POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

1. WHAT LAWS REGULATE SURROGACY IN INDIA?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Tamil film celebrities are under the scanner after announcing that they have become parents of twin boys. The state government is now inquiring if the power couple violated the country’s surrogacy laws.

THE EXPLANATION:

What are the conditions for allowing surrogacy, as per the law?

• In India, for a long time, foreign couples opted for surrogacy due to its good and affordable medical system. Over the years, the government has put restrictions on the practice with the stated aim of regulation.
• Surrogacy is defined by law as “a practice whereby one woman bears and gives birth to a child for an intending couple” and intends to hand over the child to them after the birth, as per The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 (SRA).
• It further allows for surrogacy to be available only to infertile Indian married couples. The other legislation on this matter, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) (Regulation) Act, 2021, defines ART procedures as all techniques that attempt to obtain a pregnancy by handling the sperm or the oocyte (the immature female egg) outside the human body and transferring into the reproductive system of a woman.
• This is open to married couples, live-in partners, single women, and also foreigners. ART procedures include gamete donation, intrauterine insemination, and in-vitro fertilisation or IVF.

The SRA Act says:

• The surrogate should be married and have a child of her own. Restricting altruistic surrogacy to legally wedded infertile Indian couples, the Act sets an age limitation for the couple where a husband must be between 26 and 55 years of age and a wife between 23 and 50 years.
• Further, Indian couples with biological or adopted children are prohibited to undertake surrogacy, save for some exceptions such as mentally or physically challenged children, or those sufferings from a life-threatening disorder or fatal illness.

How does opting for surrogacy work?

• Relevant authorities have been set up by the Act at several levels to check whether these specifications have been met. All surrogacy clinics must be registered with the government and only then can they conduct the procedure. According to the Health Ministry, the estimated number of clinics practising surrogacy in India is likely to be less than 1,000.
• The central and the state governments are to constitute the National Surrogacy Board (NSB) and the State Surrogacy Boards (SSB), respectively. Functions of the NSB include advising the central government, laying down the code of conduct of surrogacy clinics and reviewing the implementation of the Act. Similarly, appropriate authorities are constituted at national and state levels to grant or suspend clinics’ licences, to check on complaints of breach of the Act’s provisions and carry out other similar tasks.
  For example,
• Certificates of proven infertility/expert medical reports of either spouse or of intending couple from a District Medical Board are mandatory. A certificate of eligibility issued by the appropriate authority shows the criteria have been met – both by the to-be parents and the surrogate woman.
• Other requisite authorities, such as the Director or in-charge of the surrogacy clinic must also be satisfied that conditions have been met.
• Commercial surrogacy, among other offences, can lead to imprisonment for a term of at least 10 years and a fine extending to Rs 10 lakh.

2. BOMBAY HC ASKS UNION GOVT TO MAKE IPC SECTION 498A ‘COMPOUNDABLE’

THE CONTEXT: Recently,the Bombay high court has asked the Union government to consider making cases under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 498A (cruelty to wife by husband, relatives) a compoundable offence.

THE EXPLANATION:

A division bench of Justices in an order said the importance of making IPC Section 498A ‘compoundable’ can hardly be overlooked or understated, noting that every day a minimum of 10 petitions are heard seeking quashing of cases under the section by consent since it is non-compoundable.

Description of IPC Section 498A:

According to section 498A of Indian penal code, Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

What are Non-Compoundable Offences?

• Non-Compoundable offenses are some offenses, which cannot be compounded. They can only be quashed. The reason for this is, because the nature of the offense is so grave and criminal, that the Accused cannot be allowed to go scot-free. Here, in these types of cases generally, it is the “state”, i.e. police, who has filed the case, and hence the question of the complainant entering into compromise does not arise.
• All those offenses, which are not mentioned in the list under Section (320) of CrPC, are non-compounds.
• Under a non-compoundable offense, a private party as well as the society, both are affected by such offenses.
• In a Non-compoundable offense, no compromise is allowed. Even the court does not have the authority and power to compound such an offense. A full trial is trial that ends with the acquittal or conviction of the offender, based on the evidence given.

Example of Non-Compoundable Offences (Where Court’s Permission is Required):

• Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
• Causing grievous hurt by doing an act so rashly and negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others.
• Wrongfully confining a person for three days or more.
• Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage per modesty.

3. TAMIL NADU: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF THE 7.5% RESERVATION FOR GOVT SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NEET

THE CONTEXT: In April 2022 the Madras High Court upheld the constitutional validity of a State law passed in October 2020 to provide 7.5% horizontal reservation to students who pass out of government schools and clear the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET), in medical admissions.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why was Tamil Nadu opposed to NEET?

• Among the States that were strident in their opposition to NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) was Tamil Nadu. The opposition was manifest in protests on the streets and in the corridors of justice.
• One of the primary arguments that were made was that NEET would push certain categories of students out of the race for MBBS degrees, and its goal of providing equitable opportunities for all would be frustrated.
• Students from government schools and rural areas would not be able to afford the coaching that would be essential for the competitive test, the State government argued. The State wanted to continue its own criteria for entry of students from government schools and rural areas into medical colleges — candidates were being accommodated with a computed aggregate score of relevant subjects in the Class XII examination.

The Special Case:

• Tamil Nadu is a special case when it comes to both reservations and NEET, the entrance test for medical education.
• Nearly 69% of the seats are reserved in the state through a constitutional amendment – much above the 50% limit that applies to the rest of India. Additionally, 97.2% of the population in the state is classified as a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class – the highest in India.

Understanding the 7.5% quota

• The existing reservation structure for medical students in Tamil Nadu is 31% for Open Competition (OC), 30% for Backward Class (out of which 3.5% is reserved for BCM, 20% for MBC, 18% for SC and 1% for ST. Within this, 7.5% of the community within each can attain reservation.
• The horizontal quota ensures that there is a minimum representation of a specific group within each of the vertical quotas. For example, a women’s horizontal quota of 10% would mean that at least 10% of the seats in OC, BC, MBC, SC, and others are filled with women candidates.
• This means that the 7.5% quota doesn’t change the 69% caste-based reservation, but ensures that 7.5% within each is reserved specifically for the students of government schools.

Who goes to government schools?

• Analysing the main provisional merit list, and the merit list specifically for the government school pupils for the 2020-21 session, allows us to compare the community mix of the two lists. In the government students list, MBC students comprise 34% as compared to 23% in the main list i.e., approximately 48% more in proportionate terms.
• In contrast, the BC students show a proportionate decrease of 24% – from 45% in the main list to 35% in the government school students list. This indicates the higher level of deprivation within the MBC as compared to the BC category.
• The third category of SCs also shows that there is an increase of 20% in the government school students list as compared to 17% for the main list. These three together account for 90% of the government school list.

What lies a head?

• This innovative reservation policy adopts a wider definition of deprivation than mere caste. While caste is a rigid and static characteristic of an individual and family, schooling is not. Improved economic outcomes of families lead to students being enrolled into private schools i.e., the scope of this policy is dynamic rather than static.
• This policy’s success can be seen from the numbers which have clearly improved the representation of government school students within undergraduate admissions. It further needs to be investigated if this policy has impacted different castes within the same group.
• The lopsided distribution of benefits within the same block of castes is an identified problem, and whether this policy has helped reach those untouched by reservations would be critical to examine.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. HISTORIC DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL-LEBANON: TERMS, SIGNIFICANCE

THE CONTEXT: In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Israel announced a “historic” deal with Lebanon, aimed at resolving a long-running maritime border dispute over Mediterranean waters. Israel and Lebanon do not have official diplomatic relations and the two countries remain technically at war.

THE EXPLANATION:

A long history of conflict

• Israel and Lebanon have been at war for decades since 1948, with both countries staking claim over a swathe of territory in the Mediterranean Sea, which contains part of the Karish gas field and Qana, a prospective gas field.
• Negotiations pertaining to the Israeli-Lebanese border dispute over gas-rich waters off the countries’ Mediterranean coasts have been ongoing since October 2020.
• The Karish gas field, which is being developed by Israel, has come under threat from Hezbollah, Lebanon’s powerful political and militant group backed by Iran.

What the agreement does:

• While Israel is already producing natural gas at nearby fields, what this agreement does is that it resolves a territorial dispute in the eastern Mediterranean sea, in an area that Lebanon wants to explore for natural gas.
• The gas field in question is located on the maritime boundary between the two countries and this agreement would allow both countries to get royalties from the gas. It also sets a border between the maritime waters of Lebanon and Israel for the first time.
• According to a New York Times report, the agreement is also expected to avert the immediate threat of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, after fears of escalation if negotiations fell apart.
• The report states that analysts hope that the agreement will create new sources of energy and income for both countries, particularly important for Lebanon, which is facing a crippling energy and financial crises.
• It could also have a potentially wider impact: it would likely provide Europe with a potential new source of gas amid energy shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Crucial gas exports

• As for what the deal looks like, the U.S. proposal essentially divides the sea border in two, with the first 3 miles from the shore marked as Israel’s border, which has been treated as such for several years. Beyond that, the border will track along a line demarcated by Lebanon, called Line 23, meaning that each country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will be clearly outlined.

5. INDIA’S REQUEST FOR ACTION AGAINST PANNUN REJECTED: WHAT IS THE INTERPOL, AND WHAT IS A RED NOTICE?

THE CONTEXT: Recently,the Interpol has rejected a second request by India to issue a Red Corner Notice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Canada-based founder and legal advisor of the pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), whom the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has listed as a “terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Interpol has said India has failed to provide sufficient information to support its case, and that the UAPA has been criticised for being “misused” to target minority groups and human rights activists without “respecting” their right to due process and a fair trial.
• While acknowledging that Pannun is a “high-profile Sikh separatist”, the Interpol has said that his activities have a “clear political dimension”, which cannot be the subject of a Red Corner Notice according to Interpol’s Constitution.

What is the Interpol?

• The Interpol, or International Criminal Police Organization, is an inter-governmental organisation comprising 195 member countries, which helps police forces in all these countries to better coordinate their actions. According to the Interpol website, the organisation enables member countries to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and offers a range of technical and operational support.
• The Interpol general secretariat coordinates the organisation’s day-to-day activities. It is run by a secretary general (currently Jurgen Stock of Germany, who has been Interpol’s chief executive since 2014), with its headquarters in Lyon, France, with a global complex for innovation in Singapore, and several satellite offices in different regions.

TYPES OF NOTICES:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

6. IMF CUTS INDIA’S FY23 ECONOMIC GROWTH TO 6.8%, SAYS WORST YET TO COME FOR GLOBAL ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: According to the International Monetary Fund,the world, including India, will experience an overall slowdown in the next year (2023) owing to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, tightening monetary conditions globally, the highest inflation in decades, and lingering effects of the pandemic.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India is projected to grow at 6.8% in the current fiscal year, following 8.7% growth in fiscal year that ended March 31 as per figures released in the IMF’s October 2022 World Economic Outlook: Countering the Cost-of-Living Crisis at the start of the World Bank IMF Annual Meetings.
• Growth rate for this year for India has been revised downward by 0.6 percentage points relative to the IMF’s June 2022 forecast, following a weaker output in the second quarter, and subdued external demand. The forecast for the next fiscal year remains unaltered at 6.1%.
• “India has been doing fairly well in 2022 and is expected to continue growing fairly robustly in 2023.

Inflation above target

• Inflation in India was above the RBI’s target, Experts adding that the fiscal and monetary policy should be “probably be on the tightening side”. The IMF has projected 6.9% consumer price inflation this year and 5.1% next year.
• The IMF expects inflation in India to return to the inflation tolerance band… in fiscal year 2023-24, “and additional monetary tightening is going to ensure that that happens”.
• For the world as a whole, growth will slow down from 6.0% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023. This is reflective of a U.S. GDP contraction in first half of 2022, a Euro Area contraction in second half, extended COVID-19 outbreaks in China and a property sector crisis.

VALUE ADDITION:
About IMF:

• The formation of the IMF was initiated in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference. IMF came into operation on 27th December 1945 and is today an international organization that consists of 189 member countries.
• Headquartered in Washington, D.C., IMF focuses on Fostering global monetary cooperation, Securing financial stability, Facilitating and promoting international trade, employment, and economic growth around the world.

The IMF is a specialized agency of UN.

• The IMF became operational on 27th December 1945 with 29 member countries that agreed to bound to this treaty. It began its financial operations on 1st March 1947. Currently, the IMF consists of 189 member countries.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. Consider the following statements about Mahakal Temple of Ujjain:
1. It is the only jyotirlinga facing north, while all other face south direction.
2. Kalidasa has described temple in Meghadutam.
3. The present structure of temple is built by Maratha general Ranoji Shinde.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: B
Explanation:
About Mahakal temple:

• Puranas say that Lord Shiva pierced the world as an endless pillar of light, called the jyotirlinga. There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India, considered a manifestation of Shiva.
• Besides Mahakal, these include Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu.
• Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east. This is because the direction of death is believed to be the south. In fact, people worship Mahakaleshwar to prevent an untimely death.
• In the early part of the Meghdutam (Purva Megha) composed in the 4th century, Kalidasa gives a description of the Mahakal temple. It is described as one with a stone foundation, with the ceiling on wooden pillars. There would be no shikharas or spires on the temples prior to the Gupta period.
• The city of Ujjain was also one of the primary centres of learning for Hindu scriptures, called Avantika in the 6th and 7th centuries BC. Later, astronomers and mathematicians such as Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya made Ujjain their home.
• In the 18th century, an observatory was built here by Maharaja Jai Singh II, known as the Vedh Shala or Jantar Mantar, comprising 13 architectural instruments to measure astronomical phenomena.
• In the 13th century, the temple complex was destroyed by Turk ruler Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his raid on Ujjain.
• The present five-storeyed structure was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734, in the Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture. A century later, its marble walkways were restored by the Scindias.

1. Unlike knowledge, wisdom is life-nourishing READ MORE
2. Adaptability quotient READ MORE
3. India@75 looking at 100: What India’s education system needs READ MORE

1. The 5 biggest threats to West Africa’s oceans — and what to do about them READ MORE
2. Climate crisis: Expect more extreme heatwaves in near future READ MORE
3. Urban elites can help push urgent climate adaptation READ MORE
4. Ineffective implementation: Ban on single-use plastic is not working READ MORE

1. Blaming technology for deaths by suicide is misguided: It takes the focus away from a comprehensive understanding of the issue READ MORE
2. Vishwaguru needs high HEI ranking READ MORE

1. Curbing hate speech: Need to avoid pick-and-choose action against offenders READ MORE
2. Ways of global governance: Change must come from outside the established institutional structure READ MORE
3. Justice is not delayed or denied for some READ MORE
4. RTI rules need changes to make it more effective READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Skilling of girls in non-traditional livelihoods included in ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ scheme READ MORE
2. India Lebanon, Israel clinch maritime border deal READ MORE
3. Principle of seniority and next CJI Chandrachud’s ‘5+1’ collegium READ MORE
4. The lingering monsoon READ MORE
5. UNGA: India votes against Russia’s call for secret ballot on Ukraine resolution READ MORE
6. Nord Stream spews high levels of methane, likely to affect marine life READ MORE
7. PM Modi inaugurates Mahakal Lok corridor at Mahakaleshwar temple READ MORE
8. China launches first solar observatory to solve mystery of Sun’s eruptions READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. The 5 biggest threats to West Africa’s oceans — and what to do about them READ MORE
2. Blaming technology for deaths by suicide is misguided: It takes the focus away from a comprehensive understanding of the issue READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Curbing hate speech: Need to avoid pick-and-choose action against offenders READ MORE
2. Ways of global governance: Change must come from outside the established institutional structure READ MORE
3. Justice is not delayed or denied for some READ MORE
4. RTI rules need changes to make it more effective READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Vishwaguru needs high HEI ranking READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Urban consumers are still not confident enough: Manufacturing, service and infrastructure sectors are on the recovery path, but consumer confidence about the economy is yet to reach pre-COVID levels READ MORE
2. Solutions by the people, for the people READ MORE
3. Why NPAs are not just about bank governance READ MORE
4. Step up exports to arrest rupee’s persistent slide READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate crisis: Expect more extreme heatwaves in near future READ MORE
2. Urban elites can help push urgent climate adaptation READ MORE
3. Ineffective implementation: Ban on single-use plastic is not working READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Unlike knowledge, wisdom is life-nourishing READ MORE
2. Adaptability quotient READ MORE
3. India@75 looking at 100: What India’s education system needs READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The menace of plastic pollution cannot be mitigated without ensuring plastic-product manufacturers’ stringent compliance with the extended producer responsibility ‘. Discuss in the light of recent single-use plastic ban in India.
2. ‘The remit of election freebies could prompt a discussion around what a framework for political party regulation in India should be’. In you view, should the Supreme Court intervene in the issue to secure transparency and accountability in electoral democracy?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The processes of good governance have gone astray. There is erosion of transparency, independence & accountability.
• The menace of plastic pollution cannot be mitigated without ensuring plastic-product manufacturers’ stringent compliance with the extended producer responsibility.
• Manufacturing, service and infrastructure sectors are on the recovery path, but consumer confidence about the economy is yet to reach pre-COVID levels.
• Acknowledgement of suicidal thoughts and attempts to address a host of inter-related causes and effects are necessary to design effective and proportionate policy prescriptions. While technology is certainly an agent of this complex matrix, it can neither be seen as a root cause nor as a panacea.
• Policy-making at all levels has to become more inclusive and less dominated by the powerful and the wealthy, while a paradigm shift is needed in problem solving at global and national levels.
• People are not just numbers, nor merely resources for the economy. Policymaking must become more inclusive and less dominated by the powerful and the wealthy on the top.
• Probing the links between twin balance sheet crisis and external commodity shocks could lead to a better understanding of the NPAs problem.
• Transformational leaders don’t build large organisations. They multiply leaders and enlarge movements.
• Rankings serve as a tool to measure the academic reputation of any institution. Healthy and meaningful academic contests can help any institute and its faculty to navigate toward excellence.
• Indian judiciary is best known in the world for its unique reputation of being a role model for its impartiality, fairness and independence.

50-WORD TALK

• Measures like internationalising the Indian rupee and settling trade agreements between India and other nations in rupees can curb the currency’s fall. Foreign direct investment should be encouraged in Indian industries. Besides, India has to export goods and services worth at least $2.5 trillion if it wants to make its economy reach the $5-trillion mark by 2025 since exports currently make up around 25% of the GDP.

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 351]

THE CONTEXT: December 12 marked the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. The international community, including the European Union (EU) and India, gathered at the Climate Ambition Summit 2020 to celebrate and recognize our resolve in working towards a safer, more resilient world with net-zero emissions.

ABOUT PARIS AGREEMENT

• The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
• Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
• To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.
• The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PARIS AGREEMENT

Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires economic and social transformation, based on the best available science. The Paris Agreement works on a 5- year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries. By 2020, countries submit their plans for climate action known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate in the NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.

Long-Term Strategies

To better frame the efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit by 2020 long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).

LT-LEDS provide the long-term horizon to the NDCs. Unlike NDCs, they are not mandatory. Nevertheless, they place the NDCs into the context of countries’ long-term planning and development priorities, providing a vision and direction for future development.

Is the Paris agreement binding?

The legal nature of the deal–whether it will be binding–had been a hotly debated topic in the lead up to the negotiations. The agreement walks a fine line, binding in some elements like reporting requirements, while leaving other aspects of the deal—such as the setting of emissions targets for any individual country—as non-binding.

Difference between Paris Climate and Kyoto Protocol

• The Kyoto Protocol had a differentiation between developed and developing countries listed as Annex 1 countries and non-Annex 1 countries But, in the Paris agreement, there is no difference between developing and developed countries.
• The Kyoto Protocol aimed at 6 major greenhouse gases but the Paris Agreement is focused on reducing all anthropogenic greenhouse gases causing climate change.

Talanoa dialogue

• The UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (COP23) was held in Bonn, Germany and was presided over by Government of Fiji. It concluded with countries putting in place a roadmap for ‘Talanoa Dialogue’, a year-long process to assess countries’ progress on climate actions.

What is Talanoa?

• Talanoa is a traditional approach used in Fiji and the Pacific to engage in an inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue;
• The purpose of Talanoa is to share stories, build empathy and trust;
• During the process, participants advance their knowledge through common understanding;
• It creates a platform of dialogue, which results in better decision-making for the collective good;
• By focusing on the benefits of collective action, this process will inform decision-making and move the global climate agenda forward.

The significance of Talanoa dialogue

• The goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change, as agreed at the Conference of the Parties in 2015, is to keep global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It also calls for efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The Under2 Coalition

• The Under2 Coalition is a coalition of subnational governments that aims to achieve greenhouse gases emissions mitigation. It started as a memorandum of understanding, which was signed by twelve founding jurisdictions on May 19, 2015 in Sacramento, California. Although it was originally called the Under2 MOU, it became known as the Under2 Coalition in 2017.
• As of September 2018, the list of signatories has grown to over 220 jurisdictions which combined encompasses over 1.3 billion people and 43% of the world economy.
• The intent of the memorandum signatories is for each to achieve Greenhouse gas emission reductions consistent with a trajectory of 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050and/or achieving a per capita annual emission goal of less than 2 metric tons by 2050.
• Currently, Telangana and Chhattisgarh are signatories to this pact from India, as compared to representations from the other top emitters: 26 subnational governments in China and 24 in the U.S. Greater representation of Indian States is crucial.

FRAMEWORK OF PARIS AGREEMENT

The Paris Agreement provides a framework for financial, technical and capacity building support to those countries who need it.

Finance

The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other Parties. Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation, as significant financial resources are needed to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate.

Technology

The Paris Agreement speaks of the vision of fully realizing technology development and transfer for both improving resilience to climate change and reducing GHG emissions. It establishes a technology framework to provide overarching guidance to the well-functioning Technology Mechanism. The mechanism is accelerating technology development and transfer through it’s policy and implementation arms.

Capacity-Building

Not all developing countries have sufficient capacities to deal with many of the challenges brought by climate change. As a result, the Paris Agreement places great emphasis on climate-related capacity-building for developing countries and requests all developed countries to enhance support for capacity-building actions in developing countries.

ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY FRAMEWORK (ETF)

With the Paris Agreement, countries established an enhanced transparency framework (ETF). Under ETF, starting in 2024, countries will report transparently on actions taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received. It also provides for international procedures for the review of the submitted reports.

The information gathered through the ETF will feed into the Global stocktake which will assess the collective progress towards the long-term climate goals.

This will lead to recommendations for countries to set more ambitious plans in the next round.

INDIA AND PARIS AGREEMENT

India has not only achieved its targets but has exceeded them beyond expectations as per the Prime Minister. He delivered a virtual speech at the Climate Ambition Summit that India has reduced its global emissions by 21 percent compared to 2005 and is on its way to do more.

• India mentioned that it has not caused the climate change crisis and it is meeting its obligations under the Paris Climate Accord.
• It stated that the developed nations have been the highest carbon emitters and thus, were responsible for global warming.
• It mentioned that besides India, only Bhutan, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Morocco and Gambia were complying with the accord.

India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC)

• To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level.
• To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• A total of 40% of the installed capacity for electricity will be from non-fossil fuel sources.

India’s effort to address Climate Change

The Government of India has launched eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) for assessment of the impact and actions required to address climate change. These eight missions are:

1. National Solar Mission
2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
4. National Water Mission
5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
6. National Mission for A Green India
7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

Recent developments

• India has achieved a reduction of 21% in emission intensity of its GDP between 2005 and 2014, which fulfills its pre-2020 voluntary target.
• The Renewable energy installed capacity has increased by 226% in the last 5 years and stands more than 87 GW.
• The Government has provided 80 million LPG connections in rural areas, providing them with clean cooking fuel and a healthy environment.
• More than 360 million LED bulbs have been distributed under the UJALA scheme, which has led to energy saving of about 47 billion units of electricity per year and reduction of 38 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
• It leapfrogged from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms by April 1, 2020 which was earlier to be adopted by 2024.

FIVE YEARS AFTER PARIS AGREEMENT

All states have submitted their national contributions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Distant hypothetical targets are being set. Seems like we are still speeding in the wrong direction or we are lagging far behind.

(1) Unclear targets and response

The world is still unclear since five years as to how the net-zero pledges will translate into shorter term targets. Few of the countries that have announced ambitious long-term goals have implemented national policies to reach them in time.

(2) Degradation isn’t stopped

Meanwhile, we continue to destroy the world’s carbon sinks, by cutting down forests – the world is still losing an area of forest the size of the UK each year, despite commitments to stop deforestation – as well as drying out peatlands and wetlands, and reducing the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon from the air.

(3) Countries aren’t scaling up their targets

Although 151 states have indicated that they will submit stronger targets before December 31, only 13 of them, covering 2.4 per cent of global emissions, have submitted such targets. While states have been slow to update their national contributions for 2025-2030, several have announced exaggeratedly high “net zero” targets in the recent past.

WAY FORWARD:

• The Paris agreement still provides the best hope of avoiding the worst ravages of climate breakdown: the question is whether countries are prepared to back it up with action, rather than more hot air.
• Renewing the shorter term commitments is the best way ahead.
• Making promises for the 2050s-60s is one thing, but major policy changes are needed now to shift national economies on to a low-carbon footing.
• None of these (net zero) targets will be meaningful without very aggressive action in this decade. Diplomacy is inevitably a tool in global climate action.

CONCLUSION:

For many, there is a mismatch between short-term actions and long-term commitments. A credible short-term commitment with a clear pathway is the key. Not all states will be in a position to pledge net-zero targets, nor should they be expected to. All states, including India, can, however, pledge actions that are credible, accountable and fair. Our real test on climate change is on building a new domestic consensus that can address the economic and political costs associated with an internal adjustment to the prospect of a great global reset.