General Studies Paper 3

Context: India’s robust export performance has made a critical contribution to its economic growth in recent times.

Despite global economic woes, India’s overall exports grew at 17.33% to $641 billion during April-January 2022-23 compared to $547 billion during the same period last year.

How has India improved its export performance in recent years?

• The country’s exports performance was the result of well-crafted trade policy interventions, their efficacious implementation and a host of other initiatives.
• Export facilitation– It ensured the effective conceptualisation and implementation of export promotion schemes.
• These schemes are Market Access Initiative (MAI), Remission of Duties and Tax on Exported Products (RoDTEP), Trade Infrastructure for Exports Scheme (TIES) and Interest Equalisation Schemes on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit.
• Production-linked Incentive scheme– It has been a game changer. It has not only transformed India into a manufacturing hub. It has also curtailed its large trade deficit in electronics and other manufactured goods.
• As a result of this scheme, electronics manufacturing attracted a massive investment and its exports have grown rapidly by over 55 % annually. Exports of mobile phones alone may reach $10 billion during the current financial year.
• Logistics– it has been a critical stumbling block in India’s exports competitiveness. It has been proactively addressed in the Union budget 2023-24.
• Capital expenditure allocation has been sharply increased by 33% to a record Rs 10 trillion on the development of rail, road, air, and ocean infrastructure.
• It will make export logistics efficient. It will also integrate Indian production systems with global value chains.
• Restructuring of process– There has been rationalisation of work allocation within the Ministry of Commerce and restructuring of its divisions and subordinate offices. It is likely to transform India’s institutional mechanisms to promote exports.
• Adopting the latest technology in the collection, assimilation, processing of data and making available real-time information across stakeholders has bridged the information gap between the exporters and the various government departments.
• Work with state governments– In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has been actively engaging with state governments and at the district level for speedy and effective implementation of policy measures to promote exports.
• Each of the Indian states was asked to prepare an export promotion strategy. Proactive involvement of Indian missions abroad helped not only in market identification but also in facilitating product entry.
• Free Trade Agreements– Most Free Trade Agreements signed by India previously became counterproductive. The Ministry of Commerce has re-examined all the FTAs. It is in the process of engaging in newer ones to benefit India.
• Recently, India negotiated new FTAs with UAE, Mauritius and Australia.It is in the advanced stages of negotiations with the UK.
• It is also actively exploring new trade agreements with the EU and US.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: Parliament enacted the anti-defection law in 1985 to curb political defection. The promise of political stability provided by the law seems to be facing challenges, especially in the last five years.

Objectives of anti-defection law:

The first was to curb the act of defection by disqualifying the defecting member.

The second was to protect political parties from instability. Frequent defections from even well organised political parties leave them weak. Indian democracy is based essentially on a party system. Stable parties are requirements of a stable democracy.

How is the stability of parties the principal focus of the 10th schedule?

• It is clear from two provisions enacted in the 10th Schedule- the provision of a split in a political party and that of a merger of two political parties.
• ‘Split’ is no longer a defence against disqualification with the deletion of paragraph three of the Schedule. But, a closer look at this erstwhile provision is necessary for a proper understanding of the true objective of this law.
• Under this paragraph, if a split in a political party results in a faction coming into existence, and one third of the legislators move out of the party and join that faction, those members could get an exemption from disqualification.
• The point to note here is that one third of the legislators would get protection only if there was a split in the original political party.So, the split in the original political party is the precondition for exempting one third of legislators from disqualification.
• Paragraph four protects defecting members from disqualification. The condition is merger of the original political party with another party and two thirds of the legislators agreeing to such a merger.
• It can be analysed from paragraph three and four that the legislators do not have the freedom to bring about a split or merger. It is the original political party in both cases which takes that decision.
• The argument that the Speaker cannot make inquiry into the split or merger is not right. The Speaker takes the decision only after ascertaining the fact of the merger.
• This means that for exempting defecting legislators from disqualification, merger is taken into account only if two thirds of legislators have agreed to it.

What are the constitutional questions that arose in the Maharashtra case?

• The first question that should be decided by the Court is related to the validity of whip. The breakaway group of the Members of the Legislative Assembly chose its own whip. It also reportedly issued whips to all the MLAs of the Shiv Sena.
• But the question related to the validity of the whip should have been decided on the basis of the explanation (a) to paragraph 2(1)(a). It says that an elected member of a House shall be deemed to belong to the political party who made them candidate for election.
• This explanation makes it clear that the party which can legally issue the whip is the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray as this is the party which set them up as candidates in the last election.
• It should not be forgotten that the anti-defection law was enacted to punish defectors, not to facilitate defection.
• The Supreme Court by allowing the Election Commission of India to decide the petition under paragraph 15 of the symbols order has put the cart before the horse.
• The 10th Schedule is a constitutional law and paragraph 15 of the symbols order is subordinate legislation. The disqualification proceedings under it should have been given primacy over the proceedings under paragraph 15.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: All cars in showrooms have to be E20 compliant from April this year. This means that cars should be able to run with 20 percent ethanol blended petrol.

How much ethanol blending has been achieved by India?

• India had already crossed the 10 percent ethanol blended petrol and according to the National Policy on Biofuels, India could hit the 20 percent mark by 2025.
• India is the world’s fifth-largest producer of ethanol after the US, Brazil, the European Union (EU) and China.

What is the major concern associated with ethanol production and how has the government tried to tackle it?

• Ethanol in India is mostly produced from sugarcane. Other crops from which ethanol can also be produced are maize, broken-rice, wheat, etc.
• Hence, one of the concerns with ethanol production from sugarcane is its pricing.
• The government has tried to solve the issue of price by adopting the system of Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane farmers and that of minimum support price for sugar mills.
• This has become the reason farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra prefer sugarcane to other crops.
• This has ultimately led India to surpass Brazil in sugar production in the current sugar season (2022-23) and has become the world’s second-largest exporter.
• This FRP and MSP model to control prices of ethanol and expect sugarcane farmers and millers to respond with production shifts has worked well.
• For example,the year 2021-22 (October-September) saw about 35 lakh tonnes of sugar diverted for ethanol production. This number is expected to reach 60 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.

What are other concerns with ethanol production in India?

• Ethanol Production from other corps:The government has plans to offer price support for maize or broken rice. But due to the higher prices in the market, there has been no attempt by the grain-based distilleries to produce ethanol from these two crops.
• Stock reserves for Ethanol: Stocking the ethanol crops is another concern because crops like sugarcane or maize production depends on the weather. However, this issue can be solved once the automobiles incorporate a flexi-fuel design that allows the car to run on any combination of ethanol and oil.
• Increasing Demand:As per Niti Aayog, the demand for ethanol is expected to increase 1,016 crore litres by 2025. The domestic production of 684 crore litres will have to jump by 48 per cent to achieve this target.
• Fiscal Requirement:The government will need more money for FRP and MSP in order to reduce dependence on oil imports.

Way forward:

• There is a need to come up with an option of storage of ethanol like that of petroleum reserves because a sudden drought could be dangerous to the production.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: ‘Cyber Warrior’ Teams and Help Desks to Combat Rising Cybercrime in Visakhapatnam.

About

• During the year 2022, visakhapatnam had reported as many as 610 cybercrime cases, as against 316 during the year 2021, which is almost a 93% increase.
• To combat the rise in cybercrime, all police stations in the city will soon have exclusive ‘cyber warriors’ teams to handle such cases.
• Additionally,cybercrime help desks will be set up in all police stations within the next two months.

What are Cyber Warriors?

• As part of the initiative, around 70 police personnel,including around 20 sub-inspectors and several ASIs will be undergoing virtual and offline training on various aspects of cybercrime.
• The cyber warriors team will be headed by a Sub-Inspector and staff.
• The personnel will be trained on various aspects of cybercrime cases being reported, including the modus operandi of cyber fraudsters.
• The police are planning to introduce the cyber sentinel concept in which at least one person in each colony or area will be trained with basic skills to handle cybercrime and create awareness among people.
• Personnel will also be trained in technical skills to launch immediate communication with data operators and bank authorities after a cybercrime is committed.
• The aim is to freeze accounts or stop money transfers and retrieve call data records to prevent money from being transferred to fraudsters.

Cybercrime in India: (NCRB Report)

• India reported nearly 52,974 cybercrime incidents in 2021 which was an increase of nearly 6% from 2020.
• Telangana was the state with the highest number of cybercrime cases, accounting for more than 19% of the total.
• Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka saw a decrease in the number of cybercrime cases by 20%and 24%, respectively.
• The main challenges in prosecuting cybercrime cases are jurisdictional issues and difficulty in obtaining electronic logs from foreign service providers.
• Bengaluru had the highest number of cybercrime cases, but there has been a decline in cases over the past three years.
• Fraud was the most common motive for committing cybercrime, accounting for nearly 61% of cases.
• Karnataka recorded the highest number of cybercrimes against women in 2021, with 2,243 cases.
• The police pendency percentage in cybercrime cases improved from 71.3% in 2020 to 56.4% in 2021.
• The conviction ratio for cybercrime cases remains poor, and the charge-sheeting rate declined from 47.5% in 2020 to 33.8% in 2021.
• The court pendency percentage remained high, with 4% of total cases in trial in 2021 remaining. pending at the end of the year.

Challenges of Cybercrime

• Lack of Awareness: Many people in India are still not aware of the risks associated with cybercrime, making them more vulnerable to attacks.
• Low Cybersecurity Awareness: A large number of individuals and organizations in India lack basic cybersecurity awareness, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.
• Rapidly Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape: Cybercrime is evolving at a rapid pace, with new threats emerging regularly. It is challenging for law enforcement agencies to keep up with these developments.
• Limited Cybersecurity Infrastructure: India’s cybersecurity infrastructure is still developing, and many organizations do not have adequate security measures in place to protect their networks and data.
• Increasing Use of Technology: With the widespread adoption of technology in India, more people are becoming vulnerable to cybercrime, making it even more challenging to combat.
• Lack of Cybercrime Laws: India has outdated cybercrime laws that are not in line with current threats. There is a need for updated laws to be enacted to combat the ever-changing cybercrime landscape.

Need for controlling cyber-crimes in India

• Increasing Digitalization: With the growing digitalization of India, more people are using online services and technology, which has led to an increase in cybercrime incidents.
• Economic Impact: Cybercrime has a significant economic impact on India, with losses amounting to billions of dollars annually. The country is also losing out on potential investments due to concerns about cybersecurity.
• National Security:Cybercrime can have severe consequences for national security, as it can compromise sensitive information and infrastructure, leading to potential political instability.
• Personal Privacy: Cybercrime can violate personal privacy, leading to identity theft, financial fraud, and other forms of cyberstalking.
• Cyber Security Jobs: With the growing importance of cybersecurity, there is a need for skilled professionals in the field, creating job opportunities in India.
• Digital India Initiative: The Indian government’s Digital India initiative aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. However, cybercrime can hinder the initiative’s progress and undermine public trust in digital technologies.

Laws governing Cybercrime in India

• Information Technology Act, 2000: This is the primary law governing cybercrime in India. The act provides legal recognition for electronic transactions, penalties for cybercrime, and procedures for handling cybercrime investigations and prosecutions.
• Indian Penal Code (IPC): The IPC has provisions for dealing with cybercrime, including identity theft, online stalking, hacking, and dissemination of obscene materials.
• Aadhaar Act, 2016:This law regulates the use of Aadhaar, a biometric identification system, and provides penalties for unauthorized access or misuse of Aadhaar information.
• Copyright Act, 1957:This law protects intellectual property rights, including copyrights, patents, and trademarks, and provides penalties for cybercrime related to intellectual property theft.
• Right to Information Act, 2005: This law empowers citizens to access information from public authorities and provides penalties for cybercrime related to unauthorized access to public information.
• Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002: This law aims to prevent money laundering and provides penalties for cybercrime related to money laundering activities.

Way ahead

• Cybercrime is a crucial issue in India due to its economic, national security, and personal privacy implications.
• It is necessary to take proactive steps to combat cybercrime and create a safe and secure digital environment in the country.
• In this regard, Cyber warriors are significant especially when India ranks fifth globally in terms of the number of incidents reported.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: India’s G-20 Presidency places multilateral reform as one of its top presidential priorities as India stated that its agenda would be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.

• India also said that its primary objectives are to build global consensus over critical development and security issues and deliver global goods.

What is the Need for Multilateralism?

• Due to persistent deadlocks, multilateralism has lost the majority’s trust.Multilateralism is facing a utility crisis, where powerful member-states think it is no longer useful for them.
• Moreover, increasing great-power tensions, de-globalisation, populist nationalism, the pandemic, and climate emergencies added to the hardships.
• This impasse led states to seek other arenas, including bilateral, plurilateral and Mini lateral groupings, which subsequently contributed to further polarization of global politics.
• However, cooperation and multilateral reform is the need of the hour. Most of the challenges nations face today are global in nature and require global solutions.
• Pressing global issues such as conflicts, climate change, migration, macroeconomic instability, and cybersecurity   can indeed only be solved collectively.
• Furthermore, disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic  have reversed the social and economic progress that global society made in the past couple of decades.

What are the Roadblocks to the Reforms?

• Global Power Politics:
  • Multilateralism is deeply entrenched in global power politics. As a result, any action in reforming multilateral institutions and frameworks automatically transforms into a move that seeks changes in the current distribution of power.
  • Modifications in the distribution of power in the global order are neither easy nor normal.Moreover, it may have adverse implications if not done cautiously.
• Considers a Zero-Sum Game:
  • The status quo powers see multilateral reforms as a zero-sum game. For instance, in the context of the Bretton Woods system, the U.S. and Europe believed reform would reduce their influence and dominance.
  • This makes decisions about reform in these institutions, by consensus or voting, hard.
• Multiplex Global Order:
  • Multilateralism appears at odds with the realities of the emerging multiplex global order.
  • The emerging order seems more multipolar and multi-centred.
  • Such a situation facilitates the formation of new clubs, concerts and coalitions of the like-minded,which makes the reform of older institutions and frameworks more challenging.

How can G-20 and India Promote Multilateralism?

• Constitution of Engagement Group:
  • Currently, the multilateralism reform narrative lives only in elite circles and some national capitals, particularly the emerging powers.
  • Therefore, the G-20 should first focus on setting proper narratives of multilateral reform.
  • G-20 may constitute an engagement group dedicated to bringing the narrative to the forefront of global discourse.
  • India should also urge the upcoming chairs of the grouping, Brazil and South Africa, to place multilateral reforms as their presidential priorities.Since both have global high-table ambitions, it would be an easier task for India.
• Encouraging Minilateral Groupings:
  • While supporting multilateral cooperation, G-20 should continue encouraging minilateral groupings as a new form of multilateralism.
  • Creating networks of issue-based minilateralism, particularly in areas related to the governance of the global commons will be helpful in preventing competitive coalitions where other actors play the same game to their advantage, leading to a more fragmented world order.
• Being More Inclusive:
  • The group needs to be more inclusive without sacrificing efficiency. For example, including the African Union as a permanent member and the UN Secretary-General and General Assembly President as permanent invitees would be helpful to enhance its legitimacy.
  • Similarly, to address the crisis of trust and utility, G-20 should put all its efforts into solving one or two pressing global issues and showcase it as the model of new multilateralism.
    • Food, fuel and fertilizer security can be one such issue. On the one hand, it falls under the ‘low politics of world politics, so cooperation is more achievable.

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

In the case of Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a powerful committee must choose the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners. This committee has the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India as members (ECs).

What are the changes introduced by SC regarding selecting Election Commissioner?  

• There are just five Articles (324-329) in Part XV (Elections) of the Constitution which deals with CEC and ECs. The Constitution does not lay down a specific legislative process for the appointment of the CEC and ECs. Currently, the President makes the appointment on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
• The SC has now given the Opposition and the judiciary a say in the matter, ruling that the CEC and ECs must be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the PM, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.
• Other observations made by SC in respect of the election commission are:
• Secured Tenure: The SC noted that the conditions of service of Election Commissioners, after appointment, should not be “varied to their disadvantage”. These directions hold that the tenures of the Election Commissioners should not be disturbed in any way. The Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991 requires that the CEC and Election Commissioners must hold the post for a period of six years.
• Expenses from the Consolidated Fund of India: The court has made an appeal to the Parliament and the Union Government to set up a permanent secretariat which draws its expenses directly from the Consolidated Fund of India and not the government.

What is the need for the change in selecting Election Commissioner?

• To uphold the constitution: Article 324(2) of the Constitution stipulated that the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners shall be appointed by the President subject to the provisions of any law made on that behalf by Parliament. It may not have happened in the last 70 years. This change will help make the constitutional requirement happen.
• To ensure free and fair elections: As a constitutional body vested with plenary powers of superintendence, direction and control over elections, the ECI is a vital component of the republic that requires functional freedom and constitutional protection to ensure free and fair elections.
• To end monopoly: To end the government monopoly and “exclusive control” over appointments to the highest poll body.
• To bring uniformity: The judgment also brings a certain uniformity in appointment procedures across institutions and statutory bodies responsible for independently maintaining democracy and institutional autonomy.
• To fulfil the historical demand: The demand for an independent system for the appointment of members of the Election Commission goes back nearly 50 years. It has been repeatedly recommended in various committees such as the Justice Tarkunde committee 1975; the Dinesh Goswami committee, 1990; the second administrative reforms commission, 2007, and by the Law Commission of India in its 255th report, 2015.

What are the advantages of the changes to the process of selecting election commissioners? 

• The advantage of the neutral selection committee for selecting election commissioners are a) It addresses the conflict of interest inherent in the current selection process for election commissioners, b) Enforces the EC’s credibility and insulates the EC from political attacks, c) Can act as a constitutional lesson in India’s troubled times, and d) Recognises the fine distinction between conventional democracy and constitutional democracy.

What are the challenges associated with the changes to the process of selecting election commissioner?

• Highlights “judicial activism”: According to the government, “in the absence of a law, the President has the constitutional power.” Hence, Judiciary’s committee guidelines are seen as the era of judicial activism by some experts. Even the government has also asked the court to exhibit judicial restraint.
• Note: The ruling cites past instances of the Court stepping in to fill a gap in the law, including the Vishaka guidelines to curb sexual harassment in the workplace, and the interpretation of the process of appointment of judges.
• Against the “doctrine of separation of power”:  The constitution has given powers to the Parliament to frame the law with respect to the appointments of the election commission. The Supreme Court’s intervention in this domain is regarded as a disregard for the doctrine of separation of powers. This is also against the “basic structure” of the Constitution.
• Against the idea of “constitution is supreme”: The words “subject to the provisions of any law made on that behalf by Parliament” mentioned in Article 324(2) have been included only after prolonged discussions in the Constituent Assembly. This highlights that the government can decide and frame any law.
• The debates made clear that a)The Parliament will step in and provide norms to govern the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners, b) A law by Parliament is final and not the executive who exclusively calls the shots in the matter of appointments to the Election Commission.
• At this juncture, the involvement of the Court in the selection process has highlighted that the judiciary is the sole impartial body capable of ascertaining the best interests of the country.
• Success is uncertain: For the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a similar panel for making appointments has been set up. There is no clear proof that the CBI Director maintains independence.
• Also, having the CJI on appointing committees could give all appointments extra legitimacy and make it harder for judges to look objectively for mistakes or flaws in the process.

Way forward:

• Extend safeguards to other Election Commissioners: The procedural safeguards in place for effecting the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) should be extended to the Election Commissioners under the first proviso to Article 324(5) of the Constitution. A CEC, like Supreme Court judges, can be removed from office only by way of a parliamentary process. However, no such protection of tenure is available to the Election Commissioners.
• The retired member of the Election Commission shall be prohibited from taking any office of profit under the state.
• Similarly, he shall be prohibited from joining any political party for at least 10 years after relinquishing his office.
• Constitutional functionaries have to be not just appointed fairly, but also held to account thereafter. So, the EC and other regulatory bodies should be made autonomous of the executive and held answerable to designated committees of Parliament or committees of legislators.
• The SC’s attention to the functioning of EC is timely. The ruling examined a number of provisions in the Constitution, including the ones relating to the powers of the Supreme Court and High Court; establishing the SC, ST and Backward Classes Commissions, etc. But the judgement also raises questions about the selection process for the judiciary. The selection process for the judiciary to needs reform.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Compensatory afforestation forms a significant component of various reforestation programmes being implemented in India. 

Background:

• India has promised to increase its forest and tree cover to absorb an additional 2.5 – 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.
• However, the forestry target is difficult to achieve due to the need for rapid industrial, infrastructure development, and urbanisation.
• In the last 10 years,more than 1,611 square km of forest land (a third of this in the last three years) has been cleared.
• But government data shows that total forest cover had increased by 1,540 square km in the two years between 2019 and 2021.

Programmes with compensatory afforestation component:

• Green India Mission,
• National afforestation programme
• Tree plantation exercises along the highways and railways
• National rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS)
• Namami Gange, etc

What is Compensatory Afforestation?

• The compensatory afforestation programme ensures that forest lands getting ‘diverted’ for non-forest purposes is mandatorily accompanied by afforestation on an equal area of land.
• It was made a legal requirement through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act 2016.
• Though the law came in 2016, the concept has existed since the 1980s, as an offshoot of the Forest Conservation Act 1980.

Salient provisions of the CAF Act 2016:

• Newer parcels of land are earmarked for development as forests.
• Project developers (public/private) are required to fund the entire afforestation activity on these new lands.
• Project developers are also asked to pay for the Net Present Value (NPV) of the forests being cleared, as the new lands cannot be compared with the fully grown forests getting diverted.
• According to recent calculations, companies have to pay NPV between Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 16 lakh per hectare, depending on the quality of forests getting diverted.
• All this money is meant for increasing/improving the quality of forest cover in the country.

How money is disbursed for compensatory afforestation?

• The money is parked in special funds created for this purpose at the Central and state levels.
• The money is first deposited in the Central fund, from where it gets disbursed to states where the projects are located.
• State governments prepare an annual plan of operations→ approved by the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) at the Central level → the state government transfers funds to the state forest departments → carry out the work.
• The Central fund can keep up to 10% of the total money for administrative expenses.

Issues faced by the compensatory afforestation:

• Legitimised clearing of forests and see it as an example of ‘ greenwashing’.
• Money collected before 2016 had remained largely unutilised.For example, much of the Rs 55,000 crore in the state funds remains locked.
• Allegations of misutilisation or diversion of these funds.
• Lack of availability of suitable land/unavailability of land in a contiguous stretch remains the biggest problem.
• Land made available for afforestation cannot be used for any other purpose and is unsuitable for growing plantations.
• Often the plantations are monocultures, which is against the core concept of biodiversity.
• Biotic pressures– plantations face nearby human habitations and cattle.

Conclusion: As the clearing of forests cannot be entirely eliminated, compensatory afforestation is a good mechanism to make up for these losses to some extent. However, the above issues need to be addressed.

General Studies Paper 3

Context:

Recently, the Lancet journal published a report titled “Progress on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators in 707 districts of India: A quantitative mid-line assessment using the National Family Health Surveys, 2016 and 2021″. The report has highlighted India’s SDGs performance is not up to the mark and mentioned that India may not be able to achieve at least 19 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

About the Lancet survey

• The study was conducted by collecting data on children and adults from two rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in 2016 and 2021. It identified 33 indicators that cover 9 of the 17 official SDGs.
• It used the goals and targets outlined by the Global Indicator Framework, Government of India and World Health Organisation (WHO) to determine SDG targets to be met by 2030.”

What is the status of India’s SDG performance according to the Lancet study?

• India is not on target for 19 of the 33 SDGs indicators (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations, which is more than 50% of the indicators.
• Among the 19 off-target indicators, the situation has worsened for three of the off-target goals including those relating to anaemia among women, pregnant and non-pregnant women, between 2016 and 2021.
• The critical off-target indicators include access to basic services, wasting and overweight children, anaemia, child marriage, partner violence, tobacco use, and modern contraceptives.
• Off-target districts are concentrated in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha,
• The performance of aspirational districts is also not satisfactory.
• Many districts will never meet the targets on the SDGs even after 2030 due to a worsening trend observed between 2016 and 2021.

Positive aspects of India’s SDG performance highlighted in the Lancet survey:

The study found some good things about India’s SDG performance. These include

• At the all-India level, the one SDG indicator that has already been achieved is related to adolescent pregnancy in the age group of 10–14 years.
• India is also On-Target to meet 13 out of the 33 indicators, including Internet use, women having a bank account, full vaccination (card), improved sanitation, multidimensional poverty, birth registration, skilled birth attendants, electricity access, tobacco use (women), child marriage of girls less than 15 years of age, under 5 mortality, teenage sexual violence, and neonatal mortality.
• If efforts continue, India may meet the target of improved water access by 2031, clean fuel for cooking by 2035, lowering teenage pregnancy age by 2039, and partner sexual violence by 2040.
• Another 11 off-target indicators, including access to basic services and partner violence (physical and sexual), may be met between 2041 and 2062.

Reason for India’s poor SDG performance:

General reasons responsible for India’s poor SDG performance

• Slow world growth rate: To reach the SDGs, the world needs to grow by 2.5 percentage points every year. But the world has only grown by 0.36 percentage points up to 2021. This is almost seven times slower than the United States.  The covid pandemic stopped all progress around the world from 2019 to 2021.

• Linear extrapolation: To illustrate the gap between expectations and delivery, one can use linear extrapolation to project a future date when the world will achieve perfection. This is merely a generalisation since countries that are getting near completion will probably start focusing on and funding other goals.
• Unrealistic promises: Some of the promises, such as ending the war, poverty, climate change, hunger, and disease, are unrealistic.
• Impossible to focus: Having 169 aims is like having no priorities, so promising everything makes it impossible to focus. Most countries are either not able or not willing to set aside enough money to keep all their promises.

India-specific reasons:

• Worsening period: According to the Lancet report many districts will never meet the targets on the SDGs even after 2030 due to a worsening trend observed between 2016 and 2021.
• Financing SDGs: SDG targets like zero hunger, poverty, etc requires significant investments to eliminate them. Being home to one-third of the world’s 1.2 billion extremely poor, the Indian government alone cannot fund these SDG targets.
• Monitoring & Ownership of Implementation Process: Although NITI Aayog is expected to play an important role, the members of the Aayog have expressed their concerns time and again about the limited manpower they have to handle such a Herculean task.

Initiatives taken by India to achieve SDG Targets:

•  JAM trinity:   Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile proved to be helpful in forming the Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) which would be helpful in driving financial inclusion and helping improve benefits targeting which have been crucial to India’s progress on SDG 1, namely No Poverty.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA)   is being used to give unskilled workers jobs and raise their standard of living.
• The National Food Security Act  is being used to make sure that food grains are subsidised.
• Healthcare sector initiatives which are helpful in achieving sustainable development goals are – The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, Ayushman Bharat, National digital health mission (NDHM), etc.
• The government of India has taken several steps to mitigate the effects of climate change, like – National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), The Net Zero Commitment.
• The government also supports the 10-Year Framework Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production. For that the Ministry has published a draft notification of regulation on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Waste Tyre for receiving comments from the public and ‘Guidelines on the EPR for Plastic Packaging’ under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 has been notified.
• Apart from the above-mentioned initiative, other initiatives include the Swachh Bharat mission, Beti Bacho Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Smart Cities, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, among others.
• NITI Aayog “SDG India Index”: It is the world’s first government-led sub-national measure of SDG development. It was launched in 2018 and has been developed to capture the progress of all states and union territories (UTs) in their journey towards achieving the SDGs. This index is based on the idea of cooperative and competitive federalism, which says that action needs to be taken at all levels. The index shows how the Global Goals of the 2030 Agenda cover a wide range of issues while also taking into account national priorities.

Way forward to improve India’s SDG performance:

• This Lancet report has suggested the following steps to improve India’s performance on the SDGs:
• Appraisal of the policies and programs: India needs to urgently conduct an appraisal of the policies and programs that relate to SDGs, especially those that relate to four SDG targets relating to no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being and gender equality.
• Identifying and prioritizing districts: On critical indicators of health and social determinants of health, there is a need for a greater degree of precision in identifying and prioritizing districts for intervention. Meeting these goals will require prioritising and targeting specific areas within India
• Inter-ministerial initiatives: Since the different SDGs fall under tightly organised ministries, there is a need to establish inter-ministerial initiatives, with clear governance structures under the Prime Minister’s Office. Similar structures could be developed at the state level under the respective chief minister’s office.
• Conduct economic cost-benefit analysis: This will aid in setting priorities and directing more resources to the policy that offers the greatest return for each additional rupee spent.
• Along with other initiatives, India should also create a strategic road map that will help make sure that the SDGs are met successfully.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Deforestation has become a critically sensitive issue globally in recent years, and there is a greater need for the certification of forests.

What is Forest Certification? 

• Forest Certification offers a multi-layer audit system that seeks to authenticate the origin, legality, and sustainability of forest-based products such as timber, furniture, handicraft, paper and pulp, rubber, and many more.
• The certification is done to avoid consumption of any product that might be the result of deforestation or illegal logging.
  

Forest Certification Industry

• It is a three-decade-old global certification industry that began through independent third-party audits to review that management in a sustainable manner.
• There are two major international standards: one has been developed by Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC; the other by Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certifications, or PEFC. FSC certification is more popular and in demand, and also more expensive.
• They are not involved in the evaluation and auditing of the processes it is done by certification bodies authorised by FSC or PEFC.
• PEFC does not insist on the use of its own standards; instead, it endorses the ‘national’ standards of any country if they are aligned with its own.
• Two main types of certification are:forest management (FM) and Chain of Custody (CoC). CoC certification is meant to guarantee the traceability of a forest product like timber throughout the supply chain from origin to market.

Forest certification in India

• The forest certification industry has been operating in India for the last 15 years.
• Currently, forests in only one state — Uttar Pradesh— are certified.
• The standards have been developed by the New Delhi-based nonprofit Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF).
• India allows the export of only processed wood, not timber.The demand for wood in India is 150-170 million cubic metres annually, including 90-100 million cubic metres of raw wood. The rest goes mainly towards meeting the demand for paper and pulp.
• India’s forests contribute just about five million cubic metres of wood every year. Almost 85 percent of the demand for wood and wood products is met by trees outside forests (ToF). 
• Since ToF are so important, new certification standards are being developed for their sustainable management. PEFC already has certification for TOF and last year, FSC came up with India-specific standards that included certification for ToF.

Significance of the Certification

• Forest-based industries in India, particularly those for paper, boards, plywood, medium density fibreboard, furniture and handicrafts etc, have been pushing for forest certification to enhance their market accessibility to western markets including European Union and USA.
• Certification scheme is aimed to improve India’s forest management regime that is often criticised for various issues ailing the sector such as forest rights, forest degradation, biodiversity losses, encroachments, lack of manpower, etc.
• Conclusion: A simple, transparent, easy to adopt and internationally accepted indigenous system of certifications will take into account India’s national circumstances and will make available sustainably grown and managed forest products in the domestic market.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: A new Study Warns of doubling of Plastic Consumption in G20 countries by 2050 without new policies.

Plastic Consumption across Globe

• According to a report by the Back to Blue initiative, Plastic consumption in G20 countries may nearly double by 2050 unless new global policies are put in place to reduce its use.
• Countries with the highest economic and population growth are likely to see the largest increase in plastic consumption in the coming decades.
• Plastic consumption is expected to nearly double by 2050, reaching 451 million tonnes from 261 million tonnes in 2019.
• Single-use plastic ban is the most effective policy,but even with the ban, plastic consumption across G20 countries will be 1.48 times higher in 2050 compared to 2019.
• Extended producer responsibility schemes will have a minimal effect on the consumption of single-use plastic products, but still a vital part of the solution.
• Currently, the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, prohibits manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags and plastic sheets less than 50 microns in thickness in the country.

What is the Significance of Plastic?

• Resistant, inert, and lightweight,plastic offers many benefits to companies, consumers, and other links in society. This is all because of its low-cost and versatile nature.
  • In the medical industry, plastics are used to keep things sterile. Syringes and surgical implements are all plastic and single use.
  • In the automotive industry, it has allowed a significant reduction in vehicle weight, reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, the environmental impact of automobiles.

Issues / Challenges with Plastic

• Environmental: It is harmful to the environment as it is non-biodegradable and takes years to disintegrate.
  • Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fishes and turtles eat plastic waste and most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris.
• Food and health:Invisible plastic has been identified in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the world’s oceans, including the Arctic.
  • The transfer of contaminants between marine species and humans through the consumption of seafood has been identified as a health hazard.
    • Fish consume thousands of tons of plastic in a year, ultimately transferring it up the food chain to marine mammals.
  • Climate change: Plastic, which is a petroleum product, also contributes to global warming. If plastic waste is incinerated, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thereby increasing carbon emissions.
  • Tourism: Plastic waste damages the aesthetic value of tourist destinations, leading to decreased tourism-related incomes and major economic costs related to the cleaning and maintenance of the sites.
  • Financial costs of marine plastic pollution:According to conservative forecasts made in March 2020, the direct harm to the blue economy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be $2.1 billion per year.

Challenges in controlling plastic pollution:

• Weak enforcement of regulations: While India has enacted laws to control plastic pollution, enforcement remains weak due to limited resources and inadequate monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Lack of public awareness:There is a need for more widespread public education campaigns to promote plastic alternatives and proper waste disposal practices.
• Limited infrastructure:There is a lack of proper waste collection and segregation systems, and many landfill sites are poorly managed and overflowing.
• Recycling challenges: While India has a vibrant informal recycling sector, there are challenges with the quality and safety of recycled plastics, as well as a lack of standardized recycling processes and technologies.
• Single-use plastic production: India still produces a significant amount of single-use plastic items, such as straws, cutlery, and bags, which are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills or waterways.

Steps taken by India to control plastic pollution

• Ban on single-use plastics:India has banned the production, use, and sale of single-use plastics such as bags, cups, plates, cutlery, and straws in many states.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):The Indian government has implemented EPR, making plastic manufacturers responsible for managing and disposing of the waste generated by their products.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules: India introduced the Plastic Waste Management Rules in 2016, which provide a framework for managing plastic waste through various measures, including recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The Indian government launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a national cleanliness campaign, which includes the collection and disposal of plastic waste.
• Plastic Parks: India has set up Plastic Parks, which are specialized industrial zones for recycling and processing plastic waste.
• Beach clean-up drives: The Indian government and various non-governmental organizations have organized beach clean-up drives to collect and dispose of plastic waste from beaches.
• Awareness campaigns: India has launched awareness campaigns to educate people about the harmful effects of plastic pollution and encourage them to use sustainable alternatives.

Way Forward

• Identifying Hotspots:
  • Identifying key hotspots of Plastic leakage associated with production, consumption, and disposal of Plastic can assist governments in developing effective policies that address the plastic problem directly.
• Breaking Down Plastic Waste:
  • Plastic has become so enmeshed in our ecosystem that bacteria have evolved to digest it. ‘
    • Plastic-eating bacteria, discovered in Japan, have been cultivated and modified to digest polyester plastics (food packaging and plastic bottles)
  • Circular Economy for Plastic Management:
    • Circular economy can reduce material use, redesigns materials to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products.
      • Circular economy is not just applicable to the global currents of plastic and clothes, but can also contribute significantly to the achievement of sustainable development goals.