Current Affairs 11th June 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Need for a third Aircraft Carrier

Context: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) is set to begin construction on the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2 (IAC-2), a Vikrant-class 40,000-ton platform, updated with modifications and greater local content compared to IAC-1 Vikrant.

Reason for New Carrier

• To maintain CSL’s carrier-building expertise and avoid a repeat of the ‘lost decade’ from 1995-2005, when submarine building expertise at Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilder’s (MDL) diminished following a corruption scandal involving German HDW submarines.
• Post-scandal, submarine facilities at MDL deteriorated and were only revived in 2005 to build six French Scorpene submarines, five of which have been commissioned, with the sixth expected by year-end.
• Current naval fleet includes INS Vikramaditya (46,000-ton refurbished Russian Kiev-class vessel) and IAC-1 Vikrant (40,262-ton STOBAR carrier), aiming to keep one carrier for each of India’s two seaboards with a third in reserve.
• The Navy seeks to fulfil its requirement for two carriers, one for each seaboard, with a third in reserve.

Concerns and Challenges

• Cost: The estimated cost of IAC-2 is $5-6 billion, raising financial concerns amidst competing demands for defence resources.
• Operational Efficacy: The effectiveness of carriers in the face of growing anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities by China and Pakistan is questioned.
• Alternative Strategies: Debates exist within the Navy between pursuing a “sea denial” strategy with submarines or a “sea control” approach with carrier battle groups.
• Resource Allocation: Critics argue that investing in submarines or other critical assets like corvettes and helicopters could be more beneficial than a costly carrier.
• Indian Air Force’s Perspective: The IAF views an aircraft carrier as a vulnerable and costly indulgence, proposing alternatives like upgrading fighter jets with maritime strike capabilities.
• Financial Constraints and Revised Goals: Due to financial limitations, the Indian Navy has revised its goal of operating 200 warships by 2027, reducing the planned procurement of mine countermeasures vessels and Boeing P-8I aircraft.
  • The Navy’s budget faces competition from the Army and Air Force, who also require funds for fighter jets, helicopters, and other equipment.

Upgrading Capabilities and Exploring Alternatives

• The IAF is enhancing the maritime strike capability of its Jaguar IM and Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets with advanced missiles and radar systems.
• The commissioning of a BrahMos-A(Air) equipped Su-30MKI squadron at Thanjavur aims to strengthen maritime surveillance and strike capabilities.
• Some navalists advocate for upgrading the military capabilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to create an A2/AD “exclusive zone” to deter potential threats, notably from China. This approach is considered cheaper and potentially more effective than deploying new carriers.

Examples, Case Studies and Data

• Consumption Inequality (GS 3): The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) analysed consumption inequality changes in India between 2011-12 and 2022-23.
  • National Trend:
    • Despite regional increases, national consumption inequality has generally declined.
    • The Gini coefficient at the all-India level decreased to 0.266 in rural areas and to 0.314 in urban areas in 2022-23 from higher levels in 2011-12.

• Rural Consumption Inequality:
  • Inequality in rural areas rose in 11 of the 25 states analysed.
  • States with increased Gini coefficients in rural areas include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
• Data Gaps:
  • No comparable data was available for Telangana, Goa, and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Notable Increases in Gini Coefficients:
  • Significant rises were observed in Nagaland (0.244 from 0.192), Jharkhand (0.255 from 0.206), Maharashtra (0.291 from 0.253), Rajasthan (0.283 from 0.248), Meghalaya (0.223 from 0.19), and Chhattisgarh (0.266 from 0.234).
• Urban Consumption Inequality:
  • Gini coefficients also increased in urban areas of three states: Meghalaya (0.266 from 0.226), Himachal Pradesh (0.311 from 0.29), and Manipur (0.221 from 0.209).

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