1. Now science must strive for knowledge of man READ MORE
2. Nothing is more difficult than being successful READ MORE
3. The pursuit of learning READ MORE
4. Absence of persons with impeccable integrity at the helm is the bane of India’s democracy READ MORE

1. Apply precautionary principle to biotechnologies, scientists & policymakers urge at COP15 Montreal READ MORE
2. How India’s G20 presidency can help move the needle on climate action? READ MORE
3. Clean Energy Promotion Should Strike Balance With Livelihood, Ecology READ MORE

1. Muslim girls’ marriage: Raise their minimum age; it should be same for all READ MORE
2. Expand the food safety net without any more delay READ MORE  

1. Why local bodies are financially starved READ MORE
2. Every problem has a solution: Our attempts to resolve any number of socio-economic and political problems have to focus on behavioural changes and social engineering READ MORE
3. To promote competition, CCI should not appear to punish better use of resources by a dominant enterprise READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. ‘Clean Ganga’ changes course to conservation, tourism, livelihood READ MORE
2. China’s central bank calls for tighter regulation of green finance READ MORE
3. Explained | What does a price cap for Russian oil mean? READ MORE
4. Lending a helping hand to eliminate TB as Ni-kshay Mitra READ MORE
5. Uttarakhand plans genetic enhancement of its indigenous Badri cow READ MORE
6. Arunachal yields a potentially new songbird READ MORE
7. COP15 Montreal: Abalone, dugong, pillar coral threatened with extinction READ MORE
8. Follow ASEAN path on Myanmar, says Indonesian FM, after New Delhi engages military rulers READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Muslim girls’ marriage: Raise their minimum age; it should be same for all READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Why local bodies are financially starved READ MORE
2. Every problem has a solution: Our attempts to resolve any number of socio-economic and political problems have to focus on behavioural changes and social engineering READ MORE
3. To promote competition, CCI should not appear to punish better use of resources by a dominant enterprise READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Expand the food safety net without any more delay READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The role of the ‘China Test’ in India’s grand strategy READ MORE
2. Tectonic shift in the Gulf: Arab states moving away from the US and towards China READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India needs to bring down its fiscal deficit which is highest among G20 countries READ MORE
2. The PM Fasal Bima Yojana needs an urgent revamp READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Apply precautionary principle to biotechnologies, scientists & policymakers urge at COP15 Montreal READ MORE
2. How India’s G20 presidency can help move the needle on climate action? READ MORE
3. Clean Energy Promotion Should Strike Balance With Livelihood, Ecology READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Now science must strive for knowledge of man READ MORE
2. Nothing is more difficult than being successful READ MORE
3. The pursuit of learning READ MORE
4. Absence of persons with impeccable integrity at the helm is the bane of India’s democracy READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Social indices such as women’s nutrition, education and maternal mortality and the health of newborn babies are directly related to the age of marriage. In the context of this perspective, analyse the need for increasing in the rise of the minimum weeding age of girl child.
2. Reforms cannot happen from above. They require the transformation of the people’s consciousness. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The very essence of the concept depends on leaving no one behind as non – availability of quality healthcare anywhere is a threat to human health everywhere, as seen during the pandemic.
• Our attempts to resolve any number of socio-economic and political problems have to focus on behavioural changes and social engineering.
• Impartiality, effectiveness, sincerity and honesty should be maintained at any cost under strict vigil of Election Commission of India.
• Via the newly initiated Startup-20 Engagement Group, India aspires to help the world develop an inclusive framework to support innovative startups through strategic collaboration across G20 nations.
• The 73rd and 74th Amendments have been ignored. State Finance Commissions in some States are either defunct, or their reports are not acted upon.
• Saudi Arabia is protecting its own interests in a world order in transition by opting for a multifaceted set of relationships. India has a lot to learn from this.
• Social indices such as women’s nutrition, education and maternal mortality and the health of newborn babies are directly related to the age of marriage.
• Fact became fiction and fiction became fact.
• Indian democracy’s weakness is a result of the persistence of feudal consciousness among a majority who easily accept authority.
• A feudal system has its own concept of integrity. The ruler’s interest is broadly the nation’s interest. This congruity breaks in a parliamentary democracy where the consciousness is feudal. In such a case, integrity as defined by national interest is likely to be subverted, as is visible in India.
• Reform requires us to resolve the contradiction between parliamentary democracy and the prevailing feudal consciousness. This cannot happen from above. It requires the transformation of the people’s consciousness – Gandhi’s unfinished agenda.
• It is a rather straightforward one — smart balancing China in Southern Asia and beyond must form a key element in India’s grand strategic planning and decision making.

50-WORD TALK

• The ongoing meeting in Udaipur marks a good start to the 200-meeting agenda set for India’s Presidency of the G20. Policy tracks are clear, diverse, and inclusive. However, while the pomp and splendour can be forgiven since it’s the first meeting, the next 199 should keep substance at the fore.
• The enormous hardships caused to patients by the hacking of the AIIMS hospital-management system is the result of primitive data-security practices and infrastructure. Though computers can be restored, the harm to patient privacy and public confidence can’t. Every citizen of digital India must be served by secure and reliable technology.

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 382]

THE CONTEXT: India promised to install 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2022. But the country will not be able to deliver on this climate pledge. According to a new report, India will miss this target by 27%. Also, India is likely to miss its solar energy target of 300 GW (gigawatt) for 2030 by around 86 GW, a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research. In this context, this article analyzes the present scenario of the Solar energy sector in India.

WHAT DOES THE REPORT SAY?

• As of April, only about 50% of the 100GW target, consisting of 60GW of utility-scale and 40GW of rooftop solar capacity, has been met.
• Nearly 19 GW of solar capacity is expected to be added in 2022 — 15.8GW from utility-scale and 3.5GW from rooftop solar. Even accounting for this capacity would mean about 27% of India’s 100GW solar target would remain unmet.
• A 25GW shortfall in the 40GW rooftop solar target is expected compared to 1.8GW in the utility-scale solar target by December 2022. Thus, it is in rooftop solar that the challenges of India’s solar-adoption policy stick out.

REASONS FOR MISSING INDIA’S SOLAR ENERGY TARGET:

• In its early years, India’s rooftop solar market struggled to grow, held back by lack of consumer awareness, inconsistent policy frameworks of the Centre/ State governments and financing. Recently, however, there has been a sharp rise in rooftop solar installations thanks to falling technology costs, increasing grid tariffs, rising consumer awareness and the growing need for cutting energy costs.
• Other Factors impeding rooftop-solar installation include:
• Pandemic-induced supply chain disruption to policy restrictions.
• Limits to net-metering (or paying users who give back surplus electricity to the grid). Regulatory roadblocks.
• Taxes on imported cells and modules, unsigned power supply agreements (PSAs) and banking restrictions; financing issues plus delays in or rejection of open access approval grants; and the unpredictability of future open access charges.

OVERVIEW OF INDIA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR:

• At COP26 in Glasgow, our prime minister announced 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel capacity and 50% of energy from renewable sources by 2030, coupled with a net-zero target by 2070.
• Presently, India has installed 152.90 GW of renewable energy capacity projects (including large hydro) until February. It includes 50.78 GW from solar power, 40.13 GW from wind power, 10.63 GW from Bio-power, 4.84 GW from small hydropower and 46.52 GW from large hydropower.

IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR ENERGY FOR INDIA

• India’s share of global energy demand is predicted to double to 11% in 2040, making it imperative to enhance energy security and self-sufficiency in power generation without increasing environmental costs.
• This increase in power demand is likely to increase India’s reliance on coal, oil and natural gas as a source of energy. However, additional imports of oil and increased domestic production of coal will fall short of energy demand and entail economic and environmental costs.
• These are likely to hit harder than anticipated to an economy ravaged by COVID-19. Expansion of solar power units and increased reliance on solar power allows India to enhance energy security in the face of rising demand.
• India is dealing with an aggressive air pollution problem. In 2020, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 328, indicating severe pollution. Solar production does not cause any toxic emissions and can help mitigate the pollution caused by fossil fuel usage.
• India is likely to face increasing water security issues and thus must shift to energy sources that don’t rely extensively on water. The groundwater levels in India declined by 61% between 2007 and 2017, with the majority of this water being used for irrigation. This is a major red flag for coal production which relies heavily on water for steam production and cooling. Solar power is neither dependent on groundwater supplies nor does it strain them.

WHAT IS INDIA’S SOLAR POLICY?

SOLAR ROOFTOP SCHEME

• Under the rooftop scheme executed by SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), 200 MW of projects has been allocated. SECI launched a tender that is the largest global one offering 30% subsidy to the residential sector, private not-for-profit educational organizations, social sector, and the health institutions.

SOLAR PARK SCHEME

• parks to facilitate the creation of infrastructure required to set up new solar power projects in terms of land allocation, transmission, access to roads, availability of water, etc. MNRE has come up with a scheme to set up a number of solar parks across several states, each with a capacity of almost 500 MW. The Scheme proposes to offer financial support by the Government of India to establish solar

SOLAR ENERGY SUBSIDY SCHEME

• Under this Scheme, financial assistance and capital subsidy will be provided to the applicant to the extent of 50 per cent, 75 percent and 90 percent of the basis of basic cost of the solar energy plant. The Government Yojana explains that a person is eligible for a subsidy if he has solar panels installed on the rooftop. The subsidy is decided as per the capacity of the solar power plant.

PRADHAN MANTRI- KISAN URJA SURAKSHA EVAM UTTHAAN MAHABHIYAN

• It Aims to provide financial and water security to farmers through harnessing solar energy capacities of 25,750 MW by 2022.
• Solarisation of water pumps is a step in distributed power providing at the consumer’s doorstep.

THE JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION (JNNSM)

• The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), also known as the National Solar Mission (NSM), which commenced in January 2010, marked the government’s first focus on promoting and developing solar power in India.

GROWTH OF THE SOLAR SECTOR

• Since 2011, India’s solar sector has grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 59% from 0.5GW in 2011 to 55GW in 2021.

RANKING OF INDIA

• India currently ranks fifth after China, U.S., Japan and Germany in terms of installed solar power capacity.

PRESENT STATUS

• As of December 2021, India’s cumulative solar installed capacity is 55GW, which is roughly half the renewable energy (RE) capacity (excluding large hydro power) and 14% of India’s overall power generation capacity.
• Within the 55GW, grid-connected utility-scale projects contribute 77% and the rest comes from grid-connected rooftop and off-grid projects.

What should be done to achieve the targets?

• The need for focused, collaborative and goals driven R&D to help India attain technology leadership .
• The need for a better financing infrastructure, models and arrangements to spur the PV industry and consumption of PV products.
• Training and development of human resources to drive industry growth and PV adoption.
• With solar panels and solar systems getting more efficient vs their earlier generation, customers are wanting to invest in a technology that is getting them better output per square meter of the space they have.
• So there is a constant need to invest in research & development of more efficient solar ecosystem involving energy storage systems. Like shark bifacial panels generating electricity from both front and back of the solar panel.
• As India is making strides to fulfil its solar dream, Loom Solar and its smart methodologies shall continue to provide the Indian solar industry with much-needed assistance for ‘Mission 2030’.

SCOPE OF INDIA’S SOLAR SECTOR

• The generation of solar energy has tremendous scope in India. India being a tropical country, receives solar radiation throughout the year. With 3,000 hours of sunshine, this is equal to more than 5,000 trillion kWh of solar radiation per square meter.
• India has vast solar potential; it is a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs to start a solar business in India. With the growing economy, India’s power consumption is going to rise, so the solar energy business in India is the ideal way to manage the balance between economic growth and sustainable development.
• The government is constantly pushing and supporting the solar business in India through various programs and initiatives by enabling an increase in solar power at a subsidized cost.

THE CONCLUSION: Boosting solar capacity post-pandemic in a struggling economy will pose a whole new challenge. It will require innovative financing techniques and policies to bolster domestic production in the face of increasing environmental concerns.