dig Deeper: Read about challenges associated with Crewed missions in the context of recent issues with Boeing Starliner that caused extended stay of astronauts in ISS.

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has identified 189 “high-risk” glacial lakes in the Himalayas for mitigation measures.
• Proposed steps include forming teams to investigate these lakes, implementing “lake-lowering measures” to prevent overflow, and mitigating potential damage in downstream states.
• India has nearly 7,500 glacial lakes in the Himalayan ranges, with some monitored via remote sensing.
• The Central Water Commission reported in October 2023 that 902 glacial lakes and water bodies are being monitored via satellite.

(Issue of Glacial Lake Outburst Events covered in June Month Current Affairs Magazine)

Dig Deeper: Read about Glacial Lake Outburst Events.

• Announced in the Budget, the DGCES will conduct a digital crop survey to provide accurate crop-area estimation, offering plot-level data with geo-tagged areas as a single source.
• The initiative aims to enhance the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of agricultural statistics, aiding policy formulation, trade decisions, and agricultural planning.
• The Centre held a national conference with States ahead of the nationwide implementation of the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES).
• The conference discussed integrating cutting-edge technologies like remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and artificial intelligence through the revamped FASAL (Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agrometeorology, and Land-based observation) system to generate accurate crop production statistics.

Dig Deeper: Read about the recently launched Krishi- Decision Support System in the context of DGCES.