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.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: Japan looks forward to supporting India’s clean energy transition by including India in the Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI).
Japan’s AETI, launched in 2021, initially supported the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries towards achieving net zero emissions, including financial assistance of USD 10 billion for renewable energy.

What are the Major Highlights of India Japan Clean Energy Cooperation?

• The Clean Energy Partnership between India and Japan was published in March 2022.
  • It would work on the agenda covered in the India-Japan Energy Dialogue 2007 and will subsequently expand into areas of mutual benefit.
• India and Japan have taken over the presidentship of  G20 and G7,
  
  • In the context of environmental sustainability, India’s Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) is one of the most important priorities during the G20 presidency.
  • Also, the Feed-in Premium (FiP) scheme by the government of Japan was implemented in April 2022 and is expected to improve the country’s energy transition.
• Japan has set a goal of becoming net-zero by 2050, and the government issued an interim report on Clean Energy Strategy in May 2022.
  • India has also set an ambitious target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
• The Indian subcontinent’s massive renewable energy potential can boost green hydrogen   (GH2) production and immense potential for a GH2 economy.
  • Nepal and Bhutan also have surplus hydropower potential,  and green hydrogen electrolyzers can tap this in countries like India and Bangladesh.
• Events like the India-Japan Environment week would help create a roadmap to integrate variable renewable energy into the system through technological, institutional, and personnel cooperation.

What is Clean Energy Transition?

• About:
  • Clean energy transition refers to the shift from traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources, (such as coal, oil, and natural gas) to cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy that have a lower impact on the environment.
  • This transition is driven by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change,  and address other environmental and public health concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels.
• Clean Energy Sources:
  • Clean energy sources include renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal,  and biomass energy,  as well as energy storage technologies like batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.

Status of India -Japan Bilateral Relations:

• Defense Ties: India-Japan Defence and Security partnershiphas evolved over the years from bilateral and multilateral exercises including Dharma Guardian and Malabar And welcoming the participation of Japan for the first time in the xercise.  MILAN exercise.

  Health-Care:In view of the similarities and synergies between the goals and objectives of India’s AYUSHMAN Bharat Programme and Japan’s AHWIN, both sides had been consulting with each other to identify projects to build the narrative of AHWIN for AYUSHMAN Bharat.
  Investment and ODA:India has been the largest recipient of the Japanese Official Development Assistance(ODA) Loan for the past decades. Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation through the utilization of ODA.

  India’s Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)project is funded by a soft loan provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency under Special terms for economic partnership (STEP).

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Women from rural India are adopting clean energy-based livelihood technologies(from solar refrigerators to silk-reeling machines) to catalyse their businesses and transform women’s livelihoods at the grassroots.

What is the potential of clean technologies for women’s livelihoods?

• A recent Council on Energy, Environment and Water study has shown that out of the 13,000 early adopters of clean tech appliances, more than 80% are women.
• Renewable energy­ powered technologies provide an additional advantage to women farmers and microentrepreneurs by enhancing income opportunities through mechanisation. They also free women from several gender assigned manual activities that are laborious.
• By 2030, India is expected to see 30 million women ­owned MSMEs,employing around 150 million people. Renewable energy livelihood technologies have the potential to transform rural livelihoods, with women at the core of this transition.

Challenges in scaling up these accomplishments:

• Novelty and a high starting price of these technologies
• Perceived as high-risk purchases, especially by women users
• The relatively lower risk appetite of rural women due to socioeconomic reasons
• Limited avenues to avail financing
• Lack of established market linkages
• Limited mobility/networks of women outside their villages

Way ahead:

• Leverage the experience of early women adopters.
• Organise hyperlocal events and demos – create spaces for women to network, and become aware.
• Enable easy finance to purchase products. Financiers should consider the technologies themselves as collateral while easing the loan application process.
• Ensure adequate after-sales services and buy-backs.
• Support backwards and forward market linkage– finding and connecting producers to consumption hubs in urban areas.
• Collectivising women or establishing business models that enable them to sell to an intermediary can ensure a regular revenue stream.
• Enable policy convergence.Efforts towards promoting livelihoods for women from State rural livelihood missions, agriculture departments, etc., must be converged.
• Leveraging the reach of government institutions is imperative.
• Conclusion:Similar to how it takes a village to raise a child, a village of politicians, investors, financiers, and technology promoters, is required to fully realise the potential of rural women and clean technologies.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Only 4 per cent(just 1 in 4 children)of children aged 0-15 years are shielded by social protection, leaving the remaining 73.6 per cent exposed to poverty, exclusion and multidimensional deprivations, noted a new United Nations (UN) report titled – More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection for children.

Need for Social Protection:

• Social protection policies are powerful tools for alleviating poverty for children and their families at risk of falling into poverty and helping all children deprived of key services.
• Social protection can also shield children from other major risks, such as child labour   and forced labour.

Key findings of the report:

• 4 billion Children in this world need adequate social protection.
• Nearly 1.77 billion children aged 0-18 years lack access to a child or family cash benefit, a fundamental pillar of a social protection system
• Regional disparities
• One billion children live in multidimensional poverty without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or water.
• Gender disparity
• Children with disabilities or living in a household with a family member with a disability are more vulnerable to poverty

Stats on India in the report:

• The report stated that 31 states in India had implemented the national ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme.  So far, only 4,302 children have received support from the scheme.

Recommendations given to achieve universal social protection for children:

• Provide a comprehensive range of benefits that supports children and families through a life-cycle approach.
• Authorities are advised to provide child benefits through national social protection systems that also connect families to crucial health and social services, such as free or affordable quality childcare.
• Increase budget allocation for children: Ensure sustainable and equitable financing of social protection systems
• Build social protection systems that are rights-based, inclusive, gender-responsive, informed by social dialogue and able to effectively respond to multiple shocks and crises, and that can therefore deliver for children and families.
• Guarantee access to decent work and adequate employee benefits.
• Ensure that social protection systems are adapted to developments in the world of work to enhance economic security for parents, caregivers and their families.

• Conclusion: Following the above recommendations will help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of achieving substantial social protection coverage by 2030.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember has recently released a report titled “Indian States’ Energy Transition“. The report highlighted the glaring inequality in the Clean Energy Transition of States. As per the report, Karnataka now has the best-equipped power systems to convert its electricity system from fossil-powered to renewable energy sources, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. On the other hand, Bihar, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh did the worst.

What is a clean electricity transition? 

• This refers to the shift from fossil-based power production and consumption to renewable energy sources by transforming the electricity sector through innovative policies, efficient technologies, and greener market pulls while ensuring reliable supply with effective closed-loop systems in place.
• An effective clean electricity transition requires a timely switch towards a clean power-fuelled, economically feasible, politically viable, and secure system that can create value for business and society.

What are the report’s key highlights on the Clean Energy Transition of States? 

• The report analyses 16 states that account for 90 percent of India’s yearly power demand. Theirscores were calculated based on states’ performance on four major dimensions. Such as Decarbonisation, Performance of the Power System, Readiness of the Power Ecosystem, and Policies and Political

Karnataka: 

• Karnataka ranks first in all four dimensions of the clean energy transition.
• The state fared the best in decarbonizing its power sector and has the highest share of renewables in its power supply mix (48%).
• Only Delhi’s power sector’s emission intensity of GSDP is lower than that of Karnataka (2.2 kgCO2eq/Rs1,000).
• Haryana has the lowest installed capacity of older, more polluting coal power plants.

Maharashtra:

• It has the biggest power demand in India and was found to be in the mid-range. This is mostly because the state is slow to use renewable energy and can’t shut down older, more polluting coal power plants.
• Its renewable energy share (11%) is lower than most other states.
• Chhattisgarh has the highest emissions intensity of GSDP (43 kgCO2eq/ Rs1,000). Its renewable energy share in the power supply mix (1%) is better than only Bihar.

Bihar, UP, and West Bengal:

• These states must work more to improve their clean energy transition performance.
• These states should maximize their renewable energy generation potential, and at the same time increase commitment to moving away from fossil fuels-based electricity.

What is the need for the Clean Energy Transition of states? 

• India’s clean electricity transition requires all states and Union Territories to transform their power sectors. More specifically,progress in states with high power demand is not only crucial but also urgent for India’s power sector to achieve a clean electricity transition.
• The transition needs Indian states to work together and take the lead to fight the problems that make it hard to reach India’s goals, such as fulfilling Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India’s net-zero commitments, and the implementation of the ambitious climate action at the national level.

What are the challenges faced by states in their clean energy transition?

• Under utilisation: Renewable energy-rich states are not utilizing their renewable energy generation potential. Potential hurdles, such as land conflict, technology upgrades, and lack of transmission infrastructure, could come in the way of the clean energy transition of states.
• For instance, even the top performer Karnataka has utilized only 11% of its total renewable energy potential.
• Ignoring other possibilities: While the states are focusing on large-scale renewable power projects, mainly utility-scale solar, they are ignoring other possibly viable options, such as rooftop solar, small hydel plants, etc.
• Different priorities between the centre and states: The national (central) government and sub-national (state) governments in India often have different priorities with respect to the energy sector. For example,
• The Centre’s perspective is informed by macroeconomic stability, economic growth and geostrategic issues. On the other hand, states are driven more by local and state-level concerns. Further, the State’s political-economic realities are affected by factors such as energy access, affordability, local jobs and economies.
• Energy Transition at the State Level and Fiscal Impact: Many coal-producing states naturally rely heavily on fossil fuels for revenues as they benefit from both coal-related royalties from mining but also tax revenues from sales of oil and natural gas.
• The transition and its impact on the state’s employment:  As the country moves away from fossil fuels, there will be negative effects on jobs all along the value chain. This includes employment across mining, transport and storage, processing and manufacturing, and trade.
• What steps have been taken by the Indian states towards the clean energy transition?
  

Initiatives of the central government to facilitate clean energy transition of states

• Intra-State Transmission System – Green Energy Corridor Phase-II for laying the infrastructure for connecting electricity generated from renewables with the power grid in seven states. This scheme would receive 33% central financial assistance. This is crucial to create green market mechanisms for inter- and intra-state renewable energy trading.
• The scheme for“Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects” has a target of generating 40GW capacity by March 2024. So far, the central government has sanctioned 50 solar parks with a combined capacity of 33.82GW in 14 states.
• Progressive policies like net metering, banking of power and feeder segregation are implemented under the ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (KUSUM)’ scheme.
• The green day ahead market (GDAM): The Power Ministry has launched GDAM to enable India to achieve green targets and facilitate the integration and expansion of green energy in an efficient, competitive, sustainable, and transparent manner.
• The government has permitted foreign direct investment up to 100 per cent under the automatic route and has wavered Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges and losses for the inter-State sale of solar and wind power for projects.
• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA), as of November 2020, has financed more than 2,700 renewable energy projects in India with cumulative loan disbursements to the tune of ₹ 57,000 crore.

Initiatives of state governments to facilitate clean energy transition

• The Interstate Clean Energy Procurement Program (ICEPP)was launched in India by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). ICEPP will help eight Indian states build up their clean energy infrastructure by giving public procurement officials training on best value and life-cycle cost analysis. USTDA is funding ICEPP through its Global Procurement Initiative (GPI).
• Various states also have many initiatives. Such as,
• Rajasthan: Rajasthan Wind Solar Hybrid Policy 2019 and Rajasthan Electric Vehicle Policy 2022 helped accelerate the capacity addition.
• Karnataka: It was the first southern state in India to notify a renewable energy policy, the Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2009-14 to harness green, clean, renewable energy sources for environmental benefits and energy security. Recently, the state released the Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2022-2027.
• Tamil Nadu has a dedicated solar energy policy 2019 and EV Policy 2019
• Several states have announced their EV Policy to complement the national scheme and to address state-specific needs.

What should be done to ensure the clean energy transition of states? 

• In order to enhance the state’s clean energy transition, the “Indian States’ Energy Transition” report has recommended the following,
• Focus on offshore wind energy: India has the potential to generate 140GW of electricity from offshore wind along its 7,600km coastline. However, there is a need to develop local supply chain, logistics and port infrastructure to utilise offshore wind’s full potential.
• Pay attention to coal plants: State energy departments need to closely monitor their coal plants and retire older plants, unless needed as peaker plants during high-demand months.
• Increase green market participation of states: States need to focus on increasing participation in green market mechanisms like GDAM, GTAM, open access, corporate PPAs etc. In addition, states also need to focus on innovative bilateral financial markets mechanisms like Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPA) and Contracts for Difference (CfD).
• Introduce private sector participation: The introduction of private sector participation and competition shall bring more capital and management expertise into the electricity sector. This will help enhance operational efficiency, and increase accessibility and affordability.
• Focus on feeder segregation: Reliable state-level data on feeder segregation needs to be made available for more robust analysis. States with large agriculture loads need to focus more on feeder segregation.
• Develop a circular approach: States need to develop a holistic and circular approach towards handling solar panel, battery, and electric vehicle waste. This is even more crucial as India sets up new manufacturing units under the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.
• The other recommendations include, a) Data transparency and availability at the state level needs an enhancement for robust analysis, b) Robust transmission infrastructure is necessary to better evacuate renewables at the state level, c) Initiatives like ‘Time of Day tariff’ and ‘Direct Benefit Transfer’ need more focus for state-level implementation in addition to regular tariff revisions by the state regulators.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)   licence of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
• CPR (not-for-profit society), along with Oxfam India and the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), was surveyed by the Income Tax department earlier.

What is the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act?

• About:
  • FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976  amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations.
  • The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.
• Amendments:
  • An amended FCRA was enacted in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on utilisation of foreign funds,and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to national interest”.
  • The law was amended again in2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds by NGOs.
• Criteria:
  • The FCRA requires every person or NGO seeking to receive foreign donations to be:
    • registered under the Act
    • to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds in State Bank of India,Delhi
    • to utilize those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.
  • FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, and social programmes.
• Exceptions:
  • Under the FCRA, the applicant should not be fictitious and should not have been prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at conversion through inducement or force, either directly or indirectly, from one religious faith to another.
  • The applicant should also not have been prosecuted for or convicted of creating communal tension or disharmony.
    • Also, should not be engaged or likely to be engaged in the propagation of
  • The Act prohibits the receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.
• Validity:
  • FCRA registration is valid for5 years, and NGOs  are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration.
  • The government can also cancel the FCRA registration of any NGO if it finds that the NGO is in violation of the Act, if it has not been engaged in any reasonable activity in its chosen field for the benefit of society for two consecutive years, or if it has become defunct.
  • Once the registration of an NGO is cancelled, it is not eligible for re-registration for three years.
• FCRA 2022 Rules:
  • In July 2022, the MHA effected changes to FCRA rules  which increased the number of compoundable offences under the Act from 7 to 12.
  • The other key changes were exemption from intimation to the government for contributions less than Rs 10 lakh – the earlier limit was Rs 1 lakh— received from relatives abroad, and increase in time limit for intimation of opening of bank accounts.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: The pandemic has put at risk the decade’s progress in building human capital, including the improvements in health, survival rates, school enrollment, and reduced stunting.

About Human Capital

• Meaning:
  • It consists of the knowledge, skills,and health that people accumulate over their lives, enabling them to realize their potential as productive members of society.
    • Research indicates that human capital investments have high economic returns.
  • Need of Human Capital:
    • The last few years have ushered in a harsh new reality where crises are the norm rather than the exception, examples being pandemics, economic slumps, extreme weather events, etc.
    • The knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate their human capital is a critical source of the resilience that countries rely on for recovery.
  • South Asia’s human capital:
    • With nearly half its population under the age of 24and over one million young people set to enter the labour force every month until 2030, the region could reap an enviably high demographic dividend.
    • To strengthen resilience and protect the well-being of future generations, governments across South Asia need to take urgent policy action and invest in human capital.

Issues & challenges

• Shortcomings:
  • South Asia is home to over one-third of the world’s stunted children.
  • And a child born in the region today can, by the age of 18, expect to attain only 48% of their full productive potential.
    • If the quantity and quality of South Asia’s human capital were to improve, regional GDP per worker could double.
  • Lack of resources & monetary support:
    • These numbers are alarming but will be hard to shift without more resources.
    • South Asian governments on average spend just 1% of GDP on health and 2.5% on education.
      • In comparison, the global average is 5.9% on health and 3.7% on education.
    • Impacts of COVID 19:
      • Extreme poverty:
        • The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an additional 35 million people across South Asia into extreme poverty.
      • Learning poverty
        • Learning poverty,or the inability to read and understand a simple text by age 10.
        • While around the world, on average, schools remained closed for in-person learning between 2020 and 2022 for 141 days, in South Asia they were shut for 225 days.
        • Coupled with ineffective remote instruction, this increased South Asia’s learning poverty from 60% to 78%.
        • The poorest and most vulnerable people fell further behind. For example, in Bangladesh, the poorest students lost 50% more in terms of learning than the richest students.
        • Several countries still show little to no signs of recovery, and South Asia’s students could lose up to 14.4% of their future earnings.

Suggestions

• Quality over quantity:
  • Well-designed and implemented interventions can make a difference if governments act fast.
  • Recent evidence suggests that even simple and low-cost education programmes can lead to sizable gains in skills.
  • Examples:
    • In Bangladesh, for example, attending a year of additional pre-school through two-hour sessions significantly improved literacy, numeracy, and social-development scores.
    • In Tamil Nadu, six months of extra remedial classes after school helped students catch up on about two-thirds of lost learning linked to 18 months of school closures.
    • In Nepal, government teachers ran a phone tutoring programme that helped increase students’ foundational numeracy by 30%.
  • Given the high returns to human capital, the huge losses inflicted by the pandemic, and the region’s vulnerability to a variety of shocks, even with constrained government budgets, scaling up these interventions should be a no brainer.
• Acting before crisis:
  • Globally, countries that have systems in place to support individuals and families before a crisis strikes, can better protect their citizens during the crisis.
• Interdependent focus:
  • The health, education, and skills people acquire at various stages of their lives, build and depend on each other.
  • To be effective, human development systems must recognise and exploit these overlapping connections. In other words, they should be agile, resilient and adaptive.

Way ahead

• A robust human development system would not only mitigate the damage but also help ensure lives and livelihoods are protected.
• It could provide the resilience South Asia needs to prosper in an increasingly volatile world.