POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

LATERAL ENTRY

Central Government had recently invited applications for senior-level positions via
lateral entry.

Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has invited applications for 10

joint secretary-level posts in the departments of Economic Affairs, Revenue,
Commerce and Highways and others.
Criteria for selection- Graduation Degree, Minimum 40 Years age, 15 years�
experience in fields like Revenue, Finance, Transport, Civil Aviation and Commerce.
The recruitment will be on contract basis for three to five years depending
upon the performance.

Arguments in Favour of Lateral Entry

Increase in efficiency and governance- Political & Economic Risk Consultancy

Ltd in its 2012 report rated
o A UPSC-commissioned report of the Civil Services Examination Review Committee
headed by YK Alagh
(2001) had recommended lateral entry into middle and senior levels of the
government.
o Niti Aayog, in its Three Year Action Agenda for 2017-2020 had said that sector
specialists be inducted into the system through lateral entry as that would �bring
competition to the established career bureaucracy�.
Entry and retention of talent in Government- Justice BN Srikrishna-headed
Sixth Central Pay Commission report (2006) said lateral entry could "ensure entry
and retention of talent in the government even for those jobs that have a high
demand and premium in the open market".
Shoratge of officers:
o Baswan Committee (2016) had supported lateral entry considering the shortage of
officers.
Ministry of finance has institutionalised the practice of appointing advisors
to the government from the world of academia and the corporate sector.

Arguments against Lateral Entry

Bypassing constitutional mechanism- The recent order of the government

instructed the cabinet secretary-headed committee to recruit professionals
bypassing the Union Public Service Commission which is an independent organisation.
Transparency in Recruitment- Political interference in the Selection process
may occur and it may promote Nepotism and Spoils System (an arrangement that
employed and promoted civil servants who were friends and supporters of the
political group in power).
Lack of field experience- Officers who will join might score on domain
knowledge, but they may fall short on the experience of working in the �fields�.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA PACIFIC

India, Japan, the US and Australia have reiterated their shared commitment to the
Indo-Pacific region
It recently renamed its strategically important Pacific Command (PACOM) as the U.S.
Indo-Pacific Command, indicating that for U.S. government, East Asia and the Indian
Ocean Region are gradually becoming a single competitive space and India is a key
partner in its strategic planning.
Even 2018 National Defence Strategy of US acknowledges Pacific challenges and
signals America's resolve and lasting commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

INDIA CHINA WATER RELATIONS

The Trans-border rivers flowing from China to India fall into two main groups i.e.
The Brahmaputra river system on the Eastern side, which consist of river Siang
(main stream of river Brahmaputra) and its tributaries, namely Subansiri and Lohit
and the Indus river system on the Western side consists of river Indus and the
river Sutlej. Both countries have signed-
Memorandum of Understanding upon provision of Hydrological Information of the
River Brahmaputra / Yaluzangbu in 2002
Memorandum of Understanding on Hydrological Data Sharing on River Sutlej /
Langqen Zangbo in 2010 and renewed in 2015.
Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) to discuss interaction and cooperation on
provision of flood season hydrological data, emergency management and other issues
regarding trans-border Rivers in 2006.

Issues in Water cooperation in India China Relations

Suboptimal Cooperation: Currently China only shares hydrological data on the
Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra (YTB) and Satluj during the monsoon season.
Differential Approach: In South Asia, China has been insistent in
establishing greater ties with Bangladesh on flood forecasting, water technologies,
and water management.
Border Dispute: The discussions over the YTB have often been overshadowed by
the border dispute and there has been no progress in discussing more pressing
issues of who has the right to how much water and the impact of dams and diversions
on the upper reaches of the river.
Multilateral Approach: China�s approach to transboundary water sharing is
shifting towards multilateral arrangements unlike India which prefers bilateral
relations, as it has with Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh
Multilateral Approach: China�s approach to transboundary water sharing is
shifti

INDIA CHINA NEPAL RELATIONS

China has proposed a new dialogue mechanism with Nepal that would also involve
India during the visit of Nepal�s Prime Minister to China.
What is new 2+1 Dialogue mechanism?
Two Plus One format for dialogue as proposed is different from a trilateral
mechanism. Under the Chinese proposal,
China and India can jointly conduct a dialogue with a third regional country
i.e. it is not Nepal specific and can be applied to any other country in South
Asia.

INDIA-SEYCHELLES RELATIONS

Seychelles� President Daniel Faure visited India for bilateral talks in the
backdrop of the Seychelles� parliament refusal to ratify an Indian naval base plan
on the Assumption Island.

Importance of Seychelles for India

Seychelles forms a crucial part of Indian Ocean Region where India is trying
to increase its influence by extending economic, military and diplomatic
cooperation and through strategic partnership.
Apart from its strategic location on international sea lanes of
communication, Seychelles is a leader among SIDS group (Small Island Developing
States) which has multifold areas of convergence with India.
It is a leader in advancing the concept of �blue economy�, which covers
several aspects like environment, hydrocarbons, marine economy, renewable energy
and exploration of continental shelf.
This island nation also forms the entry gate to eastern Africa with which
India has had historical socio - commercial links and now forms a huge market for
Indian firms.

Issues
Seychelles also offered refueling and docking facility to Chinese ships
coming from Djibouti naval base which India is apprehensive about.
Assumption island naval base: The pact to build a naval base on the island
had been under discussion since 2003 and was finally signed after amendments in
January 2018. But national assembly of Seychelles refused to ratify the project as
it would draw the country in the middle of India-China rivalry. However, now both
the countries have agreed to work on the project keeping each other�s interest in
mind

INDIA MONGOLIA

Mongolia has launched construction of its first strategically important oil

refinery funded by India in southern Dornogovi province.

India Mongolia Relations

India-Mongolia Joint Working Group for Defence cooperation which meets annually.
Joint India-Mongolia exercise �Nomadic Elephant� is held annually and India is a
regular participant in the multilateral exercise 'Khan Quest' held in Mongolia.

Way Forward
Mongolia plays a key role in Asian energy transportation as it falls on the
crossroads of major energy supply routes.
India also needs to factor Mongolia in its Russia policy as well, for
safeguarding interests in the Asia-Pacific region. India�s benign presence in
Mongolia is desirable for India�s future interest in Russia�s resource-rich trans-
Siberia and Far East.
To preserve and promote the common heritage of Indo-Mongolian culture is
important. This should serve as the basis for nurturing and pursuing future common
interests.