1. Livestock Sector
95% Livestock sector concentrated in rural areas
Importance:
- Major source of employment in rural areas
- Ensures diversification in rural income sources and can contribute towards “doubling farmers income”
- Contributes to 25% of agricultural GDP
- Multiple uses through provision of draft, dung, food sources etc
Issues:
- Access to veterinary service difficult in rural areas
- Low testing facilities make it difficult to track zoonotic diseases
- Increasing antimicrobial resistance due to flawed prescriptions by untrained health workers
- Access to credit and insurance facilities is low
Solutions:
- National animal disease control programme to increase immunization against FMD and brucellosis among livestock
- Animal husbandry infra development fund to promote livestock rearing in rural areas through low interest loans.
- Using innovative solutions : mobile veterinary units(MUV) for better tracking and treatment of zoonotic diseases.
- Adopting practice of one health approach to reduce AMR.
2. Indo-Japan Ties
Year 2022 marks 70th anniversary of indo japan relations as a special strategic and global partnership.
Areas of convergence:
- Historical: bilateral treaty signed in 1952, Japan supported the INA during freedom struggle.
- Economic: Japan has been the largest official development assistance(ODA) donor to India. Eg: bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Western dedicated freight corridor
- Trade: Comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed in 2012
- RBI signed bilateral currency swap agreement worth $50bn.
- Trade between the 2 countries accounts for around $18bn
- Japan is 6th largest FDI contributor to India
- Security: Both are a part of QUAD to counter China’s hegemony and towards a free indo-pacific
- Defence exercise like JIMEX, 2+2 dialogue among foreign and defence ministers.
- Cultural: Buddhism in India and Hinduism in japan promote cultural links
- Annual Namaste India festival conducted in Japan.
Issues:
- Less trade when compared to China Japan trade which is around $300bn
- Low sharing of defence technology and equipment
- India has to balance between BRICS with China and QUAD with Japan which presents differing interests
Way forward:
- Cooperation should be extended to areas of cyber security, outer space and economic security
- Japan is likely to extend support to make in India initiative to counter china
- Evolving multilateralism as both share common values of rule based international order.
Conclusion:
- 70th anniversary is based on the theme “building a future for our centenary “ to create a future with enormous possibilities.
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