1. CARBON CAPTURE TECHNOLOGY
TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: Carbon capture technology is a key tool to address the problem of climate change. This technology can be used to clean up industries like cement and chemicals.
EXPLANATION:
What is carbon capture and storage?
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a way to catch carbon and trap it beneath the earth. It is different to carbon dioxide removal (CDR), where carbon is sucked out of the atmosphere.
- It is a way to cut pollution in sectors where other clean technologies are farther behind.
- The key difference is that CDR brings down the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, cooling the planet, while CCS in fossil fuel plants and factories prevents the gas from getting out in the first place.
- CCS can be used in factories that make cement and fertiliser, as well as in plants that burn waste material.
How well does CCS work?
- Engineers have captured carbon from concentrated streams of gas, pushing it into tanks, scrubbing it clean and using it in industry or storing it underground.
- Some bioethanol plants, where the gas stream is pure, already report capturing more than 95% of the carbon emissions.
- However, it is not effective in capturing carbon from dirtier gas streams, like those from factories and power plants.
- There are a handful of test facilities that have managed to capture more than 90% of emissions from some dirty gas streams or commercial projects.
Why is CCS controversial?
- Activists have called out energy companies for failing to capture much carbon while at the same time drilling for oil and lobbying against laws to cut fossil fuel production. They have pushed policymakers to put more weight on societal shifts like cutting energy demand rather than placing their faith in shaky technologies.
- A big part of this is what fossil fuel companies call enhanced oil recovery pumping carbon dioxide underground to push out more oil from drying wells. Historically, most captured carbon has been used for this purpose.
How can CCS work better?
- In Norway, a German industrial giant is building the first facility to capture carbon from cement and store it underground. The company claims a capture rate of close to 100% is possible.
- According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a Paris-based organization led by the energy ministers of mostly rich countries, new companies are focusing on specific parts of the problem, like transport and storage.
- There should be a bigger focus on storing CO2 than using it to extract more oil.
- To make the technology grow cheaper and work better, governments need to tax carbon, make it easier to approve CCS projects and help set up the infrastructure around it.
International Energy Agency (IEA):
- It was established in 1974, in the wake of the 1973-1974 oil crisis, to help its members respond to major oil supply disruptions, a role it continues to fulfil today.
- It is an international energy forum of 29 industrialized countries under the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD).
- Its mandate has expanded over time to include tracking and analyzing global key energy trends, promoting sound energy policy, and fostering multinational energy technology cooperation.
2. OPEN DEFECATION FREE INDIA
TAG: GS 2: HEALTH ISSUES
THE CONTEXT: The latest WHO-UNICEF data shows at least one-sixth of India’s rural population still defecate in the open, and a quarter doesn’t have even basic sanitation access.
EXPLANATION
- On October 2, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India open defecation-free (ODF).
- It is in sync with the goal of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 of giving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
- Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released their Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report for water supply, sanitation and hygiene for households for the year 2022. The JMP report gives status on access to water, sanitation and hygiene to monitor the progress on SDG 6.
- According to this report, 17 per cent of the rural population in India still defecated in the open in 2022. One-quarter of the rural population didn’t have even “at least basic” sanitation facilities.
- The JMP report for monitoring progress on SDG 6 defines “basic” services as the improved sanitation facility which the household doesn’t share with others.
- The latest JMP report tracked the progress from 2015, when these goals were set. India has recorded significant progress: in 2015, some 41 per cent of its rural population defecated in the open (17 per cent in 2022), while 51 per cent of households (75 per cent in 2022) had at least a basic sanitation facility.
What is ODF?
- The original ODF protocol states, “A city/ward is notified as ODF city/ward if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating in the open.”
What is ODF+, ODF++?
- ODF+ and ODF++ were launched in August 2018 to further scale up and sustain the work undertaken by the cities after achieving the ODF status under Phase I of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-Urban).
- Eligibility: Cities that have been certified ODF at least once, on the basis of the ODF protocols, are eligible to declare themselves as SBM-ODF+ & SBM-ODF++.
What is ODF+?
- A city, ward or work circle could be declared ODF+ if “at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well-maintained.”
What is ODF++?
- The ODF++ protocol adds the condition that “faecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no discharging and/or dumping of untreated faecal sludge/septage and sewage in drains, water bodies or open areas.”
Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/is-open-defecation-back-in-india–90483
3. INDIA-RUSSIA TRADE PAYMENTS IN CRISIS
TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THE CONTEXT: With continued oil imports from Russia, the Indian government is worried about payment mechanisms and the repercussions of breaching the oil price cap of $60 a barrel put in place by the U.S. and European nations.
EXPLANATION:
Status of oil imports from Russia:
- In February 2023, Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia to become the second biggest exporter of crude oil to India in FY23.
India’s exports to Russia (principal commodities)
Indian exports are grappling with payment-settlement uncertainty leading to declining exports.
Change in trade from Feb 24, 2022, to April 5, 2023, compared to the same period in the previous year.
India’s imports from Russia (principal commodities)
Imports have surged with sanctions-hit Russia’s discounts to India on key commodities.
Change in trade from Feb 24, 2022, to April 5, 2023, compared to the same period in the previous year.
Which currency is being used for payments?
- As part of war-induced sanctions on Moscow, the U.S., the EU, and the U.K. have blocked multiple Russian banks from accessing the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).
- Meanwhile, Indian refiners have also settled some non-dollar payments for Russian oil in the Chinese yuan and the UAE dirham.
What about the rupee-rouble mechanism?
- India was in negotiations with Russia to reactivate the rupee-rouble trade arrangement, which is an alternative payment mechanism to settle dues in rupees instead of dollars or euros.
- It could not takes off as there is scepticism on the rupee-rouble convertibility as the rouble’s value is kept up by capital controls and not determined by the market, as in the case of reserved currencies, and Russia has also pointed out that it finds the rupee to be “volatile”.
- India’s trade deficit with Russia touched high, which has led to staggering amounts of Indian rupees in Russian banks that cannot be used by Russia in its war efforts.
Is de-dollarisation being attempted?
- Since the dollar is largely considered the global reserve currency, many countries have seen the U.S. sanctions as a way for America to weaponise the dollar.
- This has given rise to countries looking at de-dollarisation, which means the replacement of the U.S. dollar with other currencies as the global reserve currency.
- India, too, has recently released a roadmap for the internationalisation of the Indian rupee to create broader acceptance.
- However, the value and the acceptability of any currency depend mainly on its purchasing power which is expressed in terms of the number of goods or services that one unit of money can buy. For example, daily average share for the rupee in the global foreign exchange market is ~1.6%, while India’s share of global goods trade is ~2%.
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT):
- It is a global network connecting banks for communicating money transfers in a secure way with a code, much like the domestic IFSC code.
- Its principal function is to serve as the main messaging network through which international payments are initiated.
- It also sells software and services to financial institutions, mostly for use on its proprietary “SWIFTNet”.
- The Swift messaging network is a component of the global payments system.
- However, the organisation does not manage accounts on behalf of individuals or financial institutions, and it does not hold funds from third parties. It also does not perform clearing or settlement functions.
4. REGULATION OF OVER-THE-TOP (OTT) PLATFORMS BY TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA (TRAI)
TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE
THE CONTEXT: Almost three years after it first recommended against creating a specific regulatory framework for over-the-top (OTT) communication services like WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google Meet, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is revisiting its stance and starting consultations on how these services can be regulated.
EXPLANATION:
- TRAI suggested for regulation of OTT platforms such as WhatsApp , Zoom, and Google Meet etc, as they are not bound by the same requirements as telecom service providers.
- TRAI has asked stakeholders to send suggestions about regulating services and whether a selective banning of OTT services can be done as opposed to shutting down the entire Internet.
- Regulating such services has been a long-standing demand of telecom operators, who have, for years, been advocating for ‘same service, same rules’.
- The draft telecom Bill released by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) also recommended bringing OTT services under its ambit by creating a licensing regime for them. The IT Ministry is already the nodal ministry for regulating such services.
Earlier stance by TRAI:
- In September 2020, TRAI recommended against regulatory intervention for OTT platforms, saying that it should be left to market forces. However, it also said that the sector should be monitored and intervention should be done at an “appropriate time”.
- In 2022, the DoT wrote back to the authority, requesting it to reconsider its recommendations and also suggest a suitable regulatory mechanism for “selective banning of OTT services”.
Contention between OTTs and Telecom services:
- Telecom service providers in India are regulated by several laws, including the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933 and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act of 1997. While such requirements are not applicable to OTT services currently.
- Apart from a different regulatory regime, there are other financial considerations for the tussle between telcos and Internet applications. Key among them is the avenue of revenues that has shifted from voice and SMS to data.
- It added that OTT services do not financially contribute towards increasing telecom services penetration in the country, unlike the operators who have to pay towards the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
What did the draft telecom Bill prescribe for OTT services?
- One of the key changes is the inclusion of new-age over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram in the definition of telecommunication services.
- As per the draft law, providers of telecommunication services will be covered under the licensing regime and will be subjected to similar rules as other telecom operators.
Telecom sector regulation in India:
Authorities in India
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology presides over the telecom industry in India and governs the following bodies:
- Department of Telecommunications (DoT): The Central Government acts through the DoT to exercise its exclusive privilege of establishing, maintaining and working telegraph and wireless equipment, as well as granting of licences for such activities.
- Wireless Planning Commission (WPC): The WPC is a wing of the DoT responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including the licensing of wireless stations. They are in charge of catering to the needs of all wireless users in India
- Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Application (SAFCA): It is another wing of the DoT that grants approval for radio frequency used by telecom service providers. In addition to a telecom license, an operator requires a NOC from SAFCA to commence their service.
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): TRAI is an autonomous statutory body with the sole authority to take binding decisions on the fixation of tariffs for the provision of telecommunications services. TRAI’s recommendations must be considered by the DoT before licensing telecom services.
- Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal: The TDSAT has been vested with exclusive powers to adjudicate any dispute between the licensor (DoT) and the licensee’; service providers; and service providers and groups of customers.
Laws and Regulations:
- Indian Telegraph Act, 1885: It is one of the oldest legislations in India .The term telegraph encompasses any appliance, instrument, material or apparatus used or capable of use for transmission or reception of signs, signals. It can be of any nature by wire, visual or other electromagnetic emissions, radio waves or Hertzian waves, galvanic, electric or magnetic means
- Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933: It regulates the possession of wireless telegraphy apparatus. Furthermore, any device, appliance, instrument, or material that uses or is capable of using wireless communication. The possession of wireless telegraphy apparatus by any person can only be allowed when a license is issued by the telecom authority.
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997: It was established under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. It empowered the TRAI, a quasi-judicial authority, to adjudicate upon and settle telecom disputes. The Act was amended in 2000 to clearly distinguish between the regulatory and recommendatory functions of TRAI. The Amendment also set up the TDSAT, clarifying that the jurisdiction of civil courts has been expressly barred in cases where the TDSAT has jurisdiction.
5. PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX
TAG: GS I and II: SOCIAL SECTOR, GOVERNANCE
THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Education releases a report on Performance Grading Index 2.0 for States/UTs for the year 2021-22.
EXPLANATION:
- The Indian Education System is one of the largest in the world, with about 14.9 lakh schools, 95 lakh teachers, and nearly 26.5 crore students from varied socio-economic backgrounds.
- Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, devised Performance Grading Index (PGI) for States and UTs.
- The prime objective of PGI is to promote evidence-based policy-making and highlight course correction to ensure quality education for all.
- It assesses the performance of the school education system at the State/UT level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis.
- The ultimate is to propel States & UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes covering all dimensions.
Methodology:
- The PGI evaluation classifies States and UTs into grades/ levels instead of ranking.
- The report grades the performance of States/ UTs on a uniform scale.
- It covers 73 indicators, focused more on qualitative assessment besides including digital initiatives and teacher education.
- It comprises of 1000 points across 73 indicators grouped into 2 categories viz., Outcomes, Governance Management (GM).
- These categories are further divided into 6 domains, viz., Learning Outcomes (LO), Access (A), Infrastructure & Facilities (IF), Equity (E), Governance Process (GP) & Teachers Education and Training (TE&T).
- It classified the States/UTs into ten grades viz., the highest achievable Grade is Daksh, which is for State/UT scoring more than 940 points out of a total of 1000 points. The lowest grade is Akanshi-3 which is for a score up to 460.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1937945
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