Indian Express Editorial Summary

Editorial Topic : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Dies in Helicopter Crash

GS-2 Mains Exam : International Relationship

Revision Notes

Note: In This editorial are solely for informational updates; direct questions cannot be formulated

• Incident: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on May 19th in the mountainous northwest bordering Azerbaijan.
• Destination: Raisi was traveling to Tabriz after inaugurating a dam project with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
• Interim Leader: Supreme Leader Khamenei appointed First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president, following the Iranian constitution.
• Purpose of Swift Action:
  • Reassurance for the Iranian people.
  • Signal of stability and continued government operations.
• Expected Developments:
  • Enquiry into the cause of the crash.
  • Potential foreign involvement speculation (denied by Israel).
  • Possible accusations against foreign powers by Iran, depending on domestic pressure.
• Regional Impact: Accusations against foreign powers could further complicate the already tense situation in the region, especially with ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza.

Understanding Iranian Leadership:

• Supreme Leader Holds Ultimate Power: Iran’s final authority lies with the Supreme Leader, not the President.
• President’s Limited Role: The President is elected but faces restrictions; the Supreme Leader has veto power.
• Clerical Rule Since Revolution: Only clerics have held the Supreme Leader position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
• Ayatollah Khomeini’s Legacy (1979-1989): Established the “Rule of the Jurisprudent” and led the revolution.
• Khamenei’s Leadership: Succeeded Khomeini, navigating popular sentiment while maintaining control.
• Rise of Pragmatists: Allowed for presidents like Khatami (1997-2005) and Rouhani (2013-2021) who favored engagement.
• Trump’s Impact: Withdrawing from the nuclear deal weakened pragmatists and strengthened hardliners.
• Hardliners’ Agenda: Oppose nuclear deals, advocate for revolutionary purity (including social issues), and pursue a more assertive regional role.
• Hardliners Gain Influence: With Khamenei’s approval, they control councils vetting election candidates.

USA’s Pressure and Decline in Pragmatic Leadership in Iran:

• Trump withdrawing from nuclear deal dealt blow to pragmatists
• Hardliners gradually overshadowed pragmatists
• Hardliners opposed nuclear deal, favored maintaining revolutionary purity including on gender issues
• Favored assertive regional policy
• With Supreme Leader’s backing, filled vetting councils for elections

About President Raisi:

• From judicial background, known for harsh sentences including capital punishment
• Hardliners’ choice for President in 2021, easily won election
• Thought he may succeed Khamenei who is 85 years old

What Will Happen Now?

• New President to be elected within 50 days under constitution
• Doubts if Khamenei/Guardian Council will allow pragmatist candidate
• Revolutionary Guard favors hardliner for continuity
• Unclear who hardliners with Khamenei’s backing will choose as next President
• Unexpected figures have emerged in past after vetting process

Iran’s Geopolitical Struggles and Relations with World:

• Continues to struggle under Western sanctions
• Moved strongly into Russo-Sino orbit, esp. after Trump ended nuclear deal
• Raisi’s death won’t impede this process
• Iran attacked Israel after strike on embassy in Damascus killed IRGC officer
• But both avoided situation escalating to point of no return
• Will avoid all-out war despite enmity, Iran’s support to Hamas etc.
• Biden admin, China will also restrain both sides
• Unease with Arab states to continue despite Iran-Saudi rapprochement

India and Iran Relations Going Forward:

• New President unlikely to change Iran’s regional orientations including towards South Asia
• Support to India on Chabahar port unlikely to be endangered
• But will balance with outreach to Pakistan as Raisi did recently

Conclusion:

• Raisi’s death likely to reopen hardliner vs pragmatist succession tussle
• Real crunch will come when vacancy arises for Supreme Leader’s position

 

 

Indian Express Editorial Summary

Editorial Topic : ESG: A Call for Standardization

GS-2  Mains Exam : Governance 

Revision Notes

Question : Examine the proposed solution of prioritizing emission reduction in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks and also mention benefits and drawbacks of this approach in simplifying the ESG framework and addressing critical environmental issues.

• ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is a critical factor for today’s businesses, impacting investment and risk management.
• The concept emerged in the 2005 UN report “Who Cares Wins”, urging collaboration for sustainable practices.
• ESG investments are booming, exceeding a third of global assets (Global Sustainable Investment Review, 2022).
• Measuring ESG credentials is a complex industry with inconsistent metrics and rankings across various frameworks.
• Standardization is hindered by the vast number of factors involved.
• BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, reportedly views ESG as unsustainable due to a lack of uniformity.

Current Limitations:

• Focus on Risk (Single Materiality): ESG ratings prioritize how environmental & social issues affect companies (risk-based), potentially neglecting positive impact.
• Double Materiality Challenges: Europe’s “double materiality” struggles to accurately measure a company’s external impact.
• Inconsistent Rankings: Companies with positive environmental actions (e.g., Tesla) can rank lower than high-polluters (e.g., Exxon Mobil) due to social/governance factors.
• Avoiding Tough Decisions: Overemphasis on ESG metrics might distract from tackling critical issues like climate change and inequality.
• Limited Comparability: Combining ESG factors hinders comparison across industries.

Proposed Solution:

• Prioritize Emission Reduction: Focus ESG efforts on reducing environmental impact, particularly emissions. Separate evaluations can address social and governance aspects.
• Clarity and Focus: This approach improves clarity and prioritizes the most pressing issue: emissions reduction.

Conclusion:

• Simplifying the ESG framework by focusing on essential aspects like emissions reduction can enable better measurement and prioritize critical environmental issues for a sustainable future.