Relevance: GS II (Global Groupings) & GS III (Tech Supply Chains)
1. Silicon: The New “Oil”
For the last 100 years, the world fought over Oil. For the next 100, it will fight over Silicon (the material used to make chips).
- The Problem: Currently, the supply chain for chips and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fragile. One country (China) controls too much of the raw material and manufacturing. If a conflict breaks out, they could “turn off the tap,” crippling global tech.
- The Solution: The US has launched “Pax Silica.” Think of it as a “Circle of Trust”—a group of friendly nations working together to ensure that the technology powering our hospitals, banks, and armies is safe and secure.
2. Decoding the Name
- “Pax”: Latin for “Peace.” (Like Pax Romana).
- “Silica”: The raw material for semiconductors.
- The Meaning: Using technology to maintain global peace. It is a promise that no single nation will be allowed to weaponize technology against others.
3. India’s Unique Position
- The Invitation: India is the first and only developing nation invited to join this club. The other members are rich, tech-giant nations like Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
- The Deal:
- We give: Our massive talent pool (chip designers and engineers) and a huge market.
- We get: Access to top-tier technology and investment to build our own chip factories.
- The Friction: There is a small clash of ideologies. The rich members want “Free Trade” (no barriers). India, however, needs to protect its young industry with subsidies (like the PLI scheme). Balancing this will be our diplomatic challenge.
UPSC Value Box
Concept / Term | Relevance for Prelims |
| Coercive Dependency | A situation where a country relies so heavily on a rival for essential goods (like chips or rare earths) that the rival can bully them politically by threatening to cut off supply. |
| Pax Silica Members | Core Members include the US, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Israel, UAE. India is the latest addition. |
| Full Stack Approach | Unlike other groups that focus only on mining, Pax Silica covers everything: Mining (Critical Minerals) $\rightarrow$ Making (Chips) $\rightarrow$ Managing (AI & Data Centers). |
Q. The term “Pax Silica,” recently seen in the news, refers to:
- A global treaty to ban the mining of silica sand from riverbeds.
- A US-led initiative to secure the global supply chain for semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence.
- A joint space mission between India and Japan to explore the silicon content of the Moon.
- An agreement among BRICS nations to trade oil using a silicon-backed digital currency.
Correct Answer: (2)
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