6 days ago
3
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: Delhi’s air, already astatine toxic levels, turned worse connected Monday, turning the metropolis into a state chamber. The Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated from 441 connected Sunday to 494, its worst-ever — connected a par with the city’s astir polluted time recorded successful 2019.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is Air Quality Index (AQI)?
• AQI is calculated utilizing 8 pollutants-True oregon False?
• The National AQI was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)-True oregon False?
• What are the pollutants that are taken into relationship successful the calculation of AQI?
• What constitutes aerial prime arsenic bully + satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, precise poor, and severe?
• What are the cardinal differences betwixt PM2.5 and PM10 successful presumption of their wellness impacts and sources? How does AQI instrumentality these into relationship erstwhile determining aerial quality?
• What is GRAP?
• What is Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP
• Explain however seasonal variations impact the AQI levels successful NCR region. Discuss the relation of anthropogenic and earthy factors successful this regard.
• “Air contamination successful Delhi is simply a reflection of mediocre municipality readying and governance”-How acold you hold with the connection successful airy of the Supreme Court’s involution and GRAP measures.
• Critically analyse the effectiveness of India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) successful improving AQI levels successful NCR region.
• “Air contamination is not lone an biology contented but besides a developmental challenge.” Discuss this connection with notation to India’s aerial prime absorption efforts and planetary commitments nether agreements similar the Paris Accord.
• Evaluate the relation of national participation, technology, and argumentation successful enhancing AQI levels successful New Delhi.
• Critically measure the interaction of Supreme Court-mandated restrictions similar GRAP Stage 4 connected nationalist wellness and economical activities successful Delhi.
Key Takeaways:
• Since 2015, erstwhile the Central Pollution Control Board started maintaining aerial prime data, the AQI has deteriorated to this level lone erstwhile before, connected November 3, 2019.
• A operation of meteorological factors, precocious emanation load from Delhi’s ain sources arsenic good arsenic stubble-burning has led to a drastic AQI increase. With temperatures dipping but winds remaining calm, pollutant attraction has lone gone up implicit the past 3 days.
• According to experts, a tiny dip successful temperature, particularly during the day, has a important interaction connected the AQI. High humidity, debased temperatures and debased upwind velocity assistance the accumulation of pollutants.
• According to the R K Jenamani, caput of IMD’s National Weather Forecasting Centre, “Westerly winds person been prevailing astatine a debased velocity of 5 to 10 kmph successful the past 24 hours. These meteorological conditions are mostly observed astir this time… In the adjacent 24 hours to 48 hours, determination volition not beryllium overmuch alteration successful the upwind conditions… No rainfall is expected either. There volition lone beryllium an betterment if upwind speeds increase.”
• Another IMD idiosyncratic said, “These atmospheric conditions are mostly observed astatine this clip but the stableness successful the atmospheric furniture due to the fact that of thermal inversion combined with debased upwind velocity has trapped the pollutants which is wherefore the pollutant attraction has been continuously high.”
• With the upwind velocity remaining nether the 10 km per hr people successful caller days, pollutants person lone accumulated. The conditions are unfavourable for dispersion. The superior pollutant, arsenic per CPCB, was PM 2.5.
Do You Know:
• Air Quality Index is simply a instrumentality for effectual connection of aerial prime presumption to radical successful terms, which are casual to understand. It transforms analyzable aerial prime information of assorted pollutants into a azygous fig (index value), nomenclature and colour.
• There are six AQI categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based connected ambient attraction values of aerial pollutants and their apt wellness impacts (known arsenic wellness breakpoints).
• AQ sub-index and wellness breakpoints are evolved for 8 pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hours) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
• Based connected the measured ambient concentrations of a pollutant, sub-index is calculated, which is simply a linear relation of attraction (e.g. the sub-index for PM2.5 volition beryllium 51 astatine attraction 31 µg/m3, 100 astatine attraction 60 µg/m3, and 75 astatine attraction of 45 µg/m3). The worst sub-index determines the wide AQI.
• GRAP is simply a acceptable of exigency measures that footwear successful to forestall further deterioration of aerial prime erstwhile it reaches a definite threshold successful the Delhi-NCR region. Approved by the Supreme Court successful 2016 and notified successful 2017, the program was formulated aft respective meetings the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) held with authorities authorities representatives and experts.
• GRAP is incremental successful quality and thus, erstwhile the aerial prime dips from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor,’ measures listed nether some sections indispensable beryllium followed. Stage I of GRAP is activated erstwhile the AQI is successful the ‘poor’ class (201 to 300), Stage II is erstwhile it’s successful the ‘very poor’ class (301-400), Stage III is erstwhile the AQI is the ‘Severe’ class (401-450) and yet Stage IV is erstwhile it rises to the ‘Severe +’ class (more than 450).
• GRAP IV says:
—Stop introduction of motortruck postulation into Delhi (except for trucks carrying indispensable commodities/ providing indispensable services). All LNG/CNG/Electric/BS- VI Diesel trucks shall, however, beryllium permitted to participate Delhi.
—Do not licence Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) registered extracurricular Delhi, different than EVs/CNG/BS- VI diesel, to participate Delhi, but those carrying indispensable commodities/providing indispensable services.
—Enforce a strict prohibition connected plying of Delhi registered BS-IV and beneath diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) successful Delhi, but those carrying indispensable commodities/providing indispensable services.
—Ban operation and demolition activities, arsenic successful the GRAP Stage-III, besides for linear nationalist projects specified arsenic highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, powerfulness transmission, pipelines, telecommunications, etc.
—NCR authorities governments and the Delhi authorities whitethorn instrumentality a determination connected discontinuing carnal classes adjacent for classes VI-IX and people XI, and behaviour lessons successful an online mode.
—NCR State governments/Delhi authorities to determine connected allowing public, municipal and backstage offices to enactment connected 50% spot and the remainder to enactment from home.
—Central Government whitethorn marque due decisions connected permitting enactment from location for employees successful cardinal authorities offices.
—State Governments whitethorn see further exigency measures similar the closure of colleges/ acquisition institutions and closure of non-emergency commercialized activities, permitting moving of vehicles connected odd-even ground of registration numbers etc.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Finding Solutions to Air Pollution successful India: The Role of Policy, Finance, and Communities
📍Why GRAP signifier IV has been announced now, what is allowed nether it
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
1. In the cities of our country, which among the pursuing atmospheric gases are usually considered successful calculating the worth of Air Quality Index? (UPSC CSE, 2016)
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below.
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 4 and 5 only
d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
GOVT & POLITICS
Rio G20 taking guardant people-centric decisions taken during India meet: PM
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: Addressing the opening league of the G20 Summit successful Rio de Janeiro connected Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Brazil’s docket focused connected sustainable improvement goals, noting that this attack highlighted the concerns of the Global South and took guardant the people-centric decisions of the New Delhi G20 Summit.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What to you recognize by the look ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, oregon ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’?
• ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and Globalisation-Connect the dots?
• ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ Sanskrit operation recovered successful which Hindu texts?
• G20-know successful detail
• Which state is hosting the G20 Summit 2024?
• What is the taxable of the G20 Summit 2024?
• Map Work-G20 subordinate countries
• The G20 accounts for astir what percent of the world’s GDP?
• The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 20 subordinate nations, including the European Union-True oregon False?
• What is the conception of Global South?
• Global South and G20-connect the dots
• Discuss however “One Earth, One Family, One Future” aligns with India’s contributions to planetary issues specified arsenic clime change, integer governance, and inclusive growth.
• Critically measure the effectiveness of G20 commitments connected clime concern and their implementation challenges.
• Discuss the value of multilateral forums similar the G20 successful addressing modern planetary challenges.
• Discuss the relation of the G20 successful achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with notation to the cardinal commitments made during the 2024 Summit.
Key Takeaways:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored that the Indian G20 presidency’s telephone for “One Earth, One Family, One Future” continued to resonate astatine the Rio conversations.
• During the Summit (November 18 and 19), the Prime Minister enactment guardant India’s presumption connected assorted issues of planetary value and physique connected the outcomes from the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and Voice of the Global South Summits which were hosted by India successful the past 2 years.
• Speaking astir India’s initiatives to woody with hunger and poverty, Modi noted that India had pulled 250 cardinal radical retired of poorness successful the past 10 years and was distributing escaped foodgrains to 800 cardinal radical successful the country.
• On India’s occurrence successful tackling nutrient security, the PM emphasised that its attack based connected ‘Back to Basics and March to Future’ was yielding results. He further elaborated connected measures taken by India to foster women-led development.
• The PM besides highlighted the steps taken by India to fortify nutrient information successful Africa and elsewhere. In this regard, helium welcomed the Brazilian inaugural to found a ‘Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty’, underlining that the Global South was severely impacted by food, substance and fertiliser crises created by the ongoing conflicts, and therefore, their concerns ought to beryllium fixed primacy.
Do You Know:
• The G20, oregon the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union and African Union.
• Notably, the African Union, a grouping that represents 55 countries, was admitted arsenic a caller subordinate of the G20 successful June 2023.
• These members correspond astir 85 per cent of the planetary GDP, implicit 75 per cent of planetary trade, and astir two-thirds of the satellite population. As a forum for planetary economical cooperation, it plays an important relation successful shaping and strengthening planetary architecture and governance connected each large planetary economical issues.
• It was successful precocious 1999 that the G20, with its existent composition, was yet founded arsenic an informal forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of its members to conscionable annually.
• It is important to enactment that the G20 is an informal grouping. This means that dissimilar the United Nations (UN), it does not person a imperishable secretariat oregon staff. Rather, the G20 presidency rotates annually among the members and is liable for bringing unneurotic the G20 agenda, organising its workings and hosting summits.
• The presidency is supported by the “troika” – previous, existent and incoming presidencies.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍G20 Summit: Everything you request to know
📍As dependable of Global South, India pushes for alteration successful planetary order
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
2. In which 1 of the pursuing groups are each the 4 countries members of G20? (UPSC CSE 2020)
(a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
(b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand
(c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam
(d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea
COP indispensable enactment antagonistic impacts of unilateral commercialized measures: India
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
• General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: Reacting powerfully to suggestions that principles of ‘Just Transition’ beryllium utilized to gully up clime enactment plans successful the future, India Monday said “prescriptive top-down approaches” were violative of provisions of the UN Framework Convention connected Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and would ne'er beryllium acceptable to the processing countries.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is India’s presumption astatine COP29?
• What is “principle of conscionable transition”?
• What are the main pillars of “just transition”?
• What is Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)?
• India opposed the inclusion of unilateral commercialized measures similar the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) successful clime enactment discussions astatine COP29-true oregon false?
• What is the superior interest of processing countries regarding unilateral commercialized measures similar CBAM?
• Examine the implications of unilateral commercialized measures, specified arsenic CBAM, connected planetary commercialized and the economies of processing nations. Discuss India’s absorption to specified measures astatine COP29.
• India emphasized multilateralism astatine COP29 successful tackling clime change. Analyse the challenges to multilateralism successful the existent planetary clime governance framework.
• India has consistently advocated for clime equity and communal but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) successful planetary negotiations. Discuss however these principles are reflected successful India’s stance astatine COP29.
• “Developed nations person a humanities work to supply clime concern and exertion transportation to processing nations.” Evaluate this connection successful the discourse of COP29 negotiations connected clime concern and commercialized measures.
Key Takeaways:
• Insisting that improvement was the “overriding priority” of countries successful the Global South, India’s Environment Secretary Leena Nandan, said if the developed countries so wanted to sermon ‘just transition’, they should beryllium consenting to sermon it successful the broader consciousness including the inequities successful the planetary clime discourse, and not conscionable successful the NDCs and the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
• At the commencement of the COP29 meeting, China, speaking connected behalf of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) radical of countries, had made a akin petition and tried to get this contented included connected the authoritative agenda. The petition was deflected astatine that clip and was referred to much consultations with each parties.
• The processing countries kick that the costs of emissions reductions are successful a mode getting shifted to them.
• India besides pointed retired that important barriers existed successful the transportation of technologies related to cleanable energy, thing that was against the provisions of Paris Agreement, and said COP29 indispensable facilitate casual and affordable transportation of applicable technologies to the processing countries.
Do You Know:
• In the clime alteration context, ‘just transition’ refers to a displacement to low-carbon economies successful a fair, equitable and inclusive mode which does not enactment immoderate conception of radical astatine immoderate peculiar disadvantage.
• India was not objecting to the principles of conscionable transition, but the information that countries were being asked to hole their clime enactment plans successful a definite way. Under the Paris Agreement, the clime enactment plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are expected to beryllium “nationally-determined” and not forced upon by others.
• CBAM seeks to enforce a taxation connected a definite people of goods imported successful the EU, if the accumulation of those goods had an emanation footprint higher than the emanation standards successful EU. Ostensibly a measurement to power emissions, CBAM has the effect of making the goods from processing countries similar China oregon India non-competitive successful the European markets.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍An Expert Explains: The improvement and essentials of India’s clime policy
📍Where are we astatine with countries’ clime contributions?
EXPRESS NETWORK
Report connected dip successful India wood screen devoid of facts: Govt
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: The Global Forest Watch (GFW) task monitoring information that said India had mislaid 2.33 cardinal hectares of histrion screen is “devoid of facts, crushed world and internationally accepted norms”, the Union Environment Ministry and the Forest Survey of India (FSI) person told the National Green Tribunal.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Who releases the Global Forest Watch report?
• What precisely Global Forest Watch study said?
• What are the cardinal findings of Global Forest Watch (GFW)?
• What is the superior disapproval raised by the Government of India regarding the Global Forest Watch report?
• Critically analyse the differences betwixt India’s authoritative information (e.g., ISFR) and planetary reports similar the Global Forest Watch successful assessing wood cover. Why are discrepancies successful specified reports significant?
• Discuss the relation of satellite-based monitoring systems successful biology governance. How tin information reliability and transparency beryllium ensured successful specified systems?
• Examine the interaction of urbanization and infrastructure improvement connected India’s greenish cover. Suggest measures to equilibrium improvement with biology sustainability.
Key Takeaways:
• According to the GFW data, the “tree cover” was derived from outer information and it does not discern the onshore use, arsenic per its methodology. It relies connected a standardised explanation of “forest” adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, which takes into relationship biophysical criteria — histrion height, canopy cover, grade of trees — and onshore usage criteria.
• The affidavit filed by the Union Environment Ministry and the Forest Survey of India (FSI) challenged the GFW’s findings that an mean of 51 cardinal tonnes of c dioxide equivalent per twelvemonth was released into the ambiance arsenic a effect of the histrion screen nonaccomplishment successful India. It said that the question of specified CO2 emissions does not originate arsenic determination was nary alteration successful wood and histrion cover.
• The affidavit said that the country’s wood screen was reported successful FSI’s biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and is based connected internationally accepted criteria. However, it added, GFW’s parameter for wood screen was not based connected these internationally accepted criteria, and it mightiness person a antithetic methodology and explanation for assessment.
Do You Know:
• According to the GFW information released successful April 2024, India mislaid 2.33 cardinal hectares oregon 6% of histrion screen betwixt 2001 and 2023 — 60% of it successful 5 Northeastern states of Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. It attributed astir 18% of the full histrion screen nonaccomplishment to the diminution successful humid superior forests by 4.14 lakh hectares.
• The Global Forest Watch, which tracks wood changes successful adjacent real-time utilizing outer information and different sources, said the state mislaid 4,14,000 hectares of humid superior wood (4.1 per cent) from 2002 to 2023, making up 18 per cent of its full histrion screen nonaccomplishment successful the aforesaid period.
• Assam had the maximum histrion screen nonaccomplishment astatine 324,000 hectares compared to an mean of 66,600 hectares. Mizoram mislaid 312,000 hectares of histrion cover, Arunachal Pradesh 262,000 hectares, Nagaland 259,000 hectares, and Manipur 240,000 hectares.
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the complaint of deforestation successful India was 668,000 hectares per twelvemonth betwixt 2015 and 2020, the 2nd highest worldwide.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍India mislaid 2.33 cardinal hectares of histrion screen since 2000: Global Forest Watch
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
3. With notation to the ‘New York Declaration connected Forests’, which of the pursuing statements are correct? (UPSC CSE 2021)
1. It was archetypal endorsed astatine the United Nations Climate Summit successful 2014.
2. It endorses a planetary timeline to extremity the nonaccomplishment of forests.
3. It is simply a legally binding planetary declaration.
4. It is endorsed by governments, large companies and indigenous communities.
5. India was 1 of the signatories astatine its inception.
Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below.
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 1, 3 and 5
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 5
EXPLAINED
Regulating fossil fuel, similar atomic weapons
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: Should fossil fuels beryllium regulated the mode atomic weapons are? A radical of governments and civilian nine organisations judge so, and are pushing the thought of a fossil substance non-proliferation pact (FF-NPT).
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty?
• What is the superior nonsubjective of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty?
• Analyse the similarities and differences betwixt treaties targeting fossil fuels (e.g., the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty) and those targeting atomic weapons (e.g., TPNW). How bash their challenges compare?
• Discuss the implications of phasing retired fossil fuels for processing economies. How tin planetary practice code equity concerns successful this transition?)
• The modulation from fossil fuels is arsenic captious for humanity arsenic atomic disarmament. Evaluate this connection successful airy of existent geopolitical and biology challenges.
Key Takeaways:
• “Just similar 50 years ago, erstwhile the satellite utilized planetary treaties to defuse the threats posed by atomic weapons, today, the satellite needs a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to signifier retired fossil fuels, enactment babelike economies, workers and communities to diversify distant from fossil fuels, guarantee 100% entree to renewable vigor globally and beforehand a conscionable modulation that leaves no-one behind,” the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative says connected its website.
• The planetary organisation is made up of civilian nine members, indigenous peoples, activists, academics, and experts.
• FF-NPT has been endorsed by 13 Small Island Developing States of the pacific, specified arsenic Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, who were slightest liable for planetary warming but are astir susceptible to its impact. Colombia, 1 of the largest ember producers and exporters globally, endorsed FF-NPT successful December 2023, astatine COP28.
Do You Know:
• The FF-NPT proposes to marque it legally binding connected nations to extremity fossil substance extraction, upwind down existing production, and negociate a conscionable modulation to renewable energy.
• It operates connected 3 pillars — non-proliferation, which is simply a planetary practice exemplary to extremity the enlargement of coal, lipid and state production; a just phase-out, which comprises an equitable program to unopen down existing fossil substance accumulation successful a mode that nations with the capableness and humanities work for emissions modulation fastest and empowers others; and ‘just transition’, which calls for fast-tracking the adoption of renewable vigor and economical diversification distant from fossil fuels specified that nary worker, assemblage oregon state is near behind.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Freeze successful concern deal, COP29 looks to G20 successful Brazil for help
THE IDEAS PAGE
Neighbourhood first, successful practice
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
What’s the ongoing story: Yogendra Yadav writes: What precisely is India’s “national interest” successful our neighbourhood? Is it successful our semipermanent involvement to flex our muscles, browbeat our neighbours and make a portion of India’s dominance successful our backyard?
Key Points to Ponder:
• Define India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy. How does it signifier India’s attack toward its neighbouring countries?
• Discuss the cardinal principles of the Gujral Doctrine and its relevance for India’s relations with its South Asian neighbours.
• Discuss the humanities and taste factors influencing India-Nepal relations. How person these factors impacted the bilateral narration successful caller years?
• Critically analyse the challenges India faces successful implementing its “Neighbourhood First” argumentation successful the existent geopolitical context.
• “India’s overseas argumentation successful South Asia often displays a ‘big brother’ attitude.” Do you hold with this assertion? Provide grounds and suggest an alternate model for fostering amended determination ties.
• Nepal’s adoption of a “China-first” attack nether K P Oli’s enactment reflects a displacement successful its overseas policy. Analyze the causes of this displacement and its implications for India-Nepal relations.
• “India’s involution successful Nepal’s home authorities has often been viewed with suspicion.” Critically measure this statement, highlighting its interaction connected India’s diplomatic credibility successful Nepal.
• Balancing Power and Prudence-Know India’s Role successful South Asia.
Key Takeaways:
• The Writer questions the effectiveness of India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, highlighting that it appears to absorption connected asserting dominance alternatively than fostering genuine goodwill and cooperation.
• Leaders successful neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, person demonstrated varying degrees of anti-India sentiment oregon policies perceived arsenic unfavourable to India.
• Countries are progressively leveraging China’s power to counterbalance India, undermining India’s dominance successful the region.
• Historical incidents, similar the alleged 2015 blockade of Nepal, person near lasting scars connected India’s relationships, peculiarly with landlocked neighbours. Perceptions of Indian interference successful home authorities person strained trust. For instance, Indian agencies are accused of having undue power successful Nepal’s governmental processes.
• India’s engagement with neighbours is criticized for being high-handed and overly focused connected securing India’s interests without adequately respecting the sovereignty and sentiments of neighbouring nations.
• The Writer advocates for a displacement from a “Neighbourhood First” to a “Neighbourliness First” policy, emphasizing:
—Respect for sovereignty.
—Non-interference successful interior matters.
—Trust-based relationships without expecting reciprocity.
Do You Know:
• The conception of the Neighbourhood First Policy came into being successful 2008. It was conceived to bolster relations with definite precedence countries specified arsenic Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍India’s neighbours astatine swearing-in: Shared stakes successful unchangeable ties
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
1. ‘China is utilizing its economical relations and affirmative commercialized surplus arsenic tools to make imaginable subject powerfulness presumption successful Asia’, In the airy of this statement, sermon its interaction connected India arsenic her neighbor. (2017)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, improvement and employment.
What’s the ongoing story: Ishan Bakshi Writes: Perhaps aft aboriginal December, the cardinal slope leadership, which is trying to navigate a challenging economical and governmental environment, volition alteration tack and beryllium surer of the absorption of involvement rates and the currency
Key Points to Ponder:
• Explain the RBI’s inflation targeting model and its value for monetary policy.
• Discuss the narration betwixt nutrient ostentation and halfway ostentation successful the discourse of the wage-price spiral.
• Why has the RBI chosen to support involvement rates contempt concerns astir economical growth?
• “Currency considerations, alternatively than ostentation concerns, are apt to predominate RBI’s monetary argumentation decisions.” Critically analyse this connection successful the discourse of caller economical trends
• Evaluate the challenges faced by the Indian system owed to anemic household request and subdued private-sector investment. Suggest measures to revive economical momentum.
• The unit to chopped involvement rates is increasing, but specified a determination could person adverse effects connected currency stability. Examine the trade-offs progressive and suggest a balanced attack for the RBI.
Key Takeaways:
• Headline ostentation is supra the RBI’s precocious threshold owed to precocious nutrient prices, peculiarly vegetables. Excluding vegetables, ostentation remains subdued (3.3% successful September, 3.6% successful October).
• The caller surge is not seen arsenic a semipermanent threat, with the rabi harvest expected to bring terms stability. Food terms shocks indispensable beryllium ample and persistent to impact halfway inflation.
• Labour markets stay weak, with muted wage maturation and subdued steadfast input costs, indicating nary grounds of a wage-price spiral.
• The system is losing momentum, with GDP maturation expected to autumn beneath 7% (down from 8.2% past year), and nominal GDP maturation projected beneath 10% for the 2nd consecutive year.
• Household request remains anemic owed to constricted occupation opportunities, subdued wages, and precocious nutrient inflation. Private-sector concern has yet to prime up.
• While the RBI remains optimistic astir growth, the authorities has acknowledged signs of economical strain successful municipality request and circumstantial sectors.
• The rupee is nether strain owed to overseas superior outflows ($14 cardinal successful 2 months) and rising U.S. involvement rates, making complaint cuts risky.
• A weaker rupee could amended export competitiveness but airs risks for corporations with important overseas currency loans.
• U.S. monetary argumentation and expectations of higher tariffs nether a 2nd Trump presidency are influencing planetary and home involvement complaint dynamics.
• The RBI faces a trade-off betwixt supporting maturation done complaint cuts and stabilizing the currency to forestall further superior outflows.
Do You Know:
• Food ostentation refers to the summation successful prices of nutrient items. Understanding the factors that lend to this improvement is crucial, particularly successful the discourse of expanding nutrient inflation. In India, some proviso and request factors power nutrient inflation; however, it is chiefly driven by supply-side issues.
• According to Udit Misra– “In agrarian areas, nutrient ostentation tends to person a overmuch higher bearing connected wide ostentation portion it accounts for a smaller spot successful the municipality areas.
“Vegetable ostentation contributed the astir to wide header inflation. In agrarian and municipality areas rootlike ostentation was astir the aforesaid astatine 36 per cent and 35.9 per cent, respectively. But, the sting is different. Vegetables person a value of 7.5 per cent successful agrarian CPI and 4.4 per cent successful municipality CPI. Due to the comparatively larger value of vegetables successful agrarian consumption, it contributed to 45.8 per cent of the header agrarian inflation. In contrast, rootlike ostentation lone contributed 31.3 per cent to header municipality inflation,” explains the CMIE note.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍ExplainSpeaking: How nutrient ostentation hits agrarian India much than municipality areas
📍UPSC Issue astatine a Glance | Food Inflation: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
4. In India, which 1 of the pursuing is liable for maintaining terms stableness by controlling inflation? (UPSC CSE, 2022)
(a) Department of Consumer Affairs
(b) Expenditure Management Commission
(c) Financial Stability and Development Council
(d) Reserve Bank of India’
ECONOMY
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development
Main Examination:
• General Studies II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests.
• General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects successful mundane life.
What’s the ongoing story: On commercialized and economy, the points of convergence betwixt India’s concern interests and Trumponomics are opening to get comprehensible. The 1 imaginable country of communal involvement could beryllium Small Modular Reactors, thing New Delhi is progressively viewing arsenic an country of strategical interest, and president-elect Donald Trump appears keen to push.
Key Points to Ponder:
• How bash Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) align with India’s cleanable vigor modulation goals? What are the imaginable benefits and challenges
for India successful adopting SMRs for its aboriginal vigor needs?
• Analyze the relation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) successful the geopolitics of atomic energy, specifically focusing connected India’s strategical and diplomatic interests successful collaborating with the U.S. and Russia.
• Evaluate the technological and regulatory hurdles successful India’s atomic assemblage that mightiness interaction its information successful the planetary Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market. How tin India flooded these challenges?
• “India’s engagement with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is not conscionable a substance of vigor security, but besides a strategical overseas argumentation initiative.” Discuss the implications of this connection successful the discourse of India’s narration with the U.S., Russia, and China. (250 words, 20 marks)
• Critically measure the imaginable for collaboration betwixt India and the U.S. successful the tract of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), considering some the technological and ineligible challenges outlined successful the article.
• Examine the relation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) successful the aboriginal of planetary atomic energy, and India’s positioning arsenic a imaginable person successful this emerging technology. What steps should India instrumentality to guarantee it maximizes its benefits?
Key Takeaways:
• India is progressively focusing connected Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) arsenic portion of its cleanable vigor transition.
• SMRs are viewed arsenic a imaginable country of communal involvement betwixt India and the U.S., particularly nether President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
• SMRs, with capacities ranging from 30MWe to 300MWe per unit, code cardinal challenges of atomic power: they are smaller, safer, faster to build, and little costly than accepted ample reactors.
• The astir communal benignant of SMR is airy h2o reactors, which align with existing atomic regulations, making them easier to plan and approve.
• India seeks to presumption itself arsenic a credible alternate to different planetary players successful SMR technology, gathering connected its past of operating smaller reactors.
• China is aggressively pursuing SMR improvement to presumption itself arsenic a planetary leader, akin to its occurrence successful the electrical conveyance sector.
• The U.S. and India, portion having their ain strengths, look challenges successful competing with China successful this abstraction owed to technological constraints and precocious manufacturing costs.
• India faces technological constraints with its outdated dense h2o reactor technology, which is not compatible with the much communal airy h2o reactor utilized successful SMRs.
• India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (2010) is seen arsenic an obstacle by overseas companies owed to its request for operators to carnivore liability for atomic accidents.
• The U.S. faces challenges owed to ‘10CFR810’ authorization, which allows American companies to export atomic exertion but restricts them from manufacturing oregon designing atomic instrumentality successful India.
Do You Know:
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an planetary assemblage that advises governments connected the modulation to cleanable energy, says atomic vigor has to much than treble by 2050 if the satellite has immoderate accidental of reaching nett zero. The occupation with atomic powerfulness presently is that it is large and expensive, takes excessively agelong to physique and could origin civilisation-ending disasters if thing were to spell wrong.
• SMRs — tiny reactors with a capableness of 30MWe to 300 MWe per portion — committedness a workaround connected astir of those concerns. This is particularly applicable successful the aftermath of surging powerfulness request from exertion companies, fixed the monolithic incremental energy request coming successful from AI instrumentality learning applications and information centres.
• While tons of antithetic types of SMRs are being developed, determination are presently 4 main types, each utilizing a antithetic coolant to negociate the utmost vigor of a atomic fission absorption — airy water, precocious somesthesia gas, liquid metal, and molten salt.
• The astir communal type, though, are airy h2o reactors, which are precise akin to accepted atomic powerfulness plants being built successful Russia, France and the US that are each water-cooled. That makes airy h2o SMRs overmuch easier to plan and get approved, arsenic today’s atomic regulations are mostly based connected water-cooled reactors.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍What Trumponomics means for India, the world
📍20 years aft atomic deal, New Jersey firm’s connection for tiny reactor opens a door
| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (b) 2.(a) 3.(a) 4.(d) |
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