1. RESOURCE EFFICIENCY CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDUSTRY COALITION
TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY
THE CONTEXT: The Union Minister launched Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition on the sidelines of 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers’ meeting in Chennai.
EXPLANATION:
- Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition is conceived during India’s G20 Presidency, is an industry-led initiative with a global focus on promoting resource efficiency and circular economy practices.
- 39 multinational corporations (MNCs) from sectors such as steel, FMCG, and electronics came together to pledge to adopt resource efficiency and circular economy principles.
- The ECSWG has been involved in discussing environmental issues and promoting global collaboration towards a sustainable and resilient future.
- Embracing a circular economy model enables the transition from the linear “take-make-waste” paradigm and embraces a more sustainable and regenerative approach.
Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition:
- Designed as an autonomous body, the coalition is projected to continue operations beyond India’s G20 tenure, thereby facilitating a sustainable environmental impact.
- The coalition would be led by industries, and the government would only play a supporting role. The coalition includes “39 founding members from 11 different nations.”
- It aims to address environmental challenges arising from waste, including plastics, microplastics, e-waste, and chemical waste.
- It is designed to be a platform for knowledge and best practice exchange, fostering sustainable practices among its participating industries.
- Its core principles revolve around partnership for impact, technology cooperation, and finance for scalability.
- The coalition is structured around the 3 guiding pillars of partnerships for impact, technology cooperation and finance for scale.
The mission of this coalition is to:
- Facilitate and foster greater company-to-company collaboration,
- Build advanced capabilities across sectors and value chains,
- Bring learnings from the diverse and global experiences of the coalition members, and
- Unlock on-ground private sector action to enhance resource efficiency and accelerate circular economy transition.
Significance of RECEIC:
- It would play a pivotal role in promoting alliances, encouraging technological cooperation and knowledge transfer, fostering innovation, and facilitating the exchange of insights to enhance access to finance.
- It will contribute towards progress on key global goals and priorities set by the G20 and other international fora.
- RECEIC will also act as an overarching platform enabling industries to address information gaps and coordination challenges across the G20 members.
What is a circular economy?
- It is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.
- In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy by recycling. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value.
Benefits:
- To protect the environment: Reusing and recycling products would slow down the use of natural resources, reduce landscape and habitat disruption and help to limit biodiversity loss.
- Reduction in GHG emission: Another benefit of the circular economy is a reduction in total annual greenhouse gas emissions. According to the European Environment Agency, industrial processes and product use are responsible for 9.10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, while the management of waste accounts for 3.32%.
- Reduce raw material dependence: Recycling raw materials mitigates the risks associated with supply, such as price volatility, availability and import dependency.
- Create jobs and save consumers money: Moving towards a more circular economy could increase competitiveness, stimulate innovation, boost economic growth and create jobs.
2. DIGITAL PAYMENTS INDEX
TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY
THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index has increased across all parameters, driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance across the country over the period.
EXPLANATION:
- The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index rose to 57 in March 2023 from 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022.
- The RBI introduced the composite Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) in January 2021 to capture digitisation of payments. The index has since been steadily rising, crossing the 300-point mark in September 2021.
- As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, India has the highest fintech adoption rate of 87 per cent among the public compared to the global average of 64 per cent.
- Further, India has gained the third place in digital payments, coming only after US and China.
- The increase in RBI’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) highlights the remarkable surge in digital payment adoption in India, predominantly propelled by the success of UPI.
Digital Payments Index (DPI):
- RBI is publishing the Digital Payments Index (DPI) semi-annually from March 2021 onwards for measurement of the deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different time periods.
- The RBI-DPI is a first-of-its-kind index to measure the spread of digital payments across the country.The Base period of the RBI-DPI has been set as March 2018, at a score of 100.
- The DPI index comprises five broad parameters to evaluate the penetration of digital payments in the country.
- These parameters are –
(i) Payment Enablers
(ii) Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors
(iii) Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors
(iv) Payment Performance
(v) Consumer Centricity.
- Out of all the indicators, payment performance has the highest weight of 45%, followed by Payment Enablers with a weight of 25%, and Payment Infrastructure- supply side and demand side with a weight of 15% and 10%, respectively.
- Lastly, the indicator Consumer Centricity has a weight of 5%. This is an important indicator to track the development in all aspects of the digital payments index.
- Each indicator has various sub-parameters, as listed in the table below:
3. IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AQUIFER MAPPING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (NAQUIM)
TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: Government has recently informed the parliament that mapping of acquifers under National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme has been completed by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
EXPLANATION:
National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM)
- It is a pioneer programme for the scientific management of aquifers, where a large amount of data is being collected and analyzed.
- It aimed to delineate aquifer (water-bearing formations) disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/ area specific groundwater management plans with community participation.
- The management plans are shared with the respective State Governments for suitable implementation.
- The management plans are subject to a three-tier review, including a review by a National Level Expert Committee (NLEC) before finalization.
- It aims to make expeditious availability of groundwater-related information for suitable interventions to the stakeholders.
- It has been taken up by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation.
- Out of the total geographical area of nearly 33 lakh km2 of the entire country, an area of around 25 lakh km2 has been identified to be covered under the NAQUIM programme in phases.
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
- It is a multi-disciplinary scientific organization of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India.
- It is the National Apex Agency entrusted with the responsibility of providing scientific inputs for the management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation and regulation of groundwater resources of the country.
Mandate:
- To develop and disseminate technologies and monitor and implement national policies for scientific and sustainable development.
- Management of India’s groundwater resources, including their exploration, assessment, conservation, augmentation, protection from pollution, and distribution, based on principles of economic and ecological efficiency and equity.
Its Mission:
- To develop groundwater policies, programmes and practices to monitor and enable the effective use of the country’s groundwater resources in a sustainable manner with the active involvement of all stakeholders.
- To put into place scientific systems and practices which would result in a sustained increase in groundwater use efficiency.
- To disseminate information, skills and knowledge, which would help in capacity building and mass awareness in the ground water sector.
Organization Setup:
- It is headed by the Chairman and has six Members. The central headquarters is at Faridabad.
- The administrative and financial matters of the Board are dealt with by the Director (Administration) and Member(Finance), respectively.
- For undertaking the activities in the field, 18 Regional Offices, each headed by a Regional Director, have been established in the country.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1943353
4. SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (SSLV)
TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: The government’s effort to privatise part of its space programme by opening bids to build its small satellite launch rocket has attracted initial interest from 20 companies.
EXPLANATION:
- Under a policy driven by Prime Minister, India is following NASA’s lead in opening launch and other space businesses to private investment. The bid to take over the manufacturing and development of the SSLV rocket programme was the first privatisation of its kind under that policy.
- India’s newly created space regulatory body, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, known as IN-SPACe, opened the process by allowing qualified companies to register an interest.
- In this respect, 20 companies had submitted an “expression of interest” (EOI) in the rocket programme.
- To be eligible to bid, companies have to be profitable, and the lead bidder in a consortium has to have at least five years of manufacturing experience and annual revenue of Rs 400 crore.
- India is aiming to increase its share of the global satellite launch market by fivefold within the next decade.
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV):
- Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a low-cost means of launching satellites weighing up to 500 kg into low-earth orbit.
- It was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the national space agency, and had its first successful satellite launch in February 2023.
- It serves a market experiencing a surge in demand for launching clusters of satellites for communication and data.
- A small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a 3-stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
- SSLV is 2m in diameter and 34m in length with a lift-off weight of ~120 tonnes. SSLV is capable of launching a ~500kg satellite in a 500km planar orbit from SDSC/SHAR.
- The key features of SSLV are Low cost, with low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, Launch on demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.
- The SSLV was developed with the aim of launching small satellites commercially at drastically reduced prices and higher launch rates compared to Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
Key Features:
- Low cost
- Low turn-around time
- Flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites
- Launch demand feasibility
- Minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe):
- It is a single-window, independent, nodal agency that functions as an autonomous agency in the Department of Space (DOS).
- It is formed following the Space sector reforms to enable and facilitate the participation of private players.
- It is responsible for promoting, enable, authorising and supervising various space activities of non-governmental entities, including building launch vehicles & satellites and providing space-based services
- Its mandate includes sharing space infrastructure and premises under the control of DOS/ISRO, and establishing new space infrastructure and facilities.
- The agency acts as an interface between ISRO and Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) and assesses how to utilize India’s space resources better and increase space-based activities.
- It also assesses the needs and demands of private players, including educational and research institutions, and explores ways to accommodate these requirements in consultation with ISRO.
5. AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MISSION (ABDM)
TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE CONTEXT: To promote digital health adoption and make healthcare more accessible, the National Health Authority (NHA) has launched 100 Microsites Project under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
EXPLANATION:
- These microsites will serve as clusters for small and medium-scale clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and other healthcare facilities that are ABDM-enabled and offer digital health services to patients.
- The microsites will be established across the country in various states/union territories.
- It will primarily be implemented by State Mission Directors of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, while the National Health Authority will provide financial resources and overall guidance.
- The main goal of these microsites is to create a small ecosystem in specific geographic areas where complete ABDM adoption is present and the entire patient journey is digitized.
- Patients visiting these centres will also become part of ABDM, with their health records linked to their ABHA.
- The ABHA(Ayushman Bharat Health Account) Number will be used for the purposes of uniquely identifying persons, authenticating them, and threading their health records (only with the informed consent of the patient) across multiple systems and stakeholders.
- The project intends to raise awareness about ABDM and its benefits among small and medium-scale healthcare providers, encourage them to register on ABDM’s core registries, use ABDM-certified digital solutions and ultimately link digital health records.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM):
- It aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.
- It will bridge the existing gap among different stakeholders of the Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
Vision:
- To create a national digital health ecosystem that supports universal health coverage in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely and safe manner.
- It provides a wide range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems, and ensures the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
Objectives:
- To establish state-of-the-art digital health systems, to manage the core digital health data and the infrastructure required for its seamless exchange.
- To establish registries at appropriate levels to create a single source of truth in respect of clinical establishments, healthcare professionals, health workers, drugs and pharmacies.
- To enforce the adoption of open standards by all national digital health stakeholders.
- To promote development of enterprise-class health application systems with a special focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for health.
- To adopt the best principles of cooperative federalism while working with the States and Union Territories for the realization of the vision.
Building blocks of ABDM
- Health ID – It standardizes the process of identification of an individual across healthcare providers to ensure that the created medical records are issued to the correct individual or accessed by Health Information User through appropriate consent.
- Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) – It is a comprehensive repository of all healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of healthcare services across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
- Health Facility Registry (HFR) – It is a comprehensive repository of health facilities of the nation across different systems of medicine. It includes both public and private health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, diagnostic laboratories and imaging centres, pharmacies, etc.
- ABHA Mobile App (PHR) – A PHR is an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards, and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
