Current Affairs 31st July 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Armed Groups of Myanmar

Context: The Myanmar military’s 2021 coup has led to significant political changes in the country.

Aftermath Of the Coup

• The removal of Aung San Suu Kyi led to violent resistance.
• The military’s indiscriminate use of force has further eroded its legitimacy.
• Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and resistance groups like the People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) have gained significant territory.

Key Players and Regions

• Brotherhood Alliance: Includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
  • Recent Activities: Captured strategic towns, military losing control in Shan State.
• Kachin Independence Army: Seized about 70 military posts, controlling important trade routes with China.
• Arakan Army: Dominates large parts of Rakhine province and territories on the Bangladesh border, impacting the implementation of infrastructure projects like China’s Belt and Road Initiative and India’s Kaladan project.
• Ethnic Armed Organisations’ (EAOs) Agenda: EAOs refrain from declaring independence or new nation-states, possibly to avoid rallying support for the military or due to complex ethnic geographies.
  • Multi-ethnic regions and overlapping homeland claims complicate the creation of new nation-states.

China’s Influence

• Dual Support: China supports both the Myanmar military and EAOs, maintaining leverage in the region.
• Military and Economic Interests: Facilitated ceasefires and supplied arms to both sides. Engages diplomatically with various Myanmar factions to protect its interests.
• Security: Responded to threats from criminal syndicates near the China-Myanmar border.

India’s Potential Role

• Federalism Expertise: India can share its experiences with federalism, institutional frameworks, and peace agreements.
• Infrastructure Initiatives: Despite challenges, India could undertake infrastructure projects in Myanmar to promote regional peace and prosperity.

Conclusion

Sustainable peace in Myanmar requires a new constitutional compact involving all stakeholders, focusing on federalism and democracy.

No buyers for J&Ks Lithium

Context: The Ministry of Mines cancelled the auction for the lithium block in J&K’s Reasi district for the second time due to weak investor response.

Status of Other Lithium Deposits in India

India’s first lithium block in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district was successfully auctioned to Maiki South Mining Pvt Ltd with a 76.05% auction premium. Further exploration in Korba by a private company funded by NMET found deposits ranging from 168 to 295 ppm. Exploration in Manipur’s Kamjong district was stalled due to local resistance. Lithium exploration in Ladakh’s Merak block and Assam’s Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts yielded discouraging results, leading to the recommendation to drop these items.

Investor Concerns

• Mining lithium from hard rock pegmatite deposits, like those in Reasi, is challenging and costly.
• India’s current mineral reporting standards, based on the UNFC, lack clarity on the economic viability of mining operations.
• Prospective bidders cited limited information in the bid documents and questioned the feasibility of extracting lithium from the identified resources.

Need for Improved Reporting Standards

• Most global mining companies use the CRIRSCO template, which requires high geological confidence and economic viability.
• Adopting CRIRSCO-aligned standards to attract private investment.
• The Indian Mineral Industry Code (IMIC), compliant with CRIRSCO, has been maintained by NACRI since 2019.

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