1. India needs a data regulator READ MORE
2. Only Inclusive Policies Can Strengthen the Nation READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Shortage of drugs forces HIV patients to carry on with stir READ MORE
2. Indian team deliberating on ocean diversity pact READ MORE
3. China gives tacit nod to Pakistan’s move to scrap CPEC Authority amid reports of rift over tardy progress, security READ MORE
4. India better placed on growth-inflation-external balance triangle: FinMin report READ MORE
5. India’s first indigenous monkeypox test kit launched READ MORE
6. India, Vietnam wrap up joint military exercise READ MORE
7. This State Is India’s 1st To Use Blockchain To Distribute Seed To Farmers READ MORE
8. Explained: Who was Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India who partitioned Bengal in 1905? READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. The forest economy must be nurtured READ MORE

 GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. India needs a data regulator READ MORE
2. Only Inclusive Policies Can Strengthen the Nation READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How to promote information processing by students READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. EXTERNAL CHALLENGES GROW IN AMRIT KAAL READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. End this asymmetrical conflict over ‘freebies’: The judiciary’s move to study the issue could impact the economic freedom of States and the ‘Idea of India’ READ MORE
2. Reining in overreach: Setting higher requisites for arrests or summons under the GST law is welcome READ MORE
3. Selling public sector banks is no solution READ MORE
4. Only Inclusive Policies Can Strengthen the Nation READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Cyclonic disturbance threatens crops, population in Odisha READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The injustice of exceptionalism: It is the exceptionalism in granting the release of 11 individuals that lies at the core of injustice in the Bilkis Bano case READ MORE
2. Pursue self-realisation, it pays rich dividends READ MORE
3. Work is worship READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India needs a stable system of civil services to bolster responsive public administration’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent tussle between center and states over the AIS.
2. ‘The AIS structure is unique to India and is too delicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholar abroad can comprehend its nuances’. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The words you speak reveal the heart you have.
• Doing away with the data protection authority will bring with it several challenges to privacy.
• The AIS structure is unique to India and is too delicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholarabroad can comprehend its nuances.
• The India-U.S. maritime relationship remains a work in progress. There has doubtless been some movement ahead, but it is far from clear whether navy-to-navy ties are headed towards a wide-ranging and comprehensive partnership in the Indian Ocean littorals.
• Increasing privacy and security concerns coupled with economic interests have compelled governments to institute rules and standards that govern and restrict cross-border flows with natural implications for negotiations on global trade and commerce.
• Political economy of discom operations and intensifying populism on freebie-ism at the level of state governments will make reforms harder. A more rational, measured approach should be considered.
• Apart from the rising death toll, crop and infrastructure damage has risen over the years.
• The fundamental issue lies in the word freebie, which has no clear definition, making it susceptible to misuse and selective targeting of welfare measures.
• A well-known environmentalist and lawyer says a national movement led by citizens can hold those who allow illegal mining and unplanned construction to account.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.

50 WORD TALK

• CBI raid on Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has a weary sense of predictability. So predictable – merits of the case notwithstanding – that it risks damaging whatever credibility the Modi Government might still have with its agencies-led excursions. Its track record almost entirely is creating headlines, not proving anybody guilty.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news, try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas on maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic; the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the main point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

1. INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS MONKEYPOX TEST KIT

THE CONTEXT: The Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone recently launched the first indigenously manufactured RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox. With the help of this kit, infection can be detected quickly.

THE EXPLANATION:
Infection will be easily detected 

If we talk about the merits of this kit, then TransAsia-Erba Monkeypox RT-PCR Kit is highly sensitive. Its accuracy is very good, with the help of which people will be very comfortable in use with investigation.

First Case of Monkey Pox in India

• On July 14, the Kollam district of Kerala announced the country’s first case of monkeypox. According to the World Health Organization Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, or a virus that spreads from animals to humans. It has symptoms resembling those of smallpox but is clinically less serious.
• It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person.
• India so far has reported ten cases of monkeypox.

ICMR may do Sero Survey

• Recently the Indian Council of Medical Research had said that it can conduct a sero-survey to check antibodies among the contacts of patients with monkeypox. Apart from this, it will also be investigated how many of those patients were asymptomatic. Significantly, monkeypox usually manifests with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
• The disease is usually accompanied by symptoms lasting two to four weeks. The ‘Guidelines on the Management of Monkeypox Disease’ issued by the Center states that human-to-human transmission occurs through respiratory droplets.

VALUE ADDITION:

About Monkeypox:

• Monkeypox is an ongoing outbreak. First case of the viral disease was reported in May 2022 in the United Kingdom. First case was reported in individual with travel links to Nigeria. Monkeypox disease is endemic to Nigeria. For the first time, this disease is being reported outside Central and West Africa. It was declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022.
• Monkeypox cases have been reported in over 80 countries. Considering this, the WHO has declared it as a global health emergency. The confirmed cases have reached over 32,000. In Delhi, 5 monkeypox cases have been reported.

Symptoms of monkeypox:

Monkeypox is a viral infection, that displays week or two after exposure with the virus. Common symptoms include fever, followed by rash with lesions. The lesions last for 2–4 weeks before falling off.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES

2. RAT HOLE MINING IN MEGHALAYA

THE CONTEXT:  Recently an accident at an illegal coal mining in Meghalaya killed one person and left battling for his life.

About Rat Hole Mining

• It is a primitive and hazardous method of mining for coal, with tunnels that are only 3-4 feet in diameter (hence, rat-hole), leading to pits ranging from 5-100 sq. mt deep.
• It involves digging of very small tunnels in which workers, more often children, enter and extract coal.
• Although the coal is of bad quality, people see it as a treasure chest.
• In backward regions, where there is the loss of livelihood, lack of employment opportunities and under-education, people see rat-hole mines as an opportunity to earn daily bread.
• A major portion of these employees are children, who are preferred because of their thin body shape and ease to access depths.

Despite a ban

The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014 on a petition that said acidic discharge from the mines was polluting the Kopili River. But the practice continues unabated.

Threats of such mining

• Water from rivers and streams in the mining area has become unfit for drinking and irrigation and is toxic to plants and animals.
• Layers of rock above the coal removed during mining contain traces of iron, manganese and aluminium that get dissolved from mining sites through the acid run-off or are washed into streams as sediment.
• There are several mishaps where workers get trapped to death due to the sudden collapse of such mines.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. ‘KRISHNA KUNJ’, A PLANTATION DRIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Chhattisgarh Chief minister launched ‘Krishna Kunj’, a plantation drive aimed at creating urban forests comprising “culturally significant and other useful trees”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Krishna Kunj is a step to promote eco-friendly environment in state and trees like peepal, banyan, kadamb, carrying mythological and cultural importance are being planted at 162 urban locations in state on Janmashtami festival”.
• The environment-friendly initiative is aimed at increasing the green cover of the state and imparting awareness about the importance of trees to the coming generations. The chief minister said that the rapid felling of trees in urban areas in the name of development has created a huge environmental problem.

Aim of the Initiative:

• In a bid to motivate people to plant trees and to save our cultural heritage, “ Krishna Kunj” is being developed in the state. These trees are disappearing due to urbanisation in the last few years, leading to the indiscriminate felling of trees. The initiative  of “Krishna Kunj” is being undertaken to aware the forthcoming generations about the importance these trees.

Chhattisgarh Forest Cover: The recorded forest area in the State is 59,772km², which is 44.21% of the geographical area. Reserved, Protected and Unclassed Forests constitute 43.13%, 40.21% and 16.65% of the total forest area respectively.

VALUE ADDITION:

• The Nagar Van (Urban Forests) aims to develop 200 Urban Forests across the country in the next five years.
• Warje Urban Forest in Pune (Maharashtra) will be considered as a role model for the Scheme.
• The Scheme enforces people’s participation and collaboration between the Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs, Corporates and local citizens.
• These urban forests will primarily be on the existing forest land in the City or any other vacant land offered by local urban local bodies.

4. INDIAN TEAM DELIBERATING ON OCEAN DIVERSITY PACT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a delegation from India and other member countries of the United Nations are in New York to deliberate on a one-of-its-kind agreement to conserve marine biodiversity in the high seas, namely the oceans that extend beyond countries’ territorial waters.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The agreement follows a resolution by the UN General Assembly in May 2022 and is expected to be the final in a series set in motion since 2018 to draft an international legally binding instrument under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The high seas comprise nearly 45% of the Earth’s surface.
• According to the sources, a key aspect of the agreement is deciding on the rights of companies that undertake exploration for biological resources in the high seas: do companies have absolute rights on any discovery or extraction in these regions or should they share their gains, in terms of intellectual property and royalties with a UN-prescribed body.
• Typically, the focus of mining activity in the sea has been for gas hydrates, precious metals and other fossil fuel resources. However with advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering, several companies see potential in exotic microbes and other organisms – several of them undiscovered – that abide in the deep ocean and could be used for drugs, vaccine and a variety of commercial applications.
• In June 2021, the Union Cabinet approved a ‘Blue Economy’ policy for India, a nearly ₹4,000-crore programme spread over five years, that among other things will develop a manned submersible vessel as well as work on “bio-prospecting of deep-sea flora and fauna including microbes”. Studies on sustainable utilisation of deep sea bio-resources will be the main focus. Also, officials noted that there were already companies carrying out such exploratory activities though little was known about them. “Hence an international agreement that spells out obligations and permissible activities is important”.

VALUE ADDITION:

About UNCLOS:

• Adopted and signed in 1982. It became effective in the year 1994.
• It replaced the four Geneva Conventions of April, 1958, which respectively concerned the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the high seas, fishing and conservation of living resources on the high seas.
• The Convention has become the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
• Also known as Law of the Sea, it divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.
• UNCLOS is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. IAF PARTICIPATION IN EXERCISE PITCH BLACK 2022 AT DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will join 16 other nations, including Quad partner countries for Exercise Pitch Black, the biennial exercise hosted by the Australian Air Force.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The warfare exercise takes place once every two years and is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• The aim of this exercise is to practice Offensive Counter Air (OCA)and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat. The exercise takes place in a simulated war environment.
• The first Pitch Black exercise took place on June 15-16 1981 between the RAAF units.

Australia India Defence Relationship:

• Building on a long history of cooperation – including our shared experience in the trenches of World War I in Gallipoli and along the Western Front – Australia and India have a positive defence relationship, underpinned by the 2006 Memorandum on Defence Cooperation and the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.
• The Australia–India defence relationship now encompasses almost every major function of the military: strategic dialogues, coordination, and information exchanges; military exercises involving ground, air and maritime forces.

Strategic Dialogue:

• In June 2020, Australia and India decided to upgrade their Secretaries 2+2 dialogue(Defence and Foreign Affairs) to the Ministerial level.

AUSINDEX:

• Australia and India are committed to working together to enhance maritime cooperation and have had AUSINDEX since 2015.

Shared Military Platform:

• India and Australia both border the Indian Ocean and have a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade.
• Australia recognises India’s critical role in supporting security, stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region.

IFC-IOR:

• The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram is an Indian initiative to boost maritime security and response through the exchange of information related to the ships in the Indian Ocean Region. Both countries are working together on this.

Civil Nuclear Cooperation:

• A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed in September 2014which came into force in November 2015.
• The deal ensures that Uranium mining companies of Australia can supply uranium to India for civil use.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

6. WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

THE CONTEXT: World Humanitarian Day was observed on August 19, 2021. Every year, WHD is celebrated under a specific theme. According to the United Nations, the theme for this year is ”to show the importance, effectiveness, and positive impact of humanitarian work”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This day focuses on boosting up the global action in order to combat climate change and stand in solidarity with the vulnerable populations.

• On the occasion, the United Nations has urged the people, especially social media users, to mark the day by showing their solidarity for vulnerable populations.
• UN urged social media user to run, ride, swim, walk and do any activity of their choice for 100 minutes in between August 16 to August 31.
• UN further asked the users to tell the leaders across world that they expect developed countries to deliver on their pledge of $100 billion in order to do climate mitigation and adaptation across developing countries.

About World Humanitarian Day

It is an international day which is observed to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who lost their lives while working for humanitarian causes. United Nations General Assembly designated this day as part of a Swedish-sponsored GA Resolution A/63/L.49 that seeks to Strengthen the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations. Every year, the day is observed on August 19. August 19 is the day on which Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello and his 21 colleagues were killed in a bombing event at UN Headquarters in Baghdad.

Significance of the day

The day is observed to honour all those who chose a difficult life to serve, despite the odds and those who are trapped in challenging circumstances worldwide. It pays tribute to humanitarian workers who were killed and injured. On the day, all aid and health workers are honoured who continue to provide life-saving support and protection to needy people.

THE CONTEXT: Earth has significant treasures(minerals) engulfed in its frame. These treasures have been driving mankind in the form of energy. The more energy resources, the better you are placed in the geopolitical hierarchy. No wonder, energy and geopolitics have always been closely linked. The twentieth century saw access to energy resources become a major factor in determining the winners of wars, oil producers banding together to create new global alliances, and price swings that spurred or deterred the adventurism of superpowers. The contemporary geopolitics of energy is analysed in the following article.

GEOPOLITICS & ENERGY: UNDERSTANDING THE INTERSECTION

Geopolitics is the battle for space and power played out in a geographical setting. Just as there are military geopolitics, diplomatic geopolitics and economic geopolitics, there is also energy geopolitics. Natural resources and the trade routes that bring those resources to consumers are central to the study of geography. The Geopolitics of Energy Project explores the intersection of energy, security, and international politics.

• RESOURCE CURSE: Coal-rich countries were the first to industrialize in the 1800s; the shift to oil from coal over the next century brought with it a rise in the strategic importance of the Middle East.
  • Unfortunately, this resource abundance in the Middle East has resulted in myriad civil upsurges and militancy throughout the region.
  • Since the second half of the 20^th century, control of oil resources has played a central role in several wars, such as the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1990-1991), etc.
• ENERGY DRIVEN TRADE ROUTES: The geopolitics encircling the South China Sea serve as a good example of how even maritime routes which engulf rich energy resources within themselves play a crucial role in geopolitical developments. The assertion of sovereignty over disputed areas is the aim, and China has considered joint oil and gas exploration as an important policy tool in this pursuit.
  • Southeast Asian states and prospective operators face considerable geopolitical risks due to China’s expansive territorial claims.
• CHANGING DYNAMICS OF ENERGY: The global concern for more than half a century, oil and natural gas have been at the heart of the geopolitics of energy. However, the over-dependence on oil & gas has brought the global issue of global warming to the forefront.
  • Many important events like the Kyoto Protocol signing & Paris Agreement marked critical steps forward in global efforts to respond to the challenge of global warming.
  • Thus, there is growing emphasis on the transition towards renewable energy.
• EMERGENCE OF NEW ALLIANCES: Meanwhile, technological advances have increased the competitiveness of solar and wind energy technologies, batteries and electric cars.
  • The convergence of these two elements has started to reshape the global energy system. This can be seen in India establishing the International Solar Alliance.
• REPERCUSSIONS OF CONFLICTS: Ukraine-Russia war has disrupted the supply of natural gas and sanctions on Russia have changed the dynamics of oil exports from Russia.

CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

REGION

THE MIDDLE EAST

• The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has about 57% of the world’s proven oil reserves and 41% of proven natural gas resources. MENA is also endowed with unique solar resources.
• Apart from the first oil shock of 1973, the Middle East region has faced several geopolitical conflicts like the oil crisis in the 1990s(Persian Gulf Crisis) followed by the recent Syrian crisis.

THE USA

• The United States uses and produces many different types and sources of energy, which can be grouped into general categories such as primary and secondary, renewable and nonrenewable, and fossil fuels.
• Primary energy sources include fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal), nuclear energy, and renewable sources of energy. Electricity is a secondary energy source that is generated (produced) from primary energy sources.

RUSSIA

• Russia is rich not only in oil, gas and coal but also in wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar energy, the resources of renewable energy. However, fossil fuels dominate Russia’s current energy mix, while its abundant and diverse renewable energy resources play little role.
• In 2021, Russian crude and condensate output reached 10.5 million barrels per day (BPD), making up 14% of the world’s total supply.
• Russia has a wide-reaching gas export pipeline network, both via transit routes through Belarus and Ukraine, and via pipelines sending gas directly into Europe. Russia’s natural gas accounted for 45% of imports and almost 40% of European Union gas demand in 2021.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

• The South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo.
• This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca).
• According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD), one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of trade which makes it a significant geopolitical water body.
• The U.S. Energy Information Agency estimates that the South China Sea holds about 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil in proved and probable reserves, most of which lie along the margins of the South China Sea rather than under disputed islets and reefs.

CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS

REGION

THE MIDDLE EAST

• The Indo-Pacific region will become increasingly reliant on the Middle East for its oil: By 2030, 80 per cent of China’s oil will come from the Middle East, and 90 per cent in the case of India. (Japan and South Korea remain 100 per cent dependent on oil imports.)
• China’s reliance on the Middle East will be buttressed by its concomitant and growing dependence on former Soviet Central Asia for energy.
• OPEC is largely a result of Geopolitical developments in the Middle East. The member nations collectively influence the quantity of oil produced. For example, the post-pandemic slowdown pushed OPEC nations to reduce oil production.

THE USA

• The United States is emerging as a global energy-producing giant in its own right. U.S. shale oil production will more than triple between 2010 and 2020.
• Shale gas has risen from 2 per cent to 37 percent of U.S. natural gas production. The United States has now overtaken Russia as the world’s biggest natural gas producer.
• Some estimates put the United States as overtaking Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer by the end of the current decade
• When combined with Canadian oil sands and Brazil’s oil lying beneath salt beds, these shifts have the potential to make the Americas into the “new Middle East” of the 21st century

RUSSIA

• Russia is increasingly shifting its focus of energy exports to East Asia. China is on track to perhaps become Russia’s biggest export market for oil before the end of the decade, even as Russian energy firms are now developing a closer relationship with Japan in order to hedge against their growing emphasis on China.
• Repercussions of conflicts: Russia’s assault on Ukraine has roiled global energy markets and turned the climate policy conversation upside down.
• In Europe, disrupted gas exports from Russia, the world’s second-largest producer, threaten economic activity and the ability of people to heat their homes. This threat to energy security has kicked off a flurry of responses, including U.S. efforts to help expand and diversify the region’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

• China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands.
• However, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim parts of the region, believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits.
• Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to bring them under UNCLOS (examples would include Haven Reef, Johnson South Reef and Fiery Cross Reef).
• China has been changing the size and structure of the reefs by modifying their physical land features. It has also established airstrips on Paracel and Spratly.

INDIA’S STAND ON GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY

India imports about 85% of the oil it needs. Thus, a spike in the price of oil makes a big difference not just to domestic cost conditions but also to the balance of payments.

INDIA’S APPROACH

REGION/ISSUE

US SANCTIONS ON IRAN

• India has invested in the Chabahar port in Iran and highways that provide an alternative route to both Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan, thereby making Iran important for the long-term interests of India.
• Following the US imposing sanctions on Iran, in 2018, India had to look for alternatives for its imports. India was a second-biggest buyer of Iranian oil after China before sanctions halted supplies in May 2019.
• India has invested more in its relationship with Saudi Arabia and other anti-Iranian Gulf monarchies. Such improvement in relationships will put pressure on India to moderate its support for Iran. No wonder, in 2020-21, Iraq was India’s biggest oil supplier, followed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

• India has maintained that it is not a party to the SCS dispute and its presence in the SCS is not to contain China but to secure its own economic interests, especially that of its energy security needs.
• As a key element of the Act East Policy, India has started internationalizing disputes in the Indo-Pacific region to oppose China’s threatening tactics in SCS.
• Also, India is part of the Quad initiative (India, US, Japan, Australia) and the lynchpin of the Indo-Pacific narrative. These initiatives are viewed as a containment strategy by China.
• State oil group Petrovietnam and the overseas unit of state explorer Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) have signed a memorandum on joint exploration of crude oil in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT

• India is exploring alternative payment channels for trade with Russia and the possibility of sourcing additional oil at a discount, even as the Western countries led by the USA reduce its exposure to Russian oil.
• In order to shield the economy from the negative impact of the recent surge in crude oil prices, India is exploring the possibility of importing additional oil at discounted rates from Russia, which is facing sanctions and global backlash due to the Ukraine conflict. On the back of rising crude oil purchases, India’s bill for imports from sanctions-hit Russia jumped 3.5 times in a year in April to $2.3 billion.
• India’s stand of trading for comparatively cheaper Russian oil has created an element of doubt in the west. Despite pressure from Western nations, India did not pick a side and it chose to maintain a neutral stance considering its historical relationship with Russia.                                                           

THE CONCLUSION: India is a sovereign nation and not a client state of any great power. Thus, vouching for its own interests is right in every sense. Like any other country, India also retains the right to take policies based on pragmatic realism and its core national interests. And India thinks that a neutral position anchored in strategic autonomy which keeps channels open with both sides is what serves its interests. Decisions made about energy today will influence what the world looks like tomorrow, just as the political and security events of today, be it the Arab Spring or the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan will shape energy realities. Thus, global geopolitics must be driven by values like inclusivity and sustainable energy resources so as to avoid conflicts and struggles for energy.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Illustrate with suitable examples the interplay between Geopolitics and Energy security.
• Examine how changes in global geopolitics influence the energy security of India. Is India’s response to these geopolitical developments appropriate? Give your views.
• “There is no higher interest than national interest.” Comment with reference to contemporary geopolitics of energy.

THE GOVERNANCE

1. MANDLA: FIRST ‘FUNCTIONALLY LITERATE’ DISTRICT

THE CONTEXT: Tribal-dominated Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first completely “functionally literate” district of India. During 2011 survey, literacy rate in Mandla district was 68%. Another report of 2020 highlights that, more than 2.25 lakh people in this district were not literate, most of them were tribals from forest areas.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Tribals were frequently complaining to authorities regarding money frauds they were facing. Main reason for this was that tribals were not functionally literate.
• To make people functionally literate, a major campaign was launched on Independence Day 2020, in association with the school education department, anganwadi & social workers, women and child development department, to educate women and senior citizens.
• With this campaign, entire district has turned into functionally literate district, within two years.
• Mandla is the first district of India to reach this mark, where people were able to write their names, read and count.
Functional Literacy:
Functional illiteracy comprises of reading and writing skills that are required to manage daily living and employment tasks. Such tasks require reading skills beyond basic level. It is opposite to illiteracy, which is defined as inability to read or write in any language. A person is called functionally literate when he or she is able to write his or her own name, count and read & write in Hindi or in language other than the predominant language.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. CHINA’S FUNDING CPEC REDUCED BY 56%

THE CONTEXT: In first half of 2022, China’s funding in Pakistan for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had reduced by around 56% in the first half of 2022. Other countries like Russia, Egypt and Sri Lanka also witnessed a reduction by 100% in BRI engagement as compared to first half of 2021.
THE EXPLANATION:
The CPEC project is running from Gwadar port in Pakistan to Kashgar city in Xinjiang, China. However,
• This project is not running in accordance with the initial promise, because of lack of transparency, debt problems, poor management, and corruption. Because of these issues, CPEC project is still not finished.
• It is also going through other security challenges because of local opposition and continued attack on project and personnel in Pakistan.
• Furthermore, Pakistan’s deteriorating economic situation is also impacting the project.
• As per reports, China recently asked for its military presence in Pakistan in order to look after security of its people and projects in country.
• Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects of China is facing global criticism as it is not offering transparency on its loans. Furthermore, its faulty design raising questions the value and sustainability of the project.

But, why is India concerned?
• It passes through PoK.
• CPEC rests on a Chinese plan to secure and shorten its supply lines through Gwadar with an enhanced presence in the Indian Ocean. Hence, it is widely believed that upon CPEC’s fruition, an extensive Chinese presence will undermine India’s influence in the Indian Ocean.
• It is also being contended that if CPEC were to successfully transform the Pakistan economy that could be a “red rag” for India which will remain at the receiving end of a wealthier and stronger Pakistan.
• Besides, India shares a great deal of trust deficit with China and Pakistan and has a history of conflict with both. As a result, even though suggestions to re-approach the project pragmatically have been made, no advocate has overruled the principle strands of contention that continue to mar India’s equations with China and Pakistan.

VALUE ADDITION:
About China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
• CPEC is a cluster of infrastructure projects under construction in Pakistan. It was started in 2013. Original value of the project is USD 47 billion but now its value has increased to over USD 62 billion.
• This project is aimed at upgrading required infrastructure in Pakistan and strengthen its economy by providing modern transportation networks, energy projects, and special economic zones as a part of CPEC.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. WEST NILE VIRUS

THE CONTEXT: In New York, the number of mosquito pools that tested positive for West Nile virus is the “highest number ever recorded” at 1,068 across the five boroughs, compared with 779 positive pools this time when compared to 2021.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is West Nile Virus?
• It is a mosquito-borne, single-stranded RNA virus.
• It is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.
• It is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.
• Transmission : Culex species of mosquitoes act as the principal vectors for transmission.
o It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir host of the virus.
o It can also spread through blood transfusion, from an infected mother to her child, or through exposure to the virus in laboratories.
o It is not known to spread by contact with infected humans or animals.
o To date, no human-to-human transmission of WNV through casual contact has been documented.
• Impact : It can cause neurological disease and death in people.
• Detection of WNV
o The virus was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937.
o It was identified in birds (crows and columbiformes like doves and pigeons) in the Nile delta region in 1953.
o Before 1997, WNV was not considered pathogenic for birds, but then, a more virulent strain caused the death in Israel of different bird species, presenting signs of encephalitis and paralysis.

• Preventive measures
o This vector-borne disease can be prevented by protecting one-self from mosquito bites.
o Other steps are wearing clothing that acts as a barrier to exposure to bites, reducing breeding sites, covering water storage containers, eliminating puddles and drainage of places where water accumulates, eliminating unusable containers where water pools, and controlling garbage in yards and gardens.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

4. CENTRE RAISES THRESHOLDS FOR PROSECUTIONS, ARRESTS UNDER CUSTOMS ACT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the government has raised the thresholds for prosecutions and arrests under the Customs Act to ₹50 lakh from ₹20 lakh for smuggling and illegal imports of goods in baggage, and from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore for cases involving commercial fraud.
THE EXPLANATION:
• According to the Government, these value-related thresholds will not apply for offences relating to fake currency notes, arms, ammunitions and explosives, antiques, art treasures, wildlife items and endangered species of flora and fauna. “In such cases, arrest, if required, on the basis of facts and circumstances of the case, may be considered irrespective of value of offending goods involved”.
• The civil proceedings would continue for duty, interest and penalty recovery; prosecution and arrest would be initiated in cases where the financial severity is high”.

VALUE ADDITION:
What is Custom Duty?
• Customs duty refers to the tax imposed on goods when they are transported across international borders.
• In simple terms, it is the tax that is levied on import and export of goods.
• Custom duty in India is defined under the Customs Act, 1962, and all matters related to it fall under the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC).
• The government uses this duty to raise its revenues, safeguard domestic industries, and regulate movement of goods.
• The rate of Customs duty varies depending on where the goods were made and what they were made of.
Types of custom duty
• Basic Customs Duty (BCD): It is the duty imposed on the value of the goods at a specific rate at a specified rate of ad-valorem basis.
• Countervailing Duty (CVD): It is imposed by the Central Government when a country is paying the subsidy to the exporters who are exporting goods to India.
Additional Customs Duty or Special CVD: It is imposed to bring imports on an equal track with the goods produced or manufactured in India.
• Protective Duty: To protect interests of Indian industry.
• Safeguard Duty: It is imposed to safeguard the interest of our local domestic industries. It is calculated on the basis of loss suffered by our local industries.
• Anti-dumping Duty: Manufacturers from abroad may export goods at very low prices compared to prices in the domestic market. In order to avoid such dumping, ADD is levied.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

5. WHAT IS CAUSING ARCTIC WARMING?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Finnish Meteorological Institute researchers published their study in the Communications Earth & Environment journal, concluding that the Arctic is heating four times faster than the rest of the planet.
THE EXPLANATION:
The warming is more concentrated in the Eurasian part of the Arctic, where the Barents Sea north of Russia and Norway is warming at an alarming rate — seven times faster than the global average.
What is Arctic amplification? What causes it?
• Global warming, the long-term heating of the earth’s surface, expedited due to anthropogenic forces or human activities since pre-industrial times and has increased the planet’s average temperature by 1.1 degrees Celsius. While changes are witnessed across the planet, any change in the surface air temperature and the net radiation balance tend to produce larger changes at the north and south poles. This phenomenon is known as polar amplification; these changes are more pronounced at the northern latitudes and are known as the Arctic amplification.
• Among the many global warming-driven causes for this amplification, the ice-albedo feedback, lapse rate feedback, water vapour feedback and ocean heat transport are the primary causes. Sea ice and snow have high albedo (measure of reflectivity of the surface), implying that they are capable of reflecting most of the solar radiation as opposed to water and land. In the Arctic’s case, global warming is resulting in diminishing sea ice.
• As the sea ice melts, the Arctic Ocean will be more capable of absorbing solar radiation, thereby driving the amplification. The lapse rate or the rate at which the temperature drops with elevation decreases with warming. Studies show that the ice-albedo feedback and the lapse rate feedback are responsible for 40% and 15% of polar amplification respectively.
What are the consequences of Arctic warming?
• The causes and consequences of Arctic amplification are cyclical — what might be a cause can be a consequence too.
• The Greenland ice sheet is melting at an alarming rate, and the rate of accumulation of sea ice has been remarkably low since 2000, marked by young and thinner ice replacing the old and thicker ice sheets. The Greenland ice sheet saw a sharp spike in the rate and extent of melting between July 15-17 this year. The unusual summer temperatures resulted in a melt of 6 billion tonnes of ice sheet per day, amounting to a total of 18 billion tonnes in a span of three days, enough to cover West Virginia in a foot of water.
• Greenlandic ice sheet holds the second largest amount of ice, after Antarctica, and therefore it is crucial for maintaining the sea level. In 2019, this was the single biggest cause for the rise in the sea level, about 1.5 metres. If the sheet melts completely, the sea level would rise by seven metres, capable of subsuming island countries and major coastal cities.
• The warming of the Arctic Ocean and the seas in the region, the acidification of water, changes in the salinity levels, is impacting the biodiversity, including the marine species and the dependent species. The warming is also increasing the incidence of rainfall which is affecting the availability and accessibility of lichens to the reindeer. The Arctic amplification is causing widespread starvation and death among the Arctic fauna.
• The permafrost in the Arctic is thawing and in turn releasing carbon and methane which are among the major greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Experts fear that the thaw and the melt will also release the long-dormant bacteria and viruses that were trapped in the permafrost and can potentially give rise to diseases. The best-known example of this is the permafrost thaw leading to an anthrax outbreak in Siberia in 2016, where nearly 2,00,000 reindeer succumbed.

What is the impact on India?
• In recent years, scientists have pondered over the impact the changing Arctic can have on the monsoons in the subcontinent. The link between the two is growing in importance due to the extreme weather events the country faces, and the heavy reliance on rainfall for water and food security.
• A study titled ‘A possible relation between Arctic sea ice and late season Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall extremes’ published in 2021 by a group of Indian and Norwegian scientists found that the reduced sea ice in the Barents-Kara sea region can lead to extreme rainfall events in the latter half of the monsoons — in September and October.
• The changes in the atmospheric circulation due to diminishing sea ice combined with the warm temperatures in the Arabian Sea contribute to enhanced moisture and drive extreme rainfall events. In 2014, India deployed IndARC, India’s first moored-underwater observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, to monitor the impact of the changes in the Arctic Ocean on the tropical processes such as the monsoons.
• According to the World Meteorological Organization’s report, ‘State of Global Climate in 2021’, sea level along the Indian coast is rising faster than the global average rate. One of the primary reasons for this rise is the melting of sea ice in the polar regions, especially the Arctic. The Arctic amplification furthers the idea that “what happens in the Arctic does not remain in the Arctic” and can substantially affect tropical processes far south.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. EXERCISE UDARASHAKTI

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Exercise UDARASHAKTI between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) culminated at the RMAF Air Base Kuantan on 16 Aug 2022.
THE EXPLANATION:
• In Udarashakti 2022, Indian Air Force is taking part in air exercise with Su-30 MKI and C-17 aircraft.
• On the other hand, Malaysian Air Force is taking part with Su 30 MKM aircraft.
• During the four days, various aerial combat drills will be conducted between two Air Forces.
Significance of the exercise include;
• Exercise will secure the long-standing bond of friendship and enhance the line of defence cooperation between both the armies. Thus, it will strengthen security in the region.
• Through this exercise, IAF will get an opportunity to share and learn best practices with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. They would also discuss mutual combat capabilities.
Background:
The first bilateral Air Force exercise that staged frontline Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft was conducted in 2018. From 2008 to 2010, the Indian Air Force Training Team was deployed in Malaysia to give training to Malaysian pilots on the SU-30SKM aircraft.
NOTE: Harimau Shakti is Joint military exercises which are held annually between the two countries.

7. VOSTOK-2022 MILITARY EXERCISES

THE CONTEXT: According to China’s defence ministry, The People’s Liberation Army of China will participate in “Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise” which is scheduled to take part in Russia. Armies of India, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Belarus will also take part in the exercise.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The Vostok 2022 strategic command and staff exercise will take place from August 30 to September 5, 2022.
• It will be held across 13 training facilities in Eastern Military District under the direction of Valery Gerasimov.
• Indian Army has not yet issued an official statement on their participation in the exercise.
• Chinese military participation in Vostok 2022 is not associated with current international and regional situation by any means. However, main objective of its participation is to strengthen practical and cordial relation with militaries of other participating nations, boost its capacity against various security threats and elevate its bar for strategic coordination.
• Participating soldiers will rehearse maintaining military security in eastern region.
China–Russia relations:
China and Russia strengthened their diplomatic relation after the establishment of Russian Federation in 1991. Land border between both the countries was demarcated in 1991. They inked Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2001. This treaty was renewed recently in June 2021 for five more years. Both the countries enjoy close military, economic, and political relations as well as extend support to each other on multiple global issues.

1. Respect for women is a sham; violence is a reality READ MORE
2. India should target a casteless society READ MORE
3. The Union Government Should Understand, No Human Is Illegal READ MORE  

1. ‘Is this how justice ends?’: Bilkis Bano’s question should haunt the Indian republic READ MORE
2. Celebrating the charioteer who gave us the Gita READ MORE

1. Preventing pollution: Challenge is to tap into the yearning to make a difference READ MORE
2. Climate change isn’t the only challenge READ MORE
3. How climate change spurs megadroughts READ MORE

1. Panchpran a reminder of our Fundamental Duties READ MORE
2. Lawless Laws and the Supreme Court: The Supreme Court’s blessing of the PMLA shows its contempt for human rights and the Constitution. READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Supreme Court orders status quo on move to put the panel in charge of Indian Olympic Association READ MORE
2. Great Indian Bustards adapt to produce a 2-egg clutch READ MORE
3. The recent blocking of the VLC Media Player READ MORE
4. Big bang privatisation of banks can be harmful: RBI article READ MORE
5. Megalodon: A giant transoceanic predator that lived 23 million to 2.6 million years ago READ MORE
6. Experts Explain: An India Blockchain Platform READ MORE
7. Nearly 600 farmer suicides in 8 months: Is Marathwada facing agri-distress READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Respect for women is a sham; violence is a reality READ MORE
2. India should target a casteless society READ MORE

 GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Panchpran a reminder of our Fundamental Duties READ MORE
2. Lawless Laws and the Supreme Court: The Supreme Court’s blessing of the PMLA shows its contempt for human rights and the Constitution. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The Union Government Should Understand, No Human Is Illegal READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Eye on China, Jaishankar says Quad will benefit Indo-Pacific READ MORE
2. A tightrope walk for India READ MORE
3. Nepal to Bangladesh, nations mounting small acts of big rebellion against China, US READ MORE
4. India-China relations going through an ‘extremely difficult phase’, says S Jaishankar READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Should there be limits on ‘freebies’? READ MORE
2. Hard truths about India’s labour reforms READ MORE
3. India’s Food Security Is Thanks to the Green Revolution. Let Us Not Deny It READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Preventing pollution: Challenge is to tap into the yearning to make a difference READ MORE
2. Climate change isn’t the only challenge READ MORE
3. How climate change spurs megadroughts READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. India needs a robust flood management policy READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. ‘Is this how justice ends?’: Bilkis Bano’s question should haunt the Indian republic READ MORE
2. Celebrating the charioteer who gave us the Gita READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India needs a stable system of civil services to bolster responsive public administration’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent tussle between centre and states over the AIS.
2. ‘The AIS structure is unique to India and is too delicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholar abroad can comprehend its nuances’. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• No one person, no one alliance, no one nation is as smart as all of us thinking together.
• The AIS structure is unique to India and is toodelicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholarabroad can comprehend its nuances.
• The India-U.S. maritime relationship remains a work in progress. There has doubtless been some movement ahead, but it is far from clear whether navy-to-navy ties are headed towards a wide-ranging and comprehensive partnership in the Indian Ocean littorals.
• Increasing privacy and security concerns coupled with economic interests have compelled governments to institute rules and standards that govern and restrict cross-border flows with natural implications for negotiations on global trade and commerce.
• Political economy of discom operations and intensifying populism on freebie-ism at the level of state governments will make reforms harder. A more rational, measured approach should be considered.
• Apart from the rising death toll, crop and infrastructure damage has risen over the years.
• The fundamental issue lies in the word freebie, which has no clear definition, making it susceptible to misuse and selective targeting of welfare measures.
• A well-known environmentalist and lawyer says a national movement led by citizens can hold those who allow illegal mining and unplanned construction to account.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.

50 WORD TALK

• Remission of Gujarat gang rape convicts’ life sentence is a political obscenity and their celebratory ‘welcome’ a national shame. We know there is an election in Gujarat soon and the BJP needs polarisation. But stooping to this? Bilkis Bano is owed an apology and return of the rapists to jail.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

[WpProQuiz 313]

THE CONTEXT: Ever since the 1^st Industrial Revolution, the human imprints on elements of nature have been intense and unprecedented. This led to the emergence of Environmental Ethics. Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its non-human contents.  The following article attempts to explain the concepts of shallow and deep ecologism and establish the differences between the two views.

QUESTIONS THAT COMPEL THE NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS IN PRESENT TIMES

• Existential crisis: Suppose putting out natural fires, culling feral animals or removing some individual members of overpopulated species is necessary for the protection of the integrity of a certain ecosystem.
• Subsuming cultures and practices:Is it morally acceptable for farmers in non-industrial countries to practice slash and burn techniques to clear areas for agriculture?
• Rapid modernization: Consider a mining company which has performed open pit mining in some previously unspoiled areas. Does the company have a moral obligation to restore the landform and surface ecology?
• Rebuilding nature: Can the value of a humanly restored environment be compared with the originally natural environment?

These are among the questions investigated by environmental ethics. Some of them are specific questions faced by individuals in particular circumstances, while others are more global questions faced by groups and communities. One of the most radical forms of environmental ethics is deep ecology which was first advocated by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess. The alternative to deep ecology is often referred to as shallow ecology.

DEEP AND SHALLOW ECOLOGY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Both Deep and Shallow ecology have recognized and examined the anthropogenic problems with the environment, albeit in different ways.

DEEP ECOLOGISM

BASIC TENETS

• Deep ecologism believes that humans should radically change their relationship with nature.
• Its proponents reject shallow ecologism for prioritizing humans above other forms of life, and subsequently preserving the environmentally destructive way of life in modern societies.

ESSENCE

• The core theme of deep ecology is the claim that all living things have the same right to live and flourish. This means that the interests of other living beings have to be treated as seriously as the interests of humans.
• A rainforest, for example, can no longer be regarded as a valueless wood resource. Instead, it is a collection of living things, all of which have a right to live and flourish.

PLACE OF NATURE

• Nature is said to have intrinsic value. It is valuable even if humans can find no use for it.

TAKE ON CLIMATE CHANGE

• From a deep ecological perspective, climate change is wrong because it will affect the well-being of billions of living beings.
• Even if we could provide a way of protecting humans from climate change, it would still be a bad thing because many other living beings would suffer.

STANCE ON ANTHROPOCENTRISM

• Another aspect of deep ecology is the idea that we should expand our idea of who we are so that it includes the natural world. This is known sometimes as the expanded self. If we harm nature then we are really harming ourselves.
• Deep ecology rejects anthropocentrism in favour of ecocentrism or biocentrism. This is because the damage caused to other life forms would adversely affect

DECISION MAKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

• It considers that developed countries are more responsible for climate change. Hence, argues for a holistic perspective to the crisis which acknowledges regional differences and the disparities between under and over-developed nations.

AREA OF INFLUENCE

• This branch of ecologism primarily serves to maintain the lifestyle of those dwelling in developing countries.

VIABILITY IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT

• It will not permit the use of vehicles that pollute the environment.
• Could rather, turn toward Electric Vehicles.

SHALLOW ECOLOGISM

BASIC TENETS

• The fashionable fight against pollution and resource depletion is shallow ecologism.
• Exponents of this philosophy believe in continuing our present lifestyle, but with specific tweaks aimed at minimizing the damage to the environment.

ESSENCE

• Shallow ecology rejects ecocentrism and biocentrism. Shallow ecologists claim that there is nothing necessarily wrong with the anthropocentric worldview.

PLACE OF NATURE

• Nature is only valuable insofar as it serves human interests. This is sometimes known as instrumental value.

TAKE ON CLIMATE CHANGE

• From this perspective, climate change is bad because it will affect human interests.
• It is humans that will ultimately suffer if climate change is allowed to occur.
• Damage caused by climate change might, for example, mean that it is difficult to obtain natural resources. It might also be that humans would simply not like to live on a damaged planet.

STANCE ON ANTHROPOCENTRISM

• Shallow ecologists claim that there is nothing necessarily wrong with the anthropocentric worldview.
• Even if there was a way of protecting humans from the effects of climate change, shallow ecologists would still think it was a bad thing to splurge for the cause of Climate Change.

DECISION MAKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

• A ‘Global’ approach to the environmental crisis is preferred.

AREA OF INFLUENCE

• This branch of ecologism primarily serves to maintain the lifestyle of those dwelling in developed countries.

VIABILITY IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT

• Also, it may include the use of vehicles that cause less pollution or air conditioners that do not release chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

DEEP ECOLOGISM: THE WAY TO GO

• IN WAKE OF GROWING INEQUALITIES: Deep ecologism maintains that by not changing the lifestyle, shallow ecologism further widens the inequalities between countries. For instance, despite constituting only 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. accounts for 17% of the world’s energy consumption and is the second largest consumer of electricity after China.
• FOR BRIGHTER & HEALTHIER FUTURE: Deep ecologism aspires to sustain nature by making large-scale changes to our lifestyle. These may include limiting the commercial farming of meat to preserve forest areas and reduce the artificial fattening of animals or the reshaping of transport systems which involve the use of internal combustion engines or electronic mobility.
• FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE: To recognise the complex richness of different lifeforms, deep ecologism calls for a re-evaluation of the ‘survival of the fittest doctrine. Survival of the fittest should be understood through the human ability to cooperate and coexist with nature, as opposed to exploiting or dominating it. Deep ecologism thus prioritizes a ‘live and let live’ attitude over an ‘either you or me’ approach.
• BROADER APPROACH:Næss argues that a narrow focus on pollution and conservation movements is counterproductive. He believes that when projects are only implemented to solve pollution, it generates evils of a different kind. For instance, the installation of pollution control devices may increase the cost of living, leading to an increase in class differences. An ethically responsible ecologism is one which operates in the interest of all economic classes.

THE CONCLUSION: Owing to increased anthropocentrism, humans have cut themselves off from nature, viewing nature and themselves as competing entities and establishing a master-slave dynamic. A narrow focus on pollution and conservation movements is counterproductive. A holistic perspective to the environmental crisis is one which acknowledges regional differences and the disparities between under and over-developed nations. While low and middle-income countries have recorded lower cumulative and per capita carbon dioxide emissions over the past two centuries, it is the wealthier countries which are most responsible for a majority of carbon emissions. Thus, profound wisdom (as mentioned by Socrates) of deep ecologism is required so as to annihilate practices and conduct derogatory to the overall environment. We should adopt ethically responsible ecologism which operates in the interest of all economic classes.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Evaluate the need for Environmental Ethics in present times.
• Discuss how both Deep and Shallow ecologism have recognized and examined the anthropogenic problems with the environment. Which one according to you is more relevant in present times?
• “A narrow focus on pollution and conservation movements is counterproductive.” In the light of the statement, explain ‘Deep Ecologism’

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. INDIA’S ‘PANCH PRAN’ TARGET FOR NEXT 25 YEARS

THE CONTEXT: On August 15, 2022, Prime Minister addressed the nation for 9th consecutive time from the Red Fort. During the 88 minutes speech, PM set a “PanchPran Targets” (Five Resolves) to turn India into a developed nation in next 25 years, when India will celebrate 100th Independence Day.
THE EXPLANATION:
Standards of Developed India:
• Standards of developed India include- cleanliness campaign, vaccination, electricity connection, open defecation free, use of solar energy for developed India.
• New National Education Policy is an example of “freedom from the thought of slavery”.
• India First, Gender equality, and respect for women are symbols of unity and solidarity in country.
• Fulfilling duties such as saving electricity, chemical-free farming and full use of water available in the fields will bring progress in India.
The Five Resolves that PM asked people to take include;
1. Move forward with bigger resolves and resolve of a developed India
2. Erase all traces of servitude
3. Be proud of India’s legacy
4. Strength of unity
5. Duties of citizens including PM and CMs.
According to PM, these five resolves will be significant for a developed country when country will mark 100 years of independence in 2047. These five resolves also include the PM’s dream of ‘Vishwaguru India’. The Prime Minister seeks to make India “Vishwaguru” on completion of 100 years of independence.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. MOSCOW CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY-2022

THE CONTEXT: The Moscow Conference on International Security-2022 was held from August 15 to August 17, 2022. Defence Minister addressed the plenary session conference virtually on August 16.
THE EXPLANATION:
Highlights of Defence Minister’s address:
• In his address, Defence Minister stressed on brining comprehensive reform in structure of United Nations.
• He noted that, worrying shortcoming in system of United Nations highlights its structural inadequacy.
• Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) lies at the base of India’s call for “reformed multilateralism”. He expressed that, UNSC must be turned into more representative organisation for developing countries, to provide leadership worldwide.
• He also highlighted the potential geopolitical fault-line in maritime domain, specifically in East Asia. According to him, it could get bigger than what world is witnessing today.
• Regarding the Indo-Pacific region, he notes- India, is committed to free, open, inclusive and secure Indo-Pacific region, being a central country to Indian Ocean.
The Moscow Conference on International Security-2022 was attended by Ministers of Defence from different countries, besides the experts and key stakeholders from military field. These conferences on international security are organised with the objective of sharing practical ideas and exploring solutions on issues of global security. Conferences also give opportunity to defence ministers to engage with their counterparts on security issues.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. ‘DELHI’S PM2.5 LEVELS WORST IN THE WORLD’

THE CONTEXT: A recent Air Quality and Health in Cities, released by U.S.-based Health Effects Institute, analyses pollution and global health effects for more than 7,000 cities around the world, focusing on two of the most harmful pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
THE EXPLANATION:
• A global analysis of air quality found that Indian cities, while recording particulate matter emissions (PM2.5) that are among the highest in the world, do relatively better on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions.
• The report, using data from 2010 to 2019, found that global patterns for exposures to the two key air pollutants were “strikingly different.” While exposures to PM2.5 pollution tend to be higher in cities located in low- and middle-income countries, exposure to NO2 is high across cities in high-income as well as low- and middle-income countries.
• Delhi and Kolkata were ranked first and second in the list of top 10 most polluted cities when PM2.5 levels were compared, with Delhi and Kolkata reporting an average annual exposure of (relative to population) of 110 ug/m3 and 84 ug/m3 respectively. ug/m3 refers to microgram per cubic metre.
• However no Indian city appeared in the list of top 10 – or even top 20 – polluted cities when N02 levels were compared. This list saw Shanghai at the top with an average annual exposure of 41 ug/m3. Average NO2 levels for Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, according to the report, ranged from 20-30 ug/m3.
• NO2 comes mainly from the burning of fuels in older vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities and residential cooking and heating.
• As city residents tend to live closer to busy roads with dense traffic, they are often exposed to higher NO2 pollution than residents of rural areas.
• In 2019, 86% of the more than 7,000 cities analysed in the report exceeded the WHO’s 10 ug/m3 guideline for NO2, impacting about 2.6 billion people.
• “While PM2.5 pollution tends to get more attention on known hotspots around the world, less data has been available for NO2 at this global scale,” the report notes.
• An expert says, that this paradoxical situation in India was likely due to the relatively lower adoption of high-efficiency engine vehicles. “Complete combustion of fuel results in higher NOx (nitrogen oxides) where incomplete combustion sees other kinds of emissions”. Other cities with high NO2 population levels included Moscow, Beijing, Paris, Istanbul and Seoul.
• Due to their highly reactive nature, nitrogen oxides also contributed to the formation of other pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter. NO2 also has a shorter lifetime compared with PM2.5 and other air pollutants. As a result, NO2 levels show very high variability in space and time — levels can vary significantly even across a few kilometres. In comparison, PM2.5 levels tend to show less spatial variation.
• In 2019, the global average NO2 exposure was 15.5 ug/m3, but exposure levels varied considerably across cities.
• Ground monitoring of air quality remains limited in many regions of the world, the report adds, obscuring the true degree of NO2 pollution in countries such as India.

VALUE ADDITION:
GOVERNMENT MEASURES:
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
• The MoEFCC launched it in January 2019.
• It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target.
• It seeks to cut the concentration of coarse (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometre or less, or PM10) and fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometres or less, or PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.
• The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.
• Non-attainment cities: These have fallen short of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for over five years.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS):
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act empowers Central Pollution Control Board to set standards for the quality of air.
• Current NAAQS were notified by CPCB in the year 2009.
• Pollutants covered under NAAQS are Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Particulate Matter (PM 10, PM 2.5), Ozone (O3), Lead (Pb), Carbon Monoxide (C.O.), Ammonia (NH3), Benzene (C6H6), Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP), Arsenic(As), Nickel (Ni).
National Air Quality Index:
• Launched in 2014 without line‘One Number – One Color -One Description’ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity.
• The measurement of air quality is based on eight pollutants, namely: Particulate Matter (PM10), Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (C.O.), Ozone (O3), Ammonia (NH3), and Lead (Pb).
• AQI has six categories of air quality. These are Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe.
• It has been developed by the CPCB in consultation with IIT-Kanpur and an expert group comprising medical and air-quality professionals.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. 3D-PRINTED CORNEA FROM HUMAN DONOR CORNEAL TISSUE

THE CONTEXT: In a first event, researchers successfully developed the 3D-printed artificial cornea from human donor corneal tissue. Artificial cornea was transplanted into a rabbit eye.
THE EXPLANATION:
• This project was undertaken by researchers from L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad in association with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.
• It has been developed indigenously, with the help of government and philanthropic funding.
Artificial Cornea:
• Artificial cornea is completely natural and have no synthetic components.
• It is free from animal residues. It was also found to be safe for use in patients.
• This cornea was developed using bio-ink, which can be used by army-personnel for sight-saving at the site of injury by sealing corneal perforation. It will also prevent any infection during war-related injuries.
• It will also be sight-saving in remote area, that have no tertiary eye care facility.
Cornea is the front layer of eye. It helps is focusing light and helps in clear vision. But corneal damage has become a leading cause of blindness across the world. Globally, 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness are reported every year. Thus, development of 3D-printed artificial cornea is significant for treating the diseases like corneal scarring.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

5. REVISION SERIES: NATIONAL ACTION FOR MECHANISED SANITATION ECOSYSTEM (NAMASTE)

Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

• NAMASTE envisages safety and dignity of sanitation workers in urban India by creating an enabling ecosystem that recognizes sanitation workers as one of the key contributors in operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure thereby providing sustainable livelihood and enhancing their occupational safety through capacity building and improved access to safety gear and machines.
• Ensure safety and dignity of sanitation workers in urban India and providing sustainable livelihood and enhancing their occupational safety through capacity building and improved access to safety gear and machines.
• NAMASTE would also aim at providing access to alternative livelihoods support and entitlements to reduce the vulnerabilities of sanitation workers and enable them to access self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities and break the intergenerationality in sanitation work.
In addition, NAMASTE would bring about a behavior change amongst citizens towards sanitation workers and enhance demand for safe sanitation services.
NAMASTE aims to achieve the following outcomes:

• Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
• All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers
• No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter
• Sanitation workers are collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises
• All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods
• Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and ULB levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work
• Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers
Five hundred cities (converging with AMRUT cities) will be taken up under this phase of NAMASTE. The list of cities will be notified at an appropriate time. The category of cities that will be eligible are given below:

• All Cities and Towns with a population of over one lakh with notified Municipalities, including Cantonment Boards (Civilian areas),
• All Capital Cities/Towns of States/ Union Territories (UTs), not covered in 4(i),
• Ten Cities from hill states, islands and tourist destinations (not more than one from each State).

Enumeration:
• NAMASTE envisages identifying the Sewer/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) with a focus on informal workforce who are engaged in hazardous cleaning operations. The database will enable MoSJE, NSKFDC and MoHUA (including DAY-NULM, SBM 2.0 and AMRUT) to reach to the SSWs and their families and provide them necessary support for collectivization, skill building and linking with social and financial benefits.
• The Survey would be conducted by the City NAMASTE Managers and validated by the concerned ULB. The survey would be held in digital mode in a pre-approved format.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. ARUNACHAL PRADESH ‘MEDICINE FROM THE SKY’ PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: In Arunachal Pradesh, “Medicine from the Sky Project” was unveiled successfully on August 15, 2022. First flight of drone service was carried from Seppa to Chayang Tajo in East Kameng district. This project is inspired from the Prime Minister’s vision of transforming India into world’s drone hub.
THE EXPLANATION:
Highlights of the project:
• In Arunachal Pradesh, pilot project of using drones in healthcare, agriculture and disaster management including the “Medicine from the Sky project” is being undertaken in association with the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• Medicine from the Sky Project has been funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
• It is being implemented by Redwing Labs, which is a start-up based in Bengaluru.
• This project will provide a clear vision on operational issues, regulatory issues, and financial feasibility. On the basis of this, government will make a policy and take steps to adopt emerging technology in phased manner.

According to Civil Aviation Ministry, India is set to witness a high number of industries holding drone innovation in a bid to make India world’s drone hub by 2030. It will bring a revolution in line with the goal of an Aatmanirhar Bharat. Government will continue to adopt the drones by easing drone regulations and increasing drone literacy through programmes like Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones. The drone industry is witnessing an exponential growth with active participation and efforts of drone industry stakeholders and Government of India.

1. Birthday on which we celebrate conscious living READ MORE
2. A release that may be lawful, but not right READ MORE
3. Love and Mischief READ MORE

1. Explained | What is causing Arctic warming? Should India be worried? READ MORE
2. Natural resources governance: A flawed process to adequate policies READ MORE   
3. The Challenge to Find Solutions That Preserve Nature and Provide Good Returns READ MORE
4. Why Politicians and Policymakers Don’t Want to Stop Illegal Mining READ MORE

1. The Centre vs State tussle over IAS postings: India needs a stable system of civil services to bolster responsive public administration READ MORE
2. Data opportunity at the G20: The Indian Government should present aholistic agenda that embeds data collection and sharing READ MORE
3. Finding a home: The established adoption process should not be bypassed to increase the numbers READ MORE
4. How to better govern sport READ MORE
5. Preventing the slide in criminal justice system READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Delhi’s PM2.5 levels worst in the world READ MORE
2. Centre restores farm loan interest subsidy, approves fillip of ₹34,856 crore READ MORE
3. Centre raises thresholds for prosecutions, arrests under Customs Act READ MORE
4. ECLGS expanded to help hospitality, related sectors READ MORE
5. Explained: A heart attack while exercising – why it happens and who is at risk READ MORE
6. India as a ‘developed’ country: where we are, and the challenges ahead, explained READ MORE
7. IMD predicts more rain in Odisha amid grim Mahanadi floods READ MORE
8. approves StartUp loan for manufacturing & commercialising “compostable” plastic – READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Explained | What is causing Arctic warming? Should India be worried? READ MORE

 GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The Centre vs State tussle over IAS postings: India needs a stable system of civil services to bolster responsive public administration READ MORE
2. Data opportunity at the G20: The Indian Government should present aholistic agenda that embeds data collection and sharing READ MORE
3. Finding a home: The established adoption process should not be bypassed to increase the numbers READ MORE
4. How to better govern sport READ MORE
5. Preventing the slide in criminal justice system READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Monkeypox is a chance to fix inequities in the global health system READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The geopolitics of the Fourth Taiwan Crisis: If China loses Taiwan for good, Beijing’s attempts to establish regional hegemony would be complicated further READ MORE
2. This maritime partnership is still a work in progress: It is far from clear whether India-U.S. ties are headed towards a comprehensive partnership in the Indian Ocean littorals READ MORE
3. I2U2 opens new doors: Funds from UAE and US, Israeli expertise will step up India’s farm production READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The woes of power: A moderate approach to the discom sector might be the answer READ MORE
2. Decoding the problems with the ‘freebie’ debate READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Natural resources governance: A flawed process to adequate policies READ MORE   
2. The Challenge to Find Solutions That Preserve Nature and Provide Good Returns READ MORE
3. Why Politicians and Policymakers Don’t Want to Stop Illegal Mining READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. India needs robust flood management policy READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Birthday on which we celebrate conscious living READ MORE
2. A release that may be lawful, but not right READ MORE
3. Love and Mischief READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India needs a stable system of civil services to bolster responsive public administration’. Comment on the statement in the light of the recent tussle between center and states over the AIS.
2. ‘The AIS structure is unique to India and is too delicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholar abroad can comprehend its nuances’. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• No one person, no one alliance, no one nation is as smart as all of us thinking together.
• The AIS structure is unique to India and is toodelicate to handle during a crisis. No public administration practitioner or scholarabroad can comprehend its nuances.
• The India-U.S. maritime relationship remains a work in progress. There has doubtless been some movement ahead, but it is far from clear whether navy-to-navy ties are headed towards a wide-ranging and comprehensive partnership in the Indian Ocean littorals.
• Increasing privacy and security concerns coupled with economic interests have compelled governments to institute rules and standards that govern and restrict cross-border flows with natural implications for negotiations on global trade and commerce.
• Political economy of discom operations and intensifying populism on freebie-ism at the level of state governments will make reforms harder. A more rational, measured approach should be considered.
• Apart from the rising death toll, crop and infrastructure damage has risen over the years.
• The fundamental issue lies in the word freebie, which has no clear definition, making it susceptible to misuse and selective targeting of welfare measures.
• A well-known environmentalist and lawyer says a national movement led by citizens can hold those who allow illegal mining and unplanned construction to account.

50 WORD TALK

• The core of the criminal justice system revolves around the Indian Penal Code 1861, Evidence Act 1872, Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 and the Police Act 1861. All these laws are of 19th century vintage. Except for minor changes here and there, they have retained their original character. The police procedures were meant for the public when the literacy levels were very low. They remain so, despite the modernisation of infra and forensic technologies.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

[WpProQuiz 312]

THE CONTEXT: The Environmental Performance Index, 2022 (EPI 2022)released on World Environment Day (June 5) is in news due to India’s dismal rank. The Index has ranked India at the bottom position among 180 countries. However, some environmental experts have noted some flaws in the methodology of the Index. Even the Ministry of Environment has issued a rebuttal saying the indicators used in the assessment are based on ‘unfounded assumptions’. This article discusses the report in detail and why India has issued a counterargument to the report.

ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX

Ø  The EPI is an international ranking system of countries based on their environmental health. It is a Biennial Index, first started in 2002 as the Environment Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum.

Ø  It is prepared by the Yale Centre for Environmental Law and Policy in collaboration with the Columbia University Centre for International Earth Science Information Network.

Ø  EPI 2022 uses 40 performance indicators to assess and rank 180 countries. The indicators “measure how close countries are in meeting internationally established sustainability targets for specific environmental issues”.

Ø  The 40 indicators are under the broad categories of climate change performance, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality. The 2022 EPI has included new parameters to its earlier assessments, with projections of progress towards net-zero emissions in 2050, as well as new air quality indicators, and sustainable pesticide use.

KEY FINDINGS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX, 2022

Ø  India has been ranked 180(last out of 180 countries) with a score of 18.9. India’s rank was 168 (score 27.6) in 2020. India has been ranked lower than Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar, the poorest performers. Denmark tops the list with a score of 77.9.The United Kingdom and Finland secured 2nd and 3rd positions.

Ø  India ranks close to the bottom on a number of indicators including:

• Ecosystem Vitality (178th),
• Biodiversity (179th),
• Biodiversity Habitat Index (170th),
• Species Protection Index (175th).

Ø  Apart from this, there is a dismal performance with respect to wetland loss,

• Air Quality (179th),
• PM 2.5 (174th),
• Heavy Metals such as Lead in water (174th),
• Waste Management (151st) etc.

Ø  The report suggests that China, India, the U.S., and Russia will account for over 50 per cent of residual global greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. (Greenhouse gasses (GHG) include carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gasses, and nitrous oxide.)

REASONS ATTRIBUTED TO INDIA’S POOR RANK

AIR POLLUTION

• India is home to 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world and has air quality rated one of the poorest in the world. Over 16 lakh people in India die from air pollution every year, according to the report.
• It also identifies household fuel combustion as the largest contributor to the country’s particulate matter emissions.
• Seven indicators are used to determine the air quality in the listed countries. These include PM 2.5 exposure, household solid fuels, ozone exposure, nitrogen oxides exposure, sulphur dioxide exposure, carbon monoxide exposure, and volatile organic compound exposure.

PLASTIC WASTE GENERATION

• India and Indonesia have been identified as the top two generators of marine plastic waste in the world, while China has managed to decrease its ocean plastic pollution. Ocean plastic pollution is measured as an absolute quantity of the amount of plastic released by a country into the ocean annually. Indonesia, India, the U.S, Brazil and Thailand are the top five producers of ocean plastic pollution and are responsible for 43% of the global total.

PROTECTION OF BIOMES

• In an analysis of countries protecting the world’s biomes, India emerged at the bottom in five out of 14 sub-categories – the most for a single nation.

The Environmental Performance Index report noted that most countries that scored low have prioritized economic growth over sustainability.

OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY INDIA:

• As per the Environment Ministry, some of the indicators used for assessing performance are extrapolated and based on unscientific methods.
• Shifting of weightage on many indicators has resulted in India’s low ranking. For example, for black carbon growth, India’s score actually improved from 32 in 2020 to 100 (the top score) in 2022. However, the weightage of this indicator has been reduced to 0.0038 in 2022 from 0.018 in 2020. Climate Change has been given very high weightage (38% or 0.38) and tends to neglect the development needs of poorer countries.
• Similarly, the low weightage given to per-capita GHG emissions automatically reduces the ranks of countries like India and China. The projection for GHG emissions has been computed based on the average rate of change in emissions over the last 10 years. It is not based on modelling that takes into account a longer period, the extent of renewable energy capacity and use, additional carbon sinks etc. Crucial carbon sinks that mitigate GHG, such as forests and wetlands, have not been taken into account by the report.
• Further, India’s low emissions trajectory, unlike the high historical trajectories of developed countries, has been ignored. The US and the EU should have the highest-burden considering their historic emissions.
• The EPI assumes every country is in the same position economically, developmentally and environmentally, therefore all had to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
• Other Objections:
• The index emphasizes the extent of protected areas rather than the quality of protection that they afford. The computation of biodiversity indices does not factor in the management effectiveness evaluation of protected areas.
• Indicators such as agrobiodiversity, soil health, food loss and waste are not included even though they are important for developing countries with large agrarian populations.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE:

• The report has found that “good policy results are associated with wealth (GDP per capita)’’, meaning economic prosperity makes it possible for nations to invest in policies and programmes that lead to desirable outcomes. This trend is especially true for issue categories under the umbrella of environmental health, as building the necessary infrastructure to provide clean drinking water and sanitation, reduce ambient air pollution, control hazardous waste, and respond to public health crises yields large returns for human well-being, however in pursuit of economic prosperity (manifested in industrialisation and urbanization) often means more pollution and other strains on ecosystem vitality, especially in the developing world and hence poorer rank.
• According to environmental scientists in India, the weights are the agency’s discretion; but giving climate change such a high weightage is problematic. The EPI 2022 makes an assumption that every country has to reach net zero by 2050 — whereas the understanding is that developing countries will need more time. India has also committed to Net-Zero Emissions by 2070. Noone can be expected to forgo energy for development. The EPI 2022 is neither ethically correct nor reflects the political reality.
• In developing countries, of which many like India have low emissions trajectories, the contribution is not that emissions reduce but to avoid locking into higher emissions trajectories. That is what is expected of developing countries, but the methodology used doesn’t allow for that and the government is correct in pointing this out.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• The parameters of the report should be modified in order to enhance its credibility. The accurate method would be to calculate GHG emissions per capita. Further, a model should be created with coefficients taking into account the effect of policies to reduce emissions. This will help in the better projection of the values for future years. Such policies include increased use of renewable energy and electric vehicles or the creation of a carbon sink.
• Climate change is a global environmental problem, and because its effects depend on the accumulation of greenhouse gases over time, measuring progress in a given country is challenging. Unlike air quality, where absolute increases or decreases in emissions of air pollutants in that country signal progress, climate change mitigation has to be measured against what it is reasonable and fair to expect from different countries, taking into account their past emissions as well as national contexts.
• India must make sure that its current environmental policies and commitments are duly honoured. For instance, India has announced a ban on single-use plastic, in effect from 1^st July 2022. The policy should be properly implemented and also the masses be made aware of the contributions that they can make.
• India must strengthen its environmental litigation framework by establishing more benches of National Green Tribunals across the country. This will promote environmental consciousness and encourage people to file complaints against the violators.
• The present approach is bound to make richer countries look good, because they have accumulated emissions in the past, but these have started declining in the last decade. Meanwhile, poorer countries that have emitted comparatively little in the past, look bad even as they are grappling with addressing poverty while trying to limit emissions.Through choices of biased and skewed benchmarks, also hurts honest global conversation and much-needed progress on the global climate crisis that it purports to foreground it should not stifle honest conversation. The needed changes in the methodology shall be made.
• Whatever may be the findings of the report and the rebuff by the government, India’s local environmental performance on air, water and forests is deeply problematic.Air quality in India is now the second largest risk factor for public health in India, behind only child and maternal nutrition. Rivers and lakes are increasingly polluted, rivers are drying, groundwater tables are rapidly declining, and gains in tree cover hide declining natural productivity and diversity of forests and grasslands. Solid waste mounts and pesticide contamination is unabated. It is time that we look within and have more stringent implementation and execution of the programmes and policies.

THE CONCLUSION: Indexes are inherently problematic, especially when applied to something as multi-dimensional and complex as environmental performance. In trying to quantify, aggregate and rank, index makers have to make judgements about what issues count, how they are best measured individually, and how much importance to give to each issue and indicator in aggregating. Moreover, when ranking countries, one is essentially applying the same standard across vastly different socio-ecological contexts – this involves difficult choices and demands changes in the approach. Despite the inconsistencies in the Environmental Performance Index 2022, the Government should not ignore the fact that India experiences severe environmental issues (especially air pollution) that need to be addressed urgently for attaining sustainable development.

Mains Practice Question:

1. Indexes are inherently problematic, especially when applied to something as multi-dimensional and complex as environmental performance. Analyze in context of Environment Performance Index, 2022.
2. The Government of India has questioned the parameters of the recently released Environmental Performance Index 2022. What are the parameters questioned and suggest ways to maintain the principle of equity among the nations to address the environmental challenges?

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE PRACTICE OF TALAQ-E-HASAN NOT SO IMPROPER: SUPREME COURT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Supreme Court said it was of the prima facie view that the practice of talaq-e-hasan followed by Muslim men for divorce by saying ‘talaq’ to the wife once a month for three months, is “not so improper”.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is Talaq-e-Hasan?
Talaq-e-Hasan is a type of extra-judicial divorce mentioned under Islam that only men can practice. In this, a man can divorce his wife by saying the word “Talaq” in three instalments over three months.
• It is revocable form of divorce. Extra-judicial divorce forms are approved by prophet Mohammad and are valid under all schools of Muslim law.
• The husband has to make sure that the wife is not menstruating when he’ll be pronouncing ‘Talaq’.
• There need to be a gap of one month between all three pronouncements.
• These three months are also known as a period of abstinence.
• The duration for this ‘Iddat period is 90 days or three menstrual cycles or three lunar months.
• In case, the couple starts cohabitation during the abstinence period, the divorce will be revoked.
• The idea behind this period of abstinence is that the evil of divorce doesn’t become final at once.
Though Triple Talaq Is Banned In 2019, Why Is It Challenged?
• In a landmark Shayara Bano v Union of India judgment in 2017, the Supreme Court declared Talaq-e-Biddat unconstitutional. It was a form of extra-judicial divorce when a man pronounces ‘talaq’ thrice in just one sitting and marriage between the two parties gets dissolved.
• Triple talaq was declared unconstitutional by a five-judge bench on grounds of being arbitrary and against the Quran. These are two different forms of divorce and therefore need to be challenged separately.
Will Banning Talaq-e-Hasan Deprive Men of Their Rights?
• Article 25 of the Indian Constitution allows every citizen the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion. All personal laws, including the Muslim Personal Laws (Shariat) Application Act of 1937, draw their powers from Article 25. Islamic personal laws have recognised extra-judicial divorce procedures and therefore, Shariat Act allows extra-judicial divorce proceedings legally.
• As Muslim women also have the right to practice extra-judicial divorce, a challenge to the constitutional validity of a man’s right to pronounce extra-judicial divorce on his wife is violative of Article 14 and Article 15 becomes questionable.

VALUE ADDITION:

Talaq- e- Ahsan form: Under this form, once the husband pronounces talaq, there has to be a three-month iddat period to factor in three menstrual cycles of the woman. This time is meant for reconciliation and arbitration. During this period, if any kind cohabitation occurs, the talaq is considered to have been revoked.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. IRAN’S RESPONSE IN NUCLEAR DEAL TALKS

THE CONTEXT: Iran recently submitted a “written response” to final roadmap of restoring its torn nuclear deal with world powers. The country would not go with the proposal mediated by European Union.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Iran and United States have differences on three issues. Though, United States noted verbal flexibility in two issues. But Iran demands to include it in written.
• The third issue is “to guarantee the continuation of Nuclear Deal”. This issue depends on realism of the United States.
• On the other side, EU is the negotiator in the indirect talks, because Iran did not agree to negotiate with America directly. This is because, former US President Donald Trump had withdrawn the U.S. from Nuclear Deal in 2018.
Uranium enrichment in Iran:
• As per latest report, Iran has accumulated around 3,800 kilograms of enriched uranium. Under the nuclear deal, Iran can enrich uranium to 3.67% purity and accumulate 300 kilograms of uranium, under the scrutiny of international inspectors and surveillance cameras. But now Iran enriches Uranium with up to 60% purity. It has also turned off the surveillance cameras and seized other footage.
Iran Nuclear Deal:
• This deal is also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It is an agreement on Iranian nuclear program. It was signed on July 14, 2015 in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 countries. Under the deal, Iran had agreed to remove the accumulation of medium-enriched uranium, and reduce the accumulation of low-enriched uranium by 98%. Iran also agreed to enrich uranium up to 3.67%, for next 15 years.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. UNDERSTANDING ETHANOL BLENDING

THE CONTEXT: Recently the Prime Minister announced that India has achieved its target of blending 10% sugarcane-extracted ethanol in petrol, ahead of schedule.
THE EXPLANATION:
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 76th Independence Day, he rooted for energy independence stating that, “we need to be Aatmanirbhar (self-sufficient) in our energy sector”. India is one of the world’s biggest oil importing nations.

What is ethanol blending?
• Blending ethanol with petrol to burn less fossil fuel while running vehicles is called ethanol blending. Ethanol is an agricultural by-product which is mainly obtained from the processing of sugar from sugarcane, but also from other sources such as rice husk or maize.
• Currently, 10% of the petrol that powers your vehicle is ethanol. Though we have had an E10 — or 10% ethanol as policy for a while, it is only this year that we have achieved that proportion. India’s aim is to increase this ratio to 20% originally by 2030 but in 2021, when NITI Aayog put out the ethanol roadmap, that deadline was advanced to 2025.
• Ethanol blending will help bring down our share of oil imports (almost 85%) on which we spend a considerable amount of precious foreign exchange. Secondly, more ethanol output would help increase farmers’ incomes.
• The NITI Aayog report of June 2021 says, “India’s net import of petroleum was 185 million tonnes at a cost of $55 billion in 2020-21,” and that a successful ethanol blending programme can save the country $4 billion per annum.
What are the generation ethanol’s?

How have other countries fared?
• Though the U.S., China, Canada and Brazil all have ethanol blending programmes, as a developing country, Brazil stands out. It had legislated that the ethanol content in petrol should be in the 18-27.5% range, and it finally touched the 27% target in 2021.
How does it impact the auto industry?
• At the time of the NITI Aayog report in June last year (2021), the industry had committed to the government to make all vehicles E20 material compliant by 2023. This meant that the petrol points, plastics, rubber, steel and other components in vehicles would need to be compliant to hold/store fuel that is 20% ethanol. Without such a change, rusting is an obvious impediment.
Are there other alternatives?
• Sources in the auto industry state that they prefer the use of biofuels as the next step, compared to other options such as electric vehicles (EV), hydrogen power and compressed natural gas. This is mainly because biofuels demand the least incremental investment for manufacturers.
• Even though the industry is recovering from the economic losses bought on by the pandemic, it is bound to make some change to comply with India’s promise for net-zero emissions by 2070.

4. RAMSAR SITES: 11 MORE INDIAN WETLANDS HAVE GOT RAMSAR RECOGNITION

THE CONTEXT: India has added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make a total of 75 such sites covering an area of 13,26,677 hectares in the country.
THE EXPLANATION:
The 11 Indian wetlands which have been designated as new Ramsar sites:
1. Tampara Lake in Odisha.
2. Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha.
3. Ansupa Lake in Odisha.
4. Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh.
5. Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
6. Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu.
7. Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
8. Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
9. Thane Creek in Maharashtra.
10. Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir.
11. Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir.

What is the Ramsar site?
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as “The Convention on Wetlands”, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources
VALUE ADDITION:
Montreux Record:
• Montreux Record under the Convention is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
• It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. BHARAT BIOTECH’S INTRANASAL VACCINE

THE CONTEXT: Bharat Biotech recently sought approval for its intranasal Covid vaccine candidate, BBV154, as two-dose vaccine as well as booster dose. It submitted data from Phase 3 clinical trials of BBV154 to seek approval.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The heterologous booster infers that, third or subsequent dose of the vaccine is not similar to its primary dose.
• Usually, primary doses include two shots.
• According to Bharat Biotech, BBV154 is stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius. It is safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic under controlled clinical trials.
About BBV154:
• BBV154 is an intranasal vaccine, that have capability to produce local antibodies in upper respiratory tract. These are capable of reducing infection and transmission.
• To evaluate BBV154 as primary dose and booster dose, two separate & simultaneous clinical trials were conducted.
• Primary dose Phase III trials were conducted on more than 3000 individuals, to test its safety, and immunogenicity. Trials were conducted across 14 sites in India.
• On the other hand, studies on heterologous booster dose were conducted on over 800 individuals.
• This vaccine has been formulated to allow its delivery through nasal.
• Nasal delivery system is cost-effective for low and middle-income countries.
• BBV154 nasal vaccine has been developed by Bharat Biotech, in association with the Washington University.
Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL):
BBIL is headquartered in Hyderabad. The company is engaged in discovering drug, developing drug, manufacturing vaccines, pharmaceuticals and health care products. It was established in 1996.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. WHY LOW WATER LEVELS ON THE RHINE RIVER HURT GERMANY’S ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently the water levels on the Rhine river are very low because of unusually hot and dry weather, preventing many vessels from navigating the critical European shipping route fully loaded.
THE EXPLANATION:
Why is Rhine river shipping important?
• Flowing from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea via German industrial heartlands, the Rhine is a major route for products ranging from grains to chemicals and coal.
• It is an important link between industrial producers and global export terminals in North Sea ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, while canals and other rivers link the Rhine to the Danube, making it possible to ship to the Black Sea as well.
What is the critical water level?
• There is no specific water level at which shipping stops, and authorities do not close the river. It is up to vessel owners to decide whether they can operate safely.
• The reference waterline level at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was at 32 centimetres down from 42 centimetres and from 51 centimetres a week ago. Vessels need about 1.5 metres of Kaub reference waterline to sail fully loaded.
What is the impact on Germany’s economy?
• Shipping bottlenecks are another drag on the German economy, which is already grappling with high inflation, supply chain disruptions and soaring gas prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Economists estimate the disruption to Rhine shipping could knock as much as half a percentage point off overall economic growth this year in Europe’s largest economy.
• The low Rhine water levels are expected to increase costs for chemicals companies such as BASF and could lead to production cuts.
• Coal power plants – now back in fashion as an alternative to Russian gas supplies – also face supply shortages with boats unable to take on enough coal. Utility Uniper has warned of output cuts at two of its plants that make up 4% of Germany’s coal-generated electricity capacity.
PRELIMS FACTS
• The Rhine is one of the longest and most important river in Europe. It runs for over 1,232 km (766 mi) from its source in the in the Swiss Alps (in Switzerland), issuing from the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier 3,353m above sea level.
• The Rhine flows through six countries -Switzerland, Principality of Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands before flowing into the North Sea at Rotterdam.

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