[Mission 2022] SECURE SYNOPSIS: 02 April 2022 – INSIGHTSIAS

 

 

How to Follow Secure Initiative?

How to Self-evaluate your answer? 

MISSION – 2022: YEARLONG TIMETABLE

 

Answer the following questions in 150 words:

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General Studies – 1

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1. Gandhara School encapsulates foreign techniques and Hellenistic spirit of realism which is evident in its art. Elucidate. (250 words)

Reference: Indian Express

Introduction

Gandhara art, style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE. The style, of Greco-Roman origin, seems to have flourished largely during the Kushana dynasty and was contemporaneous with an important but dissimilar school of Kushana art at Mathura.

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The Gandharan craftsmen made a lasting contribution to Buddhist art in their composition of the events of the Buddha’s life into set scenes.

Gandhara art encapsulates foreign techniques and Hellenistic spirit of realism

• In its interpretation of Buddhist legends, the Gandhara school incorporated many motifs and techniques from Classical Roman art, including vine scrolls, cherubs bearing garlands, tritons, and centaurs. The basic iconography, however, remained Indian.
• The materials used for Gandhara sculpture were green phyllite and gray-blue mica schist which in general, belong to an earlier phase, and stucco, which was used increasingly after the 3rd century CE. The sculptures were originally painted and gilded.
• The Hellenistic influence was nowhere more dramatic than in Gandhara, a term now used to describe the school of semi-classical sculptures of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the early centuries of our era.
• In contrast with Mathura School, the Gandhara School images are known for their anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and foreshortening.
• The Gandhara school drew upon the anthropomorphic traditions of Roman religion and represented the Buddha with a youthful Apollo-like face, dressed in garments resembling those seen on Roman imperial statues.
• This style of art was closely associated with Mahayana Buddhism and hence the main theme of this art was Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
• The Buddha and Bodhisattva figures resemble the Greek God Apollo with broad shoulders, a halo around the head. The physical features such as muscles, nails, hair have been done with great detail.
• All early Bodhisattvas are shown in wearing turbans, jewelry, and muslin skirts, a costume that was an adaptation of the actual dress of Kushan and Indian nobles.
• Thus, it can be conjectured that in idea and conception this style was Indian and in execution it was foreign. One example of the Gandhara style of art is the Bamiyan Buddha statues.
• The Gandhara depiction of the seated Buddha was less successful.

Conclusion

The schools of Gandhara and Mathura influenced each other, and the general trend was away from a naturalistic conception and toward a more idealized, abstract image. Gandhara School of Art can be said as an influence and culmination of both the Indian as well as foreign traditions due to its strategic location.

 

 

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General Studies – 2

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2. An independent umbrella body that brings the various investigative agencies under one roof holds the key to shoring up their credibility and ensuring due diligence in investigation. Critically analyse.

Reference: Indian Express 

Introduction

               India has a host of investigative agencies such as CBI, ED, NIA, SFIO etc, adding to multiplicity and delay in justice delivery. Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana recently called for immediate need for the creation of an independent umbrella institution, so as to bring various central agencies like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office under one roof.

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Need for such an umbrella institution:

• Lack of credibility:Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ED and other central government investigating agencies had come under deep public scrutiny. Its actions and inactions had raised questions regarding its credibility.
• To uphold democratic values: All the institutions including the police and the investigative bodies uphold and strengthen the democratic values.
  • The police and the probe agencies need to function within democratic framework as prescribed under the Constitution. Any deviation will hurt the institutions and will weaken our democracy.
  • The police and the investigative agencies may have de-facto legitimacy, but yet, as institutions, they still have to gain social legitimacy.
• To ensure legislative oversight: The umbrella body, if created under a statute, clearly defining its powers, functions and jurisdictions, will ensure parliament upholds effective accountability of these institutions.
• To end multiplicity of proceedings: A single incident gets investigated by multiple agencies, often leading to dilution of evidence, contradiction indepositions, prolonged incarceration of innocents.
• Ensure collaboration: The umbrella body will ensure a harmonious relationship between the State and Central agencies, given that the goal of all those organisations was to secure justice.
• To ensure adequate representation of women in the criminal justice system

Possible way forward for an independent investigative institution

• Independent head:The proposed umbrella body should be headed by an independent and impartial authority, appointed by a committee akin to the one which appointed the CBI Director. Its head could be assisted by deputies having specialisation in different domains.
• Statutory backing:The body should be created under a statute, clearly defining its powers, functions and jurisdictions.
• Directions: Once an incident is reported, the organisation should decide as to which specialised wing should take up investigation.
• Separation of prosecution and investigation wings:was to have separate and autonomous wings for prosecution and investigation, to ensure total independence.
• Annual audit: A reasonable check and balance would be a provision in the proposed law for annual audit of the institution’s performanceby the appointing committee.
• Replication by states: Since, the police and public order under the State list, State agencies must be equipped to deal with increasing challenges in the field of investigation. The proposed Central law for the umbrella investigative body, can be suitably replicated by the States.

Conclusion

As the popular adage goes, Justice delayed is justice denied. Thus, an independent investigative institution will help overcome the delays in investigation and thereby speed-up the delivery of justice. This will also help achieving our larger goal of socio-economic justice to citizens of India.

 

 

3. For India, BIMSTEC allows the confluence of its Act East and the Neighbourhood Policies. Discuss the potential of BIMSTEC in a rapidly changing Indo-Pacific region. (250 words)

Reference: The Hindu

 

Introduction

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping of seven countries i.e. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand that lie in the littoral and adjacent regions of the Bay of Bengal. This sub-regional organisation came into being on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration. The first summit was held in 2004 and the secretariat established in Dhaka in 2014.Technological and economic cooperation among South Asian and Southeast Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal is the main objective of BIMSTEC

Sri Lanka is gearing up to host the Fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

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BIMSTEC allows the confluence of its Act East and the Neighbourhood Policies

• BIMSTEC is the natural platform for India to implement its regional connectivity, Neighbourhood First and Act East policies.
• BIMSTEC is important for free trade agreement, poverty alleviation, tourism, energy and climate change, and even counter-terrorism and disaster management.
• BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms.
• Myanmar and Thailand, have a crucial place for India’s ambitious connectivity plans for north-eastern region.
• Myanmar is only Southeast Asian country India has a land boundary with.
• India-Myanmar-Thailand highway is one of the key projects that figures in a big way in the government’s Act East policy.

Potential of BIMSTEC in a rapidly changing Indo-Pacific region

• Connectivity:
  • BIMSTEC serves two purposes for India – it makes it easier for India to share a common regional platform with its neighbours in South Asia (sans Pakistan) and secondly, BIMSTEC also establishes a linkage between South and Southeast Asia.
  • Urgency of promoting regional and sub-regional cooperation via BIMSTEC and BBIN has to be seen in the context of China’s BRI and the compelling strategic challenge posed by China’s muscular geo-economic and geo-political interventions in Asia, particularly in India’s neighbourhood.
  • The development of the North-eastern region, by opening up to Bangladesh and Myanmar, is another incentive for India.
• Regional Co-operation: Regional cooperation under the ambit of SAARC has become difficult made BIMSTEC more viable:
  • Despite India’s keen interest in cooperating and strengthening intra-regional connectivity by backing the SAARC–Motor vehicle agreement, the agreement was stalled following Pakistan’s reluctance.
  • Similarly, the SAARC satellite project that India proposed was abandoned following objection from Pakistan in 2016
  • SAARC has also faced obstacles in the area of security cooperation. A major hindrance in this regard has been the lack of consensus on threat perceptions, since member countries disagree on the idea of threats. Example: cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
• Cordial Relationship:
  • The member countries have generally cordial relationships, something patently missing among the SAARC countries.
  • BIMSTEC’s major strength comes from the fact that it includes two influential regional powers: Thailand and India. This adds to the comfort of smaller neighbours by reducing the fear of dominance by one big power.
• Economic vistas: As a trade bloc, BIMSTEC provides many opportunities.
  • The region has countries with the fastest-growing economies in the world. The combined GDP in the region is around US$2 trillion and will likely grow further.
  • Trade among the BIMSTEC member countries reached six percent in just a decade, while in SAARC, it has remained around five percent since its inception.
  • Compared to SAARC, BIMSTEC has greater trade potential as well. Among the member countries, India’s intra-BIMSTEC trade is around 3 percent of its total trade.
  • BIMSTEC regional grouping happens to have five nations that are also part of SAARC. The fact that this region is growing at 6.5% per annum, collectively comprises of 1.5 billion people, is the drive behind India’s focus being part of BIMSTEC.

Way Forward:

• The members need to work collectively towards making BIMSTEC a stronger, more effective and result-oriented organisation for achieving a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal Region.
• BIMSTEC secretariat must be significantly empowered with more human and financial resources.
• BIMSTEC will have to prioritize economic connectivity, which is the prerequisite for regional integration.
• Need for upgrading cooperation in disaster management, terrorism, maritime security and transnational crime.
• BIMSTEC weather and climate centre at Noida should be converted into a development centre on disaster management.
• India can provide training to member states at its disaster management training centre in Nagpur.
• India will need to take on an informal BIMSTEC leadership role and let its commitments lead by example.
• Now is the time not just to deliberate, but also to deliver. Now is the time to translate promises into performance.

 

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General Studies – 3

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4. Analyse the challenges which hinder the growth and productivity in the agricultural sector. Suggest reforms to overcome them.  (250 words)

Reference: InstaPedia

Introduction

Agriculture is the key to alleviate rural poverty, stop distress migration and most importantly ensuring food security in India. While the 14 volumes of the Dalwai Committee Report on doubling farmers’ income provided a road map for transition from a mere Green Revolution to an Income Revolution for farmers, the country is yet to solve the ‘Riddle of Agriculture distress’.

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Background: Agrarian distress

• Agriculture currently contributes just about 15% to the national output and about 50% of the population directly or indirectly depends on it for employment.
• Farmer distress is a real and pressing problem, as evidenced by the protests currently taking place in various parts of the country.
• In the past, Government strategy primarily focused on raising agricultural output and improving food security rather than recognising the need to raise farmer’s income.
• Low global prices have affected exports and the cheaper imports have hurt domestic prices in the country.
• Natural disasters and crop loss leading to impoverishment of rural households.
• Increasing demographic pressure, disguised employment in agriculture and conversion of agricultural land for alternative uses, have drastically reduced the average land holding.

Challenges faced by Agriculture sector

• Institutional vis-à-vis Non-Institutional Agricultural Credit: Traditionally, rural agrarian credit needs were met primarily through money-lenders, which led to large scale indebtedness.
• Small land holdings: It is fragmented and 87% of farmers are small farmers doing subsistence farming.
• Low productivity: Indian farms are smaller (1-2 hectares on average), making it harder to achieve economies of scale.
• Low mechanization: It is relatively low and Indian farmers do not utilise many high-yield input varieties used in other agri-producing countries.
• High logistics costs: India’s cost of logistics is currently around 14% of GDP – higher than developed country exporters like the US (9.5%).
• Limited value addition: India is a more prolific exporter of primary commodities than of value-added agriculture products – the country ranks 10th globally in processed meat, 18th in the export of processed fruits and vegetables and 35th in dairy.
  • Reasons for low value addition include relative lack of private sector investment and adequate incentives.
• Procurement: 69 to 73% of the rice and wheat produced in 14 years was not procured by FCI/state agencies.
  • Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state government agencies are one of the main platforms available to the farmers for sale of agriculture produce, but these agencies cannot be a wholesome substitute for an efficient marketing system, said the 4th volume of the Dalwai Committee Report on doubling farmers income.
• Shortage of APMC markets: In 5 states—Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim—these markets do not exist.
  • Further, there is no APMC market in the UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli too.
• Infrastructure shortage: The poor state of infrastructure in these markets is another important aspect which continues to be ignored. Just 15 per cent of the APMC markets have cold storage facilities. Weighing facilities are available in only 49 per cent of the markets.

Reforms suggested

• ICAR and SAUs should develop models of farming system for different types of socioeconomic and bio physical settings combining all their technologies in a package with focus on farm income.
  • This would involve combining technology and best practices covering production, protection and post-harvest value addition for each sub systems with other sub systems like crop sequences, crop mix, livestock, horticulture, forestry.
  • Such shift requires interdisciplinary approach to develop on knowledge of all disciplines.
• About one third of the increase in farmers’ income is easily attainable through better price realization, efficient post-harvest management, competitive value chains and adoption of allied activities.
  • This requires comprehensive reforms in market, land lease and raising of trees on private land.
• Agriculture has suffered due to absence of modern capital and modern knowledge.
  • There is a need to liberalise agriculture to attract responsible private investments in production and market.
  • Similarly, FPOs and FPCs can play big role in promoting small farm business.
• Precision farming: Evidence is growing about scope of agronomic practices like precision farming to raise production and income of farmers substantially.
• Target markets for export: Identify markets with high export potential for competitive value chains and sign beneficial bilateral or multilateral trade agreements with them, raising sanitary and phytosanitary production levels to meet their quality standards and negotiating with them to remove non-tariff barriers.
• Solve Value Chain Clusters (VCC) holistically with focus on value addition: The clusters would also serve to converge the government’s spends and schemes, as well as seek any additional funding required, for building the necessary infrastructure at competitive costs for value addition, promoting research and development and promoting “Brand India” in global markets.
• Similarly, modern machinery such as laser land leveller, precision seeder and planter, and practices like SRI (system of rice intensification), direct seeded rice, zero tillage, raised bed plantation and ridge plantation allow technically highly efficient farming.
  • However, these technologies developed by the public sector have very poor marketability.
  • They require strong extension for the adoption by farmers
• Technological innovations, along with price support measures and the supply of subsidized key inputs like irrigation, fertilizer, and electricity, have played an important role in the growth of Indian agriculture.
• A policy shift from price to income support under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) program is deemed better as it would incentivize farmers as money is transferred to their bank accounts and bring in much needed efficiency in input use

Conclusion

The government should shift its focus from providing only price support to farmers and focus on building better infrastructure, minimizing the gap between farmers and the market, land reforms, policy reforms to increase flow of credit to farmers, establishing food-processing industries for perishable goods, providing better irrigation facilities etc so, that agriculture emerges as a viable means of sustenance.

Value Addition

Initiatives by the government

• Per Drop More Crop : Centre set up a Micro Irrigation Fund under NABARD with a corpus of 2000cr and 3000cr for 2019 and 2020 respectively.
  • Assistance to states will be given at concessional rates.
  • The target is to bring 10 million hectares under Micro-Irrigation.
• Diversification towards high value crops : IFPRI and ICAR are promoting horticulture crops such as pomegranate and mushroom farming with adequate skills training to farmers.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): Enhance horticulture production, augment farmers, income and strengthen nutritional security; Improve productivity by way of quality germplasm, planting material and water use efficiency through Micro Irrigation.
• Soil Health Cards: The objectives of the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme are to issue soil health cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in fertilization practices. Soil testing reduces cultivation cost by application of right quantity of fertilizer. It ensures additional income to farmers by increase in yields and it also promotes sustainable farming.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana:
  • In order to promote organic farming, the government has started the Paramparagat Krish iVikas Yojana (PKVY), under which 2 lakh hectareshas been made suitable for organic farming thereby benefitting 5 lakh farmers.
  • It is to ensure a successful “Organic Farming Revolution” in India on the lines of “Green Revolution” so that the farming community benefits from it.
• Ensuring Credit availability to enhance productivity
  • Kisan Credit Cards provides agriculture credit to farmers at subsidized rates, with a 2% interest subvention (IS) and Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) of 3% so as to make the effective rate of interest as 4%.
  • PM-KISAN :With a view to provide income support to all farmers’ families across the country, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs, the Central Government started a new Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAmman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
    • The scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly installments of Rs. 2000/- to the farmers, subject to certain exclusions relating to higher income groups.
  • Minimum Support Price was enhanced to 1.5 times the cost of production for the year 2019-2020.

 

 

 

5. Evaluate the performance of Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ scheme in achieving Universal Household Electrification.

Reference: Livemint

 

Introduction

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ scheme was launched in 2017. Under Saubhagya free electricity connections to all households (both APL and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas will be provided. Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has been designated as nodal agency for the Saubhagya scheme.

It calls upon all stakeholders to channelize their energies towards electrification of each and every household in the country, within a challenging timeframe of 18 months. The scheme had a total outlay of Rs.16,320 crores.

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Performance of Saubhagya so far

• About 2.82 crore willing households have been electrified.
• A survey was conducted through them for firming up the number of un-electrified households. ‘Sankhya’, a Web Portal and Mobile App, was specifically developed for this survey for real time analysis and for formulating a prudent strategy.
• Implementation of SAUBHGYA in itself was a remarkable success story of Cooperative Federalism where both the State and Central Governments worked with seamless coordination for timely achievement of targets.
• 56 DISCOMs worked tirelessly across the length and breadth of the country to ensure electricity connections to every willing household.
• Saubhagya camps were organised at village level to reach out to the beneficiaries and to facilitate on-the-spot electricity connections – ensuring that no household was left out.
• A special fleet of ‘Saubhagya Raths’ were flagged off across various states in the country to create awareness among the people and to also identify every household without electricity that may have failed to register under the scheme initially.
• A Control Room that worked 24×7 was set up to assist the beneficiaries on all scheme-related queries, address their grievances and also provide electricity connections with the support of DISCOM for speedy resolution.
• In locations where the solutions were not techno-economically viable due to scattered households, stand-alone Solar PV-based systems were installed.

Measures needed to augment Saubhagya: In order to achieve 24×7 power for all, we need to focus on three frontiers:

Real-time monitoring of supply at the end-user level:

• We achieve what we measure. While the government is bringing all feeders in the country online, we currently have no provision to monitor supply as experienced by households.
• Only such granular monitoring can help track the evolving reality of electricity supply on the ground and guide DISCOMS to act in areas with sub-optimal performance.
• Eventually, smart meters (that the government plans to roll out) should help enable such monitoring.

DISCOMS need to focus on improving the quality of supply as well as maintenance services:

• Adequate demand estimation and respective power procurement will go a long way in reducing load shedding.
• Moreover, about half the rural population across the six States reported at least two days of 24-hour-long unpredictable blackouts in a month.
• Such incidents are indicative of poor maintenance, as opposed to intentional load-shedding.
• DISCOMS need to identify novel cost-effective approaches to maintain infrastructure in these far-flung areas.
• Some States have already taken a lead in this. Odisha has outsourced infrastructure maintenance in some of its rural areas to franchisees, while Maharashtra has introduced village-level coordinators to address local-level challenges. Such context-based solutions should emerge in other States as well.

Quality Customer Service:

• Finally, the improvement in supply should be complemented with a significant improvement in customer service, which includes billing, metering and collection.
• Success depends on curbing DISCOM losses and consumer honesty.
• Distributed generation could complement centralised grid electricity to resolve both, and ensure sustained use of electricity not just for rural households, but also for the entire rural economy including farms, schools, hospitals, and small businesses.
• It would lead to improved consumer satisfaction, as electricity truly becomes an enabler of prosperity in rural India.

Way forward

• Given that electricity is in the concurrent list, it is for states to ensure quality, reliable and affordable electricity to consumers.
• We need radically innovative approaches such as the proposed prepaid smart meters and last-mile rural franchisees to improve customer service and revenue collection.
• Rural renewable energy enterprises could especially be interesting contenders for such franchisees, considering the social capital they already possess in parts of rural India.
• As we focus on granular monitoring, high-quality supply, better customer service and greater revenue realisation at the household level, we also need to prioritise electricity access for livelihoods and community services such as education and health care.
• Only such a comprehensive effort will ensure that rural India reaps the socio-economic benefits of electricity.

 

Answer the following questions in 250 words:

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General Studies – 1

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 6. Along with urbanization, the unpleasant by-products of urban living and municipal solid waste are constantly increasing and they end up at unsanitary landfills causing hazards. Examine. What can be the remedies for this problem? (250 words)

Reference: DownToEarth

 

Introduction

India alone generates more than 1,00,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day, which is higher than many countries’ total daily waste generation taken together. Large metropolis such as Mumbai and Delhi generate around 9,000 metric tonnes and 8,300 metric tonnes of waste per day, respectively. India suffers from inefficient and insufficient waste infrastructure and also from increasing rates of solid waste generation per capita. Besides, the infrastructure and technologies, we must also concede that we have not addressed the issue from a systemic perspective.

A massive fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill recently. The flames have been doused but smouldering can be observed at several locations at the dumpsite.

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Current Situation of MSW in India:

• ULBs are responsible for segregated waste collection, transporting waste in covered vehicle, processing, recyclables, separating domestic hazardous waste and disposing inert material in sanitary landfills
• Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps and landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment.
• Over 377 million urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per annum.
• Only 43 million tonnes (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated and 31 MT is dumped in landfill sites.
• Most cities have confined themselves to collection and transportation of solid waste. Processing and safe disposal are being attempted only in a few cases.
• The CPCB report also reveals that only 68% of the MSW generated in the country is collected of which, 28% is treated by the municipal authorities. Thus, merely 19% of the total waste generated is currently treated.
• Disappearance of urban water bodies and wetlands in urban areas can be attributed to illegal dumping of Construction & Demolition waste.

Some of the major issues concerning solid waste management are:

• Absence of segregation of waste at source
• Lack of funds for waste management at ULBs.
• Unwillingness of ULBs to introduce proper collection, segregation, transportation and treatment/ disposal systems.
• Lack of technical expertise and appropriate institutional arrangement
• lack of infrastructure and technology
• lack of involvement from the private sector and non-governmental organisations
• Indifference of citizens towards waste management due to lack of awareness
• Lack of community participation towards waste management and hygienic conditions
• Lack of sewage management plan.
• About 70% of the plastic packaging products turn into plastic waste within a short period.
• Unorganized vendors and markets, existence of slum areas and Corruption are other issues plaguing MSWM.

Remedies to tackle MSW

• State governments should provide financial support to ULBs to improve their waste management system under various schemes and programs.
• Initiatives like Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT should provide significant funding to improve civic services infrastructure.
• The key to efficient waste management is to ensure proper segregation of waste at source and to ensure that the waste goes through different streams of recycling and resource recovery as stated in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Waste to energy is a key component of SWM. Installation of waste-to-compost and bio-methanation plants would reduce the load of landfill sites
• There is a need to encourage research and development so as to reinvent waste management system in India.
• The focus should be on recycling and recovering from waste and not landfill. Further, it is important to encourage recycling of e-waste so that the problem of e-waste
• Public- Private Partnership models for waste management should be encouraged.
• Construction and demolition waste should be stored, separately disposed off, as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Responsibilities of Generators have been introduced to segregate waste in to three streams, Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.) and handover segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste collectors or local bodies.
• Sensitization of citizens as well as government authorities, community participation, involvement of NGOs. Littering should be prohibited.
• International Best practices should be emulated. South Korea is one of the few countries to separate and recycle food waste. It has also launched landfill recovery projects such as the Nanjido recovery project which have successfully transformed hazardous waste sites into sustainable ecological attractions.

Conclusion

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental problems of Indian cities. The need of the hour is scientific, sustainable and environment friendly management of wastes.

 

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General Studies – 2

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7. The revival of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be beneficial to all the stake holders and also to check the proliferation of nuclear weapons. However, for its long-term sustainability, transparency and mutual trust hold the key.

 Reference: Indian Express

 

Introduction

The JCPOA was the result of prolonged negotiations from 2013 and 2015 between Iran and P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States). It happened due to the backchannel talks between the US (President Barack Obama) and Iran, quietly brokered by Oman, in an attempt to repair the accumulated mistrust since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Post Trump presidency, USA pulled out of the deal and made it dysfunctional.  Recently, the US has restored sanctions waivers to Iran to allow international nuclear cooperation projects, as indirect American-Iranian talks on reviving the 2015 international nuclear deal. Once again, Russia-Ukraine war spells doom on the entire exercise of Vienna talks.

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About JCPOA and present status

• Under its terms, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to more extensive international inspections in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of sanctions relief.
• The JCPOA went into effect in January 2016. It imposes restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program.
• The deal was proposed so that it would help prevent a revival of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and thereby reduce the prospects for conflict between Iran and its regional rivals, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
• However, the deal has been in trouble since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it in 2018.
• In retaliation for the U.S. departure and deadly attacks on prominent Iranians in 2020, including one by the United States, Iran has resumed some of its nuclear activities.

Need for revival of JCPOA

• After the U.S.’s withdrawal, Iran started enriching uranium to a higher purity and installing advanced centrifuges at its nuclear plants.
• Preventing nuclear weapon proliferation: Now, nuclear experts believe Iran is just months away from having enough high purity uranium to make a nuclear bomb, though the Iranian leadership has repeatedly claimed that it has no plan to make one.
• Easing rising fuel prices: Removing sanctions on Iran and letting Iran’s oil enter the global market could also ease oil and gas prices, which shot up after the Russian attack on Ukraine.
• Boost to Regional Connectivity: Removing sanctions may revive India’s interest in the Chabahar option, Bandar Abbas port, and other plans for regional connectivity.
  • This would further help India to neutralize the Chinese presence in Gwadar port, Pakistan.
  • Apart from Chabahar, India’s interest in the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC), which runs through Iran, which will improve connectivity with five Central Asian republics, may also get a boost.
• Energy Security: Due to the pressure linked to the US’ Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India has to bring down oil imports to zero.

Conclusion

Nations must ensure that one nation such as Russia to not jeopardize the whole nuclear deal which has global repercussions especially in times of low economic growth and post pandemic price stability. Antagonistic relations in middle east may ease due to lifting of severe sanctions against Iran. This will also have a direct impact on India-Iran relations. Hence, success of Vienna talks has lot of leverage for India as well as the whole world.

 

 

8. The economic crisis in Sri Lanka is also having its spill over effect on India. Examine. How can India’s priority for geo-economics and regional connectivity help Sri Lanka overcome this crisis? (250 words)

Reference: Business Standard

 

Introduction

Refugees from Sri Lanka are trickling in on India’s southern shores. The effect of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is now being felt in India too. Inflation has soared past 17% in Srilanka and there has been many news regarding fatal incidents of people dying while standing in queues for fuel and ration. Hospitals are doing only emergency surgeries due to shortage of medicines and other supplies. Sri Lanka is going through the worst crisis since its Independence.

Driven out by hunger and loss of jobs, people from the island nation are seeking refuge in India, which is doing its best to help the neighbouring country.

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Background

• The island has been facing daily power cuts and double-digit inflation, which hit 17.5% in February.
• The Sri Lankan central bank allowed the local currency to devalue by 30% in a month.
• Food inflation soared to 25.7% in February. The crisis is now starting to impact Indian exporters.

Factors that have led to this crisis

• Shortage of foreign exchange reserves: They have plummeted 70% in two years to just $2 billion at the end of February, which can barely cover two months of imports.
• Foreign debt: Meanwhile, the country has foreign debt obligations of about $7 billion this year. The forex crisis is the result of several factors.
• Easter sunday attacks: Tourism, which is the country’s third-largest foreign exchange earner, came to a virtual halt after the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings which killed more than 250 people.
  • Tourist arrivals dropped by as much as 70%.
• Pandemic: And then the pandemic struck, dealing a severe blow to the tourism industry.
• Remittance: Remittances from foreign workers, which is the nation’s biggest source of dollars, slumped 22.7% to $5.5 billion in 2021.
• Dependence on imports: The country’s heavy dependence on imports for essential goods like sugar, pharmaceuticals, fuel, pulses and cereals worsened the crisis.
• The government’s ban on chemical fertilizers last April as it looked to become the first country to fully adopt organic farming backfired. A survey showed that 90% of Sri Lanka’s farmers used chemical fertilisers for cultivation.
  • The move led to a drastic drop in domestic food production, pushing up food prices.
  • The decision was rolled back after months of mass protests by farmers but the damage was done.

Impact on India

• Thousands of containers sent from India to Sri Lanka, including for its own consumption as well as trans-shipment cargo, have been lying uncleared at Colombo port as authorities can’t afford to transfer containers between terminals.
  • This, in turn, has led to some build-up of cargo intended for Sri Lanka at Indian ports.
• Any disruption in Colombo port operations makes India vulnerable to an increase in costs and congestion issues. India also relies considerably on Colombo port for global trade given it is a transhipment hub.
  • 60% of India’s trans-shipment cargo is handled by the port. India-linked cargo, in turn, accounts for 70% of the port’s total trans-shipment volume.
• A number of leading companies from India have invested and established their presence in Sri Lanka. They have been affected.
• India is also one of the largest contributors to Foreign Direct Investment in Sri Lanka. FDI from India amounted to about $1.7 billion from 2005 to 2019.

Ways India is helping Srilanka

• India has extended financial assistance to the tune of $2.4 billion in the last three months to Sri Lanka, which includes a $400 billion RBI currency swap, deferral of a $500 million loan and a $1.5-billion credit line for importing fuel, food and medicines.
• Modernisation Project: An early modernisation project of the Trinco oil farms that India has been pursuing for several years.
  • The Trincomalee Harbour, one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, was developed by the British during World War II.
  • In particular, the projects to develop oil infrastructure in Trincomalee have been hanging fire since 2017.
• India’s approach: A four-pronged initiative has been decided that included
  • Lines of Credit (LoC) towards the import of fuel, food and medicines
  • Currency swap
  • Debt deferrals from India to Sri Lanka

Conclusion

New Delhi’s assistance might address some problems in the complex relations between India and Sri Lanka. It is important to note that in times of peril, New Delhi and Colombo have established a robust channel of communication and demonstrated an ability to act on promises quickly. Nurturing the Neighbourhood First policy with Sri Lanka is important for India to preserve its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region.

 

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General Studies – 3

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9. Water has become a scarce resource, both in urban and rural India. Therefore, rainwater harvesting has become an urgent necessity. Elaborate upon the role that the traditional water bodies can play in this regard. (250 words)

Reference: New Indian Express 

 

Introduction

Ancient Indians understood the art of water governance. Most of India’s traditional water management has been at the community level; relying upon diverse, imaginative and effective methods for harvesting, storing, and managing rainfall, runoff and stream flow.

Body

Role of traditional water conservation structures in India

• Ecologically safe engineering marvels of water conservation have existed in India for nearly 1,500 years, including traditional systems of water harvesting, such as the bawari, jhalara, nadi, tanka, and khadin.
• They continue to remain viable and cost-effective alternatives for replenishing depleted groundwater aquifers.
• With government support, they could be revived, upgraded and productively combined with modern rainwater-saving techniques such as anicuts, percolation tanks, injection wells and subsurface barriers. This may be a far more sustainable approach to alleviating the water scarcity crisis across India.
• The basic concept underlying all these techniques is that rain should be harvested whenever and wherever it falls.

Some of the traditional water conservation structures:

• Katta:
  • Katta is a temporary structure made by binding mud and loose stones available locally. Built across small streams and rivers, this stone bund slows the flow of water, and stores a large amount (depending upon its height) during the dry months. The collected water gradually seeps into ground and increase the water level of nearby wells. In coastal areas, they also minimize the flow of fresh water into the sea.
  • It is a cost effective and simple method, used widely in rural areas. Series of stone bunds built one behind the other have proved to be more effective than modern concrete dams in some villages, as these local structures can be easily repaired by farmers themselves.
• These water soak pits called as Madakas in Karnataka, Pemghara in Odisha and Johads in Rajasthan, are one of the oldest systems used to conserve and recharge ground water. Water from Johads is still been widely used by farmers to irrigate fields in many parts of India. In fact, the arid state of Rajasthan has seen a drastic improvement in water conservation due to the revival of Johads
• Bawarisare unique stepwells that were once a part of the ancient networks of water storage in the cities of Rajasthan. The little rain that the region received would be diverted to man-made tanks through canals built on the hilly outskirts of cities.
  • The water would then percolate into the ground, raising the water table and recharging a deep and  intricate network of aquifers.
• In Himachal Pradesh, kuhls(surface water channels) have been used since ancient times to carry glacial waters from rivers and streams into valley fields. These kuhls need to be desilted and fortified to prevent them from breaking during torrential rainfall.
• Another effective traditional water management system is bamboo drip irrigation, practiced in the tribal pockets of the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. In this, a network of bamboo pipes of varying diameters, lengths and positioning is used to harvest water from hill springs or streams. This can be adopted on a larger scale wherever possible.
• Nagaland’s Zabo is also a great way of collecting run-off in community tanks/ponds.Rainwater that falls on forested hilltops is led by channels that deposit it in pond-like structures created on the terraced hillsides. The channels also pass through cattle yards, collecting the dung and urine of animals, before ultimately meandering into fields at the foot of the hill.

Conclusion

The Indian civilisation seems to have placed a great value on the decentralisation of resources and political power, which automatically set a limit to the size of irrigation structures. The traditional conservation of water resources are ecologically optimal solutions for the natural conditions occurring in some parts of India.

 

 

10. The changing nature of warfare calls for an architecture of a strong strategic defence for India to secure itself against the current geopolitical boil-over and resultant reshaping of multi-polarity. Analyse. (250 words)

Reference: Livemint

 

Introduction

Modern war is multifaceted and includes military warfare, a cyberwar, an information war and also economic war, which could cover energy supplies. External support and assistance, however generous, will be inadequate for victory. Our deficiencies are visible in India’s import bills that range from military hardware, combat aircraft, parts and inputs for local production to energy and technology. The answer lies in atmanirbharta (self-reliance), be it for logistical infrastructure including railroads, ports, airports and information highways, et al, or the issue of energy sufficiency.

Body

Vulnerabilities in India that can affect its security due to warfare

• Dependence on defence equipment: India remained the world’s second-largest arms importer during 2015-19, with Russia as its largest supplier.
  • Although Russia’s share of the Indian weapons market has declined from 72% to 56%, it is still a significant amount.
  • Current war on Ukraine and sanctions against Russia may make defence relations difficult for India.
• Hostile neighbourhood: India is surrounded by hostile neighbours in the north like China, Pakistan and Taliban ruled Afghanistan.
• AI and cyber warfare: There are a limited understanding of key questions like- What kind of AI do we want? How much autonomy should be given to the machines on the battlefield? Etc
• Disinformation and fake news: An adversary can create a parallel reality and use falsehoods to fuel social fragmentation. The idea behind this is to disorient the public and make it difficult for a government to seek public approval for a given policy or operation
  • For instance, Facebook took a hammering over Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election. It conceded the following year that up to 10 million Americans had seen advertisements purchased by a Russian agency.
  • For example, Russia’s use of gas and lending instruments in the Ukrainian conflict.
• Space warfare: Rapid developments in space technology: Emergence of micro and nano satellites, higher maneuvering capabilities among satellites, satellite jammers, compact spy satellites, improved cyber infrastructure etc. have significantly enhanced capacity of a nation to partake in offensive and defensive space operations.
  • India has Anti-Sat and such capabilities but it is nowhere near to USA or China.
• India has been at the receiving end of variants of Hybrid Warfare.
  • Firstly, from Pakistan in the form of state sponsored terrorism and the other through cyber-threats from China
• New forms of terrorist attacks: The idea of Hybrid Warfare encourages new forms of terrorist attacks such as ‘lone-wolf’ attacks and creation of ‘sleeper cells’. These attacks are extremely difficult to detect and, in most cases, the financial and ideological source remains anonymous.
  • Adversary could also act on the lines of radicalization of the population, which leads to issues like
  • Communalism, Naxalism and Separatism in the long run.

Securing against such vulnerabilities

• Institutional measures are needed to keep vulnerabilities in check and estimate possible hybrid threats.
• Conduct a self-assessment of critical functions and vulnerabilities across all sectors and ensure regular maintenance.
  • For example, regularly upgrading critical Fintech systems in the country.
• Enhance traditional threat assessment activity to include non-conventional political, economic, civil, international (PECI) tools and capabilities.
• Creation of multinational frameworks preferably using existing institutions and processes – in order to facilitate cooperation and collaboration across borders.
• Training of armed forces in hybrid warfare, armed forces have a dual role of protecting civilian population and disabling enemy.
  • Training in special battle techniques, as well as conditioning to overcome urban combat stress.
  • Training in use of technological tools such as smart robots, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
  • Intelligence tools like Real Time Situational Awareness (RTSA) for precise operations.
• Strengthening the democratic institutions enables government to gain trust of its citizens.
  • This helps government negate various forms of hybrid warfare such as disinformation and radicalization.
  • Inclusion of Civil Society Institutions such as think tanks multiply the government’s capabilities to counter such threats.
• Investing in Journalism to raise media literacy: Global research shows that 70 percent of uses of the term “hybrid threats” by the media are inaccurate. As a result, investing in journalism will indirectly help citizens in understanding the threat.

Conclusion

India must become self-reliant with robust backing of technology. This will secure our borders and frontiers both visible and invisible against intruders. Our foreign policy must be aligned with our national interest and India is rightly doing so in the current geopolitical turmoil.

Value addition

Hybrid warfare

• It generally refers to the use of unconventional methods as part of a multi-domain warfighting approach.
• These methods aim to disrupt and disable an opponent’s actions without engaging in open hostilities.
• The methods adopted by it are a combination of activities, including disinformation, economic manipulation, use of proxies and insurgencies, diplomatic pressure and military actions.
•  It tends to target areas which are highly vulnerable and where maximum damage can be caused with minimum effort.
• It usually involves non-state actors indulging in subversive roles supported by states in order to give the latter some plausible deniability

 

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