THE CONTEXT: The NITI Aayog released the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’. However, the Union government’s claim that there is a significant decline in poverty in recent years based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is being questioned.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY INDEX (MPI)

• NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for the National MPI which ranks States and UTs based on their performance. It has been responsible for constructing an indigenised index for monitoring the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in addressing multidimensional poverty.
• It captures overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards to ascertain multidimensional poverty.
• Each of the specific parameters under 3 broad categories is assigned a value to calculate what is called a ‘deprivation score’. The deprivation score is the sum of the weighted status of all the indicators for an individual  if it is more than 0.33, only then an individual is considered multidimensionally poor.

FINDING OF MPI, 2023:

• India has achieved a remarkable reduction in its MPI value and Headcount Ratio between 2015-16 and 2019-21. Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha and Rajasthan recorded steepest decline in number of MPI
• Improvement in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel played a significant role in reducing the MPI
• The MPI estimates highlight a near-halving of India’s national MPI value and decline in the proportion of population in multidimensional poverty from 24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• This reduction of 9.89 % in multidimensional poverty indicates that, at the level of projected population in 2021, about 135.5 million persons have escaped poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Besides, the intensity of poverty, which measures the average deprivation among the people living in multidimensional poverty, reduced from 47.14% to 44.39%.

ISSUES IN MPI:

• Similar issues as UNDP’ HDI: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) constructed an overall measure of human development with uniform weights of the three components. Following this methodology, NITI Aayog and the UNDP released recently a National Multidimensional Poverty Index/MPI: A Progress Review 2023. Hence, these reports suffer from the same flaws as the UNDP human development index aggregation with uniform weighting.
• Reliability on authenticity of data: The government had failed to provide access to authentic and unimpeachable data on many indicators. Rise in income alone cannot measure other dimensions of poverty such as access to healthcare, sanitation and transport. While the MPI should be seen in addition to data on income-level, the government was silent on income data. MPI relies upon National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 and NFHS 5, which are not detailed enough for its estimation. The government had not released a consumption expenditure survey conducted by the National Survey Organisation (NSO) in 2017-18. The NSO has announced consumption expenditure surveys for 2022-23 and 2023-24.
• Did not take into account pandemic situation: As a consequence of this pandemic, there was a huge economic shock from which the Indian economy has been struggling to recover. To illustrate, GDP growth has declined from 8% in 2015-16 to 3.78 % in 2019-20 and slumped -6.60 in 2020-21, as also per capita income. Country’s economy had not even gone back to the pre-pandemic level, this raises question of how such a large number of people had escaped poverty.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Quality of data: There is a need to enhance the quality and availability of data on multidimensional poverty at more frequent intervals. It can be done by integrating the MPI into planning, budgeting, implementation and evaluation processes at all levels of government.
• Rigorous Analysis: There is a need of in-depth analysis of the parameters of multidimensional poverty at the national, State/UT, and district levels. It will help in development of the National MPI to act as public policy tool which monitors multidimensional poverty, informs evidence-based and focused interventions.
• Collaboration and coordination: There is a need to strengthen the coordination and convergence among different ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders involved in addressing multidimensional poverty.
• Increase in investment: Government should focus on investments in critical areas as education, nutrition among others to eradicate poverty. It can be done through targeted policies, schemes, and developmental programmes rolled out at both the national and sub-national levels.
• Awareness: There is a need to increase the awareness and participation of civil society, media, academia and other actors in advocating for and monitoring multidimensional poverty reduction.

THE CONCLUSION:

Recently released MPI index have several lacunae which need reinterpretation to eradicate poverty with proper policy interventions. Consistent policy implementation across a diverse set of programmes and initiatives that have strong interlinkages will lead to a further reduction in deprivations across multiple indicators.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q.1 Though there have been several different estimates of poverty in India, all indicate a reduction in poverty levels over time. Do you agree? Critically examine with reference to urban and rural poverty indicators. (2015)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Poverty impacts the social, economic and environmental aspects of the nation differently. Suggest the possible ways to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development goals in India.

Q.2 Recent assessment of poverty by Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has been termed as flawed as the government estimates fail to paint an accurate picture of the realities. Critically analyse this statement.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/multidimensional-poverty-index-reduction-under-the-nda-is-flawed/article67611818.ece#:~:text=Astonishingly%2C%20the%20MPI%202023%20estimates,%2D16%20and%202019%2D21.

THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. STUDY FLAGS POOR CONTROL OF BLOOD SUGAR IN INDIANS

THE CONTEXT: According to a recent paper published in the Lancet- Diabetes and Endocrinology, only over 7% of over 5,297 individuals in India with diabetes were able to achieve their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol targets.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The latest results of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-India Diabetes (INDIAB) study, conducted in 27 states (unified Andhra Pradesh), two Union Territories and the National Captial Territory over several rounds for the last decade, have stressed the need to have better control over various health parameters that impact mortality and quality of life.
• The report “Achievement of guideline recommended diabetes treatment targets and health habits in people with self-reported diabetes in India (ICMR-INDIAB-13): a national cross-sectional study” reasons that achievement of treatment targets remains sub optimal in India, in a pan-Indian study, and goes on to provide hints for shaping the health care response to the crises. The total sample size was 1, 13,043.
• Also, the study used Census data for population distribution, socio-economic factors. For the outcome assessment, good glycaemic control was defined as HbA1c of less than 7·0% (A), blood pressure control was defined as less than 140/90 mm Hg (B), and the LDL cholesterol target was defined as less than 100 mg/dL (C). ABC control was defined as the proportion of individuals meeting glycaemic, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol targets together.
• Only just over 36 %, 95% CI 34·7–37·9) of 4834 people with diabetes achieved good glycaemic (blood sugar) control, over 48% achieved blood pressure control, and 41·5%, achieved good LDL cholesterol control.

Education matters

• Higher education, male sex, rural residence, and shorter duration of diabetes (under 10 years) were associated with better achievement of combined achievement of targets.
• The results of the study, of significance to each State, had been handed over to the respective State governments. There is also a plan to go back and study as a follow up, the participants who had been enrolled in the trial.
• Among the key interventions that the researchers indicated as possible at this stage, at a governmental level, is improving education about diabetes, and its attendant conditions, making health care easily available and accessible to all, and ensuring monitoring of the condition.

THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS AND POLICIES

2. NITI AAYOG RELEASES DRAFT BATTERY SWAPPING POLICY

THE CONTEXT: Government think-tank, Niti Aayog has prepared a draft battery swapping policy, under which it has proposed offering incentives to electric vehicles (EVs) with swappable batteries, subsidies to companies manufacturing swappable batteries, a new battery-as-a-service business model, and standards for interoperable batteries, among other measures.

THE EXPLANATION:

The policy is targeted at supporting the adoption of battery-swapping, primarily for battery swapping systems used in electric scooters and three-wheeler electric rickshaws.

What is battery swapping? Battery swapping is a mechanism that involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones. This provides the flexibility to charge these batteries separately by de-linking charging and battery usage, and keeps the vehicle in operational mode with negligible downtime. Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as two-wheelers and three-wheelers with smaller batteries that are easier to swap, compared to four-wheelers and e-buses, although solutions are emerging for these larger segments as well.

What are some of the key proposals?

• The draft policy has suggested that the GST Council consider reducing the differential across the tax rates on Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle supply equipment. Currently, the tax rate on the former is 18 per cent, and 5 per cent on the latter.
• The policy also proposes to offer the same incentives available to electric vehicles that come pre-equipped with a fixed battery to electric vehicles with swappable batteries. “The size of the incentive could be determined based on the kWh (kilowatt hour) rating of the battery and compatible EV,” the draft policy states.
• The government will also specify a minimum contract duration for a contract to be signed between EV users and battery providers to ensure they continue to provide battery swapping services after receiving the subsidy.
• The policy also requires state governments to ensure public battery charging stations are eligible for EV power connections with concessional tariffs. It also proposes to bring such stations under existing or future time-of-day (ToD) tariff regimes, so that the swappable batteries can be charged during off-peak periods when electricity tariffs are low.
• Transport Departments and State Transport Authorities will be responsible for easing registration processes for vehicles sold without batteries or for vehicles with battery swapping functionality. Municipal corporations will be responsible for planning, zoning permissions and land allocation for battery swapping stations.
• The policy also proposes to assign a unique identification number (UIN) to swappable batteries at the manufacturing stage to help track and monitor them. Similarly, a UIN number will be assigned to each battery swapping station. It also proposes to install battery swapping stations at several locations like retail fuel outlets, public parking areas, malls, kirana shops and general stores etc.

Does the draft policy talk about EV safety?

• To ensure a high level of protection at the electrical interface, a rigorous testing protocol will be adopted, the draft said, to avoid any unwanted temperature rise at the electrical interface. The battery management system, which is a software that controls battery functions, will have to be self-certified and open for testing to check its compatibility with various systems, and capability to meet safety requirements, it added.
• “Batteries shall be tested and certified as per AIS 156 (2020) and AIS 038 Rev 2 (2020) standards for safety of traction battery packs, as well as additional tests that may be prescribed for swappable batteries which are subject to multiple coupling/decoupling processes at the connectors,” the draft said.
• Additionally, for better protection of assets, swappable batteries will have to be equipped with advanced features like IoT-based battery monitoring systems, remote monitoring and immobilisation capabilities.
• The Aayog has proposed that all metropolitan cities with a population of more than 40 lakh will be prioritised for the development of battery swapping networks under the first phase, which is within 1-2 years of the draft policy getting finalised. Other major cities such as state capitals with a population greater than 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. DEFENCE MINISTER ROLLS OUT SCHEMES FOR DEFENCE START-UPS

THE CONTEXT: In a bid to support Indian startups, Defence Minister has launched the sixth edition of the Defence Indian Startup Challenge (DISC) under the iDEX programme.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In this challenge, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be backing startups that can offer software solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced imaging, sensor systems, big data analytics, autonomous unmanned systems and secured communication systems to the Indian military.
• Under this challenge, MoD aims to support Indian startups by offering financial assistance in the range of INR 1.5 Cr to INR 10 Cr.
• Seven newly-formed defence companies, the Indian Coast Guard, organisations working under the Ministry of Home Affairs, three services and some defence public sector undertakings are heading the challenge.
• In the fifth edition of the DISC challenge, startups and innovators were asked to resolve 35 problem statements (PS) from armed forces and OFB/DPSUs. These challenges were real-life problems faced by the Indian Army, Indian Airforce, Indian Navy, HAL, BEL, HSL, MDL, MIDHANI, and GRSE.

VALUE ADDITION:

• Defence India Startup Challenge, was launched under the iDEX initiative, by MoD and Atal Innovation Mission. It aims to support Indian startups, MSMEs and innovators that create prototypes, commercial products and solutions in the defence and aerospace sector.
• Founded in 2018, iDEX engages MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D initiatives and academia and provides them financial assistance to create tech solutions that can be adopted by defence and aerospace sect.

4. INDIANS NOW MAKE PAYMENTS USING UPI IN UAE

THE CONTEXT: Tourists or migrants to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Indian bank accounts will be able to make UPI payments at shops, retail establishments and other merchants in the gulf nation. This is possible because of the partnership between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Mashreq Bank’s NEOPAY.

THE EXPLANATION:

How does the service work?

• It will be mandatory for users to have a bank account in India with UPI enabled on it. The users will also need an application, like BHIM, to make UPI payments.
• “With the acceptance of BHIM UPI in the UAE, Indian tourists can now make seamless payments through BHIM UPI across NEOPAY enabled shops and merchant stores. This partnership will play a key role in transforming the P2M payment experience for Indian travellers in the UAE.
• The implementation of BHIM UPI in the UAE is a stepping stone toward providing a major boost to digital payments in the country”.
• Payments using UPI will only be accepted at those merchants and shops which have NEOPAY terminals.

Does NPCI have other such international arrangements?

• NPCI’s international arm NIPL have several such arrangements with international financial services providers for its products, including UPI and RuPay cards. Globally, UPI is accepted in Bhutan and Nepal, and is likely to go live in Singapore later this year (2022).
• In Singapore, a project to link UPI with the city-state’s instant payment system Pay Now is being undertaken by the RBI and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The linkage is targeted for operationalisation by July 2022.
• Even though the UAE arrangement only allows for Indians to make payments, in Singapore’s case, the UPI-Pay Now linkage will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis without a need to get on-boarded onto the other payment system.

THE DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY

5. RUSSIA’S NEW NUCLEAR MISSILE SARMAT, CAPABLE OF STRIKING ‘ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD’

THE CONTEXT: Amidst stiff resistance from Ukraine in the ongoing war and harsh sanctions imposed by the West, Russia went ahead and tested its new Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Sarmat.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This was the first test launch of the ICMB Sarmat after having been delayed earlier in 2021. It was launched from Plesetsk in North West Russia with the intended target in the Kamchatka peninsula almost 6,000 km away.
• As per Russian news reports, the missile will have at least five more launches in 2022 before being inducted into the Russian military. Prior to the actual launch, a dummy missile test also took place. Computer simulated missile launches were also done multiple times and some of them were also shared publicly.

Was Russia known to be developing this missile?

• It was widely known that Russia was developing a new ICBM to replace its older ones and an announcement in this regard had been made by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 while making his State of the Nation address to the Federal Assembly.
• Even before Putin’s announcement, there had been reports that Moscow was developing a new ICBM and photos of the possible design came into the fore in 2016. The actual development schedule is believed to have been further back in 2009 to 2011. The deteriorating relations between Russia and the Western Powers is said to have given an impetus to its development.

How is it more advanced than the other Russian ICBMs?

• The RS-28 Sarmat (NATO name Satan-II) is reported to be able to carry ten or more warheads and decoys and has the capability of firing over either of the earth’s poles with a range of 11,000 to 18,000 km. It is expected to pose a significant challenge to the ground-and-satellite-based radar tracking systems of the western powers, particularly the USA.
• The ten warheads are Multiple Independently-Targetable Re-entry Vehicles and each has a blast yield of .75 MT. The Sarmat will also be the first Russian missile which can carry smaller hypersonic boost-glide vehicles.
• These are manoeuvrable and hard to intercept. The upgraded electronic counter measures, guidance systems and alternative warhead carrying capacity makes the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM more lethal than the R-36M Voyevoda ICBMs (NATO name Satan) currently in service in Russia.
• The Sarmat is a liquid fuelled missile as compared to US ICBMs which have moved on to solid fuel systems. Regardless of the different propulsion system, the Sarmat is supposed to pose a significant threat to the US Missile Defence Systems.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

6. OIL MEAL EXPORTS PLUNGE

According to a statement by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, 37 percentage, the decline in India’s oil meals exports to rs 5,600 crore in the financial year 2021-22, The exports declined in the last fiscal due to lesser overseas shipment of soybean meal, which plunged to 3,72,740 tonnes in 2021-22 from 15,64,833 tonnes a year ago. At present, Indian soybean meal is over-priced for exports as the rate is at $840 per tonne in comparison to $574 and $586 for each tonne of shipments originating from Brazil and Argentina.

7. POWER SHORTAGE IN STATES

The 12 States to face energy crisis amid low coal stock to fire thermal power plants, according to the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF). The AIPEF has drawn the attention of Central and State governments towards the depleting coal inventory of domestic thermal power plants. While there was 1.1% power shortage in October 2021, this shortfall shot up to 1.4% in April 2022. States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand and Haryana are facing power cuts.

Major Coal Producing states In FY 2020-21, Chhattisgarh registered highest coal production of 158.409 MT, followed by Odisha 154.150 MT, Madhya Pradesh 132.531 MT, and Jharkhand 119.296 MT. India’s total coal production registered a marginal decline of 2.02% to 716.084 million tonnes during the last FY 2019-20.

8. EXTENSION GRANTED FOR BORDER CROSSING

According to Pakistan Foreign officer, 2 Months, the extension given by Pakistan to India for the transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat and life-saving medicines to war-torn Afghanistan via the Attari-Wagah border crossing. The officer informed that the time period granted had expired on March 21,2022 but accepting the request made by the Government of India the time has been extended. Pakistan, in November 2021, had approved the transportation of humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan via the Wagah border.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q Which of the following are the guiding principles of NITI Aayog?

1. Governance
2. Federalism
3. Sustainability
4. People’s Participation
5. Democracy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1, 2 and 3 only

b) 1, 3 and 4 only

c) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 22ND APRIL 2022

Answer: A

Explanation:

Gotipua is a traditional dance form in the state of Odisha, India, and the precursor of Odissi classical dance. It has been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise Jagannath and Krishna. In the Odia language, Gotipua means ‘single boy’.

THE INTRODUCTION: In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2021, India continued exercising significant climate leadership at the international stage under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group). The chapter discusses several initiatives taken in the area of sustainable finance by the Ministry of Finance, RBI, and SEBI.

INDIA’S PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• India has been making strides towards achieving the social, economic, and environmental goals covered under SDGs.
• This achievement gains further significance in the face of the considerable human and economic costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set countries back on their developmental goals and created serious impediments to the attainment of the SDGs, the world over.

GOAL WISE PERFORMANCE OF INDIA AS A WHOLE: NITI AAYOG SDG INDIA INDEX REPORT AND DASHBOARD 2020-21

• India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard improved to 66 in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19, showing progress in India’s journey towards achieving the SDGs.
• Despite 2020-21 being a pandemic year, India performed well on eight of the 15 SDGs measured by the NITI Aayog SDG India Index.
• These included – goal 3 (good health and well-being), goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), goal 10 (reduced inequalities), goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), goal 15 (life on land) and goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions).

PERFORMANCE OF STATES AND UTS ON THE NITI AAYOG SDG INDIA INDEX, 2021

• The number of Front Runners (scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. All remaining states and UTs were Performers (scoring 50- 64).
• Amongst states, additions to the Front Runner category in 2020-21 included Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, and Tripura. Amongst us, additions to the Front Runner category included Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep.

STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

• Sustainable development requires balancing rapid economic growth with conservation, ecological security, and environmental sustainability. This section explores the state of the environment across the land, water, and air.

LAND FORESTS

• Russia, Brazil, Canada, USA, and China were the top five largest countries by forest area in 2020, while India was the tenth-largest country by forest area.
• The top 10 countries account for 66 percent of the world’s forest area.

• Forests covered 24 percent of India’s total geographical area accounting for two percent of the world’s total forest area in 2020.
• India has increased its forest area significantly over the past decade. It ranks third globally in an average annual net gain in forest area between 2010 to 2020, adding an average of 2,66,000 ha of additional forest area every year during the period, or adding approximately 0.38 percent of the 2010 forest area every year between 2010 to 2020.
• Madhya Pradesh (11 percent of India’s total forest cover) had the largest forest cover in India in 2021, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (9 percent), Chhattisgarh (8 percent), Odisha (7 percent), and Maharashtra (7 percent).
• Mizoram (85 percent), Arunachal Pradesh (79 percent), Meghalaya (76 percent), Manipur (74 percent), and Nagaland (74 percent) were the top five states in terms of the highest percent of forest cover w.r.t. total geographical area of the state in 2021

PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT AND ELIMINATION OF IDENTIFIED SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

• India is committed to mitigating pollution caused by littered single-use plastics.
• In 2018, the Hon’ble Prime Minister announced that India would phase out single-use plastic by 2022.
• The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 as amended regulate the import of identified plastic waste into the country by SEZ and EOUs.
• The regulation of import of plastic waste prevents dumping of plastic waste by other countries in the country and allows for recycling of plastic waste generated in the country.
• The following domestic regulatory actions have been taken in 2021:
• In August 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 prohibiting identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, by 2022.
• The plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase-out of identified single-use plastic items.
• In October 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change notified the draft Regulations on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

WATER

GROUNDWATER

• Ground Water Resources Assessment of states/UTs is carried out jointly by state groundwater/ nodal departments and Central Ground Water Board at periodic intervals, and the Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India is published by compiling the state/UT wise groundwater resources assessed.
• Such groundwater assessments have been undertaken in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2020.
• The annual groundwater recharge, annual extractable groundwater resources, annual groundwater extraction, and the stage of total groundwater extraction of India during 2004-2020.
• Overall, the annual groundwater extraction has been in the range of 58-63 percent during this period.

RESERVOIRS

• Reservoirs are an important source of water resources for the country. However, they are particularly prone to seasonality and are greatly impacted by rainfall and temperature patterns.
• The capacity at full reservoir levels in 138 monitored reservoirs of India along with the live storage during June-December 2021, June 2020–May 2021, and the ten-year average during June – May.
• It may be seen that reservoir live storage is at its peak during monsoon months and lowest in summer months, requiring careful planning and coordination of storage, release, and utilization of reservoirs.

RIVERS

• The Ganga River Basin is the largest in India, covering more than a quarter of the country’s land area, hosting about 43 percent of its population and contributing 28 percent of India’s water resources.
• The Government of India launched the Namami Gange Mission in 2014 as an integrated and multi-sectoral mission for the conservation of Ganga and its tributaries.

Namami Gange Mission

• The total expenditure incurred under the Namami Gange Mission from 2014-15 to December 2021. Lower expenditure incurred in 2020-21 and 2021-22 needs to be viewed in the context of the COVID pandemic and recent changes in accounting norms.

• Under the Gyan Ganga (Research and Knowledge Management) component, the Ganga Knowledge Centre was set up to create a state-of-the-art center to support the NMCG and create a comprehensive knowledge base on Ganga.
• The Centre for Ganga Management & Study was set up at IIT Kanpur for long-term basin studies and technology development.

AIR

• The Government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 to tackle the air pollution problem comprehensively, with a target to achieve 20-30 percent reduction in particulate matter (PM) concentrations by 2024 across the country keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
• The NCAP is implemented in 132 cities, of which 124 cities have been identified based on non-conformity with national ambient air quality standards for five consecutive years.
• This includes 34 million-plus cities / urban agglomerations identified by the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC).
• In addition, NCAP also covers eight other million-plus cities, which fall under the XV-FC grant for receiving performance-based grants for air quality improvement. Figure 26 shows the funds released under the NCAP in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
• In 2019-20, the highest funds were released to Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh while in 2020-21, the highest funds were released to Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and West Bengal.
• Several steps are being taken to control and minimize air pollution from various sources in the country, which inter alia include:
• Vehicular Emission: India has leapfrogged from BS-IV to BS-VI norms for fuel and vehicles since April 2020.
• Industrial Emission: Stringent emission norms for coal-based thermal power plants have been introduced.
• Air Pollution due to dust and burning of waste: Six waste management rules covering solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, bio-medical waste, construction, and demolition waste, and hazardous waste have been notified.
• Monitoring of Ambient Air Quality: The air quality monitoring network of manual as well as continuous monitoring stations, under programs such as the National Air Monitoring Programme, have been expanded.

AVERAGE ANNUAL AIR QUALITY INDEX, DELHI (2016-2021)

CLIMATE CHANGE

India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, establishing eight National Missions to advance action on the country’s climate priorities.

NATIONAL MISSIONS UNDER NAPCC

MAJOR DECISIONS AT THE COP26 CLIMATE SUMMIT, GLASGOW

• The COP26 adopted outcomes on all pending issues of the “Paris Rule Book”, which is the procedures for implementation of the Paris Agreement, including market mechanisms, transparency, and common timeframes for NDCs.
• The “Glasgow Climate Pact” emphasizes adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology transfer, capacity-building, loss, and damage.
• The decision urges the developed country Parties to fully deliver on the USD 100 billion mobilization goal urgently and through till 2025 and emphasizes the importance of transparency in the implementation of their pledge.
• COP26 also welcomed the launch of a comprehensive two-year Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh work program on the global goal of adaptation. The Glasgow Dialogue between Parties, relevant organizations, and stakeholders on loss and damage was established to explore the ways to fund loss and damage due to climate change.

India’s NDC and its voluntary commitment to enhanced climate action.

India submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on a “best effort basis” keeping its developmental imperatives in mind. India committed to

1. Reduce the emission intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 as compared to the 2005 level.
2. Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
3. Achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel energy resources by 2030.

FINANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

DEALING WITH FINANCIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE:

To assess the progress of its regulated entities in managing climate risk, RBI is preparing a consultative discussion paper covering, inter alia,

1. Governance
2. Strategy
3. Risk management
4. Disclosure

AUGMENTING FINANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

• India is actively contributing to the global efforts towards green finance.
• RBI joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) as a member on April 23rd, 2021, and has begun participating in the workstreams of the NGFS.

INDIA’S INITIATIVES AT THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Lifestyle for Environment (LIFE):

• In November 2021, the Hon’ble Prime Minister proposed a One-Word Movement in the context of climate: LIFE – Lifestyle for Environment, at the COP 26 in Glasgow.

International Solar Alliance (ISA):

• In November 2021, the Hon’ble Prime Minister launched the joint Green Grids Initiative One Sun One World One Grid (GGI –OSOWOG) at the World Leaders’ Summit in Glasgow.

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure:

• India’s call for promoting disaster resilience of infrastructure through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has been receiving global attention.
• Since CDRI’s launch in September 2019, its membership has expanded to 28 countries and seven multilateral organizations, with several member countries committing to provide technical assistance and financial resources.

Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group):

• LeadIT was launched by India and Sweden, with the support of the World Economic Forum at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019, as one of the nine action tracks identified by the UN Secretary-General to boost climate ambitions and actions to implement the Paris Agreement.

CONCLUSION: Going forward, there is a need to further improve forest and tree cover. Social forestry could also play a significant role in this regard. States/UTs need to improve management of their groundwater resources through improving its recharge and by stemming its over-exploitation and preventing the critical and semi-critical assessment units from further worsening. There is a greater thrust on climate action following the announcement of India’s target of becoming Net-Zero by 2070. Climate finance will remain critical to successful climate action by developing countries, including India.

HIGHLIGHTS

• India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index and Dashboard improved to 66 in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19.
• Number of Front Runners (scoring 65-99) increased to 22 States and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20.
• In North-East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22.
• India has the tenth largest forest area in the world.
• In 2020, India ranked third globally in increasing its forest area from 2010 to 2020.
• In 2020, the forests covered 24% of India’s total geographical, accounting for 2% of the world’s total forest area.
• In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, was notified which is aimed at phasing out single-use plastic by 2022.
• Draft regulation on Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging was notified.
• The Compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39% in 2017 to 81% in 2020.
• The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 million liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
• The Prime Minister, as a part of the national statement delivered at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further reduction in emissions.
• The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment) urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless and destructive consumption was underlined.