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THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. INDIA’S SDG PREPAREDNESS RANKING CONTINUES TO DECLINE: REPORT

THE CONTEXT: India is not placed well to achieve the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its preparedness has worsened over the years in comparison with other countries, a new report showed.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India’s rank in the global Sustainable Development Report, 2022 has slipped for the third consecutive year.
• The country continues to face major challenges in achieving 11 of the 17 SDGs, which has pushed down its global ranking on SDG preparedness.
• The progress in around 10 of these goals is similar to those in 2021. These include SDG 2 on ending hunger, SDG 3 on good health and well being and SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation.
• But ensuring decent work (SDG 8) has become more challenging, the report showed.
• In the 2022 Global Index of SDGs, the country ranked 121 out of the 163 countries. It had ranked 117 in 2020 and 120 in 2021.
• With eight years left to meet the global goals on sustainable development, the country is off-track, the trends indicated.
• Since 2015, the report has been tracking and ranking the performance of 163 UN member states on SDGs.
• It is published by a group of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
• SDGs are not mentioned in the latest central or federal budget documents of India, pointed out the report based on a survey conducted in February 2022.
• India is on track to achieving SDG 13 on climate action, the report mentioned. But another report presented a grim picture.
• Preparedness to deal with climate impacts is essential to deal with climate crisis, but the country has been facing major challenges in this area, flagged The State of India’s Environment in Figures, 2022 released June 2, 2022.
• The report was based of the trends revealed in NITI Aayog’s index on SDGs.
• India’s performance on climate action — (SDG) 13 — has slipped from 2019-2020. In 2020, the country’s overall national score on SDG 13 was 54 (out of 100) — a significant dip from 60 in 2019.
• This decline in India’s overall performance is primarily due to eight states — Bihar, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand — whose scores have dipped under SDG 13 in the two years.
• Telangana, the state which is among the top overall performers (rank three) in the country, has seen a dip in its score for climate action by 23 points.
• It is second after Bihar, whose SDG 13 performance worsened the most (by 27 points). Besides this, the performance of 27 states / Union territories remained off-track in SDG 13, according to the CSE report.
• Climate action failure is the most severe global risk in the short term and will also have the most severe impact over the next decade, the global risks report of the World Economic Forum alerted in January 2022.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. THE STATUS OF EVTOL: A SOON TO BE REALITY?

THE CONTEXT: The Union Civil Aviation Minister has said that the Government of India is exploring the possibility of inviting manufacturers of Electric Vertical Take off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to set up base in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

The Minister had been on a visit to the U.S. and Canada in April and in his interactions with key players in the industry, it was said that several eVTOL players were ‘keen on setting up production centres’ in the country. In late May, while speaking at “India@2047”, which was part of the seventh edition of the India Ideas Conclave in Bengaluru, the Minister also said that India is in ‘conversation’ with a number ofeVTOL producers — the implication being a futuristic vision for India.

WHAT IS eVTOL?

• As the acronym suggests, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is one that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. Most eVTOLs also use what is called as distributed electric propulsion technology which means integrating a complex propulsion system with the air frame. There are multiple motors for various functions; to increase efficiency; and to also ensure safety.
• This is technology that has grown on account of successes in electric propulsion based on progress in motor, battery, fuel cell and electronic controller technologies and also fuelled by the need for new vehicle technology that ensures urban air mobility (UAM). Thus, eVTOL is one of the newer technologies and developments in the aerospace industry.
• An article in Inside Unmanned Systems, a leading business intelligence platform, describes eVTOL as being “a runway independent technological solution” for the globe’s transportation needs. This is because it opens up new possibilities which aircraft with engines cannot carry out in areas such as manoeuvrability, efficiency and even from the environmental point of view.
• The article adds that there are an estimated 250 eVTOL concepts or more being fine-tuned to bring alive the concept of UAM. Some of these include the use of multi-rotors, fixed-wing and tilt-wing concepts backed by sensors, cameras and even radar.
• The key word here is “autonomous connectivity”. Some of these are in various test phases. There are also others undergoing test flights so as to be certified for use. In short, eVTOLs have been likened to “a third wave in an aerial revolution”; the first being the advent of commercial flying, and the second, the age of helicopters.
• An article in Avionics International says the roles eVTOLs adopt depends on battery technology and the limits of onboard electric power. Power is required during the key phases of flight such as take off, landing and flight (especially in high wind conditions).
• There is also the important factor of weight. BAE Systems, for example, is looking at formats using a variety of Lithium batteries. Nano Diamond Batteries is looking at “Diamond Nuclear Voltaic (DNV) technology” using minute amounts of carbon-14 nuclear waste encased in layered industrial diamonds to create self-charging batteries.
• There are some industry experts who are questioning the use of only batteries and are looking at hybrid technologies such as hydrogen cells and batteries depending on the flight mission. There is even one that uses a gas-powered generator that powers a small aircraft engine, in turn charging the battery system. But whatever the technology, there will be very stringent checks and certification requirements.

What are the challenges?

• As the technology so far is a mix of unpiloted and piloted aircraft, the areas in focus include “crash prevention systems”. These use cameras, radar, GPS (global positioning system) and infrared scanners. There are also issues such as ensuring safety in case of power plant or rotor failure. Aircraft protection from cyber attacks is another area of focus.
• A third area is in navigation and flight safety and the use of technology when operating in difficult terrain, unsafe operating environments and also bad weather.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. 75% OF RIVER MONITORING STATIONS REPORT HEAVY METAL POLLUTION: CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Three out of every four river monitoring stations in India posted alarming levels of heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper. In about a fourth of the monitoring stations, which are spread across 117 rivers and tributaries, high levels of two or more toxic metals were reported.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Of the 33 monitoring stations in Ganga, 10 had high levels of contaminants. The river, which is the focus of the Centre’s Namami Gange mission, has high levels of lead, iron, nickel, cadmium and arsenic, according to the State of Environment Report 2022 from the environmental NGO, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report is an annual compendium of environment-development data and is derived from public sources.
• India has 764 river quality monitoring stations across 28 states. Of these, the Central Water Commission tested water samples from 688 stations for heavy metals between August 2018 and December 2020.
• Of the 588 water quality stations monitored for pollution, total coliform and biochemical oxygen demand were high in 239 and 88 stations across 21 States – an indicator of poor wastewater treatment from industry, agriculture and domestic households.
• India dumps 72% of its sewage waste without treatment. Ten States do not treat their sewage at all, as per the Central Pollution Control Board.
• Over a third of India’s coastline that is spread across 6,907 km saw some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018.
• West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60% of its shoreline under erosion. The reasons for coastal erosion include increase in frequency of cyclones and sea level rise and anthropogenic activities such as construction of harbours, beach mining and building of dams.
• While the global average of the Ocean Health Index, a measure that looks at how sustainably humans. are exploiting ocean resources, has improved between 2012 and 2021, India’s score in the index has declined over the same period, the CSE report underlines.
• India’s total forest cover has registered a little over a 0.5% increase between 2017 and 2021 though most of the increase has taken place in the open forest category, which includes commercial plantations. This has happened at the cost of moderately dense forest, which is normally the area closest to human habitations. At the same time, very dense forests, which absorb maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, occupy just 3% of total forest cover.
• India has a forest cover of 77.53 million hectares. But recorded forests—the area under the forest department— with forest cover are only 51.66 million. This gap of 25.87 million hectares —a size bigger than Uttar Pradesh— remains unaccounted, the organisation noted.

4.INDIA ACHIEVED 10% ETHANOL BLENDING TARGET

THE CONTEXT: India has achieved the target of blending 10 per cent ethanol in petrol five months ahead of schedule, resulting in less carbon emissions, more savings for the country and better income for farmers.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 10 per cent ethanol blending target has resulted in three major advantages. First, it has resulted in the reduction of 27 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions; second, PM added, India has managed to save over Rs 41,000 crore over an eight-year period; and lastly, “the farmers of the country have earned more than Rs 40,000 crore” during this period.
• India is also working towards minimising its dependence on fossil fuels. “To meet our energy needs from renewable sources, we are working on increasingly bigger goals. We had set a target of achieving 40 per cent of our installed power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources. India has achieved this target 9 years ahead of schedule. Today our solar energy capacity has increased about 18 times.
• While the global average for carbon emissions is four tonnes per person, PM said, the per capita carbon footprint for Indians is only around half a tonne per year. “Despite this, India is working towards the environment with a holistic approach, not only within the country but also by engaging with the global community,” he pointed out and mentioned that “India has also resolved… (to) achieve the target of Net Zero by the year 2070.”
• Speaking on the agricultural policy, PM said earlier farmers lacked information about the type of soil they were working on and its deficiencies. “To overcome this problem, a huge campaign was launched to give soil health cards to farmers in the country.”
• over 22 crore soil health cards have been given across the country, and a huge network for soil testing has also been create .Crores of farmers of the country are using fertilizers and micro-nutrients on the basis of information received from the Soil Health Card which has resulted in saving 8 to 10 per cent in cost to farmers and an increase of five to six per cent in yield.
• Natural farming, is a “great solution to our challenges today” and the government will encourage it in villages situated on the banks of the Ganga and “build a huge corridor for natural farming… our fields will not only be chemical-free, the Namami Gange campaign will also get new strength. India is also working on the target of restoring 26 million hectares of barren land by 2030.”

5. WORLD’S FIRST FISHING CAT CENSUS DONE IN CHILIKA

THE CONTEXT: The Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, has 176 fishing cats, according to a census conducted by Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP).

THE EXPLANATION:

• This is the world’s first population estimation of the fishing cat, which has been conducted outside the protected area network.
• According to CDA, the estimation was conducted in two phases. Phase-I was conducted in 2021 in the 115 sq km marshland present in the north and north-eastern section of Chilika and its surrounding areas. Phase II was conducted in 2022 in the Parikud side along the coastal islands of Chilika.
• A total of 150 camera traps were deployed in two phases with each fixed in the field for 30 days. Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) method was used to analyse the data.
• fishing cats are globally threatened cats that occur in wetlands like marshlands, mangroves and flooded forests in major South and Southeast Asian River basins starting from Indus in Pakistan till Mekong in Vietnam and in the island nations of Sri Lanka and Java.
• They are found in 10 Asian countries but have remained undetected in Vietnam and Java since the last decade or so.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. CHINESE ASTRONAUTS ENTER TIANGONG SPACE STATION MODULE AFTER SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH

THE CONTEXT: China’s strategically significant space station project entered the final phase on 5^th of june as three astronauts entered its orbiting module after they were successfully launched to complete its construction this year to further the Communist giant’s dream to emerge as a major space power.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Hours after they were launched into the designated orbit by the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft, which later docked with orbiting module of the space station called Tianhe and cargo crafts attached to it, the three astronauts, successfully entered for a six-month stay, during which they will be completing its remaining construction, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
• Earlier in the day, the spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. Minutes later, the official at the ground control declared the mission a great success, saying the spacecraft has reached its designated orbit.
• Once ready, China will be the only country to own a space station. The International Space Station (ISS) of Russia is a collaborative project of several countries.
• The China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia. Observers say that the CSS may become the sole space station to remain in orbit once the aging ISS retires in the coming years.
• The significant feature of China’s under-construction space station is its two robotic arms, especially the long one over which the US has previously expressed concern over its ability to grab objects including satellites from space.
• The 10-metre-long arm was in action previously seen in action successfully grabbing and moving a 20 tonne Tianzhou-2 cargo ship in a test, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).
• One of the noteworthy tasks for the Shenzhou-14 crew is to test and operate the large and small mechanical arms.
• The core module is mounted with a big mechanical arm, and the Wentian lab module with a small one, Huang Weifen, the chief designer of the China manned space programme’s astronaut system.
• The small arm is quite flexible and can perform operations with greater precision.
• During the Shenzhou-14 mission, the crew will, for the first time, be aided by the small mechanical arm to get out of the space station, Huang said.
• During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-14 crew will witness the two lab modules, Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship dock with the core module Tianhe.
• They will rotate with the Shenzhou-15 crew in orbit and return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in December.
• China began constructing its three-module space station in April 2021 with the launch of Tianhe – the first and biggest of the station’s three modules.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 5^TH & 6^TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following pairs:

1. Chang’e-4 – Moon probe of China
2. Tianwen-1 – Space station of China
3. Tiangong-1 – Mars probe of China

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

a) Only one pair

b) Only two pairs

c) Only three pairs

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR THE 4^TH JUNE

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: ESZs are transition areas around the protected areas of National parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Environment (Protection) Act 1986 does not mention about ESZs.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: They can be up to 10 Kms around the protected areas